Physics307L F09:People/Franco/Franco's Oscilloscope

Oscilloscope Lab Summary
For this lab, I became familiar with what an oscilloscope was and does. We were first assigned to create a sine graph with the device, and take some measurements. The sine graph was generated by the function generator on to the oscilloscope. As for those measurements, they consisted with things such as frequency, period, peaks of the voltage, etc. The function generator could be set at any voltage(voltage only determines amplitude). The frequency at which it's set is very essential. If the frequency is too low, you'll get a condensed off scale sine graph. If the frequency is too high, you will just see a line, or half a sine graph. So I adjusted the frequency according, not too high or too low.

There were several different ways to take measurements. One way was to select the measure button, and set the settings to automatically give data. Another way to measure the information on the graph, is you could manually find the data by using the grids. Below the graph, it tells you how much each box is worth. Using the boxes on the grids, you can determine voltages and times. The third way is to the use the cursor button. The cursor button plays part in measuring the time manually. So, in order to measure the time I selected the cursor button and adjusted it to measure time, not voltage. The cursors can measure voltage and other things.

Another function used was triggering, in which several new options were introduced: pulse, video, edge. The trigger function is used to measure data on the table more precisely. Or better said, starting at a starting point and to an ending point, such as at t=0 to t=10, triggering enables the user to move along back and forth in those times of the wave. There is this function on the triggering menu that makes the graph "rise" or "fall." When I used "video" on the triggering menu, it gave dynamics to the graph, and when I selected "rise" it would oscillate to the right. But when I selected "fall", it would oscillate to the left.

Getting the graph for AC coupling was a little more tedious. In order to get the graph, I had to apply a large DC voltage of 12V (as instructed),and I've decreased the frequency on the function generator substantially down to about 1 X 2.0 Hz. I still did not see the graph so I had to play with the cursors and the graph on the oscilloscope. I finally obtained this graph. I measured the fall and rise times by not only doing the calculations, but also by using the measure feature. I believe that the goal was accomplished; I learned how to use an oscilloscope.

Links
 * Notebook: Oscilloscope Lab
 * Lab Notebook
 * Course Page
 * Physics307L_F09
 * My User Page