CATHODE RAY OSCILLOSCOPE

Popular instrument to show time,

voltage both DC and AC. Shows Volts /
Time.
Display waveforms. Spectrum scope shows volts to
Frequency

Cathode (-ve ) is heated, emits

electrons, accelerated toward a (+ve)
fluorescent screen. Intensity grid, Focus grid,
Accelerating anode. (Electron gun)

Horizontal deflection plates.

Vertical deflection plates
1

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Deflection system

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Fluorescent screen

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

To generate
electron

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

- Negative
potential. - To
control the
brightness by
controlling the
electron flow
and 2 anodes.

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

Positive
potential.
To focus the
electron into
narrow beams
on the screen.

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Electron gun

Positive
potential.
Accelerates the
electron

OSCILLOSCOPE: CATHODE-RAY TUBES (CRT)

Deflection system

OSCILLOSCOPE:
VERTICAL AND
HORIZONTAL
DEFLECTION PLATES

To control the electron beam at any

direction.

OSCILLOSCOPE: CONTROL PANEL

Panel

Function

VOLTS/DIV

Select the vertical deflection factor of the CRT display

TIME/DIV

Select the horizontal deflection factor of the CRT display

INTEN (Intensity)
Control

The INTEN (intensity) control (sometimes called BRIGHTNESS) adjusts

the brightness of the beam on the CRT. The control is rotated in a
clockwise direction to increase the intensity of the beam and should
be adjusted to a minimum brightness level that is comfortable for
viewing.
The FOCUS control adjusts the beam size. The ASTIG (astigmatism)
control adjusts the beam shape. The FOCUS and ASTIG controls are
adjusted together to produce a small, clearly defined circular dot

FOCUS and ASTIG

(Astigmatism)
Controls
TRACE ROTATION
Control
BEAM FINDER
Control
Horizontal and
Vertical POSITION
Controls

AC-GDN-DC

The TRACE ROTATION control allows for minor adjustments of the

horizontal portion of the trace so that you can align it with the
horizontal lines on the graticule.
When pushed, the BEAM FINDER pulls the beam onto the screen so
that you can use the horizontal and vertical POSITION controls to
center the spot.
The horizontal and vertical POSITION controls are used to position the
trace. Because the graticule is often drawn to represent a graph, some
oscilloscopes have the positioning controls labeled to correspond to
the X and Y axes of the graph. The X axis represents horizontal
movement; the Y axis represents the vertical movement.
AC- Ac Signal
GDN - grounding the signal
DC- Dc Signal

FREQUENCY AND PERIOD.

Frequency: measured in Hertz

Definition: number of times the
signal repeats itself in one second

FREQUENCY AND PERIOD.

Period
Definition: the amount of time it
takes the signal to complete one
cycle.

PHASE

1 cycle of a sine wave: 360

Phase shift 90

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

Given:
volt/div
X: 50mV/div, Y:
200mV/div
time/div
1ms/div

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

Peak to peak voltage :

Vpp = (volt/div) (no div peak to
peak)
Vpp(X) = (50mV/div) ( 8 div ) =
0.4 V
Vpp(Y) = (200mV/div) ( 4 div ) =
0.8V

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

Voltage peak:

Vpp
Vp
2

Vp( X )

0.4

0.2V
2

Vp(Y )

0 .8

0.4V
2

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

Time
T = (Time/div) ( no div in 1
cycle)
T(X) = (1 ms/div) ( 5 div) = 5ms
T(Y) = (1 ms/div) ( 5 div ) =
5ms

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

WAVEFORM MEASUREMENT (EXAMPLE)

CATHODE RAY OSCILLOSCOPE

When electrons hit the screen the phosphor is

excited and emits light.
Persistence. How long the display glows.
May need to reduce ambient light for older
instruments.

Connect a signal to Vertical

deflection plate.
At same time a voltage that
increases linearly with time (Ramp)
is applied to the Horizontal
deflection plates.
23

This horizontal linear deflection is

produced by the Sweep generator.
Sawtooth wave.

When the sweep signal returns to

zero ie the end of the sweep, the
beam flies back to the start
position. The beam is cut off during
the flyback time.
24

CROS

The display is made to appear

stationary.
This controlled by your adjustment
settings.
The eye sees a waveform.
X is <----> Horizontal
Y is ^ Vertical Height of trace
25

The signal is amplified by the vertical

amplifier, applied to the vertical plates.
A portion of the vertical amp signal is
applied to the Sweep Trigger.
The sweep trigger generates a pulse
coincident with a selected point in the
cycle of the trigger signal.
This pulse turns on the sweep generator
initiating the sawtooth wave form.
The sawtooth wave is amplified by the
horizontal amp and applied to the
horizontal deflection plates
26

The trigger can be based on 50

(60) Hz
Provision is made for an external
trigger.

27

CRO TUBE CONTROLS

POWER on / off
Scale
Illumination
Focus. Create spot on screen
Intensity. Brightness (Dont burn
a spot on your screen)

28

VERTICAL AMP

Position on display
Sensitivity of vertical amp
Calibrated. Cal fully clockwise.

Variable sensitivity. Continuous range between

calibrated steps.

AC - DC - Gnd.

Selects desired coupling for incoming signal, or

grounds amp input. DC couples signal directly to
amp. AC connects via a capacitor. (Blocks DC)
Gnd = no signal. Gnd connects Y input to 0 volts.

Checks position of 0v on screen .

29

VERTICAL AMP

Position on display
Sensitivity of vertical amp
Calibrated. Cal fully clockwise.

Variable sensitivity. Continuous range between

calibrated steps.

AC - DC - Gnd.

Selects desired coupling for incoming signal, or

grounds amp input. DC couples signal directly to
amp. AC connects via a capacitor. (Blocks DC)
Gnd = no signal. Gnd connects Y input to 0 volts.

Checks position of 0v on screen .

30

HORIZONTAL SWEEP

Sweep time / Div (or CM) Select

desired sweep rate, or admits external
sig to horiz amp.

Sweep time / Cm Variable

Continuously variable sweep rates. Cal is
fully clockwise.
Position Controls horizontal position
of trace.

Horizontal variable

controls
attenuation of signal applied to Horz amp
through Ext Horiz connector.
31

TRIGGER

SET TO AUTO OR

NORMAL

Trigger selects timing of the

beginning of the Horizontal sweep.
Slope selects trigger at +ve increasing or
-ve decreasing portion of signal.

Coupling

Source: Int from Vertical Amp

Ext from Ext Trig Input.
Line AC line 50 (60) HZ

Selects whether trigger is at a

specific DC or AC level.

32

VOLTS /DIV SWITCH

Volts / Div
Variable Fine adjustment
these controls can have a Pull out
switch position. May be 5 times mag.

33

VERTICAL MODE

The operation of vertical deflection plates

Chan 1 and Chan 2 can each operate
separately.
Dual. Ch1 and Ch2 are swept
alternatively.
Why Dual? Used to measure input and
Output signals of a device under test.
Ch1 and Ch2 can be added
34

TIME BASE

Main, Max, Min, delay.

Selects the sweep for the main mix or delay mode and
also X-Y switch

Time/Div provides selection of sweep

rates. Range of 0.1 Second, 50 to .1 mS,
50 to 0.1uS per div. Note 5,2,1,
sequence.
To determine a frequency use reciprocal.
Frequency = 1/time period (50Hz = 1/20mS)
Time period = 1/Frequency (number of div * ?
ms/div. Eg 4div*5ms/div = 20 ms)

35

OTHER

Comp Test. Allows individual

components to be tested. Connect via
banana jacks to test resistors,
capacitors, diodes, transistors, etc
Cal delivers calibrated voltage e.g. 2v
p-p 1KHz square wave for setting scale.
GND. Earth terminal of scope

36

CONNECTIONS

Vertical Input
Horizontal Input
External Trigger
Cal. Out

37

BANDWIDTH

A 10MHz CRO does not mean it will correctly measure

signals at 10MHz.
Vertical Amps are not so wide-band as to amplify all
signals. 10MHz is the 3dB point. A 10MHz signal of 1v
will measure 0.707v on the screen.
Clipping introduces odd order harmonics. A CRO
operating near the max freq. will not show the
harmonics and you think you are reading a clean
signal.
Square waves begin to look like sine waves.
A rule of thumb is 5 times. To measure 2MHZ use a
10MHz CRO. 3 times is suitable for most Amateur work.
For 7MHz. Times 3 = 21. Use a 20 MHz CRO.

38

EVERY CRO WILL BE DIFFERENT

Many instruments made for specific

work.
Beam Finder push button
Trace rotation
Chan 1 Vertical input. During X-Y
operation this is X axis (abscissa)
Chan 2 Vertical input Chan 2. During XY this becomes ordinate input.
39

MINI EXERCISES

Obtain a trace
Brightness
Focus
Move trace up, down.
Move trace side ways

40