Oscilloscope training class (long)

[w2aew]

I helped teach a class on the basics of oscilloscopes to the New Jersey Antique Radio Club. This club is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of antique radios - mainly from the golden age of broadcasting. The class was geared entirely around analog scopes, since that's the type of scope that these guys would most likely come across or have access to for their radio restoration projects. We affectionately called the class "Scopes for Dopes", and it was a great success.


Fortunately, the session was videotaped. We had two projectors going - one with presentation slides, and one with a video camera feed that was focused on a few scopes on a table for demonstration.




To make it easier to navigate this long video - over 2 hours long, here is a list of time-stamps and the topics that begin at those timestamps. Using this "table of contents", you can easily move the youtube player location to the topic of interest.


0:00:00 Opening and Agenda
0:02:50 Brief History of Oscilloscopes – with Al Klase
0:15:00 Start of Basics of Oscilloscopes – with Alan Wolke
0:19:00 Basic Block Diagram of an Oscilloscope
0:19:50 Oscilloscope / Display Overview
0:23:00 Display Section Functions and Controls
0:28:10 Vertical Section Description
0:33:17 Vertical Scale / Coupling Controls, Input Impedance
0:38:04 Vertical Mode Controls
0:48:05 In-circuit Example of using two traces on the oscilloscope
0:52:41 Horizontal Section Description
0:53:48 Horizontal Sweep Types & Controls
1:10:15 Triggering (Synchronization) Section Description
1:13:19 Trigger Source, Mode and Coupling Controls
1:19:56 Trigger Level and Slope Controls
1:23:29 Introduction to Oscilloscope Probes
1:31:45 1X and 10X Passive Probes
1:34:00 10X Probe Compensation and Use Considerations
1:48:48 XY Mode of Operation
2:00:12 Front Panel Control Layout
2:02:20 Pop Quiz!
2:03:00 Wrap Up: Oscilloscope adds Intuitive Feel to circuit operation
2:04:45 Questions and Answers
2:13:35 Brief History of Oscilloscope Tubes

Also, if you are interested, I have a couple of other oscilloscope videos on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/w2aew
...including a tutorial on 1X and 10X probes...

[vk6zgo]

Unfortunately,I don't have the time to watch all of this right now,--But it is excellent!!

I highly recommend that those of you who are unfamiliar with Oscilloscopes & in fact,anyone, watch this.
It's not just a quick demonstration of somebody's bench 'scope,but a full on tutorial which you would pay real money to attend if it was held in your home town!

Just watching the first section I learned a lot of stuff I was a bit vague on about the history of these wondrous devices!

VK6ZGO

[saturation]

Wonderful tutorial job, including indexing if you want to speed through.

[pklawit]

Hi,

I have just watched the whole 2:20 long movie.
This is really good stuff.
For me the most interresting was the part about 10x attenuating probes
and the probes compensation.

P.

[w2aew]

Hi,

I have just watched the whole 2:20 long movie.
This is really good stuff.
For me the most interresting was the part about 10x attenuating probes
and the probes compensation.

P.

I actually made a separate video, just on the 1X and 10X probes.  This video is here:

[Flavour Flave]

Obviously sticky this!

[w2aew]

In addition to the very long oscilloscope training video posted at the head of this link, you might also want to check out a shorter video posted by some of the Tektronix factory guys, talking about the basics of using basic digital oscilloscope.


And, from time to time (and sometimes by request), I'll be adding more oscilloscope and practical measurement videos to my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/w2aew

[tekfan]

I hope everybody saw this in the tektronix contest videos:



RIP Jim Williams

[ivan747]

I have been looking for that thing since I first thought I needed a scope. I want to Master the Operation of  the Oscilloscope (sounded like a manual, right?).  Awesome. Thanks a lot!

[Armin_Balija]

Thumbs up! Really really cool! I hope you can do more videos. I like your style of teaching.

[w2aew]

Thumbs up! Really really cool! I hope you can do more videos. I like your style of teaching.

Thank you Armin - I'm glad you enjoyed the video.  Which video did you view - the long oscilloscope class, or the 1x/10x probe video?  Or, some of the others on my YouTube channel? 

What other related topics would you like to see videos on?

[Armin_Balija]

Thumbs up! Really really cool! I hope you can do more videos. I like your style of teaching.

Thank you Armin - I'm glad you enjoyed the video.  Which video did you view - the long oscilloscope class, or the 1x/10x probe video?  Or, some of the others on my YouTube channel? 

What other related topics would you like to see videos on?

I watched the long oscilloscope class video. I really liked the humor and good energy you brought to the class room. I'd really like to see some classes on transistors and a little about yourself so we know your background. Excellent vids!

[w2aew]

I watched the long oscilloscope class video. I really liked the humor and good energy you brought to the class room. I'd really like to see some classes on transistors and a little about yourself so we know your background. Excellent vids!

I'm glad you liked it.  My quick background - life-long ham radio operator, worked in a TV repair shop while in school for Engineering (back when people actually did component level debug and repair!).  After getting my degree in '85, I spent the first 20+ yrs as a analog design engineer, IC design engineer, application engineer, test engineer in various fields ranging from high speed fiber optics, to disk drive electronics, to RF, and a lot of stuff in between.  For the last 5 years I've been a Field Application Engineer for Tektronix.

I've got a couple of other videos in the works.  I'll add some transistor vids to my to-do list...  Keep an eye on my YouTube Channel...
https://www.youtube.com/w2aew

[Simon]

Obviously sticky this!

Done

[Armin_Balija]

I watched the long oscilloscope class video. I really liked the humor and good energy you brought to the class room. I'd really like to see some classes on transistors and a little about yourself so we know your background. Excellent vids!

I'm glad you liked it.  My quick background - life-long ham radio operator, worked in a TV repair shop while in school for Engineering (back when people actually did component level debug and repair!).  After getting my degree in '85, I spent the first 20+ yrs as a analog design engineer, IC design engineer, application engineer, test engineer in various fields ranging from high speed fiber optics, to disk drive electronics, to RF, and a lot of stuff in between.  For the last 5 years I've been a Field Application Engineer for Tektronix.

I've got a couple of other videos in the works.  I'll add some transistor vids to my to-do list...  Keep an eye on my YouTube Channel...
https://www.youtube.com/w2aew

I've already subscribed! That's really great. I'm in school right now and I'm LOVING analog over digital. I'm hoping it'd be possible to do just that, debug on an analog level, but sadly, I feel as though systems have become far too complex in the last 10 years for me to be able to do that.

If I haven't already made it clear, I have a huge level of respect for you and others that have done the fantastic work you've been doing for so long. I only hope to become as half a good engineer as most of the people on these boards.

Subbed and always looking forward to more of your videos!

[w2aew]

I've already subscribed! That's really great. I'm in school right now and I'm LOVING analog over digital. I'm hoping it'd be possible to do just that, debug on an analog level, but sadly, I feel as though systems have become far too complex in the last 10 years for me to be able to do that.

Armin - if you are interested in analog troubleshooting, I would highly recommend the "Troubleshooting Analog Circuits" book by Robert A. Pease.  Bob Pease just recently was killed, a tremendous loss to the Analog Design community.  Thankfully, he was a prolific writer, with a regular column (Pease Porridge) in the Electronic Design magazine.

Here's a link to Bob's troubleshooting book:
http://www.amazon.com/Troubleshooting-Analog-Circuits-Design-Engineers/dp/0750694998/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309281830&sr=8-1

[Armin_Balija]

I've already subscribed! That's really great. I'm in school right now and I'm LOVING analog over digital. I'm hoping it'd be possible to do just that, debug on an analog level, but sadly, I feel as though systems have become far too complex in the last 10 years for me to be able to do that.

Armin - if you are interested in analog troubleshooting, I would highly recommend the "Troubleshooting Analog Circuits" book by Robert A. Pease.  Bob Pease just recently was killed, a tremendous loss to the Analog Design community.  Thankfully, he was a prolific writer, with a regular column (Pease Porridge) in the Electronic Design magazine.

Here's a link to Bob's troubleshooting book:
http://www.amazon.com/Troubleshooting-Analog-Circuits-Design-Engineers/dp/0750694998/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309281830&sr=8-1

That cover is amazing! Look at that jumbled mess of wires! Beautiful! I will definitely check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.

[w2aew]

FYI - I recently added another video to my YouTube channel that discusses the AC / DC Coupling control on the vertical channels of the scope - and how to get the most out of them.


Keep an eye on my channel for other short scope and measurement topics, and let me know if there's something you'd like to see.
https://www.youtube.com/w2aew

[vk6zgo]

Careful,w2aew,you might educate some of the people on this forum,so they can figure things out for themselves.

A lot of beginners seem to think of an Oscilloscope as a Multimeter with a picture on the front, rather than the amazingly useful piece of equipment it is.
I'd like them to turn off all the additional readouts,& just learn to analyse a displayed waveform,as per your video.

73,VK6ZGO

[w2aew]

Careful,w2aew,you might educate some of the people on this forum,so they can figure things out for themselves.

A lot of beginners seem to think of an Oscilloscope as a Multimeter with a picture on the front, rather than the amazingly useful piece of equipment it is.
I'd like them to turn off all the additional readouts,& just learn to analyse a displayed waveform,as per your video.

73,VK6ZGO

I hope I'm helping someone to get more out of their scope!  Here's another video that talks about the Trigger controls of an analog scope...


Enjoy!

[vk6zgo]

Seriously,though,these videos are great!

If I could have had something like that when I was a beardless youth,just learning how to drive an oscilloscope,I would have "thought all my birthdays had come at once!"

Unfortunately,I had to learn in "the School of hard knocks".

They do say that experience is the best school,but the fees are very high!

VK6ZGO

[w2aew]

Seriously,though,these videos are great!

If I could have had something like that when I was a beardless youth,just learning how to drive an oscilloscope,I would have "thought all my birthdays had come at once!"

Unfortunately,I had to learn in "the School of hard knocks".

They do say that experience is the best school,but the fees are very high!

VK6ZGO

Thank you - I'm glad you like them.  The ones on my Channel are just shorter topics that address questions that I received after people attended the "Scopes 4 Dopes" class I taught a few months ago to a local Antique Radio Club - or those that viewed the long video of the class (which is the video that is the first entry of this topic).

The school of hard knocks usually has the best lessons!  You know what they say - Good judgement comes from experience, but experience comes from bad judgement!

73,
Alan W2AEW

[w2aew]

I've added a number of new videos to my YouTube channel regarding oscilloscope usage.  The two most recent additions illustrate how to properly simultaneously capture and visualize two signals that are at dramatically different frequencies.  These could be a baseband signal and it's modulated RF carrier for example (hmm, gives me another idea for a video...).

Here's the video of how it's done properly today with a modern digitizing oscilloscope first:


And, here's how it was done "old school" before the days of digitizing scopes using a delayed timebase:


As always, comments and suggestions are always welcome!

[Joshua]

Just last night I was trying to find information about 1x vs 10x probes, ac vs dc coupling, and triggering. I found your channel and it was exactly what I was looking for! Great videos with great explanations! Thanks!

[ToBeFrank]

I've added a number of new videos to my YouTube channel regarding oscilloscope usage.  The two most recent additions illustrate how to properly simultaneously capture and visualize two signals that are at dramatically different frequencies.  These could be a baseband signal and it's modulated RF carrier for example (hmm, gives me another idea for a video...).

Here's the video of how it's done properly today with a modern digitizing oscilloscope first:

Do I understand it correctly that this is what Agilent's MegaZoom technology is for?