The oscilloscopes are highly efficient devices which are used for testing the electrical circuit in many electrical devices. An oscilloscope is definitely a ‘must have’ device if you want to prevent costly repairs in the long run. Extremely efficient in detecting circuit problems that might affect the performance of your device.
Oscilloscopes can easily identify problems that cannot be detected by a multimeter. These devices provide information regarding the noise, frequency, amplitude and other characteristics that change over time. By using oscilloscope, you can follow the changes of the electrical signals, and also to detect the critical spots. There are several types of oscilloscopes available on the market, but the most commonly used are the analog and digital portable oscilloscope.
Analog Oscilloscope – The very first oscilloscopes were the analog ones. These oscilloscopes use a cathode ray tube to display a waveform. As the name suggests, the analog oscilloscopes use unique analog techniques for testing and analyzing the electrical circuit. Furthermore, this device uses a photo-luminescent phosphor screen that illuminates the electrons once they are identified. This way, engineers can detect any glitches or irregularities in the signal.
Digital Oscilloscope – Even though the analog oscilloscope is still widely used, the digital oscilloscope is becoming the new ‘must have’ testing device. Although both models are used for the same purpose, the digital oscilloscope works in a different way. Instead of processing the signal according to the analogue method, this oscilloscope converts the signal into a digital form by using a digital converter. You can update this type of oscilloscope by simply changing the firmware and the software. Few digital oscilloscopes are available on the market. Let’s take a look at some of them.
- Mixed Signal Oscilloscope – This digital oscilloscope can display digital and analog signals, as the name suggests;
- Portable Oscilloscope – If you are looking for a hand-held oscilloscope that can be carried around easily, then choose the digital portable oscilloscope. It’s quite easy to use, but it doesn’t offer the same performance like the other models;
- Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope – The digital phosphor oscilloscope is definitely one of the most versatile oscilloscopes available on the market. You can capture signals with this digital oscilloscope in places where a standard oscilloscope cannot be used;
- Mixed Domain Oscilloscope – The mixed domain oscilloscopes can detect faults in both domains at the same time. This model has become very popular thanks to the introduction of the Wi-Fi technology and cellular systems.