The oscilloscope is one of an electronics workbench's most valuable and least understood tools. I often hear people say, "I should use my scope to measure this, but I really don't know how to use it!" Which is so unfortunate. There are so many times I use an oscilloscope for quick measurements.
So, here is a running list of Bald Engineer's Oscilloscope videos. These videos either focus on a specific oscilloscope feature, e.g., "sample modes," or application videos that show measurements, e.g., propagation delay through a logic gate.
For each, I have tried to provide some keywords to point you to a specific video. I hope you can either find a specific measurement you need help with or learn more about scopes overall.
Oscilloscope Specific Topics
Video Thumbnail |
Description |
Things to look for |
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Oscilloscope BandwidthAn explainer video on bandwidth vs. sample rate. Bandwidth is the range of analog signal content the oscilloscope can see. While sample rate is how fast the ADC digitizes the incoming waveform. While related, they are different. |
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Oscilloscope Model TypesSee the differences between a bench, handheld, and USB-based oscilloscope. This video has a lot of good high-level "scopes do this" as I explain the difference between types. |
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DIY Scope ProbesCopying an idea from community member shabaz, I build up multiple "solder-in" passive probes. Then I show several measurements to get an idea of their performance. |
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Probe GroundsA very popular question is: WHY do you need to ground all the probes of an oscilloscope? This video shows ground loops and what happens when a probe isn't properly grounded. |
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Measuring Ripple VoltageWhen measuring a switch-mode power supply, you should set a few settings on your scope. This video shows how to evaluate an SMPS (and how not to!) Also, check out the companion video on Noise-Free DIY Switching Supply below. |
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Oscilloscope TriggersLearn the difference between edge and pulse width, along with what the different sweep modes are. I feel this video is very important in maximizing the use of an oscilloscope! |
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Acquisition ModesAlmost all digital oscilloscopes have modes called "averaging" or "peak detect." This video explains what those (and more advanced) modes mean. Also, I cover when you should (and should NOT) use them. |
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Protocol Trigger & DecodeExamples of what it means to decode and trigger on serial protocols. This video shows UART (serial) and I2C. SPI is briefly mentioned as well. The idea was to understand how serial decode/trigger functions can help you debug a circuit. |
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Analog Discovery Pro 3000While this review covers most of Digilent's Analog Discovery Pro 3000's features, I spent a lot of time on the oscilloscope. For example, I demonstrate how to evaluate the bandwidth. Also, I quickly highly the hysteresis setting of the trigger. |
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Analog vs. Digital ZoomThis video is one of the few "analog oscilloscope" videos I have done. While focused on "delayed time bases," it also introduces how to "zoom" on a digital oscilloscope. |
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Learn with an Arduino UnoHere's a video I did before we started Workbench Wednesdays. I go through 5 measurements you can make with an oscilloscope while using an Arduino. The idea is to try these 5 measurements on whatever oscilloscope you have. (Mine was provided by R&S.) (Can you spot the one major mistake I made?) |
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Application Measurements (Using Oscilloscopes)
These videos are not oscilloscope-specific. Instead, they are various applications where I make measurements. These could be helpful if you want to understand how to measure something or see interesting ways to use an oscilloscope.
Video Thumbnail |
Description |
Things to look for |
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Measuring a 555See a 555 configured as an astable oscillator. I probed several pins and showed their behavior on the scope. The section at the end (04:32) simultaneously shows multiple signals/pins. |
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Slew Rise vs Rise TimeWhile this video was meant to focus on op amps, it really comes down to the basics of measuring Slew Rate or Rise time on an oscilloscope. It provides many examples of automated measurements and cursors. |
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MOSFET Miller PlateauUsing the scope and a custom test board, I show the Miller effect of a MOSFET. You can see what happens to the voltage on the gate and drain along with the drain current, all at the same time. This video shows off several probe types. |
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Noise Free SMPSThis video shows how hard it can be to correctly design a switch-mode power supply. It uses the measurements shown in the "Measure Ripple Voltage" to compare several PCB designs. |
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Bode PlotsThis video shows how to use a function generator and an oscilloscope to generate bode plots. It also shows scope-specific software options called "Frequency Response Analysis," which automates the measurement. |
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Op Amps without Op AmpsSee basic input / output measurements on op amp circuits. Using the op amps built into an AVR128D microcontroller, I show non-inverting and inverting measurements. |
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Power Supply ReviewFocus was a switch-mode power supply, but I used the oscilloscope to show noise measurements. (Later videos did a better job of this.) |
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Essential Logic FamiliesUsed the oscilloscope to compare the performance of LS, HC, and HCT digital chips. (Schmidt trigger-based Inverters.) This video makes use of the built-in waveform generator to stress-test logic chips. It's a good hands-on experience with an oscilloscope that you can easily replicate (if you have the parts used!) |
Something Missing?
If there is a topic or area that isn't on this list, let me know below!
