Oscilloscope advice

[damasta86]

Hello everybody, this is my 1st post. I purchase a ATTEN ADS1102CAL 100MHZ.
I have no idea how to use it. and I doesn't have the curve tracer function on it so I believe its useless is it?

Would like to know if a curve tracer is actually very important or do any one here still use it.
If you know of a place that sells a curve tracer already built, please let me know. I just don"t want in arm it myself.

So what can I test with a Oscilloscope without the curve tracer function, cause I already use it on electronic boards but can't seem to understand the readings.

Hopefully someone can guide me to the right way , thank you.

 

[(*steve*)]

What do you mean by "curve tracer function"?

Have you done some basic tests on the functionality of the scope?

Have you ever used a scope before?

 

[TBennettcc]

OP, oscilloscopes are not designed to be curve tracers. They are designed to be oscilloscopes. That being said, there are some circuits you should be able to use with the oscilloscope in X-Y mode to function as a curve tracer.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=oscilloscope+curve+tracer

http://www.slideshare.net/adnan_niazi/transistor-curve-tracer-presentation

https://www.electronicspoint.com/building-your-own-curve-tracer-t54607.html

http://www.intio.or.jp/jf10zl/trct.htm

http://www.techlib.com/electronics/curvetrace.html

About oscilloscopes in general:

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+use+an+oscilloscope

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/03/27/how-to-use-an-oscilloscope/

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mastascu/elabs/scope/scope1.html

http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~phylabs/bsc/Supplementary/Lab1/xyz_scopes.pdf

An oscilloscope is a tool you can use to view waveforms that repeat at about 2 cycles per second or greater, depending on the oscilloscope. A good example would be to view the waveform of common AC household current; 60 Hz if you're in the US, and 50 Hz elsewhere in the world. Of course, being able to view the waveform doesn't do you any good if you don't know what the waveform is supposed to look like (at least for troubleshooting purposes). And more expensive oscilloscopes have better and fancier features, just like anything else.

 

[MattyMatt]

A good scope is never useless!

I'm still VERY new to using one, but I can tell you with even my limited experience, that if it works, then there is defiantly a good use for it.

One piece of advise that I got and I will share, get some good probes, and some not so good probes for your scope, so not only you can see the difference later, but when you first start out with the basics, use the not so good ones, just in case they break/wear out.


By the way, TBennettCC has some pretty good links, defiantly worth a look.
Matt-

 

[damasta86]

Thank you very much for the advices and for the links. No I never use an Oscilloscope before, that's why I'm having a little trouble on it. So do any of you use a curve tracer?

 

[BobK]

Thank you very much for the advices and for the links. No I never use an Oscilloscope before, that's why I'm having a little trouble on it. So do any of you use a curve tracer?

In my 50+ years as an electronics hobbyist I have never used a curve tracer. Why do you think you need one?

Bob

Edited to add: But an oscilliscope is essential!

 

[(*steve*)]

An Oscilloscope is the most useful tool...

Hang on, aside from your multimeter, an oscilloscope is your..

OK, aside from your multimeter and your soldering iron, your oscilloscope is...

Well, other than your meter, iron, and sidecutters, your oscilloscope...

Wait, wait, other than your meter, iron, cutters, and breadboard, your...

Oh, damn! It's a really useful tool OK. But lots of people go for years without one. It all depends on what you're doing and what you intend to do.

Even if you don't have a concrete notion of why you got it (that's OK too) then you need to learn what it can do and what its limitations are. If it's an old scope, you possibly want to check its calibration (but maybe not).

Here's something that may be slightly useful.. Dave does some testing of a scope he got from ebay (or similar).

 

[damasta86]

In my 50+ years as an electronics hobbyist I have never used a curve tracer. Why do you think you need one?

Bob

Edited to add: But an oscilliscope is essential!

I guess o check resistors, capacitora and transistors onboard, well thats what I heard that is very useful for.

I see if I can learn of it, if not then i stick to old fashion, mulltimeter, analog meter and esr capacitance.

 

[(*steve*)]

An oscilloscope can't directly test any of the things you mention, and even with a curve tracer you can't do that in circuit (well, you can, but the results may not be meaningful).

A scope is used to view waveforms. From the way these change through a circuit, you can infer the operation of various components. When a signal changes in a way that is unexpected, you may have found a faulty component (or a faulty understanding).

 

[damasta86]

An oscilloscope can't directly test any of the things you mention, and even with a curve tracer you can't do that in circuit (well, you can, but the results may not be meaningful).

A scope is used to view waveforms. From the way these change through a circuit, you can infer the operation of various components. When a signal changes in a way that is unexpected, you may have found a faulty component (or a faulty understanding).

I see, Thanks steve for helping me understand more of the basic oscilloscope use.
I let ya know of my of my experience.