Scope Sections in Detail (Chapter 5)
Functional Block Diagram
Block Diagram
A and B are input channels
1 and 2 analog-todigital converters
Vertical Functions
Vertical Input System can be switched between A,B, alternate (mixer) or chopped (simultaneous display)
controls (one for each channel) can be one or two A/D converters
3 is feedback loop used to stabilize the analog amplifiers
Horizontal Processor and Sweep Circuits

Voltage Sweep Waveform
sweep - as voltage to trace increases the trace moves from left to right
retrace - moves trace back to left of display
controls sync inputs
Sync Circuits
controls sync voltage and sync slope used to set sweep trigger point to any point on the incoming waveform
possible combinations
Video Processor and Driver
incoming waveforms stored in digital memory after A/D conversion
memory is integral to the video processor
What About Math?
complex math functions can be done by making calculations based upon stored waveforms
Does the Display Type Matter?
display has to be matched to processor
with native resolution the display will not affect the oscilloscope function
No Hardware Scopes
use of soundcard restricts input to audio frequencies
software-only scopes are restricted by distortion
any waveform other than a sine wave can be subject to distortion
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