Master the Basics: Understanding Oscilloscope Display Settings

Adjusting your oscilloscope’s display settings is essential for properly analyzing signals. By modifying the vertical and horizontal scales, you can zoom in or out to observe different details of your waveform. This guide explains how to control volts per division, seconds per division, and channel positioning for effective signal analysis.

Adjusting the Vertical Scale (Volts per Division)

The vertical scale determines how many volts each division on the screen represents. This setting allows you to zoom in or out on the amplitude of your signal.

• Turning the vertical scale knob clockwise decreases volts per division, making the waveform taller.
• Turning the knob counterclockwise increases volts per division, making the waveform shorter.

Example: If the vertical scale is set to 500 mV/div and the waveform spans six divisions, the total peak-to-peak voltage is 3V. Increasing to 2V/div would make the waveform appear shorter.

Adjusting the Vertical Position

The vertical position knob moves the waveform up or down on the screen without changing its amplitude.

• Each channel has an independent vertical position control.
• The zero-volt reference for each channel is marked with a small flag (e.g., yellow for Channel 1).
• Moving the position knob adjusts the reference line, allowing you to separate multiple signals for better visibility.

Viewing Multiple Channels

If you are using multiple oscilloscope channels at the same time, each signal’s vertical scale and position can be adjusted independently.

• Pressing the Channel 2 button enables a second signal, which appears as a different color (e.g., blue).
• Adjust the position knob for Channel 2 to move it away from overlapping with Channel 1.
• Decreasing the volts per division setting for Channel 2 (e.g., 1 mV/div) magnifies small fluctuations, revealing details like measurement noise.

Adjusting the Horizontal Scale (Seconds per Division)

The horizontal scale determines how much time each division on the screen represents. Adjusting this setting allows you to zoom in or out on the time axis.

• Turning the horizontal scale knob clockwise decreases the time per division, zooming in on the signal.
• Turning the knob counterclockwise increases the time per division, displaying more of the waveform.

Example: A setting of 200 µs/div displays a broader waveform, while a setting of 5 µs/div reveals finer signal details.

Zooming in on Signal Details

Different aspects of a signal become visible at different zoom levels:

• At 5 µs/div, you may notice that square waves have slightly rounded edges due to circuit response times.
• At 5 ns/div, high-frequency noise and small voltage ripples become visible.

Using Auto-Adjust Features

Many digital oscilloscopes have an AUTOSET function that automatically adjusts display settings to fit the signal.

Mastering the oscilloscope display settings will give you full control over signal analysis. Adjusting volts per division, seconds per division, and channel positioning allows you to explore signals in detail and make precise measurements. Experiment with these settings to get comfortable viewing different types of waveforms!