The Cathode-Ray Oscilloscope And Alternating-Current Measurement

Objectives 1. To be familiar with the different controls, connectors and indicators of a cathode-ray oscilloscope. 2. To prepare the CRO for measurement by performing preliminary control settings and adjustments. 3. To learn how to use the CRO to measure ac and dc voltage. 4. To learn the different ac voltage measurement methods. 5. To learn to convert from one ac measurement to another. 6. To measure the frequency of an ac signal by using an oscilloscope. Materials Required Dual-trace Oscilloscope Variable power supply Signal or function generator Digital Multimeter Capacitor, 0.1 F (50V or better) Resistors ( W), 1k, 4700, 6800, 10k and time/division control knobs on the respective space provided below. Min volts/division setting = __________ Min time/division setting = __________ Max volts/division setting = __________ Max time/division setting = __________ 4. In direct measurement (no attenuation) of signal by the CRO, determine the maximum peak-to-peak voltage and maximum period of the measured signal that can be displayed effectively on the CRT. Write down your result on the space provided below. Max. peak-to-peak voltage = ________ volts Maximum period = _____________ seconds Part 2. Preliminary Control Setting and Adjustment 5. Prepare the CRO for measurement by setting the following controls as indicated. POWER switch = OFF (released) INTEN control = Fully counterclockwise FOCUS control = Mid Rotation AC/GND/DC switches = AC VOLTS/DIV switches = 10 mV Vertical POSITION controls = Mid rotation VARIABLE VOLTS/DIV controls = Fully clockwise and pushed in V MODE switch = CH1 TIME/DIV switch = 0.5 ms TIME VARIABLE control = Fully clockwise and pushed in Horizontal POSITION control = Mid rotation Trigger MODE switch = AUTO Trigger SOURCE switch = CH1 Trigger COUPLING switch = AC Trigger LEVEL control = Mid rotation HOLDOFF control = NORM (Fully counterclockwise) 6. Plug the ac power cord into a convenience ac outlet.

PROCEDURE: Part 1. Reading the measured signal using the grid-line scale on the viewing area of the CRT 1. Draw the front panel of the scope you are using. Label the controls and explain the use of each. 2. Determine the number of vertical and horizontal divisions, from the grid-line scale (called as graticule) that appears on the viewing area of the CRT, that are used for measuring displayed signal. Record the results on the space provided below. # of vertical divisions = ___________ # of horizontal divisions = _________ 3. Write down the minimum and maximum setting of the volts/division

7. Press in the POWER switch. The POWER lamp should light immediately. About 30 seconds later, rotate the INTEN control clockwise until the trace appears on the screen. Adjust the brightness to the lowest level of brightness that will permit the display to be effectively viewed. NOTE: Get in the habit of turning the brightness away if the oscilloscope is left unattended for any period of time. 8. Turn the FOCUS control for a sharp trace. 9. Turn the CH1 Vertical position control to move the CH1 trace to the center of the horizontal graticule line. 10. See if the trace is precisely in parallel with the horizontal graticule line. If it is not, adjust the ROTATION control with a small screw driver. 11. Turn the Horizontal POSITION control to align the left edge of the trace with the left-most graticule line. 12. Set one of the supplied oscilloscope probes for X10 attenuation. Then, connect BNC end to the CH1 or X-IN connector and its tip to the CAL connector. A square-wave display, five divisions in amplitude, should appear on the CRT screen. 13. If the tops and bottoms of the displayed square wave are tilted or peaked, as shown in Figure 1, the probe must be compensated (matched to the oscilloscope input capacitance). Adjust the capacitance-correction trimmer of the probe with a small screwdriver.

14. Set the V MODE switch to CH2, and perform steps 12 and 13 with the other probe on channel 2. Part 3. Familiarization of the oscilloscope display. 15. Setup the CRO for single trace operation (CH1 input only) by setting the following controls as indicated below: AC/GND/DC switch for CH1 = AC Vertical POSITION control for CH1 = Mid Rotation VARIABLE control for CH1 = Fully CW and pushed in V MODE = CH1 TIME VARIABLE Control = Fully CW and pushed in Trigger MODE Switch = AUTO Trigger SOURCE Switch = CH1 Trigger COUPLING = AC Trigger LEVEL Control = Mid rotation HOLDOFF = NORM (fully CCW) 16. Set the audio generator to 100 Hz and sine wave output ( ). Connect the scope. Now adjust it to display one, then two, and then four cycles of signal. What were your horizontal time-base settings? ___________, ___________, ___________. 17. Set the vertical attenuator to measure 0.5 V/cm. Be sure to use a direct probe. Make sure the vertical attenuator vernier (fine-adjust) control is in the CALIBRATE position. The AC-DC switch should be set to DC. Measure the voltage of a 1-, 1.5-, 2-V source. 18. Connect the scope to the output of a signal generator set to any frequency. Set the vertical attenuator to 0.5 V/cm. Be sure the vertical attenuator vernier control is in the CALIBRATE position. The AC-DC switch should be in the AC position. Measure the voltage of a 1-, 1.5-, 2-V peak-to-peak (p-p) signal.

correctly compensated

under compensated

over compensated

Figure 1. Effects of probe compensation

Table 1. Name your table here Power supply rms Measured rms Voltage label voltage using ac voltmeter 3V 4.5V 6V 9V 12V Part 3. AC Voltage measurement using ac and dc voltmeter. 19. Connect the circuit of Figure 2.
C1 = 0.1 F SIGNAL GENERATOR 100 Hz 1 VP-P R1 = 1000 + DC SUPPLY 12V a

Measured peak-to-peak voltage using the oscilloscope

Computed Computed Vrms VP-P

25. Set the power supply to 3V. Then, adjust the TIME/DIV switch for two or three cycle of the waveform, and set the VOLTS/DIV switch for the largest possible totally-on-screen display. 26. Use the Vertical POSITION control of channel 1 to position the negative peaks on the nearest horizontal graticule line below the signal peaks. 27. Use the Horizontal POSITION control to position one of the positive peaks on the central vertical graticule line. 28. Count the number of divisions from the graticule line touching the negative signal peaks to the intersection of the positive signal peak with the central vertical graticule line. Note that each minor division on the central vertical graticule line is 0.2 of a major division. Multiply this number by the VOLTS/DIV switch setting to get the peak-to-peak voltage of the waveform. Record the result in Table 1 as the measured peakto-peak voltage at terminal ab with the power supply at 3V. 29. Perform step #25 to #27 to determine the measured peak-to-peak voltage at terminals ab for the remaining power supply voltage setting. 30. Determine the theoretical peak-to-peak voltage for each specified rms voltage in Table 1. By using the formula given below. Record the results in Table 1, fourth column. Peak voltage: VP = 1.414Vrms Peak-to-peak voltage: VP-P = 2Vpeak

Figure 2. Experimental Circuit

20. Measure the voltage on terminal ab with an ac voltmeter. Adjust the supply to 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 9V, and 12V. Record your measurements on the second column of Table 1. 21. Perform step #20 using a dc voltmeter and observe the difference in the measured voltage from that using an ac voltmeter. Part 4. AC voltage measurement using the CRO 22. Connect the circuit of Figure 2 to the oscilloscope. Set the vertical attenuator to 5V/cm, the power supply to 12V, and the signal generator to a point just barely above the minimum output. Set the AC-DC switch to DC. What do you observe? 23. Flip the AC-DC switch to AC. What happens? 24. Set the vertical attenuator to 0.5V/cm. Now what happens as the AC-DC switch.

31. Determine the theoretical rms voltage for each specified peak-to-peak voltage by using the formula given below. Record the results in Table 1, third column. rms voltage: or Vrms = 0.707 VP Vmax = Vpeak

control. If the TIME VARIABLE knob is pulled (X10 magnification), be certain to divide the TIME/DIV switch setting by 10. Measured period (T) = number of divisions TIME/DIV setting = _______ _______ = ___________ second Frequency (f) = (1/T) = ___________ Hz Guide Questions: 1. What is the purpose of adjusting the brightness of the trace on the screen of the oscilloscope to the lowest level of brightness enough to permit the display to be effectively viewed? 2. Is the time-base setting important when you are measuring direct current? Explain. 3. What is the most important reason for using an attenuator probe at higher frequency signals? 4. What does the circuit in Figure 2 accomplish? 5. Why did setting the AC-DC switch to AC allow you to measure the small amount of alternating current at the scope input in step 24? 6. What would have happened in step 24 if the AC-DC switch to had been left in DC? 7. Did the calculations and measurements prove that Ohms law works in AC circuits? Explain.

Part 5. Measuring the frequency of an ac signal 32. Determine the frequency of the 3V setting of the power supply by measuring its period as described in the given step below and then, get the reciprocal of the measured period. One period is the time that the ac signal has consumed one full cycle of its waveform. Record your results on the space provided below. a. Set the TIME/DIV switch so that the period to be measured is totally on screen and as big as possible. Make certain that the TIME VARIABLE control is clickstopped fully clockwise. b. Use the Vertical POSITION control to position the trace so that the central vertical graticule line passes through the points on the waveform (start and end of one cycle) between which you are going to make the measurement. c. Use the Horizontal POSITION control to set the leftmost measurement point (start of one cycle) on a very nearly graticule line. d. Count the number of the horizontal graticule divisions between the graticule line in step c and the second measurement point (end of one cycle). Note that each minor division on the central vertical graticule line is 0.2 of a major division. e. Determine the period by multiplying the number of horizontal divisions counted in step d by the setting of TIME/DIV