University of Waterloo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

ECE 140
LINEAR CIRCUITS

LAB 5: SINUSOIDAL SIGNALS

Fall 2016
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
N2L 3G1

Version 1.2

ECE 140

Lab 5

Use the template files provided for each lab to organize your laboratory answers and
calculations easily. Just add your own answers and formulas in the appropriate white box cells.
The template should be used to submit your Lab 5 prelab, data and report.
One prelab, one in-lab\data and one laboratory report per group of two students must be
submitted to your UW-Learn dropbox.
Prelab must be submitted to learn before 8 am on the same day of your lab session. In-lab is to
be submitted to learn at the end of your lab session.
Lab report should include prelab, inlab\data and post-lab. For the report deadline, check the Lab
Intro and Guidelines document.

Objectives

Investigate sinusoidal signals and to gain experience with using the oscilloscope and
function generator for measuring waveforms.
Explore the effects of capacitance and inductance on current and voltage waveforms.

Part A: Measurements Using the Oscilloscope & Function Generator

Prelab Exercise
1. Review the oscilloscope documents or Oscilloscope videos on Learn.
What is the difference between AC and DC coupling?
What does the horizontal scale on the oscilloscope do?
2. Consider a sinusoidal voltage defined by the expression v = 6 cos (2000t + 0).
Referring to the textbook sections 9.2 and 11.4, calculate the:
a) frequency in hertz,
b) period (T) in milliseconds,
c) peak voltage (Vm) and
d) root mean square voltage (Vrms) of this waveform.

ECE 140

Lab 5

Procedure (1 hour)
1. Find the characteristics of a sinusoidal voltage.
In this experiment, we will use a function generator to produce time-varying voltages.
Consider a waveform whose voltage varies sinusoidally with time according to the
expression v = 6 cos (2000t + 0). We will experimentally validate the prelab calculations
by measuring this waveform using the oscilloscope and the DMM.
Function Generator Setup:
Set the OUTPUT TERMINATION to HI Z (press Utility select Output Setup,
select HIZ and press done).

Set the function generator AMPLITUDE and FREQUENCY to produce a

sinusoidal waveform calculated in the prelab. Be careful as the function generator
takes peak-to-peak amplitude (Vpp) while you calculated peak amplitude (Vm) in
the pre-lab.

Make sure the DC OFFSET on the function generator is zero.

Connect the function generators output (red) and ground (black) terminals to the
DMM. Record the Vrms. (The DMM measures Vrms when set to the AC Volts
function).

Figure 1. Function generator connection to oscilloscope

Oscilloscope Setup:
Connect the function generators output terminal to the oscilloscopes CH1 input as
shown in Figure 1.

Reset the oscilloscope to its default setup

Set CH1 VOLTS/DIV to 2 volt.

Set CH1 input coupling to DC (select CH 1 and select Coupling DC on the bottom
left of the screen)
2

ECE 140

Lab 5

Set the TIME/DIV dial to 200s/div.

Set the TRIGGER MODE to AUTO. (Press Mode/Coupling button and select Auto
for Mode on bottom left of the screen)

Set the trigger SOURCE switch to CH1. (press Trigger, set Trigger type to Edge
button and select channel 1 as source). If needed, adjust the oscilloscope trigger
LEVEL control to make the waveform stable on the screen.

Measure the period (T) and peak voltage (Vm) of the displayed waveform using the
cursors. Take a screenshot with cursors showing the peak voltage and the time
period.

Report
Refer to the Meters, power supply and generators document for the DMM.
1. Determine the typical resistance of a DMM and an oscilloscope. How does the internal
resistance of the oscilloscope compare to that of the DMM voltmeter? Discuss.
2. Calculate the percent error between your prelab calculation of the period for the
waveform and the measured period using the oscilloscope.
Calculate the percent error between the RMS voltage, Vrms, calculated in your prelab
and the Vrms measured using the DMM.
Calculate the percent error between the peak voltage, Vm, determined in your prelab and
the Vm measured using the oscilloscope.
Discuss the differences between the values you calculated and the values you received,
with emphasis on why they may be different.

ECE 140

Lab 5

Part B: The Capacitor and Inductor

Prelab Exercise
1. What is the phase difference between the two sine waves shown in Figure 2? Which
waveform leads (crosses zero volts first) in time, waveform 1 or 2? Assume that time
increases from left to right on the horizontal axis and that the middle of the vertical axis
is zero volts.

Figure 2. Sine waves out of phase

2. What is the phase angle between the voltage and current waveforms of a capacitor?
Which waveform leads? (Refer to the textbook section 9.4)
3. What is the phase angle between the voltage and current waveforms of an inductor?
Which waveform leads? (Refer to the textbook section 9.4)

ECE 140

Lab 5

Procedure (1 hour)
1. Measure the capacitor current waveform using the oscilloscope.
How can we observe the capacitor current waveform if the oscilloscope will only display a
voltage waveform? The charge-storing characteristic of a capacitor causes the voltage and
current waveforms to be out of phase. The solution is to observe the current waveform
indirectly, by observing the voltage across R1.
Why this works:
The current through the capacitor will be the same current through the resistor. A resistors
voltage and current waveforms are in-phase, so by measuring the voltage across the resistor
we can visualize the current in the capacitor. There will be an amplitude scaling factor
between the measured VR1 and the implied IC1, this is determined by Ohms Law. (I=V/R).
To determine the phase between VR1 (our implied IC1) and VC1 we use Vs as the reference
waveform. In this part we determine the relationship between VR1 and Vs. In the next part
we will see the relationship between VC1 and Vs. With the relative phases with respect to Vs
we can understand the phase between IC1 and VC1.

Figure 3. Vs and the capacitor current waveform across a current sense resistor

Use C1=0.1uF and R1=1k

With the function generator connected to the circuit, set Vs = 6 cos (2000t + 0)

Using cursors, measure the peak voltage of the VR1 waveform.

Using cursors, measure the phase angle between the function generator (Vs) and VR1
waveforms. Indicate which waveform leads the other in time.

Take a screenshot with cursors showing the amplitude (peak voltage) and the phase
angle difference.

ECE 140

Lab 5

2. Measure the capacitor voltage waveform using the oscilloscope.

Now we will change the circuit, to that shown in Figure 4, so that we can measure the
capacitor voltage waveform (VC1) with respect to function generator waveform (Vs). From
this information, we can then deduce the phase angle between the capacitor voltage and
current waveforms.

Figure 4. Observing Vs and the capacitor voltage waveform

Use C1=0.1uF and R1=1k

With the function generator connected to the circuit, set Vs = 6 cos (2000t + 0)

Using cursors, measure the peak voltage of the VC1 waveform.

Using cursors, measure the phase angle between the function generator (Vs) and VC1
waveforms. Indicate which waveform leads the other in time.

Take a screenshot with cursors showing amplitude (peak voltage) and the phase angle
difference.

ECE 140

Lab 5

3. Measure the inductor current waveform using the oscilloscope.

When the function generator supplies a sinusoidal voltage to the RL circuit shown in Figure
5, a sinusoidal current will flow. The current-storing characteristic of an inductor causes the
voltage and current waveforms to be out of phase. How can we observe the inductor current
waveform if the oscilloscope will only display a voltage waveform? The solution is to
observe the current waveform indirectly, by observing the voltage across R1. The voltage
waveform across a resistor will be the same as the current waveform, except for an amplitude
scaling factor which is determined by Ohms Law (I=V/R).

Figure 5. Vs and the inductor current waveform across a current sense resistor

Use L1=1500 mH and R1=1k

With the function generator connected to the circuit, set Vs = 6 cos (2000t + 0)

Using cursors, measure the peak voltage of the VR1 waveform.

Using cursors, measure the phase angle between the function generator (Vs) and VR1
waveforms. Indicate which waveform leads the other in time.

Take a screenshot with cursors showing the amplitude (peak voltage) and the phase
angle difference.

ECE 140

Lab 5

4. Measure the inductor voltage waveform using the oscilloscope.

Now we will change the circuit, to that shown in Figure 6, so that we can measure the
inductor voltage waveform with respect to function generator waveform. From this
information, we can then deduce the phase angle between the inductor voltage and current
waveforms.

VL1

Figure 6. Vs and the inductor voltage waveform

Use R1 and L1 as before.

With the function generator connected to the circuit, set Vs = 6 cos (2000t + 0)

Using cursors, measure the peak voltage of the VL1 waveform.

Using cursors, measure the phase angle between the function generator (Vs) and VL1
waveforms. Indicate which waveform leads the other in time.

Take a screenshot with cursors showing amplitude (peak voltage) and the phase angle
difference.

Report
1. Calculate the peak current (IC1) of the capacitor using the value of VR1 and Ohms Law.
Discuss.
Indicate on the diagram which of Vs and VR1 is leading for the capacitor experiment.
2. Calculate the phase angle between VC1 and VR1 (IC1) based on your measurements of
the phase angle between Vs and VR1 and the phase angle between Vs and VC1. (Be

ECE 140

Lab 5

careful to consider which waveform was leading in each measurement. Hint: sketch Vs,
VR1 and VC1 on the same time axes to help you with the visualization.)
Did the capacitors current lead or lag the capacitors voltage in the experiment?
How does this compare with the theory for a capacitor? Discuss.
3. Calculate the peak current (IL1) of the inductor using the value of VR1 and Ohms Law.
Discuss.
Indicate on the diagram which of Vs and VR1 is leading for the inductor experiment.
4. Calculate the phase angle between VL1 and VR1 based on your measurements of the
phase angle between Vs and VR1 and the phase angle between Vs and VL1. (Be careful
to consider which waveform was leading in each measurement. Hint: sketch Vs, VR1 and
VL1 on the same time axes to help you with the visualization.)
Did the inductors current lead or lag the inductors voltage in the experiment?
How does this compare with the theory for an inductor? Discuss.