1.

9 TYPES OF OSCILLOSCOPES
There are a number of oscilloscopes which are used for special applications.
Some of the oscilloscopes are described below:
a) Multiple beam oscilloscopes

In many cases it becomes necessary to compare one signal with that of the other. In
such cases Multiple beam oscilloscopes are used. They enclose in a single tube several beam
producing systems each with its vertical pair of plates, but mostly with a common time-base.
Each Y-channel has its own amplifier. The synchronization or triggering is done from the
input of a desired Y-channel or from an external input voltage.
Double beam oscilloscopes use two electron guns within the same cathode ray tube. the
electron beam of the two channels are completely independent of each other. The same effect
may be produced by a single electron gun, the output from it being split into two.

b) Multiple Trace Oscilloscopes

This oscilloscope uses single electron guns and produces multiple traces by switching
the Y-deflection plates from one input signal to another (this means that the Y- channel is time
shared by many signals). The eyes interpret this is a continuous simultaneous display of the
input signals although it is a sampled display. This method reduces the cost of manufacturing
multi-channel oscilloscopes.
c) Sampling oscilloscopes

The oscilloscopes presently can be used for continuous display for frequencies in the
50-300 Mhz range depending upon the design of the oscilloscopes. The display may have upto
1000 dots of luminescence. The vertical deflection for each dot is obtained from progressively
later points in each successive cycle of input waveform as shown below:
 Fig.27 Principle of Sampling Oscilloscopes.
The horizontal deflection of the electron beam is obtained by applying staircase
waveform to X-deflection plates.The sampling oscilloscope is able to respond and store
rapid bits of information and present them in a continuous display. The sampling
techniques immediately the input signals into lower frequency domain, where
conventional low frequency circuitry is then capable of producing a highly effective
display.This type of oscilloscopes can be used beyond 50Mhz into the UHF range around
500Mhz and beyond upto 10Ghz. It should be noted that the sampling techniques cannot
be used the display of transient waveforms.
Sampling Oscilloscope
An ordinary oscilloscope has a Bandwidth of 10 MHz. The high frequency (HF) performance
can be improved by means of sampling the input waveform and reconstructing its shape from
the sample, i.e. the signal to be observed is sampled and after a few cycles the sampling point
is advanced and another sample is taken. The shape of the waveform is reconstructed by joining
the sample levels together. The sampling frequency may be as low as 1/10th of the input signal
frequency (if the input signal frequency is 100 MHz, the bandwidth of the CRO vertical
amplifier can be as low as 10 MHz). As many as 1000 samples are used to reconstruct the
original waveform. Figure below shows a block diagram of a sampling oscilloscope.

Fig.28 Block diagram of Digital Sampling Oscilloscope

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 The input waveform is applied to the sampling gate. The input waveform is sampled
whenever a sampling pulse opens the sampling gate. The sampling must be synchronized with
the input signal frequency. The signal is delayed in the vertical amplifier, allowing the
horizontal sweep to be initiated by the input signal. The corresponding waveforms are also
shown in below figure

Fig.31 Various waveforms at each block of a sampling oscilloscope.

At the beginning of each sampling cycle, the trigger pulse activates an oscillator and a
linear ramp voltage is generated. This ramp voltage is applied to a voltage comparator which
compares the ramp voltage to a staircase generator, When the two voltages are equal in
amplitude, the staircase advances one step and a sampling pulse is generated, which opens the
sampling gate for a sample of input voltage.
The resolution of the final image depends upon the size of the steps of the staircase
generator. The smaller the size of the steps the larger the number of samples and higher the
resolution of the image.

d) Scanning Oscilloscopes

These oscilloscopes use television tubes. The data to be measured are applied
through intensity modulation on the standard screen. Several phenomena can be observed
simultaneously on a single screen by using this technique. As a result of large number of
factors influencing the quality of recording, experience with the particular camera CRO
combination is usually the best guide.
e) Storage type Oscilloscopes
 They are rapidly becoming one of the most useful tools in the presentation of very
slowly swept signals and finds many application in mechanical and biomedical
fields.
 Usually in conventional CRTs, the persistence of phosphor ranges from
microseconds to seconds. In applications where the persistence of the screen is
smaller than the rate at which the signal sweeps across the screen, the start of
screen will have disappeared before the end of the display is written.
 In storage oscilloscopes, the persistence times are much greater than a few

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 seconds or even hours are available, making it possible to store events on the CRT
screen.
 The special CRT of storage oscilloscope contains electron gun, deflection plates,
phosphor bronze screen but also it holds many number of special electrodes. The
CRT used here is called as storage tube.
 The schematic diagram of Storage CRT below:

Fig.29 Schematic diagram of a storage type CRT

 The storage mesh or the storage target is mounted just behind the phosphor screen
is a conductive mesh covered with a highly resistive coating of magnesium
fluoride.
 The write gun is a high-energy electron gun, similar to the conventional gun
giving a narrow focussed beam which can be deflected and used to write the
information to be stored.
 Because of the excellent insulating properties of the magnesium fluoride coating,
the positively charged pattern remains exactly in the same position on the storage
target which it was first deposited.
 The stored pattern may be made available for viewing at a later time by the use of
two special electron guns called flood guns. The flood guns are placed inside the
CRT in a position between the deflection plates and the storage target and they
emit low-velocity electrons over a large area towards the entire screen.
 When the flood guns are switched for viewing mode low energy electrons are
sprayed towards the screen. The electron trajectories are adjusted by the
collimating electrodes which constitute a low-voltage electrostatic lens system ,
so that the flood electrons cover the entire screen area.
 To erase the pattern which is etched on the storage mesh, a negative voltage is
applied to the storage target, neutralizing the stored positive charge.
 To get variable persistence, the erase voltage is applied in the form of pulses
instead of a steady dc voltage. By varying the width of these pulses, the rate of
erase is verified.

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 f) Impulse waveform oscilloscopes

These oscilloscopes are used for the investigation of transient non-period

phenomena which occur at high voltages. These oscilloscopes use special types of CRT
wherein the plates are mounted on the sides. The voltage to be measured is applied to these
plates either directly or through capacitive potential dividers. Simultaneously, an impulse
is suddenly applied to the cathode voltage. A very bright display is obtained on account of
the high voltage and the high beam current which exist for a very short duration. Therefore,
photographic records of the display can be obtained even at very high speeds of upto
50x106 m/s.
1.9 STORAGE CRO, DIGITAL STORAGE OSCILLOSCOPE
The storage type CRO is rapidly becoming one of the most useful tools in the
presentation of very slowly swept signals and finds many applications in the mechanical and
biomedical fields. In the conventional CRT the persistence of the phosphor ranges from micro
seconds to perhaps seconds. In applications where the persistence of the screen is smaller than
the rate at which the signal sweeps across the screen, the start of the display will have
disappeared before the end of the display is written.
With the variable-persistence or storage CRO, the slowly swept trace can be kept on
display continuously by adjusting the persistence of the CRT screen to match the sweep time.
Persistence times much greater than a few seconds or even hours, are available, making it
possible to store events on a CRT screen. The storage CRO uses a special CRT, called the
storage tube. This special CRT contains all the elements of a conventional CRT, such as the
electron gun, the deflection plates, and a phosphor screen, but in addition holds a number of
special electrodes A schematic representation of one type storage tube is given in figure below.
The storage mesh or storage target, mounted just behind the phosphor screen, is a
conductive mesh covered with a highly resistive coating of magnesium fluoride. The write gun
is a high-energy electron gun, similar to the conventional gun, giving a narrow focussed beam
which can be deflected and used to write the information to be stored. The write gun etches a
positively charged pattern on the storage target by knocking off secondary-emission electrons.
Because of the excellent insulating properties of the magnesium fluoride coating, this positively
charged pattern remains exactly in the same position on the storage target where it was first
deposited. The electron beam, which is deflected in the conventional manner both in the
horizontal and the vertical directions, therefore traces out the waveform pattern on the storage
target.

Fig.30 Schematic diagram of Storage type CRT

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 The stored pattern may be made available for viewing at a later time by the use of two
special electron guns, called flood guns. The flood guns are placed inside the CRT in a position
between the deflection plates and the storage target and they emit low-velocity electrons over
a large area towards the entire screen. When the flood guns are switched on (the viewing mode),
low energy electrons are sprayed towards the screen. The electron trajectories are adjusted by
the collimation electrodes which constitute a low voltage electrostatic lens system, so that the
flood-electrons cover the entire screen area. Most of the flood electrons are collected by the
collector mesh and therefore never reach the phosphor screen. In the area near the stored
positive charge on the storage target, the positive field pulls some of the flood-electrons through
the storage mesh and these electrons continue to hit the phosphor. The CRT display therefore
will be an exact copy of the pattern which was initially stored on the target and the display will
be visible as long as the flood guns continue emission of low-energy electrons. To erase the
pattern which is etched on the storage mesh, a negative voltage is applied to the storage target,
neutralizing the stored positive charge.
To obtain variable persistence, the erase voltage is applied in the form of pulses instead
of a steady d.c. voltage. By varying the width of these pulses the rate of erasing is varied. The
variable-persistence control on the front panel of the scope is then the width control of the
erase-pulse generator.

2.INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF CRO

Because the oscilloscope is an extremely flexible and versatile instrument, it can
be used to measure a number of parameters associated with DC and AC signals. Using a
single channel oscilloscope, it is capable of making measurements of voltage current, time,
frequency and rise/fall time. If a dual trace oscilloscope is used the phase shift between
two synchronous signals can be measured.
Other major applications of CRO are listed below:
In Radio Work
1. To trace and measure a signal throughout the RF, IF and AF channels of radio and
television receivers.
2. It provides the only effective way of adjusting FM receivers, broadband high-
frequency RF amplifiers and automatic frequency control circuits;
3. to test AF circuits for different types of distortions and other spurious oscillations;
4. To give visual display of wave-shapes such as sine waves, square waves and their
many different combinations;
5. To trace transistor curves
6. To visually show the composite synchronized TV signal
7. To display the response of tuned circuits etc.

Scientific and Engineering applications:

1. Measurement of ac/dc voltages,

2. Finding B/H curves for hysteresis loop,

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3. for engine pressure analysis,

4. for study of stress, strain, torque, acceleration etc.

5. Frequency and phase determination by using Lissajous figures,

6. Radiation patterns of antenna,

7. Amplifier gain,

8. Modulation percentage,

9. Complex waveform as a short-cut for Fourier analysis,

10. Standing waves in transmission lines etc.

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