Oscilloscope analogue and digital

The first oscilloscope-like devices appeared in the 1930s. They were not calibrated and were
mostly used to display voltage curves. They were mainly used in the emerging radar technology.
The first oscilloscope similar to those in use today was introduced by Tektronix in 1946. It was
christened “Model 511”.

What are the criteria for selecting an oscilloscope?

 Bandwidth or largest possible frequency that can still be displayed

 CAT Category: I, II, III or IV
 Number of required measuring channels
 Supplied accessories
 Analog or digital

The first thing to do is to decide in which frequency range you want to work with the
oscilloscope. It makes sense to start with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. One should not go below that.
There are devices in the professional class today that go far beyond 1 GHz. Lower bandwidths
are not reasonable and usually give inaccurate and bad measurement results. PC sound card
solutions or the µController based solutions are mostly rather useless for daily use.

With digital oscilloscopes, the sampling rate is an additional quality criterion. The higher the
sampling rate, the more accurate the digital measurement result. The sampling frequency should
be at least a factor of 5 (Nyquist criterion) greater than the bandwidth of the instrument. This is
because, unlike analog devices that display a signal continuously, a digital oscilloscope may not
even capture fast signals that occur during sampling pauses. This is a major problem, especially
for low-cost devices with a low sampling rate. Here it can happen that a signal cannot be
measured although it is present. This cannot happen with an analog oscilloscope. The reason for
this is that analog oscilloscopes display everything that is present at the input. That is why they
still have advantages over their digital colleagues in this area.

CAT measurement categories

Another important point is the classification and approval of the oscilloscope according to the
CAT measurement categories. These categories determine the environment in which a measuring
instrument may be used. There are four of them, which also apply to all other measuring
instruments:

CAT I: Category I is for measurements performed on circuits not directly connected to mains.
Examples are measurements on circuits not derived from mains, and specially protected
(internal) mains-derived circuits. In the latter case, transient stresses are variable; for that reason
IEC 61010-1-5.4.1(g) requires that the transient withstand capability of the equipment is made
known to the user.
CAT II: Measurement category II is for measurements performed on circuits directly connected
to the low-voltage installation. Examples are measurements on household appliances, portable
tools and similar equipment.

CAT III: Measurement category III is for measurements performed in the building installation.
Examples are measurements on distribution boards, circuit-breakers, wiring, including cables,
bus-bars, junction boxes, switches, socket-outlets in the fixed installation, and equipment for
industrial.

CAT IV: Measurement category IV is for measurements performed at the source of the low-
voltage installation. Examples are electricity meters and measurements on primary overcurrent
protection devices and ripple control units.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_category)

RTB 2K 104 - Digital oscilloscope RTB2004, 100 MHz, 4 channels

 €2,808.40

Good oscilloscopes have at least CAT II with an upper limit voltage of 300 V
or higher. An oscilloscope should have at least two input amplifiers and be
capable of displaying two signals simultaneously. Professional class
instruments have up to four channels that can be displayed simultaneously. The
probes for the input channels must correspond to the measurement category of
the oscilloscope. Since the probes are usually delivered together with the
oscilloscope, this is usually the case. Nevertheless, you should always pay
attention and look carefully.

One more safety note: Never measure with an oscilloscope directly at the mains voltage if the
instrument is not connected to an isolation transformer. This will destroy the oscilloscope and
put the technician’s life in danger.

Product recommendations:
Analogue: METRIX OX 530
Digital: RTB 2K 104

Laboratory power supply unit

Laboratory power supplies today can be divided into two technology classes:

 Classical length-regulated devices

 Pulsed devices with flyback converters

The classic longitudinally controlled units all have the same problem: they get warm and have to
be actively cooled. However, their advantage is that the output voltage provided is less subject to
noise and interference signals. This is an absolute advantage when working on circuits that
would amplify such interferences (e.g. HiFi amplifiers).

The clocked devices don’t get so warm and there are devices with higher output currents, which
is an advantage when working on circuits of power electronics. Today, two-channel versions are
the standard for these devices. These devices are also suitable for parallel or series connection.
Only the quality of the output voltage is not as good as the quality of the series-regulated
devices.

The output voltage range of the standard devices usually goes from 0-30 V. This is sufficient for
the normal laboratory routine. If higher voltages are required, special devices must be used.

Another important function is the adjustable output current. Good laboratory power supplies can
also be used as a constant current source.
If you work a lot with amplifiers and audio- and video electronics, a longitudinally regulated
laboratory power supply is preferable to the clocked version. If you need a lot of power, the
clocked version is the right choice. After some time, both versions will probably be available on
the shelf.

Product recommendations:
Small, compact: PEAKTECH 6226
Large, multiple channels: RND 320-KA3305P