Name Mehul Kumar Krishna Krish Goel

Entry No. 2023CE11182 2023MS10865 2023CE11170

Email ce1231182@civil.iitd.ac.in ms1230865@mse.iitd.ac.in ce1231170@civil.iitd.ac.in

Lab-2: Study of the digital storage

oscilloscope (DSO)

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT –

1. To become familiar with the operation and controls on the front

panel of a DSO.
2. To use the DSO to display periodic electrical signals.
3. To make frequency measurements with the help of Lissajous
patterns.
4. To measure the phase difference between two signals of the
same frequency.
5. To learn how to measure the period / frequency of a periodic
waveform.

APPARATUS –

1. Digital storage oscilloscope

2. DC power supply0-30V
3. Function generator0-3MHz
4. Resistors and capacitors
5. Breadboard
6. Connecting wires

THEORY
The Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO) is an extremely useful and
versatile laboratory instrument useful for measurement and analysis of
waveforms and other phenomena in electrical and electronic circuits. An
oscilloscope automatically graphs a time varying voltage, that is, it
displays the instantaneous amplitude of any voltage waveform versus
time. Most applications for oscilloscopes are to plot periodic signals.
However, the DSO can capture (store and display) transient signals as
well, with appropriate triggering.
In addition to voltages, the DSO can visually represent many time varying
quantities with the help of "transducers" or sensors that convert current,
pressure, strain, acceleration, temperature etc. into voltages.
This technology advanced features such as signal storage, waveform
analysis, and automatic measurements. The DSO's ability to capture and
display complex waveforms in real-time makes it an indispensable tool in
electronics and telecommunications.

Advantages of DSO:

 Signal Storage: DSOs can store and recall waveforms, enabling in-
depth analysis.
 Advanced Triggering: Precise triggering options enhance the
ability to capture specific events.
 Measurement Automation: Built-in measurement tools provide
accurate readings.
 Waveform Analysis: DSOs facilitate measurements of rise times,
fall times, overshoot, and more.

PART 1
Voltage measurement
Voltage measurement involves measuring the amplitude of the signal on
the vertical axis. The vertical sensitivity setting determines the number of
volts represented by each division on the screen. The attenuation setting
of the probe is considered to accurately measure the signal's amplitude .

PROCEDURE
 Firstly, we will connect the function generator to the DSO's channel
1 and set the signal to sine wave in the function generator.
 Now we can change the amplitude of the signal and measure it's
peak-to-peak voltage using DSO and tabulate the readings obtained.
 We will make sure that the volts/division is highest possible for the
given signal.
 Then, we can measure the signal using the markings on the
oscilloscope. We can also use the cursor feature to get an accurate
reading.
 Along with the reading, we will estimate an upper bound for the
possible error in measurement of this.
OBSERVATIONS
 Amplitude Reading in Volt/div P2P voltage Rms value
divisions
4 2 2 4 2.82
6 3 2 6 4.24
8 4 2 8 5.65
10 5.1 2 10.2 7.21
12 6.1 2 12.2 8.62

TABLE 1.1

FIG 1.1 FIG 1.2

FIG 1.3
PART 2
Frequency Measurement

Frequency measurement is the number of cycles of a waveform occurring

in one second. It is calculated using the reciprocal of the period of the
waveform, which is determined from the timebase setting and the number
of divisions.
An oscilloscope may be used to measure the frequency of an unknown
sine wave signal if an accurately calibrated sine wave generator is
available as a standard for comparison.
PROCEDURE -
 We will start by connecting the unknown frequency signal to the
vertical terminal of the oscilloscope and the standard frequency
signal is applied to the horizontal amplifier.

 And, set the horizontal time-base mode to XY mode. The standard

frequency is then adjusted manually until the pattern appears as a
circle or ellipse, indicating that both signals are at the same
frequency.

 Where it is not possible to adjust the standard signal frequency to

the exact frequency of the unknown signal, the standard is adjusted
to a multiple until a stable pattern appears on the screen. This is
called a Lissajous pattern.
 We will observe several Lissajous patterns here. Note that if a
horizontal (H) and vertical(V) lines are drawn tangent to the figure,
then we can obtain the number of points of horizontal tangency, TH
and vertical tangency TV. The relationship between the known
signal frequency and the unknown signal frequency Fx is given by
the equation: Fx=F⋅TH/TV

 In the above figure, the unknown frequency is a 1/3 of the known

frequency. Make sure you have a large ellipse by adjusting the
voltage/division settings accordingly. Express your data along with
the precision in measurement.
OBSERVATIONS
Sno Lissajous pattern Th Tv Generator Unknown
frequency(Kh freq(Khz)
z)
1 1 1 1 1

2 3 1 1 3

3 2 1 1 2

4 4 1 1 4

5 4 3 3 4

6 5 3 3 5
 TABLE 1.2
EXAMPLE Calculation for frequency measurement;
Fv = F* (Th/Tv)
F=5, Th=3, Tv=3
Fv=5*1=5

PART 3
 Phase measurement
 Phase measurement involves comparing the time difference
between two waveforms. This is achieved by aligning a reference
point (such as a rising edge) on one waveform with a corresponding
point on the other waveform. The time difference between these
points represents the phase difference.
PROCEDURE
 In this case, we will connect one of the two signals to the vertical
input and the other to the horizontal input of the oscilloscope and
the horizontal time base to XY.
 Now, connect the circuit as shown in schematic below.
 FIG 1.4

FIG 1.5 FIG 1.6

OBSERVATIONS
R(kOhm Lissajou A(mv) C(mv) Theta Theta Remark
) s measure calculate s (delta)
pattern d d
1 Ellipse 3.25*50 2*500 36.5 37.97 1.47
0
4.7 Ellipse 4*500 0.5*500 6.6 7.18 0.58
10 Ellipse 4.2*500 0.25*50 2.5 3.41 0.91
0
TABLE 1.3

 Then, set the frequency of the signal generator at 1kHz and

amplitude at 2 volts. Point A will go to the horizontal (CH2) input
terminal point, point B goes tothe vertical (CH1) input terminal point
and G to the ground of the oscilloscope.

 Noe, switch on the DSO and set it to XY mode. Set both channels to
GND coupling and adjust the lines to the center of the DSO screen.
We can set CH1 and CH2 both to DC coupling to get an elliptical
pattern on the screen of DSO.

 The value of R can be varied from 0 to 10kΩ in steps. Obtain A

and C from the screen of the oscilloscope. It will be like –

 And, calculate the phase difference, which may be computed by

substituting the measured values of A and Cin the
formula: sinθ=C/A.
 We can also verify the experimental result with the calculated value
by substituting the values of C and R in
equation: tanθ=1/(2πfCR) where f is the frequency.

CONCLUSION
The DSO has ability to capture, store, and analyze complex
waveforms with high accuracy makes it a vital instrument for
engineers and researchers.
  Peak to Peak Voltage of a sine wave signal is measured using DSO
by changing the amplitude of the signal. The RMS Value is also
calculated using the peak-to-peak voltage using a factor of 1/2√2.
 We have verified using several Lissajous patterns that the unknown
signal frequency Fx can be obtained using the relation Fx = F.Th/Tv
where F is the frequency of generator and Th, Tv the points of
tangency in the horizontal and vertical directions respectively in the
Lissajous patterns.
 Phase Difference between two sine waves of the same frequency is
determined by Lissajous pattern.

SOURCES OF ERRORS

 Connecting the DSO probe to a circuit can load the circuit and
affect its behaviour, leading to inaccurate measurements.
 Incorrectly compensated probes can introduce signal distortion,
affecting measurements and waveforms.
 Poor grounding can introduce noise and interfere with signal
integrity.
 External electromagnetic interference can corrupt the measured
signals.
 Insufficient sampling rate can lead to aliasing, where higher
frequency components are incorrectly represented at lower
frequencies.
 Incorrect selection of AC/DC coupling or attenuation settings can
lead to inaccurate representation of the signal.
 Inaccurate settings, improper probe connections, or incorrect
interpretation of controls can lead to measurement errors.

PRECAUTIONS

 Use high-quality, well-calibrated probes to minimize impedance

effects.
 Ensure proper grounding of the probe by connecting the ground clip
to a suitable ground point.
 Regularly check and adjust probe compensation to ensure accurate
voltage measurements.
 Choose the appropriate voltage scale on the DSO to avoid signal
clipping or distortion

 Minimize cable lengths and use high-quality cables to reduce

propagation delays.
 Use external triggering if possible to minimize trigger jitter and
improve phase accuracy.
 Ensure the DSO is properly calibrated and its internal trigger
settings are optimized.
 Use stable signal sources to minimize frequency instability during
measurements.
 Apply appropriate signal conditioning to reduce jitter and improve
measurement accuracy.