Oscilloscopes – Erica Synths EDU DIY Dual VCA Eurorack Module Kit User Manual

Page 45

OSCILLOSCOPES

While multimeters are fairly cheap and compact,
oscilloscopes are usually somewhat pricey and bulky.

you’re willing to make the investment, they are a
huge help with the troubleshooting process, though

Using one is, again, surprisingly straightforward –

if you

manage to work your way through the sometimes quite
convoluted UI, especially on digital models.

To start using your scope, simply attach a probe to one
of the channel inputs. These probes usually have two
connectors on the other end: a big one that you operate
by pulling the top part back – and a smaller one, which
is usually a standard alligator clip. The latter needs to be
connected to your circuit’s ground rail, while you probe
your oscillation with the former. Now what the
oscilloscope will do is

monitor the voltage between

the two connectors over time and draw it onto the
screen as a graph

. Here, the x-axis is showing time,

while the y-axis is showing voltage. You can use the
device’s scaling controls to zoom in on a specific part of
your waveform.

Usually, digital oscilloscopes will also tell you a couple useful things about the signal
you’re currently viewing: minimum/maximum voltage level, oscillation frequency, signal
o

ﬀ

set. Some even o

ﬀ

er a spectrum analyzer, which can be useful to check the

frequencies contained in your signal.