Why is your Tektronix oscilloscope always "sick"?

The oscilloscope is one of the most commonly used instruments in electronic measurement. It can not only directly observe and truly display the measured signal, but also observe the leading and trailing edges, pulse width, overshoot, undershoot and other parameters of the pulse signal. In order to ensure the normal use and measurement accuracy of the oscilloscope, the oscilloscope should be regularly verified and calibrated. Many technical indicators of general oscilloscopes are difficult to verify directly with general instruments. Indirect methods using common electronic measuring instruments can not only achieve the purpose of verification, but also expand its scope of use and improve its measurement accuracy. Therefore, the oscilloscope has become an important working partner in test engineering, especially the Tektronix oscilloscope, which is a brand favored by 80% of engineers.

Many engineers will find that the instrument is a bit strange after using it for a while, with abnormal sound when it is turned on, and the picture is abnormal... So what is wrong with the oscilloscope? Is it broken? Then the question is, how to avoid these strange phenomena in the oscilloscope? Then you need to perform a physical examination on the oscilloscope regularly, but some engineers think that it is a waste of time and money to give the oscilloscope a physical examination. Some engineers even did not realize the need to check the oscilloscope after using it for 3 years, until the speed of the oscilloscope became slower and slower, and the test accuracy drift became more and more serious. In fact, these can be prevented by regularly checking the oscilloscope. Through the physical examination, we can know which devices have hidden dangers and solve them as soon as possible to avoid affecting the product development process.

Based on years of maintenance experience, Antai Oscilloscope Repair Center has concluded that hardware problems account for less than 10% of all test instrument failures! More instrument failures are due to the lack of regular physical inspection and maintenance of the instrument and improper use, which leads to abnormal performance of the oscilloscope and requires repair or adjustment. These improper uses include the following aspects:

1. Over-range operation: 70% of oscilloscope board-level damage is caused by over-range test signals, so please strictly comply with the signal input range requirements for the oscilloscope. Please note that for the oscilloscope test instrument, the channel direct input is usually divided into 50Ω and 1MΩ (especially 75Ω). The allowed input voltage signals are different. Please pay special attention. When connecting the probe, please consider both comprehensively.

2. Static electricity: Sometimes static electricity can be as high as more than 10,000 volts. Static electricity discharge may cause instrument malfunction, breakdown of integrated circuits and precision electronic components, or cause component aging, and may even cause personal safety. In addition, static electricity can also cause static electricity attraction, dust absorption, and contamination of integrated circuits and components.

3. Harsh natural environment: usually involves factors such as temperature, humidity, vibration, altitude, etc. For example, the general operating temperature range of instruments is 0-50 degrees. If the temperature is minus ten or twenty degrees, the instrument may not start normally or even the screen may freeze and crack.

Antai oscilloscope maintenance engineers recommend developing the following good usage habits to avoid oscilloscope damage:

1. Strictly limit the amplitude of the input signal. When a large signal is connected to the oscilloscope, it is necessary to estimate the signal level first and select a suitable attenuator to attenuate the signal to prevent the large signal from burning the oscilloscope input channel;

2. When connecting the oscilloscope probe, apply force slowly and evenly to avoid damaging the connector port;

3. Regular inspection and maintenance: Every month, the oscilloscope should be heated up for half an hour at least, and the Tektronix oscilloscope should be operated with SPC.

4. Pay attention to the use environment and avoid using the device in an environment with excessive dust;

5. Use with care and avoid dropping it.

6. Pay attention to the electrostatic protection of the instrument channel interface;

7. Avoid hot plugging of interfaces and cables;

8. When using the probe, be careful not to pull, drag, bend, or hit or drop it;