Common faults and precautions when using oscilloscopes

An oscilloscope is a very versatile measuring instrument. It can transform invisible electrical signals into visible images, making it easier for people to study the changing processes of various electrical phenomena. The oscilloscope uses a narrow electron beam composed of high-speed electrons to hit a screen coated with fluorescent material to produce small light spots (this is the working principle of a traditional analog oscilloscope). Therefore, oscilloscopes are known as the eyes of engineers; so what are the common faults and precautions when using oscilloscopes? The following shares typical faults and solutions when using oscilloscopes:

1. Failure to boot due to oscilloscope failure

There is an independent power module inside the oscilloscope that supplies power to the mainboard and various functional modules, so you need to pay attention to the safety of electricity.

Issues to note during use:

1. Use the original power cord of the oscilloscope;

2. Confirm that the power grid is stable. When there are high-power electrical appliances connected to the power grid, turn off the oscilloscope first, unplug the power cord, and wait until the power grid is stable before using it;

3. When turning on the oscilloscope: first plug in the ac power cord, and then press the power button to turn it on; when shutting down: first press the power off button to turn off the oscilloscope, and then unplug the ac power cord;

4. Pay attention to the environment in which the instrument is used and clean the dust regularly.

2. The oscilloscope burns channels/burns the acquisition board

Generally, channel failures are caused by static electricity or excessively large signals. In severe cases, the acquisition board and main control board may be burned out. This kind of fault repair is difficult, takes a long time, and costs a lot, so you need to pay special attention to the following during use:

1. It is strictly forbidden to touch the oscilloscope channel interface with your hands or other parts of your body to prevent electrostatic damage;

2. Before use, estimate the signal amplitude and use a probe with appropriate attenuation multiple for testing;

3. When testing, first connect the probe and then pass in the signal; after the test is completed, disconnect the test signal first and then remove the probe.

3. Oscilloscope system problems

Similar to a computer, an oscilloscope also has its own operating system to manage and control hardware and software resources. Common oscilloscope system problems include system crash, driver loss, data loss, disk/memory corruption, etc.

Issues to note during use:

1. Clean the system regularly, perform full anti-virus, and back up the system;

2. Do not operate system files. Misoperation of system files may cause system crash;

3. Pay attention to the power on and off sequence, and do not unplug the power cord directly.