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7
Glossary
AC -
Alternating
C
urrent.
A signal that continually
changes in potential going from a minimum to a
maximum voltage and back.
Aliasing -
A form of under sampling of a digital
oscilloscope in which case the constructed waveform
displayed is in the form of a slower frequency of the
original input.
Amplitude
– The magnitude of a quantity or strength
of a signal. In oscilloscopes, amplitude usually refers
to either voltage or power.
Averaging
– A processing technique used by digital
oscilloscopes to reduce noise in a displayed signal.
Bandwidth
– The frequency range, here limited by –
3 dB.
BNC -
Bayonet Neill–Concelman connector; a type of
signal
connector
common
in
electronic
measurement production equipment, used to
transmit a signal on a cable.
Calibration
– A process that adjusts offset and gain
of signal processing of the instrument.
dBm/ 50
- dB relative to 1 milli-watt referenced to a
50 Ω impedance.
dBm/ 600
- dB relative to 1 milli-watt referenced to
a 600 Ω impedance.
dBu
- dB relative to 1 microvolt, regardless of
impedance.
dBV
- dB relative to 1 Volt, regardless of impedance.
DC -
D
irect
C
urrent. The electrical voltage that is
constant like the output of batteries.
Division
– Measurement markings on horizontal and
vertical axis of the oscilloscope.
Envelope
– The outline of a signal’s highest and
lowest points acquired over many displayed
waveform repetitions.
Frequency
– The frequency equals 1/period.
Ground
–A voltage reference usually taken as a point
of zero electrical potential, or voltage.
Hertz (Hz)
- The unit of frequency which is measured
by one cycle per second.
Marker
- Horizontal or vertical visible displays that
can be placed across the display panel for
measurements or zoom-ins.
Noise
- A variation in a signal that is (usually)
unwanted and conveys erroneous information.
Oscilloscope -
A device which accepts an electrical
input, and represents the variations of the input as a
display on a display screen.
Peak
– The maximum voltage level measured from a
zero reference point.
Peak-to-peak (Vp-p)
– The voltage measured from
the maximum point of a signal to its minimum point.
Period
– The amount of time it takes a wave to
complete one cycle. The period equals 1/frequency.
Probe
– An oscilloscope input device, usually having
a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with
a circuit element, a lead to connect to the circuit’s
ground reference, and a flexible cable for
transmitting the signal and ground to the
oscilloscope.
RBW (Resolution Bandwidth)
– The factor that
determines bin size, or the smallest frequency that
can be resolved in the spectrum of a waveform.
Ringing
– An undesired effect on a signal resulting
from oscillations of circuit resonation.
