oscilloscope on Bald Engineer

Make Waveforms Misbehave on Purpose with ArbDraw

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes the test signal needs a flaw. A clean waveform is easy to generate, but a narrow glitch in the middle of it can replicate a behavior or gives an oscilloscope something (in-band) specific to trigger on.

Hands-on with PicoScope 7

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 15:16:47 +0000

I dive into Pico Technology’s latest PicoScope oscilloscope software, PicoScope 7. Using a PicoScope 2000A (from the element14 Community), James walks through key measurements and demonstrations using the built-in arbitrary waveform generator. He explores new functionalities in PicoScope 7, such as the improved UI, a unique feature called DeepMeasure, and decoding I3C traffic. I have been using the Pico Technology PicoScope 2000A for years. (Here is my older review!) It is an entry-level oscilloscope with 10 MHz bandwidth, 100 megasamples per second sample rate, and 8 kilosample of acquisition memory. Since it is USB-based, it has companion software running on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Watch this video on YouTube

Picking I2C Pull-Up Resistors (Correctly)

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:22:00 +0000

A long time ago, I made a video suggesting math was unnecessary to determine proper pull-up resistor values. Like most generalized statements, that suggestion is not always true. For example, in data buses like I2C, speeds like 400 kHz and 1 MHz are common. At those speeds, the pull-up resistor and the bus capacitance form an RC filter that fundamentally limits the data transmission speed. Or. It limits the range of pull-up resistor values. In this Workbench Wednesdays video, I show how to estimate I2C bus capacitance, measure that capacitance, and pick pull-up resistor values.

Watch this video on YouTube

Oscilloscope Trigger Primer

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 17:54:34 +0000

A powerful, but an underused feature of digital oscilloscopes is the trigger circuit. Learn from James how to use an oscilloscope’s trigger to find glitches, measure pulse widths, see transients, and stabilize a scope’s screen. This video explains the difference between Auto and Normal sweep modes, shows how to use a Pulse Width trigger, and explains how to use Hold-Off.

Watch this video on YouTube

How to Profile Battery Usage for IoT Devices

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 13:08:00 +0000

When running on a battery, it is important to know what parts of your circuit draw the most current. Profiling is a process where you look at sections of code or interactions with hardware to see how much power each requires. In this video, James shows four tools (and their tradeoffs) when profiling IoT or Edge Machine Learning devices. See if it makes more sense for you to use a Digital Multimeter (DMM), Power Supply with history graphs, an oscilloscope

Watch this video on YouTube

Do ALL Scope Probes Need Ground?

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:05:00 +0000

When connecting multiple oscilloscope probes to a circuit, does each probe need to connect to ground? The short answer is yes! Why? The long answer is kind because of the ground loop. Remember, a circuit needs a closed path. And while on DC circuits we may rarely think about the distance of that path, it absolutely matters when there is an AC or frequency component. When you do not connect each probe’s ground, the signal path because enormous since it must connect to the circuit’s ground through another probe. (See the animation in the video above.)

Watch this video on YouTube

How Oscilloscope Acquisition Modes Work

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 13:38:00 +0000

Every digital oscilloscope I have ever used has a menu or dialog for “acquisition modes.” And depending on the current settings, changing that acquisition mode does not seem to have an effect on the signal. Or sometimes, changing to something like Average mode can completely destroy your measurements. It turns out, that the analog-to-digital converters in digital oscilloscopes can do more than just “sample” the data. Well, the ADCs just samples. The controller behind the ADC offers modes like Peak Detect and Average and High-Resolution.

Watch this video on YouTube

How to Measure Ripple Voltage on a Switch-Mode Power Supply | Workbench Wednesdays #51

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:23:00 +0000

Measuring a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) with a DMM might show a stable voltage. But the same DC rail on an oscilloscope can show a completely different story! In this video, learn how to correctly set up an oscilloscope to characterize the noise an SMPS creates in a circuit.

Watch this video on YouTube

DIY Solder-In Oscilloscope Probes | Workbench Wednesdays #50

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:19:00 +0000

When you cannot get an oscilloscope probe into a tight spot, can you just use a piece of wire? Sometimes. When signal integrity matters, you CAN use a low-cost DIY solder-in probe. These probes attenuate the signal and use an oscilloscope’s high-bandwidth 50-ohm input. James shows how to build some solder-in probes when they work and when they do not work in this video. Special thanks to Shabaz on the element14 community for the guide used here.

Watch this video on YouTube

Exploring the Digilent Analog Discovery 3000 Pro Series | Workbench Wednesdays #48

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:11:00 +0000

Analog Discovery Pro from Digilent comes in a 2-channel (ADP3250) or 4-channel (ADP3450) version. These all-in-one instruments work with a PC over USB or can run entirely standalone. On the PC the excellent Waveforms software provides virtual instruments like an Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, Power Supply, Spectrum Analyzer, Curve Tracer, Network Analyzer, and Impedance Analyzer. Just to name a few. See what this new instrument offers in this hands-on review. This episode was sponsored by Digilent.

Watch this video on YouTube

What does Bandwidth mean for Oscilloscopes? | Workbench Wednesdays #47:

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:08:00 +0000

Using the Rohde and Schwarz RTH1004 ScopeRider, James talks about oscilloscope bandwidth. In this video, learn what oscilloscope bandwidth is, and what it is not, and see two measurements that help you tell if you are being band-limited by an oscilloscope. The episode was sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz.

Watch this video on YouTube

The Origins of Delayed Timings on Oscilloscopes | Workbench Wednesdays #43

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 22:57:00 +0000

Almost everyone uses a digital oscilloscope’s zoom features. However, did you know that 40-year-old analog oscilloscopes can do something similar? Delayed time bases on analog scopes sweep twice so that the user can see a slow and fast sweep. In this video, see where “zoom” came from and how engineers accomplished the same measurement back in the day.

Watch this video on YouTube

Which Oscilloscope Form Factor Is Best For Me? | Workbench Wednesdays #38

Fri, 21 May 2021 22:30:00 +0000

Oscilloscopes are available in many shapes and sizes. After figuring out how much bandwidth you need (or want), the next step is to choose the form factor. Do you go with the traditional bench style? When does it make sense to use a USB-based scope with your PC? And what about these newer tablets or battery-powered oscilloscopes? Learn the difference between them and see which one is best for you.

Watch this video on YouTube

Triggering And Decoding Serial Protocols On An Oscilloscope | Workbench Wednesdays #34

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:03:00 +0000

Everything with a microcontroller has serial buses in it. Busses like UART, I2C, and SPI are very popular choices. When you have a problem with a sensor that uses one or the bus itself, you can use an oscilloscope or logic analyzer to “decode” the traffic. These decoders convert the 1s and 0s into readable HEX or ASCII characters. I am not sure how I thought of the “multiple” James idea for the thumbnail. The concept had something to do with “serial,” but I am not sure what.

Watch this video on YouTube

Measuring A 555 On An Oscilloscope | Workbench Wednesdays #33

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 23:00:00 +0000

The 555 is a very popular chip, and for good reason. It is such a versatile timer. Learn about 555 measurements like how to measure the voltage divider inside the chip and what is going on with the signals in an astable multivibrator (clock) circuit. The key to a 555 circuit is connecting the threshold and trigger pins together. But, until you see the schematic and waveforms it may not be obvious why.

Watch this video on YouTube

Learn Six Oscilloscope Measurements with an Arduino DUT

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 18:44:22 +0000

One of the best ways to learn how to use a new piece of test equipment is to use it. Sounds easy, right? The problem is, sometimes when you are in the middle of troubleshooting your circuit, figuring out what the knobs on your scope do is an immense frustration. Use these 6 oscilloscope measurements, and just an Arduino Uno, to learn how to use a new or unfamiliar digital scope.

PicoScope 2204 Review and Hands-On

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 12:21:32 +0000

If you need a reason to be an Element 14 member, let me suggest their Road Test program. Companies partner with Element14 to get people to try out their gear. A couple of years ago I got a new microcontroller board. This week I received a new test instrument. Here’s my hands-on Picoscope 2204 review. The scope is bus powered. With the BNCs and type-B USB connector, it is slightly larger than an external USB hard drive. There is not much weight to the device. It does not feel cheap, just lighter than I expected.

Aeroscope Review

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 13:11:36 +0000

Previously, I reviewed the smartphone DMM, Mooshimeter. It is a great meter. One feature I didn’t spend much time on in my review was the ability to graph. Some see it as an “oscilloscope alternative.” The past couple of weeks, I’ve been using Aeroscope. It is a Bluetooth-based oscilloscope about the size of an older active probe. The Aeroscope runs $199 direct from Aeroscope Labs. The question I address in this Aeroscope review: is it better to buy this, a USB-based, or standalone scope for about the same money. How does it measure up?

Test Equipment Alternatives (Suggested By You!)

Wed, 03 Aug 2016 13:17:55 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I asked my subscribers for their favorite test equipment alternatives. The reason I asked, was because I recently picked up a Mooshimeter. It is a modern take on the multimeter. However, I will cover that in more detail soon. While I am fortunate that my bench has the usual equipment like an adjustable power supply, oscilloscope, multimeter, and function generator, I know that not everyone else does. I also had to think back to before I had this equipment, what did I use to troubleshoot my circuits.