BASIC ELECTRONICS

Dr. Hemanth C
Associate Professor, SENSE
MODULE:1 ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS,
SOURCES AND MEASURING EQUIPMENTS
Evolution of Electronics – Impact of Electronics in Industry
and Society – Familiarization of Resistors, Capacitors,
Inductors – Colour Coding – types and specifications, –
Electro-mechanical components – Relay and Contactors –
Regulated Power supply, Function Generator – Multimeter -
CRO
 INTRODUCTION TO THE
OSCILLOSCOPE (CRO) AND
FUNCTION GENERATORS
 THE THEORY…
Why do we need an oscilloscope?
 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS?
• Display Screen
• Displays an input signal with respect to
time.
• Control Panel
• Adjusts how the input signal is
displayed.
 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN
OSCILLOSCOPE
• The purpose of an oscilloscope is to measure a voltage that changes with time and show it in a
graphical format

1) Here is the oscilloscope in

our lab
-Notice the X-Y axes
2) Here is our alternating voltage
signal from before

3) If we measure our signal with the

scope, it would look like this!
WHAT DO WE NOW KNOW ABOUT THE
SCOPE?
VOLTAGE

TIME

• What must the X-Axis represent?

• What must the Y-Axis represent?

• So…what do the dials do?

 OSCILLOSCOPE: SCREEN
• Notice that the screen has ruled divisions
both horizontally and vertically.
• The axes can be scaled, for example…
• If each vertical division is worth 5 seconds,
what time is represented by this point?
• If each horizontal line represents 1 volt, what
voltage is represented by this point?
 OSCILLOSCOPE: CONTROL PANEL
• The section to the right of the screen
contains the controls necessary to adjust
how the waveform is displayed on the
screen.
• The controls allow you to alter the sweep
time, amplitude, and triggering method.
(Note, these topics will be discussed later)
 OSCILLOSCOPE: INPUT CHANNELS
• How do we get the voltage into the scope?
• This area is broken into two parts
– Left Half for Channel 1 (X)
– Right Half for Channel 2 (Y)
• In the center is a switch that determines which channel will serve as the input to the scope: 1, 2,
Dual or Add.
• Why would we want more than 1 channel?

Channel 1 Channel 2
 EQUIPMENT: FUNCTION GENERATOR
• Purpose: Produces waves of different
• Shapes (sinusoidal, square, etc.)
• Amplitude
• Frequency
 THE SETUP…

In this section, we will power on the

oscilloscope and set it up to display a signal
connected to the CH1 input.
 SIMPLE SIGNALS WE CAN MEASURE
Is this signal changing over time?
5
Y=VOLTAGE (volts)

2.5

X=TIME (seconds)
-2.5 5 10 15 20

-5

What do we call this type of signal?

If we made a chart at the different time intervals…
 TURNING ON THE OSCILLOSCOPE
• Press the POWER button located below the
bottom right corner of the Oscilloscope’s Set Trigger To
screen. Auto
• Set the Channel Mode to CH1.
• Set the Trigger Mode to AUTO.
• A green line or dot should appear on the
screen.
• If not, try adjusting the Intensity or Position
dials.

Set Mode to CH1

Press Power
 CHANNEL MODE SWITCH
• The oscilloscope is capable of measuring
voltages from two different sources.
• The channel mode switch is used to
alternate between these sources.
• For this lab, we will be using Channel 1, so
set the switch to the CH1 position.
 CABLES
• We will use three types of connecters in this
lab.
• BNC
• Banana
• Mini-Grabber
 MAKING YOUR FIRST CONNECTION
• Obtain a BNC cable, Mini-Grabber
attachment and connection them together.
• Connect the free end of the BNC cable to
CH1 on the oscilloscope
 TIME PER DIVISION DIAL
• Find the Time/Div dial on the oscilloscope.
This dial controls the amount of time per
centimeter division.
• Adjust to dial to 2 milliseconds per
centimeter.
 HORIZONTAL POSITION
• Adjust the Position dial for Channel 1 to
center the horizontal line.
 ADJUSTING THE DISPLAY
• If the display is difficult or out of focus, the
Intensity and Focus dials can be used to
adjust it.
• The INTEN dial controls the brightness of
the line.
• The FOCUS dial controls the sharpness of
the line.
• Take a moment to adjust each one and
notice the difference.
 AT THIS POINT…
• The channel mode should be set to 1.
• The TIME/DIV should be set to 2mS per centimeter.
• A BNC cable should be connected to the channel 1 input. The other end should have a free Mini-
Grabber connection.
• The Trigger Mode should be set to AUTO.
• The Oscilloscope should be ON.
• The intensity and focus should be adjusted so the line is clear to see.
• The channel 1 position dial should be adjusted so that the green line is centered on the screen.
 MEASURING A DC SIGNAL

In this section, we will use an external DC

POWER SUPPLY to create a DC signal to
measure with the oscilloscope
 MEASURING A DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE
• Set the VOLTS/DIV to 1 by adjusting the
outer dial.
• Turn the inner dial all the way to the right,
which will put it in the calibrated position.
• Switch the AC-GND-DC switch for channel 1
to DC.
 VOLTS/DIV DIAL
• The volts/div dial tells you the number of
volts to be represented by each centimeter
vertically on the screen.
• Here the outer dial is set to one, so each
centimeter equals one volt.
 SETTING UP THE DC POWER SUPPLY
• This DC Power supply is capable of
generating voltages from -25V to 25V.
• For this lab, we will be using the 6V supply
terminals.
• First, press the Power Button to turn it on.
 SETTING UP THE DC POWER SUPPLY
• Press Output On/Off once to turn on the
output.
• Press the +6V button to tell the power
supply that we want to alter the output from
the 6V terminals.
• Once done, your screen should look the
same as it does on this slide.
 SETTING UP THE DC POWER SUPPLY
• The dial on the right hand side is used to
increase and decrease the output value.
• The arrows under the dial are used to
determine which digit is affected by the dial.
 SETTING UP THE DC POWER SUPPLY
• Press the left arrow until the digit to the left Press this arrow to
of the decimal point is blinking. This is the digit Select the
• Use the dial to increase the display value to we want to adjust desired digit
3 volts as shown.

Rotate this dial to

alter the output value.
 SETTING UP THE POWER SUPPLY
• Now it is time to connect the DC Power
Supply to the Oscilloscope.
• Locate Mini-Grabber connectors on the
other end of the cable that was previously
attached to the Oscilloscope.
• Attach the connecters to the DC Power
Supply as shown.
• Note: You may need to partially unscrew the
terminal knobs before connecting the Mini-
Grabbers.
 OBSERVING THE DC OUTPUT
• Once connected, the line on the
Oscilloscope display will move up three
divisions.
• At 1Volt/Division, this equals 3 Volts.
• Adjust the DC Power Supply output and the
Volts/Division dial and observe the changes.
 IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS AT THIS POINT
• Volts/Division Dial
• It does not change the voltage.
• It is a sensitivity dial that allows us to measure a wide range of voltages by indicating how
many volts are represented by each division.
 MEASURING AN AC SIGNAL

In this section, we will use the built-in

FUNCTION GENERATOR to create an AC
signal to measure with the oscilloscope
 MEASURING A TIME VARYING (A.C.) VOLTAGE
• Now look at the function generator built into your Oscilloscope.
• This device produces a voltage that varies over time.
• In the upcoming slides we will exam each of the controls that allow us to shape the output.

Built In Function
Generator
 FUNCTION GENERATOR CONTROLS: WAVE
SHAPE
• An important part of a function generator is
the shape of the wave it creates.
• This function generator can produce a
– Square Wave
– Triangle Wave
– Sine Wave
• Press the FUNC key to change until the light
below the Sine wave is lit.
• (Note: The Oscilloscope must be on in order
to change the this option.)
 FUNCTION GENERATOR CONTROLS: FREQUENCY
RANGE
• This generator allows you to change the
frequency (Cycles per Second) of the output 1. Set the Range to 1K
wave.
• There are two main settings:
– Range/Order of Magnitude
– Scaling Factor
• First, set the range to 1K (1 kilohertz) by
pressing the RANGE button until the light
below 1K is on.
• Then, turn the frequency dial (Scaling
Factor) so it points straight up. This
represents a Scaling Factor of 1.
2. Turn the Frequency Dial
• Turning the dial to the left will reduce the Until it Points Straight Up.
output frequency and to the right will
increase it.
What will the output frequency be with this setup?
What if the scaling was set to 1.5?
FUNCTION GENERATOR CONTROLS

5 Volts
Peak-to-Peak
2 Volts
Peak-to-Peak

1 Volt 2.5 Volt

Amplitude Amplitude

Not only can we change the shape and frequency of a wave,

but we can also change the amplitude.
 FUNCTION GENERATOR CONTROLS: AMPLITUDE
DIAL
• Another 2 Parameter Control
– DC-Offset (Inner Dial)
– Amplitude (Outer Dial)
• Adjusting the outer dial
– Clockwise will increase the amplitude. Amplitude
– Counterclockwise will decrease the
amplitude.
• Turn the inner dial until it points straight up.
• Turn the outer until it points straight up.

DC-Offset
 MAKING THE CONNECTION
• Locate the Function Generator’s Output.
• Using a B.N.C. Cable, Connect the Function
Generator’s Output to the CH1 Input.
 MAKING THE CONNECTION
• Set the Volts/Division dial to 2. The inner
dial should be turned fully clockwise.
• Change the AC-GND-DC switch to AC.
• Use the Position dial to raise or lower the
image until it is centered on the screen.
 MAKING THE CONNECTION
• The Time/Division dial corresponds to the
amount of time in each division along the X-
direction.
• Set this dial to 0.5ms.
• If it isn’t already, turn the SWP. VAR. dial to
CAL
• With 10 divisions per screen, what is the
total time span represented?
 TRIGGERING
• Now we need to tell the scope when to display the signal.
• Electric signals change much faster than we can observe, so we must tell the Oscilloscope when
to refresh the display.
• We accomplish this by setting a Triggering Level.
TRIGGERING

Without Triggering With Triggering

 TRIGGERING
• We want to tell the oscilliscope when it is the best time for it to “refresh” the display
• In our wave below, we tell the scope to “trigger” or ‘capture’ the signal when it is going upward
AND hits 2.0Volts

SO, ‘trigger’ condition is:

When we’re

Going up!

AND

When at 2.0 Volts on our waveform!

 Remember,
channel 1 is where
TRIGGERING: SETUP our waveform is
coming from!
• If it isn’t already, set the
Trigger Source to CH1.
• Set the Trigger Mode to
Auto.
• In some cases, this is
enough to produce a clear
output, but often we will need
to adjust the Trigger Level.
• If the output is unstable, turn
the triggering knob until it
stabilizes.
Think of the “Level” as being WHERE on the
waveform to trigger, like in our last slide, at 2.0 Volts! And the SLOPE + or -, means: going
UP or going DOWN
 MEASURING THE VOLTAGE
• Using the CH1 Position Dial, move the wave
until the bottom line up with one of the
At 2 Volts Per Division,
division lines.
This wave has an
• Measure the number of divisions from the amplitude of 5V.
bottom to the top.

Peak to Peak Voltage = (Volts/Division) *(# of Division)

Amplitude = (1/2) * Peak to Peak Voltage
 MEASURING THE FREQUENCY
• Position to wave so that the beginning lines
up with one of the vertical division markers.
With 0.5ms/division,
• Count the number of divisions until the this wave has a
beginning of the next wave. frequency of 1kHz

Period = (Time/Division) *(# of Division)

Frequency = 1/Period
 MIXING IT UP
• Increase the Volts/Division Dial to 5.
• Decrease the Time/Division Dial to 0.2ms.
• Recalculate the
– Peak to Peak Voltage
– Amplitude
– Period
– Frequency
• How do these results compare to the ones
you previously measured?

Note: If the signal becomes unstable, you may need to readjust the triggering level.
 CHANGING THE FREQUENCY GENERATOR
• Now, change the amplitude on the frequency generator.
• Note that wave’s height grows and shrinks as this dial is adjusted.
• Next, try changing the frequency and the shape of the wave.
• Remember that the Volts/Division, Time/Division and Triggering Level may need to be adjusted.
 SUMMARY: MEASURING A.C. VOLTAGE
• Turn on the Oscilloscope.
• Use the built in function generator to set the shape, frequency and amplitude of the desired output
wave.
• Connect the generator’s output to the channel 1 input and set the input channel to AC.
• Approximate the Time/Division and Volts/Division.
• Use the Position Dial to center the wave on the screen.
 SUMMARY: MEASURING AC VOLTAGE
• Set the Triggering Source to CH1.
• Set the Triggering Mode to Auto.
• Adjust the Triggering Level until the output wave stabilizes.
• Adjust the Volts/Division and Time/Division dials until the desired output is produced.
• If needed, use the Focus and Intensity Dials to sharpen the picture displayed.