28119 Parallax Inc, 28119 Datasheet - Page 9

• Manufacturer Part Number: 28119
• Description: KIT UNDERSTANDING SIGNALS
• Manufacturer: Parallax Inc

Specifications of 28119

• Lead Free Status: Contains lead
• Accessory Type: Oscilloscope
• Interface Type: USB
• For Use With/related Products: BASIC Stamp® 2 and Board of Education
• Lead Free Status / Rohs Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant

Chapter #1: Oscilloscope Basics
Using an oscilloscope makes it much easier to characterize and understand the signals
coming from a sensor or microcontroller. Understanding Signals assumes you’ve never
used an oscilloscope. For the OPTAscope 81M to be of value to you, we must first teach
you how to use an oscilloscope.
WHAT IS AN OSCILLOSCOPE?
An oscilloscope is an electronic device that displays graphical representations of
electrical signals or waveforms. These graphical representations have two components,
time and voltage. Time is represented by the horizontal axis, and voltage is represented
by the vertical axis. There are two main types of oscilloscopes: analog oscilloscopes, and
digital storage oscilloscopes.
The OPTAscope 81M is a digital storage oscilloscope that will be the focus of
Understanding Signals, shown in Figure 1-1. Digital storage oscilloscopes record the
voltage for a period of time and then display it, allowing you to review the fluctuations of
the signal during the period recorded with great detail.
Analog Oscilloscope: traditionally an instrument that creates a waveform display by
applying the input signal (conditioned and amplified) to the vertical axis of an electron beam
moving across a cathode-ray tube (CRT) screen horizontally from left to right. The inside of
the CRT is coated with phosphor to create a glowing trace wherever the beam hits.
Digital Oscilloscope: a type of oscilloscope that uses an analog–to–digital converter (ADC)
to convert the measured voltage into digital information. There are three types: digital
storage, digital phosphor, and digital sampling oscilloscopes. The Tektronix XYZs of
Oscilloscopes article at www.tektronix.com contains a detailed discussion of oscilloscope
features and example applications.
Figure 1-1:
The OPTAscope 81M
This portable oscilloscope
connects to your PC via a USB
cable. It comes with 3 sets of 1x
probes, a USB cable, and a
software CD (not shown).