Oscilloscope Fundamentals

White Paper Overview

As with all electronic test equipment, digital oscilloscopes have an array of key specifications. Some are basic and easy to understand. Other specifications (which may have a greater impact on the accuracy of your measurements) are not as clear and are often dependent on the manufacturer.

This white paper briefly discusses the history of the oscilloscope as well as, its transition from analog to digital, types of digital oscilloscopes and their major subsystems, key benchmark specifications, and measurements. This primer also gives insight into the most important specifications to consider when using an oscilloscope — beyond the banner specs.