What is an oscilloscope used for?
In fields such as electronic engineering, communications, and medical equipment, oscilloscopes are an indispensable measurement tool. It can convert electrical signals into visual waveforms, helping engineers and technicians analyze key parameters such as voltage, frequency, phase, etc. of the signal. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to introduce in detail the uses, classifications and application scenarios of oscilloscopes.
1. Main uses of oscilloscopes

The core function of an oscilloscope is to observe and analyze electrical signals. Here are its main uses:
| Purpose | Description |
|---|---|
| Signal waveform display | Convert electrical signals into visual waveforms, making it easy to observe the shape, amplitude, and frequency of the signal. |
| Voltage measurement | Measure the peak voltage, effective value voltage, etc. of the signal. |
| frequency analysis | Calculate the frequency of a signal from its waveform for use in debugging circuits or communication systems. |
| phase comparison | Compare the phase difference of two signals, often used in audio or radio frequency circuit design. |
| Troubleshooting | Detect abnormal signals in circuits, such as noise, distortion, or interference. |
2. Classification of oscilloscopes
According to working principles and functions, oscilloscopes can be divided into the following categories:
| Type | Features | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Analog Oscilloscope | Using a cathode ray tube (CRT) to display waveforms, the response speed is fast, but the function is relatively simple. | Basic circuit debugging and teaching experiments. |
| digital oscilloscope | Convert signals through ADC to support storage, analysis and advanced triggering functions. | Complex circuit analysis and communication system testing. |
| Mixed domain oscilloscope | It supports both time domain and frequency domain analysis, and integrates spectrum analysis functions. | RF circuit and wireless communication testing. |
| portable oscilloscope | Small size, battery powered, suitable for on-site operations. | Outdoor equipment maintenance, industrial inspection. |
3. Hot topics and oscilloscope applications on the Internet in the past 10 days
The following are hot topics and application cases related to oscilloscopes in the past 10 days:
| hot topics | Related applications | heat index |
|---|---|---|
| 5G signal test | Use an oscilloscope to analyze high-frequency signal waveforms and noise. | ★★★★☆ |
| New energy vehicle circuit failure | The oscilloscope diagnoses battery management system (BMS) signal abnormalities. | ★★★☆☆ |
| AI chip development | A high-speed oscilloscope is used to verify chip timing and power consumption. | ★★★★★ |
| Medical equipment repair | An oscilloscope detects the signal output of an electrocardiograph (ECG). | ★★★☆☆ |
4. Future development trends of oscilloscopes
With the advancement of technology, oscilloscopes are developing towards higher bandwidth and more intelligence:
1.High bandwidth requirements: The popularity of 5G and AI has pushed the bandwidth of oscilloscopes to more than 100GHz.
2.AI integration: Automatically identify signal anomalies and generate diagnostic reports through machine learning.
3.Cloud collaboration: Support remote data sharing and multi-person collaborative analysis.
Summary
Oscilloscopes are the "eyes" of electronic engineers and are widely used in scientific research, industry, medical and other fields. From basic analog oscilloscopes to high-performance digital oscilloscopes, their functions have been continuously upgraded. In the future, they will be deeply integrated with technologies such as AI and cloud computing to provide more powerful tools for signal analysis.
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