I want to put up an Oscilloscope Measurements Class.
@artg_dms and @Lampy, can you tell me if there is an existing syllabus that Walter or you guys used in the past?
I’m thinking that Analog will include Power Supplies, Audio, and Noise. Digital will include Arduino with NeoPixels, Steppers, and PWM, and maybe DACs.
Do you guys have any ideas about what should be included?
First and foremost, paying attention to your ground leads so you don’t blow something up.
Probe compensation, examples of false ringing or artifacts introduced by the probe, ac vs dc coupling, using the trigger.
I would be interested in the class.
Best,
Jim
I would be interested too.
I’d be interested in the class as well. Ive taken one before, but I feel there is always more to learn
One useful thing about the DMS scopes if I recall correctly is that they can display live data as a web page.
Should be handy for a class situation.
Main scopes are Rigol 1040Z. Not sure they have this capability. Tool wiki has link to manual.
There has been some discussion about having some metrics classes - “The Art of Measuring”.
Along with the scope class, you might add how to use the signal generators. That’s an AC sig coming out - if you want to clock a digital ckt, better pay attention to the offset. What to watch for on the scope and keep that digital ckt happy.
Some fun topics -
What’s / where’s ground? Which ground?
Can I safely connect my ckt’s ground to scope ground?
Multiple ckts - all grounds the same?
What’s a / your reference?
Can’t measure something directly. What to do?
What’s differential mean? How / when to use.
I’m triggering on what?
All time favorite: Error. That’s no what I expected - What am I looking at?
Been bit by all the above. Keeps things interesting.
@Russell_Crow not sure if there’s a copy of Walter’s syllabus. Have a couple of places to look. If not we can get together and come up with something.
See Chapter 14 in the manual.
Quick video overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSlXBx6GW0Q
Thanks for the link, we’ll use this.
I put up the class for approval; and then the system warned me that I wasn’t qualified to make such a request…
and so it goes
Yeah… That’s a bit important, especially as you add in more channels. Is your scope fully isolated on every channel or do they share a common ground?
I was working on that Behringer class D amplifier and it has floating voltages inside which are very different if you measure them to ground: 75v instead of the 10v floating. The schematic labels those voltage sources with a lower case ‘f’, as in ‘f 10v’
Common ground? Well, that floating ground you connected to on Channel 1 is now connected to Ground thanks to your Channel 2 scope probe. Now… you get to see what all just got fried.
I submitted the class for approval: “Oscilloscope & Measurements Class”, Sunday, May 16th, 1-2 pm. You should see it on the calendar by tomorrow.
There are 5 openings, and it is set for the Lecture Hall to provide for adequate social distancing. The instructor is vaccinated, and I suggest everyone else get vaccinated as well. If you are vaccinated, bring your CDC card (or photo). The CDC says that vaccinated people can take off their masks around each other. @mrjimmy it would be a 1st in DMS Recovery if everyone attending is vaxxed, and we closed the door and take off our masks; what say the BOD?
I would like to sign up for the 16th.
I have had my distemper shots 
Best,
Jim
I’ll bring it up at the next board working session this week and let you know.
On one hand, we have no way of verifying that people have actually been vaccinated, on the other hand, on a whole our membership has been remarkably good about masking up and have been actively promoting vaccination.
We seem to have a pretty good community that actually cares about each other.
For statistics sake, do we know the current state wide vaccinated rate, or the local county rates?
| Area | 1st Dose | Fully Vacc. |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 51.1% | 38.8% |
| Dallas Co. | 50.7% | 38.3% |
| Tarrant Co. | 47.2% | 37.0% |
Jim,
Keep checking the Events calendar, when this class is approved you will need to sign yourself up, I can’t do this for you.
See you Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Russel,
I will not attend this Sundays class.
A close friend has become very ill and I will need to
help his family.
Best,
Jim
I’ll be there. Just signed up
Russell - is this a Bring Your Own (rarely used) Device class? Any benefit to my bringing my ‘scope in? I’d like some hands-on with it.
Sure, bring it. The more the merrier!
Signed up. I know a grand total of zero about Oscilloscopes and Measurements, but have always been curious about them and am looking forward to absorbing the patterns.