Skip to content

Oscilloscope

This is by far my hammer. The oscilloscope, basically just a multimeter with time — is the first thing I reach for when I need to understand something.

I don’t care much about what type it is, as long as it works. That said, we can divide them into three types: analog, digital, and mobile.

Analog

The classic one — and the type I was trained on in school.
There's something about being connected to the source, to the tube, and understanding how the scope itself works that makes it really satisfying to use.

No auto set to save you, so being comfortable with all the knobs is essential. But there are fewer settings overall, so it’s easier than it seems.

Digital

Everything an analog scope does, plus some nice extras like auto set.
I always recommend understanding the basics first instead of relying too much on auto set.

Most digital scopes include useful features like: - On-screen measurements - Cursors - Protocol decoding (on the fancier models)

Mobile

There are plenty of mobile scopes out there, standalone handheld units or USB-connected models.

I use the DSView scope. It has a nice UI and decent specs.
Mobile scopes won’t replace a good analog or digital bench scope, but they’re great on the go. Plus, they make it easy to take screenshots or share signals.

Specs to Keep in Mind

  • Bandwidth (MHz)
  • Sample rate (MSa/s)
  • Number of channels
  • Input range / probe type
  • Trigger options

Terms & Usage Tips

  • Learn to use triggering - it's key to clean signals
  • Always ground your probe properly
  • Keep one channel free if you can
  • Don’t chase every setting - start simple