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Electronic
equipment
can be
divided
into two
types:
analog
and
digital.
Analog
equipment
works
with
continuously
variable
voltages,
while
digital
equipment
works
with
discrete
binary
numbers
that may
represent
voltage
samples.
For
example,
a
conventional
phonograph
turntable
is an
analog
device;
a
compact
disc
player
is a
digital
device.
Oscilloscopes
also
come in
analog
and
digital
types.
An
analog
oscilloscope
works by
directly
applying
a
voltage
being
measured
to an
electron
beam
moving
across
the
oscilloscope
screen.
The
voltage
deflects
the beam
up and
down
proportionally,
tracing
the
waveform
on the
screen.
This
gives an
immediate
picture
of the
waveform.
In
contrast,
a
digital
oscilloscope
samples
the
waveform
and uses
an
analog-to-digital
converter
(or ADC)
to
convert
the
voltage
being
measured
into
digital
information.
It then
uses
this
digital
information
to
reconstruct
the
waveform
on the
screen.
Digital
and
Analog
Oscilloscopes
Display
Waveforms
For
many
applications
either
an
analog
or
digital
oscilloscope
will do.
However,
each
type
does
possess
some
unique
characteristics
making
it more
or less
suitable
for
specific
tasks.
People
often
prefer
analog
oscilloscopes
when it
is
important
to
display
rapidly
varying
signals
in "real
time"
(or as
they
occur).
Digital
oscilloscopes
allow
you to
capture
and view
events
that may
happen
only
once.
They can
process
the
digital
waveform
data or
send the
data to
a
computer
for
processing.
Also,
they can
store
the
digital
waveform
data for
later
viewing
and
printing.
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