Author Topic: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)  (Read 5044 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Andy-In_over_my_headTopic starter

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 57
  • Country: us
I have this Oscilloscope with Function Wave Gen included. I was provided 2 probes. I have 2 channels, Gen out & of course the Triggers.
I don't necessarily plan on Ghetto rigging something together because I can order more probes and wait.
However, is it possible to Mod something so you could use both channels with Probes provided and still utilize the Wave Generator if necessary?
Or is it just not worth damaging the oscilloscope?
Thanks in advance for input.
"I'd rather be buried then ungrateful to be given life and food on the table. And in a world this shaky and unstable, we've got to be less hateful!"
 

Online tggzzz

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 19492
  • Country: gb
  • Numbers, not adjectives
    • Having fun doing more, with less
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2016, 05:02:30 pm »
It would help if you would indicate what scope, what probes, and what function generator (inc frequency and output impedance).

I would expect that scope probes could not be used "backwards" to connect the function generator output to a circuit. Exception: if they are merely bits of wire with a BNC on one end and croc clips on the other.

FFI on probes and how to use a scope safely (for the scope, the UUT, and you), have a look at the references in https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/library-2/scope-probe-reference-material/
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline Andy-In_over_my_headTopic starter

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 57
  • Country: us
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2016, 03:10:12 am »
It would help if you would indicate what scope, what probes, and what function generator (inc frequency and output impedance).
Hantek DSO4102C - 100MHz/1GSa/s
Arbitrary/Function Waveform Generator - 25MHz/200MSa/s

I didn't know if the scope was necessary. I figured you either could or couldn't mod something.
But it's helpful knowing that the probes don't work as output.. I feel like an asshat.
"I'd rather be buried then ungrateful to be given life and food on the table. And in a world this shaky and unstable, we've got to be less hateful!"
 

Online tggzzz

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 19492
  • Country: gb
  • Numbers, not adjectives
    • Having fun doing more, with less
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2016, 08:26:50 am »
I feel like an asshat.

No need. You asked a reasonable question and have listened to and thought about the answer.

"Let's make new mistakes" - as I taught my daughter.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline Andy-In_over_my_headTopic starter

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 57
  • Country: us
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2017, 06:52:03 am »
so what do I use for the gen. output on the oscilloscope?
"I'd rather be buried then ungrateful to be given life and food on the table. And in a world this shaky and unstable, we've got to be less hateful!"
 

Offline JPortici

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3461
  • Country: it
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2017, 07:05:22 am »
a coax cable / a coax cable with clips at the other end / a coax to banana adapter + 2 banana jacks / a coax to 3.5mm adapter / ... depending on what you have to do
 

Online tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 28368
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2017, 07:35:22 am »
so what do I use for the gen. output on the oscilloscope?
You can just use it like a separate Sig gen or you might use it to inject a signal into a project under development or into a device for troubleshooting by following the signal path with the scope to find the faulty part of the circuit.

In short; standard Sig gen use.  ;)
Avid Rabid Hobbyist
Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 

Offline Cupcakus

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 42
  • Country: us
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2017, 08:25:04 am »
If it's a generic 1x scope probe I don't see why you couldn't use it for function generator output unless I'm missing something?
 

Online tggzzz

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 19492
  • Country: gb
  • Numbers, not adjectives
    • Having fun doing more, with less
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2017, 09:01:47 am »
If it's a generic 1x scope probe I don't see why you couldn't use it for function generator output unless I'm missing something?

You are missing something: in *1/*10 probes the internal wire has a resistance of ~200ohms.

"High" impedance probes aren't simply bits of wire, nor are they bits of coax: they are lossy transmission lines to damp down internal reflections.

Neither are they high impedance , except at audio frequencies. At 100MHz the input impedance of a typical *10 probe is <100ohms, due to the 15pF tip capacitance.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline macboy

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2254
  • Country: ca
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2017, 04:11:35 pm »
The signal generator has a 50 Ohm output with BNC connector. Ideally, you connect this with a BNC-to-BNC cable to another piece of equipment that has a 50 ohm terminated input. Proper cabling and termination are only actually important for higher frequency (>MHz for sine waves, or any square wave or pulse output). As mentioned by others, if you just need to inject a signal into something, use a BNC-to-whatever cable (BNC-to-croc clips is handy), but know that this works well only at sub-MHz frequencies. Keep in mind that if not terminated into 50 ohms, the output voltage may be 2x as high as expected. This is because the 50 ohm input impedance effectively forms a voltage divider with the 50 ohm output impedance of the signal generator. If the impedance is higher, like the 10 to 100 kohm input impedance of an audio amplifier, then the voltage will be higher.  Many signal generators have an output impedance switch to select 50 ohm or high-Z - this doesn't change the output impedance of the signal generator (it's always 50 ohms) but adjusts the output voltage to compensate for the expected loading so that you get the waveform amplitude that you have selected.
 

Offline Cupcakus

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 42
  • Country: us
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2017, 11:46:10 pm »
If it's a generic 1x scope probe I don't see why you couldn't use it for function generator output unless I'm missing something?

You are missing something: in *1/*10 probes the internal wire has a resistance of ~200ohms.

I honestly didn't know that, I thought in 1x mode probes were basically just a shielded coax, but I tested it myself and sure enough my probes are ~300Ohm and my function generator cables are much lower, 1-2Ohm.  Probably should have known that.
 
The following users thanked this post: Andy-In_over_my_head

Online tggzzz

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 19492
  • Country: gb
  • Numbers, not adjectives
    • Having fun doing more, with less
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2017, 12:50:16 am »
If it's a generic 1x scope probe I don't see why you couldn't use it for function generator output unless I'm missing something?

You are missing something: in *1/*10 probes the internal wire has a resistance of ~200ohms.

I honestly didn't know that, I thought in 1x mode probes were basically just a shielded coax, but I tested it myself and sure enough my probes are ~300Ohm and my function generator cables are much lower, 1-2Ohm.  Probably should have known that.

Probes and probing technique are vital topics. FFI, see https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/library-2/scope-probe-reference-material/
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline djnz

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 179
  • Country: 00
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2017, 03:49:17 am »
You should be careful about matching impedances. For example, when the exact same signal is fed into different loads we see very different results. 



Signal generator (which expects 50 ohm load) + 1m of 50ohm coax + 50 ohm termination (actual signal):




Signal generator (which expects 50 ohm load) + 1m of 50ohm coax + 75 ohm termination (some reflections happening):




Signal generator (which expects 50 ohm load) + 1m of 50ohm coax + 1M ohm termination (lots of reflections, crazy stuff  happening):


 
The following users thanked this post: Andy-In_over_my_head, citizenrich

Online tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 28368
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Re: Oscilloscope/Function Gen. Combo (Can you mod a Gen. output Probe?)
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2017, 07:39:05 am »
You should be careful about matching impedances. For example, when the exact same signal is fed into different loads we see very different results. 
Exactly.

Nice screenshots.   :-+

As seen in graphic detail in this thread too:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/show-us-your-square-wave/
Avid Rabid Hobbyist
Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 
The following users thanked this post: Andy-In_over_my_head


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf