Author Topic: help me with a scope/sg issue  (Read 2293 times)

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Offline gooseEL34Topic starter

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help me with a scope/sg issue
« on: February 23, 2013, 02:12:48 am »
ok.  have a Tek 2213 scope and a HP204C oscillator.   i am somewhat new to scopes although I can build a 40w push pull tube amp from a schematic (so feel free to use correct terms).   here is what I want to know.

i set the hp204 for a 1k sine wave and adjust the output potentiometer so that reading across the terminals with a digital vom reads 1v.

i throw the output to the scope and it reads much higher 3v.  i don't think my scope is bad since it will properly register a 9v dc battery as 9vdc.

i think my scope is properly calibrated.   any thoughts?   I noticed that the sig gen says 600 ohm over the two output terminals.   is this an issue.

my main reason for using this gear is to check the output of my tube amps and feed the amps a 1k 1v sine and use the crossover notch bias method of biasing the output section of the amps (usually a pair of 6L6 or EL34 tubes.)

thanks
tim
 

Offline Chalky

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help me with a scope/sg issue
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2013, 02:30:10 am »
Which scope reading are you referring to?  If using scope's measurements, make sure your reading the same thing as the multimeter is - AC volts, and RMS?
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: help me with a scope/sg issue
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2013, 02:31:30 am »
  • How are you reading the voltage from the scope? Are you aware of the different ways to measure AC voltage? 1V RMS (your meter measures RMS or "pseudo-RMS") is 2.8V peak-to-peak.
  • What is your multimeter's bandwidth? If it's a really cheap one it may be meant only for very low frequency, like mains.
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Offline w2aew

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Re: help me with a scope/sg issue
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2013, 02:44:16 am »
The AC volts setting on the digital VOM is designed to measure the rms value of the sinewave.  Inexpensive meters will only be accurate for sine waves, and only for lower frequencies. 1kHz should be low enough to read accurately, but that will depend on the meter.

The rms value is the "equivalent" DC voltage that would produce the same average power as the AC signal.

Better digital VOMs (DMMs) will read accurately for higher frequencies (but still rarely above audio frequencies), and will also read accurately for non-sinusoidally signals.  In other words, they give True RMS readings.

All that being said, the scope shows you the actual waveform. You're seeing the full peak-peak voltage of the sine wave.  To convert between an RMS value to a peak to peak value, you would multiply the RMS value by 2.828. Thus, 1Vrms = 2.828Vpp. So, what you're seeing is normal.
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Offline gooseEL34Topic starter

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Re: help me with a scope/sg issue
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2013, 02:58:44 am »
thanks guys.   my vom says true rms but maybe that is not the case.
will do some more checking
tim
 

Offline w2aew

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Re: help me with a scope/sg issue
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2013, 03:12:35 am »
thanks guys.   my vom says true rms but maybe that is not the case.
will do some more checking
tim

It sounds like your readings are pretty close. 1Vrms on your meter equals 2.828Vpp on the scope.  That's pretty close to the 3v that you mentioned, so it doesn't look like there's any real problem.
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