Saturday, July 2, 2011

Agilent 1130a Oscilloscope - Functions and Specifics

In a nutshell, the oscilloscope is an electrically sensitive device that is used to measure the voltage across an electronic device or a circuit. Unlike a regular voltmeter, that measures static voltage, this device measures and continuously plots voltage against time. The display of the device has an x-axis for the time and y-axis for the voltage. The reading deflects upwards with a positive voltage input and it goes down with a negative voltage input. The Agilent 1130a Oscilloscope in particular, is a high-frequency “active differential” oscilloscope.

The name of the device has an etymological root of “oscillation” which means “back and forth deflection.” This is characterized by the movement of the readings. There are analog and digital types of the device. Nowadays, the digital types are widely used because of their high sensitivity, memory and processing capacity. To measure signals and voltage, the “probe” or sensor of the 1130a Oscilloscope must be connected to a live circuit.

Special Functions of the Agilent 1130a Oscilloscope


Perhaps the most convenient feature of the 1130a Oscilloscope is the support for variable probe heads. The probes are directly placed on the circuit to measure signals, voltages and resistances. However, modern technologies have smaller circuit boards and tight spaces. Traditional probes cannot fit or correctly connect with the right spot.

The new trend is the usage of differential SMA heads. Ergonomically designed, the span of these sensors can be adjustment in just a few simple steps. With these variable probe heads, human-caused errors and equipment damages can be minimized. This feature makes the 1130a a versatile measuring equipment for applications in electronics, physics and engineering – both in small and large-scale tasks.

The 1130a Oscilloscope, like other active differential models (1131a to 1132a) have probe systems with various bandwidths. The bandwidth, briefly, is the amount of signal that a probe can handle against time. The probes come in 7, 5, 3.5 and 1.5 gigahertz types. Modern probes like these demonstrate across the entire bandwidth a flat frequency response. This results in less distortion when measuring different ranges of voltages.

The best feature of these modern oscilloscopes is the dual support for single-ended and differential measurements. You will only to need to change the probe or accessory depending on the circuit to be examined.

Device Specifications of Agilent 1130a


The 10%-90% rise and fall time of the 1130 is very fast at 233 psec. The bandwidth of the probe is greater than 1.5 GHz. The input dynamic range is between -2.5 and +2.5 volts.

For more information on the Agilent 1130a oscilloscope, you may visit the manufacturer's website and look for the schematic diagram of the device. Before purchasing, check on the different capacitance levels, induction, resistance and -3 DB system bandwidth of the device. While oscilloscopes function in a more or less common way, some designs are more ergonomic and efficient. This may sound like a no-brainer, but you must choose an oscilloscope that safely fits the voltage/signal range of the device to be measured.

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