Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: kr236rk on 21/06/2019 00:42:01

Title: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 21/06/2019 00:42:01
Hi,

Need an analogue (preferable) oscilloscope which has a connection for a secondary monitor, is this a possible please?

Alternatively, do oscilloscopes exist on which you can turn off the screen grid please, yet still see the XY display?

Have more questions.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: Colin2B on 21/06/2019 08:01:10
Old analogue ‘scopes had the grid etched on a clear plastic screen protector, so you might be able to remove that. Some did have vga output. Might be best look on ebay etc.
Digital scopes are usually lcd nowadays, so switching off grid is easy.
Any reason for wanting analogue?
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 21/06/2019 12:21:21
Old analogue ‘scopes had the grid etched on a clear plastic screen protector, so you might be able to remove that. Some did have vga output. Might be best look on ebay etc.
Digital scopes are usually lcd nowadays, so switching off grid is easy.
Any reason for wanting analogue?

Thanks Colin,

Noticed that some of the older Bay scopes had visors which were screwed on so presumably unscrewing the shield would allow removal of the grid underneath? But if, as you say, digital lcd scopes can have the grid switched off, that would suit me. I did spend some time googling for 'switch off grid' last night, but couldn't identify that for any decent-sized oscilloscope, otherwise I will end up with something I don't want. I experiment with sound so the scope displays are of interest to me, but not the grids. I thought an auxiliary screen might be a way of getting round the grid (for me) problem.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 21/06/2019 21:41:15
Hi,

Can anyone please identify some digital oscilloscopes which can have their grids switched off - or is this an option on all digital oscilloscopes?

Thank you.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: alancalverd on 21/06/2019 22:46:05
It's not the most obvious feature as most people want to make measurements from a digital scope, but if you want to display a static waveform or Lissajous figure you can use a Picoscope plug in to a PC to capture the data, transfer it to Excel, then draw whatever graph you want from the spreadsheet, with or without a grid.

Other plugins (e.g. Hantek) are available but I think the Pico software is particularly transparent and adaptable.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 21/06/2019 23:29:38
...you can use a Picoscope plug in to a PC to capture the data, transfer it to Excel, then draw whatever graph you want from the spreadsheet, with or without a grid.

Other plugins (e.g. Hantek) are available but I think the Pico software is particularly transparent and adaptable.

Thanks but negative, I need to see the waveform on the oscilloscope screen, but I don't want the grid lines to measure anything. Simply obtaining an oscilloscope with a display function, setting scope grid / graticule to 'off', would suit my needs wonderfully, so that I would have a blank screen with nothing on it, and then wave forms when I activate the XY inputs, without grid lines, if this makes sense please?
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: Colin2B on 21/06/2019 23:46:22
Sounds like you would be better off with an old analogue scope. The glass grid acted as a protector for the crt and could be removed to clean dust off the crt face. Usually held by a bezel you could unscrew or prise out
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 22/06/2019 00:21:36
Sounds like you would be better off with an old analogue scope. The glass grid acted as a protector for the crt and could be removed to clean dust off the crt face. Usually held by a bezel you could unscrew or prise out

Agree, hard to find a tested one though. My thanks.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: alancalverd on 22/06/2019 08:48:37
e-Bay has dozens for sale, about half warranted as working.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: Bored chemist on 22/06/2019 11:30:38
The easiest way to get a "Copy" of the 'scope image onto a monitor might be to point a video camera at the 'scope screen and connect the camera to a monitor.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 22/06/2019 12:08:19
e-Bay has dozens for sale, about half warranted as working.
That's the problem, could end up with an armful of junk.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 22/06/2019 12:09:21
The easiest way to get a "Copy" of the 'scope image onto a monitor might be to point a video camera at the 'scope screen and connect the camera to a monitor.
Some of the more recent ones actually have a vga on the back I noticed.
Title: VGA Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 22/06/2019 22:01:30
What would you see on a VGA monitor display please - wave forms, but grids or no grids please?
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: Colin2B on 23/06/2019 00:32:44
That would depend on whether the grid was software generated and what display options are available.
I have both Tektronix and Fluke ‘scopes and they have display options to have a border rather than grid or dot pattern; neither have a blank screen option, both are digital.
Title: Re: Is it possible to connect a second analogue display to an oscilloscope?
Post by: kr236rk on 23/06/2019 00:51:56
That would depend on whether the grid was software generated and what display options are available.
I have both Tektronix and Fluke ‘scopes and they have display options to have a border rather than grid or dot pattern; neither have a blank screen option, both are digital.

Wow, this is going to be tricky. From an old oscilloscope, an analogue 'auxiliary' screen would not show a grid, but none of the older analogue oscilloscopes seem to have a socket to support a secondary monitor; those grids seem to be etched into the bezel.