7 Hints That Every Engineer Should Know When Making Power Measurements with Oscilloscopes
Application Notes
Achieving maximized measurement dynamic range
1) Use averaging to increase measurement resolution
2) Use high-resolution acquisition to increase measurement resolution
3) Use AC coupling to remove DC offset
4) Bandwidth limiting with the oscilloscope and probes
Probing to optimize signal integrity
5) Use differential probes for safe and accurate floating measurement
6) Avoid probing accessories that couple radiated power
7) Select probes that avoid the scope’s most sensitive settings
1st Hint: Use averaging to increase measurement resolution
For some power-measurement applications, you need to measure a large dynamic range of values; and at the same time you need fine resolution to measure small changes in a parameter. Rather than resorting to a high-resolution digitizer, you can use alternative acquisition methods to reduce random noise and increase the effective dynamic range of your measurements. Two methods are average and high-resolution acquisition.