This page lists and explains some of the terms you may find in the manual or on the TiePie engineering website.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Aliasing | When sampling a signal with a too low sample frequency, a signal with a wrong (apparent) signal frequency is displayed. This is called aliasing. |
| Auto setup | When an unknown signal is connected to the oscilloscope, the easiest way to setup the oscilloscope is by using the Auto setup function. The Auto setup function will change various settings of the instrument in order to display a signal in a convenient way. |
| Arbitrary Waveform Generator | An Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) is a function generator that can generate arbitrary signals. |
| Bandwidth | The bandwidth of an instrument determines the frequency spectrum that can be measured. |
| Bus types | A computer can be equipped with different interface buses, to connect an instrument. |
| CMRR | The common-mode rejection ratio indicates the capability of an input to reject input signals common to both input leads. |
| Data logger | A data logger (or transient recorder) is a direct registering instrument to display signal voltages, plotted against time (Yt) or against another signal voltage (XY). |
| Differential attenuator | To increase the input range of a differential input, a special differential attenuator is required. |
| Differential input | A differential input is not referenced to ground, but both sides of the input are "floating". |
| Edge trigger | Edge trigger is used to trigger on a rising or falling edge in a signal. |
| Envelope mode | An oscilloscope measuring mode to capture occasionally changing signal patterns. |
| Function generator | A function generator is an instrument that can generate signals. |
| Input range | The input range of a channel determines how large signals can be measured. |
| Multimeter | The multimeter (or Voltmeter) is an instrument that performs a measurement on a signal and displays one or more specific properties of that signal as numeric values or with a gauge. |
| Oscilloscope | An oscilloscope is an instrument for observing the exact wave shape of varying signal voltages. Measured signals are usually plotted against time (Yt) or against another signal voltage (XY) in a graph. |
| Pre trigger | Pre trigger allows to capture signals that occur before the trigger moment. |
| Record length | The record length defines the number of samples in a measurement. |
| Resolution | The resolution determines how accurate the amplitude of a signal can be measured. |
| Sample frequency | The rate at which samples are taken is called the sample frequency, the number of samples per second. |
| Sampling | When sampling an input signal, the magnitude of the input signal is measured at fixed intervals. |
| Scope | An oscilloscope is an instrument for observing the exact wave shape of varying signal voltages. Measured signals are usually plotted against time (Yt) or against another signal voltage (XY) in a graph. |
| Signal coupling | The signal coupling selection determines how the signal on the input is passed on. |
| Single ended input | Single ended inputs are inputs which are referenced to ground. |
| Spectrum analyzer | A spectrum analyzer is an instrument that graphically displays signal magnitude against frequency. |
| Total Harmonic Distortion | The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a measure of the distortion in a signal. |
| Time base | The combination of sampling frequency and record length forms the time base of an oscilloscope. |
| Transient recorder | A data logger (or transient recorder) is a direct registering instrument to display signal voltages, plotted against time (Yt) or against another signal voltage (XY). |
| Triggering | Triggering determines based on predefined conditions when capturing and displaying the input signals starts. |
| Force Trigger | Force a trigger while the trigger conditions are not met |
| Trigger hold-off | Trigger hold-off defines the time that the trigger system is disabled after starting a measurement. |
| Trigger hysteresis | Trigger hysteresis defines the minimum size of the input signal for a trigger to occur. |
| Trigger level | Trigger level defines the minimum height of the input signal for a trigger to occur. |
| Trigger source | The trigger source determines the source(s) that is triggered on. |
| Trigger time-out | Trigger time-out defines the time that the system will wait for a trigger before a trigger is forced |
| Trigger type | The trigger type determines what signal properties trigger the measurement. |
| TV trigger | TV trigger is used to trigger on TV line and TV frame synchronization pulses. |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus is an interface bus to connect devices to a computer. |
| Voltmeter | The multimeter (or Voltmeter) is an instrument that performs a measurement on a signal and displays one or more specific properties of that signal as numeric values or with a gauge. |
| Window trigger | Window trigger is used to trigger when the input signal enters or leaves a window. |