Cathode Ray Oscilloscope

The cathode ray oscilloscope (CRO) is a very useful and versatile laboratory instrument used
for display, measurement and analysis of signal waveforms and other phenomena in electrical
and electronic circuits. Basically, CROs are very fast X- Y plotters, displaying a test signal
(generally voltage) versus another signal or versus time. The "stylus" of this "plotter" is a
luminous spot which moves over the display area in response to an input signal (voltage). The
luminous spot is produced by a beam of electrons (cathode rays and that’s why it is called
cathode ray oscilloscope) striking a fluorescent screen. This beam follows the instantaneous
changes in the rapidly varying signal and displays on the screen.

It is generally used to observe and analyse voltage waveforms but can also analyse many other
current, resistance, frequency, time-phase relationship etc..

Block diagram and components of a basic CRO

Horizontal deflection system

Main components of CRO

1. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT):- It is the main part of CRO or can say that it is the heart of
CRO. Basically, it is an evacuated glass envelope with a phosphorescent screen which produces
bright spot when struck by a high velocity electron beam. This high velocity electron beam is
produced by an electron gun. To make electron beam sharp and narrow, focussing and
accelerating anodes are assembled inside the tube. Path to electron beam is controlled by
horizontal and vertical deflecting plates.

Thus there are four main parts of CRT.

i. Glass envelope

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ii. Electron Gun Assembly

iii. Focussing and accelerating anode

iv. Deflecting plates

i. Glass envelope –

ii. Electron Gun Assembly:-

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iii. Focussing and accelerating anode:-

iv. Deflecting plates:-

2. Horizontal Deflection System:- Horizontal deflection system has three main components.

(i) Triggering Circuit (ii) Time Base Generator (iii) Horizontal Amplifier

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(i) Triggering Circuit:- It is the link between the signal waveform to be observed (vertical
input) and the time-base (horizontal input).

[!! It synchronizes the horizontal deflection of the electron beam with the vertical input.]

(ii) Time Base Generator:- It internally generates the ramp voltage. Actually, in CRO, there
are two inputs, horizontal and vertical. At vertical input, signal to be measured is apllied and
at horizontal input, time base generator generates a ramp voltage.

(iii) Horizontal Amplifier:- This ramp voltage is fed to horizontal amplifier and the amplified
signal is applied to the X-deflection plate.

3. Vertical Deflection System:- Vertical deflection system has two main components.

(i) Vertical amplifier (ii) Delay line

(i) Vertical amplifier:- It amplifies small applied voltages so that CRO is able to measure even
small changes in he vertical or Y-direction. This is a high class amplifier with an appropriate
gain so that it does not distort the input signal.

(ii) Delay line:- It is connected in series with the amplifier. It introduces a delay in the vertical
input. The horizontal time-base is triggered by a portion of the input signal that starts the sweep
generator and output of which is then fed to the horizontal amplifier. So, a delay in introduced
in the vertical input and is applied at the same time when horizontal input is applied. Thus it
synchronizes horizontal and vertical signals.

4. Power supply:- There are two power supplies in CRO.

High voltage supply-- -1000 V to -1500 V

Low voltage supply - +300V to 400 V

High voltage supplies power to CRT.

Low voltage supplies power to other parts of CRO.

Thus a –ve voltage is applied to CRT.

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Working principle of CRO:

Fig 37.31 shows front panel of CRO. Lets discuss how to view and analyse on a CRO.

In order to observe waveform on a CRO, the waveform of voltage under test is applied to Y
plates and a voltage obtained from a sawtooth generator is applied to X plates. Let us assume
that the sawtooth waveform has an idealized waveshape.

When horizontal (ramp) voltage and an input voltage to vertical deflection (Y) plates is applied,
simultaneously, the beam is under the Influence of two forces: (i) one in the horizontal direction
moving the beam at a linear rate from left to right, (ii) and second in the vertical direction
moving the beam up and down. Since the deflection is proportional to the voltage applied to
the deflection plates, the horizontal movement is proportional to the voltage applied to X plates
at any instant and since the ramp voltage is linear it traces a straight line on the CRT screen.
The vertical, deflection is proportional to the voltage applied to the Y plates at any instant and
thus the beam moves up and down according to the magnitude and polarity of the input voltage.
Fig. (A) shows the waveform displayed on a CRT tube due to an input sinusoidal voltage.

At the end of one sweep cycle, the sweep voltage abruptly drops down and the spot is
immediately transferred to its original position. The process is then repeated again, with the
result, that a stationary image is seen on the screen. For the case shown the frequency of the
input voltage is twice that of sawtooth (sweep) voltage. To observe more than one cycle of the

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 input voltage, the sweep voltage frequency has to be a sub multiple of the input voltage
frequency.

(A)

Lissajous Patterns (or figures) on CRO Screen:- When both the input signals viz.
horizontal and vertical are sinusoidal waveform, patterns formed on CRO screen is
called “Lissajous Patterns (or Lissajous figures)”.

[!! Generally, horizontal input is sawtooth waveform.]

Lissajous figures are named in honour of the French scientist who first obtained this
type of pattern.

The shape of the Lissajous figures depends on the frequency and phase relationship of
the two sine waves.

Two sine waves of the same frequency and amplitude may produce a straight line,
an ellipse or a circle depending on their phase difference.

In general, shape of Lissajous figures depends on (i) amplitude (ii) phase difference and
(iii) ratio of frequency of two waves.

When two sinusoidal voltages of equal frequency and amplitude which are in
phase with each other are applied to the horizontal and vertical deflection plates, the
pattern appearing on the screen is a straight line as is clear from Fig. 2l '12.

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When two equal voltages of equal frequency but with 900 phase displacement are
applied to a CRO, the trace on the screen is a circle.

When two equal voltages of equal frequency but with a phase shift φ (not equal
to 0 or 90°) are applied to a CRO we obtain an ellipse as shown in Fig. 21.14. An ellipse
is also obtained when unequal voltages of same frequency are applied to the CRO.

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Lissajous pattern with different phase shift in below figure (when frequency and
amplitudes of both wave are same.)

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 A number of conclusions can be drawn from the above discussions. When two
sinusoidal voltages of same frequency are applied :

(i) A straight line results when the two voltages are equal and are either in phase with
each other or 180° out of phase with each other. The angle formed with the horizontal
is 45° when the magnitudes of voltages are equal. An increase in the vertical deflection
voltage causes the line to have an angle greater than 45° with the horizontal. On the
other hand a greater horizontal voltages makes the angle less than 45° with the
horizontal. .
(ii) Two sinusoidal waveforms of the same frequency produce a Lissajous pattern,
which may be a straight line, a circle or an ellipse depending upon the phase and
magnitude of the voltages.
A circle can be formed only when the magnitude of the two signals are equal and the
phase difference between them is either 90' or 270°. However, if the two voltages are
not equal and/or out of phase an ellipse is formed. If the Y voltage is larger, an ellipse
with vertical major axis is formed while if the X plate voltage has a greater magnitude,
the major axis of the ellipse lies along horizontal axis.

(iii) It is clear from Fig. 21·;5, that for equal voltages of same frequency progressive
variation of Phase voltage causes the pattern to vary from a straight diagonal line to
ellipses of different eccentricit1es and then to a circle, after that through another series
of ellipses and finally a diagonal straight line again.

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Use of CRO:

Lissajous figures are used to for (i) determining an unknown frequency by comparing
it with a known frequency, (ii) calibrating an audio oscillator with a known frequency
signal and (iii) checking audio amplifiers and feedback networks for phase shift.

Frequency Measurements:- Lissajous patterns may be used for accurate measurement

of frequency. The signal, whose frequency is to be measured, is applied to the Y plates.
An accurately calibrated standard variable frequency source is used to supply voltage
to the X plates, with the internal sweep generator switched off. The standard .frequency
is adjusted until the pattern appears as a circle or an ellipse, indicating that both signals
are of the same frequency. Where it is not possible to adjust the standard signal
frequency to the exact frequency of the unknown signal, the standard is adjusted to a
multiple or a submultiple of the frequency of the unknown source so that the pattern
appears stationary.

Let us consider an example. Suppose sine waves are applied to X and Y plates as
shown in Fig. 21'l7. Let the frequency of wave applied to Y plates is twice that of the
voltage applied to X plates. This means that the CRT spot travels two complete cycles
in the vertical direction against one in the horizontal direction.

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The two waves start at the same instant. Lissajous pattern may be constructed in
the usual way and a 8 shaped pattern with two loops is obtained. If the two waves
do not start at the same instant we get different patterns for the same frequency
ratio. The Lissajous patterns for other frequency ratios can be similarly drawn.
Some of these patterns are shown in Fig. 21.l8.

It can be shown that for all the above cases, the ratios of the two frequencies is

The above rule, holds for close end Lissajous pattern (and not for with free ends
shown below).

.[!! Solve Ex 21.6 , 21.7, 21.8, and problem 4, at pp674, 675 and 676 of the book
that I sent you.]

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