Waveform Viewer Device

[greens]

What is the name of the device that provides an image of an electrical signal's wave form?

For example, to see if a unit is producing a proper sin wave, or a appoximated stepped sin wave.

What is that unit called? They are often green, small, and use CRTs for the display.

 

[kanewolf]

An Oscilloscope -- https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscilloscope

 

[skit75]

A waveform can still appear correct to an untrained eye on an O-scope. To get a true verification of the waveform characteristics, you would need to feed it into a signal analyzer. But yeah, you will be able to see any squaring or spikes on the signal using an oscilloscope. Noise and very fine ripple are a bit harder to see.

 

[greens]

I'd like to confirm that after going through a voltage regulator and power conditioner that i have a nice clean sin wave. I'd also like to confirm that when battery backup kicks on that it too is producing a sin wave.

Unfortunately I can't see myself having much need for the device, I will probably keep an eye out on the used market for one, but I can't justify the price for something i can only foresee using a hand full of times at the most.

 

[skit75]

Yup, hard to amortize a piece of equipment like that for the curious or even a hobbyist. Keep an eye out for any sort of local audio equipment manufacturer's, going out of business... or liquidation sales in your area. You could snag one for cheap that has been routinely calibrated and well taken care of. Nothing fancy, even an old analog 60MHz single\dual channel would do.