Good Oscilloscope Projects for Beginners? / Skills Test / TDR

:grin: Thanks for helping @EmilyJane !

I've now read through my whole manual, although it feels like I am going to have to read through it several more times :laughing:.

I tried touching the probe like @Grumpy_Mike suggested, and its a v shaped wave at 60 hz, with peak to peak reaching ~10 volts!

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You're welcome. You'll be an expert in no time!

I went back and read my manual and my scope operates the same as yours. Probably made in the same factory, lol. The "zoom" mode basically serves the same purpose as a variable sweep setting and you can select whatever part of the waveform you want to magnify.

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How exactly do you make a TDR? I know you need a signal generator and an oscilloscope (and a cable to test of course), but how do you actually make it?

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This looks like a fun project. I just ordered a couple of the BNC adapters I don't have. I think i'l try it first with my Siglent function generator and then the Schmidt trigger if the rise time is too long.

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Thanks @LarryD !

My o'scope has a 1khz square wave for calibration and such builtin. Could I use this as the "signal generator" circuit in that video? If so, how?

Oh, beneath the channel ports, it says "All inputs: 1MΩ / 18pf".

You need a square wave source with a very low rise time (<5ns) so that the rising edge of the source does not overlap and obscure the rising edge of the reflection. The rise time determines the shortest distance you can measure in a cable.

Look at around 6:15 in the video.

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As the video states you need a fast rise time signal ( about 2ns).

The calibration port on scopes have slow rise times.

You could feed the calibration signal into a Schmitt trigger input gate, however, you might as well copy the circuit the speaker talks about in the video.

The same guy has this:

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Thanks @LarryD and @EmilyJane !

Yeah, I just checked the rise time on my o'scope generator; its over 47us!!!!

So, I tried the last video that you posted @LarryD , but maybe im doing something wrong? It doesnt seem to be working.

This is what my o'scope displays (I used the print function @EmilyJane :wink:):

I have my probe attached to a 47Ω resistor and the end of a spool of wire. The GND clip from the probe is clipped to the negative terminal of a new 9v battery. I then tap the end of the resistor on the positive terminal of the battery just like in the video, and the o'scope displays the picture above.

Possible reasons:
I dont know what im doing exactly on the o'scope (although I think I set everything correctly)
I used a 47Ω resistor as I do not have a 50Ω
the wire is 20awg on a spool instead of a straightened coax cable
Im using the probe that came with the o'scope instead of a direct bnc connection

This needs to be 2 strands, i.e. not a single strand of wire on a spool.

example:
twisted pair Cat6.

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Oh. How did he test a single strand coax cable? My spool is actually 4 strands; is that fine? I am only connecting everything to one of the strands, and the other end is open.

How did he test a single strand coax cable?
Coax has a center conductor and the shield.

My spool is actually 4 strands; is that fine?
Fine, use 2 of these wires, usually two that are paired.

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Ah, I figured that was how; just wanted to make sure.

Im not sure if any of the 4 strands are "paired"; it is a really old spool and 2 of the strands are white, while the other 2 are black. I use my multimeter to tell which goes to which lol.
So, one strand goes to the o'scope, and a second strand goes to gnd?

Edit:
Also, my 4 strand wire has a ground shield (looks like aluminum foil), and a ground wire too.

Here is a quick test on Cat5 cable, W/Gn pair; about 34 feet.

(100ns * .983 * .67)/2 = 33 feet

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Thanks @LarryD for taking the time to do a test!

So, I tried attaching the ground wire in my cable to the end terminal of the 9v battery, in addition to what I already have. After zooming out quite a bit, I get this:


Is that what it should look like? Based off of that, this spool is 392 feet (I'm not sure how long it is besides that; no info on the spool at all).

Edit:
Measurement:


(1190ns * .983 * .67)/2 = 392 feet

Might be reasonable.

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Yay! Would this work for a wireless dog fence wire? It’s single strand solid copper wire; no gnd or gnd shield.

You need paired wire (2 wires) for this to work.

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Ah, shucks. My dog fence is always cut :tired_face:.

Thanks for your help @LarryD !

Successful measurement of an extension cord:

That makes it out to be 23.5 (24) feet long :smiley:.

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See this post for a number of links to scope videos.

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