What's an Oscilloscope For?

[doubleboost]

We used a "Fluke" scope at work for checking ABS sensors
Various ignition components etc
Now redundant due to OBD diagnostics

 

[WorkshopChris]

I thought I needed one of these recently and was quite pleased at the general prices on ebay. Turned out it was actually a spectrum analyzer which was not quite as affordable. From the minimal research I done they both look great learning tools and I wonder if a sillyscope would help me tinkering with all this 3phase stuff for my rotary converter. I understand better when I can visualize

You want a differential probe to look at hv 3 phase ideally if you just want to see the waveform a small isolating transformer works well.

 

[earthman]

We used a "Fluke" scope at work for checking ABS sensors
Various ignition components etc
Now redundant due to OBD diagnostics

The whole OBD diagnostics seems to be a bit of a nightmare, there doesn't seem to be one system/kit that can read and reset any problem on every vehicle that's got an OBD port?

My local MOT place tried to reset the 'service message' on my previous wife's car, it couldn't do it, that whole kit with updates etc cost them around 20K!
And no, it wasn't a case of pressing buttons on the dash to reset it either.

What chance do us home mechanics have? I'd be willing to pay say £200 to £300 for a device if it were master or everything on all makes and models but that's just not possible it would seem.

 

[Ashley Burton]

The whole OBD diagnostics seems to be a bit of a nightmare, there doesn't seem to be one system/kit that can read and reset any problem on every vehicle that's got an OBD port?

My local MOT place tried to reset the 'service message' on my previous wife's car, it couldn't do it, that whole kit with updates etc cost them around 20K!
And no, it wasn't a case of pressing buttons on the dash to reset it either.

What chance do us home mechanics have? I'd be willing to pay say £200 to £300 for a device if it were master or everything on all makes and models but that's just not possible it would seem.

Why do you think independent garages are specialising & using dealer diagnostic equipment?

None of the diagnostic companies have full vehicle coverage, It's been like it for years

 

[earthman]

Why do you think independent garages are specialising & using dealer diagnostic equipment?

None of the diagnostic companies have full vehicle coverage, It's been like it for years

Apart from having to go to a garage for an MOT, I have no idea what they are up to to be honest.

I've never earned big bucks so can't afford to pay a garage to work on our vehicles, thankfully I'm capable and happy to do so, the whole 'computers running cars' has got out of hand in my opinion, it certainly makes things more difficult,....I'm trying to steer the wife away from swapping her vehicle for anything newer in the future.

 

[Ashley Burton]

Apart from having to go to a garage for an MOT, I have no idea what they are up to to be honest.

I've never earned big bucks so can't afford to pay a garage to work on our vehicles, thankfully I'm capable and happy to do so, the whole 'computers running cars' has got out of hand in my opinion, it certainly makes things more difficult,....I'm trying to steer the wife away from swapping her vehicle for anything newer in the future.

There is still quite alot of things you can still do on modern day vehicles. But its becoming more challenging. What makes me laugh is the dealers have all the equipment & infomation, Yet they can't fix a vehicle due to lack of ability/experience.

 

[Maker]

Ultrasonic inspection of welds

Could you explain more of how that works? I may well end up in NDT.

 

[TechnicAl]

Could you explain more of how that works? I may well end up in NDT.

I only know the basics but its a untrasonic sound wave emitted from a peizo electric probe that travels through the steel. Any interuptions are usually defects. You can calibrate to pinpoint the depth etc. I know it has pros and cons in that it can miss defects in the same plane as the sound wave and large grains can mask defects but its a lot cleaner and more portable than radiography.

 

[Wightsparks]

Was just reading this thread this morning and this afternoon a mate says "Do you want an oscilloscope, you have more use for it than me.?
So now I have a large oscilloscope, with lots of knobs and dials and a thick instruction book...

 

[Hood]

Well my scope was used the last day to find out why my Chiron VMC was faulting with a PID error as soon as the Y axis moved more than the following error distance. I knew the encoder feedback was not being seen by the controller but why I wasn't sure. It could have been the wiring or the controllers inputs or the servo drives outputs or even the encoder itself. First thing I did was look at the LEDs on the inputs of the controller as a friend jogged it in 0.01mm increments. No LEDs flickering so out with the scope and no encoder inputs to the control so back to the servo drive and no encoder outputs from it until I pushed the connector block and I suddenly got some nice square waves and a working machine. Without a scope I would have still got to the source of the problem but it would have taken longer and required guesswork.

 

[Pete.]

They are called silly scopes because they make straight lines go all wiggly

 

[jerrytug]

Was just reading this thread this morning and this afternoon a mate says "Do you want an oscilloscope, you have more use for it than me.?
So now I have a large oscilloscope, with lots of knobs and dials and a thick instruction book...

They certainly look good, especially old ones with bakelite switches and dials etc. There must be an old oscilloscope museum somewhere..

 

[Seadog]

You're right - https://www.oscilloscopemuseum.com/

 

[rtbcomp]

...
So now I have a large oscilloscope, with lots of knobs and dials and a thick instruction book...

Is it a Cossor? We had them at school and university - massive thing on a trolley.

I've got an old Hitachi dual beam scope, don't use it much these days but it was invaluable when I had to fix my Hi-Fi amp recently. IIRC it cost about £300 c1985

 

[Wightsparks]

Not quite that big! I took a not very good pic late yesterday




I seem to remember there is a YT guy that shows how to use them for car diagnosis.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Not quite that big! I took a not very good pic late yesterday

You can never have too many knobs to twiddle

 

[earthman]

Not quite that big! I took a not very good pic late yesterday


View attachment 164530

I seem to remember there is a YT guy that shows how to use them for car diagnosis.

What's his YouTube name, can you remember?

 

[carbon]

Have one which has helped diagnosing abs fault on my van

 

[ajlelectronics]

It is also handy for producing futuristic Lissajous figures for Dr Who and various musical works!

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

It is also handy for producing futuristic Lissajous figures for Dr Who and various musical works!

Played around with these with software scopes