Plug in: The power cord attaches to the 3 pin socket on the back of the oscilloscope.
Turn on: The power button is found on the front of the oscilloscope at the far lower left.
Press the power button and wait around 10 seconds for the device to start up.
Connect inputs: the two input terminals to the oscilloscope are of BNC type. You may need to use a BNC-banana adaptor to connect the usual wires you use to construct circuits in your experiments, in which case a positive and negative banana wire are combined by the adaptor into one BNC lead.
The BNC leads fit into the input terminals with a push and twist.
The GDS-1022 is a dual channel oscilloscope and so will take two simultaneous inputs.
Default Setup: to return the scope to its default setup you must first press the "Save/Recall" Menu button and then select "Default Setup" from the displayed menu using the first Function button.
The scope remembers its previous settings so the default setup option can be useful.
The Horizontal Menu button is found immediately above the TIME/DIV knob.
Menu button: Upon pressing the Horizontal Menu button (circled, right) the horizontal menu options appear next to the Function buttons, headed by "Hor.MENU".
The Function buttons will now allow you to select from five horizontal display modes:
Main: this is the default horizontal setting in which time is displayed on the horizontal axis (and voltage is displayed on the vertical axis). The horizontal scale is controlled with the TIME/DIV knob.
In Main mode an "M" appears at the bottom of the display to indicate the current width of the major divisions of the time (horizontal) axis.
Window: selecting Window mode will allow you to select the size and position of a zoom window which can then be selected by pressing the Function button next to Window Zoom. The width of the zoom window is indicated by a pair of yellow brackets.
To change the width of the window use the TIME/DIV knob. At the bottom of the display a small pair of yellow brackets next to a "W" will tell you what the width of the major divisions of the time axis will be.
To change the position of the window along the time axis use the VARIABLE knob.
Window Zoom: in Window Zoom mode the display only shows the part of the trace that falls into the window defined in Window mode.
To get out of Window Zoom mode select either Main or Window using the Function buttons. If you have navigated away from the Horizontal menu then you can return to it by pressing the Horizontal Menu button again.
A "W" will appear at the bottom of the display indicating the width of the major divisions of the time axis in the current window zoom.
Roll: in Roll mode the trace is formed slowly from the right hand side of the display. "ROLL" will appear next to the time division indicator at the bottom of the display.
Roll mode is essentially just a very long time base setting and in fact you will enter Roll Mode should you increase the time divisions far enough using the TIME/DIV knob.
To exit Roll Mode you must select "Main" from the Horizontal menu options using the first Function button and then decrease the time base manually using the TIME/DIV knob.
XY: in XY Mode the singal from Channel 2 (CH2 input terminal) is plotted against that from Channel 1 (CH1 input terminal). The XY Mode therefore displays Lissajous figures if both inputs carry periodic signals.
Both channels must be selected for a trace to be displayed. Check that the "1" and "2" at the bottom left of the display are highlighted by yellow and blue circles respectively. If a channel is not selected then press the yellow CH1 button or blue CH2 button to select it.
"XY MODE" will be shown at the bottom of the display and below this the number of samples per second.
The Display button is found among the Menu buttons.
Display button: Upon pressing the display button the Display menu appears next to the Function buttons.
From the Display menu you can select:
Vector or dot drawing. Press the first Function button to switch between the two drawing modes.
The drawing mode will be displayed next to the function button. Dot drawing displays just the data points that have been sampled. Vector drawing connects the dots with lines.
In the image right dot drawing has been selected.
You may have to use very small time divisions to notice the difference between dot and vector drawing.
Accumulate: press the second Function button. "Accumulate On will be displayed."
When Accumulate is on the trace is recorded continuously on the display. If the trace is changing with time then the image will build up until Accumulate is switched off by pressing the second Function button again, or until Refresh is selected by pressing the third Function button.
Contrast: press the fourth Function button.
To increase the contrast rotate the VARIABLE knob clockwise.
To decrease the contrast rotate the VARIABLE knob counter-clockwise.
Grid: press the fifth Function button to cycle through the Grid settings.
There are three Grid settings:
The vertical and horizontal scale of the trace and its position relative to the origin of the display may all be controlled independently.
The scale and position controls are the:
TIME/DIV knob: this knob will adjust the horizontal scale of the waveform.
The current time interval between the major divisions of the horizontal axis are displayed at the bottom of the display next to a highlighted "M" (in Main mode) or a highlighted "W" (in Window Zoom Mode). This has been circled, right.
Horizontal adjustment knob: this knob will adjust the position of the waveform in the horizontal direction.
A small arrow at the top of the display will move to the left or right of the central zero position and above this the current displacement from zero is shown in appropriate units of time (circled, right).
VOLTS/DIV knob: these knobs will adjust the vertical scale of the waveforms on channels 1 & 2 independently.
The current scale (the Volts / Division) for each channel is shown at the bottom left of the display next to the channel number (circled, right), irrespective of whether the channel is being displayed or not.
Vertical adjustment knobs: these knobs will adjust the positions of the waveforms in the vertical direction on channels 1 & 2 independently.
The current displacement of the waveform from the central zero position will be shown for a few seconds to the lower left of the display (circled, right) each time the position is adjusted.
The two channel buttons are found above their respective VOLTS/DIV knobs in the "VERTICAL" section of the control panel.
Channel buttons CH1 and CH2: upon pressing a Channel button the respective Channel Button Menu appears next to the Function buttons, headed by either "CH1" (circled, top right of image below) or "CH2".
From the Channel Button Menu you can select:
The Channel buttons are colour coded with the traces on the display: yellow for channel 1, blue for channel 2.
Channel selection: the Channel buttons CH1 and CH2 select and deselect the waveforms carried by inputs 1 & 2.
To display a channel that is not currently selected you must press the appropriate channel button. The corresponding number will then be highlighted at the far lower left of the display (circled, lower left).
To deselect a channel you must bring up the Channel Button Menu by pressing the appropriate Channel button once and then deselect the channel by pressing it a second time.
Coupling: press the first Function button to cycle through the coupling modes. There are three modes:
Compare the image to the right displaying a signal in AC coupling mode with the same signal in the image above displayed in DC coupling mode. A constant negative offset of 5V has been removed.
Invert: by pressing the second Function button Invert will be turned On and Off on the currently selected channel. With Invert On the waveform on that channel will be reflected in the vertical direction.
In the image to the right the waveform on channel 1 is really an increasing form as time increases from zero. "Invert On" is displayed however and the waveform displayed is a decreasing one as time increases from zero.
Probe Attenuation: press the fourth Function key to cycle through the probe attenuation levels. The default setting is ×1. You can also choose ×10 or ×100.
Probe attenuation can be used if the input voltage is larger than the input range of the oscilloscope. By selecting a different attenuation level the waveform displayed will not change but the volatge scale displayed to the lower left of the display will change accordingly.
In the image right an attenuation level of 10 is used. The scale on channel one has adjusted from 5V/Div to 50V/Div.
The Cursor Button is found among the Menu buttons.
The Cursor controls allow you to manually measure time and voltage differences on the display by controlling the position of a pair of cursors which intersect the waveforms. This is particularly useful for precisely finding the point where a signal crosses an axis.
By default the cursors will move in the x-direction. To move them in the y-direction select "X ↔ Y" from the Cursor button menu by pressing the fifth Function button.
Cursor Button: upon pressing this button the Cursor menu appears next to the Function buttons.
From the Cursor menu you can select:
Source, selected using the first Function button controls which waveform's coordinates of intersection with the cursors are displayed.
X1: press the second Function button to control the position of the first cursor. If the first cursor is selected it will become an unbroken line (yellow for channel 1, blue for channel 2). The horizontal position of the cursor is controlled with the VARIABLE knob.
The coordinates of the intersection of the first cursor with the source waveform are given next to the second Function button under "X1".
In the figure right the first cursor is selected and the source is channel 1: the first cursor intersects the waveform on channel 1 at a voltage of -200mV and time of -240ns.
X2: press the third Function button to control the position of the second cursor. If the second cursor is selected it will become an unbroken line (yellow for channel 1, blue for channel 2). The horizontal position of the cursor is controlled with the VARIABLE knob.
The coordinates of the intersection of the second cursor with the source waveform are given next to the third Function button under "X2".
In the figure right the second cursor is selected and the source is again channel 1: the second cursor intersects the waveform on channel 2 at a voltage of -1.1V and time of -1.650μs.
X↔Y: upon pressing the fifth Function button the cursors will swap between being vertical (moving in the x-direction) and being horizontal (moving in the y-direction). The controls are then similar to the cases of X1 and X2 described above but called Y1 and Y2.
In the figure right the cursor source is channel 2 and the first cursor is selected. As the oscilloscope happens to be in the XY Horizontal mode voltage is plotted on both axes and so only a single number, a voltage, is displayed below "Y1" next to the second Function button. The top-most point of this Lissajous figure is at 132mV.
The Measure Button is found among the Menu buttons. Through the Measure menu a number of automatically measured quantities such as the period or peak-to-peak voltage of a signal can be displayed.
Measure Button: upon pressing this button the Measure menu appears next to the Function buttons.
From the Measure menu you can select a quantity from a list of nineteen to appear next to each of the five Function buttons.
To select from among these quantities see below.
To display a quantity: first press the Function button you would like to display the quantity next to.
The currently displayed quantity will appear next to the middle Function button with its symbolic representation in the space below and the "Previous Menu" selection at the bottom.
Next press the middle Function button. A full menu of quantities will appear as in the figure, right.
To change the displayed quantity use the VARIABLE knob. An arrow appears next to the currently selected quantity. Simply turning the VARIABLE knob will also cycle the quantities without bringing up the full menu.
The Trigger Menu Button and Trigger LEVEL knob are found in the TRIGGER section on the right of the control panel.
Triggering controls the conditions at which the oscilloscope begins to capture and display the input signal. For example, the scope could be set to begin capturing and displaying the signal when when the voltage on channel 2 falls through 0 Volts.
Trigger Menu Button: upon pressing this button the Trigger menu appears next to the Function buttons.
From the Trigger menu you may select:
The trigger level can be adjusted at any time using the Trigger LEVEL knob.
Trigger Source: the oscilloscope can be set to trigger off one of four different signals.
Pressing the second Function keys allows you to cycle through the four options:
Slope / Coupling: the oscilloscope can be set to trigger as the signal is rising or falling (i.e. Slope) and whether the Coupling is to the full signal carried by the source (DC Coupling) or just AC portion of it (AC Coupling).
Press the fourth Function button to enter the Slope / Coupling sub-menu.
To select the Slope press the first Function button form the Trigger menu. This will switch between triggering on rising or falling signals. An intuitive symbol indicates your selection.
To select the Coupling mode press the first Function button from the Trigger menu.
Trigger Level: the trigger level is the voltage at which the capture and display of the signal begins.
To adjust the trigger level turn the Trigger LEVEL knob at any time. The new trigger level voltage will be displayed briefly on the screen, as in the figure, right.
A small yellow arrow at the right of the display indicates the current level.
The Run/Stop button is found to the right of the Menu buttons and below the Autoset button.
Pressing the Run/Stop button will pause the waveform until the Run/Stop button is pressed again.
When Stop is selected you can still use many of the oscilloscope features, such as Cursor and Measurement.
Run/Stop: the current state of the Run/Stop setting is shown at the top of the display by the trigger status.
When the Run/Stop button is pressed the trigger status will show "Stop" with a red circle. See the figure right where this has been circled. In this example an unsteady signal on channel 2 has been frozen.
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