Scoposcopy: Probe Compensation Adjustment on the Link DSO2102m Oscilloscope
What you see is what you get, on a zut Digital Sampling Oscilloscope. Right?
Right… if you understand and correct for the errors and artefacts inherent in any oscilloscope and measurement situation. Probe compensation calibration is just one such issue that must be understood and handled if measurement accuracy is one’s goal.
Probe and scope channel input capacitance must match for the probe to be able to accurately follow fast rise and fall time waveforms. So how do you know, and what do you do about it?
Every modern scope has some reference signal output and every decent probe has a compensation adustment capacitor. Here I demonstrate how the Link Instruments DSO2102m handles Probe Compensation Calibration.
If the probe is not properly compensated, then obviously, any math calculations performed on the trace it delivers will be in error.
Anybody who depends on oscilloscope measurements from ANY scope/probe combination to support claims of unusual circuit behaviour should be prepared to demonstrate that their probes are properly compensated and de-skewed.
No matter how zut the oscilloscope might be.
