Oscilloscope question
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Posted by Dan Beck on September 13, 2008, 11:14 am
Please log in for more thread options Hello all, years ago I was given a 10 MHz Heathkit oscilloscope. Both channels work fine, and I use it to probe circuit boards powered up on the workbench. I now own an old hobby car with the old fashioned plugs/points/capacitor ignition. Is there any way I could use the 'scope to observe the ignition signals, and would there be any value to it, besides academic information? Thank you in advance for any and all thoughts! Regards, Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Michael Black on September 13, 2008, 11:47 am
Please log in for more thread options On Sat, 13 Sep 2008, Dan Beck wrote: I don't know how useful it was, or even if it matters now (I gather a lot of cars are now beyond the ability of the average person to do much repair work). It would have been detailed in countless magazine articles, and likely in all those "101 Things To Do With Your Oscilliscope". That sort of book can be quite useful when starting out with an oscilliscope, you might want to dig up a used copy. Michael | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Tim Wescott on September 13, 2008, 12:30 pm
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On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:14:49 -0700, Dan Beck wrote: > Hello all,
> > years ago I was given a 10 MHz Heathkit oscilloscope. Both channels > work fine, and I use it to probe circuit boards powered up on the > workbench. I now own an old hobby car with the old fashioned > plugs/points/capacitor ignition. Is there any way I could use the > 'scope to observe the ignition signals, and would there be any value to > it, besides academic information? > > Thank you in advance for any and all thoughts! > > Regards, > Dan I've used my 1-channel, 5MHz Heathkit to set the dwell on my '71 Vega, and to diagnose problems with a bad throttle sensor on newer cars. It's a lot less direct than using a dwell meter, but you get to see more of what's going on. Use a 10:1 probe, set the voltage scale to lots -o- volts/division, hook the thing across the points and -- voila! You can see not only the dwell, but you can see the profile of the low-tension side of the coil as it fires. -- Tim Wescott Control systems and communications consulting http://www.wescottdesign.com Need to learn how to apply control theory in your embedded system? "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" by Tim Wescott Elsevier/Newnes, http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Jamie on September 14, 2008, 1:44 pm
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Tim Wescott wrote: > On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:14:49 -0700, Dan Beck wrote:
> > >>Hello all,
>> >>years ago I was given a 10 MHz Heathkit oscilloscope. Both channels >>work fine, and I use it to probe circuit boards powered up on the >>workbench. I now own an old hobby car with the old fashioned >>plugs/points/capacitor ignition. Is there any way I could use the >>'scope to observe the ignition signals, and would there be any value to >>it, besides academic information? >> >>Thank you in advance for any and all thoughts! >> >>Regards, >>Dan >
And hope the condensor(capacitor) in the ignition system is good as you
> > I've used my 1-channel, 5MHz Heathkit to set the dwell on my '71 Vega, > and to diagnose problems with a bad throttle sensor on newer cars. It's > a lot less direct than using a dwell meter, but you get to see more of > what's going on. > > Use a 10:1 probe, set the voltage scale to lots -o- volts/division, hook > the thing across the points and -- voila! You can see not only the > dwell, but you can see the profile of the low-tension side of the coil as > it fires. > connect your sensitive scope to this potential arching point. http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Tim Wescott on September 14, 2008, 5:02 pm
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Jamie wrote: > Tim Wescott wrote:
> >> On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:14:49 -0700, Dan Beck wrote:
>> >> >>> Hello all,
>>> >>> years ago I was given a 10 MHz Heathkit oscilloscope. Both channels >>> work fine, and I use it to probe circuit boards powered up on the >>> workbench. I now own an old hobby car with the old fashioned >>> plugs/points/capacitor ignition. Is there any way I could use the >>> 'scope to observe the ignition signals, and would there be any value to >>> it, besides academic information? >>> >>> Thank you in advance for any and all thoughts! >>> >>> Regards, >>> Dan >>
>> >> I've used my 1-channel, 5MHz Heathkit to set the dwell on my '71 Vega, >> and to diagnose problems with a bad throttle sensor on newer cars. >> It's a lot less direct than using a dwell meter, but you get to see >> more of what's going on. >> >> Use a 10:1 probe, set the voltage scale to lots -o- volts/division, >> hook the thing across the points and -- voila! You can see not only >> the dwell, but you can see the profile of the low-tension side of the >> coil as it fires. >> > And hope the condensor(capacitor) in the ignition system is good as you
That's why you use a cheap scope...
> connect your sensitive scope to this potential arching point. > > > http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5" > Actually, I was trying to figure out if there's a network that one could make that would use a neon bulb or similar to absorb transients. Something that wouldn't mess up the measurement too much, but wouldn't also go 'pip' right before the oscilloscope goes 'pop'. -- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com Do you need to implement control loops in software? "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says. See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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>
> years ago I was given a 10 MHz Heathkit oscilloscope. Both channels work
> fine, and I use it to probe circuit boards powered up on the workbench. I
> now own an old hobby car with the old fashioned plugs/points/capacitor
> ignition. Is there any way I could use the 'scope to observe the ignition
> signals, and would there be any value to it, besides academic information?
>