Video: WaveSurfer 3000 and the MAUI User Interface

Oscilloscopes are often an engineer's best friend, but that can change depending on how easy or difficult a given instrument is to use. Sure, the oscilloscope's capabilities and technical specs are critical, but if the machine is difficult or non-intuitive to interact with, the user ends up wasting time figuring out what should be simple.

How Many Channels is Enough?

Figure 1: A switch-mode power supply driving a fixed load

can be designed and optimized specifically for that load.

The bulk of oscilloscope applications are well served by instruments with four analog input channels. Most basic debugging and design-related work involves probing of only one signal at a given time, and occasionally more than one, especially when differential signals are concerned. Thus, many users may never see a need for an oscilloscope with more than four channels.

Having said that, there are some applications that by their very nature surpass four channels. Moreover, some of these applications concern circuits and devices that are produced in extremely high volumes. A case in point is switch-mode power supplies, such as those typically found in notebook PCs, tablets, or embedded systems.