HP 54501A - Appendix Algorithms; Introduction; Measurement Setup; Making Measurements

Algorithms
A
Introduction
One
of
the
HP
54501A's
primary
features
is
its
ability
to
make automatic
measurements
on
displayed
waveforms.
This appendix provides
details
on
how automatic
measurements are
calculated and offers
some
tips
on
how
to
improve results.
Measurement
Setup
Measurements
typically
should be
made
at
the
fastest
possible
sweep
speed
for
the
most
accurate
measurement
results.
The
entire portion
of
the
waveform
that
is
to
be
measured must
be
displayed
on
the
oscilloscope.
That
is:
•
at least
one
complete cycle
must
be
displayed
for
period
or
frequency
measurements
•
the
entire
pulse
must
be
displayed
for
width
measurements
•
the
leading
edge
of
the
waveform
must
be
displayed
for risetime
measurements
and
all
other
edge
measurements
•
the
trailing
edge
of
the
waveform
must
be
displayed
for
falltime
measurements
and
all
other
edge
measurements
Making
Measurements
If
more
than
one
waveform,
edge,
or
pulse
is
displayed,
the
measurements
are
made
on
the
first
(leftmost)
portion
of
the
displayed
waveform
that
can
be
used.
If
there
are
not
enough
data
points
the
oscilloscope
will
display
s
with the
measurement
results.
This
is
to
remind
you
that the
results
may
not
be
as
accurate
as
possible.
It
is
recommended
that
you
re-scale
the
displayed
waveform
and make
your
measurement again.
HP
54501A
Programming
Algorithms
A-1