🔍 Key Concepts

• Vertical vs. horizontal sections of an oscilloscope and what each one controls • How signal bandwidth/frequency response relates to the path the signal takes from the input to the display • The role of the time base/horizontal sweep versus the vertical amplifier

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Which section of the oscilloscope does the incoming signal from the probe pass through first on its way to the screen? • Which part of the oscilloscope must handle the highest frequency content of the signal itself, rather than just controlling how fast the trace moves across the screen? • Think about which block in a basic oscilloscope block diagram is usually labeled with a bandwidth rating (for example, 20 MHz, 100 MHz, etc.).

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which stage actually amplifies and conditions the input signal voltage before it is shown on the screen. • Confirm which stages (time base, horizontal sweep, power supply) mainly control timing and positioning, not the signal’s maximum usable frequency. • Recall that the specified oscilloscope bandwidth is typically associated with one specific internal stage—verify which one that is.