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by fivesixzero
2307 days ago
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Thanks for the recommendations! I have a DSLabs DScope (100 MHz, 2-channel FPGA scope) and while it’s handy I’d prefer to have a proper hardware scope someday. Rigol’s scopes look like they nicely fit in between the basic DSO/FPGA stuff and the “proper” 4-5 digit priced test bench gear. Any recommendations for learning resources that could help with understanding DC power supply analysis for non-EE types? While refurbishing laptops and working with microcontrollers I’ve run into some odd things where ruling out transient power supply issues would probably be helpful. |
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As for learning resources, I came across a decent article on the subject when I was starting out (1), and most of the oscilloscope manufacturers have whitepapers on SMPS diagnostics, the Tektronics one I read a while back (2) gave a good overview. A lot of the whitepapers have a manufacturer-specific focus, but they still have good information that can be applied to almost any oscilloscope.
If you want to get really into the power supply and do high-side measurements you'll need an isolated differential probe, which can cost as much as an inexpensive oscilloscope, but for DC output measurement you shouldn't need anything special. Current probes are a lot more affordable if you're interested in looking at loads or current fluctuations/harmonics, but that's more useful after you've figured out a bit more what specific properties you're trying to measure.
1: https://www.testandmeasurementtips.com/test-switching-power-...
2: https://download.tek.com/document/3GW_23612_7.pdf
Edit: I forgot to mention that the EEVblog forums are a good resource also, but they sometimes aren't as friendly as they could be towards people just starting out.