| oscilloscope | <instrument> An oscillograph in which the record of oscillations is continuously visible. Cathode ray oscilloscope (CRO), the common form of oscilloscope, in which a varying electrical signal (y) vertically deflects an electron beam impinging on a fluorescent screen, while some other function (x or time) deflects the beam horizontally; the result is a visual graph of y plotted against x or time with negligible distortion by inertia. Storage oscilloscope, a cathode ray oscilloscope in which the visual record of oscillations persists on the fluorescent screen until erased electrically. (05 Mar 2000) |
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