I've often taken measurements without it connected. When first starting out with scopes I tried to connect it to an arbitrary point in the circuit to measure the voltage potential between two points (as one would do with a voltmeter) and found this did not work. Why's it there? When is it needed? When isn't it needed?
2007-09-04 15:00:35 · 4 answers · asked by John 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
It's always important to connect the probe ground clip to circuit ground, because the oscilloscope measures the voltage between the clip and the probe.
2007-09-04 15:27:11 · answer #1 · answered by quicksilv3rflash 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's there so that the scope and the circuit being measured have a common ground reference. It's also there to provide a short, low noise path to make the ground common. Go to the Tektronix web site and check out their application notes on probes.
Doug
2007-09-04 15:29:44 · answer #2 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you do not connect it to a ground relevant to the symbol you are looking at with any other probe the signal you see on the scope could be mostly noise and not usable.
2007-09-04 15:50:31 · answer #3 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Always...the scope needs a zero (ground) reference to measure against.
2007-09-04 15:25:49 · answer #4 · answered by Chris W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋