Automotive oscilloscope - how it is useful in the workshop

This device was created out of necessity. Vehicles are becoming more modern and complex. Automotive oscilloscope allows you to perform primary vehicle diagnostics. To know exactly what is going on with the electronics, you need much more advanced tools. However, this does not mean that the equipment we are writing about is easy to use. The oscilloscope in auto diagnostics allows you to determine the general problem that the car has encountered. Let's see how this device works. If you want to know more about it, be sure to read our article!

Automotive oscilloscope - what is it for?

An automotive oscilloscope converts electrical signals into light, which then appears on a display. This equipment shows the current voltage at a given time along two axes. This allows you to test a specific electrical component, which allows you to determine if everything in it is working properly. Nowadays, oscilloscopes are used not only to test vehicles, but also to test the functions of many other electrical devices such as computers and various types of machines.

Using an oscilloscope in a bodyshop... difficult

Unfortunately, an automotive oscilloscope is a rather difficult device to use. Although it can be found in almost every workshop, mechanics are not very often drawn to it. Therefore, it is unlikely that a person who is an amateur in the field of mechanics and diagnostics will often use it. However, if you learn how to use an oscilloscope, it can be extremely useful. Remember the most important things:

• be sure to use as written in the factory documentation;
• check what results show correctly working systems. They should be written down so that later they can be compared with erroneous readings.

Automotive multimeter with oscilloscope will have more uses

The multimeter is another very popular tool in the workshop. It is extremely useful, but its capabilities are very limited. It does not report the course or presence of rapidly changing perturbations. It is for this reason that it is worth choosing a device that combines both a multimeter and an automotive oscilloscope. Finally, the second device can check the correct operation of the encoders or encoders. The multimeter is a mobile device that you can easily take with you on a trip or just in case in the trunk of your car.

Automotive oscilloscope - which one to choose?

What features of an automotive oscilloscope should I pay attention to? First of all, it must have at least two different channels, thanks to which you can connect current probes and so on. If it's going to be useful in a bodyshop, a suitable reading range is 2mV to 200V. It should also take very fast measurements and handle longer sessions (up to about 200 minutes) well. The sampling rate should be around 8-40 MS/s. The higher it is, the better for you!

How much do automotive oscilloscopes cost?

These devices are not the most expensive. Therefore, very often they can be found in workshops, even if mechanics do not know how to use them. You can buy efficient automotive oscilloscopes for around 350-40 euros, although you can get better models for over 100 euros. If you want to learn how to use it, training may be required and this will incur additional costs. However, do not be discouraged, because if you have a car repair shop, such investments can pay off very quickly.

An automotive oscilloscope is a fairly cheap and popular device for basic diagnostics in car services. However, its use requires knowledge and some experience. Such equipment will definitely come in handy in your workshop. You just need to learn how to manage it, but this knowledge will definitely not be in vain!