User manual

PicoScope and oscilloscope primer16

5.7

XY view

An XY view, in its simplest form, shows a graph of one channel plotted against

another. XY mode is useful for showing phase relationships between periodic signals

(using Lissajous figures) and for plotting I-V (current-voltage) characteristics of

electronic components.

In the example above, two different periodic signals have been fed into the two input

channels. The smooth curvature of the trace tells us that the inputs are roughly or

exactly sine waves. The three loops in the trace show that Channel B has about three

times the frequency of Channel A. We can tell that the ratio is not exactly three

because the trace is slowly rotating, although you cannot see that in this static

picture. Since an XY view has no time axis, it tells us nothing about the absolute

frequencies of the signals. To measure frequency, we need to open a Scope view.

How to create an XY view

There are two ways to create an XY view.

Use the Add View > XY command on the Views menu. This adds a new XY view to

the PicoScope window without altering the original scope or spectrum view or

views. It automatically chooses the two most suitable channels to place on the X

and Y axes. Optionally, you can change the X axis channel assignment using the X-

Axis command (see below).

Use the X-Axis command on the Views menu. This converts the current scope view

into an XY view. It maintains the existing Y axes and allows you to choose any

available channel for the X axis. With this method, you can even assign a math

channel or a reference waveform to the X axis.