OK, now i've got it. But i need the most basic of information on how to use it.
any help would be appreciated. The 2430 is a digital ascilliscope.
thanks,
Peter

 

If you have an owner's manual, I suggest you read it. If you don't have an owner's manual then you should try to get one.

 

Maybe this page will help. If the link doesn't work directly, go to the home page and search on Tek 2430.

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/index.php?what=search2

John

 

Otherwise lot of practise will make the trick. However, take care of the maximum input signal voltage rating. If possible, don't exceed 50V to make sure it won't brake down unless you know the exact maximum value.

 

what i was hoping for was just a bit of help getting the calibrator trace. When if first powered it up, it went through the self test ok. I then proceeded to play with all the buttons to see how it would effect what was displayed. When i read that you can hook up the a probe to the machine it self to get a square wave with which to adjust the machine, i did that but i didn't get a wave on the screen. I think it's probably because i'm inadvertantly in the wrong mode or have the wrong button pushed. I want to make sure that i can get a basic signal trace, then i'll read up and practice and explore.
Peter

 

Hello,

Take a look at this PDF "Tektronix: XYZ of oscilloscopes":
http://www.tek.com/Measurement/App_Notes/XYZs/03W_8605_3.pdf

The link comes from the EDUCYPEDIA page on measurements with oscilloscopes.
http://www.educypedia.be/electronics/measurementosc.htm

Greetings,
Bertus

 

Did you check the link I gave? What you want is in "Getting started", which starts on page 1 of the approximately 50-page manual. In the pdf, it is around page 5 or 6.

John

 

thanks for your help guys, i now have downloaded the service manual and an interface manual. Could someone point me in the right direction for a copy of the actual owners manual.....
Peter

 

Have you checked post #3 in this thread? What do you want in addition to the user reference manual?
John

 

Hi John,
yes i did, thanks for the link. What i got was a user interface guide. Great information. It states explicitly that the document doesn't take place of the official users manual. It was a bit strange with the download: it was in 8 parts and all the parts were the same 70pp document.
Peter

 

If you search on Tek2430 (no space), only the User Reference Guide comes up (681 KB, contributed by kripton2035). It is about 52 pdf pages.

If you search on Tek{space}2430, I get three documents. There is the user reference Guide referred to above, an HP document, and the Instrument Interfacing Guide (2441 KB, contributed by schematic_dude).

I suspect you downloaded the latter. I haven't read the former carefully to see if the disclaimer you mention is there. However, it looked like a user manual when I just skimmed it.

John

 

interesting......I get a different list of downloads when i type in Tektronix 2430, instead of Tek 2430. The user guide that comes up with the Tek 2430 query is a 2430A user guide. Do you know what the difference is between the 2430 and the 2430A? John, thanks for your sticking with this and helping me out.
Peter

 

Don't know if there is a big difference, but the User's manual for the 2430A is twice as big as the one for the 2430.

I took a wild chance and went to tek.com. I had previuosly registered to look up my scope. Searched on 2430 and got manuals for both. The plain 2430 is P/N 070-5497-00 and is 755KB. I saved it, just in case you can't get in. The 2430A is P/N 070-6339-02. PM me your e-mail, if you want me to send one or both to you.

Once you register and have a S/N, you may be able to get even more information.

Please let me know one way or the other about sending you the manual.

John

Edit: I didn't check the pdf limit. It is big enough, so here is the manual.

 

Hey John,
we're getting somewhere now! The first page of the user's manual goes through the procedure to acquire the calibrator square wave waveform. So i have done so. And i get the squarewave. Here's what I'm wondering: the vertical lines of the square wave are crisp and unwavering. The horizontal portion is very active and sawtoothed. I can adjust volts/div and either stir it up or settle it down but it never quiets down to just a flat straight line. Should it?
Also, i haven't ended my manual quest. The "user's" manual makes reference to an "owners" manual, and to appendices that are not in this manual.
Peter

 

You need to adjust your probe compensation to get the tops/corners of the squarewaves crisp, 1mS is a good timebase for compensation.

Make sure you have 10:1 probes, there should be a small screwdriver slot for adjusting a variable capacitor.

 

AHHHHHH, so that's what that little screwdriver is for....
OK, so I just tried it. when i turn the screw,the corners will either elongate or shorten but the very busy horizontal portion is unaffected.

 

Can you take a picture of the calibration waveform you are seeing, and post it as an attachment?

 

ok, I'm going to give it a try here


It's not a great pic, I don't have my better camera available right now but you might get the right idea....
Peter

 

Do you have a "20Mhz BW Limit" button?

If so, try that, it should clean the signal up a bit. Otherwise, under coupling, do you have AC, DC, then in a box "REJECT" and Noise, HF, LF? If so, try setting it to reject Noise.

Are the probes and connectors in good condition? Overall, that is a good display for an older scope.

 

Hi Cbntmkr
I recently picked up a used 2430 and have the same issues as you did. I sure would like to pick your brain. Thanks