Questions

Question 1
Animation: Lissajous figures on an oscilloscope with 90 degrees phase shift
This question consists of a series of images (one per page) that form an animation. Flip the pages with
your fingers to view this animation (or click on the next button on your viewer) frame-by-frame.
The following animation shows how two sinusoidal voltages with 90 degrees phase shift between them
can draw a Lissajous figure on the screen of an oscilloscope.

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Sec/Div

Volts/Div A
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2

1m
50 m
20 m

Position

50
10
2.5

25 m

10 m

0.5

100 m

5m
2m

10
20

250

5m

0.1

500 m
1
2.5

DC Gnd AC

off

0.025

X-Y
Position
A B Alt Chop Add
Triggering
A
B
Alt
Line
Ext.

Volts/Div B
0.5 0.2 0.1
1
2
5
10
20

50 m
20 m
10 m
5m
2m

Position
Invert

DC Gnd AC

Intensity

Focus

Beam find

Off
Cal 1 V Gnd

Trace rot.

Norm
Auto
Single
Reset

Vhorizontal

file 03264

10

Holdoff
Ext. input

AC
DC
Slope

90o phase shift between Vvertical and Vhorizontal

Vvertical

Level

LF Rej
HF Rej

Answers
Answer 1
Nothing to note here.

11

Notes
Notes 1
The purpose of this animation is to let students study the evolution of Lissajous figures and see how they
are created from the interrelationship between two sinusoidal waveforms. Similar to experimentation in the
lab, except that here all the data collection is done visually rather than through the use of test equipment,
and the students are able to see things that are invisible in real life.

12