Test and Measurement Forum

Hi,

I need to measure the spectrum of a low voltage signal (typically less than 1mV) in the region 1Hz to 1kHz. I know that low frequency measurements are tricky, so I wanted to know if I can do this with the ADC-42.

Thanx in advance,

Carlos

PS: To the moderator- My browser is acting up, so if this message appears more than once, please eliminate copies. Cheers.

Hi Carlos,

Although PicoLog won't go much lower than ~7-8Hz, PicoScope can measure very low frequencies (<1Hz) using the Settings|Measurements function (this displays a number on the bottom of the scope trace indicating the fundamental frequency).
The ADC-42 should be capable of doing this, however, to measure both high and low frequencies you will need to switch timebases manually, which may not be convenient.

Consider using a Frequency to Voltage converter with the ADC-42, you will need to find one with a suitable specification, but http://www.rswww.com/ should be able to help you out.

Best Regards,

Cheers, that's exactly what I needed to know.

Carlos

Would you please explain why there is a low freqency limit? Having a limit implies that I can not measure DC voltages.

Hi,

We were discussing the measurement of frequency here (not voltage). Our products have no minimum analogue bandwidth, therefore DC voltages can be measured, but the frequency of DC cannot be measured (pure DC is 0Hz anyway).

Best regards,