Miniware 4-Channel Mini Oscilloscope

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

ADC

An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.

DC

DC means direct current, where electricity flows in one constant direction, as supplied by batteries, USB ports and many plug-pack power supplies. When a product specifies DC, it runs from a DC supply rather than mains AC, so you need to provide the correct voltage and polarity.

duty cycle

The fraction of time a signal or power source is switched on during each repeating on/off cycle, usually given as a percentage. It is central to PWM (pulse-width modulation), where adjusting the duty cycle controls things like LED brightness, motor speed or heater power, and on devices such as proximity sensors it can also affect detection range, response speed, accuracy and power use.

FIFO

FIFO stands for "first in, first out", a way of handling stored items so the oldest one is read out first, like a queue. In electronics a FIFO is usually a small buffer that temporarily holds data, such as sensor samples or serial bytes, so a processor can collect it in batches instead of reading continuously.