Musical Instrument User Manual
FUNCTION REFERENCE 5 - 7
ALT/CHOP
Description:
In the analog mode, when two or more channels are selected, the oscilloscope 
displays multiple channels in a ‘time shared’ mode. This implies that a fast 
electronic switch connects each input signal to the output amplifier in turn. This 
can be done at the end of every sweep, or at a high frequency. The display modes 
are referred to as Alternate or Chop modes.
Alternate mode:
 After each sweep of the time base has been completed, the 
channel switch selects the next channel to be displayed during the next sweep. 
The result is that each channel is displayed one after the other. At fast timebase 
speeds this mode assures maximum intensity, while slow timebase speeds in 
alternate mode result in a flickering display.
Chopped mode:
 In this mode, the channel selector switch operates at a high 
frequency, and is no coupled to the time base sweep. This mode is recommended 
for slow timebase speeds. The display switches very fast (1 MHz) between the 
channels, which results in what appears to be a simultaneous display of all 
channels.
ALT/CHOP is not available with single trace display.
In the digital mode channel 1 and channel 2 each have their own digitizer for 
simultaneous sampling on both channels. In this two-channel mode ALT/CHOP is 
not active.
If a combination of channel 1 or 2, and channel 3 or 4 is selected, the ALT/CHOP 
is active and functions in the following way:
ALT
 results in a complete memory acquisition of channel 1 or 2 simultaneously 
sampled, followed by a complete memory acquisition of channel 3 or 4, also 
simultaneously sampled.
CHOP
 results in a single sample being made on channel 1 or 2 followed by a 
single sample on channel 3 or 4. This continues until the acquisition memory for 
each channel is filled. This ALT/CHOP function is valid only for the real-time 
sampling timebase speeds.
NOTE: For further details on three or four channel operation, also refer to the 
ACQUISITION LENGTH and PEAK DETECTION functions.










