Recording method

Measurement records

A reading is only as useful as the conditions you keep with it. Start with a blank record; add real observations when you have them.

No ScopeBench bench results are published in this edition. These downloads contain column headers only. They are working templates, not example test reports.

What belongs in a measurement record?

Field groupPurpose and examples of information to record
Identity and questionRecord ID, UTC time, operator, circuit revision and the question being tested.
EquipmentInstrument model, firmware, probe model, attenuation and reference equipment with its uncertainty basis.
Connection and stateSchematic/file path, reference connection, supply, load, temperature and operating state.
AcquisitionCoupling, termination, volts/div, timebase, actual sample rate, points per channel, trigger, pre-trigger share and mode.
Evidence and resultRaw-data filename, screenshot, expected behaviour, observed result, repeats, limitations and interpretation.

Additional LCR fields

Record test frequency, AC level and its convention, DC bias, temperature, series/parallel model, fixture and compensation procedure. Identify whether the component was isolated and discharged, and retain C/L/R, ESR, D or Q only when actually measured. An unavailable field should be marked unknown in your own record.

From a file to reproducible evidence

  1. Save the unedited original acquisition when available. Keep the file format, scaling and units with it.
  2. Add a schematic and setup photograph that show the signal and reference connections.
  3. Keep calculations and expected values separate from measured observations.
  4. Record repeatability and what could not be checked. A screenshot alone may not permit numerical re-analysis.
  5. If you share a record, review the files first and remove personal information and private device or network details.

What a published test has to show

ScopeBench has not published physical test results. A later page that reports one will give the method, equipment and firmware, probe and circuit, acquisition conditions, original files where available, and the limitations. Nothing on this page uploads a completed record. A downloaded template stays on your computer.

Read the evidence methodology and fault-finding guide before treating a trace as a diagnosis.