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Electrical & Electronics Engineering vocabulary · Measurement and Test Equipment

Probe

Meaning in electrical & electronics engineering, with examples

/proʊb/nounCore term

In electrical & electronics engineering, probe means: The tip and lead that connect a measuring instrument, such as a multimeter or an oscilloscope, to the point you want to measure.

In Turkish: prob, ölçü ucu, test ucu

How it is used

Used as a noun and a verb: you probe a signal, a pin or a test point. Oscilloscope probes have a ground lead and are often set to ×10; current probes clamp around a wire. Engineers talk about probe tips, probe compensation and probing a board.

Example sentences

  1. Use the short ground spring on the probe, or you'll see ringing that isn't really there.

  2. I probed the reset pin and it stays low the whole time.

Common collocations

  • oscilloscope probe
  • current probe
  • probe tip
  • ground lead
  • probe compensation
  • oscilloscopeAn instrument that draws a voltage as a graph over time, so you can see the shape, size and timing of a signal. Engineers often just call it a scope.
  • multimeterA handheld or bench instrument that measures voltage, current and resistance, and often continuity, capacitance and frequency as well. It is the most basic tool for electrical testing.
  • groundThe common reference point of a circuit, taken as 0 V, or a safety connection to the earth. In electronics it is marked GND; in installations it is the protective earth conductor.
  • calibrationThe process of comparing an instrument or sensor with a known reference and adjusting it or recording the results, so that its readings can be trusted.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Measurement and Test Equipment

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