Answer 6—A basic oscilloscope can show the real-time relationship between two voltages. This is referred to as X-Y mode.

If one of the voltages is the output of a linear ramp generator, the oscilloscope can show the evolution of one voltage versus time, sometimes referred to as X-T mode. In order to get a meaningful display that refreshes in a stable manner, it’s usually necessary to synchronize the Y or T axis voltage with that of the X-axis. This is the function of the timebase triggering circuit.

Contributor: David Tweed