Waveform

Waveform quite literally means the shape and form of a signal, such as a wave moving across the surface of water, or the vibration of a plucked string.

Related Topics:
Signal - Wave

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In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph of the varying quantity against time or distance. An instrument called an oscilloscope can be used to pictorially represent the wave as a repeating image on a CRT or LCD screen.

Related Topics:
Oscilloscope - CRT - LCD

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By extension of the above, the term 'waveform' is now also used loosely to describe the shape of the graph of any periodically varying quantity against time.

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