An oscilloscope, also known as a scope or DSO (digital storage oscilloscope), is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or y-axis, plotted as a function of time along the horizontal or x-axis. 

An Oscilloscope mainly consists of two major components - the vertical amplifier and the horizontal sweep (timebase) generator. The vertical amplifier measures the voltage of the signal being tested and displays it along the vertical or y-axis. The horizontal sweep circuit generates the timebase signal that is used to trigger the appearance of oscillations and plots them along the horizontal or x-axis. Other key components include analog-to-digital converters to digitize the input signal, onboard processor or digital signal processor for processing signals and manipulating waveforms, and a display screen for viewing signal information.

Get More Insights - Oscilloscope