mVdiv

mVdiv refers to the vertical sensitivity setting on an oscilloscope. It represents the voltage division factor per vertical division on the display. For example, a setting of 10 mV/div means that each vertical grid square on the screen represents 10 millivolts of signal amplitude. Adjusting the mV/div setting allows the user to scale the incoming waveform to an appropriate size on the screen for clear observation and measurement.

A lower mV/div setting, such as 1 mV/div, provides higher sensitivity, making it possible to view very small signals. Conversely, a higher mV/div setting, like 5 V/div, is used for larger signals, preventing them from being clipped or going off-screen. The mV/div control is typically a rotary knob or a set of buttons on the oscilloscope's front panel, often labeled with various voltage values like 5mV, 10mV, 20mV, 50mV, 100mV, 200mV, 500mV, 1V, 2V, 5V, etc.

Selecting the correct mV/div setting is crucial for accurate measurements of voltage amplitude, rise time, and fall time. It ensures that the waveform occupies a significant portion of the screen without being too small to discern details or too large to be displayed fully. This parameter works in conjunction with the horizontal time base (time/div) to provide a complete representation of the signal's characteristics.