A permanent record of the oscilloscope trace requires that the display be photographed. Oscilloscope cameras make this fairly easy to do. It has a hood that attaches to a mounting in front of the screen. The hood excludes ambient light and keeps the lens a fixed distance from the screen surface. The camera is permanently focused at this distance. The back of the camera holds standard polaroid film, providing instant copies of the trace. Oscilloscope cameras are available for almost any type of instrument. It is used for making permanent records of oscilloscopic observations.

Oscilloscope Probe is a physical device used to connect electronic test equipment to the device under test (DUT). Because of the high frequencies involved, oscilloscopes normally don't use simple wires to connect to the DUT. Instead, a specific scope probe is used. Oscilloscope probes use a coaxial cable to transmit the signal from the tip of the probe to the oscilloscope, preserving those high frequencies that are so important to accurate oscilloscope operation.

Oscilloscopes translate an electronic signal into a pattern or waveform on a screen. It contains a vacuum tube with a cathode (negative electrode) at one end to emit electrons and an anode (positive electrode) to accelerate them so they move rapidly down the tube to the screen. Oscilloscopes have several sync modes such as internal sync, external sync, line sync and delayed sync. Oscilloscopes use a host interface to communicate with a host computer or other electronic device. Oscilloscopes use a serial port, parallel port, modem or telephone line, universal serial bus, general-purpose interface bus, small computer systems interface or ethernet connection.