John Eng's Dead Tech Rescue - Tektronix Oscilloscopes

Tektronix Oscilloscopes

Although the oscilloscope can trace its roots to Germany, the success can be traced to the United States Allen DuMont that took it to a production level with a reliable CRT and trigger circuitry to produce a reliable waveform. After WW2 a company called Tektronix formed by Vollum and Murdock patented the time base triggered scope that made reproduction of waveforms a snap but it was expensive (about 5 times more than the common frequency sync scope which DuMont produced). It has been said that at the Electronics trade show DuMont tried Tektronix's 511 (the first) scope and was impressed. When he saw the price he commented to Vollum and Murdock that he wished them luck trying to sell it. In less than 10 years Tektronix would knock DuMont out as a dominant oscilloscope maker. After that all other companies would try to be like Tektronix.

Vintage Tektronix Oscilloscope Videos on YOU TUBE: LINK>> VINTAGE TEK SCOPE VIDEOS

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Tek Plug In Oscilloscope

Versatility and Multi Purpose for the laboratory

The World's First Dynamic Storage Oscilloscope

Hughes Aircraft Co Memo-Scope 104(not in my collection)

Hughes Aircraft first demonstrated storage CRT's with the Memo-Scope 104, it was Tektronix that could mass produce it and made it reliable and easy to operate. Before the digital storage, storing information was very complex and expensive. Tektronix came out with a way to store a waveform electronically and design a CRT to refresh the stored waveform so it can be seen.

Tektronix 564 (1963) World's First Production HYBRID Storage Oscilloscope

Frequency response 10 MHz. Based on 561 design- Hybrid circuitry (Tubes and transistors), uses plug-in units (most of them hybrid) for versatility as a spectrum analyzer, cable tester, sampling scope, differential comparator etc. Specially designed CRT and circuitry to make the CRT a storage device.

ABOVE: 564 Mainframe BELOW: 564 with 3A1 dual trace vertical and 3B4 time base plug-ins,

Inside a 564 Oscilloscope

ABOVE: Mainframe electonics on the right side with time base plug in below. BELOW: Mainframe electronics on the left side with vertical plug in below.

Operation as a Storage Oscilloscope. Early analog type storage.

ABOVE: Real time waveform (AM 1 MHz signal modulated with a 1 KHz sine wave.

Stored wavform with Fast Writing Speed ^^^

Stored wavform with slower Writing Speed ^^^

Tek Plug-Ins for the 560 series Oscilloscopes

3A74 Four Channel Amplifier (Vertical)

2A63 Differential Plug In (Vertical)

3B3 Delayed Trigger and 3B4 Std Time Bases

Horizontal

With 3A1or 3A6 Dual Trace Plug Ins

Vertical

With a 3L5 Spectrum Analyzer Plug In

Vertical

BELOW- Shown with 3L5 Spectrum Analyzer and 3B4 Time Base Plug-ins for Spectrum Analyzer Applications. BELOW- Spectrum Analyzer setup looking at 455 KHz signal

Tek Portable Oscilloscopes

For many years Tektronix lead the way and set the standard. In 1961 the 321 was the first transistorized oscilloscope with true portability. The 321 could operate from AC line or from primary or rechargeable batteries. In 1967 the 453 and 454 portable oscilloscopes were the fastest around and set the style of how a portable oscilloscope should be laid out.

Tektronix 321 (1961) (First Transistorized Model) Actually a hybrid (used 7586 RCA Nuvistor tubes for the vertical input). Time base sweep, portable with rechargeable batteries or AC, 6 MHz frequency response Model on left is the earliest version.

Older models have a rectangular bezel. S/N 2149 shown here:

Newer 321 S/N 4406- Notice the panel changes.

T321P31 CRT made by TektronixNotice the complexity of their CRT compare to the typical oscilloscope CRTs by other makers. The deflection plate are connections near the CRT bell. Also the bell not only has the gray shield but also wire spun on the inside for better shielding, strength and reliability.

Tektronix 321A (1964) Fully Transistorized used FET for vertical input

Typical View of 321's location for rechargeable batteries

Inside of a 321- All Hand Point to Point Wiring (made in USA at Beaverton, OR)

Tektronix 454 (1967) 150 MHz bandwidth and X-Y and delayed sweep capability. A Hybrid transistor-tube design (tubes are 5 Nuvistor ceramic tubes). This would be the leader in high performance portables until they would top this model with the model 475 five years later has 200 MHz bandwidth, significantly lighter and less components usimg custom integrated circuits chips.

INSIDE THE 454 Very compact and complex. Has five vacuum tubes called Nuvistor Ceramic Tubes. The following year, Tektronix would introduce the 454A which would be completely transistorized.

Dense PC boards are mounted on every side. Wire bundles are neatly guided throughout the chassis interconnecting the boards and panel controls.

ABOVE: Top wiring BELOW: Bottom wiring

ABOVE: Right side wiring BELOW: Left side wiring

BELOW: Rear wiring.

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SHOWCASE

The Next Generation: Digital Storage Oscilloscopes (DSO)

Tektronix TDS-1002 (2003-2007) 60 MHz 2- Channel DSO (Considered Vintage DSO)

Tektronix moved forward in 1994, with the introduction of digital oscilloscopes with LCD instead CRT display. Tektronix was one of the first to mass produce a totally solid state general purpose oscilloscope with no CRT. The first model was the 60 MHz TDS-210. Weighing about 4 pounds and only 6 inches deep. The TDS-1002 introduced in 2003 is an updated version, incorporating design changes during the TDS-210 product line. Like the TDS-210, it has a monochrome display that can be inverted to have a bright background or look like the CRT display. DSO scopes make storing waveforms and triggering points easy. No need for having a higher priced scope with delay trigger and data aquisition features. A push of a button or simple adjustment will set you up quickly. The DSO can measure in time domain or frequency domain with the FFT (fast fourier transform) math functions, making the DSO into a basic but useful spectrum analyzer measuring into the GHz region. The TDS-1002 cost $599 but did a lot more many of their analog scopes that cost more and were considerably heavier. The TDS-1002 was replaced with the TDS-1002B (2008) and TDS-1002C ($870) with color LCD display (2016). DSO's are available in a wide selection of bandwidths and features and there is a lot of choices from manufacturers especially in the basic test and service applications.

One of the first General Purpose DSO: Tek TDS-210

Tek 2nd Generation DSO: TDS-1002 (2003) My Collection

Front Panel View

Time Domain (Oscilloscope) ModeInverted Display Setting

Frequency Domain (FFT) Mode Inverted Display Setting

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