Many thanks for showing this particular instrument! Many years ago, one of our last exam for electronic engineering master degree was about studying and discussing a collection of real instruments' schematics (some still vacuum tube based, even if we were in the 1980's and 1990's already). Instruments' brands were HP, Tektronix, Philips. It was considered a very tough (the toughest actually) exam by many students. It's probably the one I loved the most studying. That course was terminated a few years after I graduated sadly (sadly for the new engineers).
@@GearAcquisitionSyndrome Up until more or less the mid 1990s a few italian engineering faculties were extremely selective and considered very hard (less than 1/10 of students would graduate) like the one where I got my degree. Then politicians decided we needed more engineers :)
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what a real "plugin" is. Not software. 👍🏻🇬🇧 Interesting video. Just about every time you mention we need a circuit to create a waveform like this, I was thinking how would I do it... and each time I was close. Nice!
Ive got a few Fairchild 6200B curve tracers- great for characterizing unknown devices,finding flaky or intermittent faults,curve tracing tubes,and checking other passives up to 1kv. I find a curve tracer to be an absolutely essential piece of equipment around the shop.
Nice! I saw something similar in the Telequipment CT71 curve tracer, but in that one everything is powered and timed by the mains voltage and I have a theory that any distortion in the mains voltage causes jitter and weird display artifacts. That could be one of the reasons why Tek went with an oscillator in the collector supply for the 7CT1N. This gives clean and repeatable waveforms.
They went with an oscillator in the 7CT1N because the mainframe doesn’t supply any unrectified mains voltage on the plug-in connector. The 576 also runs on mains voltage and has no artifacting whatsoever
I'm always amazed at what they managed to do with a handful of transistors. Don't know how long did the design process take for them, but it seems to me like a lost art to work with discrete analog electronics.
Thanks for the vid. Great explanation of the analog circuitry. Even if these 50 year old devices work properly..IMO... and IME... audiophools don't need a curve tracer. Engineers don't need it either. (Totally unknown, and totally unused, in the lab here.) All modern devices are well speced. Just a silly waste of time and your money.
I totally disagree. Not only is it an important lesson in electronics design, it’s also an invaluable tool for repair. Almost as much as the oscilloscope
@@GearAcquisitionSyndrome LabLab full of engineers here. No one uses it. There are other toos:yes... but, a 'curve tracer' is an obsolete tool, mostly valued by... IMO...don't know what semiconductor parameters are... and how they are speced. and how well they speced too. Mostly valued by the people selling them on the online market place...for quick cash, from something they have no use for. If one needs an 800.00USD, 50 year old used 'curve tracer' liberated from an S.K.'s basement...to repair some audio gear... or even to design it... then IMO...and at least... one doesn't really know how to do repairs. Thousand of vids on TH-cam, repairing stuff from SM uWave RF, to 1930's AM radio... never a curve tracer seen. IMO... saying it is "more important' than an oscilloscope, when it plugs into an oscilloscope, means one isn't paying attention... and doesn't need to be paid attention to.
I disagree as well. Been working for a manufacturer of precision metrology gear for a while (technically, for two over the years), and yes, curve tracers are kind of an oddity, especially nowadays, but they have their place if you need to get into component level analysis and have to know their exact characteristics, for example to verify datasheets against a batch of components you intend to use. Don't want to rely on "from-to" ranges while designing a piece of kit that costs the equivalent of a nice car. In my apprenticeship we would have wished for one on quite a few occasions as well, eg. while searching for strange noises in amplifiers that were very hard to try out in a semi disassembled state, or in TVs that kept failing over and over again because the manufacturer specced a BUZ90, but only the ones they sold themselves (for a premium) were holding up, not the ones from every other brand.
@@TinkertubesLabI don't know what you mean by 'precision metrology'... but, IMO... precision metrology is not this channel. And... IMO... precision metrology for audio amplifier design, and testing, is nonsense. Beyond that, IMO... you are confusing a 'curve tracer' with a 'parameter analyzer'... like a Keithley 4200A-SCS... at about 20,000USD used. Selecting, or bining, or veting, parts is something some manufactures did/do... because... but not only... their design won't work... without those 'selected' parts. Usually the worked directly with the manufacturers... or the fab... to get those selected parts... at a premium price too. You mentioned a non-selected BUZ90 failing. If it was failing in a dynamic environment? (like SMPS)... well a curve tracer only does DC parameters. Also... even if you were able to accurately find out the parameters of the 'selected' BUZ90 ...and which one(s) mattered... not easy... what are you supposed to do then? ... phone up the fab... and ask them to make a couple hundred thousand, for you? I'd say... just buy the proper part, from the manufacturer... it cost more because the manufacture had to pay more for it... or buy a better part... form a better manufacturer... with better quality control. Imagining a curve tracer would have solved the problem is not the same as a curve tracer would have solved the problem.
@@willthecat3861 You are absolutely allowed to have your many oppinions that you stated, as I am allowed to have my experience that I wrote in my comment🙂 I just want to suggest that it might not be the best idea to assume too many things if one does not know all the details of who did what and when, and assuming imagination when there is actual experience. ;-) Have a nice day!
Many thanks for showing this particular instrument! Many years ago, one of our last exam for electronic engineering master degree was about studying and discussing a collection of real instruments' schematics (some still vacuum tube based, even if we were in the 1980's and 1990's already). Instruments' brands were HP, Tektronix, Philips. It was considered a very tough (the toughest actually) exam by many students. It's probably the one I loved the most studying. That course was terminated a few years after I graduated sadly (sadly for the new engineers).
That’s so cool! Terrible to hear the course was terminated. It probably turned a lot of students into good engineers!
@@GearAcquisitionSyndrome Up until more or less the mid 1990s a few italian engineering faculties were extremely selective and considered very hard (less than 1/10 of students would graduate) like the one where I got my degree. Then politicians decided we needed more engineers :)
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what a real "plugin" is. Not software. 👍🏻🇬🇧
Interesting video. Just about every time you mention we need a circuit to create a waveform like this, I was thinking how would I do it... and each time I was close. Nice!
Very nice video - thanks!
Thank you for the great Videos.
Welcome back and Happy New Year. 12/29/24 from central Florida 🌴🇺🇸
Good to see you back bro 👊
Ive got a few Fairchild 6200B curve tracers- great for characterizing unknown devices,finding flaky or intermittent faults,curve tracing tubes,and checking other passives up to 1kv. I find a curve tracer to be an absolutely essential piece of equipment around the shop.
Thanks for sharing! Curve tracers are amazing!
Nice one indeed, thanks for the explanation.
Nice! I saw something similar in the Telequipment CT71 curve tracer, but in that one everything is powered and timed by the mains voltage and I have a theory that any distortion in the mains voltage causes jitter and weird display artifacts. That could be one of the reasons why Tek went with an oscillator in the collector supply for the 7CT1N. This gives clean and repeatable waveforms.
They went with an oscillator in the 7CT1N because the mainframe doesn’t supply any unrectified mains voltage on the plug-in connector. The 576 also runs on mains voltage and has no artifacting whatsoever
hey! ur back :)
Yes, I am!
Nice one
I'm always amazed at what they managed to do with a handful of transistors. Don't know how long did the design process take for them, but it seems to me like a lost art to work with discrete analog electronics.
That’s my impression also. So much artistry in there
Turn up your audio volume, thank you.
Noted!
Diagramme
Thanks for the vid. Great explanation of the analog circuitry. Even if these 50 year old devices work properly..IMO... and IME... audiophools don't need a curve tracer. Engineers don't need it either. (Totally unknown, and totally unused, in the lab here.) All modern devices are well speced. Just a silly waste of time and your money.
I totally disagree. Not only is it an important lesson in electronics design, it’s also an invaluable tool for repair. Almost as much as the oscilloscope
@@GearAcquisitionSyndrome LabLab full of engineers here. No one uses it. There are other toos:yes... but, a 'curve tracer' is an obsolete tool, mostly valued by... IMO...don't know what semiconductor parameters are... and how they are speced. and how well they speced too. Mostly valued by the people selling them on the online market place...for quick cash, from something they have no use for. If one needs an 800.00USD, 50 year old used 'curve tracer' liberated from an S.K.'s basement...to repair some audio gear... or even to design it... then IMO...and at least... one doesn't really know how to do repairs. Thousand of vids on TH-cam, repairing stuff from SM uWave RF, to 1930's AM radio... never a curve tracer seen. IMO... saying it is "more important' than an oscilloscope, when it plugs into an oscilloscope, means one isn't paying attention... and doesn't need to be paid attention to.
I disagree as well. Been working for a manufacturer of precision metrology gear for a while (technically, for two over the years), and yes, curve tracers are kind of an oddity, especially nowadays, but they have their place if you need to get into component level analysis and have to know their exact characteristics, for example to verify datasheets against a batch of components you intend to use. Don't want to rely on "from-to" ranges while designing a piece of kit that costs the equivalent of a nice car.
In my apprenticeship we would have wished for one on quite a few occasions as well, eg. while searching for strange noises in amplifiers that were very hard to try out in a semi disassembled state, or in TVs that kept failing over and over again because the manufacturer specced a BUZ90, but only the ones they sold themselves (for a premium) were holding up, not the ones from every other brand.
@@TinkertubesLabI don't know what you mean by 'precision metrology'... but, IMO... precision metrology is not this channel. And... IMO... precision metrology for audio amplifier design, and testing, is nonsense. Beyond that, IMO... you are confusing a 'curve tracer' with a 'parameter analyzer'... like a Keithley 4200A-SCS... at about 20,000USD used. Selecting, or bining, or veting, parts is something some manufactures did/do... because... but not only... their design won't work... without those 'selected' parts. Usually the worked directly with the manufacturers... or the fab... to get those selected parts... at a premium price too. You mentioned a non-selected BUZ90 failing. If it was failing in a dynamic environment? (like SMPS)... well a curve tracer only does DC parameters. Also... even if you were able to accurately find out the parameters of the 'selected' BUZ90 ...and which one(s) mattered... not easy... what are you supposed to do then? ... phone up the fab... and ask them to make a couple hundred thousand, for you? I'd say... just buy the proper part, from the manufacturer... it cost more because the manufacture had to pay more for it... or buy a better part... form a better manufacturer... with better quality control. Imagining a curve tracer would have solved the problem is not the same as a curve tracer would have solved the problem.
@@willthecat3861 You are absolutely allowed to have your many oppinions that you stated, as I am allowed to have my experience that I wrote in my comment🙂 I just want to suggest that it might not be the best idea to assume too many things if one does not know all the details of who did what and when, and assuming imagination when there is actual experience. ;-) Have a nice day!