Sony DXC-M3A 1980s ENG Video Camera

[dexters_lab]

Latest teardown, this time it's an ENG camera (Electronic News Gathering) from the 1980s using 3 Saticon picture tubes.

[MK14]

Thanks, I enjoyed watching that.
Those tiny CRT tubes you show at the end, are quite amazing.

I was very impressed with the build quality of the camera. Which is no real surprise, given that it is a professional, broadcast camera, and might be expected to take the odd knock, here and there, since it is portable.

I'm surprised that there was so much electronics, squeezed into that device. I guess it all has its purposes, and they wanted the picture quality, to be of the highest standard. Since it is not a mass consumer item, it would not be worth getting custom parts made up (except some things which were best made as custom parts, anyway, such as the switch labeling etc), such as custom ICs, as they would never get the development money back.

Which is probably part of the reason. But there may have been some custom parts.
Electronics was not that compact, then either, especially before surface mount technology and overuse of microcontrollers, further made things much, much smaller.

I could see a number of tiles in it. I wonder why it has got those ?
Maybe it is because they can have custom resistor values and maybe other stuff, built into it. Or could it be to save space, as it may be more compact, until surface mount technology comes out. It may even have surface mount parts on it, hence saving space.
The tiles could also be different, for different countries TV standards, if applicable. I'm not sure if that changes the camera, but the frame rates (50 Hz vs 60 Hz) may change.

[dexters_lab]

Thanks, I enjoyed watching that.
Those tiny CRT tubes you show at the end, are quite amazing.

thanks

yea, those CRTs are cute aren't they!

Electronics was not that compact, then either, especially before surface mount technology and overuse of microcontrollers, further made things much, much smaller.

don't forget this is a pro camera, it would be taken as read that these cameras would have been serviced in-house. So avoiding high density SMD parts would have been a selling point i would imagine. Makes the servicing much easier and cheaper.

[MK14]

Thanks, I enjoyed watching that.
Those tiny CRT tubes you show at the end, are quite amazing.

thanks

yea, those CRTs are cute aren't they!

Electronics was not that compact, then either, especially before surface mount technology and overuse of microcontrollers, further made things much, much smaller.

don't forget this is a pro camera, it would be taken as read that these cameras would have been serviced in-house. So avoiding high density SMD parts would have been a selling point i would imagine. Makes the servicing much easier and cheaper.

Yes designing them for serviceability, and avoiding SMD parts (even if available) makes a lot of sense.
Proper SMD reworking techniques and equipment, was probably in its infancy then as well.

I guess that if they did use SMD in something like that (in that older time zone), they could use tiles. Which would then mean that the SMD parts are potted/epoxy or similarly sealed for life, and can just be changed as a complete unit. So no worries about SMD reworking skills/equipment, as the tiles can have standard SIL pins, coming out of them. Hence the SMD work can be done in a specialist factory, with the right skills and equipment, then creating a small throwaway, easily replaced unit.