Author Topic: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?  (Read 11849 times)

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Offline aat24Topic starter

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Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« on: March 31, 2015, 08:26:24 pm »
For our "Oscilloscope Milestones" (http://oscopes.info/basics/2265-oscilloscope-milestones) we want to know which oscilloscope was the first one with an LCD instead of a CRT display? Any ideas? We think it must have happened around 1995.
 

Offline AG6QR

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2015, 08:54:22 pm »
Interesting question, and it should be recent enough that many remember it.  Amazing how quickly history gets forgotten, though.

Fluke currently has a blurb claiming 20 years of ScopeMeter® Test Tool Innovation on the web here:  http://en-us.fluke.com/products/portable-oscilloscopes/fluke-190-ii-portable-oscilloscope-190-204-s.html

I'm not sure if you consider the Fluke ScopeMeter to be a true oscilloscope, but I'd say it probably qualifies.  If so, 20 years ago was 1995.  I assume the first ScopeMeter had an LCD display, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

It would make sense that the LCD innovation might happen first in portable scopes, since they benefit most from the reduction in size/weight.

I hope someone else chimes in with an authoritative answer.

edit: I found this link which claims the Fluke Scopemeter models 93, 95, and 97 were introduced in 1991.  And reading the link, it appears they weren't the first portable oscilloscopes, though I can't say for sure if earlier devices used LCDs.

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/uses/comunidad/Fluke-News-Plus/ArticleCategories/Oscilloscopes/ScopeMeter%C2%AE-Test-Tools-20-Years-Old.htm

« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 09:02:15 pm by AG6QR »
 

Online mikeselectricstuff

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2015, 09:05:56 pm »
Minor point on your timeline - I'm pretty sure the 54645D MSO never had an 8-channel version
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Offline edavid

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2015, 09:29:20 pm »
When did the Tektronix T201/T202 (aka Createc SC01/SC02) come out?  I think it was sometime around 1987.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 09:56:52 pm by edavid »
 

Offline Jay_Diddy_B

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2015, 09:32:48 pm »
Hi,

Tektronix sold a T202 in the late 80's. This was Tek's first LCD scope. But I think it was another manufacturer's rebranded.

Jay_Diddy_B
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2015, 11:20:21 pm »
What about that Tektronix with the CRT behind and LCD color "wheel" in front?  Close enough?  Too oddball?

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Offline jwm_

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2015, 12:02:15 am »
I believe there was a flat screen gas plasma one before LCDs became widespread... I could just be misremembering a CRT in gas plasma orange.

Offline aat24Topic starter

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2015, 01:50:44 pm »
Interesting question, and it should be recent enough that many remember it.  Amazing how quickly history gets forgotten, though.

Fluke currently has a blurb claiming 20 years of ScopeMeter® Test Tool Innovation on the web here:  http://en-us.fluke.com/products/portable-oscilloscopes/fluke-190-ii-portable-oscilloscope-190-204-s.html

I'm not sure if you consider the Fluke ScopeMeter to be a true oscilloscope, but I'd say it probably qualifies.  If so, 20 years ago was 1995.  I assume the first ScopeMeter had an LCD display, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

It would make sense that the LCD innovation might happen first in portable scopes, since they benefit most from the reduction in size/weight.

I hope someone else chimes in with an authoritative answer.

edit: I found this link which claims the Fluke Scopemeter models 93, 95, and 97 were introduced in 1991.  And reading the link, it appears they weren't the first portable oscilloscopes, though I can't say for sure if earlier devices used LCDs.

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/uses/comunidad/Fluke-News-Plus/ArticleCategories/Oscilloscopes/ScopeMeter%C2%AE-Test-Tools-20-Years-Old.htm

Good input! I think we should focus on "real" (i.e. benchtop) oscilloscopes.

In handhelds (I won't use the term portable because there are also portable benchtop scopes) CRTs I think never have been used, because then it wouldn't be a real handheld anymore. Actually we wanted to document the switch from CRT to LCD.
 

Offline Lukas

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2015, 02:14:43 pm »
There also was this oddball scope made by Tek: http://www.i9t.net/5000_images/5116.jpg It did three colors by using a red/green LCD color filter in front of the CRT.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 09:10:10 pm by Lukas »
 

Offline edavid

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2015, 04:02:00 pm »
In handhelds (I won't use the term portable because there are also portable benchtop scopes) CRTs I think never have been used, because then it wouldn't be a real handheld anymore. Actually we wanted to document the switch from CRT to LCD.

Incorrect, there were a number of handheld CRT scopes, such as the NLS "Miniscopes", and Tek 211/212/213/214/221/222/224.
 

Offline radix

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2015, 12:30:28 am »
Iskrascope was developed in years 1982-84. Sample time was 450ns. They claim up to 2MHz real-time and up to 10MHz ETS.
Here you have some info on this, written in a language that somebody actually speaks.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2015, 12:51:22 am »
I think we should focus on "real" (i.e. benchtop) oscilloscopes.

+1
 

Online Alex Eisenhut

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2015, 01:37:41 am »
In handhelds (I won't use the term portable because there are also portable benchtop scopes) CRTs I think never have been used, because then it wouldn't be a real handheld anymore. Actually we wanted to document the switch from CRT to LCD.

Incorrect, there were a number of handheld CRT scopes, such as the NLS "Miniscopes", and Tek 211/212/213/214/221/222/224.

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Offline Jaka57

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2016, 06:01:56 pm »
Any ideas? We think it must have happened around 1995.
Former Yugoslavian company Iskra made it in 1987.
 

Offline tautech

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2016, 06:35:40 pm »
Where would a Tek TDS-510 or 520 fit in the list ?
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Online mikeselectricstuff

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2016, 07:08:35 pm »
2016 Tablet format scope ( Micsig)..?
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Offline JLNY

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2016, 08:12:10 pm »
The HP 180 series in 1966 is listed as a family of mainframe oscilloscopes with different plugins, but what about the HP 140/141 mainframes? those had a whole slew of different modular plugins up to 20MHz (and also had Spectrum analyzer plugins and TDR plugins), and I believe they date back around 1963 or possibly earlier (or at least the 140A, the rectagular CRT version the 140B came slightly later perhaps). There was also the 141A/B, which was the analog storage version of the 140 mainframe, but I'm not sure when the 141 was released, so it may not be earlier than the Tek 564. The 140A and its scope plugins (or at least the 1401A and 1420A which I have) were hybrid SS and tube, but the 141T and some of the later SA plugins are all solid-state, and I don't know about the other plugins like the TDR ones.

an article dated Sep. 1963 describing the 140A, some of the scope plugins, and the 1415A TDR plugin:
http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1963-09.pdf
« Last Edit: December 15, 2016, 09:46:34 pm by JLNY »
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #17 on: December 15, 2016, 11:30:36 pm »
Also, are we talking LCD graphical main display, or LCD at all?  Because I'm betting there were a few early ones with simple digital displays for indicating status and measuring voltage/frequency counter sorts of things.

There's a few Philips scopes (I don't remember the numbers) with DSO functions tacked onto an otherwise normal CRT scope, that used an LCD to indicate state.

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Offline edavid

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2016, 03:18:28 am »
Where would a Tek TDS-510 or 520 fit in the list ?

Nowhere, it has a CRT display.

The HP 180 series in 1966 is listed as a family of mainframe oscilloscopes with different plugins, but what about the HP 140/141 mainframes?

I think you are posting in the wrong thread  :-//

Also, are we talking LCD graphical main display...

Yes, not auxiliary displays or color shutters.
 

Offline tautech

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2016, 03:42:43 am »
Where would a Tek TDS-510 or 520 fit in the list ?

Nowhere, it has a CRT display.
Yes of course.  |O
OK let's try again: TDS210
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Offline edavid

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2016, 04:21:31 am »
Where would a Tek TDS-510 or 520 fit in the list ?

Nowhere, it has a CRT display.
Yes of course.  |O
OK let's try again: TDS210

I think it was 1997.
 

Offline MK14

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2016, 04:24:15 am »
Warning:
The OP does not seem to have visited the forum, for about 1.5 years now.
The thread is approaching being a couple of years old, now. In a few months.
We should have warned him it usually takes about 3 years, before he gets the right answer.  :-DD
 

Offline coppice

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2016, 09:19:41 am »
The first scope with an LCD display was made by Scopex in the UK. They worked with the RSRE (Royal Signals and Radar Establishment) who developed the first serious LCD pixel matrix panels. That was back when the UK was still a source of innovation.
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #23 on: December 17, 2016, 02:08:46 am »
I had an LCD scope some time late 80s early 90s.  Sorry but I can not remember the brand and was unable to find a picture on the net of it.   I do remember that they had a custom printer for it.  There was a small cover you could remove to get to a DIP package EPROM.  I wanted to use a standard Epson, pulled the EPROM and stuck it in the DATA I/O.  There were not that many micros, and was able to figure out it was some sort of 8051.  Clipped on the EPROM with the logic analyzer then hit the print button.  Hand disassembled the printer code.  Then added my own code at the end of the EPROM and jumped to it.   I offered to do a write up in one of the trade magazines of the day but they thought it was too specialized.   I remember the single shot specs on it was REALLY poor. 

Offline JFJ

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Re: Which was the first oscilloscope with LCD display?
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2016, 03:42:25 pm »
The first scope with an LCD display was made by Scopex in the UK.

The Scopex Voyager was mentioned in the May 1982 issue of Physics Bulletin (in the news brief section, on page 164):



One was listed on eBay in November 2015:





It appears to have been sold to somebody linked to Scopex, because the seller's feedback for the buyer stated:
"Fantastic that it's gone to ' meet it's maker ' !!!! (Sorry about that !! )".
« Last Edit: December 17, 2016, 03:46:45 pm by JFJ »
 
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