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Conversion of 500MHz TDS744A to 1GHz TDS784A
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nctnico:

--- Quote from: timb on August 13, 2016, 10:16:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on August 13, 2016, 03:22:27 pm ---
I don't have the original release but I managed to find this:

http://www.electronicproducts.com/Test_and_Measurement/Oscilloscope_makers_ride_the_color_bandwagon.aspx

...The substantially lower cost of the NuColor display when compared with traditional shadow-mask displays played a big part in Tektronix being able to price the scopes so aggressively. Shadow-mask displays used in color DSOs (including their additional memory, power, and circuit needs) from Tektronix, Hewlett-Packard, and LeCroy in the past have  added about $2,000 to $3,000 to the cost of a color scope. The estimated added costs with the NuColor display is only about $500 or so, according to Martinez.

It shows that at least Tek believed it's cheaper to do NuColor than use a color CRT.


--- Quote ---Keep in mind that NuColor wasn't originally designed for use on a raster scan display. It was designed to produce a color electrostatic CRT for analog oscilloscopes. (It also commanded a $1500 premium compared to the B&W only model when it was originally released in 1984!)
--- End quote ---

I can't remember about NuColor for analog scopes. What scope models was it used in, and what for?

--- End quote ---

The 5116 was the first use of Tek's NuColor technology.

The purpose was to allow different channels to be displayed in different colors. (And for the readout to be color coded as well.)

As for that article you linked, I imagine a lot of that cost they estimate was in the memory itself (which would have been hundreds of dollars per MB in the early to mid 90's), but I don't see why a color CRT would require any more memory than a NuColor display? The power requirements should be similar as well. It would need additional circuitry, but so does the NuColor shutter!

--- End quote ---
The NuColor display in the Tektronix scopes actually needs more memory. What the display system does is triple the display data coming from the acquisition/CPU overlay (640x480 @60Hz) and split it into 3 color channels and pull that through a RAMDAC which runs at 3 times the clock frequency of regular VGA. Hence the CRT also runs at 180Hz instead of 60. AFAIK the whole NuColor display wasn't to save cost but just to be able to use a rugged monochrome CRT with one big electron cannon instead of 3 smaller ones. After all the TDS500/600/700 series are built like tanks.

With a normal color CRT they could have used the RAMDAC which is already there for the external VGA output.
David Hess:
NuColor displays also allow higher resolution and absence of convergence compared to a color CRT.

Modern LCDs have only just reached the DPI of old vector CRTs and LCDs with that kind of performance are not used in DSOs yet anyway.
eKretz:
Just finished converting my 754A, FW v4.1e with no issues. Wish I could do the 2M option too, oh well, at least I've got 1M. Got to work on the calibration next.

Jwalling:

--- Quote from: eKretz on August 16, 2016, 08:40:26 am ---Just finished converting my 754A, FW v4.1e with no issues. Wish I could do the 2M option too, oh well, at least I've got 1M. Got to work on the calibration next.

--- End quote ---
:-+ On the A scopes, 2M was never an option.

Jay
eKretz:
Yup, I know. Anyone know if the processor and acquisition boards are the only difference between A and D?
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