Tektronix was founded in the mid-1940s to produce oscilloscopes. This list of analog oscilloscopes attempts to present all oscilloscopes made by Tektronix from the 1950s to the 1990s, including technical data and accessories.
400 series
In the 1960s, Tektronix introduced the relatively compact 450 series of portable oscilloscopes, starting with the 50 MHz 453. The 453 was superseded by the 454. In addition, Tektronix also made the 15 MHz 422 AC/DC portable. The 450 series was succeeded by the 460, 470, and 480 series. Each new model offered increased bandwidth and improved triggering. However, these oscilloscopes remained too heavy for portable use, and their chassis were complex and costly to manufacture. The 400 series oscilloscopes were notable for their wide variety of optional choices. For example, the available bandwidth ranged from 500 kHz to 400 MHz. In 1988, prices for the most basic models were approximately $2,000, whereas more advanced models like the 2467 with microchannel plate cathode ray tube (MCP CRT) could be more than $12,000.
500 series
501 oscilloscope The first digit in this model's number, '5', represents the diameter of the device screen. Compared to competing products from Dumont, RCA, and Varian, the 501 was large in size and weight.
511 oscilloscope The 511 was introduced to address the size and weight of the 501. This model was designed by Howard Vollum, Milt Bave, and others.
515A oscilloscope The Tektronix 515 was a 15 MHz single-trace, all-tube oscilloscope introduced in 1955. After the first 900 units were manufactured, the model was updated and given the '500A' moniker. The 515A provided two vertical inputs. Using a selector switch, the signal of one of the vertical inputs could be displayed as a function of time. Additionally, the 515A provided a horizontal input. The signal of the horizontal input could be combined with the signal of one of the vertical inputs and displayed as an x-y plot.
547 oscilloscope The 547 was a single beam, dual trace, vacuum tube type oscilloscope introduced in 1968 at the cost of $1,875. It was popular mainly because of its "ALT" mode, which allowed for dual traces to be shown on a single beam oscilloscope, providing much of the functionality of dual beam scopes for a fraction of the cost. The 547 achieved this through an electronic switch, in front of the vertical system, that could display two separate electrical signals on the screen. This required only a few parts of the oscilloscope to be duplicated in the device and therefore increased the cost by only a small amount. This technique was also used in all dual and four-trace plug-ins such as the CA, 1A1, 1A2, Type M, and 1A4.
2000 series
The first 2000 series Tektronix portable oscilloscopes, which were introduced in the 1982 catalog, were the 2213, 2215, 2335, 2336, and 2337. They could withstand impacts of up to 50g, which was an improvement over the 500 series. This was achieved mainly through simplification of circuit design and a lightweight switching power supply. They were significantly lighter than the 400 series. The 2200 series models had a bandwidth ranging from 20 MHz up to 100 MHz. The 2400 series started at 150 MHz (2445, 2445A), increasing with the 2445B; 150 MHz for early units, 200 MHz for later units. The 2465 had a bandwidth of 300 MHz, with triggering to match, the 2465A had 350 MHz and the 2465B had 400 MHz, with triggering beyond 500 MHz. Both the 2445 and the 2465 were microprocessor-driven and firmware-controlled, as opposed to the 2200 and 2300 models. The 2200 series was mostly 2-channel, with the 2245, 2246, 2247 and 2252 being the 4-channel exceptions (the two extra channels having only two vertical attenuation values). The 2247 and 2252 were very similar, the only difference being that 2252 had printing features and programmable setups. The 2335 and 2336 were 2-channel, ruggedized versions, intended for military applications. The 2400 series was 4-channel, with 2 of the channels having full attenuators. The 2467 was an unconventional model, because it had a micro-channel plate (MCP) CRT. This enabled extremely high speed writing and making one-shot pulses at nanosecond duration, visible in normal room light. It was the only non-storage CRT with this capability. The same type of CRT was also used in the 7104 model. Oscilloscopes with cursors include the 2211, 2246, 2252, and all of the 2400 series (2445, 2465, 2467). Cursors allow measurements that are independent of the graticule. With a cursor-equipped scope, the user can accurately and quickly measure, as a minimum, voltage, time, and frequency of all or parts of the waveform. Accuracy varies, but even the most basic cursors provide more accurate results than taking readings from the graticule. The 2445, 2465, and 2467 models had an option called CTT, which links a highly accurate frequency counter with the cursor and readout system.
Year of introduction According to the Tektronix catalogs, the following models were introduced in the following years:
1982: 2213, 2215, 2335, 2336, 2337 (first models) 1983: (no new models) 1984: 2235, 2236, 2445, 2465 1985: 2213A, 2215A, 2235L, 2236/01, 2465CTS, 2465DMS, 2465DVS 1986: 2220, 2230, 2430 1987: 2225, 2245, 2246, 2430M, 2445A, 2455A, 2465A, 2465A-CT, -DM and -DV, 2467 1988: 2235/01, 2246/1Y, 2430A 1989: 2201, 2205, 2210, 2245A, 2246A, 2246/1Y, 2247A, 2402, 2432A, 2440, 2465B, 2445B, 2465BCT, 2465BDM, 2465BDV, 2467B 1990: 2211, 2232, 2235A, 2235A/01, 2235L, 2236A, 2431L 1991: 2221A, 2252, 2402A, 2439, 2467BHD The 2000 series reached its peak circa 1984, with as many as 21 models introduced and a total of 33 models offered. No new 2000 series models were released after 1994. By 1996, only the 2430A, 2440, 2465B, and 2467B were offered. When Tektronix published its 1997 catalog, it did not list any 2000 series models, marking the end of a 14 year production run.
2400 series
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