Mastodawn

Attempting to fix some #Tektronix MSO4000 series O'scopes this morning. One doesn't get past the splash screen, Luckily, there's a debug port hidden in the VGA interface on the rear panel. I am glad to see that these 'scopes run Linux as their internal OS, not so glad to see that the 'scope in question is having a Kernel Panic. Not too much info in the debug output, I may have to open it and see if I can find something obvious.

Paul Jul 26

I’m embarrassed to admit how many sampling heads I tried before I realized I had the wrong vertical mode selected.
5. It was 5.
Also the graticule lights just went out, and the readout is on the fritz again (both voltage and time displays are incorrect). I seem to remember that from this mainframe. The Tektronix readout system on the 7k series is the work of a mad genius.
#tektronix #oscilloscope #1980s #retroTech

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Bernie Jul 24

The thick book with a blue cover on the left is Tektronix's service manual, which includes detailed schematics and troubleshooting procedures.

This remarkable piece of hardware seems to be in good hands, I'm looking forward to see it work again.

I forgot to ask the model. Can anyone guess it?

#tektronix #electronics #repair

Bernie Jul 24

I went to the Artisan's Asylum and found someone who was attempting to repair this beautiful CRT oscilloscope by Tektronix.

#electronics #tektronix #repair

Paul Jul 20

It got worse before it got better. The #tektronix 7D20 digital #oscilloscope plugin had 3 bad RAM chips, as indicated by the self test, which caused some anomalies in the displayed waveform, but no other issues. I removed the chips and put in sockets, but one of the replacement 4116 RAM chips was also bad, in a way that caused the entire display to go south. I didn’t realize until a read through the manual that the waveform memory is also used to store readout data in its way to the DACs.

Joost Rekveld Jul 19

Repaired two of my five broken-and-fragile-but-still-great FG504 Tektronix signal generators. I repaired a third but then it grew a new problem in the output amplifier similar to the problem also shown by a fourth. There are 12 transistors in those output amplifiers and in each case it is a bit of a puzzle to try and understand which one is the cause of the problems.

#Tektronix #79 #SystemsThatMatter

Paul Jul 19

Well…. Shit. I was going to fix some RAM issues with this #tektronix 7D20 plugin, but it seems to have developed a display issue 😑

Joost Rekveld Jul 17

About five years ago I had six working Tektronix FG504 signal generators, most of them quite seriously repaired after I managed to find eight of them, but with only one working as-found. They are fantastic but also fragile (and 40-50 years old): yesterday I was again down to only one working generator: time to start on those postponed repairs.

#Tektronix #79 #SystemsThatMatter

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Attila Kinali Jul 16

@maexchen1 Weisst du was schlimmer ist? Wenn auf deinem 100'000€ Messgerät Windows läuft, du eine Langzeitmessung startest und Windows nach 3 Wochen findet es sei jetzt genug und rebootet.

Yes, I'm looking at you #tektronix 🤬

Linotype Pilgrim Jul 14

Do not adjust your set Phil's knocking it out of the park lately #electronics #tektronix #testequipment

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ecv5weaqzhfqyhyrd4wxhgwn/post/3ltxdmae6r22v