Tektronix - The Classic Age

From Vacuum Tubes to Early Solid State Tektronix — The Classic Age explores the formative years of the company that helped define the modern oscilloscope. From the first Type 511 to the great vacuum-tube instruments and the transition to early solid-state designs, the book follows the machines, the people and the ideas that made Tektronix a reference in electronic measurement. Richly illustrated, it combines history, technology, restoration and first-hand experience. In preparation.

Tektronix The 7000 Series - Vol. 2 Plug-ins

The most famous and charming oscilloscopes in electronic history Tektronix (Tek for short) is a large electronic instrument company founded in 1945, but for my generation, Tektronix “is” the oscilloscope itself. Many others came after Tek in the oscilloscope market, and Tek’s activities were not limited to oscilloscopes, but for us the word “Tektronix” is and will always be synonymous with oscilloscopes. The 7000 Series oscilloscopes were introduced in October 1969 and represented a real turning point in the history of instrumentation. Their plug-in concept was not new - it was already present in the old 500 Series, for example - but it reached its zenith in the 7000 Series, and its intelligent declination was perhaps one of the greatest reasons for its incredible success. This book is dedicated to these oscilloscopes, their technologies and their restoration, but above all to those who created them, and must be considered as an in-depth analysis, aiming to complete my book Tektronix Epic Oscilloscopes, where the 7000 Series is only briefly described. Free TOC In preparation.

The First Storage Oscilloscope

Tektronix 564 and 564B

​In the early 1960s, oscilloscopes had no memory: a transient signal appeared once and vanished forever, unless captured with slow phosphors, special cameras, or mechanical tracers. Everything changed with the Tektronix Type 564, the first practical storage oscilloscope. Introduced within the new modular 560 Series, it brought a radical idea—an electronic trace that could be written, held, and examined without film or delay. This breakthrough transformed measurement techniques and opened the door to new applications, from industrial diagnostics to early medical ultrasound. This book presents the origins of the 560 Series, the development of the Type 564 and 564B, and the most relevant plug-ins, including a special section on the Type M for the 530/540 family. Free TOC Described in the book: CRT Writing Speed Calculator
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 152 pages

The First Storage Oscilloscope Luxury Edition

Tektronix 564 and 564B

Same as above but in high quality print Free TOC
Paperback, 210x210mm, glossy color luxury paper, 152 pages, price €28.95
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Seeing the Invisible

Tektronix 11302 Oscilloscope

​Even we, small collectors of vintage technology, have our own personal Seven Wonders of the World. And if any instrument deserves the title of Eighth Wonder, it is, in my opinion, the magnificent 1986 Tektronix 11302 oscilloscope. Built around its futuristic Micro-Channel Plate cathode-ray tube, it made the invisible visible—even under normal room lighting. Still an analog scope, yet driven by an advanced digital control system, it stands as the final and most sophisticated heir of the analog era. For this book, I had the rare privilege of receiving input from a member of the original 11300-Series design team. His guidance adds a level of authenticity that no amount of documentation could ever provide. An in-depth look at one of the most beautiful instruments a Tektronix collector can own: history, engineering, and restoration. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 196 pages

Seeing the Invisible Luxury Edition

Tektronix 11302 Oscilloscope

Same as above but in high quality print Free TOC
Paperback, 210x210mm, glossy color luxury paper, 196 pages, price €28.95
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The Good Giant

Tektronix DSA 602A Oscilloscope

The Tektronix DSA 602A is the largest and most complex instrument I have ever worked with—an absolute giant in every respect. It was the biggest, the heaviest, the most intricate, and, with an original price well over today’s $100,000, certainly one of the most expensive oscilloscopes of its time. With real-time sampling rates up to 2 GSa/s, the DSA 600 models were the flagship instruments of the 11000 Series in the early 1990s. They employed a dedicated Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to perform waveform analysis at unprecedented speeds. Among their most advanced capabilities were real-time FFT, signal de-jittering, and fast waveform averaging at over 180 waveforms per second. For engineers and researchers requiring state-of-the-art performance in single-shot acquisition and real-time signal processing—and with a budget to match—the DSA Series offered, and genuinely delivered, a cutting-edge solution.
Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 106 pages

The Last Plug-ins

Tektronix 11000 Series - Closing the Plug-in Era at the Top of Technology

This booklet concludes the story of the Tektronix 11000 Series. After exploring the architecture and flagship models in Tektronix Epic Oscilloscopes, Seeing the Invisible – Tektronix 11302, and The Good Giant – Tektronix DSA 602A, we now focus on the most representative plug-ins of this remarkable family. These modules combine the solid physical presence of the classic 7000 Series with technology approaching the 1990s, offering high density, excellent performance, and full software control—including calibration. They also mark the final chapter of the plug-in era, as oscilloscopes soon integrated all functions internally. Precisely for this reason, these last modules remain particularly fascinating. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 120 pages, price: see retailer

Two Giants and a Shorty

An Illustrated chronicle of Technology for collectors and restorers This book is not only about transistors or vacuum tubes. It tells the human story behind the Tektronix Type 323/324, one of the smallest oscilloscopes ever built, born from the cooperation between Sony and Tektronix in 1965. At its core is the relationship between two extraordinary men: Akio Morita and Howard Vollum, founders of Sony and Tektronix. Very different in character, they shared the same belief in technology as a creative and constructive force. Alongside this human story, the book includes a technical section on the Tektronix P6016 current probe and the results of the Twin Pulse Mini-Test performed on 19 oscilloscope models. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 104 pages, price: see retailer

Tektronix Epic Oscilloscopes

An Illustrated chronicle of Technology for collectors and restorers

​​Oscilloscopes have made a major contribution to the advancement of human knowledge, not only in electronics, but in all sciences, whenever a physical quantity can be converted into a time-related electrical signal. This book traces the history of a crucial instrument through many Tektronix products. This is the company that invented and patented most of the functions found in all oscilloscopes today. Tek is and will always be synonymous with the oscilloscope. In nearly 600 pages, with hundreds of gorgeous photos, diagrams, anecdotes, and technical data, you’ll travel through the history of Tektronix in a superb collector’s edition with a technical point of view. The author is not afraid to get his hands dirty restoring his own Tek equipment. The journey starts in the early 1950s. It ends in the ’90s, after exploring the ins and outs of the most interesting models in the 300, 400, 500, 5000, 7000, and 11000 series, from tubes to advanced hybrid technologies. Free TOC No longer available from [Elektor Books] - SOLD OUT

Tektronix Oscilloscopes Restoration Guide

An Illustrated Handbook of Vintage ’Scopes Repair and Preservation

Tektronix oscilloscopes are true masterpieces of electronics and have helped mankind advance in every field of science, wherever a physical phenomenon needed to be observed and studied. They helped man reach the moon, find the cause of plane crashes, and paved the way for thousands of other discoveries. Restoring and collecting these oscilloscopes is an exciting activity; it is really worthwhile to save them from the effects of time and restore them to their original condition. Many parts are quite easy to find, and there are many Internet sites, groups, and videos that can help you. Much of the original documentation is still available, but it is not always sufficient. This book contains a lot of information, descriptions, suggestions, technical notes, photos and schematics that can be of great help to those who want to restore or simply repair these wonderful witnesses of one of the most beautiful eras in the history of technology. Here you can find the presentation video: Youtube Italian Youtube English Free TOC No longer available from [Elektor Books] - SOLD OUT

Tektronix The 7000 Series - Vol.1 - Mainframes

The most famous and charming oscilloscopes in electronic history Tektronix (Tek for short) is a large electronic instrument company founded in 1945, but for my generation, Tektronix “is” the oscilloscope itself. Many others came after Tek in the oscilloscope market, and Tek’s activities were not limited to oscilloscopes, but for us the word “Tektronix” is and will always be synonymous with oscilloscopes. The 7000 Series oscilloscopes were introduced in October 1969 and represented a real turning point in the history of instrumentation. Their plug-in concept was not new - it was already present in the old 500 Series, for example - but it reached its zenith in the 7000 Series, and its intelligent declination was perhaps one of the greatest reasons for its incredible success. This book is dedicated to these oscilloscopes, their technologies and their restoration, but above all to those who created them, and must be considered as an in-depth analysis, aiming to complete my book Tektronix Epic Oscilloscopes, where the 7000 Series is only briefly described. Free TOC In preparation by Elektor Books.