A review of some television pick-up tubes

The performance characteristics of some television pick-up tubes that have been used in practice in the past are reviewed critically. This review covers the Emitron, Super-emitron and orthicon. In the light of the experience gained in actual use of television cameras, an attempt is made to draw up a specification for an ideal pick-up tube. The C.P.S. Emitron (cathode-potential-stabilized Emitron) is then described. This description covers the general design of the tube, the technique of manufacture, the method of operation and the details of its performance characteristics. These are discussed with reference to the specification of the ideal tube and the performance of the actual tubes that have been described in this paper.