The Design of High-Speed Oscillographs

Low-speed cathode-ray oscillographs are widely used for examining voltage waveforms in all branches of electrical engineering, and they are now familiar and generally accepted instruments. The special oscillographs designed for examining rapid transients were little used before the war, but radar research required reliable instruments for examining very short pulses. This paper outlines the difficulties which must be overcome in designing a high-speed oscillograph, and describes the characteristics required in the time-base generator, the cathode-ray tube and the signal-input circuits. The limitations of present instruments at the very highest writing speeds are enumerated, and possible remedies are suggested.