Digitizing and Display of Subnanosecond Single Transients via Scan Conversion

The analysis of fast single transients has long been one of the most challenging problems in oscillography. The instrument described in this paper uses a scan converter tube with separate write and read electron guns and a silicon diode array target. The charge gain properties of the target are put to good use in achieving the ability to display, or to digitize in a 512 × 512 matrix, single transients one nanosecond or less in duration.