Episode 1312 I try to demystify this complicated piece of equipment my curve tracer is a Tektronix 576 capable of 1500 volts and 10 amps Be a Patron: / imsaiguy
Curve tracers are great for understanding how transistors work, matching devices if needed, and characterizing a verifying devices when manufacturing transistors. That said, in my 35 year career as working EE, including the design of hundreds of transistor circuits (with production of maybe 100,000 total boards) I never used one after I left college (and only briefly then). I think curve tracers came about because transistors have far more variability between devices sharing the same part number than tubes did, and you really had to have curves for each individual transistor if you wanted to design circuits using your "tube think" years of experience. "Tube think" means optimizing the performance of every tube, because they are expensive, bulky, and power hungry. As soon as transistors became cheap (ie. when they stopped marketing radios by how many transistors they had) engineers learned to trade off gain for stability using degeneration (negative feedback) so that the parameters of the transistors became non-critical. If you need more gain, just throw in another stage, 'cause it costs only a few pennies. You really need to be doing this for thermal stability reasons anyway. Early texts about transistors had dire warnings about thermal runaway, because it happens all the time if you try to use a tube brain to design transistor circuits. Power amplifiers still need to push the limits, so having device curves would be helpful in that case.
@paulgrodkowski3412
Жыл бұрын
What can I say? My health is terrible and I blame it on myself for making excuses for doing what I should in life by faking an interest in electronics.
@davidjh7
Жыл бұрын
Great intro and discussion. The curve tracer is also great for demonstrating some concepts that can be hard to get across in words, like the Early voltage, breakdown, saturation, etc. I can see this instrument being used in many future teaching videos.
@simonbaxter8001
Жыл бұрын
Fantastic video. Really nice bit of kit. Would be great to have a follow up showing the regions of the curves when operating a transistor as a switch and as an amplifier and why it's important to work in a specific regions of the curves (amplifiers) to prevent distortion/clipping and to maintain linearity of input to output.
@jasona716
Жыл бұрын
Although I've never used one, I have a strange fascination of curve tracers. Thanks for posting this, very interesting!!!
@michaelbortoli1090
Жыл бұрын
Great Tutorial and very well explained. I just brought mine recently.
@W1RMD
Жыл бұрын
Great demonstration! Thanks for sharing.
@PlaywithJunk
8 ай бұрын
Nice device! What brand and model is this? Iwant one too... 🙂
@IMSAIGuy
8 ай бұрын
search my channel for 'Tektronix 576' to learn more
@leonerduk
Жыл бұрын
Some interesting readouts of the display settings on the righthand side of the CRT. Seems to be using some sort of one-plane display? Or maybe indicator lamps somehow? In any case, I've not seen that kind of display on any other instrument.
@Stuartrusty
Жыл бұрын
I spent many years in the semiconductor test industry. I used the older, bigger brother of the unit shown here, the 575 thermionic valve (vacuum tube) curve tracer. No health and safety with these units, also quite easy to defeat the high voltage safety switch on the 576, the unit used here. The 576 if I remember correctly is capable of 1000V at lethal currents, but pulsed DC. A really useful testing tool and I have fond memories of using these, reliable, virtually bomb proof units.
@wa4aos
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for a great video on curve tracers. I have both the Tek 576 and Heathkit 3121. I get mostly the same results with either but the Trek has a decent HV supply. The Tek uses a lot of bench space but since I don't need either full time, they reside off the bench until needed. Though, the 576 is a bit of a load dealing with my decrepit back, You can also, with a few outboard and homebrew tube jig, test some tubes with the Tek 576. In fact, there was a video or two on yT a few years back. I first ran across the idea of using the Tek 576 after reading a great article in one of my Tube mags years ago. 73 Glenn WA4AOS
@mr1enrollment
Жыл бұрын
Show us a tunnel diode, ujt, mosfet,... ;-} Oh yeah, could also show input characteristics of the logic families. Very versatile instrument.
@angelo_keene
Жыл бұрын
Interesting use of test equipment/scope in this music video: kzitem.info/news/bejne/2nesm6SCiGVooHo Not sure if it could be faked without doing a computer generated video instead of processing an actual signal.
@simonkormendy849
8 ай бұрын
That diagonal line drawn on the CRT screen when you put the resistor on the machine is a good practical demonstration of Ohm's Law.
@robertcox5228
Жыл бұрын
Really clear explanation of the cu4ve tracer. I have used one to test transistors. A meter can only show open or short. The tracer can show damage that occurs at higher voltages amd current.
@namhoangnguyen8343
Жыл бұрын
Awesome 👍when I was studying in the lab room at school, the curve trace was out of order 😅 however, I got that👍 Thank you very much IMSAI Guy 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
@donaldviszneki8251
Жыл бұрын
I would have liked to see more devices tested like more capacitors and inductors. A memristor is also probably a good demo for a similar reason. I wonder if there are more interesting curves to be found.
@rorymacleod8488
Жыл бұрын
Can you compare device 1 and 2. ? Can you show us the difference between a switching and an amplifying transistor ,,,,like a 2n2222 and an 2n3906. ?
@doogle4144
Жыл бұрын
Why does a capacitor show up as a circle?
@doogle4144
Жыл бұрын
Also, would the traces be the same with AC current and DC current?
I've only seen a curve tracer, like this one, one time. I perceive it is a Techtronics as it is very similar to the one I saw. When I saw it, another tech was using it to match transistors. I was pretty green back then, and I reached out and tapped the collector, and I got 2 instant surprises, one I got an electric shock, and two, I burned my finger, just as the tech was saying ''don't touch that!". :o( ... I haven't seen on since that time, but I've seen many curves like you demonstrated. Thank you for you explanation and demonstation. (BTW ... what is the model number of this one?)
@IMSAIGuy
11 ай бұрын
TEK 576
@robinbrowne5419
Жыл бұрын
R = V / I = 10v / 10mA = 10v / 0.01A = 1000ohm = 1Kohm
@georgelivanes2832
10 ай бұрын
Hi, I love your videos (think i have watched them all) You are an excellent teacher with just enough theory to get the point across I have a Telequipment CT71 (TEKTRONIX's poor mans version of your tracer, still useful, goes to 1,000v and 2 amps and can switch between two transistors for matching) I never understood how to use it properly till I watched your video Have made a note on the CT71 to watch your video before operating Hopefully I now will stop cremating Transistors I too would love a follow up on testing jfets, mosfets, thyristors, scr's (as the CT71 Operations manual is very poor) Watching the curves and spraying parts with spray freeze is a good test for parts with suspected thermal issues Please keep up the good work giving us the benefit of your vast experience
Fantastic, that explains a lot. Thank you. I'm kind of curious how other semiconductor devices such as diacs and triacs would appear on the tracer. Take care.
@EJEuth
Жыл бұрын
GREAT video-class about Curve-tracer. I just saw this video after the Neon & Lamp one. So the frequency is “slow” as 120Hz. And here you also showed the Zener + &. - sides; great to see. But obviously the best of all were the discussions about BJT testing! 👍👏👏
@goldendragon776
4 ай бұрын
thank you very much
@fredmitchel1236
Жыл бұрын
I care. And learned why the voltage sweep doesn't extend to the source voltage...or the transistor voltage drop is displayed.. To swing the most voltage in an amplifier, one would bias the base until the collector drops half the voltage such is you had 15 vdc as the supply, the collector would have 7.5 volts.. It is good you got every button to work... I suppose to generate curves from a mosfet ... You switch the base connection to voltage ?...and connect it to the gate
@robballantyne3
Жыл бұрын
Im curious. Is this a BJT only curve tracer or is there a section where you can set/sweep volts for FETs?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
yes, you can step volts on the gate and test FETs
@paularntson2216
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for a well organized and clear video. You answered all the questions I had about how one of these things works.
@arnotek
5 ай бұрын
You use your curve tracer in a number of your videos and I was confused on how it worked and what it was displaying. Now it makes perfect sense. Thanks!
@petersage5157
Жыл бұрын
Have you run across any in-production silicon transistors that have a relatively broad triode region (the area behind the knee), or know of any hacks to force a transistor to operate within this region? As I'm sure you know, a lot of booteek guitar pedal builders are trying to chase "that sweet, sweet triode tone" that comes from even order harmonic distortion, and most transistors are just too damn linear. There were a few jFETs that came close, but the ones that many builders loved are no longer in production because, in most applications, they were the inferior device; the properties that made them objectively inferior are exactly what made them desirable for distortion.
@paulz8750
10 ай бұрын
Almost embarrassed to say at the age of 62, as an electronics person having worked most of my life within large companies where money was no object, including those that made equipment that went on war ships, I never new this equipment existed! Thankyou so much for demonstrating it.
@HitAndMissLab
Жыл бұрын
For ages I wanted to make a high current (10A) curve tracer, because there are none on the market, except these old ones which are too expensive. @IMSAI Guy would it be possible for you to come up which such circut, driven by something simple like Arduino.
@mike94560
Жыл бұрын
In college I used to go for the Tektronics curve tracer with the highest voltage 1500V vs the other one at 500V. Made testing PIV on diodes much more fun. Turn knob carefully until you see the knee and take note of that voltage for class. Then really crank it and watch the fun-o-meter. They mostly just pop. Not much smoke.
@NONFamers
Жыл бұрын
This brings back fond memories - I have used a curve tracer a couple of times in the lab at the Danish Academy of Engineering (DIA) during my studies, primarily for matching transistors for use in a differential amplifier. Later, I when I did my final year thesis, I built a measuring rig for tracing reverse-bias characteristics of BJTs and FETs on a PC, mainly in order to get that knowledge without the company (for which I did my thesis) having to fork out the price of a curve tracer they would not be using much apart from taking the odd reverse-bias characteristic. Thanks for sharing!
@timc3600
10 ай бұрын
Thanks. Useful.
@donaldviszneki8251
Жыл бұрын
What I would love to see would be a video where you compare nonlinearities discovered on the IV curve to intermodulation / mixer conversion efficiency using something like a spectrum analyzer with tracking generator, though you'd need a second signal of some kind. Dows anyone manufacture any kind of test equipment for this specifically? Maybe even some kind of network analyzer to show fundamental attenuation.
@colonelbarker
Жыл бұрын
I'd love an episode where you show how to use a 123 / 221 to demodulate digital FSK signals. Just throwing that out there!
@toddanonymous5295
Жыл бұрын
Hi IMSAI Guy, Nice video. I see you did the same mod on your 576 as I did on mine ( tooth pick mod ). Everyone needs to be careful and make sure the test toggle switch is in the center position before touching. My old 575 doesn't have the safety features the 576 does, but smells better when running :) .
@CrispyCircuits
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, great explanation and the circuit diagram helped a lot. Showing the resistor trace and then tying it into the ends of the traces as being the same resistor trace (more or less) made everything clear.
@HA7DN
Жыл бұрын
Nearly got my hand on one (well, two with a friend, wanted to make at east one good one from the two) last year, from a facebook seller who had no idea what they were selling, also in unknown condition. Sadly they also could not even write a sentance in their own primary language, always said something about their iphones and we had no idea what on earth they wanted to say. So now it's building time!
@noisefilter
Жыл бұрын
So far the best explanation of input and output IV characteristics of transistors. Thanks!
@JackBlack-lq4ir
Ай бұрын
Can you test vacuum tubes with a curve tracer?
@IMSAIGuy
Ай бұрын
www.myvintagetv.com/TEK576Tube.htm
@edgeeffect
Жыл бұрын
Came here to check out your cool test equipment, ended up learning how current limiting resistors work. :)
@kennywang6222
7 ай бұрын
You are the best
@TheEmbeddedHobbyist
Жыл бұрын
Great video, used to look at diodes on a wafer. Used the diodes as very accurate temperature sensors so needed to have the wafer characteristics determined after any changes. You don't see many curve tracers in R&D labs now days.
@davidfhadley1
Жыл бұрын
Never understood , until now, what that curvre meant. Nice job!
@Architector120
Жыл бұрын
Wanna see ne-2 neon bulb curve on this device... negative resistance might be interesting to investigate...
@tombouie
9 ай бұрын
Thks
@Yuēhàn24
Жыл бұрын
It's a Zener diode, not a zeener.!
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
I avoid being sesquipedalian but many people I know are pedantic
@berniegaona9920
Жыл бұрын
Perfect tool when looking for "leaky" transistors.
@eddyhariyadie
Жыл бұрын
Thanks you
@rajive67
Жыл бұрын
One of the best explanations I have seen on KZitem for a Curve Tracer! 💯👏
@joeteejoetee
Жыл бұрын
I'm also curious to see how high value Resistors may change value at high voltages.
@greatestunknown
11 ай бұрын
Thanks for demystifying the curve tracer. And I couldn't help but notice your use of the Sakura pen. I've used these 'lacquer' pens for touching up the etch resist of PCB layouts just before etching. I would guess that's why you happen to have one around.
@IMSAIGuy
11 ай бұрын
about the pen, I used Razor fine tip pens decades ago and I find the Sakura better. no I don't use them on PCB
@mr.fishfish570
Жыл бұрын
Awesome!
@atelier_HiFi
Жыл бұрын
Awesome job getting this baby to work right. Do you happen to have a few extras of those empty boxes for test fixtures printed? Interested to purchase or barter with Tex 576 parts that I see you need. Cheers, Pete
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
the 3D print file and PCB is here: www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Tektronix_576_Curve_Tracer_Test_Socket_33fb68bc.html
@atelier_HiFi
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy AWESOME! too bad pcbway did not recognize the 3d file for the box. It looks like they offer 3D printing as well.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
@@atelier_HiFi you can convert that to an STL or other file they can use.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
products.aspose.app/3d/conversion/3mf-to-stl
@ronostrenski8359
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. Great refresher training. 😊
@mickeythompson9537
Жыл бұрын
Very good explanation - these seemed not to come down to amateurs, but would have been very useful. (Is that a Moog Werkstatt, upper right?)
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
kzitem.info/news/bejne/qJim2YWIqKhnaG0
@jensschroder8214
Жыл бұрын
I'm glad the volts, amps and ohms aren't measured in imperial. Always nice in units of 1000.
@rayethridge9971
Жыл бұрын
Actually the British Association for the Advancement of Science defined Volt, ohm and farad in 1873. Doesn't that mean that they are "imperial" measurements?
@DieselRott
Жыл бұрын
Awesome video. How did you fix the tracer? It looks liker there were might be a few more fix videos missing :)
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
9 parts: kzitem.info/news/bejne/zHdu3al6fZqDeoI
@sammin5764
Жыл бұрын
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌷
@Forensic1Man
Жыл бұрын
WOW!! What a great demonstration of your restored curve tracer. You make me want to go out and buy one right now to go through the thousands of transistors, diodes, and other active electronic components in my stock room!! Again, great job of explaining your new tool! You are the best!
@inductr
Жыл бұрын
Maybe you already have a scope with x-y function, that does the trick.
@mseedman
Жыл бұрын
A rocking good video. We’ll done.
@paulpaulzadeh6172
Жыл бұрын
Transistor is controlled by VBE , IC will change , then IB will be changed. It is first VBE , then IC , and last is IB because of IC , the true equation is IB = IC /B , not IC = IB x B . That explain why we have transconductance in transistor.
@srtamplification
Жыл бұрын
You can also do the same thing with an o-scope in XY mode, using a simple divider circuit.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
those are called 'octopus' tracers.
@jj74qformerlyjailbreak3
Жыл бұрын
Ok I’ve settled this debate in my head, I’m searching FB for a cheap Curve Tracer. Wish me luck. On behalf of us, thirsty for knowledge, we thank you kind sir, for all that you share freely from your wealth of experiences. From me personally! You are my Edison
@ltlt6117
Жыл бұрын
Hello... I'm designing a 20db gain lna for rf signals using mmbr951 rf transistor but I have some problems my output signal can not be more than 1v p-p on 50ohm load and more than 1v p-p makes some clipping and distortion in my signal what I should to do for more voltages?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
just use a MMIC
@ltlt6117
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy my frequency range is 100mhz to 500mhz in some lna circuits we can see 20db gain or 10× amplitude but why we can't for example 300mv to 3v but we can amplify 100mv to 1v p-p ?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
there are plenty of devices that can do 180mW
@ltlt6117
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy can I make high amplitude rf amplifier with mmbr951 transistor???
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
@@ltlt6117 I feel like I'm doing your homework. the datasheet shows an amplifier
@polaraligned1
Жыл бұрын
@IMSAI Guy Where did you get that cool hood for the 576? I have never seen one before for these. I need a pair for my pair of 576's
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
www.thingiverse.com/thing:4216121
@polaraligned1
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy I guess you have a 3D printer....hopefully someone will start making and selling these on Ebay.
@markcummings150
Жыл бұрын
Since these are rare (read expensive), is there some modern circuit/device that you can use with your cro to add a curve tracer function.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
yes, but with limited capability. I built one: kzitem.info/news/bejne/0Hx-uoOHjXuaZmU
@markcummings150
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy thanks for the link. I’ve watched your curve tracer series now and feel much more educated to decide what to make. I’ve also seen a few kits for a reasonable cost. Having a limited capability is still a lot better than no capability.
@RicardoPenders
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for sharing this information, I made a simple analog circuit to give my cheap digital oscilloscope a curve tracer function when I set it to measure X/Y and now because you showed the working of the curve tracer I'm able to improve my circuit, I'm changing my load resistor into a variable resistor to have a bit more control, maybe I'll add some meters to measure voltage and current in real time too.
@chaolinshi1816
Жыл бұрын
专业谢谢❤
@rusty1187
Жыл бұрын
What is this machine you are using? who makes it?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
Tektronix 576 no longer made w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/576
@rusty1187
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy I have never seen a "dedicated" curve tracer! Pretty cool!
@PapasDino
Жыл бұрын
Great overview, learned a lot, thanks!
@joeteejoetee
Жыл бұрын
I'm curious to see the I/V differences between the number electrodes in a Nexie tube - I don't think this has ever been plotted before.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
Hmm, I guess there will be a small difference vs surface area. I might look at that.
@donaldviszneki8251
Жыл бұрын
You probably need a higher voltage than this machine is capable of, right?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
@@donaldviszneki8251 nope, this can do 1500V
@joeteejoetee
Жыл бұрын
@@donaldviszneki8251 This machine goes up to 1,500 Volts - that is why I suggested Nixie tubes.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
I measured a nixie and could not see any difference between digits
@MrMersh-ts7jl
Жыл бұрын
it's excellent to see the readout section working! Any info on what you needed to get it working?
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
Turn the brightness knob
@MrMersh-ts7jl
Жыл бұрын
@@IMSAIGuy hahaha. love the honesty! thanks for all you teach my man.
@IMSAIGuy
Жыл бұрын
@@MrMersh-ts7jl Of course I tried it at the beginning but later found out 0-9 did nothing and 9-10 was when the display came on. It was when I did a calibration. the manual said to turn the knobs full CW. I did feel pretty stupid and exited it worked at the same time. 😀
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