Introduction to the 5000-Series Oscilloscopes: Difference between revisions

== History of the 5000 and Subsequent Series of Instruments by [[Ahne Oosterhof]] ==

It was late 1969 when the low frequency scope group was about finished with the [[5030]] scopes (1969),  

when [[Val Garuts]] and I prepared the product proposal for what first became to be called the LF-Scopes,  

then the [[D10]]/[[5103N]] and finally the 5000-series.  

The proposal went two or three times to the Engineering Council before it was accepted (Jan 1970).  

The group was formed under leadership of [[Jerry Shannon]].

I had built a cardboard model of what we envisioned, half the scope for the CRT, etc.  

a standard height increment for 19” racks, and the mainframe with three plugins for less than $1000.

Above the plugins a strip of space was envisioned for plugin on/off switching, etc.  

and build that switching functionality into the individual plugins.  Seemed like a good idea.  

One year later (Jan 1971) with about 12 people on the project (EE, ME, manual, ecb)  

we had two scopes and three plug-ins in production using several new manufacturing methods  

rather than gold plated circuit boards, soldering active components in the board  

rather than using sockets, using low cost open potentiometers rather than fully closed ones.  

I had asked the mechanical designers under [[Bud Deibele]] to make the frame weak enough  

that it would fail any shake, shock and transportation test.  

In my second career, standing alone as entrepreneur/owner/general manager  

of a company (A-Laser, Inc.) I have made a lot of use of their teachings.

A description of most of the 5000 series products with a timeline can be found in this website: