George Frye: Difference between revisions

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|Countries=USA;
|Countries=USA;
|Affiliations=University of Kansas;Tektronix;Frye Electronics
|Affiliations=University of Kansas;Tektronix;Frye Electronics
}}  
}} co-invented the [[random sampling]] technique.
 
In 1973, he incorporated ''Frye Electronics'' to produce audiological test equipment <ref>George Frye: ''[https://www.electronicdesign.com/displays/george-frye-family-need-leads-better-hearing-aid-and-new-industry Family Need Leads To A Better Hearing Aid And A New Industry]''. Electronic Design, Nov 2008</ref><ref>[https://www.frye.com/wp/history/ Frye Electronics: History]</ref>.
 
He co-invented the [[random sampling]] technique.
 
* Project Engineer on [[4S2A]] (1966; see [http://w140.com/tek_4s2a_eng_spec.pdf Tektronix 4S2A Engineering Specification])
* Designed [[S-4|S-4 Sampling Head]] (1968)


George Frye grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City.  
George Frye grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City.  
After that, he attended Rockhurst College as a physics major.  
After that, he attended Rockhurst College as a physics major.  
He transferred to the University of Kansas and studied electrical engineering.  
He transferred to the University of Kansas and studied electrical engineering.  
As an undergrad project, he built a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_current carrier current] system for the campus.  
As an undergrad project, he built a [[wikipedia:Carrier_current|carrier current]] system for the campus.  
During these early years, George was active on ham radio (W0EZU) and eventually worked all continents.
During these early years, George was active on ham radio (W0EZU) and eventually worked all continents.


During undergrad, Frye worked at Wilcox Electric, initially in shipping,
During undergrad, Frye worked at Wilcox Electric, initially in shipping,
later on the assembly line, soldering, and later helping debug 10 kW shortwave
later on the assembly line, soldering, and later helping debug 10 kW shortwave transmitters.
transmitters.
   
   
As a grad student, also at the University of Kansas,  
As a grad student, also at the University of Kansas, under Professor Norris Nahman,  
under Professor Norris Nahman,  
he developed the [[random sampling]] technique under a grant from the US National Security Agency.
he developed the [[random sampling]] technique under a grant from the US National Security Agency.


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Their group was in a building on Barnes road. Later, they moved to the second floor of [[Building 50]] on the Tektronix Campus.
Their group was in a building on Barnes road. Later, they moved to the second floor of [[Building 50]] on the Tektronix Campus.


George's first assignment at Tek was to build a high speed  
George's first assignment at Tek was to build a high speed (around 100 MHz) square wave waveform generator for internal purposes.  
(around 100 MHz) square wave waveform generator for internal purposes.  
It didn't go into production.
It didn't go into production.


After Norm Winningstad left Tektronix in the mid-1960s,  
After Norm Winningstad left Tektronix in the mid-1960s, George Frye's manager was [[Al Zimmerman]].
George Frye's manager was [[Al Zimmerman]].


Frye is listed as "Project Engineer, Electrical" on the [[4S2A]] sampling plug-in for the [[661]].  
Frye is listed as "Project Engineer, Electrical" on the [[4S2A]] sampling plug-in for the [[661]].  
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He decided to leverage the very short turn-off time of Tek's Schottky diodes.  
He decided to leverage the very short turn-off time of Tek's Schottky diodes.  
This led to the invention of the traveling wave sampling gate, [[Patent US 3629731A|US patent number 3629731]].  
This led to the invention of the traveling wave sampling gate, [[Patent US 3629731A|US patent number 3629731]].  
In this new sampling gate design,  
In this new sampling gate design, the aperture time is not a function of the length of the sampling strobe pulse.  
the aperture time is not a function of the length of the sampling strobe pulse.  
Only the falling edge matters. Another way of viewing this is that conventional sampling heads depended on the  
Only the falling edge matters. Another way of viewing this is that conventional sampling heads depended on the  
sampling pulse having a high second derivative, whereas the new design only required a high first derivative.  
sampling pulse having a high second derivative, whereas the new design only required a high first derivative.  
This led to a significantly faster sampling head.  
This led to a significantly faster sampling head.  
The first product using this new sampling gate design was the [[S-4]],  
The first product using this new sampling gate design was the [[S-4]], which has a rise time of 25 picoseconds.
which has a rise time of 25 picoseconds.
 
===After Tektronix===
George Frye left Tektronix in 1972.
In 1973, he incorporated ''Frye Electronics'' to produce audiological test equipment <ref>George Frye: ''[https://www.electronicdesign.com/displays/george-frye-family-need-leads-better-hearing-aid-and-new-industry Family Need Leads To A Better Hearing Aid And A New Industry]''. Electronic Design, Nov 2008</ref><ref>[https://www.frye.com/wp/history/ Frye Electronics: History]</ref>.


George Frye left Tektronix in 1972. He formed Frye Electronics in 1973.
Frye Electronics produces instruments for measuring the performance of hearing aids.  
Frye Electronics produces instruments for measuring the performance of hearing aids.  
As of May 2023, George is still actively involved with Frye Electronics.
As of May 2023, George is still actively involved with Frye Electronics.
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{{Designer|George Frye}}
{{Designer|George Frye}}
* Project Engineer on [[4S2A]] (1966; see [http://w140.com/tek_4s2a_eng_spec.pdf Tektronix 4S2A Engineering Specification])
* Designed [[S-4|S-4 Sampling Head]] (1968)
{{Patents|George Frye}}
{{Patents|George Frye}}


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