Nuvistor
Nuvistors are miniature, rugged, metal-ceramic enclosed vacuum tubes introduced by RCA in 1959 (first being the 7586). There are used in many Tektronix products of the 1960s.
As high-impedance buffers (cathode follower), Nuvistors were replaced by JFETs. As voltage amplifiers, they were mostly replaced by BJTs. Some products such as the 1A1 and 453 started production with Nuvistors and then later switched to transistors.
Nuvistors, like all tubes, eventually need to be replaced. They are no longer manufactured but they are still available online from old stock.
Another repair option is to convert the circuit to use a transistor. In at least one case (the 422), JFETs can be plugged directly into the Nuvistor sockets with no further circuit modification, and proper function of the scope is restored.
Links
Pictures
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Several nuvistors
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Dimensional drawing (6CW4)
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7587 Nuvistor
Nuvistors used in Tek gear include:
| Page | Class | Manufacturer | Model | Part nos | Description | Used in | Designers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6CW4 | Vacuum Tube (Triode) | 6CW4 | 154-0323-00 | Nuvistor triode | 1A7 • 3A8 • 3B2 • 3S76 • 6R1 • 565 • S-311 | ||
| 7586 | Vacuum Tube (Triode) | 7586 | 154-0306-00 | Nuvistor triode | M • 1A1 • 1A2 • 1A5 • 10A2 • 10A2A • 11B1 • 11B2A • 321 • 321A • 3A1 • 3A1S • 3A3 • 3A5 • 3A6 • 3A7 • 3A8 • 3A74 • 3S76 • 3T77 • 3T77A • 3B5 • 4S1 • 4S2 • 6R1 • 6R1A • 9A1 • 9A2 • 82 • 86 • S-311 | ||
| 7587 | Vacuum Tube (Tetrode) | 7587 | 154-0465-00 | sharp-cutoff Nuvistor tetrode | 184 | ||
| 7895 | Vacuum Tube (Triode) | 7895 | 154-0378-00 | Nuvistor Triode | 3B1 • 3B1S • 3B3 | ||
| 8056 | Vacuum Tube (Triode) | 8056 | 154-0417-00 | low-voltage Nuvistor triode | 422 • 502 • W • 1S1 • 3A7 • 3S3 • 3T4 • 5T3 • 10A1 | ||
| 8393 | Vacuum Tube (Triode) | 8393 | 154-0461-00 | Nuvistor triode | 453 • 454 • 1A6 • 1A7 • 503 |