Distributed deflection plates

In CRTs, a trade/off exists between writing rate, deflection sensitivity and spot size. Within a given technology (e.g. mono acceleration, post deflection acceleration or microchannel plate (MCP)), these three characteristics can be traded off against each other. Improve one and the others suffer. Improve the technology and all three can be improved simultaneously. Writing rate is important to observe single short-lived events, but is not important for repetitive signals. Spot size is important in showing detail in the waveform. Sensitivity is important mostly to permit greater bandwidth in vertical amplifiers.

Meshes that shield the deflection plates from the strength of post electron acceleration field and electron lenses both trade off sensitivity against spot size to varying degrees. They do, however, contribute net performance improvements.

CRTs have a finite frequency response and distributed deflection plates extend the CRT's bandwidth as well as aid the vertical amplifier by virtually eliminating the capacitive load on the vertical amplifier.

The CRT's frequency response is not as simple as an RLC circuit. A voltage step applied to the deflection plates simultaneously affects all the electrons between the plates. Those that are just exiting the plates see nothing as they continue on their way to the phosphor for display. Those that are at the entrance to the plates feel the effects of all voltage changes that take place during their transit through the plates. Therefore they bear the memory of any deflection plate voltage changes during their journey through the plates. The effects of any deflection plate voltage changes are delayed in proportion to their distance from the exit simply because it takes time for the electrons to travel to exit of the plates. This is what makes the frequency response so complicated.

For example, if it takes 1 ns for an electron to travel the length of the plates (usually one on each side of the electron beam) and a 1 GHz sine wave is applied between the plates, the full 360 degrees of the sine wave causes the electron to move up and down during transit. If the drive voltage is going up at the time an electron enters the deflection plate area, 1 ns later the drive voltage will be going down again, pushing the beam back to the center, i.e. there is no net deflection and the sensitivity is zero at this frequency.

Making the transit time shorter by shortening up the deflection plate improves the bandwidth, but reduces the deflection sensitivity by the same factor. Using a distributed deflection plate structure is a way around this, extending the bandwidth without reducing the deflection sensitivity. The only trade off is in complexity and therefore cost.

In the distributed deflection plate structure, the original deflection plates are cut up into individual segments. The capacitance of the deflection plates can then be made part of a lumped delay line by adding inductance between each of the plate segments. These inductors are actually inside the CRT.

Signals in any lumped delay line travel relatively slowly. If done correctly, the electron beam velocity equals the signal velocity down the lumped delay line. The signal and electrons travel together. This reduces the time the electron beam spends between any particular deflection plate pair by the number of plates. So the electrons keep seeing the same voltage no matter where they are along the structure.

The lumped delay line is terminated at the end of the deflection structure outside the CRT. The end of this delay line needs to be terminated to prevent the drive signal being reflected back through the line. In Tektronix scopes, the termination resistor can often be seen attached to a second pair of vertical deflection terminals on the side of the CRT, which bring out the end of the transmission line. The transmission line has absorbed the plate capacitance. This means the vertical amplifier is driving a resistive load and not the capacitance of a long deflection plate. In some scopes, even the output impedance of the vertical amplifier is equal to the CRT characteristic impedance. While this is not essential, it does reduce incidental reflections.

Note that the last deflection plates are often tilted and farther apart than the others. This is to prevent the deflection plates from intercepting and cutting off the electron beam at large deflections. The famous 545A's CRT has only 4 divisions of deflection because of vertical deflection plate interception.

The higher the required bandwidth of the CRT, the more likely the distributed deflection plate structure will physically look like a uniform transmission line than separate plates connected by wires.

Reality

A real deflection plate structure is slightly limited by the fact that the last deflection plates may be longer and more widely separated than the others. Furthermore, the characteristic impedance of the deflection plate structure may not be identical to that of the leads going into and out of the CRT. These are usually high impedance lines and difficult to make.

Vertical termination resistor (l) and amplifier (r) in a 7844

History

Distributed deflection plates were introduced in the 580-series scopes in the late 1950s. Transistorized scopes followed with the upgrade of the 50 MHz 453 to the 150 MHz model 454 in 1967.

Typically, only the vertical deflection plates are distributed. An exception is the 7104 due to the high horizontal system bandwidth required (350 MHz).

Use of Distributed Deflection Plates
Model	Distributed Y plates	Distributed X plates
11301	yes	no
11302	yes	no
2445	yes	no
2465	yes	no
2467	yes	no
453	no	no
454	yes	no
465	no	no
475	yes	no
485	yes	no
519	yes	no
53x	no	no
54x	no	no
55x	no	no
56x	no	no
58x	yes	no
7403	no	no
7503	no	no
7504	no	no
7603	no	no
7612D	no	no
7704	yes	no
7704A	yes	no
7844	yes	no
7854	yes	no
7903	yes	no
7904	yes	no
7904A	yes	no
7912	yes	no
7103	yes	yes
7104	yes	yes
7250	yes	yes
SCD1000	yes	yes
SCD5000	yes	yes

Literature

US Patent 2,922,074, "Electron Beam Deflection Structure" by Cliff Moulton
Peter Keller, The Cathode-Ray Tube: Technology, History, and Applications, . Palisades Press, 1991. ISBN 0963155903, 9780963155900
Oscilloscope Cathode-Ray Tube Concepts, Chuck Devere, 1969
Addis Analog Circuit Design Art, Science, Personalities

Distributed deflection plates in 154-0850-01 CRT (2445,2455)
Distributed deflection plates in T581 CRT (581,585)
Deflection system of 519 scope