541

Manuals – Specifications – Links – Pictures

The Tektronix Type 541 is a 30 MHz* oscilloscope that accepts letter-series and 1-series plug-ins. It has a distributed amplifier and is exactly like the Type 545 except it does not have the Delayed Sweep (dual timebase) feature.

It was introduced in 1955 simultaneously with the 545, and was superseded in 1959 by the 541A, which has more convenient controls. For example, the 541 required the operator to set two rotary switches to get the desired sweep time/div. The 541A replaced the two-switch design with a many-position rotary switch. This was also the case with setting the calibrator amplitude, which involved two switches on the 541 and one switch on the 541A.

The 541's CRT is part number 154-098, also known as the T54. The standard phosphor is P2. The 541A uses the T65 CRT.

John Kobbe designed the 541 and contributed to the design of its CRT, realizing that there is a tradeoff between scan height and bandwidth. This is why the pre-B 540-series scopes have only four cm vertical deflection.

There are rackmount versions, Type RM41 and RM41A.

There is also a 541-S7 version, which has single-sweep mode.

A new probe, the P400 Series, was created for the 541/545, because the 10 MHz P510A rings on fast signals.

Key Specifications

• please add

* 33 MHz with a 50 MHz plug-in such as the Type 1A1.

Links

Documents referencing 541

Documents referencing 541A

Patents that may apply to 541

Page	Title	Inventors	Filing date	Grant date	Links
Patent GB 460562A	Improvements In and Relating to Thermionic Valve Circuits	William Spencer Percival	1935-07-24	1937-01-25	Distributed amplifier • 513 • 514 • 517 • 524 • 541 • 543 • 545 • 551 • 555 • 581 • 585 • 82 • 86 • 945
Patent US 2930986A	Distributed amplifier	John Kobbe • Bill Polits	1956-02-29	1960-03-29	Distributed amplifier • 513 • 514 • 517 • 524 • 541 • 543 • 545 • 551 • 555 • 581 • 585 • 82 • 86 • 945

Prices

541A Year Catalog price In 2026 dollars 1959 $1,200 ~$13,400

RM41A Year Catalog price In 2026 dollars 1959 $1,300 ~$14,500

Pictures

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  541A

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  Early 541 with square corners

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  541

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  541 left internal

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  541 right internal

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  541A trace

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  541A trace

Some Parts Used in the 541

Some Parts Used in the 541A