7250

Manuals – Specifications – Links – Pictures

The Tektronix 7250 is a digitizing oscilloscope with 6 GHz bandwidth, optimized for digitizing single-shot events. It uses a scan converter CRT for digitizing. From the scan converter, the trace is transferred to memory boards containing conventional RAM.

The input is through a 50 Ω N connector on the rear panel, which loops through, rather than being terminated internally. Like in the 519, there is no vertical amplifier.

The captured waveform can be transferred to a computer via a GPIB interface or can be viewed on the built-in monitor, which is a conventional computer-style CRT display and has menus.

At 60 kg (132 pounds), it is the heaviest one-piece oscilloscope ever sold by Tektronix. It was made by Intertechnique in France where it was sold as the IN7000, and rebranded by Tektronix for sale in the United States.

Key Specifications

	— 7250 mainframe —
Bandwidth	6 GHz (measured as –3 dB @ 7 GHz, –6 dB @ 9.6 GHz, and –8.5 dB @ 14 GHz in Haas, Warman, van Ewijk, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 60 (3), March 1989)
Rise time	50 ps
Resolution	Vertical, 11 bits. The digitizer captures 512 samples in one shot.
Sweep	1 μs/div to 50 ps/div (1-2-5), equivalent to max. ~1 terasample per second
Sensitivity	fixed 500 mV/div (no vertical amplifiers in the signal path)
Max. input	2 kV spikes < 1 μs
Triggering	External only, requires 50 ns pretrigger signal
	— 7250 Opt. 01 External Delay Line —
Bandwidth	4.5 GHz
Rise time	≤75 ps
Delay	55 ns
Attenuation	4.5 dB
Input / output	50 Ω N connectors
Trigger pickoff	20 dB attenuation, 300 ps rise time, BNC connector

Links

• Tektronix 7250 advertising video, 1987 (VintageTEK Museum @ YouTube)

Patents that may apply to 7250

Page	Title	Inventors	Filing date	Grant date	Links
Patent US 4147988A	Channel multiplier plate CRT scan converter and scan conversion method	Dennis Hall	1977-06-02	1979-04-03	Scan converter • 7250 • Micro-channel plate CRT

Prices

7250 Year Catalog price In 2026 dollars 1988 $99,995 ~$279,100 1990 $104,000 ~$262,800

7250 Opt.01 Year Catalog price In 2026 dollars 1988 $12,500 ~$34,900 1990 $12,500 ~$31,600

Issues

The 7250 has two 3.6 V ½AA lithium batteries on each memory board. With time, these batteries die, which will cause the 7250 to fail its power-on self test. New replacements are still widely available.

Pictures

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  Trace

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  Menu

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  Front

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  Front inside

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  Rear

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  Rear inside

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  Memory board

Components

Some Parts Used in the 7250