Tektronix plug-in interchangeability

Ok, this is a problem that was well known back in the days of yor, but is very important!

TM500, 5000, and 7000 plugins do *NOT* interchange! Not in any way, shape or form.

It is a stupid shame that that is so, but it is.

The 5LXX are spectrum analyzers that work in the 5000 series scopes. The 7LXX are spectrum analyzers that work in the 7000 series scopes.

Similarily, back in the days of the tube scopes, plugins for the 545 family [531,535,541,545,547,551,555,...] didn't fit the 585 family [581,585]

They looked similar, but were keyed differently.

-Chuck

Norm Dresner wrote:

Not compatible but I have seen an adapter that would let you use T&M 500 and

5000 modules in a 7000 scope.

Quite sure there was lota of pin crossovers on the pcb.

If you download or have the T&M 500--505 manuel you will have the information to use the protype module.

In the 70' I used one to make a plugin digital volt meter to fit in a 5000 storage scope.

Just recently purchased some T & M stuff and reclaimed the protype module for a different use.

There is a Tekscopes yahoo group with several retired Tek employees as members.

Hugh

virgin,

plug-in

plug-ins

The short answer is no.

The 5000 series scopes and the TM500 use the same mechanical package. They're keyed so they won't interchange, but the keys are plastic and they wear on the fiberglass board and eventually break, defeating the key. If you cross plug the series, you'll make a LOT of smoke.

The 5000 and 7000 series scopes have some interface similarities. The power supply voltages are different. I once considered making an adapter to make a 5CT1 into a 7CT1. Needed voltage regulators in the adapter. A 576 fell into my lap, so the project got aborted. mike

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virgin,

plug-in

7000

plug-ins

As long as the 5000 series plug-ins will mechanically fit the TM50x mainframe, I have a source for cheap "blanks" in which I can make a bunch of things I need ... I paid almost as much for the blank kit I bought last week as I have for some of the plug-ins.

Are the 7xxx packages mechanically similar to the 5xx ones?

Thanks to everyone for the info.

Norm

AFAIK, the TM500 series was designed for the then existing plugins (CA, W, Z, L, S, etc). All others have a different form factor and connector configuration.

Well....they're both rectangular. 5xxx is smaller and shorter. Different connectors.

It's been a long time and all my 5000 scope stuff has gone to dumpster heaven. As I recall, the metal parts are identical. The connector is identical. But the wiring of the connectors is NOT. The blank TM500 plugin in my hand has only two connections tied together. Don't think I've ever seen a scope blank. There was a minimalist 5000 scope plugin with the scope interface and power supplies.

Be sure to check that it's compatible with what you're plugging it into.

5000 scope has regulated supplies. The TM500 has two floating transformer windings and three high current unregulated power supplies tied to each hole. Get that wired wrong and you can have a nice campfire in your lab.

Also be aware that there are a lot of gotchas building TM500 plugins. The power supply is rated at 33V, but the trough voltage at low line and high load is 22V as I recall. At high line, the peak voltage at light load is higher than a 3-terminal regulator can take. And this doesn't consider line transients above that. The plugin is rated for 15W total dissipation...on a good day...but it's gonna get really toasty.

The mainframe transistors can easily be overheated if you're not careful. Don't assume infinite heat sink when calculating power dissipation. Protect the mainframe transistors. When they short, they usually blow up your plugin...and the next one you stick in cause the first one quit. Hot plugging is a good way to smoke the transistors.

I've bought a bunch of TM500 mainframes. They ALWAYS had at least one weak or bad mainframe transistor. Check 'em before you plug in anything important.

mike

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The first thing I bought after I got the TM504 was a CD with "every" TM5xx XY5zw mainframe and plug-in service manual on it -- they're still available from one seller on eBay but it's worth easily 10 times what I paid for it.

The second thing I bought is an extender cable so I could test not only the mainframe itself but also individual plug-ins.

Then I bought a couple of connectors so I can create my own plug-in development station.

I'm aware of the nature of the TM5xx power supply and it's limitations but your cautions are well-founded and good words for others to hear.

I may be in the market for yet another mainframe soon but in the meantime I'm buying three categories of plug-ins 1) guaranteed working 2) simple enough to repair -- or rebuild if necessary 3) trash for blanks and here's where I'll buy the 'scope plug-ins, not for using as-is

It's a wonderful start-of-retirement project and it'll stand me in good stead when I start to develop the real electronic gear I want.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Norm

May I ask what the blank chassis cost you? Where did you find it?

-

----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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of

week

eBay!

$40 + S/H

Norm

"Norm Dresner" wrote in news:DvF9d.512295$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

TEK used to have a TM500 rear-interface manual with all the rear pinouts and data for most if not all of the TM500 plug-ins.IIRC,it also gave specs for available voltages and currents from each of the TM mainframe supplies.I don't have the part number for it anymore,or a copy,either.Try TEGAM for data,they bought the TM500 line from TEK.

The TM500/5000 slots could also be KEYED for custom PIs,or for special rear interface I/O's. Other PI's would not fit unless you jammed them in and destroyed the plastic key,which was not hard to do.

The 5K connectors are similar but NOT interchangable with the TM500/5000. Different pinouts and supplies.

The 7K interface is ENTIRELY different.

7K interfaces "connectors" were made up of -individual- contacts soldered to the interface PCB,with a custom plastic body and covers to keep the contacts tension aginst the plug-in's edge connector. Essentially TEK-made. They were NOT purchased like the TM500 or 5K connectors.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

mike wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@juno.com:

Don't think I've ever seen a scope blank. There was a

SC501(500Khz??),SC502(15Mhz),SC503(10 Mhz&storage) and SC504 (80 Mhz and a lot of trace noise)scope PIs for TM500/5000 MFs.The first was a single-wide PI for simple monitoring,the 3 others were 2-slot scopes and were fairly useable,although with tiny CRT screens.

TEk service centers used to have a custom test plug-in used with a scope,DMM and variac to test the individual slots,even tested pass xstr beta and B-E drops.Not a catalog item,IIRC.It also tested each slot with external load resistors.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

Robert Baer wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net:

No,those were 500 series tube-type scope PIs.(the old boat-anchor scopes)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

rear

I just went to the TEGAM website and while they have a lot of information about the plugins, they all appear to have been discontinued so that only repair parts will be available for a while (and not new instruments). But if they're a source of stuff, that's wonderful.

When I asked the OP question about the compatibility of other series plug-ins, I was really looking for chassis that I could refurbish into new devices and all I was really interested in was mechanical compatibility. Fortunately I've just completed a private deal to buy 4 unused 50x plug-in chassis and won't be needing any more for a while.

I did get the TM50x service manual which includes the rear-interface manual information with the CD that had the other service manuals as well.

Thanks for the info.

Norm

single-wide

This sounds like a wonderful use for a junker plug-in and I'll probably do just that.

Thanks for the suggestion Norm