Section 
IV 
the  de  offset  voltage  to  select  any  I 0 
dB 
portion 
of 
the 
80 
dB 
range.  The 
output 
of 
the  Video  Output  Circuit, 
ranging  from  0 V  to + 5 V  de, 
is 
applied to the rear  panel 
Y-AXIS  output  connector  and  to  the  Digital  Storage 
Section. 
4-16. 
Frequency 
and 
Sweep 
Section. 
4-17. 
The 
Frequency and Sweep  Section consists basically 
of 
a  Ramp  Generator, a Dial  Mixing  Amplifier,  a Voltage-
Tuned Local Oscillator (VTO) and a Tracking Oscillator. 
4-18. 
Ramp 
Generator.  The  Ramp  Generator  produces  a 
0 V to 
+5 
V linear ramp which 
is 
applied to the 
Dial 
Mixing 
Amplifier and to the Digital  Storage Section. The frequency 
of 
the  ramp 
is 
determined by the front panel 
SWEEP 
TIME 
setting.  The  FREQ 
SPAN 
control,  located  between  the 
Ramp Generator and 
Dial 
Mixing Amplifier, determines the 
amplitude 
of 
the  ramp  applied  to  the  VTO  and thus, the 
overall change in frequency produced by the ramp. 
4-19.  Dial  Mixing  Amplifier.  In  the 
Dial 
Mixing 
Amplifier, 
the  ramp  voltage 
is 
combined  with  a variable 
de 
voltage 
from the front panel FREQUENCY control. This 
de 
voltage 
establishes the  low-frequency limit or  "start frequency" 
of 
the VTO. 
4-20.  VTO.  The  VTO  generates  a  I 00 kHz  to  150 kHz 
square 
wave 
which 
is 
applied  to  the  Input  Mixer  in  the 
Amplitude Section and 
to 
the Tracking Oscillator. 
4-21. 
Tracking 
Oscillator. 
In  the  Tracking  Oscillator,  the 
100 kHz  to  150 kHz  VTO  signal 
is 
mixed with a  I 00 kHz 
signal 
from  a  crystal  oscillator. This  produces the  0 
Hz 
to 
50 kHz  tracking  signal  which 
is 
available 
at 
the rear panel 
TRACKING 
OSC 
OUT 
connector. 
4-22. 
Digital 
Storage 
Section. 
4-23.  Because 
of 
the  extremely  slow  sweep  rates  used  in 
the  3580A,  some  form 
of 
display  storage 
is 
required. The 
most  common  method  for  obtaining  display  storage 
is 
to 
use  a  storage  CRT  in  which the  display 
is 
retained by  the 
phosphor  or by  a "storage mesh" located behind the  CRT 
face.  Relatively  recent  advances 
in 
large-scale  integrated 
circuits,  however,  have  made  it  possible  to 
use 
a  digital 
storage  technique 
in 
the 3580A. Digital storage permits the 
use 
of 
a  standard  oscilloscope  CRT  and further  provides 
several  operating  conveniences  not  available  with  conven-
tional displays. 
4-24.  In  the  Digital  Storage  Section,  the  0 V 
to 
+ 5 V 
"frequency ramp" from the Frequency and  Sweep Section 
is 
applied  to an  A to D converter where it 
is 
converted to 
binary  and used  to  address  a  memory  bank.  At the 
same 
time,  the  detected video  information from  the  Amplitude 
Section 
is 
converted to binary by 
an 
A to  D converter and 
stored in  the memory locations addressed by the ramp. The 
binary  video  data 
is 
then  non-destructively  read 
out 
of 
memory,  converted 
to 
de,  processed  and  applied  to  the 
vertical deflection plates 
of 
the CRT. 
4-2 
Model 3580A 
4-25.  During the read cycle, a "display ramp," generated in 
the  Digital  Storage  Section, 
is 
used  to address the memory 
and drive  the horizontal deflection plates 
of 
the CRT. The 
display  ramp  scans  the  memory  and  sweeps  the  display 
approximately  50  times each second. This  is  a much faster 
rate  than that 
of 
the  frequency ramp used for storing data. 
The  memory contents are,  therefore, refreshed at the slow 
frequency-sweep  rate, while  data 
is 
read-out 
of 
memory at 
the  rapid  display-sweep  rate.  The  result 
is 
a  flicker-free, 
stored presentation. 
4-26. 
When 
the front  panel  STORE button 
is 
pressed, the 
display  currently  in  memory 
is 
processed  and  stored  in 
one-half 
of 
the memory locations. This 
leaves 
the other half 
of 
the  memory  available  for  the  refresh trace. During the 
read  cycle,  the  display  ramp  first  scans  the  memory 
locations  containing the refresh trace. 
It 
then recycles  and 
scans  the  locations  containing the previously  stored trace. 
Due 
to the rapid scan  rate 
of 
the  display  ramp, the stored 
trace  and  the  refresh  trace  appear  simultaneously 
on 
·the 
CRT. 
4-27. 
FUNCTIONAL 
DESCRIPTION. 
4-28. 
Amplitude 
Section. 
4-29.  Refer  to  the  Amplitude  Section  Detailed  Block 
Diagram (Figure 7-3) for the following discussion. 
4-30.  Input Attenuator.  The  Input Attenuator, controlled 
by  the  front  panel  INPUT  SENSITIVITY switch, 
serves 
as 
an 
input voltage  divider  and coupling network between the 
INPUT  connector and the  Input Amplifier. 
The 
attenuator 
is 
comprised 
of 
5  R/C  divider  networks.  These  networks 
provide  the  required  signal  attenuation  for  the  +30 
dB 
(20 V)  through  - 10 
dB 
(0.2 V)  ranges. 
On 
the  - 20 
dB 
(0.1  V) through - 70 
dB 
(0.2 mV) ranges, the Input Attenu-
ator 
is 
bypassed  by  the  Input  Sensitivity  switch  and  the 
input 
signal 
is 
applied directly to the Input Amplifier. Table 
1 
of 
the  Detailed  Block  Diagram  lists  the  maximum (full 
scale)  input  levels,  input  attenuation  and  resulting 
signal 
levels  applied  to  the  Input  Amplifier  for  each  INPUT 
SENSITIVITY setting. 
4-31.  Input  Amplifier.  The  Input Amplifier 
is 
a low noise, 
high  input-impedance  amplifier  circuit  which  provides 
variable  gain  and impedance conversion  between the Input 
Attenuator  and  the  Post  Attenuator. The  Input Amplifier 
gain,  controlled  by  the  INPUT  SENSITIVITY  switch, 
is 
approximately  Xl.25  ( + 1.8 
dB) 
on  the  + 30 
dB 
through 
- 50 
dB 
ranges  and 
is 
increased to 
Xl 
2.5  (+21.8 dB) on the 
- 60 
dB 
and  - 70 
dB 
ranges.  Table  1 
of 
the Detailed  Block 
Diagram lists the full-scale input levels, Input Amplifier 
gain 
and full-scale  output levels  for  each INPUT SENSITIVITY 
setting. 
4-32. 
Post 
Attenuator.  The  Post  Attenuator 
is 
a resistive 
divider  network  controlled  by  the  INPUT  SENSITIVTY 
switch  and  by  the  front  panel  slide  switch  that  selects 
dBV/LIN  or  dBm/600rl.  With  the  slide  switch  in  the 
dBV/LIN position, the post attenuation 
is 
- 5 
dB 
or -
15 
dB. 
With 
the switch in the dBm/600rl position, the attenuation