Audio Video Engineering

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Picture Tubes

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Picture Tubes

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 Picture Tubes
Introduction
Picture Tube
Monochrome Tube
Color picture tube

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Monochrome Picture Tube

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 Picture Tube

The picture tube is very similar to the cathode-

ray tube used in an oscilloscope.
The glass envelope contains an electron Gun
structure that produces a beam of electrons
aimed at the fluorescent screen.
When the electron beam strikes the screen, light
is emitted.
 The Picture Tube
A monochrome picture tube has one
electron gun and a continuous phosphor
coating that produces a picture in black
and white. For colour picture tubes the
screen is formed of three different
phosphors and there are three electron
beams, one for each colour phosphor.
The three colours are red, green and blue
produced by three phosphors combined
to produce different colours.
 ELECTROSTATIC FOCUSSING
• The electric field due to the positive potential at the
accelerating grid extends through the opening the of the
control grid right to the cathode surface.
• The orientation of this field is such that besides
accelerating electrons down the tube. It also brings all
the electrons in the stream into a tiny spot called the
cross over. This is known as the first electrostatic lens
action.
• The electrode voltages are so chosen or the electric field
is so varied that the second point where all the electrons
get focused is the screen of the picture tube.
Electrostatic focusing is preferred over magnetic focusing
because it is not affected very much by changes in the
line voltage.
 BEAM VELOCITY
• In order to give the electrons stream sufficient velocity to
reach the screen material with proper energy to cause it to
fluoresce, a second anode is included within the tube.
• This is a conductive coating with colloidal graphite on the
inside of the wide bell of the tube.
• This coating called aquadag usually extends from almost half
way into the narrow neck to within 3 cm of the fluorescent
screen.
 DEFLECTION YOKE
It may be noted that a perpendicular displacement
results because the magnetic field due to each coil
reacts with the magnetic field of the electron beam
to produce a force that deflects the electrons at right
angles to both the beam axis and the deflection field.
Deflection Yoke

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 11

 BEAM DEFLECTION
• As already stated the electron beam must attain a
very high velocity to deliver enough energy to the
atoms of the phosphor coating. Because of this the
electrons of the beam remain under the influence of
the deflecting field for a very short time.
• This necessitates application of high deflecting fields
to achieve the desired deflection. It is very difficult to
generate such high voltages at the deflection
frequencies. On the other hand with magnetic
deflection it is a large current that would be
necessary to achieve the same deflection.
 BEAM DEFLECTION
• Since it is more convenient to generate large currents
than high voltages. All picture tubes employ
electromagnetic deflection. With electrostatic deflection
the beam electros gain energy. Thus, larger deflection
angles tend to defocus the beam.
• The deflection plates need to be placed further apart as a
deflection angle is made larger. Thus requiring higher
voltages to produce the same deflection fields.
• Magnetic deflection is free from both these shortcomings
and much larger deflection angles can be achieved
without defocusing or nonlinearities with these
consequent saving in tube length and cabinet size.
 Picture Tube

The beam is deflected by a pair of deflecting

coils mounted on the neck of the picture
tube in the same way and rate as the beam
scans the target in the camera tube.
The amplitudes of the currents in the
horizontal and vertical deflecting coils are so
adjusted that the entire screen, called raster,
gets illuminated because of the fast rate of
scanning.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 14

Sequential and Interlaced Scanning

• Sequential and Interlaced scanning: The division of picture into many horizontal lines called
scanning. Scanning can be compared with that of reading a page of a book. We start at the
top, read all the words in the first line from left to right, and then return rapidly to the left to
read the next line, and so on, until we reach the bottom line of the page. Similarly, a camera
tube scans the horizontal lines one by one.

• The television picture is scanned in a sequential series of horizontal lines, one under the
other as shown in figure. This scanning makes it possible for one video signal to include all
the elements for the entire picture. At one instant of time, the video signal can show only
one variation. In order to have one video signal for all the variations of light and shade, all the
picture details are scanned in a sequential order of time.

• The scanning makes reproduction of a television picture different from that of a photographic
print. In a photograph, the entire picture is reproduced at one time. In television, the picture
is reassembled line after line and frame after frame. This time factor explains why a television
picture can appear with the line structure form apart in diagonal segments and the
frames rolling up or down the screen.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 15

The TV picture is scanned in the same way as you would read a text page to cover all the words in
one line and all the lines on the page starting at the top left in figure all the picture elements are
scanned in successive order, from left to right and from top to bottom, one line at a time. This
method is called horizontal linear scanning. It is used in the camera tube at the transmitter to divide
the image into picture elements and in the picture tube at the receiver to reassemble the
reproduced image.
The sequence for scanning all the picture elements is as follows:

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 16

• 1. The electron beam sweeps across one horizontal line, covering all the picture elements in
that line.
• 2. At the end of each line, the beam returns very quickly to the left side to begin scanning the
next horizontal line. The return time is called retrace, or flyback. No picture information is
scanned during retrace because both the camera tube and the picture tube are blanked out
for this period. Thus the retraces must be very rapid, since they are wasted time in terms of
picture information.
• 3. When the beam has returned to the left side, its vertical position is lowered so that the
beam will scan the next line down and not repeat the same line. This is accomplished by the
vertical scanning motion of the beam, which is provided in addition to horizontal scanning.
• As a result of the vertical scanning, all the horizontal lines slope downward slightly from top
to bottom. When the beam is at the bottom, vertical retrace returns the beam to the top to
start the scanning sequence again.
• To obtain the maximum amount of the picture detail and to avoid flicker, interlaced scanning
is used. In interlaced scanning, each picture is scanned twice by the camera. The camera tube
first scans the odd lines 1, 3, 5 and so on and skips the even lines 2, 4, 6 etc., unit it
completes one field from top to bottom. After the first field is over, the camera tube scans
even lines 2, 4, 6 and so on and skips odd lines completely its second field. These two fields
are interlaced together from the complete picture as shown in figure (a) and (b). Half i.e., 312
½ lines are scanned during odd line scanning and 312 ½ lines are scanned during even line
scanning.

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• Since two fields are scanned for each frame, the repetition rate of the fields becomes 50 per
second. Since 50 Hz is the AC mains line frequency, vertical scanning frequency of 50 Hz
simplifies thedesign of the TV receiver and TV transmitter power supply filters. Also, if
interlaced scanning is not used, then there is a large gap between the first line and the
625th line with the result that bottom of the picture looks brighter as compared to the top.
Interlaced scanning is best suited for TV Transmission.
•

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 18

• Advantages of Interlaced Scanning:
• 1. Avoids flicker
• 2. It is better than sequential scanning.
• 3. Conserves bandwidth.
• Differences between Progressive and Interlaced Scanning:
S,no Progressive scanning Interlaced scanning

01 In this every successive line In this the electron beam first scans
is being scanned. odd lines from top to bottom and
then it scans the lines those are
skipped in the previous scanning.

02 The effective no: of pictures The effective no: of fields scanned

scanned per second are 25 per second are 50 frames/sec.
frames/sec.

03 Flicker problem will occur. Flicker problem is avoided.

04 Total no: of lines scanned at Total no: of lines scanned at a time

a time from top to bottom are from top to bottom are 312 ½ lines.
625 lines.

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 Scanning

The scene is scanned rapidly both in

the horizontal and vertical directions
simultaneously to provide sufficient
number of complete pictures or frames
per second to give the illusion of
continuous motion.
Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 20
 Scanning
• The scanning is process performed in picture
tube to convert optical information into
electrical signal.
• The fine and sharp electronic beam is used to
scan the focused image and beam convert
optical information to electrical signal
,element by element and line after line , till
entire picture/image is scanned.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 21

 Scanning of the element is
done at a very fast rate and this
process is repeated a large
number of times per second to
create an illusion of
simultaneously pick up &
transmission of picture detail
Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 22
 Scanning may be identified as a
particular process which permits the
conversion of information existing in
space and time coordinates into time
variations only.

The electrical information obtained from

the TV camera tube is generally
referred to as video signal

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir

SSM 23
 Horizontal Scanning

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 24

 Vertical Scanning

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 25

 Horizontal and Vertical Scanning

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir SSM 26

 Composite Video Signal
• Composite Video Signal: The composite video signal is the video signal into which blanking and
synchronizing pulses are inserted at proper timings.
• Composite video signal consists of a camera signal corresponds to desired picture information,
blanking pulses to make the retraces invisible and synchronizing pulses to synchronize the transmitter and
receiver scanning.
• Video signal of the composite video signal varies in between 10 % to 72 % levels. The 10 % level of the
signal corresponds the peak white level while the 72 % level of the signal corresponds to peak dark level.
Gray shades are represented by the signals with the amplitude level varying in between 10 % and 72 %
levels.
• Blanking pulses are placed from 72 % level to 75 % level. Sync pulses are placed from 75 % level to 100 %
level (both vertical & horizontal during the blanking periods).
• Peak White level: 10 to 12 % level is called peak white level because when video signal is having this
amplitude a peak white spot is produced on the picture tube.
• Peak Black level: 72% level is called black level. This level produces blackness on the raster.
• Blanking level: 75 % level is called blanking level because the blanking pulses are inserted at this level.
• Pedestal Height: The difference between blanking level and average brightness level is called pedestal
height.
• DC level or average brightness level: This level corresponds to the average value of the complete frame.

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 Compatibility
• Compatibility means that
• 1) The color television signal must produce a normal
black and white picture on a monochrome receiver
without any modification of the receiver circuitry.

• 2) A color receiver must be able to produce a black

and white picture from a normal monochrome
signal. This is referred to as reverse compatibility

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 28

 Compatibility
To achieve this, that is , to make the system fully
compatible the composite color signal must meet the
following requirements:

 It should occupy the same bandwidth as the

corresponding monochrome signal .

 The location and spacing of picture and sound carrier

frequencies should remain the same .

 The color signal should have the same luminance

(brightness) information as would a monochrome signal
have , transmitting the same scene .

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 Compatibility
 The composite color signal should contain color
information together with the ancillary signal needed
to allow this to be decoded.

 The color information should be carried in such a

way that it does not affect the picture reproduced on
the screen of a monochrome receiver.

 The system must employ the same deflection

frequencies and synch signals as used for
monochrome transmission and reception.

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 Compatibility
• In order to meet the above requirements it
becomes necessary to encode the colour
information of the scene in such a way that it can
be transmitted within the same channel
bandwidth of 7 MHz and without disturbing the
brightness signal.

• Similarly at the receiving end a decoder must be

used to recover the colour signal back in its
original form for feeding it to the tricolour
picture tube.

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 COLOUR TELEVISION DISPLAY TUBES
• The colour television picture tube screen is
coated with three different phosphors, one for
each of the chosen red, green and blue
primaries.
• The three phosphors are physically separate
from one another and each is energized by an
electron beam of intensity that is proportional
to the respective colour voltage reproduced in
the television receiver.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 32

 COLOUR TELEVISION DISPLAY TUBES
• The object is to produce three coincident
rasters with produce the red, green and blue
contents of the transmitted picture.
• While seeing from a normal viewing distance
the eye integrates the three colour
information to convey the sensation of the
hue at each part of the picture.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 33

 COLOUR TELEVISION DISPLAY TUBES
• Based on the gun configuration and the
manner in which phosphors are arranged on
the screen, three different types of colour
picture tubes have been developed.
These are:-
• 1. Delta-gun
• 2. Guns-in-line or Precision-in-line (P-I-L)
• 3. Trintron Colour
Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 34
 Delta-gun colour picture tube

(a) guns viewed from the base (b) electron beams, shadow mask and dot-triad
Prof phosphor screen (c) showing application of ‘Y’ and colour difference signals
35
Manzoor between the cathodes and control grids
 DELTA-GUN COLOR PICTURE TUBE
• This tube was developed by Radio Corporation on
America (R.C.A). It employs three separate guns on
for each phosphor. The guns are equally spaced at
120 degree interval with respect to each other and
tilted inwards in relation to the axis of the tube. They
form an equilateral triangular configuration.
 Drawbacks of the Delta-gun Tube
• Convergence is difficult and involves considerable
circuit complexity and service adjustments. In
most delta-gun tubes, four static convergence
magnets and a dynamic convergence assembly
are employed.
• The focus cannot be sharp over the entire screen
because the focus and convergence planes
cannot remain coincident for the three beams
which emanate from guns positioned at 120°
with respect to each other around the tube axis.
• The electron transparency of the mask is very low
since it intercepts over 80 percent of the beam
currents.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 37

 PRECISION-IN-LINE (P.I.L.) COLOUR PICTURE TUBE

(a) in-line guns (b) electron beams, aperture grille and striped three colour
phosphor screen(c) mountings on neck and bowl of the tube.
Prof Manzoor 38
Ahmad Mir
 PRECISION-IN-LINE COLOR PICTURE
TUBE
• This tube as the name suggests has three guns which are
aligned precisely in a horizontal line. The gun and mask
structure of the P.I.L tube together with yoke mounting.
The inline gun configuration helps in simplifying
conversions adjustments. The color phosphors are
deposited on the screen in the form of vertical strips in
triads which are repeated along the breadth of the tube.
To obtain the same color, finest as in a delta gun tube the
horizontal spacing between the strips of the same color
in adjacent traids is made equal to that between the dots
of the same color in the delta gun tube.
 Coma Effect
• Due to nonuniformity of the deflection field all the
beams are not deflected by the same amount. As
shown in Fig. the central beam (green) deflects
by a smaller amount as compared to the other
two beams.
• For a different nonuniformity of the deflection
field, the effect could be just opposite producing
too large a displacement of the central beam.
• Such a distortion is known as coma and results in
misconvergence of the beams.

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 Trintron (cathodes in-line) colour picture tube

(a) gun structure(b) electron beams, vertical-striped three colour phosphor screen
(c) constructional, focus and convergence details
Prof
Manzoor 41
Ahmad Mir
Interleaving of the colour signal

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 frequency interleaving
• Frequency interleaving in TV transmission is
possible because of the relationship of the video
signal to the scanning frequencies which are used
to develop it

• It has been determined that the energy content

of the video signal is contained in a individual
energy bundles which occur at harmonics of the
line frequency ( 15.625, 31.250.. Khz)

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 frequency interleaving
• The components of each bundle being separated
by a multiplier of the field frequency.
• The shape of each energy bundle show peak at
the exact harmonic of the horizontal scanning
frequency
• The vertical side band contain less energy
• Note that the energy content progressively
decrease with increase in the order of harmonics
and is very small beyond 3.5 Mhz from picture
Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 44
 frequency interleaving
• Therefore it is found that part of bandwidth of
monochrome TV is goes unused because of
spacing in energy bundle .
• This suggest that available space could be
occupied by another signal
• It is here where color is located by modulating
the color difference signal with color sub carrier
• The carrier is so selected that side band fall exact
mid way between the harmonic of the line
frequency
Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 45
 frequency interleaving
• To avoid cross talk sub carrier is chosen at high
side of channel bandwidth
• For PAL ( Channel BW 7Mhz)
• (2*283+1)15625/2= 4.43Mhz
• For NTSC ( Channel BW 6Mhz)
• ( 2*227+1)15750/2=3.58Mhz

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Monochrome TV Receiver

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 Monochrome TV Receiver has the
following blocks.
• 1. TV Receiving Aerial: the TV signal radiated
by the transmitter has to be intercepted. For
this anantenna with high gain, Broad Band,
highly directional is used. Yagi-uda multi-
element array is preferred. Impedance of the
aerial should match the impedance of the
transmission line. The aerial also selects the
required signal and rejects unwanted signals.

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• 2. Tuner: Also called RF Tuner/ Front end.
Signals from Aerial are amplified, down
converted to intermediate frequency. Band
and channel selection is also carried out here.
This is a separate, sealed and riveted
unit mounted away from other circuits. Unit’s
body is grounded to avoid interference by
other strong signals. Delayed AGC is used
at RF amplifier.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 49
• 3. VIF Amplifier: The output of RF Tuner has
two intermediate frequencies i.e. video IF
(38.9 MHz) and sound IF (33.5 MHz),
occupying a band width of 7 MHz. Most of the
amplification and selectionis done here. This is
also a separate, enclosed unit. Keyed AGC is
used at the base of 1st IF Amplifier.

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• 4. Video Detector: The output of VIF section is
around 2 to 5VPP. This is fed to video detector
to separate various signals i.e., video, AGC,
inter carrier SIF. A special diode driven into
saturation has many harmonics at its output.
Using LPF, signals above 5 MHz are filtered
out. OA 79, Ge, heavily doped, point contact
diode is used for detection.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 51

• 5. Video Output Amplifier: Output of video
detector which is around 2 to 5 VPP is
amplified by a single stage broad band,
voltage amplifier to give an output of 80 VPP.
Wave Trap is used to prevent 5.5 MHz inter –
carrier SIF (38.9 – 33.4 MHz = 5.5 MHz) and
disturb the picture. Output of this amplifier is
fed to picture tube.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 52

• 6. Picture Tube: This is a special type of CRT,
having widescreen with wide deflection
angle.Electromagnetic deflection and electro-
static Focusing is used. H and V deflection coils
moulded into a single unit ‘Yoke’
is mounted on the neck. Final anode is applied
with Extra high Tension (EHT) which is around
12 to 18 kV. Screen is formed by long
persistence P4 phosphor, which is a mixture of
cadmium tungstate and zinc sulphide. The
light radiated is Yellowish white. With proper
output from syn section, picture is displayed
on the screen. 53
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir
• 7. Sync Section: Output of video detector
which is composite video signal has H and V
sync pulseseither at top or bottom edges. By
feeding video signal to sync separator,
sync pulses can be separated. We can use
clipper circuit when the video signal is with
negative sync. Further, by using LPF, V- sync
can be separated. Using HPF, H sync pulses can
be separated. These pulses are used to
synchronize the H and V saw-tooth oscillators.
Output of these oscillators are amplified and
used to drive the deflection coils on the
picture tube. Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 54
• 8. Inter Carrier SIF Section: Output of
detector has 5.5 MHz, which is the result of
heterodyning between VIF and SIF (38.9 MHz
– 33.4 MHz). This has frequency modulated
Audio Signal. By using highly selective tuned
circuit (sound-take-off coil), 5.5 MHz is
separated. This is amplified and frequency
demodulated to recover Audio signal.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 55

• 9. Audio Section: Output from SIF section which is
weak AF signal is amplified both in terms of voltage
and power to drive the loud speaker. Finally, we
get sound output.
• 10. Power Supply: Various levels of DC voltages are
required for the operation of TV receiver. So, 230 V, 1
φ AC is rectified, filtered and regulated to provide
ripple free steady voltage to various stages. However
due to many advantages switch mode power
supplied (SMPS) are widely used now-a-days. EHT
and BHT required at picture tube is obtained from
Auxiliary power supply using Line
output transformer (LOT/EHT).

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 56

 Positive and Negative Modulation

• Positive and Negative Modulation:

• We use AM for video signal. Generally, the
amplitude of the carrier increases with increase in
amplitude of the signal and vice versa. This is called
“positive modulation”. AM is effected by noise.
• Generally noise, when occurs tends to increases the
amplitude of modulated signal. This increase causes
bright blobs (spots) on the screen, when ever noise
occurs. To over come this, negative modulation is
followed.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 57
• In negative modulation, the instantaneous
amplitude of the carrier decreases with
increase in instantaneous amplitude of the
signal. The resulting modulated wave has
white level at lower side, black levels at
higher level. So, whenever, noise occurs, due
to increase in amplitude, the level goes
towards less brightness level i.e., gray or black.
Thus, the effect of noise is minimized.
• In addition to reduced effect of noise in
negative modulation, there are many other
advantages.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 58
 Advantages of negative modulation over
positive modulation:

• (a) RF noise pulses will not cause adverse

effect on picture.
• (b) Greater peak transmitter power can be
possible.
• (c) AGC circuit will have stable level as
reference.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 59

• Thus, negative modulation is preferred in TV
broadcasting. Output frame camera tube
(video signal) when it reaches the modulator,
the polarity reversal is done so that
black level is at 72.5 % and whitelevel is at
12.5 %. Thus, negative modulation takes
place. However, strong noise pulses may cause
false triggering of deflection oscillator being
mistaken as sync pulses.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 60
 Differences between Positive and
Negative Modulation:
No Positive Modulation Negative Modulation
1. Affected by Noise. Effect of Noise is minimized.
2. Bright blobs (spots) appear on the No bright spots appear due to noise.
screen due to noise.
3. The instantaneous amplitude of The instantaneous amplitude of carrier
carrier increases with that of decreases with that of modulating signal.
modulating signal.
4. RF noise pulses cause adverse affects RF noise pulses will not cause any
on picture. adverse affects on picture
5. Peak Transmitter power is less. Peak Transmitter power is more.
6. AGC circuit does not have stable AGC circuit has stable referencelevel.
reference level.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Mir 61

 TV Camera Tubes
• TV Camera Tubes: Camera is the first and basic equipment in a TV. The input to a
camera is the light from the picture or scene to be televised and output obtained
from camera is the electrical pulses corresponding to the information contained in
picture.

• The TV Camera is just analogous to human eye. The basic principle of all TV
cameras is based on the fact the each picture of all TV Cameras is based on the
fact the each picture may be assumed to be composed of small elements with
different light intensity. The camera picks up each element and by transducing
action converts it into “electrical signal” proportional to its brightness there is a
photosensitive layer called target or image plate in each camera which performs
this job. At the same time simultaneous, pick up of this information is also
necessary for this purpose. There is an electron gun (which produces an electron
beam) which scans the image plate at a fast speed. Thus opto-electric conversion
as well as pick-up of the signal takes place simultaneously and at a fast speed.

• The image-orthicon, vidicon and plumbicon are some important electronic scan
camera tubes which find wide applications these days.

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• 1. Image Orthicon:

• It is a sensitive tube and is capable of handling a wide range of light values and
contrast. In a single envelope, it includes three sections:
• (a). Image Section: This section includes:
• 1. a photo sensitive surface, called photo cathode, operated at a very large
negative potential.
• 2. a target plate which is a thin plate of glass of low resistivity. Thickness is less
than 0.0002 in.
• 3. a screen located very close to target plate and has about 500,000 openings per
square inch.
• When the optical image is focused on the photo cathode, photoelectrons, in
proportion to the amount of light impinging, are emitted. Most of the
photoelectrons pass through the screen and hit the target plate.

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• As the photoelectrons are accelerated to several
hundred electron volts, they liberate several
secondary electrons from the target plate surface,
and are then collected by the nearby-screen which is
at a small positive potential. The emission of
secondary electrons from target plate leaves a
distribution of positive charge on its surface. The low
resistivity of target plate resists the lateral charge
flow on its surface and thus the image charge
pattern, formed on the plate, is truly restored as
such. Since the plate is thin, this charge pattern also
appears on the other side (away from screen) of the
plate.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 64

(b). Scanning Section: The otherside of the pattern is now scanned by a
beam of low velocity electrons generated by an electron gun. The beam is
deflected on the plate in vertical and horizontal directions and enables the
electron beam to scan the whole plate. This beam gives up the number of
electrons required to neutralize the positive charge at that point and
thus the returning electron beam varies in magnitude in accordance with
the brightness variation of the image. It should be noted here that since
the target portion affected by the white portion of the image will be
positively charged and hence the electron beam has to give up large
number of electrons to neutralize the positive charge at that point, i.e.,
the intensity of returning electron beam is much reduced and the video
signal developed across the output resistor for this part will be small. It,
therefore, concludes that the brightest part of image are transmitted as
the signals of low amplitude which is very advantageous in avoiding the
effect of strong noise at the receiver.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad Mir 65

• (c). Electron Multiplier Section: An electron multiplier is located within
the pick-up tube for amplifying the electron density variation in the
returning beam.
• Merits and Demerits:
• 1.It has high Sensitivity
• 2. The S/N ratio is better and its typical value is 30 dB.
• 3. It’s spectral response is close to eyes.
• 4. The ratio of signal current to illumination os gamma and it varies from
unity at low light to 0.5 at high light levels.
• 5. It produces no lag.
• 6. Size of image orthicon is bulky in nature.
• 7. It’s operation is elaborate.
• 8. It is very costly camera tube and life time of this camera tube is nearly
1500 to 6000 hrs.

Prof Manzoor Ahmad 66

2. Vidicon:
• This camera tube based on the photo conductive properties of semiconductors
i.e., decrease in resistance with the amount of incident light. The tube is shown in
figure. It consists of

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(a). Signal Plate: Which is a conducting metallic film very thin so as to be transparent.
The side of this film facing cathode is coated with a very thin layer of
photoconductive material (amorphous selenium). This side is scanned by electron
beam. The optical image is focused on the other side of this film.
(b).Scanning System: The electron beam for scanning is formed by the combination of
cathode, control grid-1, accelerating grid-2 and anode grid-3. The focusing coil
produces an axial field which focuses the beam on the film. Vertical and horizontal
deflection of the beam, so as to the scan the whole film, is accomplished by
passing saw-tooth current waves through deflecting coils which thus produce
transverse horizontal and vertical magnetic fields respectively. The alignment coils
are for initial adjustment of the direction of electron beam.
• Operation: When the scanning beam passes over the photo conductive material of
the signal plate, it deposits electrons so that the potential of this side of plate is
reduced to that of the cathode. But the otherside of the film (plate) is still at its
original potential. Consequently a potential difference across a given pointon the
photoconductive material is created. It is approximately 30 V. Before the next
scanning (which may be done after an interval of 1/50 or 1/25 sec.) the charge
leaks through photoconductive material at a rate determined by the conductivity
of the material which, in turn depends upon the amount of incident light.

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• White portions of the object will project more light on the film and make it more
conductive. This charge leaked to photoconductive side of the film will vary
according to illumination of the object. As a result, potential at every point on the
photoconductive side will vary. Now the electron beam again starts scanning the
photoconductive side of the film but this time the charge deposited by the beam
in order to reduce its potential towards zero (cathode potential) will vary with
time. Therefore current through RL (and hence the output voltage) will follow
the changes in potential difference between twosurfaces of the film and hence
follows the variations of light intensity of successive points in the optical image.
• Advantages:
• 1. Low cost.
• 2. Simple Adjustment.
• 3. Sensitivity is large.
• 4. Resolution of the order of 350 lines can be achieved under practical conditions.
• Disadvantages:
• 1. Owing to the fact that the resistance of the photoconductive film does not
change instantaneously with change of light intensity, different levels of light
intensity are adjusted with slight time slag.
• 2. The response characteristic is non-linear.

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3. Plumbicon:
• The construction of a plumbicon camera tube is similar to that of a standard
vidicon except for the target material. The plumbicon has a new type of photo-
conductive target, i.e., lead oxide of the form PbO. The figure below shows the
constructional features of a plumbicon camera.

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• Operation: The operation of a plumbicon camera tube can be best explained from the diagram. Initially,
when there is no light input, the PIN diode is reverse biased due to a positive potential appearing on
SnO2 coating (n-type) and p-type stabilized at a potential slightly below the cathode due to negatively
charged scanning beam. This results in a very small output current which is almost negligible. This is the
greatest advantage of a plumbicon camera tube especially when used with color systems. The photo
electronic conversion is almost similar to that of a standard vidicon except for the method of discharging
each storage element. In standard vidicon each element acted as a leaky capacitor with leakage resistance
decreasing with more light. Here when light falls on the target, the diode becomes forward biased upon
the extent depending upon light intensity. The forward bias on each diode results from the photo
excitation of the pure PbO and doped PbO junction. Thus the target behaves as a capacitor in series with
PIN diode.

• Merits and Demerits:

•
• 1. In plumbicons, the uniluminated or the dark current is negligible and also it is temperature
independent.
• 2. It has got high sensitivity and a high signal to noise ratio.
• 3. Resolution is good but not as good as that of a vidicon.
• 4. Operational gamma is unity.
• 5. It is compact and exhibits simplicity of operation.
• 6. It is free of spurious signals.
• 7. Susceptibility to damage by over loads is not as severe as it is in vidicons.
• 8. There are some forms of PbO which have spectral limitations.

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 Comparison of various camera tubes:
s.no Parameter Image Orthicon Vidicon Plumbicon
1. Photo electric Photo emission Photo Photo conduction
Conversion conduction
2. Sensitivity High Good Better
3. Illumination 750 - 1000 1500 - 2000 750 - 1000
(lumen
4. S/N Ratio 30 dB 50 dB 50 dB

Speed No lag Severe lag Reduced lag

5.

Resolution at 400 30 – 50 % 55 % 40 – 50 %
6. lines (5MHz)

Special response Close to eye Good Poor in Red

7.

Gamma 1.0 near black.0.5 near 0.4 to 0.9 0.9 to 1.0

8. high lights

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