Students Generating and Analyzing Electronic Signals, San Francisco State College (Updated last month)

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Two students collaborate at an electronics workstation in a laboratory at San Francisco State College, adjusting equipment to generate signals and observing waveform output on an oscilloscope. The scene captures practical instruction in electronic signal generation, measurement, and analysis.

Tags: faculty, staff, and administration , historic technology , students and alumni

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-1862
  • Context: <p><strong>Main Device in Front (center-right):</strong></p> <p><strong>Tektronix Type 561A Oscilloscope</strong></p> <ul> <li>A highly respected analog oscilloscope from the 1960s.</li> <li>The screen is showing a <strong>waveform</strong>&mdash;likely a sine wave.</li> <li>Used to visualize voltage signals over time in real-time.</li> <li>Multiple knobs: vertical gain, sweep speed, trigger, etc.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Black Device Sitting on Top of the Oscilloscope:</strong></p> <p><strong>General Radio Company Type 874-D R.F. Unit or similar</strong></p> <ul> <li>A <strong>signal generator or RF bridge</strong>.</li> <li>These were used to analyze circuit response over a range of radio frequencies.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Rack-mounted Devices (left side of image):</strong></p> <p>These are <strong>electronic test instruments</strong>, probably including:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Function Generators</strong> &ndash; Generate sine, square, and triangle waves.</li> <li><strong>Frequency Counters</strong> &ndash; Measure the frequency of input signals.</li> <li><strong>Amplifiers or Attenuators</strong> &ndash; Control signal strength.</li> <li><strong>Power Supplies</strong> &ndash; Provide regulated voltage to circuit experiments.</li> </ol> <p>Most likely made by <strong>Hewlett-Packard</strong>, <strong>General Radio</strong>, or <strong>Tektronix</strong>, based on knob layout and faceplate style.</p> <p>&nbsp;<strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: Negative
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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