Today, I had the pleasure of acquiring a Tektronix 11801C for a great price. This device is a true monster of its era, boasting impressive capabilities that make it a valuable addition to specialized labs.
The 11801C comes equipped with 4 slots that can accommodate CSA/1180X series sampling heads, with up to 2 inputs per head. And with option 1M, it can be expanded with up to four SM11 units, each of which can hold up to 16 sampling heads.
One of the most impressive features of the 11801C is its sampling head, the SD-24. This head boasts a usable bandwidth of up to 20GHz and comes with corresponding PC 3.5mm connectors that are SMA compatible. It also includes two TDR pulse generators that can drive 10mA into 50 Ohms in a mere 23pS, as measured by my unit (original 17.5ps).
When the 11801C was first released, it had a price tag of $23500, which is roughly $52000 in today’s currency (2022).
Upon receiving the device, my first task was to backup all of the roms. This proved to be quite an adventure, as it required me to remove the top cover and take out all of the boards to access the proms.
One task that took quite a while was removing the shielded cage in which the two acquisition units are located. This cage had to be removed in order to access the acquisition memory. But once I discovered that the side fixture could be removed, the task became much easier.
By the time I discovered that you could remove the side fixture it was easy going with removing some MCX connectors.
The flash dumps should in a few days be available on K04BB’s website.
Flash Dumps
Here are the flash dumps of all the different roms of the Tektronix 11801C as well as the two sampling heads I own (SD-24 & SD-26).
Acquisition Board
The firmware is for both boards
| Designator | Tektronix No | Memory Type | Version | Board | Year | Offset | Filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U610 | 160-4288-05 | 27C512 | 9.02 | A25 | 1994 | 3891 | A25_A28_U610_U611_160-4288-05_1994_3891.BIN |
| U611 | 160-4288-05 | 27C512 | 9.02 | A28 | 1994 | 3891 | A25_A28_U610_U611_160-4288-05_1994_3891.BIN |
Memory Board
| Designator | Tektronix No | Memory Type | Version | Board | Year | Filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U800 | 160-6988-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U800_160-6988-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U810 | 160-6986-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U810_160-6986-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U820 | 160-6984-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U820_160-6984-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U830 | 160-6979-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U830_160-6979-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U900 | 160-6989-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U900_160-6989-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U910 | 160-6987-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U910_160-6987-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U920 | 160-6985-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U920_160-6985-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
| U930 | 160-6978-08 | 27C010 | 4.05 | A18 | 1997 | A18_U930_160-6978-08_1997_VER_4_05.BIN |
MMU/Display
| Designator | Tektronix No | Memory Type | Version | Board | Year | Offset | Filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U140 | 160-6976-02 | 27C512 | 4.00 | A15 | 1994 | DBBC | A15_U140_160-6976-02_1994_DBBC.BIN |
| U150 | 160-6977-02 | 27C512 | 4.00 | A15 | 1994 | B063 | A15_U150_160-6977-02_1994_B063.BIN |
Time Base Controller:
| Designator | Tektronix No | Memory Type | Version | Board | Year | Offset | Filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U300 | 160-6983-03 | 27C512 | 4.03 | A5 | 1994 | DE21 | A5_U300_160-6983-03_1994_DE21.BIN |
| U310 | 160-6981-03 | 27C512 | 4.03 | A5 | 1994 | D6F5 | A5_U310_160-6981-03_1994_D6F5.BIN |
| U400 | 160-6980-02 | 27C512 | 4.03 | A5 | 1994 | 1808 | A5_U400_160-6980-02_1994_1808.BIN |
| U410 | 160-6982-02 | 27C512 | 4.03 | A5 | 1994 | 1221 | A5_U410_160-6982-02_1994_1221.BIN |
SD-24
Content of the 93C64N of the sampling heads constant and serial number storage where B023517 is the serial number
SD-26
Content of the 93C64N of the sampling heads constant and serial number storage where B021834 is the serial number
