Electrostatic Deflection

As you should know, there are two ways to move an electron (and thus an electron beam): either with a magnetic or with an electrostatic field. Because of this, there are three possible ways to move or deflect an electron beam in a CRT: magnetically, electromagnetically, and electrostatically. All three ways are used in electronics. In general, though, electrostatic and electromagnetic deflection are used most often. Your TV set, for example, uses electromagnetic deflection, while much of the test equipment in the Navy uses electrostatic deflection.

ELECTROSTATIC DEFLECTION uses principles you are already familiar with. Namely, opposites attract, and likes repel. Look at figure 2-24, view A. Here you see an electron traveling between two charged plates, H₁ and H₂. As you can see, before the electron reaches the charged plates, called DEFLECTION PLATES, its flight path is toward the center of the screen. In view B, the electron has reached the area of the deflection plates and is attracted toward the positive plate, H₂, while being repelled from the negative plate, H₁. As a result, the electron is deflected to the right on the inside of the screen. You, the viewer, will see the spot of light on the left side of the CRT face (remember, you are on the opposite side of the CRT screen). This is shown in view C.

Figure 2-24. - Deflection in a CRT.

A spot of light on the left-hand side of the CRT screen, however, is no more useful than a spot of light in the center of the screen. To be useful, this spot will have to be converted to a bright line, called a sweep, across the face of the CRT screen. We will explain the manner in which this is done by using figure 2-25. In view A, five electrons are emitted in sequence, 1 through 5, by the electron gun. The right deflection plate, H₂, has a large positive potential on it while the left plate, H₁ has a large negative potential on it. Thus, when electron 1 reaches the area of the deflection plates, it is attracted to the right plate while being repelled from the left plate. In view B, electron 2 has reached the area of the deflection plates. However, before it arrives, R1 and R2 are adjusted to make the right plate less positive and the left plate less negative. Electron 2 will still be deflected to the right but not as much as electron 1. In view C, electron 3 has reached the area of the deflection plates. Before it gets there, R1 and R2 are adjusted to the mid-point. As a result, both plates have 0 volts applied to them. Electron 3 is not deflected and simply travels to the center of the CRT screen. In view D, electron 4 has reached the area of the deflection plates. Notice that R1 and R2 have been adjusted to make the right plate negative and the left plate positive. As a result, electron 4 will be deflected to the left. Finally, in view E, the left plate is at its maximum positive value. Electron 5 will be deflected to the extreme left. What you see when you are facing the CRT is a bright luminous line, as shown in view E. While this description dealt with only five electrons, in reality the horizontal line across a CRT face is composed of millions of electrons. Instead of seeing five bright spots in a line, you will see only a solid bright line.

Figure 2-25. - Horizontal deflection.

In summary, the horizontal line displayed on a CRT or on the face of a television tube is made by sweeping a stream of electrons rapidly across the face of the CRT. This sweeping action, or scanning, is performed by rapidly varying the voltage potential on the deflection plates as the electron stream passes.

Vertical Deflection

As we mentioned earlier, a CRT can be used to graphically and visually plot an electronic signal, such as a sine wave. This is done by using a second set of deflection plates called VERTICAL-DEFLECTION PLATES. Examine figure 2-26. You are looking at the front view (facing the screen) of a CRT, back into the tube at the deflection plates. In normal usage, the horizontal plates sweep a straight line of electrons across the screen from left to right while the signal to be displayed is applied to the vertical deflection plates. A circuit of this type is shown in figure 2-27. We will use this figure to explain how a sine wave is displayed. First, however, you need to understand what is happening in view A. The box on the left of the CRT labeled HORIZONTAL-DEFLECTION CIRCUITS is an electronic circuit that will duplicate the actions of R1 and R2 used earlier in making up a horizontal line. How it works will be discussed in a later NEETS module. Notice T1; the output of this transformer is applied to the vertical-deflection plates. The signals applied to the vertical plates are 180 out of phase with each other. Thus, when one plate is attracting the electron beam, the other will be repelling the electron beam. Because you are only concerned with what happens inside the CRT, this circuitry will be eliminated and only the CRT and its deflection plates will be shown, as in view B.

Figure 2-26. - Arrangement of deflection plates in a CRT, front view.

Figure 2-27. - Vertical deflection in a CRT.

Now look at view C. While this illustration looks complicated, don't let it worry you. You have already analyzed more complicated diagrams. The sine wave in the center of the screen is the signal that will be displayed as a result of the two 180 out-of-phase sine waves applied to the vertical-deflection plates. The five spots on the center sine wave represent the five electrons used to explain horizontal deflection. Only now these electrons will be deflected both vertically and horizontally. Time lines T1 through T5 represent the time when each like-numbered electron reaches the area of the deflection plates. Because you already know how the electron beam is swept or deflected horizontally, we will not discuss horizontal deflection. Just remember that from T1 to T5, the electron beam will be continuously moved from your left to your right. Now that you know where everything is on the illustration, you are ready to discover how a sine wave is displayed on a CRT.

At time 1 (T1), the sine waves applied to both vertical-deflection plates are at their null points, or zero volts. As a result, electron 1 is not vertically deflected and strikes the CRT at its vertical center. At time 2 (T2), the sine wave applied to the top plate is at its maximum negative value. This repels electron 2 toward the bottom of the CRT. At the same time, the sine wave applied to the bottom plate is at the most positive value, causing electron 2 to be attracted even further toward the bottom of the CRT. Remember, the beam is also being moved to the left. As a result, electron 2 strikes the CRT face to the right of and below electron 1. At time 3 (T3), both sine waves applied to the vertical-deflection plates are again at the null point, or zero volts. Therefore, there is no vertical deflection and electron 3 strikes the CRT face in the center of the vertical axis. Because the electron beam is still moving horizontally, electron 3 will appear to the right of and above electron 2. At time 4 (T4), the sine wave applied to the top vertical-deflection plate is at its maximum positive value. This attracts electron 4 toward the top deflection plate. The upward deflection of electron 4 is increased by the negative-going sine wave (at time 4) applied to the bottom deflection plate. This negative voltage repels electron 4 upward. Thus, electron 4 strikes the CRT face to the right of and above electron 3. Finally, at time 5 (T5) both input sine waves are again at zero volts. As a result, electron 5 is not deflected vertically, only horizontally. (Remember, the beam is continually moving from right to left.)

While this discussion is only concerned with five electrons, vertical scanning, or deflection, involves millions of electrons in a continuous electron beam. Instead of seeing five spots on the CRT screen, you will actually see a visual presentation of the sine wave input. This was, as you remember, described earlier as the unique feature of the CRT. You may have wondered why so much space in this chapter was taken up with the discussion of the CRT. There are two reasons for this. First, the field of electronics is in a constant state of evolution. Transistors replaced most vacuum tubes. Transistors are being replaced by integrated circuits (ICs). As you progress in your career in electronics, you will find that the equipment you work on will follow this evolution, from transistors to IC chips. Of all the tubes discussed in this text, the CRT is the least likely to be replaced in the near future. Thus, in all probability, whether your career in electronics lasts for only the time you spend with this text or 20 years, the CRT will be your constant companion and co-worker.

The second reason for this rather extensive coverage of the CRT is that, while the CRT has a unique ability, it operates exactly like all the tubes previously discussed.