Tektronix

Tektronix, Inc.
	File:Tektronix logo (2016).svg
	File:Tektronix HQ in Beaverton, Oregon - Building 50.jpg Building 50 at the company's headquarters
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Electronic equipment
Founded	1946; 80 years ago in Oregon, U.S.
Founders	Howard Vollum; Melvin Jack Murdock; Miles Tippery; Glenn McDowell;
Headquarters	Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.
Key people	Chris Bohn (President)
Products	Testing equipment; Measurement equipment;
Revenue	US$1,039.9 million (FY 2006)
Operating income	Increase US$118.7 million (FY 2006)
Net income	Increase US$92.4 million (FY 2006)
Number of employees	3,000 (2023)
Parent	Fortive
Website	www.tek.com

Tektronix, Inc., frequently referred to as Tek, is a U.S.-based enterprise specializing in the development of test and measurement instruments including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, as well as video and mobile testing protocols. Initially an independent entity, it currently operates as a subsidiary under Fortive, which was spun off from Danaher Corporation.

1946–1954

The company was originally established as Tekrad in December 1945 but adopted the name Tektronix in 1946. This change came about through the collaboration of partners Howard Vollum, Melvin Jack Murdock, Miles Tippery, and accountant Glenn McDowell, each contributing $2,600 for equal ownership stakes. Vollum, a physics graduate from Reed College and former Signal Corps technician, created the world’s first triggered oscilloscope in 1946—a significant innovation that positioned Tektronix as a market leader. The commercial debut of this technology was embodied in the model 511 oscilloscope produced between 1947 and 1953.

During this period, DuMont Laboratories dominated the oscilloscope market but offered their products at a considerably lower price point compared to Tektronix’s $795 unit. Despite this pricing disparity, Tektronix’s technological advancement secured its edge within the electronic test equipment sector.

Incorporated in 1946 with its base in Portland, Oregon, Tektronix expanded from a workforce of 12 employees in 1947 to approximately 250 by 1951. Founders Murdock and Vollum prioritized fostering a compassionate corporate environment alongside effective strategic management principles. By 1978, Tektronix had earned recognition as one of The 100 Best Companies to Work For in America.

By the year 1950, manufacturing operations extended into Washington County, Oregon, with headquarters relocating there following employee consensus. This expansion facilitated growth in both product offerings and overall business scale.

Additional insights into founder Howard Vollum’s contributions and early product developments that influenced Tektronix’s industry stature can be found at the Museum of Vintage Tektronix Equipment.

1955–1969

In 1956, an employee retirement trust acquired a substantial property in Beaverton, Oregon, which was subsequently leased back to Tektronix. Construction commenced in 1957, culminating with the company’s headquarters moving to this Beaverton location—known as Tektronix Industrial Park—on May 1, 1959.

During the late 1950s, Tektronix introduced the plug-in oscilloscope concept through its 530 and 540 series models. These allowed users to interchange horizontal sweep or vertical input modules easily. This modular architecture broadened functionality to include applications such as spectrum analysis, waveform sampling, cable testing, and transistor curve tracing. The series also featured delayed triggering capabilities that enhanced waveform stability.

By 1961, Tektronix unveiled its first fully portable oscilloscope—the model 321—which operated on both AC power and rechargeable batteries and marked a shift toward transistorized designs. The subsequent release of the all-transistor model 321A followed shortly thereafter.

The introduction of rectangular cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) came with the 560 series; notably, in 1964 Tektronix launched the model 564—the world's first widely manufactured analog storage oscilloscope—establishing a new benchmark despite earlier limited production efforts by other manufacturers.

In 1966, Tektronix expanded its product range with high-frequency oscilloscopes from the 400 series tailored for field use. Models such as the 422 (16 MHz), the 453 (50 MHz), and later the portable 454 (150 MHz) set new standards for performance and ruggedness. The United States military commissioned hardened versions of these oscilloscopes that remained influential well into the following decades.

1970–1985

Tektronix went public with its initial stock offering on September 11, 1963. In 1974, the company purchased a 256-acre site in Wilsonville, Oregon to establish a manufacturing plant dedicated to its imaging division. By 1976, Tektronix had grown to nearly 10,000 employees, making it the largest employer in Oregon. This expansion played a significant role in nurturing the emergence of the "Silicon Forest" technology cluster in Washington County.

By 1981, Tektronix's workforce in the United States had reached over 24,000, while its presence extended globally with operations across Europe, South America, and Asia. European production facilities were situated in Saint Peter's (Guernsey), Hoddesdon (United Kingdom), and Heerenveen (Netherlands). Certain oscilloscopes sold within Europe and the UK carried the Telequipment brand, although many retained the Tektronix label.

In Japan, Tektronix operated through a partnership with Sony Corporation under the joint venture Sony-Tektronix due to trade limitations. Eventually, Tektronix acquired full control of this venture. The Sony-Tektronix product line included lightweight oscilloscopes from the 300 series, such as models 314 and 370.

During the early 1970s, Tektronix introduced significant innovations with its 5000 and 7000 series oscilloscopes that featured extensive modular plug-in options and custom-designed integrated circuits manufactured internally. The rectangular cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) were also produced in-house. The 5000 series was aimed at general-purpose use, whereas the more adaptable 7000 series supported up to four plug-in modules. The high-performance model 7104, launched in 1978, was notable for achieving a pioneering bandwidth of 1 GHz.

Tektronix sustained its leadership in the test and measurement sector by prioritizing superior performance, reliability, and consistency through proprietary components and self-manufactured CRTs. The company also developed its own integrated circuit fabrication capabilities to support its product lines.

Tektronix instruments were instrumental in advancing developments in computing, telecommunications equipment, and research and development within the electronics industry.

The company's expertise cultivated specialized knowledge among its workforce, leading to successful spin-offs within the Silicon Forest such as Mentor Graphics, Planar Systems, Cascade Microtech, and InFocus. Tektronix broadened its offerings to include logic analyzers, digital multimeters, and signal generators. Its TM500 and TM5000 rack-mounted series provided customizable testing solutions tailored to specific customer requirements.

Additionally, Tektronix created microprocessor development systems (MDS), including the 8000/8002 series designed for software development and real-time processor emulation of chips like the 8080 and Z80. These systems evolved into advanced models such as the 8540/8550/8560 series that supported multiple processor architectures and operated on a UNIX-based operating system named TNIX. These platforms featured innovative integration between emulation hardware and UNIX terminals to streamline software development processes.

Despite their technical innovation and positive market reception, Tektronix eventually withdrew from the MDS market for reasons that remain unclear.

1986–2006

Throughout the 1980s, Tektronix encountered considerable difficulties stemming from its diversified business portfolio across various markets. This led to declining profits accompanied by workforce reductions, executive turnover, and asset divestitures. In 1994, Tektronix spun off its printed circuit board manufacturing division into Merix Corp., based in Forest Grove, Oregon. By the early 2000s, under CEO Richard H. "Rick" Wills, the company refocused operations following the tech bubble burst by concentrating on its core test and measurement products. This strategic narrowing of focus enabled Tektronix to reach a market valuation of $3 billion by 2006 but also made it an attractive acquisition candidate; it was subsequently purchased by Danaher Corporation in 2007.

Tektronix leveraged progress in signal sampling techniques and digital processing technologies to become a market leader in digital oscilloscopes. Transitioning from analog designs during the mid-1980s, it replaced legacy models from the 400, 5000, and 7000 series with digital lines such as the 11000 and TDS series. The 11000 series offered large rack-mounted laboratory instruments equipped with touchscreen interfaces and multiwaveform color displays compatible with both legacy and new plug-ins. Meanwhile, the TDS series enhanced portable oscilloscopes by incorporating greater storage capacity and measurement functionality. During this era, Tektronix also expanded its portfolio to include logic analyzers and signal generators.

By the mid-1990s, liquid crystal display (LCD) technology replaced CRT screens across Tektronix’s product range. The evolution of the 11000 series resulted in Mixed Signal Oscilloscopes (MSOs) featuring active matrix color LCD screens. The TDS line transitioned starting with monochrome LCDs on entry-level models like the TDS-210 while higher-end units adopted color LCDs delivering performance comparable to previous analog models from the 400 series. The TBS series emerged as an offshoot of TDS storage oscilloscopes. Later introductions included the TH series handheld digital oscilloscopes—compact devices powered by AC or batteries—that further strengthened Tektronix’s position in portable test equipment.

This commitment to advancing digital oscilloscope technology reinforced Tektronix’s competitive edge within its niche market segment and supported continued growth and influence throughout this period.

2007–present

On November 21, 2007, Danaher Corporation completed the acquisition of Tektronix for roughly . Prior to this transaction, Tektronix was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TEK. Danaher’s tender offer, which valued the company at approximately , concluded in less than six weeks and secured ownership of over 90% of Tektronix’s outstanding shares. Following the acquisition, Tektronix's Communications Business was separated into a distinct entity within Danaher, named Tektronix Communications.

Tektronix has maintained production of its digital oscilloscope series introduced during the 1990s, including the MSO, TDS, and TH product lines.

On February 1, 2016, Tektronix launched a refreshed corporate logo and realigned its strategic focus toward measurement solutions designed for computing, communications, and automotive industries. That same year, Danaher spun off several units, Tektronix among them, to establish Fortive as an independent company.

In 2019, Tektronix Video—which specializes in waveform monitors—merged with Telestream through a deal facilitated by Fortive.

More recently, manufacturing operations for oscilloscopes have been shifted to China.

Early oscilloscope models

For an extensive history of models, detailed resources such as Tektronix and Tektronix Collectors offer comprehensive data accessible via reference numbers associated with each Tek Product Series.

7000 series oscilloscopes and plug-ins (1970–1985)
5000 series oscilloscopes and plug-ins (1970–1985)
2000 series portable oscilloscopes (1978–unknown)
500 series oscilloscopes and plug-ins (1946–1970)
400 series portable oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers (1966–1989)
300 series portable oscilloscopes (1952–circa 1969)
200 series portable oscilloscopes (from 1975 onward)

'Non test' products

Tektronix expanded its portfolio beyond testing instruments by developing several notable technologies and product lines such as:

Tektronix 4014 computer terminal
Tektronix 405x graphical microcomputers
Tektronix 408x graphical minicomputers (including the original DRADIS system)
Tektronix FEM181 software for Finite Element Modeling
Tektronix 4115 color raster graphics emulator known as TGRAPH
Tektronix 4132 workstation powered by NS32016 CPU running UTek—an OS based on Unix—evolving from the Tektronix 6100 series
Tektronix 6100 series featuring NS32016 CPUs operating either a real-time OS (6110) or UTek Unix OS variants (6120/6130)
Tektronix 6200 series utilizing NS32016/NS32032 processors running UTek Unix OS
Tektronix 4300 graphics terminals and workstations equipped with Motorola 68020 CPUs running UTek Unix OS
Tektronix 4400 AI-focused systems using Motorola 68010/68020 CPUs running UniFLEX OS with support for Smalltalk-80, MPROLOG, Common Lisp, and FRANZ LISP environments
Tektronix XD88 Graphics Superworkstations powered by Motorola 88000 CPU running UTek V based on UNIX System V Release 3
Flatbed plotters designed to interface with Tektronix computing systems
TekXPress X terminals (later divested to Network Computing Devices)
Phaser-branded color printers—including early Solid Ink technology—later sold to Xerox in 1999
Television studio and video production equipment through former subsidiary Grass Valley Group; subsequently spun off and acquired by Thomson SA; currently owned by Black Dragon Capital

These ventures illustrate Tektronix’s deliberate diversification into computing and graphics markets alongside its core oscilloscope offerings, strengthening its industry presence through innovation and strategic acquisitions.

Noteworthy Personnel

Several distinguished figures have been part of Tektronix, playing key roles in advancing the company's innovation and market presence:

Howard Vollum: founder of the company, past president and chairman, contributor to WWII radar technology, and noted philanthropist.
Jean Auel: author and technical documentation specialist.
Kent Beck: engineer known for developing Extreme Programming methodologies.
Tom Bruggere: engineer; established Mentor Graphics in 1981; engaged in political pursuits.
Ward Cunningham: engineer; co-developer of Extreme Programming and creator of the wiki concept.
Miller M. Duris: served as a politician and community advocate.
Barrie Gilbert: inventor of the Gilbert cell electronic mixer circuit.
Robert W. Lundeen: former Chief Executive Officer and Director.
Steven McGeady: engineer who later became Intel Vice President and co-founder of Intel Architecture Labs.
Merrill A. McPeak: Director; previously Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
Keith Packard: engineer involved in developing the X Window System.
Randal L. Schwartz: recognized Perl programmer and author.
Norm Winningstad: engineer and founder of Floating Point Systems.
Rebecca Wirfs-Brock: engineer who led the first commercial implementation of Smalltalk; author on object-oriented programming topics.
Delbert Yocam: former president and chief operating officer; previously held COO position at Apple Computer.

External links

Official Tektronix website
The Spirit of Tek – Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary
Archive containing vintage Tektronix catalogs