TSR-2 HUD Waveform Generator Prototype

Elliott
W.F.G. Unit
Type No.
Ref. No.
Ser. No. 001
Made in England
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[paper note]
Cintel Min WFG Prototype after TSR2
Repackage big display into small size.

This is a prototype of a re-designed Waveform Generator (WFG) for the Pilots Display Unit for the TSR-2 HUD. The WFG generated all the symbology required for the system but included new designs not just a re-packaging of the TSR-2 unit. In 1964 Elliotts had just acquired Rank Cintel so this is marked as an Elliott Unit.

The heart of the WFG was a variable period multivibrator which was used to trigger the generation of various positional steps to locate the start of symbol segments, ramp generators to produce the lines and a circle generator to produce sine & cosine waves at 1kHz for a 2° circle and 4kHz for a 0.5° circle. This was before the ready availability of Integrated circuits but does have a few in the form of plastic packaged bistables (even this was progress compared with the original TSR-2 WFG where the bistables were constructed from discrete components - 12 bistables per PCB of about 7x5 inches).

The rest of the circuitry was built up using discrete components. The transistors were very difficult to work with as they were something like 50 thou square with 8 thou solid gold leads. Special solder had to be used as the gold would migrate into normal solder and just disappear!
There was also a Power Supply Unit which conditioned power for the WFG but also held the analogue 'X' and 'Y' Deflection Amplifiers.

The variable period multivibrator was invented by Brian Patrickson and patented by Rank Cintel in his name. The multivibrator started life in that WFG and was used in the later Carrier Landing System supplied to NAD at Bedford for the Sea Vixen. The item was provided by Brian Patrickson in January 2002.