Question 8-30D3

A sweep amplifier is an essential component in display systems that utilize Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), such as oscilloscopes, radar displays, or older televisions. Its primary function is to generate and amplify the time-varying voltages or currents, typically sawtooth waveforms, required to electromagnetically control the electron beam's movement across the CRT screen. These amplified signals are then applied to the CRT's **deflection coils** (or plates in some cases). The magnetic fields produced by these coils steer the electron beam horizontally and vertically, creating the "sweep" or trace that forms an image or waveform. Therefore, the sweep amplifier directly drives the CRT deflection coils to achieve this beam movement. Option A is incorrect because a video amplifier's role is to process and amplify the actual picture or signal information that modulates the electron beam's intensity, not its position. Option C refers to resolver coils, which are part of an electromechanical transducer used for sensing angular position, completely unrelated to the function of sweeping an electron beam in a CRT.