Control grid Control grid The control grid is an electrode used in amplifying thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) such as the triode, tetrode and pentode, used to control the flow of electrons from the cathode to the anode (plate) electrode. The control grid usually consists of a cylindrical screen or helix of fine wire surrounding the cathode, and is surrounded in turn by the anode. The control grid was invented by Lee De Forest, who in 1906 added a grid to the Fleming valve (thermionic diode) to create the first amplifying vacuum tube, the Audion (triode). In a valve, the hot cathode emits
Triode 22.5V if an anode current of I = 2.25mA is chosen. If the input voltage amplitude (at the grid) changes from −1.5V to −0.5V (difference of 1V), the anode current will change from 1.2 to 3.3mA (see image). This will change the resistor voltage drop from 12 to 33V (a difference of 21V). Since the grid voltage changes from −1.5V to −0.5V, and the anode resistor voltage drops from 12 to 33 V, an amplification of the signal resulted. The amplification factor is 21: output voltage amplitude divided by input voltage amplitude. Triode A triode is an electronic amplifying vacuum