6E13N / 6Э13Н — Low-Voltage Metal-Ceramic Amplifier and Oscillator Tetrode
A compact Soviet high-frequency tetrode designed for voltage amplification and oscillation in equipment with low-voltage power supplies.
Overview
The 6E13N, written 6Э13Н in the original Russian documentation, is a metal-ceramic tetrode intended for voltage amplification and generation of oscillations in equipment using low-voltage power supplies. This application is stated directly in the 1981 Russian tube reference.
The tube is a compact four-electrode device with an indirectly heated cathode, control grid, screen grid, and anode. The manufacturer lists a mass of approximately 4 g. Its principal characteristic test point uses only 27 V anode and 27 V screen-grid voltage, distinguishing its intended operating region from high-voltage receiving-tube amplifiers.
Construction and Electrode Arrangement
The original drawing identifies A as anode, C1 as first/control grid, C2 as second/screen grid, K as cathode, and П as heater.
The grouped electrode connections are shown as 1, 2, 3 for the screen grid, 4, 5, 6 for the control grid, 7, 8, 9 for the cathode, and 10 and 12 for the heater, with a separate anode connection.
The metal-ceramic construction is appropriate to the manufacturer's compact, high-frequency low-voltage application.
Heater and Typical Operating Conditions
The manufacturer defines its basic test conditions as 6.3 V heater, 27 V anode, 27 V screen grid, and 68 Ω cathode resistance.
The relatively high transconductance at low electrode voltages is central to the tube's documented purpose. The low-current cutoff-region test indicates how strongly negative grid bias suppresses anode current.
Low-Voltage Amplification and Oscillation
The manufacturer describes the 6E13N as suitable for both voltage amplification and oscillation generation in equipment with a low supply voltage.
The published plate-current characteristics are plotted at 6.3 V heater and 27 V screen-grid voltage, with several control-grid biases. The curves show the anode-current response as plate voltage rises from low values.
The transfer curves also show anode current versus first-grid voltage for several screen-grid voltages, including 20 V, 27 V, and 34 V, at the specified anode-voltage condition. This demonstrates that screen voltage materially affects the current available at a given grid bias.
The datasheet does not prescribe one universal oscillator circuit or specify a maximum oscillator frequency; those should not be inferred from the device's classification alone.
Interelectrode Capacitances
The small feedthrough capacitance is relevant to limiting unwanted input-output coupling in high-frequency amplifier and oscillator circuits.
Microphonics and Service Life
The reference specifies ≤50 mV vibration-induced noise voltage with a 2 kΩ anode load, 50 Hz vibration, and 2.5 g acceleration.
It also gives a minimum operating life of 5,000 hours and a transconductance acceptance criterion of at least 4 mA/V.
These figures are distinct from the normal operating-current and capacitance specifications and are part of the manufacturer's performance and endurance assessment.
Limiting Operating Conditions
The high maximum anode-voltage figures are limiting ratings, not the recommended low-voltage operating conditions. The 27 V characteristic test point remains the principal example for the tube's intended application.
Technical Summary
The 6E13N / 6Э13Н is a compact 6.3 V metal-ceramic tetrode for low-voltage amplification and oscillator service. Its published 27 V anode / 27 V screen operating point gives approximately 7 mA anode current and 8.5 mA/V transconductance, with small input-output feedthrough capacitance.
Its distinctive combination of low-voltage operation, high transconductance, 5,000-hour minimum service life, and −60°C to +125°C ambient rating characterizes it as a specialized high-frequency amplifier and oscillator device.
