They also attempted to make schematics logically cohesive, if possible. For example, in oscilloscopes signal paths are typically differential and DC coupled, but there are often sections where high and low bandwidth components are fed through different paths. In Tektronix schematics these symmetries and asymmetries, which paths are critical and which aren't, which things may look symmetric but are not, these are all very visible. This isn't always possible, though. For example, the Z blanking signalling in 7000 series scopes is distributed over approximately six or seven circuit boards just in the main frame, and the schematic drawers clearly came to their limits trying to pull this together into cohesiveness.
If you compare this to the schematics of more modern electronics, they are often madness. Even though it is far simpler to re-arrange schematics using EDA, it clearly isn't done a lot, because parts are sprinkled around randomly, everything is just on one enormous sheet or everything is randomly split up across sheets with numbered net names making connections etc.
If you compare this to the schematics of more modern electronics, they are often madness. Even though it is far simpler to re-arrange schematics using EDA, it clearly isn't done a lot, because parts are sprinkled around randomly, everything is just on one enormous sheet or everything is randomly split up across sheets with numbered net names making connections etc.