One fairly short-lived movement in service equipment began with John F. Rider's Chanalyst.  This multi-function service instrument was introduced about 1938, and spawned a number of similar instruments from other manufacturers.

This innovative service instrument never quite caught on.  It was invented by John F. Rider and was manufactured by Service Instruments Inc. of New York City in the late 1930s.  Around 1940 RCA purchased the rights from Rider and shifted manufacturing to Camden.  At the same time RCA began including Chanalyst measurements in their radio service information.  The Chanalyst consists of five instruments or "channels," each with its own indicator, in one cabinet.  The RF-IF channel includes a TRF amplifier covering 95 to 1700 kHz, an attenuator, detector and eye tube.  It measures signal gain through the RF and IF stages.  The oscillator channel is similar but with less gain and covers 600 kHz to 15 MHz to measure oscillator output.  The AF channel uses an untuned amplifier covering 150 Hz to 15 kHz with attenuator, detector and eye tube to measure audio stage gain.  The wattage channel indicates line power usage with attenuator, detector and eye tube.  The fifth channel is a DC VTVM.  I used to own instruments from both manufacturers but now have only the original Service Instruments unit.  I also own the matching RCA Chanalyst UHF Converter which extends the RF-IF channel to 80 MHz.  (The converter seems to be rare - Bill Turner owns the only other specimen that I know of) The 1940 RCA Red Book listed the model 162 Chanalyst at $107.50.  The 1947 Lafayette catalog and the 1949 Newark catalog listed the model 162C at $162.50.

This is one of a set of instruments that I occasionally use for work - see Vintage Instruments In Action.

Meissner's answer to the Chanalyst was their Analyst, and the two instruments are quite similar.  The Analyst also incorporates five instruments in one cabinet.  The five channels are nearly identical to the Chanalyst in the range of frequencies and voltages that they cover.  It also uses four eye tubes and one meter as indicators.  The 1947 Lafayette catalog listed the model 9-1040 at $113.85.

Hickok's multi-function instrument was quite similar to the Chanalyst and Analyst, but used meters rather than eye tubes somewhat simplifying operation.  The 1949 Newark catalog listed the model 156 at $195.00.

The Genescope, unlike the previous three instruments, was not designed for servicing AM receivers.  It serves a similar function for FM and TV receivers.  The incorporated sweep (FM) and marker generators and oscilloscope (seen in the mirrored hatch at the top) enabled alignment of broadband FM and TV stages.  The 1954 Radio Shack catalog listed the model 480 at $465.50.