Exhibit 4.1





 

                                 TERADYNE, INC.

                        1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

Article 1 - Purpose.
- --------------------

         This 1996  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan (the  "Plan") is intended to
encourage  stock  ownership by all eligible  employees  of Teradyne,  Inc.  (the
"Company"), a Massachusetts corporation,  and its participating subsidiaries (as
defined  in Article  17) so that they may share in the growth of the  Company by
acquiring or increasing their proprietary  interest in the Company.  The Plan is
designed to encourage  eligible employees to remain in the employ of the Company
and its  participating  subsidiaries.  The Plan is  intended  to  constitute  an
"employee  stock  purchase  plan"  within the  meaning of Section  423(b) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").

Article 2 - Administration of the Plan.
- ---------------------------------------

         The Plan may be administered  by a committee  appointed by the Board of
Directors of the Company (the  "Committee").  The Committee shall consist of not
less  than two  members  of the  Company's  Board  of  Directors.  The  Board of
Directors  may from time to time  remove  members  from,  or add members to, the
Committee.  Vacancies on the Committee, howsoever caused, shall be filled by the
Board of Directors. The Committee may select one of its members as Chairman, and
shall hold  meetings  at such times and  places as it may  determine.  Acts by a
majority  of the  Committee,  or acts  reduced  to or  approved  in writing by a
majority  of the  members  of the  Committee,  shall  be the  valid  acts of the
Committee.

         The  interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provisions
of the Plan or of any option granted under it shall be final,  unless  otherwise
determined by the Board of Directors.  The Committee may from time to time adopt
such  rules  and  regulations  for  carrying  out the Plan as it may deem  best,
provided that any such rules and regulations shall be applied on a uniform basis
to all  employees  under the Plan.  No member of the Board of  Directors  or the
Committee  shall be liable  for any action or  determination  made in good faith
with respect to the Plan or any option granted under it.

         In the event the Board of Directors  fails to appoint or refrains  from
appointing  a  Committee,  the  Board of  Directors  shall  have all  power  and
authority to administer the Plan. In such event, the word  "Committee"  wherever
used herein shall be deemed to mean the Board of Directors.

Article 3 - Eligible Employees.
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         No option  may be  granted  to any  person  serving  as a member of the
Committee  at the  time of  grant.  Subject  to the  foregoing  limitation,  all
employees  of the  Company or any of its  participating  subsidiaries  on United
States  payroll  who have  completed  more than 90 days of  employment  with the
Company or any of its participating  subsidiaries (i) on or before the first day
of any  Payment  Period (as  defined in Article 5) or (ii) for  employees  first
employed after the ninetieth day prior to the first day of a particular  Payment
Period,  on or  before  the first  day of the next  succeeding  July in any such
Payment Period, and whose customary employment is not less than twenty hours per
week and more than five months in any calendar year shall be eligible to receive
options under the Plan to purchase common stock of the Company,  par value $.125
per share  ("Common  Stock").  An  employee  eligible  under this Plan solely by
virtue of clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall be referred to herein as a




"July  Employee."  All  eligible  employees  shall  have  the  same  rights  and
privileges  hereunder.  Persons who elect to enter the Plan in  accordance  with
Article  7 and who are  eligible  employees  on the  first  business  day of any
Payment  Period (as defined in Article 5) (or on the first  business day of July
with respect to July  Employees)  shall  receive  their  options as of such day.
Persons who elect to enter the Plan in accordance  with Article 7 and who become
eligible  employees  after any date on which  options are granted under the Plan
shall be  granted  options  on the  first  business  day of the next  succeeding
Payment  Period or the first  business day of July  (whichever is applicable) on
which  options are granted to eligible  employees  under the Plan.  In no event,
however,  may an  employee  be granted an option if such  employee,  immediately
after the option was granted,  would be treated as owning stock  possessing five
percent or more of the total  combined  voting  power or value of all classes of
stock of the Company or of any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation,  as
the terms  "parent  corporation"  and  "subsidiary  corporation"  are defined in
Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code. For purposes of determining  stock ownership
under this paragraph,  the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply,  and
stock which the employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated
as stock owned by the employee.

Article 4 - Stock Subject to the Plan.
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         The stock subject to the options under the Plan shall be authorized but
unissued  Common  Stock,  or shares of Common Stock  reacquired  by the Company,
including  shares  purchased in the open market.  The aggregate number of shares
which may be issued  pursuant to the Plan is 700,000,  subject to  adjustment as
provided in Article  12. If any option  granted  under the Plan shall  expire or
terminate for any reason  without  having been  exercised in full or shall cease
for any reason to be  exercisable in whole or in part,  the  unpurchased  shares
subject thereto shall again be available under the Plan.

Article 5 - Payment Period and Stock Options.
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         For the  duration of the Plan,  the Payment  Period shall be defined as
the  twelve-month  period  commencing  on the first day of  January  and  ending
annually on the last day of December of each calendar year.  Notwithstanding the
foregoing,  the first Payment  Period during which  payroll  deductions  will be
accumulated  under  the Plan  shall  commence  on July 1,  1996 and shall end on
December 31, 1996.

         On the  first  business  day of each  Payment  Period  (or on the first
business day of July of such Payment Period in the case of a July Employee), the
Company will grant to each eligible  employee who is then a  participant  in the
Plan an option to purchase on the last day of such Payment Period, at the Option
Price  hereinafter  provided for, a maximum of 3,000 shares,  on condition  that
such  employee  remains  eligible  to  participate  in the Plan  throughout  the
remainder of such Payment Period.  The participant shall be entitled to exercise
the  option  so  granted  only to the  extent of the  participant's  accumulated
payroll  deductions on the last day of such Payment Period. If the participant's
accumulated  payroll  deductions  on the last day of the  Payment  Period  would
enable the  participant  to purchase more than 3,000 shares except for the 3,000
share limitation, the excess of the amount of the accumulated payroll deductions
over the aggregate purchase price of the 3,000 shares shall be promptly refunded
to the participant by the Company,  without interest. The Option Price per share
for each Payment  Period shall be the lesser of (i) 85% of the fair market value
of the Common Stock on the first  business day of the Payment Period (or, in the
case of a July  Employee,  on the  first  business  day of July of such  Payment
Period)  and (ii) 85% of the fair market  value of the Common  Stock on the last
business day of the Payment  Period,  in either event  rounded up to the nearest
cent. The foregoing limitation on the number of shares subject to option and the
Option Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Article 12.




         For  purposes  of the Plan,  the term "fair  market  value" on any date
means (i) the  average  (on that  date) of the high and low prices of the Common
Stock on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is
traded, if the Common Stock is then traded on a national securities exchange; or
(ii) the last  reported  sale price (on that  date) of the  Common  Stock on The
Nasdaq  Stock  Market,  if the  Common  Stock is not then  traded on a  national
securities  exchange;  or (iii) the average of the closing bid and asked  prices
last   quoted  (on  that  date)  by  an   established   quotation   service  for
over-the-counter  securities,  if the Common Stock is not reported on The Nasdaq
Stock  Market;  or (iv) if the Common  Stock is not  publicly  traded,  the fair
market value of the Common Stock as  determined  by the  Committee  after taking
into  consideration all factors which it deems appropriate,  including,  without
limitation,  recent  sale and  offer  prices  of the  Common  Stock  in  private
transactions negotiated at arm's length.

         For purposes of the Plan,  the term "business day" means a day on which
there is trading  on The  Nasdaq  Stock  Market or the  aforementioned  national
securities   exchange,   whichever  is  applicable  pursuant  to  the  preceding
paragraph; and if neither is applicable, a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or
legal holiday in Massachusetts.

         Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  herein,  no  employee  shall be
granted an option which permits the employee's right to purchase stock under the
Plan,  and under all other Section  423(b)  employee stock purchase plans of the
Company  and any parent or  subsidiary  corporations,  to accrue at a rate which
exceeds  $25,000 of fair market value of such stock  (determined  on the date or
dates that options on such stock were  granted) for each  calendar year in which
such option is  outstanding  at any time.  The purpose of the  limitation in the
preceding  sentence  is to comply with  Section  423(b)(8)  of the Code.  If the
participant's  accumulated  payroll  deductions  on the last day of the  Payment
Period would otherwise enable the participant to purchase Common Stock in excess
of the Section 423(b)(8)  $25,000  limitation  described in this paragraph,  the
excess of the amount of the  accumulated  payroll  deductions over the aggregate
purchase price of the shares actually  purchased  shall be promptly  refunded to
the participant by the Company, without interest.

Article 6 - Exercise of Option.
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         Each eligible employee who continues to be a participant in the Plan on
the last day of a Payment  Period shall be deemed to have  exercised  his or her
option on such date and shall be deemed to have  purchased from the Company such
number of full shares of Common  Stock  reserved  for the purpose of the Plan as
the participant's  accumulated  payroll  deductions on such date will pay for at
the Option Price, subject to the 3,000 share limit of the option and the Section
423(b)(8) $25,000 limitation  described in Article 5. If the individual is not a
participant  on the last day of a  Payment  Period,  then he or she shall not be
entitled to exercise his or her option.  Only full shares of Common Stock may be
purchased under the Plan. Unused payroll deductions remaining in a participant's
account  at the end of a Payment  Period  solely by reason of the  inability  to
purchase a fractional share (and for no other reason) shall be refunded.

Article 7 - Authorization for Entering the Plan.
- ------------------------------------------------

         An  employee  may elect to enter the Plan by filling  out,  signing and
delivering to the Company an authorization:

         A.       Stating the percentage to be deducted from the employee's pay;




         B.       Authorizing the purchase of stock for the employee in each 
      Payment Period in accordance with the terms of the Plan; and

         C.       Specifying the exact name or names in which stock purchased 
      for the employee is to be issued as provided under Article 11 hereof.

         Such authorization must be received by the Company at least thirty days
before the first day of the next succeeding Payment Period or fifteen days prior
to the first day of July of such Payment Period in the case of a July Employee.

         Unless a participant  files a new  authorization  or withdraws from the
Plan, the deductions and purchases under the  authorization  the participant has
on file  under the Plan will  continue  from one  Payment  Period to  succeeding
Payment Periods as long as the Plan remains in effect.

         The Company will accumulate and hold for each participant's account the
amounts deducted from his or her pay. No interest will be paid on these amounts.

Article 8 - Maximum Amount of Payroll Deductions.
- -------------------------------------------------

         An employee may authorize payroll deductions in an amount (expressed as
a whole percentage) not less than two percent (2%) but not more than ten percent
(10%) of the employee's cash compensation.

Article 9 - Change in Payroll Deductions.
- -----------------------------------------

         Deductions may not be increased during a Payment Period. Deductions may
be decreased during a Payment Period, provided that an employee may not decrease
his deduction  more often than twice during any Payment Period (and with respect
to July Employees once during any Payment Period).

Article 10 - Withdrawal from the Plan.
- --------------------------------------

         A participant  may withdraw from the Plan (in whole but not in part) at
any time prior to the last day of a Payment  Period by  delivering  a withdrawal
notice to the Company.

         To re-enter the Plan,  an employee who has  previously  withdrawn  must
file a new  authorization  at least thirty days before the first day of the next
Payment Period in which he or she wishes to participate. The employee's re-entry
into the  Plan  becomes  effective  at the  beginning  of such  Payment  Period,
provided that he or she is an eligible employee on the first business day of the
Payment Period.

Article 11 - Issuance of Stock.
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         Certificates  for stock  issued to  participants  shall be delivered as
soon as practicable after each Payment Period by the Company's transfer agent.

         Stock  purchased under the Plan shall be issued only in the name of the
participant,  or if the participant's authorization so specifies, in the name of
the  participant and another person of legal age as joint tenants with rights of
survivorship.






Article 12 - Adjustments.
- -------------------------

         Upon  the  happening  of any  of  the  following  described  events,  a
participant's  rights under options  granted under the Plan shall be adjusted as
hereinafter provided:

         A. In the event that the shares of Common Stock shall be  subdivided or
      combined  into a  greater  or  smaller  number  of  shares  or if,  upon a
      reorganization, split-up, liquidation, recapitalization or the like of the
      Company,  the  shares  of  Common  Stock  shall  be  exchanged  for  other
      securities of the Company, each participant shall be entitled,  subject to
      the conditions  herein stated, to purchase such number of shares of Common
      Stock or amount of other  securities  of the Company as were  exchangeable
      for the number of shares of Common Stock that such participant  would have
      been  entitled  to  purchase  except  for  such  action,  and  appropriate
      adjustments  shall be made in the purchase price per share to reflect such
      subdivision, combination or exchange; and

         B. In the event the  Company  shall  issue any of its shares as a stock
      dividend  upon or with  respect to the shares of stock of the class  which
      shall at the time be subject to options  hereunder,  each participant upon
      exercising  such an option  shall be entitled to receive (for the purchase
      price paid upon such  exercise) the shares as to which the  participant is
      exercising  his or her option and, in addition  thereto (at no  additional
      cost),  such  number of shares of the class or classes in which such stock
      dividend or dividends  were  declared or paid,  and such amount of cash in
      lieu of fractional shares, as is equal to the number of shares thereof and
      the amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares,  respectively,  which the
      participant  would have received if the participant had been the holder of
      the shares as to which the  participant is exercising his or her option at
      all times  between the date of the granting of such option and the date of
      its exercise.

         Upon the  happening  of any of the  foregoing  events,  the  class  and
aggregate  number of shares set forth in Article 4 hereof  which are  subject to
options which have been or may be granted under the Plan and the limitations set
forth in the second paragraph of Article 5 shall also be appropriately  adjusted
to reflect the events specified in paragraphs A and B above. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any adjustments made pursuant to paragraphs A or B shall be made only
after the  Committee,  based on advice of counsel  for the  Company,  determines
whether such  adjustments  would  constitute a  "modification"  (as that term is
defined  in Section  424 of the Code).  If the  Committee  determines  that such
adjustments  would  constitute a  modification,  it may refrain from making such
adjustments.

         If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity
in a  merger,  a sale of all or  substantially  all of the  Company's  assets or
otherwise  (an  "Acquisition"),  the  Committee or the board of directors of any
entity assuming the obligations of the Company hereunder (the "Successor Board")
shall,  with respect to options then outstanding under the Plan, either (i) make
appropriate  provision for the continuation of such options by arranging for the
substitution  on an equitable  basis for the shares then subject to such options
either (a) the consideration  payable with respect to the outstanding  shares of
the Common Stock in connection with the Acquisition,  (b) shares of stock of the
successor  corporation,  or a parent or subsidiary of such  corporation,  or (c)
such other securities as the Successor Board deems appropriate,  the fair market
value of which  shall not exceed the fair  market  value of the shares of Common
Stock subject to such options  immediately  preceding the  Acquisition;  or (ii)
terminate each participant's options in exchange for a cash payment equal to the
excess of the fair market value on the date of the  Acquisition of the number of
shares of Common Stock that the participant's  accumulated payroll deductions as
of the date of the  Acquisition  could purchase,  at an option price  determined
with reference  only to the first business day of the applicable  Payment Period
(or the first  business day of July of such Payment Period in the case of a July
Employee)  and subject to the 3,000 share  limit,  Code  Section  423(b)(8)  and




fractional-share  limitations  on the  amount  of stock a  participant  would be
entitled  to  purchase  over the  aggregate  option  price  to such  participant
thereof.

         The Committee or Successor  Board shall determine the adjustments to be
made under this Article 12, and its determination shall be conclusive.

Article 13 - No Transfer or Assignment of Employee's Rights.
- ------------------------------------------------------------

         An option  granted under the Plan may not be  transferred  or assigned,
otherwise  than by will or by the laws of descent and  distribution.  Any option
granted under the Plan may be exercised, during the participant's lifetime, only
by the participant.

Article 14 - Termination of Employee's Rights.
- ----------------------------------------------

         Whenever a  participant  ceases to be an eligible  employee  because of
retirement,   voluntary  or  involuntary   termination,   resignation,   layoff,
discharge, death or for any other reason, his or her rights under the Plan shall
immediately terminate,  and the Company shall promptly refund, without interest,
the  entire  balance of his or her  payroll  deduction  account  under the Plan;
provided,  however, that if an employee is laid off during the last three months
of any Payment  Period,  he shall  nevertheless be deemed to be a participant in
the Plan on the last day of the Payment Period.  Notwithstanding  the foregoing,
eligible employment shall be treated as continuing intact while a participant is
on military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence,  for up to 90
days, or, if such leave is longer than 90 days, for so long as the participant's
right to re-employment is guaranteed  either by statute or by written  contract.
Notwithstanding  any other provision  herein,  if a participant's  employment is
terminated  by reason of  retirement,  and the date of such  termination  occurs
after the date  that is 3 months  prior to the last day of the  Payment  Period,
such participant's rights under the Plan are not immediately terminated,  and if
the  participant  has not withdrawn from the Plan,  such  participant's  options
shall be deemed to have been  exercised on the last day of the Payment Period in
accordance with the terms of the Plan.

Article 15 - Termination and Amendments to Plan.
- ------------------------------------------------

         The  Plan  may be  terminated  at any  time by the  Company's  Board of
Directors but such termination  shall not affect options then outstanding  under
the Plan.  If at any time shares of stock  reserved  for the purpose of the Plan
remain  available for purchase but not in sufficient  number to satisfy all then
unfilled purchase requirements,  the available shares shall be apportioned among
participants  in proportion to the amount of payroll  deductions  accumulated on
behalf of each  participant  that would otherwise be used to purchase stock, and
the Plan shall terminate.  Upon such termination or any other termination of the
Plan,  all  payroll  deductions  not used to  purchase  stock will be  refunded,
without interest.

         The  Committee  or the Board of  Directors  may from time to time adopt
amendments to the Plan provided that,  without the approval of the  shareholders
of the Company,  no amendment  may (i) increase the number of shares that may be
issued under the Plan;  (ii) change the class of  employees  eligible to receive
options under the Plan, if such action would be treated as the adoption of a new
plan for  purposes of Code Section  423(b) and the  regulations  thereunder;  or
(iii)  cause  Rule 16b-3  under the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 to become
inapplicable to the Plan.







Article 16 - Limits on Sale of Stock Purchased under the Plan.
- --------------------------------------------------------------

         The Plan is intended to provide  shares of Common Stock for  investment
and not for  resale.  The  Company  does not,  however,  intend to  restrict  or
influence  any  employee in the conduct of his or her own  affairs.  An employee
may,  therefore,  sell stock  purchased  under the Plan at any time the employee
chooses,  subject to compliance with any applicable  federal or state securities
laws and subject to any restrictions imposed under Article 21 to ensure that tax
withholding  obligations  are  satisfied.  THE EMPLOYEE  ASSUMES THE RISK OF ANY
MARKET FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE OF THE STOCK.

Article 17 - Participating Subsidiaries.
- ----------------------------------------

         The term  "participating  subsidiary"  shall mean any present or future
subsidiary  of the  Company,  as that term is defined  in Section  424(f) of the
Code,  that  is  designated  from  time to time by the  Board  of  Directors  to
participate  in the Plan.  The Board of  Directors  shall have the power to make
such designation before or after the Plan is approved by the shareholders.

Article 18 - Optionees Not Shareholders.
- ----------------------------------------

         Neither the  granting of an option to an  employee  nor the  deductions
from his or her pay shall  constitute  such employee a stockholder of the shares
covered by an option  until such  shares  have been  actually  purchased  by the
employee.

Article 19 - Application of Funds.
- ----------------------------------

         The  proceeds  received  by the Company  from the sale of Common  Stock
pursuant to options  granted  under the Plan will be used for general  corporate
purposes.

Article 20 - Notice to Company of Disqualifying Disposition.
- ------------------------------------------------------------

         By electing to  participate  in the Plan,  each  participant  agrees to
notify the Company in writing immediately after the participant transfers Common
Stock  acquired  under the Plan, if such transfer  occurs within two years after
the first  business  day of the Payment  Period in which such  Common  Stock was
acquired.  Each participant further agrees to provide any information about such
a transfer as may be requested by the Company or any  subsidiary  corporation in
order to assist it in complying with the tax laws. Such  dispositions  generally
are treated as  "disqualifying  dispositions"  under Sections 421 and 424 of the
Code, which have certain tax consequences to participants and to the Company and
its participating subsidiaries.

Article 21 - Withholding of Additional Income Taxes.
- ----------------------------------------------------

         By electing to participate in the Plan, each  participant  acknowledges
that the Company and its  participating  subsidiaries  are  required to withhold
taxes with respect to the amounts deducted from the  participant's  compensation
and  accumulated  for the benefit of the  participant  under the Plan,  and each
participant  agrees  that the  Company and its  participating  subsidiaries  may
deduct additional amounts from the participant's compensation,  when amounts are
added to the participant's  account,  used to purchase Common Stock or refunded,
in order to satisfy  such  withholding  obligations.  Each  participant  further
acknowledges  that when Common Stock is purchased under the Plan the Company and
its participating subsidiaries may be required to withhold taxes with respect to




all or a portion of the  difference  between the fair market value of the Common
Stock purchased and its purchase price,  and each  participant  agrees that such
taxes may be withheld from  compensation  otherwise payable to such participant.
It is intended that tax  withholding  will be accomplished in such a manner that
the full amount of payroll deductions elected by the participant under Article 7
will be used to purchase Common Stock. However, if amounts sufficient to satisfy
applicable tax withholding  obligations have not been withheld from compensation
otherwise payable to any participant,  then, notwithstanding any other provision
of the  Plan,  the  Company  may  withhold  such  taxes  from the  participant's
accumulated  payroll  deductions  and apply the net  amount to the  purchase  of
Common Stock, unless the participant pays to the Company,  prior to the exercise
date,  an amount  sufficient  to  satisfy  such  withholding  obligations.  Each
participant  further   acknowledges  that  the  Company  and  its  participating
subsidiaries   may  be  required  to  withhold  taxes  in  connection  with  the
disposition  of stock acquired under the Plan and agrees that the Company or any
participating  subsidiary may take whatever  action it considers  appropriate to
satisfy such withholding  requirements,  including  deducting from  compensation
otherwise  payable to such  participant  an amount  sufficient  to satisfy  such
withholding  requirements or conditioning any disposition of Common Stock by the
participant  upon the  payment to the  Company or such  subsidiary  of an amount
sufficient to satisfy such withholding requirements.

Article 22 - Governmental Regulations.
- --------------------------------------

         The  Company's  obligation  to sell and deliver  shares of Common Stock
under the Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental authority required
in connection with the authorization, issuance or sale of such shares.

         Government regulations may impose reporting or other obligations on the
Company  with respect to the Plan.  For example,  the Company may be required to
identify  shares of Common Stock  issued  under the Plan on its stock  ownership
records and send tax  information  statements to employees and former  employees
who transfer title to such shares.

Article 23 - Governing Law.
- ---------------------------

         The validity and construction of the Plan shall be governed by the laws
of  Massachusetts,  without  giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law
thereof.

Article 24 - Approval of Board of Directors and Stockholders of the Company.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

         The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on March 19, 1996 and on
such date the Board of Directors  resolved  that the Plan was to be submitted to
the   shareholders   of  the  Company  for  approval  at  the  next  meeting  of
shareholders. If the Plan does not receive such approval, all payroll deductions
shall be returned without interest and the Plan shall be terminated.