[time-nuts] Mains Frequency Monitor with the PIC 16F1619

[Mark Sims]

I would recommend dumping that DC-DC converter and going with a simple 
3-terminal regulator (or at least adding an option for it).  It seems it would 
be a lot cheaper and easier for people to source the parts for it.  

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[time-nuts] HP-10811 double oven oscillator outer oven controller PCB

[Mark Sims]

I put my circuit board layout (Eagle .BRD file) for Warren Sarkison's outer 
oven controller for the HP-10811 double oven oscillator onto OSHPARK.COM's 
shared projects.  You can order boards from OSHPARK or download the .BRD file 
and send it to your favorite board maker.  
https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/yliVG3SZ
  
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Re: [time-nuts] Mains Frequency Monitor with the PIC 16F1619

[Pete Lancashire]

Dan,

Nice.

Ideas for the next go around

+ Add a 10 MHz in circuit to replace or override the TCXO. , this is
Time-Nuts you know :-)

+ The SPI could be used as the 2nd I/O port

And if one wants to play more the this part or other pics search on
Google for "Curiosity Board by Microchip"

-pete

On Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 5:56 PM, Daniel Watson  wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> A few months ago someone on the list made mention of the PIC 16F1619,
> prompting me to order a few to check out. It's an interesting little chip
> with some nice peripherals. I decided to do a mains frequency monitor
> project using it. The project is not quite complete, but you can read about
> my progress so far on my blog:
>
> Part 1:
> http://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/05/designing-mains-frequency-monitor-part-1.html
>
> Part 2:
> http://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/06/designing-mains-frequency-monitor-part-2.html
>
>
> Any feedback and suggestions are welcome.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Dan W.
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[time-nuts] Mains Frequency Monitor with the PIC 16F1619

[Daniel Watson]

Hi all,

A few months ago someone on the list made mention of the PIC 16F1619,
prompting me to order a few to check out. It's an interesting little chip
with some nice peripherals. I decided to do a mains frequency monitor
project using it. The project is not quite complete, but you can read about
my progress so far on my blog:

Part 1:
http://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/05/designing-mains-frequency-monitor-part-1.html

Part 2:
http://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/06/designing-mains-frequency-monitor-part-2.html


Any feedback and suggestions are welcome.


Best regards,

Dan W.
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Re: [time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[David]

National's discrete products databook includes rough descriptions of
the various processes, die shots showing geometry, and lists which
transistors are fabricated on which process.

On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 22:25:28 +, you wrote:

>Once upon a time I came across a document from National Semiconductor that 
>talked about their transistor product line.  At the time they made less than 
>100 different transistor dies... but sold them under 10,000+ different part 
>numbers.Some were just packaging variations.   Maybe some selection tests 
>were done to decide what part number to sell them under,  maybe they didn't.  
>Checking some pricing,  the same die (in the same package) could sell for 
>pennies or big bucks.
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Re: [time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[Bruce Griffiths]

On Sunday, June 19, 2016 07:23:09 PM Attila Kinali wrote:
> Good evening,
> 
> I have recently been looking into BJT's and their switching properties.
> Because a time-to-amplitude converter does similar things as I would like
> to, I have been looking in what people do with those. First thing that
> strikes me as kind of odd is that almost all designs I have seen use some
> general purpose transistor (like 2N, 2N3904, BC848...). The only two
> exceptions seems to be Guide Technology, who use an UPA806T (RF npn pair)
> for the diff-pair current switch[1] in their TAC and a group at Oulu
> University[2]. But even Guide Technology uses an 2N3904 for the current
> source.
> 
> Having put the circuit through Spice, I see that the current through
> the tail fluctates violently during the time when the current switches
> from one transistor of the pair to the other. The reason for this seems
> to be that the f_t of the current source transistor is too low to
> compensate. Trying to replace the current source with an RF transitor like
> BFU520 that has an f_t of 10GHz helps to dampen these fluctuations by a
> factor of 2, but they are still there.
> 
> Why do people use general purpose transistors in these places, even
> though RF transistors definitly improve switching behaviour?
> 
> I dimply remember that someone said/wrote once, that RF transistors have
> a higher noise. But if I look at the datasheet, the quoted noise figure
> for the BFU520 is <1.6dB while the noise figure of the 2N3904 is 2dB best
> case. As I still do not really know how to read single transistor
> datasheets, I am pretty sure I missed something fundamental there.
> 
> 
>   Attila Kinali
> 
> [1] "Time Interval Analyzer Having Interpolator With Constant Current
> Capacitor Control", US Patent 6'091'671
> 
> [2] "Wide-Range Time-To-Digital Converter With 1ps Single-Shot Precision",
> by Keränen, Määttä, Kostamovaara, 2011
Smaller Early effect at operating voltage for 2N3904 than lower voltage high 
frequency transistor and hence lower current modulation?
When measuring the delay of a 2 stage synchroniser,the delay range of interest 
is 1-2 synchroniser clock periods and nonlinearities within the first clock 
period are of little interest as long as the effect is repeatable and has 
settled out within 1 clock period of the transition, the effect is merely an 
offset and thus of little consequence.
 
Bruce
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Re: [time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[David]

>Why do people use general purpose transistors in these places, even
>though RF transistors definitly improve switching behaviour?

Commercial designs do use RF transistors but only old ones are
documented.

The Tektronix 7A11 uses 2 GHz PNPs and 1 GHz NPNs but its design is
unusual since it can integrate positive or negative time and while the
transistors use emitter switching, they are not configured as
differential pairs.

The Tektronix 2440 uses a 1.2 GHz NPN differential pair for the fast
ramp switching and a 2N3906 differential pair for the slow ramp
switching.

>Having put the circuit through Spice, I see that the current through
>the tail fluctates violently during the time when the current switches
>from one transistor of the pair to the other. The reason for this seems
>to be that the f_t of the current source transistor is too low to compensate.
>Trying to replace the current source with an RF transitor like BFU520
>that has an f_t of 10GHz helps to dampen these fluctuations by a factor of 2,
>but they are still there.

Of interest in these designs is that they do not use separate
transistor current sources where fast switching is involved; the
differential pairs do double duty and the tail current is set by a
resistor to a separately decoupled bias supply.
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[time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[Mark Sims]

Once upon a time I came across a document from National Semiconductor that 
talked about their transistor product line.  At the time they made less than 
100 different transistor dies... but sold them under 10,000+ different part 
numbers.Some were just packaging variations.   Maybe some selection tests 
were done to decide what part number to sell them under,  maybe they didn't.  
Checking some pricing,  the same die (in the same package) could sell for 
pennies or big bucks.

  
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Re: [time-nuts] Ocxo wrong frequency.

[Bob Camp]

Hi

What you have is an SC cut OCXO that has an incorrectly tuned trap circuit in 
it (or 
a defective crystal). Of the two I’d bet on the trap. It’s firing up on the 
wrong mode and
staying there. It switches back and forth due to interaction between the 
limiter stage
and the trap circuit. Ideally there should not be any interaction ….obviously 
not true 
in this case.

Bob


> On Jun 19, 2016, at 4:51 PM, Iwa2008 via time-nuts  wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Has anyone come across oscillators outputting the incorrect frequency when 
> powered up. The frequency that is outputted reads 10.8 Mhz, and falls a few 
> HZ as the ocxo warms up. The frequency is stable, even when measured over the 
> course of many hours.  It is a repeatable issue, when the ocxo's are powered 
> from 2 particular power supplies. Yet when powered on again, they give the 
> correct frequency. The affected ocxo's are c-mac units, both nos/"ebay" 
> used.
> Thanks, 
>  id="AOLMsgPart_2_bea72c74-0991-404a-ad92-fdbd77734860">Brendan id="AOLMsgPart_2_bea72c74-0991-404a-ad92-fdbd77734860">
> Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
> 
> 
> 
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Re: [time-nuts] Ocxo wrong frequency.

[bneu...@t-online.de]

Most probably this OCXO incorporazes an SC-cut crystal.Due to insufficient 
design it sometimes starts at the so-called B-mode which typically is some 9% 
above the desired C-mode. The motional resistance is abot the same, someimes 
even slightly lower than the resistanxe of the C-mode. It needs a careful 
design to assurevreliable start-up at the desired mode -which sometimes may not 
be the case ...Best regardsBerndDK1AGWww.axtal.com


Von meinem Samsung Galaxy Smartphone gesendet.
 Ursprüngliche Nachricht Von: Iwa2008 via time-nuts 
 Datum: 19.06.16  22:51  (GMT+01:00) An: time-nuts@febo.com 
Betreff: [time-nuts] Ocxo wrong frequency. 





Has anyone come across oscillators outputting the incorrect frequency when 
powered up. The frequency that is outputted reads 10.8 Mhz, and falls a few HZ 
as the ocxo warms up. The frequency is stable, even when measured over the 
course of many hours.  It is a repeatable issue, when the ocxo's are powered 
from 2 particular power supplies. Yet when powered on again, they give the 
correct frequency. The affected ocxo's are c-mac units, both nos/"ebay" 
used.
Thanks, 
Brendan
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail



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Re: [time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[jimlux]

On 6/19/16 10:23 AM, Attila Kinali wrote:

Good evening,

I have recently been looking into BJT's and their switching properties.
Because a time-to-amplitude converter does similar things as I would like to,
I have been looking in what people do with those. First thing that strikes
me as kind of odd is that almost all designs I have seen use some general
purpose transistor (like 2N, 2N3904, BC848...). The only two exceptions
seems to be Guide Technology, who use an UPA806T (RF npn pair) for the
diff-pair current switch[1] in their TAC and a group at Oulu University[2].
But even Guide Technology uses an 2N3904 for the current source.

Having put the circuit through Spice, I see that the current through
the tail fluctates violently during the time when the current switches
from one transistor of the pair to the other. The reason for this seems
to be that the f_t of the current source transistor is too low to compensate.
Trying to replace the current source with an RF transitor like BFU520
that has an f_t of 10GHz helps to dampen these fluctuations by a factor of 2,
but they are still there.

Why do people use general purpose transistors in these places, even
though RF transistors definitly improve switching behaviour?

I dimply remember that someone said/wrote once, that RF transistors have
a higher noise. But if I look at the datasheet, the quoted noise figure
for the BFU520 is <1.6dB while the noise figure of the 2N3904 is 2dB best case.
As I still do not really know how to read single transistor datasheets,
I am pretty sure I missed something fundamental there.






I'll bet the noise contribution is trickier to figure out. There's 
current noise and voltage noise, for one thing.  A few months back, we 
were designing (and building) a low noise amplifier for 5-30 MHz. 
There's a whole trade between microwave parts (specified in terms of NF 
with 50 ohm source, typically down to the "DC" frequency of 50MHz) and 
Op-Amps (which have noise voltage and current plots in the data sheet) 
and discrete devices of one sort or another (which have scant noise 
information).


There's also huge differences among specific mfrs and lots for the same 
JEDEC number (e.g. 2n or 2n3904) and noise, since to use the JEDEC 
number, you just have to meet the requirement.. after that, you could be 
orders of magnitude better or just squeak by.  There's a very low 
leakage JFET (that I can't remember the number) where there's one 
company that makes "really, really good" ones, and the rest are "meet 
the data sheet". Nuclear instrumentation amplifier builders want only 
the "special" ones.


There's plenty of low noise amplifier designs out there and the 
descriptions typically assert "we selected this device because it had 
good noise properties", but then, typically, do not explain why that one 
worked, and the other half dozen that are superficially similar (on the 
data sheet or in terms of internal construction) didn't.   I suspect 
that in some cases, it's what they had in stock, they built it, it 
worked, and then there was no more to be done.


There's also the "other requirements" aspect: maybe you need really low 
noise, but you also need strong signal handling at the same time, so 
you're running your device with a ton of drain/collector current so it 
doesn't saturate.  So you had to pick a device that would take that. 
Or, you needed a device that could tolerate 30V, because you're running 
off a 24V supply.


The SPICE model probably is the "nominal device"...

Ultimately, you have to get some sample devices and measure them (no 
trivial matter in itself).


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[time-nuts] Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent e4406a

[hardy]

Hi
I am also  using an E4406A to measure phase noise with john miles program-works 
great,but have been thinking if it would make any difference using an ultra low 
noise 10Mhz external reference for the E4406A?Have any of you tried this?
There are some interesting information about the E4406A at eevblog.
Hardy


-Oprindelig meddelelse-
Fra: time-nuts [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] På vegne af 
time-nuts-requ...@febo.com
Sendt: 19. juni 2016 18:00
Til: time-nuts@febo.com
Emne: time-nuts Digest, Vol 143, Issue 29

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than "Re: Contents of time-nuts digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent E4406A
  VSA Transmitter Tester? (Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd))
   2. Re: Hydrogen maser spin exchange (Bob Camp)
   3. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester? (Bob Camp)
   4. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester? (John Miles)
   5. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester?
  (Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd))
   6. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester? (jimlux)
   7. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester? (Bob Camp)
   8. Re: Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an Agilent
  E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester? (John Miles)
   9. 3120A issues (Tom Knox)
  10. Re: 3120A issues (John Miles)
  11. Re: 3120A issues (jimlux)
  12. Re: 3120A issues (Tom Knox)
  13. Re: 3120A issues (John Miles)
  14. Re: 3120A issues (Bruce Griffiths)
  15. E4406A and feeding HF signals directly to the ADC (Timestep Nuts)
  16. Re: 3120A issues (Bob Camp)
  17. Re: 3120A issues (jimlux)


--

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2016 17:11:09 +0100
From: "Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)"

To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement

Subject: [time-nuts] Phase noise measurements on the cheap with an
Agilent E4406A VSA Transmitter Tester?
Message-ID:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I was looking at some high end commercial low noise oscillators and see
they use instrument like the Agilent E5052B signal source analyzer for
phase noise measurements. When I looked for them on eBay, it soon because
apparently they were very expensive.

Then I see this oscillator that locks to GPS

http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=107&products_id=234

and looked at what was used to make the phase noise measurements. It was an
Agilent E4406A. The noise floor is nowhere near as low as the more
expensive instruments, but the E4406A is available for under $500, which is
more than two orders of magnitudes cheaper than an E5052B.

I'm wondering if there are other more suitable commercial instruments
around that don't cost a fortune, yet would allow lower levels of phase
noise to be measured. I tend to preference HP/Agilent kit, as it is better
supported, both by the manufacturer and places like the HP/Agilent Yahoo
group.

Dave


--

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2016 15:02:02 -0400
From: Bob Camp 
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement

Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Hydrogen maser spin exchange
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi

Far more than you *ever* wanted to know about state selectors:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19820012652.pdf

Bob

> On Jun 17, 2016, at 3:33 PM, Ole Petter Ronningen  
> wrote:
> 
> Hi. Apologies for a long post.
> 
> I'm trying to read up on the "care and feeding of hydrogen masers". While
> they are conceptually simple from a distance, there's quite a bit going on
> in the quantum mechanics department when looked at up close. Somewhat
> frustratingly, I am not mentally equipped to really grasp the finer (or
> even coarser) points of that particular department. The topic of this post
> is the concept of spin exchange, and it's relation to cavity (auto) tuning.
> I've read papers on the subject, but I am having difficulties building a
> "workable intuition", so I turn to the group.
> 
> Here's what I think I understand, and I respectfully ask for corrections if
> I am way off base here..
> 
> Spin-exchange in a hydrogen maser happens when two atoms collide, and
> exchange spin, as it were.. (Hazy on the d

[time-nuts] Ocxo wrong frequency.

[Iwa2008 via time-nuts]

Has anyone come across oscillators outputting the incorrect frequency when 
powered up. The frequency that is outputted reads 10.8 Mhz, and falls a few HZ 
as the ocxo warms up. The frequency is stable, even when measured over the 
course of many hours.  It is a repeatable issue, when the ocxo's are powered 
from 2 particular power supplies. Yet when powered on again, they give the 
correct frequency. The affected ocxo's are c-mac units, both nos/"ebay" 
used.
Thanks, 
Brendan
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail



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Re: [time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[Bob Camp]

Hi

Leakage

Bob

> On Jun 19, 2016, at 1:23 PM, Attila Kinali  wrote:
> 
> Good evening,
> 
> I have recently been looking into BJT's and their switching properties.
> Because a time-to-amplitude converter does similar things as I would like to,
> I have been looking in what people do with those. First thing that strikes
> me as kind of odd is that almost all designs I have seen use some general
> purpose transistor (like 2N, 2N3904, BC848...). The only two exceptions
> seems to be Guide Technology, who use an UPA806T (RF npn pair) for the
> diff-pair current switch[1] in their TAC and a group at Oulu University[2].
> But even Guide Technology uses an 2N3904 for the current source. 
> 
> Having put the circuit through Spice, I see that the current through
> the tail fluctates violently during the time when the current switches
> from one transistor of the pair to the other. The reason for this seems
> to be that the f_t of the current source transistor is too low to compensate.
> Trying to replace the current source with an RF transitor like BFU520
> that has an f_t of 10GHz helps to dampen these fluctuations by a factor of 2,
> but they are still there.
> 
> Why do people use general purpose transistors in these places, even
> though RF transistors definitly improve switching behaviour?
> 
> I dimply remember that someone said/wrote once, that RF transistors have
> a higher noise. But if I look at the datasheet, the quoted noise figure
> for the BFU520 is <1.6dB while the noise figure of the 2N3904 is 2dB best 
> case.
> As I still do not really know how to read single transistor datasheets,
> I am pretty sure I missed something fundamental there.
> 
> 
>   Attila Kinali
> 
> [1] "Time Interval Analyzer Having Interpolator With Constant Current 
> Capacitor Control", US Patent 6'091'671
> 
> [2] "Wide-Range Time-To-Digital Converter With 1ps Single-Shot Precision",
> by Keränen, Määttä, Kostamovaara, 2011
> 
> -- 
> Malek's Law:
>Any simple idea will be worded in the most complicated way.
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[time-nuts] LORAL FS-9256 Info Wanted

[Richard W. Solomon]

A while back I posted a request for info on this box. Nothing was
forthcoming, 

so I thought I would ask again.

 

This box has one input (10 MHz) and three outputs (72.5 MHz, 725 MHz and
7.975 GHz). 

 

>From my experimenting with it, it looks like I can lock the three outputs to
a 10 MHz 

signal from my GPSDO. The three power leads are +DC, -DC and what seems to
be 

an open Collector for a Lock Signal. 

 

I would really like more info on this item. Schematics would be great, but
any info 

at all would be appreciated. 

 

Tnx, Dick, W1KSZ

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[time-nuts] Switching transistors, current sources, nonidealties and noise

[Attila Kinali]

Good evening,

I have recently been looking into BJT's and their switching properties.
Because a time-to-amplitude converter does similar things as I would like to,
I have been looking in what people do with those. First thing that strikes
me as kind of odd is that almost all designs I have seen use some general
purpose transistor (like 2N, 2N3904, BC848...). The only two exceptions
seems to be Guide Technology, who use an UPA806T (RF npn pair) for the
diff-pair current switch[1] in their TAC and a group at Oulu University[2].
But even Guide Technology uses an 2N3904 for the current source. 

Having put the circuit through Spice, I see that the current through
the tail fluctates violently during the time when the current switches
from one transistor of the pair to the other. The reason for this seems
to be that the f_t of the current source transistor is too low to compensate.
Trying to replace the current source with an RF transitor like BFU520
that has an f_t of 10GHz helps to dampen these fluctuations by a factor of 2,
but they are still there.

Why do people use general purpose transistors in these places, even
though RF transistors definitly improve switching behaviour?

I dimply remember that someone said/wrote once, that RF transistors have
a higher noise. But if I look at the datasheet, the quoted noise figure
for the BFU520 is <1.6dB while the noise figure of the 2N3904 is 2dB best case.
As I still do not really know how to read single transistor datasheets,
I am pretty sure I missed something fundamental there.


Attila Kinali

[1] "Time Interval Analyzer Having Interpolator With Constant Current Capacitor 
Control", US Patent 6'091'671

[2] "Wide-Range Time-To-Digital Converter With 1ps Single-Shot Precision",
by Keränen, Määttä, Kostamovaara, 2011

-- 
Malek's Law:
Any simple idea will be worded in the most complicated way.
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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message , Tom Knox writes:

>If we do not receive your acknowledgement, Microsemi will keep
>your order in our backlog, and ship when we have implemented a
>solution that allows us to meet the RoHS criteria and apply the CE
>mark and label."
>
>
>Not really any details onnthe issue.

Which part of "meet the RoHS criteria" was unclear ?

Most likely lead-solder components.

-- 
Poul-Henning Kamp   | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
p...@freebsd.org | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer   | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[Bob Camp]

Hi

The key sentence does appear to be the last one in the email they sent. There 
are a lot of ways
to trip over the ROHS stuff. The guessing game contest now does turn into a 
“pick a part” exercise.
There are an enormous number of mistakes that somebody / somewhere in the 
supply chain could 
have made…

Since it appears to be CE related, I would bet it is a ROHS phase in issue. 
Thus they still ship to the
US, but not to Europe. So, what’s different on ROHS in the US vs Europe this 
week that wasn’t different say a 
year ago?

Bob


> On Jun 19, 2016, at 4:46 AM, Bruce Griffiths  
> wrote:
> 
> It almost sounds like something has been found not to be ROHS compliant.Could 
> be as simple as the alodined (conventional process uses hexavalent chromium ) 
> case or perhaps a non ROHS part was used.
> Bruce
> 
> 
>On Sunday, 19 June 2016 8:02 PM, John Miles  wrote:
> 
> 
>> On 6/18/16 6:17 PM, Tom Knox wrote:
>>> Does anyone have any insight as to why Microsemi has stopped shipping
>> 3120A Phase Noise test sets  beside that they are not to spec?
>>> 
>> They're shipping them.. I got quoted a 12 week delivery in April, $9k
>> for the box, about $12k-15k for the software, although I find that the
>> Microsemi site doesn't really explain what the various software options are.
>> 
> 
> Briefly --
> 
> 'Signal Statistics' = you can display the non-ADEV deviation types (MDEV, 
> HDEV, TDEV) and enable the various integrated noise/jitter options for 
> display in the legend table below the plot 
> 
> 'AM Noise' = you can enable AM noise measurements in the acquisition dialog
> 
> 'Frequency Counter' = you can display the high-precision frequency-count 
> chart alongside a Frequency Difference plot
> 
> 'Mask Test' = you can display pass/fail status and margin values in the 
> legend table below the plot.  Mask limit lines can be displayed on the plot 
> without this option, but the program won't evaluate them (or allow automated 
> test scripts to access them) without it. 
> 
> -- john, KE5FX
> Miles Design LLC
> 
> 
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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[jimlux]

On 6/18/16 10:41 PM, John Miles wrote:

On 6/18/16 6:17 PM, Tom Knox wrote:

Does anyone have any insight as to why Microsemi has stopped shipping

3120A Phase Noise test sets  beside that they are not to spec?



They're shipping them.. I got quoted a 12 week delivery in April, $9k
for the box, about $12k-15k for the software, although I find that the
Microsemi site doesn't really explain what the various software options are.



Briefly --

'Signal Statistics' = you can display the non-ADEV deviation types (MDEV, HDEV, 
TDEV) and enable the various integrated noise/jitter options for display in the 
legend table below the plot

'AM Noise' = you can enable AM noise measurements in the acquisition dialog

'Frequency Counter' = you can display the high-precision frequency-count chart 
alongside a Frequency Difference plot

'Mask Test' = you can display pass/fail status and margin values in the legend 
table below the plot.  Mask limit lines can be displayed on the plot without 
this option, but the program won't evaluate them (or allow automated test 
scripts to access them) without it.

-- john, KE5FX
Miles Design LLC




Tnx
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[time-nuts] E4406A and feeding HF signals directly to the ADC

[Timestep Nuts]

>From an earlier post:

"E4406A and feeding HF signals directly to the ADC"

Has anyone here done that ?

Thanks

Dave
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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[Bruce Griffiths]

It almost sounds like something has been found not to be ROHS compliant.Could 
be as simple as the alodined (conventional process uses hexavalent chromium ) 
case or perhaps a non ROHS part was used.
Bruce
 

On Sunday, 19 June 2016 8:02 PM, John Miles  wrote:
 

 > On 6/18/16 6:17 PM, Tom Knox wrote:
> > Does anyone have any insight as to why Microsemi has stopped shipping
> 3120A Phase Noise test sets  beside that they are not to spec?
> >
> They're shipping them.. I got quoted a 12 week delivery in April, $9k
> for the box, about $12k-15k for the software, although I find that the
> Microsemi site doesn't really explain what the various software options are.
> 

Briefly --

'Signal Statistics' = you can display the non-ADEV deviation types (MDEV, HDEV, 
TDEV) and enable the various integrated noise/jitter options for display in the 
legend table below the plot 

'AM Noise' = you can enable AM noise measurements in the acquisition dialog

'Frequency Counter' = you can display the high-precision frequency-count chart 
alongside a Frequency Difference plot

'Mask Test' = you can display pass/fail status and margin values in the legend 
table below the plot.  Mask limit lines can be displayed on the plot without 
this option, but the program won't evaluate them (or allow automated test 
scripts to access them) without it. 

-- john, KE5FX
Miles Design LLC


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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[Tom Knox]

Hi All;

This was the email a friend recently received.

The 3120A product is currently on hold until Microsemi implements a solution.  
If you would like for Microsemi to sell this 3120A product to you and process 
your purchase order -Sales Order notwithstanding that these products do not 
meet published specifications, please reply to this email that you acknowledge 
and understand these products may be non-conforming and agree to purchase these 
non-conforming products in accordance with the terms hereof.  Microsemi's terms 
and conditions, which were provided to you in our sales order acknowledgment 
and which can also be found on http://www.microsemi.com/terms-a-conditions, 
will govern the sales of our products and this Order.  In addition and 
notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in such terms, these 3120A 
products come only with our standard replacement warranty of twelve (12) 
months.  Accordingly, Microsemi will provide you with a replacement product 
upon receipt from you of the non-conforming product within the above twelve
  (12) months period, which is your exclusive remedy and Microsemi's exclusive 
liability for any claims in connection with these products and Order, howsoever 
arising.  Please reply with your acknowledgement.

Microsemi
www.microsemi.com
Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of 
semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, 
data center and ...



If we do not receive your acknowledgement, Microsemi will keep your order in 
our backlog, and ship when we have implemented a solution that allows us to 
meet the RoHS criteria and apply the CE mark and label."


Not really any details onnthe issue.

Thanks

Thomas Knox




From: time-nuts  on behalf of John Miles 

Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2016 9:00 PM
To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

> -Original Message-
> From: time-nuts [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Tom Knox
> Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2016 6:17 PM
> To: Time-Nuts
> Subject: [time-nuts] 3120A issues
>
> Does anyone have any insight as to why Microsemi has stopped shipping 3120A
> Phase Noise test sets  beside that they are not to spec?
>

It looks like they're still advertising the 3120A on their site.  I'm pretty 
far out of the loop at this point, but if they're having production-test 
problems, I haven't heard anything about them at all -- and I normally would, 
if they're having problems passing the factory tests.  Is that what you meant 
by "to spec?"

-- john, KE5FX
Miles Design LLC


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Re: [time-nuts] 3120A issues

[John Miles]

> On 6/18/16 6:17 PM, Tom Knox wrote:
> > Does anyone have any insight as to why Microsemi has stopped shipping
> 3120A Phase Noise test sets  beside that they are not to spec?
> >
> They're shipping them.. I got quoted a 12 week delivery in April, $9k
> for the box, about $12k-15k for the software, although I find that the
> Microsemi site doesn't really explain what the various software options are.
> 

Briefly --

'Signal Statistics' = you can display the non-ADEV deviation types (MDEV, HDEV, 
TDEV) and enable the various integrated noise/jitter options for display in the 
legend table below the plot 

'AM Noise' = you can enable AM noise measurements in the acquisition dialog

'Frequency Counter' = you can display the high-precision frequency-count chart 
alongside a Frequency Difference plot

'Mask Test' = you can display pass/fail status and margin values in the legend 
table below the plot.  Mask limit lines can be displayed on the plot without 
this option, but the program won't evaluate them (or allow automated test 
scripts to access them) without it. 

-- john, KE5FX
Miles Design LLC


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