Hi Robert,
I guess you're talking about real "failures",
rather than predictable wearout mechanisms (lamp death).
My lamp failure is similar to tires wearing out on
a car. One doesn't consider the car to have "failed"
just because the tires have worn out. Anyway, we
have certainly seen the common failures you mention.
My first job out of school was on a project for HP to
design a mini-rubidium source. We used a transistor
to heat the oven mass and I remember cringing at that
thought since I had just learned that heat was a
transistor's worst enemy! I watched somebody else go
through the design and verification of a power oscillator
used to drive the lamp ... a few failures there, too. :-)
Tnx,
Jim
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Behalf Of Robert Lutwak
>Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 5:11 AM
>To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
>Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Newbie with new questions: Rubidium
>
>
>The lamp runs quite hot (typically over 100C). Failure is
>generally the
>heater, which is typically a transistor or FET bolted to the
>lamp body.
>Occasionally, the RF transistor which drive the lamp discharge
>(something in
>the range of 60-150 MHz) will fail. Again, it's the
>electronic components
>failing, not the physics.
>
>In a very old Rb, you may see some reduction in signal level due to
>darkening of the lamp glass. This may lead to diminished stability
>performance and contribute to long-term frequency drift, but
>is unlikely to
>cause lock failure.
>
>-RL
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>Robert Lutwak, Senior Scientist
>Symmetricom - Technology Realization Center
>34 Tozer Rd.
>Beverly, MA 01915
>(978) 232-1461 Voice [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Business)
>(978) 927-4099 FAX [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Personal)
>(339) 927-7896 Mobile
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Magnus Danielson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[email protected]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 7:40 AM
>Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Newbie with new questions: Rubidium
>
>
>> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Subject: RE: [time-nuts] Newbie with new questions: Rubidium
>> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 16:45:17 -0700
>> Message-ID:
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>
>>> Our experience has been that the most common
>>> failure in Rb standards is the Rb lamp. There
>>> is a known wearout mechanism in the lamp and
>>> a somewhat predictable lifespan. The filter
>>> and absorption cells have no wearout mechanism.
>>
>> Some Rubidiums have a "hot-swap" of the Rubidium lamp, such
>as my R&S
>> Rubidium.
>> Unfortunatly I don't have the replacement part.
>>
>> With hot-swap means that all electronics, heating etc is all
>running as
>> normally, but during the operation there is a natural loss
>of tracking.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Magnus
>>
>>> Have a nice weekend,
>>> Jim
>>> Agilent Laboratories
>>> Palo Alto, CA
>>>
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