The Z3805A has two serial ports, both of which are RS-232. Serial Port 2 broadcasts time of day only and will not accept scpi commands. Serial Port 1 shoudl be used for scpi control. Chuck Zabilski BD Systems, Inc.
________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 11:31 PM Subject: time-nuts Digest, Vol 99, Issue 62 Send time-nuts mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of time-nuts digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: HP 10811A failure ([email protected]) 2. Re: PRS10 dying from old age... (paul swed) 3. Re: HP 10811A failure (Adrian) 4. Re: HP 10811A failure ([email protected]) 5. HP Z3805A com port and monitoring questions (Edgardo Molina) 6. Re: PRS10 dying from old age... (Magnus Danielson) 7. Seistek pn3048 (David Hooke) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:31:24 -0400 (EDT) From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [time-nuts] HP 10811A failure Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Perhaps a silly question, but as I get the impression that both seem to have failed simultaneously with the same fault I'm just wondering if you're sure it isn't what you're checking them with that's developed a problem? Regards Nigel GM8PZR In a message dated 13/10/2012 13:52:46 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Hi All, both of my double oven 10811A's have been running flawlessly until now when I noticed that the output power has dropped by about 3 dB (measures only 4...4.5 dBm at 50 Ohm load), and the noise floor has gone up by about 20 dB, while the frequency is still spot on. I used them for various mesurements, so I can unfortunately not remember what might have caused the failure. Only the 12V linear lab power supply that fed the heaters had developed a completely dead filter cap, so the feeding voltage was a 100 Hz sawtooth rather than DC. The heaters appear to be still working though. I'm only using the internal heater. They draw some 700 mA at power up and drop to around 150 mA each when warm. So the oscillators are unlikely to be cooked inside. Something must have happened to the 10 MHz output, possibly an ESD issue? Before I start taking them apart, can anyone tell what has happened or what to look for first? Regards, Adrian _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:19:09 -0400 From: paul swed <[email protected]> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] PRS10 dying from old age... Message-ID: <CAD2JfAhnLv1q4=otfmmbaiwneg84nrbvejdzihfhvx_v7-1...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Poul If it is dying there should maybe be a lamp voltage you can check and see what it indicates. If you consider it dead then you can always checK to see is it something going on like low RF or maybe the RB truly is an issue. I have recovered some olf FRS by reheating the rb bulb and essentially getting the RB that collects on the bulb back into circulation. Heck once its dead you can have real fun. Regards Paul WB8TSL On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 4:48 PM, Poul-Henning Kamp <[email protected]>wrote: > > One of my PRS10s is dying from old age by the looks of it, here is some > data I have > collected from it over the last 800 days: > > http://phk.freebsd.dk/hacks/prs10_death/index.html > > -- > Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20 > [email protected] | TCP/IP since RFC 956 > FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe > Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 01:26:35 +0200 From: Adrian <[email protected]> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] HP 10811A failure Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed A very good point! I checked the output amplitude with a spectrum analyzer, a power meter and a scope, the latter with a 50 ohm load to the input. I re-checked the power supply connections and can confirm they are the same as before. I used three different power supplies for the oscillators and two for the heaters, still no difference. But... To make it short, your comments helped to get me back on track. Both beauties escaped unnecessary dismantling and are now working as they should. Actually, the problem was caused by a long-term misunderstanding. I was always wondering why 'HP used simple stranded wire' and not coaxial cable on the 10 MHz output and EFC. As long as I connected them on the bench, I replaced the 'missing' ground connection with a short wired croc clamp between coax and ground. Today I realized that the thin blue wire IS actually coax cable, so I should have connected the coax shield to the BNC ground on my newly built 2x 10811 enclosure. With the new wiring, the output ground had just become much more inductive, up to a point where the nominal source impedance of 50 ohms had increased to over 120 ohms, causing the amplitude loss of some 3 dB and capturing noise. Btw. the Sprague 6800 uF / 40 V from my R&S NGA power supply has indeed died, but independently of the osc. problem. Adrian [email protected] schrieb: > Perhaps a silly question, but as I get the impression that both seem to > have failed simultaneously with the same fault I'm just wondering if you're > sure it isn't what you're checking them with that's developed a problem? > > Regards > > Nigel > GM8PZR > > > In a message dated 13/10/2012 13:52:46 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] > writes: > > Hi All, > > both of my double oven 10811A's have been running flawlessly until now > when I noticed that the output power has dropped by about 3 dB (measures > only 4...4.5 dBm at 50 Ohm load), and the noise floor has gone up by > about 20 dB, while the frequency is still spot on. > > I used them for various mesurements, so I can unfortunately not remember > what might have caused the failure. Only the 12V linear lab power supply > that fed the heaters had developed a completely dead filter cap, so the > feeding voltage was a 100 Hz sawtooth rather than DC. The heaters appear > to be still working though. I'm only using the internal heater. They > draw some 700 mA at power up and drop to around 150 mA each when warm. > So the oscillators are unlikely to be cooked inside. Something must have > happened to the 10 MHz output, possibly an ESD issue? > > Before I start taking them apart, can anyone tell what has happened or > what to look for first? > > Regards, > Adrian > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:58:17 -0400 (EDT) From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [time-nuts] HP 10811A failure Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Hi Adrian Glad to hear you're back on track and that all is now well I can understand that very thin coax being quite deceptive, it's certainly amongst the thinnest I've ever come across. I've got a couple of double oven10811s bought from one of the usual Chinese Ebay sellers a few years ago as potential spares for my Z3801As and both have one of the coax connectors chopped off, can't remember now whether it's the 10MHz output or the EFC input. Either way, should they ever be needed in anger I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the leads can be swapped over, cos fitting another connector sure don't look to be a very user friendly option:-) Regards Nigel GM8PZR In a message dated 14/10/2012 00:27:23 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: A very good point! I checked the output amplitude with a spectrum analyzer, a power meter and a scope, the latter with a 50 ohm load to the input. I re-checked the power supply connections and can confirm they are the same as before. I used three different power supplies for the oscillators and two for the heaters, still no difference. But... To make it short, your comments helped to get me back on track. Both beauties escaped unnecessary dismantling and are now working as they should. Actually, the problem was caused by a long-term misunderstanding. I was always wondering why 'HP used simple stranded wire' and not coaxial cable on the 10 MHz output and EFC. As long as I connected them on the bench, I replaced the 'missing' ground connection with a short wired croc clamp between coax and ground. Today I realized that the thin blue wire IS actually coax cable, so I should have connected the coax shield to the BNC ground on my newly built 2x 10811 enclosure. With the new wiring, the output ground had just become much more inductive, up to a point where the nominal source impedance of 50 ohms had increased to over 120 ohms, causing the amplitude loss of some 3 dB and capturing noise. Btw. the Sprague 6800 uF / 40 V from my R&S NGA power supply has indeed died, but independently of the osc. problem. Adrian [email protected] schrieb: > Perhaps a silly question, but as I get the impression that both seem to > have failed simultaneously with the same fault I'm just wondering if you're > sure it isn't what you're checking them with that's developed a problem? > > Regards > > Nigel > GM8PZR > > > In a message dated 13/10/2012 13:52:46 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] > writes: > > Hi All, > > both of my double oven 10811A's have been running flawlessly until now > when I noticed that the output power has dropped by about 3 dB (measures > only 4...4.5 dBm at 50 Ohm load), and the noise floor has gone up by > about 20 dB, while the frequency is still spot on. > > I used them for various mesurements, so I can unfortunately not remember > what might have caused the failure. Only the 12V linear lab power supply > that fed the heaters had developed a completely dead filter cap, so the > feeding voltage was a 100 Hz sawtooth rather than DC. The heaters appear > to be still working though. I'm only using the internal heater. They > draw some 700 mA at power up and drop to around 150 mA each when warm. > So the oscillators are unlikely to be cooked inside. Something must have > happened to the 10 MHz output, possibly an ESD issue? > > Before I start taking them apart, can anyone tell what has happened or > what to look for first? > > Regards, > Adrian > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:18:17 -0500 From: Edgardo Molina <[email protected]> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement <[email protected]> Subject: [time-nuts] HP Z3805A com port and monitoring questions Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Dear Group, Good evening. I bought two HP Z3805A units a few weeks ago. They were bare units without antenna or power supply. After struggling to find a suitable 24V 3A noise free power supply for each of them, I mounted a couple of Symmetricom antennas and just fired them up. After around 25 minutes, the GPS Lock light lighted up. As the manual for this particular model is unobtainable in several searches through the Internet, I found that the readily available manual for the Z3801A would cover much of the Z3905A operation. I also got a software for monitoring the operation from BD Systems Inc. In Colorado. Now that I am sure both are operating and locked only by looking at the front panel lights, I would like to ask a couple of questions regarding their communication to the PC. 1. Is the DB-25 serial port carrying RS-232 signals? I see the port of the Z380A1 is different: RS-422. 2. If the port is plain RS-232 is it possible to use a Serial to USB adapter? I have heard about the inconsistencies that such an adapter could cause when used with a TBolt. Should I assume this is the same case with the Z3805A? 3. There was once a project for building a TBolt state monitor on a 2 line LCD screen. I own three of those monitors and they are just great. Is there an equivalent for these HP GPS units? Any suggestions for the operation of these units and your ever expert and kind advise is always welcome. You all have a nice weekend! Kindest regards, Edgardo Molina Direcci?n IPTEL www.iptel.net.mx T : 55 55 55202444 M : 04455 20501854 Piensa en Bits SA de CV Informaci?n anexa: CONFIDENCIALIDAD DE INFORMACION Este mensaje tiene car?cter confidencial. Si usted no es el destinarario de este mensaje, le suplicamos se lo notifique al remitente mediante un correo electr?nico y que borre el presente mensaje y sus anexos de su computadora sin retener una copia de los mismos. Queda estrictamente prohibido copiar este mensaje o hacer usode el para cualquier prop?sito o divulgar su en forma parcial o total su contenido. Gracias. NON-DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION This email is strictly confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient please immediately advise the sender by replying to this e-mail and then deleting the message and its attachments from your computer without keeping a copy. It is strictly forbidden to copy it or use it for any purpose or disclose its contents to any third party. Thank you. ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 04:26:02 +0200 From: Magnus Danielson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [time-nuts] PRS10 dying from old age... Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed On 10/13/2012 11:19 PM, paul swed wrote: > Poul > If it is dying there should maybe be a lamp voltage you can check and see > what it indicates. If you consider it dead then you can always checK to see > is it something going on like low RF or maybe the RB truly is an issue. I > have recovered some olf FRS by reheating the rb bulb and essentially > getting the RB that collects on the bulb back into circulation. What I did was that I heated it up with an air gun. First try, it depleted onto the glass, but then I realized that I had left the collection dot to the side, so it had to deplete on the colder glass, but when I turned the collection dot to the top of the lamp and then heated, as the hot atom raised to the top, they would deplete into the rubidium dot and the glass surface would be free of them. The later is important, because if they deplete on the glass, then they will absorb the wavelengths of rubidium and this is the energy you want to get out of the lamp. I was fortunate as the R&S rubidium is built such that you can get the rubidium lamp out of the clock without even turning it off. The special tool you need is part of the assembly. Looking at the graphs, you have had some intermittent operations with glimpses of operation. I wonder if this is the lamp. You can open it up and check the lamp, it may be part of your problem. I would look for contact problems, like bad solder joint or something. Cheers, Magnus ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 15:30:42 +1000 From: David Hooke <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [time-nuts] Seistek pn3048 Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Hi All, Does anyone have a download link for the Seistek PN3048 phase noise software, or details about contacting the author? I'd like to use it to configure my 11848A, although I don't know how far I'll get without having a 3561A (just an 8568B). Cheers, davidh ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list [email protected] https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts End of time-nuts Digest, Vol 99, Issue 62 ***************************************** _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
