Hi

I've always wondered if the magic A1U1 1820-2312 in the 5380A has a frequency 
multiplier of some sort in it. I've never dug into it far enough to answer the 
question though. 

Bob

On Nov 18, 2012, at 8:12 PM, Volker Esper <[email protected]> wrote:

> 
> As far as I can see the PLL loop filter (SR620) has a corner frequency of 
> about 33Hz. My HP counter 5385A has simply a switch to toggle between the 
> external source and the internal osc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Am 18.11.2012 22:45, schrieb Bob Camp:
>> Hi
>> 
>> Most modern counters have an internal oscillator that they lock up to the 
>> external reference. The PLL bandwidth is (hopefully) chosen to optimize the 
>> noise contribution of the internal oscillator (quiet broad band) and the 
>> external reference (quiet close in). It will reject anything MHz away from 
>> the reference. Even if the reference signal is used directly, it would only 
>> be a problem if divided by an odd number. Even number division will wipe out 
>> the jitter. The most likely gate times are all a power of 10, so the 
>> division should always be even in a counter. Bottom line - you are unlikely 
>> to run into trouble using 10 MHz out of a Z3805 as reference signal.
>> 
>> Crazy stuff….
>> 
>> Bob
>> 
>> On Nov 18, 2012, at 4:35 PM, Volker Esper<[email protected]>  wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>>> ...A PLL multiplier will (likely) also ignore the sub-harmonic, the
>>>> jitter will not show up if you use the 10 MHz as a counter timebase
>>>> in a HP counter...
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Yes, I wondered what the histogram would show when using the 2-maxima-Z3805 
>>> signal as a reference for the SR620 counter. Would the PLL filter it or 
>>> would I get a mixer-like result with two maxima in the histogram?
>>> 
>>> I applied the Z3805 to the reference input and the SMX signal generator to 
>>> the counter input. The histogram looked equal to that I got when using the 
>>> internal oscillator of the counter for reference.
>>> 
>>> That obviously confirms Bob's statement.
>>> 
>>> Volker
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Am 18.11.2012 21:23, schrieb Bob Camp:
>>>> Hi
>>>> 
>>>> This is one of those interesting areas where a broadband measurement (like 
>>>> a counter) and a narrowband measurement (like a DMTD) will give very 
>>>> different results. The counter will see the sub-harmonic, and call it 
>>>> jitter. It can show up in an ADEV calculation. A DMTD will ignore the 
>>>> sub-harmonic, and show no added jitter. With a DMTD, the ADEV will look 
>>>> fine. A PLL multiplier will (likely) also ignore the sub-harmonic, the 
>>>> jitter will not show up if you use the 10 MHz as a counter timebase in a 
>>>> HP counter.
>>>> 
>>>> Which one's right / does it matter - as always, that depends on what you 
>>>> are trying to do with the signal.
>>>> 
>>>> Bob
>>>> 
>>>> On Nov 18, 2012, at 1:26 PM, Volker Esper<[email protected]>   wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> @Azelio: Yes, (like Bob told) it's the phase lock, that locks the two 
>>>>> maxima. Actually the counter is able to look between the 60ps spaced 
>>>>> towers, have a look at the pictures in the first mail of this thread. 
>>>>> However, there is a smallest time value the counter can determine, but it 
>>>>> is much smaller than 60ps.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Volker
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Am 18.11.2012 17:11, schrieb Bob Camp:
>>>>>> Hi
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The 5 MHz and 10 MHz are "locked together" by the multiplier. Their 
>>>>>> relative phase is fixed. The 5 MHz component is not free to wander 
>>>>>> independently relative to the 10 MHz.  Since it's a doubler, you get a 
>>>>>> two peak plot. If it was a X3 you would get three peaks.  It really only 
>>>>>> makes sense if you look at it on a scope. Of course at 60 ps, it would 
>>>>>> have to be a mighty good scope. Much easier to see when the sub-harmonic 
>>>>>> is a bit stronger...
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Nov 18, 2012, at 9:53 AM, Azelio Boriani<[email protected]>    
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Interesting this, but why exactly 60pS? I would expect also something
>>>>>>> in-between. That is, to have the 5MHz energy 64dB below, in my opinion
>>>>>>> nothing prevents to have the edge to wander not only at 60pS but
>>>>>>> continuously between 0 and 60pS. Maybe the SR620, being a 25pS 
>>>>>>> resolution
>>>>>>> counter, simply doesn't see what's going on in-between and the resulting
>>>>>>> histogram looks that way.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 3:51 AM, Bob Camp<[email protected]>    wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Hi
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> A little more detail:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> What's going on is more clear if you trigger a scope on the positive 
>>>>>>>> edge
>>>>>>>> of the 5 MHz and look at the 10 MHz. With an ideal multiplier, both the
>>>>>>>> positive and negative edges of the 5 MHz should line up exactly with a
>>>>>>>> positive edge of the 10 MHz. In reality, negative edge (the one not
>>>>>>>> triggered) does not quite line up. It's a bit ahead (or behind) the 
>>>>>>>> ideal
>>>>>>>> location. Since it's a small angle, the delta in phase and delta in
>>>>>>>> amplitude both follow the same basic law.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On Nov 17, 2012, at 9:36 PM, Bob Camp<[email protected]>    wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Hi
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Just good old Fourier series.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> On Nov 17, 2012, at 9:12 PM, Volker Esper<[email protected]>    
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> I'm impressed - but what law is behind this?
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Am 17.11.2012 21:26, schrieb Bob Camp:
>>>>>>>>>>> Hi
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 60 db isn't to bad a number. More or less:
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 100 ns ->     100 ps is 1000:1. 20 log of that is 60 db. 100 ps to 
>>>>>>>>>>> 60 ps
>>>>>>>> is about 4.4 db. That would sum up to -64.4 dbc. The main gotcha is 
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> you *might* also have some 15 MHz (and higher) energy in the signal as
>>>>>>>> well. Also phase gets into the calculation.  Still, pretty close.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> On Nov 17, 2012, at 12:50 PM, Volker Esper<[email protected]>     
>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> So let's have a look into the machine... and what do we see? 
>>>>>>>>>>>> There's
>>>>>>>> a nice little Symmetrcom oven, with the sign reading "5.000 MHz" - 
>>>>>>>> bingo!
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> May be there's a time saving way to determine the energie of the 
>>>>>>>>>>>> sub
>>>>>>>> harmonic: using my spectrum analyzer. It tells me, that there's a 5 MHz
>>>>>>>> subharmonic at the level of -62dBc.
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> How would you have calculated the energy? What would be your 
>>>>>>>>>>>> ansatz?
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks so far
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Volker
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Am 17.11.2012 17:55, schrieb Bob Camp:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> That's what you get if you have "sub harmonic" energy in the 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> output
>>>>>>>> of your OCXO. I'd bet you a warm glass of beer that you have a 5 MHz /
>>>>>>>> doubled to 10 MHz MTI OCXO in your Z3805.  If you have a lot of time on
>>>>>>>> your hands, you can calculate the likely level of the energy from the
>>>>>>>> amount of jitter (spacing between the two peaks) you get.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Nov 17, 2012, at 11:41 AM, Volker Esper<[email protected]>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> while playing with my recently aquired TIC (SR620) and measuring
>>>>>>>> the period time of some oscillators I discovered something I hadn't 
>>>>>>>> expect
>>>>>>>> at all:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The output of my GPSDO (Z3805) writes two maxima in the period
>>>>>>>> histogram (at a spacing of 60ps).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I didn't believe that result and assumed an inherent error in my
>>>>>>>> measuring setup or the counter itself.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So I plugged another oscillator, the reference TCXO of my signal
>>>>>>>> generator (R&S SMX), and that result made me happy and uneasy at once: 
>>>>>>>> The
>>>>>>>> TCXO hat only one maximum.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I havn't calculated the ADEV curve, yet.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See pictures.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Why does my GPSDO produce such a weird result?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Volker - DF9PL
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
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