Bob, the TVC501 was one of many Tektronix TM500 (manually controlled) and TM5000 (manual or GPIB controlled) plug-in instruments and power supplies. Some of these were very popular, such as the PS5004 precision programmable power supply and DC5009 programmable counter. The TM500 non- programmable modules were offered for over 20 years, from 1972 till the early 1990's. http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/TM500_system http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/Category:TM500_series_plugins http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/Category:TM5000_series_plugins
The Spectracom 8163 was a third party WWVB receiver which was powered by a TM500 mainframe. A number of other companies produced modules which were powered by TM500 mainframes. -- Bill Byrom N5BB On Wed, Jun 17, 2015, at 09:07 AM, Robert Gilchrist Huenemann wrote: > Thank you for your comments. I was not aware of the TVC501. I have > ordered > a copy of the manual. > > It is interesting that this instrument only had analog outputs. You did > not > mention any digital outputs, so I assume it had none. > > Several vendors made system in a box type instruments with various plug > ins, > including counters. Were any of them big sellers? Don't know. > > Bob Huenemann > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Bill Byrom" <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2015 7:18 PM > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Modulation Domain Analysis > >> On a related subject: Tektronix TVC501 Time-Interval to Voltage Converter >> (cousin of the modulation domain analyzer) >> >> I have worked as an Application Engineer at Tektronix for over 25 years. >> In the early 1990's we developed the TVC501, which was a time interval >> to voltage converter. I'm doing this from memory (since it's hard to >> find references on the Internet) but I believe it had a time interval >> counter with about 50 ns resolution. The counter output was subtracted >> from a user-settable reference time, then multiplied by a user-settable >> gain before driving an 8-bit D/A. The analog voltage output was updated >> at each measured interval, up to about 2 million updates/sec. This >> architecture allowed the user to see small changes in large time >> intervals on either an analog or digital oscilloscope or other >> instrument. So you could see changes in the period of the power line >> frequency with around 100 ns resolution, and use the oscilloscope >> voltage level trigger features to capture timing aberrations. The TVC501 >> was a single-wide TM500 plug-in unit. >> >> The TVC501 had two BNC inputs, and could sense the width or period of >> signals on one input, or the time interval between edges on the two >> inputs. It was a rather specialized product, and I don't think we sold >> many of them. In 1995 we discontinued nearly the entire TM500/TM5000 >> line. Some of these products were sold by Tegam for a few years. >> >> -- >> Bill Byrom N5BB >> >> >> >> On Tue, Jun 16, 2015, at 05:17 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote: >>> That's interesting. I worked for the HP Santa Clara Division >>> from 1979 until just before it was closed in 1998. I >>> forget who "invented" MDA at SCD, but it was hyped like >>> it was some new concept and I never heard anything about >>> the HP9540. >>> >>> Many times someone would come to me and ask me about >>> some "new" bright idea they had, and I would tell them >>> "Yes, I can confirm that your idea is excellent, because >>> I read the original paper on it that was published in >>> 19XX." It is interesting that people would often get >>> mad at me, as if it is my fault they reinvented the wheel. >>> >>> If only I known about your HP Journal article, I could >>> have throw it up to the "innovators" at SCD. >>> >>> Before I worked for HP, an HP Journal article came out >>> about fractional-N synthesizers, and everyone at Zeta >>> Labs was anxious to use the technology in the Zeta >>> Labs designs. Except one guy, who pointed out that >>> he had invented frac-N 11 years previously, and he >>> called it "digiphase." I've never heard anyone at >>> HP ever acknowledge that guy. >>> >>> Rick (now retired from HP/Agilent/Keysight) >>> >>> On 6/16/2015 12:54 PM, Robert Gilchrist Huenemann wrote: >>>> I stumbled onto the time nuts list from a posting on modulation domain >>>> analysis a couple of weeks ago. I am enjoying the discussion. >>>> >>>> I want to comment on modulation domain analysis, or phase digitizing. >>>> This is a technique that uses a period mode frequency counter, or two >>>> such counters back to back, to recover the modulation history of a >>>> frequency modulated waveform. >>>> >>>> This technique was first used in the HP9540 automated transceiver test >>>> system. This system was described in the August 1973 HP Journal. The >>>> HP9540 used a single HP5326 period mode counter with a 10 MHz clock. At >>>> that time, no counter was available with a higher clock frequency. >>>> >>>> A breadboard system was assembled as part of the HP9540 development >>>> effort which used two HP5326 counters back to back. To insure that >>>> alternate periods were measured, the second HP5326 ran off the gate >>>> output of the first. However, it was realized that the characteristics >>>> of the HP9540 and its specific application were such that two counters >>>> were not required. Please refer to my HP Journal article for details. >>>> >>>> The HP9540 was developed at HP's Automatic Measurement Division. This >>>> division was disbanded in 1974. >>>> >>>> Modulation Domain Analysis and Phase Digitizing were terms that came >>>> into use with the later development of specialized stand alone >>>> instruments that combined computational capability, back to back period >>>> mode counters, higher clock frequencies, interpolation and algorithms >>>> for various measurements. All of these were worthwhile improvements on >>>> the basic technique first used in the HP9540. >>>> >>>> I would be happy to answer questions. Thank you for allowing me to post >>>> this information. >>>> >>>> >>>> Robert Gilchrist Huenemann, M.S.E.E. >>>> 120 Harbern Way >>>> Hollister, CA 95023-9708 >>>> 831-635-0786 >>>> [email protected] >>>> https://sites.google.com/site/bobhuenemann/ >>>> Extra Class Amateur Radio License W6RFW >>>> IEEE Life Member 01189471 >>>> >>>> --- >>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. >>>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus >>>> ___________________________________________________ >>>> 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. >> > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > https://www.avast.com/antivirus > > _________________________________________________ > 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.
