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Electronics => Metrology => Topic started by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 12:41:38 am

Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 12:41:38 am
Looking to add to my collection of Standards devices, I ran across this seller on eBay who appears to make a decent 10VDC reference standard. The unit is small and compact and the specifications are impressive for the $100 dollar price tag it carries. It supplies 10.000000 VDC Output with ±0.0002% (±2ppm) at 14.5VDC (+-2.0VDC) on the input. The unit can operate anywhere from 12VDC to 35VDC on the input. The unit incorporates a TI REF102C reference IC, Noise Filtering, Thermoelectric Dampening and more. They have taken into account silicon aging, high granularity trimming, output jitter dampening, resistive balance, temperature compensation and more.

The device has a 5-minute settle time and the max output load is 10mA, Long-term drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use decreasing with age. I have ordered one and will let you know what I think once I get it. I thought others might also be interested in this unit also so here is the eBay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-VDC-2ppm-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/251756273626? (http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-VDC-2ppm-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/251756273626?)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on January 31, 2015, 08:05:29 am
Thanks for sharing.
Sounds good, but I wonder if it really performs as advertised.
AFAIK the REF102 comes in plastic package, gives 10V +- 2,5mV output, has 2.5ppm/K at best.
Therefore it needs to be trimmed and use very clever correction/compensation to meet the claimed numbers.
Looking forward to what you find out.
Bye
quarks
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturation on January 31, 2015, 03:21:25 pm
Very very interesting, but I find the specs hard to believe.  Creating a reference with such specs at low cost is the holy grail of the voltnut and naturally it wouldn't hurt pros either too.  Would be very interested in your report and tear down.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 04:06:47 pm
I agree, the specs seem hard to believe but I am willing to give it a go and see if it meets their claims. I can easily measure and test it out to 6 digits or more if needed. I want to see how stable it is over a week, month even longer. Although I won't wait that long to post my review!  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: theatrus on January 31, 2015, 05:38:21 pm
Tearsdowns appreciated :).

I'd pick one up and run it on my 3458a but I'm just slammed on time.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturation on January 31, 2015, 06:08:48 pm
Yes, don't keep us in suspense for long.   I'm surprised I never heard of any of this product or variants at volt nuts but now that you've made us aware via eeblog, many other pioneers may join the adventure.

I agree, the specs seem hard to believe but I am willing to give it a go and see if it meets their claims. I can easily measure and test it out to 6 digits or more if needed. I want to see how stable it is over a week, month even longer. Although I won't wait that long to post my review!  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: jimon on January 31, 2015, 06:17:20 pm
Wish to have teardown.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dom0 on January 31, 2015, 06:46:33 pm
+- 2 ppm absolute accuracy sounds extremely unlikely, both due to the price and the reference used.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: devanno on January 31, 2015, 07:19:22 pm
I saw this on eBay a while back and thought ... hmmm  at this price?  Really interested in your experiences.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dadler on January 31, 2015, 07:53:56 pm
Seems that for such a precision product, I would choose a more professional outlet than eBay to peddle my wares, but what do I know. Someone get one and test it for us.  :P
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: jpb on January 31, 2015, 07:54:44 pm
Wasn't there a thread on this a year or so back? I remember the references to "Nulling" and using a Fluke to do so.

I did a quick search and couldn't find it but my memory is that there was a degree of snake oil involved.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: jpb on January 31, 2015, 08:08:47 pm
I've found the reference, on page 51 of the massive Ultra Precision Reference LTZ1000 thread :

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-precision-reference-ltz1000/750/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-precision-reference-ltz1000/750/)

it is the same ebay seller. It might be worth re-reading the earlier comments.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 08:42:16 pm
I've found the reference, on page 51 of the massive Ultra Precision Reference LTZ1000 thread :

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-precision-reference-ltz1000/750/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-precision-reference-ltz1000/750/)

it is the same ebay seller. It might be worth re-reading the earlier comments.

This ought to be very interesting then. I am going to hold the seller to his claims so if it fails the tests it will be published here on the EEVBlog and elsewhere. I will only use up to date calibrated and traceable equipment, just in case I get called out on that later. More to come...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on January 31, 2015, 09:14:40 pm
100$ ... Give it a try.. If you're able to verify it.

Personally, I doubt the performance , once from the capabilities of these refs, 2nd because the description is too enthusiastic, and there's a strange list of compensation features... Like these guys, which claimed supercaps from nanoparticles, and Free Energy, and so on.
You know, they all simply use common terminus technicus / pseudo scientific terms in such descriptions , without really being able to implement these...

At least, if this community would be able to prove this gadget to not fulfill the claimed specs, you may blame him afterwards.
I also offer to check this circuit to ppm uncertainty.
Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on January 31, 2015, 09:23:47 pm
+- 2 ppm absolute accuracy sounds extremely unlikely, both due to the price and the reference used.

Yes. All these would have to be extensively hand characterised and aged to guarantee this spec. Don't know how that can be done for the money.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 09:34:39 pm
100$ ... Give it a try.. If you're able to verify it.

Personally, I doubt the performance , once from the capabilities of these refs, 2nd because the description is too enthusiastic, and there's a strange list of compensation features... Like these guys, which claimed supercaps from nanoparticles, and Free Energy, and so on.
You know, they all simply use common terminus technicus / pseudo scientific terms in such descriptions , without really bring able to implement these...

At least, if this community would be able to prove this gadget to not fulfill the claimed specs, you may blame him afterwards.
I also offer to check this circuit to ppm uncertainty.
Frank

I can't disagree with your post. Yes, there are many claims out there on eBay and elsewhere that are most likely exaggerated but for $100 bucks I think it's worth a look. I will follow up with all my data once I receive and do the testing. If there are any other suggestions, please feel free to let me know. I want to be as thorough as possible.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on January 31, 2015, 09:38:17 pm
+- 2 ppm absolute accuracy sounds extremely unlikely, both due to the price and the reference used.

Yes. All these would have to be extensively hand characterised and aged to guarantee this spec. Don't know how that can be done for the money.

Dave, maybe I can buy another and donate it to the EEVBlog for you to tear into it! Don't you have an HP 8 1/2?  8)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on January 31, 2015, 09:53:27 pm
Dave, maybe I can buy another and donate it to the EEVBlog for you to tear into it! Don't you have an HP 8 1/2?  8)

No, I'd have to test such a thing at the local cal lab.
And of course it would have to be tested over temperature, and I'm not sure they have the ability to do that, so I'd have to take my thermal oven. It's a lot of work to test such a thing properly. I doubt they'd let me tie up their lab for a few days to do this.
Best I can do in the lab is keep the lab temp without about 0.5C with a 34461A meter which is 6ppm rated drift, so maybe 3ppm drift at best according to datasheet specs. I'd be down in the noise.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on February 01, 2015, 07:33:39 pm
Personally, I doubt the performance , once from the capabilities of these refs, 2nd because the description is too enthusiastic, and there's a strange list of compensation features... Like these guys, which claimed supercaps from nanoparticles, and Free Energy, and so on.

Hello,

I also doubt that this performance (+/- 2ppm) is possible in a plastic package.
The better value of long term stability (5ppm/kHr) is usually only for the metal can package (TO-99) which is now marked as obsolete. For the plastic package 20 ppm/kHr are specced. The "typical" 5ppm/kHr of the foot note after 168hrs are usually only valid for lab conditions with constant humidity. In real life applications the plastic packages will drift with humidity.

Further all accuracy specs in the datasheet are additive. So a good performance is only possible under very stable conditions.
If you let the power supply at +/-2V accuracy the +/-2 ppm are already used up by the PSRR of 1ppm/V. And that parameter is meant without self heating due to changing power consumption.
If you really draw 10mA the 10ppm/mA will sum up to 100ppm. (+additional drift due to self heating).

"No soldering" (= socket for the REF102) sounds good for the first. But over time when contact oxidation takes place you might get strange effects by a socket.

There is no statement about pre-aging for the D-105 DC.
In my opinion at least 1 kHr continuous operation would be necessary before first calibration.

So all in all:
Although the REF102 is a excellent reference (in TO-99 package)
in the plastic package I would not expect to get better than 10-20ppm over 1 year with following measures.
- well stabilized power supply around 15V.
- no load on the reference output
- temperature controlled operation

A better choice for a reference would be the AD587 in CERDIP package.

In my ageing experiment I am running one REF102AP against several AD586LQ (5V) references.
14V stabilized power. 50 deg C stabilized temperature. No Load at reference.

Within first 70 days ageing drift was 10 ppm and seems now to stabilize.
When regarding stability the plastic package is far not so stable than the CERDIP devices.

With best regards

Andreas
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 01, 2015, 10:13:51 pm
I noticed this one before but expected it to be a cheap wannabe standard.
Since I have the aged Geller Labs SVR-T, it might be interesting to compare the two.
I just wanted to order one, but it seems the seller is not sending to Germany.




 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 02, 2015, 01:44:24 pm
I just ordered one unit and asked a few questions and this was the answer:

Quote:

The reference ICs are burned in for ~1,000 hours prior to use. But that is to produce good "long-term" stability. The +-2ppm figure is the maximum error. To get that we use temperature-compensation. It took about three years to develop the device. I have a scientific background. So, I only had to learn the application side.

It's basically just inspiration + education + resource + experience + planning + trial and error + persistence + good equipment + common sense + hard work + prayer = good results. It's not a nuts and bolts kind of explanation I can give, because each unit is custom made. These items cannot be mass-produced. And that's part of the secret! The Fluke 732A is like that. They were all handmade.

Magic is science not yet understood. There is so much innovation in this product that it appears to be magic. But it does work as specified. I hope you can understand that our device is protected by trade-secret in construction and calibration. Therefore, I cannot reveal everything about the device.

Thank you for your inquiry, and for your purchase.

End-Quote

Well, we will see how good it is, when it arrives.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 02:58:10 pm
I just ordered one unit and asked a few questions and this was the answer:

Quote:

The reference ICs are burned in for ~1,000 hours prior to use. But that is to produce good "long-term" stability. The +-2ppm figure is the maximum error. To get that we use temperature-compensation. It took about three years to develop the device. I have a scientific background. So, I only had to learn the application side.

It's basically just inspiration + education + resource + experience + planning + trial and error + persistence + good equipment + common sense + hard work + prayer = good results. It's not a nuts and bolts kind of explanation I can give, because each unit is custom made. These items cannot be mass-produced. And that's part of the secret! The Fluke 732A is like that. They were all handmade.

Magic is science not yet understood. There is so much innovation in this product that it appears to be magic. But it does work as specified. I hope you can understand that our device is protected by trade-secret in construction and calibration. Therefore, I cannot reveal everything about the device.

Thank you for your inquiry, and for your purchase.

End-Quote

Well, we will see how good it is, when it arrives.

Mine should arrive in the next day or two. The reply sounds sincere but a bit odd. "Magic is Science not yet understood???" I will post my findings once I get the unit and run some tests...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dom0 on February 02, 2015, 03:03:05 pm
The reply of the seller, while long, contains little information except for the usual feeble "I have been doing this for X years, I don't have to explain to you, because I know what I'm doing" argument.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: retrolefty on February 02, 2015, 03:40:29 pm
The reply of the seller, while long, contains little information except for the usual feeble "I have been doing this for X years, I don't have to explain to you, because I know what I'm doing" argument.

 I'm not so sure. He seems to be pretty open and straight forward to me. His claims for his product should be pretty simple to judge just on facts obtained from direct observation.

 I say most reasonable tec types would just wait for the promised results rather then pretty subjective speculation about the product?

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dom0 on February 02, 2015, 03:56:27 pm
That is correct, however, my post related mostly to the lower 70 % of the sellers answer.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 02, 2015, 04:02:47 pm
My most reliable instrument to measure this standard, is a calibrated Agilent 34410A (3 ppm accuracy in 1 year)

Once I get it, I will take some measurements and keep it running over a longer period.
With all our data of at least 2 units we should be able to determine if this system is stable.
I would not like to pre-judge it before we have any test data.




Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 04:58:55 pm
My most reliable instrument to measure this standard, is a calibrated Agilent 34410A (3 ppm accuracy in 1 year)

Once I get it, I will take some measurements and keep it running over a longer period.
With all our data of at least 2 units we should be able to determine if this system is stable.
I would not like to pre-judge it before we have any test data.

Cool, best I have in my own lab right now is the 34461A and 34401A, both in cal up to date.  Respectfully, don't you mean 30 ppm?  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 02, 2015, 05:16:42 pm
Respectfully, don't you mean 30 ppm?  ;D
My finger was too fast, of course it is 30ppm (0.0030% +0.0005% in one year), thanks for correcting it.
Looking forward to your results on the 34461A and the 34401A
Will you use BenchVue to collect the data?



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 05:18:00 pm
Respectfully, don't you mean 30 ppm?  ;D
My finger was too fast, of course it is 30ppm (0.0030% +0.0005% in one year), thanks for correcting it.
Looking forward to your results on the 34461A and the 34401A
Will you use BenchVue to collect the data?

Absolutely!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 02, 2015, 06:08:59 pm
Respectfully, don't you mean 30 ppm?  ;D
My finger was too fast, of course it is 30ppm (0.0030% +0.0005% in one year), thanks for correcting it.
Looking forward to your results on the 34461A and the 34401A
Will you use BenchVue to collect the data?
The basic problem is, that they claim features / specs which hardly anybody can really check.
Herr in Germany, there are several volt nuts, who are able to really check stability , noise, and even uncertainty of this device.

I again offer to check at least the first two parameters.
Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Smith on February 02, 2015, 06:13:19 pm
I bet it's temperature stabilized, much simpler to implement than temerature compensation. I made one about 1,5 years ago just for fun. It was based on a Ref02 at 10V. Its kept at 45 degrees C with a temp sensor regulated heater in a small box. One year later it still said 10.00000V on my keithley 2000 ( after about 24hr warmup) like I had adjusted it a year before. By the way its adjustable by +/-100uV. Cant give any schematics because I later used this same schematic at work.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 06:20:19 pm
Respectfully, don't you mean 30 ppm?  ;D
My finger was too fast, of course it is 30ppm (0.0030% +0.0005% in one year), thanks for correcting it.
Looking forward to your results on the 34461A and the 34401A
Will you use BenchVue to collect the data?
The basic problem is, that they claim features / specs which hardly anybody can really check.
Herr in Germany, there are several volt nuts, who are able to really check stability , noise, and even uncertainty of this device.

I again offer to check at least the first two parameters.
Frank

Yes, you are correct! That's assuming they are true to their claims. Then my best unit will be down in the noise. If that's the case, then it would be respectable. How would you propose testing the first two parameters?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 06:23:32 pm
I bet it's temperature stabilized, much simpler to implement than temerature compensation. I made one about 1,5 years ago just for fun. It was based on a Ref02 at 10V. Its kept at 45 degrees C with a temp sensor regulated heater in a small box. One year later it still said 10.00000V on my keithley 2000 ( after about 24hr warmup) like I had adjusted it a year before. By the way its adjustable by +/-100uV. Cant give any schematics because I later used this same schematic at work.

That should be easy enough to tell once I get it. Too bad you can't share!  :-X
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Smith on February 02, 2015, 06:30:56 pm
Its not that hard to design. Just some basic design, a good reference ic and some testing to eliminate ac voltage. Thermal coupling is simple too with a small piece of copper and thermal paste
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 02, 2015, 06:37:15 pm
I again offer to check at least the first two parameters.
Frank

Hello Frank,
How about I will be sending it to you after I have performed a few basic test's.
Would be great to get your report on it.
Thanks for this offer.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 02, 2015, 08:33:24 pm
I again offer to check at least the first two parameters.
Frank

Hello Frank,
How about I will be sending it to you after I have performed a few basic test's.
Would be great to get your report on it.
Thanks for this offer.

Yep. We should have much
 more ring comparisons,here in good ol'...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 02, 2015, 11:55:03 pm
Ok, this is the preliminary. It arrived earlier than I was expecting so I did some quick testing using my 34401A. I will do much more in-depth testing in the days to come with my 34461A and BenchVue. I have limited time tonight to do anything further but was excited to give a quick glimpse of the preliminary results.

I allowed a 1-hour warm-up of both the D105-10 and my 34401A. Input 14.5V DC from my best PSU and was getting a stable 10.00000 VDC with the occasional flicker to 10.00001 VDC. The unit came with a small Certificate of Calibration with the following:

Date: 01/31/2015
Time: 10:00:00 UTC
Make: Calibratory
M/N: D105-10 DC
ID: 22** (Edit for Privacy)

Environmental:

Temperature: 68F/19C
Relative Humidity: 37%

Test Method:

Null offset to Fluke 732A Precision Voltage Reference

Parameters:

Input Voltage: 14.5VDC
Output Voltage: 10.00000.57 VDC
Actual maximum error: <=5.7 uVDC - 0.6ppm
Specified maximum error: <=20 uVDC, 2ppm

Signed with initials and dated 1-31-15.

I have included some pictures of the setup. There will be more to come, stay tuned!

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 03, 2015, 01:07:39 am
So far that is impressive. I guess we wait to see how long it stays that way.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 03, 2015, 01:25:55 am
I was thinking of buying one, but many sellers on ebay now are sing a silly door to door shipping system that almost doubles the price. Too bad.

P.S. I just sent them this message:
"I was interested in buying one of these from you, but your shipping system kills the deal. I don't know why many people are opting for this "easy" shipping system but in my case your only option listed adds $60 for shipping and importation. I am Canadian living in Chile and you should know that your price for importation will not be valid in Chile and most of South America. The country will decided to make some people pay the taxes on the shipping, plus the charge you have taken for the importation fees, and then ask for their calculated importation fees on top of that again. Please offer a real option like just normal US post with tracking. This new form I see on many sellers offerings makes it impossible to buy things and kills your sales.

Can you offer me a simple shipping method instead that does not cost me twice the value or more in the end?"
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 03, 2015, 05:49:32 am
$60 is not bad for 'intl shipping. I have to ship small things around the world about 10 times per week and it's just a pain in addition to the expense of the services. From the USA to just about anywhere, a small box is better than $45 plus the PITA paperwork for postal service which is weak, but workable. FedEx and UPS are way more expensive even if you are only shipping a paper clip. There is no relationship between parcel value and shipping cost with the exception of very high value insured packages.

The unit is only $100 so I would not care about an extra $60 for s/h.
Title: postage, tax and customs fee
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 03, 2015, 10:10:46 am
Hi,
for US => Germany , they charge 13$ for postage only, and estimate another 25$ for tax and customs, which is correct.

I recently exchanged a small parcel with a volt-nuts in Seattle, and it was about 20$ each way with USPS and DHL, and vv., but w/o tax/customs fee.

Therefore, I don't understand these 60$ for door to door?
If tax and customs fee is necessary, I have to personally pick up the parcel at a customs office, without additional fee than these mentioned 25$.

So you may specify for your country also, that the customs handling is not to be done by an additional service provider, who may charge extra money.

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 03, 2015, 10:18:54 am
..
I allowed a 1-hour warm-up of both the D105-10 and my 34401A. Input 14.5V DC from my best PSU and was getting a stable 10.00000 VDC with the occasional flicker to 10.00001 VDC.
..

Test Method: Null offset to Fluke 732A Precision Voltage Reference
...

As you are not actually showing the Null Offset method against your 732A, I assume, you keep your 34401A always calibrated to the 732A, instead?
And I also assume, that your 732A is calibrated in a traceable manner?

Well, then this D-105 device really would be very good for initial absolute uncertainty.
But maybe it would be a waste, if it drifts too much over time.

And in this sense it will be interesting, how the ordered part will survive the much longer journey (thousands of miles and weeks of time) to Germany..

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 03, 2015, 11:43:31 am
US to Germany:  <22EUR = 0%.  22-120EUR= 19% EUSt tax. >120EUR=19% tax plus customs.
Consider parts without a CE mark to be more complicated - to the point of impossible for electronic devices.
(If it is just a component which cannot be used standalone, not a device, it might work without CE.
As a ham you can import without CE and declare yourself that you take care for conformity.)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 03, 2015, 12:08:40 pm
US => Germany is 0$ for goods up to 22 EUR(), 19% EUSt for goods between this level and 120 EUR and above that, tax kicks in. Thresholds might vary over time.

You mean 19% tax  plus customs fee, or toll (German: Zoll) kicks in above 120€?

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 03, 2015, 12:35:50 pm
..
Test Method: Null offset to Fluke 732A Precision Voltage Reference
...


As I read it that is the setup from the seller and looks fair to me.
Because a real traceable calibration certificate would probably cost way more than the offered reference itself.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturation on February 03, 2015, 03:24:05 pm
Wow, this is very encouraging news  :scared:.  The unit reads to its factory calibration after marked environmental stress while powered off  :-+.

At this time, peak winter in the US, even if calibrated at room temperature, packages are stored in unheated mailing areas and shocked by manhandling, even if packaged well.  We could also add the possible shock of airline flight to 0.5 bar and uncontrolled humidity exposure.   Unlike late spring and early fall, when room temperature is nearrt ambient, high winter and summer puts a large thermal difference on references shipped in uncontrolled environments.

Dr. Frank's points are healthy skeptical critiques that need further testing, but its looking good so far.

Quarks comments are too, but we cannot expect standard metrology practice from this device or maker, given its pedigree.  Should it survive Terabytes further scrutiny it would be good to see Dr. Frank's testing or send it to an NVLAP metrology lab for an incontestable analysis.




Ok, this is the preliminary. It arrived earlier than I was expecting so I did some quick testing using my 34401A. I will do much more in-depth testing in the days to come with my 34461A and BenchVue. I have limited time tonight to do anything further but was excited to give a quick glimpse of the preliminary results.

I allowed a 1-hour warm-up of both the D105-10 and my 34401A. Input 14.5V DC from my best PSU and was getting a stable 10.00000 VDC with the occasional flicker to 10.00001 VDC.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 03, 2015, 07:30:41 pm
Personally, I doubt the performance , once from the capabilities of these refs, 2nd because the description is too enthusiastic, and there's a strange list of compensation features... Like these guys, which claimed supercaps from nanoparticles, and Free Energy, and so on.

Hello,

I also doubt that this performance (+/- 2ppm) is possible in a plastic package.
The better value of long term stability (5ppm/kHr) is usually only for the metal can package (TO-99) which is now marked as obsolete. For the plastic package 20 ppm/kHr are specced. The "typical" 5ppm/kHr of the foot note after 168hrs are usually only valid for lab conditions with constant humidity. In real life applications the plastic packages will drift with humidity.

Further all accuracy specs in the datasheet are additive. So a good performance is only possible under very stable conditions.
If you let the power supply at +/-2V accuracy the +/-2 ppm are already used up by the PSRR of 1ppm/V. And that parameter is meant without self heating due to changing power consumption.
If you really draw 10mA the 10ppm/mA will sum up to 100ppm. (+additional drift due to self heating).

"No soldering" (= socket for the REF102) sounds good for the first. But over time when contact oxidation takes place you might get strange effects by a socket.

There is no statement about pre-aging for the D-105 DC.
In my opinion at least 1 kHr continuous operation would be necessary before first calibration.

So all in all:
Although the REF102 is a excellent reference (in TO-99 package)
in the plastic package I would not expect to get better than 10-20ppm over 1 year with following measures.
- well stabilized power supply around 15V.
- no load on the reference output
- temperature controlled operation

A better choice for a reference would be the AD587 in CERDIP package.

In my ageing experiment I am running one REF102AP against several AD586LQ (5V) references.
14V stabilized power. 50 deg C stabilized temperature. No Load at reference.

Within first 70 days ageing drift was 10 ppm and seems now to stabilize.
When regarding stability the plastic package is far not so stable than the CERDIP devices.

With best regards

Andreas


That isn't entirely correct.....the REF102C is rated at 5ppm/1000hrs AFTER 168 hr stabilization period....

see note #2

also here is a list of actual units tested in Ti lab report.....if you hand select it's not so cut and dry....(note that the lab report is on the CM package...which is now "obsolete")

I have used the REF102C with excellent results...in my own ref designs....it's one of my favorite inexpensive ref IC

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/ref102c.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/ti3.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on February 03, 2015, 08:27:31 pm
Hello,

I bet it's temperature stabilized, much simpler to implement than temerature compensation.

with the power consumption of less than 2 mA there will be no heater:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=133947 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=133947)

so most probably the compensation is similar to the Geller  SVR-T with AD587LQ.
(which I think is the better choice for long term stability).
http://www.gellerlabs.com/Voltage_References/SVRTH/SVR%20THR%20Sch.jpg (http://www.gellerlabs.com/Voltage_References/SVRTH/SVR%20THR%20Sch.jpg)

So don´t get me wrong: the d-105 dc reference standard is a good price for the service of importing the volt into your home lab. But I would never rely on long term stability.

From my friend volt nut I have the indication of around 0.3-0.4 ppm/% rH for the REF102 in plastic package.
Time constant of epoxy packages with humidity is around 3-7 days reaction time.

So my suggestion would be to do verification measurements in february / march when there is low humidity and in august / september with high humidity.

also here is a list of actual units tested in Ti lab report.....if you hand select it's not so cut and dry....(note that the lab report is on the CM package...which is now "obsolete")

So they have no problems with humidity with the CM package.

From a 5 V Reference (LT1027CN, 2 samples) I get a humidity coefficient of around 0.5ppm/%rH
see attachment where you can see that the uncompensated curve follows a 5 day filtered humidity curve.
X-axis is in days so you can see the seasonal changes of humidity. The ageing of these well aged devices is less than 2 ppm/year in average but humidity excursions are around 10 ppm within 1 year.

With best regards

Andreas




Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 03, 2015, 08:29:35 pm
Add humidity sensor, inject filtered compensation signal into zener current ? :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on February 03, 2015, 10:39:44 pm
Hello babysitter,

Even if I tried this the resulting error cannot be better than
around 2 ppm due to humidity as you can see in the simulated corrected curve.
(I had also the idea of compensation and already a SHT15 sensor).

But calibration time would eat up the rest of my life.
For 1 device I would need at least 2-3 years. So I abandoned it.

With best regards

Andreas
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 04, 2015, 12:39:32 am
with the power consumption of less than 2 mA there will be no heater:
so most probably the compensation is similar to the Geller  SVR-T with AD587LQ.
(which I think is the better choice for long term stability).
http://www.gellerlabs.com/Voltage_References/SVRTH/SVR%20THR%20Sch.jpg (http://www.gellerlabs.com/Voltage_References/SVRTH/SVR%20THR%20Sch.jpg)
I bought this eBay unit, and I also bought Doug Malone's Voltage Standard REF-003 as well, to compare against each other.  I don't have the Gellar one yet.

I have taken the eBay unit apart, and sketched out the schematic.  It is indeed very similar to the Gellar version that is temperature compensated, linked by Andreas.  There is no heater.

Like the Gellar unit, it's a REF102 with an NTC thermistor and copper tape for temperature bonding the thermistor to the REF102 body.  It differs from the Gellar version in that it has a 1M resistor to the trim pot center wiper from pin 5 of the REF102 (Gellar does not), and in place of Gellar's R01, the eBay version has a fixed R then the NTC thermistor to Vout, and parallel to the thermistor there is a 50k  trimmer for trimming the tempco. There is also a reverse voltage protection diode on the negative voltage input. This diode will actually float the reference ground output about 0.6V above the input ground reference.  All GND connections are star-connected inside.

It works about as good as you can expect from a REF102.  The seller nulls it to close to 5uV of 10V (< 1ppm). It will drift with humidity as said already.   According to the the seller it's been burned in 1000 hrs.  For the price, I was expecting much better construction inside. It's just a perf-board with point-to-point wiring. I wish it had been shipped with a drop of Loc-tite on the trimmers, but there was none.

photos: https://carousel.dropbox.com/photos/cc/TzYblf4jDLha7Or#/ (https://carousel.dropbox.com/photos/cc/TzYblf4jDLha7Or#/)

(In the schematic below, C2 and C3 might be wrong. They were under the IC inside the socket and I couldn't read them.  I did not want to de-socket the chip and risk stressing it after it was trimmed.)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 04, 2015, 12:59:46 am
If external humidity affects plastic packages, why not encapsulate the package to keep the moisture out? Or enclose the board in a sealed box with some silica gel?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 04, 2015, 01:01:55 am
Codeboy2K,

Those are great images that you have. Anybody considering buying the D-105 should certainly have a look at them.

Spoiler alert

I am sure I could solder better than that when I was a young teenager.

The adjustments are some Bourns knock-off potentiometers. They are marked BENTEx I can not read the last letter, it is obscured by a wire. It inspires confidence.




Has anybody considered using a LT6655 in the LS-8 ceramic package? It is claimed to reduce the sensitivity to humidity variations.


I have a Fluke 732A that has been powered up 10 years. I also have a Datron 1281 ( 2x LTZ1000) they agree within 6ppm, but I don't know which one is correct. I did find I had to buy the special low thermal emf cables.


Jay_Diddy_B
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 04, 2015, 02:47:31 am
Wow, after seeing those pictures, I am going to pass on this one. That is not going to last very long and at this price he should have a proper circuit board. This is just selling prototypes that all will have variable characteristics in the end.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 04, 2015, 03:24:14 am
For the price, I was expecting much better construction inside. It's just a perf-board with point-to-point wiring. I wish it had been shipped with a drop of Loc-tite on the trimmers, but there was none.

photos: https://carousel.dropbox.com/photos/cc/TzYblf4jDLha7Or#/ (https://carousel.dropbox.com/photos/cc/TzYblf4jDLha7Or#/)

For the price, I can't believe the seller puts that much effort into it. He would have to sell a huge pile of these things to make any business sense at all. Perf board construction is soooooooooo   slllloooooowwwwww and prone to mistakes. After materials, construction time, and the eBay effort - why? How big is the market for hobby level voltage references? Anyone that needs the precision would not likely be using an experimental device, they would need a commercial reference.

Moving on.....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 04, 2015, 06:14:14 am
Expectations (caused by feelings, not by some scientific theory upfront) met [X]
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on February 04, 2015, 07:02:34 am
Hello,

In short: there is really no way out of the maze of humidity.
Putting additional plastics around will at maximum change the time constant.

The LS8-package itself is hermetically tight. So it has no problems with humidity.
But you should never ever solder it on a EPOXY board .....
Try to read between the lines of the datasheet. At least a hidden hint is in the 1236LS8 datasheet.
Its more important to know what they do not write (or omit in later versions) into the datasheet.

With best regards

Andreas

Edit: the hint is also in the 6655 datasheet:

"However, PC board material may absorb water
and apply mechanical stress to the LTC6655LS8. Proper
board materials and layout are essential."

And the main problem of LTC6655LS8 is the large hysteresis
(in any package) compared to other (buried zener) references.

See measurements:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/general-purpose-%27precision%27-voltage-reference/msg546623/#msg546623 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/general-purpose-%27precision%27-voltage-reference/msg546623/#msg546623)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 04, 2015, 07:25:18 am
Ovenizing is the way out of the maze of humidity, or at least a way to be minimally affected by it.

And holy shit, those photos are scary as hell. You can buy a working Fluke standard (from the 1960's) for $200. Why would anyone pay this goober $100 for a few components poorly hand soldered together? (Not that everyone has a place for a 3U 19" 60lb piece of gear, but still.)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 04, 2015, 09:31:17 am
@Terabyte2007,
have you opened your box and can you share what the inside looks like?

I truely hope it is not like in the pictures from codeboy2k.
I would be really shocked if this like out of a garbage can is what is actually sold. But if it is, I wonder how any buyer could accept it and not force the seller to refund all the money. And no way could anyone give positive feedback.
But the seller records show 100% positive feedbacks. Therefore I am looking forward to see more details.

BTW the Geller SVR is/was a great piece of gear, beautifully made and is not using a REF102. Unfortunately Joe decided to go out of this business.

http://www.gellerlabs.com/ (http://www.gellerlabs.com/)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 04, 2015, 11:26:24 am
I would like to see what's inside Terebyte's unit too.

The eBay seller probably has good feedback because it does work as described, and maybe no one ever wanted to open it up before. Mine also works well, and is as stable as I can measure it under short term 24-hour testing.  It's spec'd at 0.002% but it's actually 0.0002% accurate and it's stable beyond my ability to measure it. I can't measure less than 100uV on the 20V range of the meter, and it's not moving at that decade, so if it's moving at all I can't tell. Based on my ability to measure, I can only say it's stable to < 10 ppm but I suspect that it's actually better than that. 

GELLER is using the AD587. Too bad he's stopped selling it, I didn't get one.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: jpb on February 04, 2015, 11:38:02 am
BTW the Geller SVR is/was a great piece of gear, beautifully made and is not using a REF102. Unfortunately Joe decided to go out of this business.

http://www.gellerlabs.com/ (http://www.gellerlabs.com/)
Yes, I missed out. But Joe Geller kindly sold me a couple of blank boards which I've not yet had time to make up.

He may well be still willing to supply these if you contact him.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 04, 2015, 11:42:56 am
BTW the Geller SVR is/was a great piece of gear, beautifully made and is not using a REF102. Unfortunately Joe decided to go out of this business.
http://www.gellerlabs.com/ (http://www.gellerlabs.com/)

I never understood how he made money from this. Building, burning in and hand calibrating each unit is a lot of work.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 04, 2015, 01:15:08 pm
BTW the Geller SVR is/was a great piece of gear, beautifully made and is not using a REF102. Unfortunately Joe decided to go out of this business.
http://www.gellerlabs.com/ (http://www.gellerlabs.com/)

I never understood how he made money from this. Building, burning in and hand calibrating each unit is a lot of work.
 

Hello Dave,

as far as I can tell, he probably never planned to make money (for living) with it.
For me he is and was a very generous guy who tried to support hobbyists like me/us, because he shared the same interests.

Because he is also member of your eevblog, maybe he will respond himself.

bye
quarks
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dave on February 04, 2015, 02:20:38 pm
The reference ICs are burned in for ~1,000 hours prior to use. But that is to produce good "long-term" stability. The +-2ppm figure is the maximum error. To get that we use temperature-compensation. It took about three years to develop the device. I have a scientific background. So, I only had to learn the application side.
It took him 3 whole years to develop that?
I wonder how long it would take him to do it, if he didn't have a scientific background.  :-DD

It's basically just inspiration + education + resource + experience + planning + trial and error + persistence + good equipment + common sense + hard work + prayer = good results.
There is so much innovation in this product that it appears to be magic.
Two red flags right there. ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 04, 2015, 04:20:07 pm

It's basically just inspiration + education + resource + experience + planning + trial and error + persistence + good equipment + common sense + hard work + prayer = good results.
There is so much innovation in this product that it appears to be magic.
Two red flags right there. ;D

See update to my forum signature. XD


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 04, 2015, 11:46:13 pm
100$ ... Give it a try.. If you're able to verify it.

Personally, I doubt the performance , once from the capabilities of these refs, 2nd because the description is too enthusiastic, and there's a strange list of compensation features... Like these guys, which claimed supercaps from nanoparticles, and Free Energy, and so on.
You know, they all simply use common terminus technicus / pseudo scientific terms in such descriptions , without really being able to implement these...

At least, if this community would be able to prove this gadget to not fulfill the claimed specs, you may blame him afterwards.
I also offer to check this circuit to ppm uncertainty.
Frank

You've already revealed your bias and your intent. Your evaluation is worth your objectivity. Presumption is the child of arrogance.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 05, 2015, 12:32:25 am
Quote from: Andreas
I bought this eBay unit, and I also bought Doug Malone's Voltage Standard REF-003 as well, to compare against each other.  I don't have the Gellar one yet.

I have taken the eBay unit apart
The pots are friction-fit into the plastic shell. Disassembly causes the pots to move, ruining the calibration. Until the unit is recalibrated, it will probably not meet the spec of  10VDC +-2ppm.
Quote
I wish it had been shipped with a drop of Loc-tite on the trimmers, but there was none.
If we used Loctite, the trimmer stems would not fit in the case holes. The unit is not designed for end-user disassembly.

Quote
In the schematic below, C2 and C3 might be wrong.
  C2 and C3 are each in the 100pf to 2uf range, but if you measure one you've measured them both together. Thanks for the nice expose'.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 05, 2015, 12:46:09 am
Hi,

The capacitors are marked 224 which 0.22uF.

Jay_Diddy_B
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 05, 2015, 01:04:06 am
Quote from: Dave
It took him 3 whole years to develop that?
I wonder how long it would take him to do it, if he didn't have a scientific background.  :-DD
Let's see you make one.

Quote from: Awesome14
]prayer = good results.
appears to be magic.
Quote from: Dave
Two red flags right there. ;D

Let's get one thing straight! Criticizing other people does nothing to advance one's own cause, and it is the bastion of the weak-minded. If you can do better, why don't you? Because you really can't. I say, let's see the results! You might trivialize my efforts, but you trivialize yourself even more, because you haven't accomplished what I have. Your publishing private email messages on a public blog, thereby committing violence to the implicit expectation of decency among men, and revealing a mischievous nature. Maybe if you prayed you'd be able to accomplish remarkable things too.

And, to be quite honest, the D-105 does appear to be magic, simply because it is so small and simple, it defies what people currently sense as believable. This thread is proof of that. Suspicion is the device of a guilty mind! 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andy Watson on February 05, 2015, 01:16:58 am
The pots are friction-fit into the plastic shell.
Are you saying that you've deliberately coupled the mechanical stresses in the housing into the voltage setting? Is that part of the "magic"?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 05, 2015, 01:23:17 am
Wow, after seeing those pictures, I am going to pass on this one. That is not going to last very long and at this price he should have a proper circuit board. This is just selling prototypes that all will have variable characteristics in the end.

How truly it is written, "The people shall revile what they do not understand."
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 05, 2015, 01:38:44 am
Quote from: timb
And holy shit, those photos are scary as hell. You can buy a working Fluke standard (from the 1960's) for $200.
Those standards are +-10-20ppm. Why pay more for less? Why would anyone pay this goober $100 for a few components poorly hand soldered together?[/quote] How truly it has been said, "Do not throw pearls before swine." and again, "They will see but not understand. They will listen but not hear."

Clearly I possess that which you do not know. Otherwise your mind would be opened, and you would see the truth in front of your eyes . The old must pass away to make room for the new.  Everything is not as it appears. Else, my work could be stolen.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 05, 2015, 01:59:20 am
I originally posted this in the wrong thread.....

I have a few notes to share.

I don't know anything about Awesome14 and only know a little about the D-105 from what I have read and seen pictures of. I am in the market for a DC reference and looked at this before the conversation started. I am not specifically looking for the bargain basement unit, but rather something that I can trust. Since I would like to have a few references to cross check I was hoping to find units that are affordable. For $100, there is very little risk in trying.

While I have neither the skill or the equipment to confirm the specs, I would have to trust the unit works. Thankfully there is an active group of people that love to test specs and have the means and skills to do so. While I am NOT a scientist, I have worked with many of them. A key part of the scientific community is cross checking claims. Any good scientist should welcome others to cross check for anything out of place and confirm the results are repeatable. I hear a very defensive conversation here where the scrutiny should be welcomed. There is also a "magic" claim that will always have people running away. There are claims that this is the holy grail of voltage references that overcomes the challenges that have vexxed any and all engineers that have attempted to tackle this level of precision and stability.

Awesome14, surely you can expect this community of engineers to pick your claims to the edge of death. The images that were posted show a construction that most of us would have last seen in the 7th grade. I work with far less precision circuits that absolutely require a well considered PCB layout for them to function well and have any sort of consistency from unit to unit.

I do not doubt your sincerity, integrity, or intelligence. I hope that this unit is proven to be what you claim - if so I will buy 4 of them. Let those with the questions and the curiosity verify everything you say. When/if they do maybe you can add that to the eBay listing and raise the price. Independent verification is far more powerful than anything you could possibly type yourself anywhere on the internet.


Everything is not as it appears. Else, my work could be stolen.

If you were at all concerned with the value of your work why are you selling them for $100? The claim of "magic" from someone in the scientific community is over the top. There is more than enough brain power and experience here to analyze the claims and you are talking down to us as closed minded sheep that cannot comprehend your scientifically sound circuit. Every word you type has me cringing. I was pulling for the product until I started seeing these snake oil responses which are typically from someone that could not possibly understand the topic well enough so they avoid trying to form an answer. A reference is a CRITICAL device that someone like me would be counting on to ensure my circuits properly interface with other circuits designed by others. I cannot rely on magic to get there. Are you really afraid that someone will take this secret and start making $100 reference instruments?

The pot screws are friction fit into the case? That is NUTS! Open the cover an the calibration is instantly destroyed? A normal instrument has a sticker for that purpose.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dom0 on February 05, 2015, 02:03:54 am
Criticizing other people does nothing to advance one's own cause, and it is the bastion of the weak-minded. If you can do better, why don't you? Because you really can't. I say, let's see the results! You might trivialize my efforts, but you trivialize yourself even more, because you haven't accomplished what I have.

This is simply not true and an obvious red herring.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 05, 2015, 05:19:48 am
I am sorry to say that in addition to my personal opinion on the quality of the construction, I am now even more put off by the reaction and statements made by the seller.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 05, 2015, 07:07:56 am

Quote from: timb
And holy shit, those photos are scary as hell. You can buy a working Fluke standard (from the 1960's) for $200.
Those standards are +-10-20ppm. Why pay more for less? Why would anyone pay this goober $100 for a few components poorly hand soldered together?
How truly it has been said, "Do not throw pearls before swine." and again, "They will see but not understand. They will listen but not hear."

Clearly I possess that which you do not know. Otherwise your mind would be opened, and you would see the truth in front of your eyes . The old must pass away to make room for the new.  Everything is not as it appears. Else, my work could be stolen.
[/quote]

So which model Fluke calibrator was I referring to in my post? Does your unit go from 10uV to 40V and 1uA to 10A? Because the Fluke unit does. A lot more versatility for slightly more money.

Or you could get a DMMCheck for less than half what yours costs, and that does current, voltage and resistance! (Though at 5-10PPM.) Its also made on a professional PCB.

If you've sold as many of these as you claim, there's no reason you can't have PCBs made through OSHPark or somewhere.

Just the wires going to/from the banana jacks alone will create enough thermal EMF to invalidate your claims. Let alone the fact there's no support cutouts for the reference IC!

And guess what, smartass, I *have* done better. I've created a multitude of voltage reference circuits, including my own ovenized design with a discrete Zener.

The fact you're selling something for $100 that looks like a weekend project that was soldered by Michael J. Fox is pathetic. You should be ashamed.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 05, 2015, 09:11:45 am
I was on the road for a few days and the unit I have ordered has not arrived. In the meantime I did ask the seller a few more questions and this is what he answered:

Quote:
That's just bad science to make a blanket proclamation that metal is better than plastic for accuracy. Either can be used. You just need to know what the effect of each is on the final product. Then, pick the one that will work the best. For our design plastic is better.

The 8-digit meter and the 732A belong to our calibration lab, which is owned by CalibratoryTM, LLC. I personally own a large part of CalibratoryTM, LLC, which also manufactures the voltage reference, D-105 10DC. But no man is an island! We all need other people to accomplish anything.

Ceramic packages allow greater internal heat to develop without melting the IC case. Ceramic or plastic really have no direct relation to accuracy. Case material is not reliable indicator of anything but heat resistance.

Our standard is ~2-1/2 times the accuracy of the Geller standard. But it looks like Geller stopped making the SVR-T. Whatever is the case, the SVR-T has fundamental design flaws that limit its use to certain restrictive environments. Tde bottom line is: there are many places in a design of this sort to shave off slivers of noise, jitter, instability and drift, if you know where to look.

But Geller did a pretty good job. He just lost faith that the device could be improved any further.
End-Quote

I am also shocked to see those pictures, especially ion comparison to the Geller Labs version and the Voltage-Standard PCB
Unreal

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 05, 2015, 10:12:44 am
The photos of the construction of the reference and this aggressive self-manifestation of the seller here in the forum reinforces my scepticism, I made up from this exaggerated  description on ebay:

" Over a series of years the design has added filtering, noise cancellation, thermoelectric-effect suppression, high-granularity trimming, temperature compensation, dynamic settling, high-accuracy output, low drift, silicon aging, miniaturization, output jitter-damping, resistive balance, safety features, and excellent repeatability."


I don't see any circuit elements on the photos, and I doubt that any of his secret treatments of this reference, may really  deliver such a stability claimed.
In contrary, by using simple metal film resistors (obviously), which have big drift parameters, these will hardly give the stability needed, as hard as one tries to compensate that..

As a (real) scientist, I don't believe in magic either, and really being an experimental physicist, I only believe, what I can see and what I can measure. 

Therefore, I'm looking forward to get this D-105 into my lab to check the stability of this device!

(The German customs at Frankfurt airport will store that parcel for another 3 weeks, I assume).


OK, concerning the specification, the seller claims 2ppm accuracy, not uncertainty (!) against his 732A, not againt NIST (!).

That only means the reference is trimmed to better than 2ppm difference compared to his 732A.
There's no claim of the uncertainty of his 732A to SI!
Therefore, I truly believe this spec. parameter.

Therefore, the absolute uncertainty may be measured in any external lab, but that may differ from SI Volt apart of the claimed 2ppm.

But I think, that the claimed stability of 0.15ppm/°C and 1.5ppm/1kHrs in operation can be easily verified, my Veltins climate chamber is already waiting.
But I have to suppose from the foregoing arguments, that the reference will fail these claims.

Anyhow, let's see. I'm really curious!

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 05, 2015, 10:31:04 am
I do not know what to say, but I know I do not like where this is going here and also in "my" LTZ1000 thread.

@Awesome14,
as you are the developer of the D-105DC, I must say for me your responses (so far) are not beneficial.
If your Refs are really "manufactured" as shown in the pictures, you better should not have sold a single unit, because this sure damaged confidence.
If you believe in your product you can easily improve it, as you badly missed to take care of proper production standards.

Finally I hope the dicussion comes back to objective exchange of opinions.
   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 05, 2015, 11:10:54 am
If I could explain it in a way that pleases you, I would do it. You guys like to know how everything works. In a practical sense, no one really knows exactly how the D-105 DC works. I have a good idea, but the design does not yield to clean mathematical analysis. If I ever get it figured out to your satisfaction, I'll let you know.

 :palm:

From the schematic it looks like the only magic happening is you have thermally coupled a thermistor that is part of the adjustment pin to the IC package.
Other than that it's a REF102 in a box just like any other such reference.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 05, 2015, 11:18:42 am
If you had understanding you would know it must be that way, or the device wouldn't perform to spec. Before you criticize, humble yourself. If the unit was pretty-soldered, or if it used anything but perf board, it would not perform to spec. It also would not power cycle well.

Sorry, but this is just nonsense.
There are four aspects to a reference stability like this.
Supply voltage, die temperature, thermal EMF's, and physical stress usually caused by thermal expansion of board material. And there are many way to avoid the latter.
Your poorly soldered and assembled perf board construction does nothing special to improve any of those.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 05, 2015, 12:11:55 pm

Quote
I did not view the photos, but the units must be made a certain way, and the solder does more than make the connections secure. Perhaps someone here was in a rush. Or, perhaps the unit was vandalized. 

I'll make it easy for you, photos below (I hope the owner does not mind me re-posting them?). NOTE: Photos posted in Awesome's post above by accident, I'll leave then there instead of re-uploading.

You seriously expect us (electronics design professionals) to believe that this vero board construction and shoddy soldering is absolutely necessary to the performance of the unit? Really?

And lets assume for a minute it somehow is, how can you be so confident in that when by your own admission you admit you cannot explain or calculate how it works?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TiN on February 05, 2015, 12:16:15 pm
It's a trade secret, Dave, you miss a point.
Those trim pots are not even low-TC ones, few degrees aways and it's done.

P.S. I thought my references were look scary to post, seems have nothing to worry about if someone bought this for 100$.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: chickenHeadKnob on February 05, 2015, 12:25:03 pm
I am interested in the binding posts, I know I have an incurable fetish. They appear to be the cheap plated brass kind one gets on ebay/deal extreme. I find it annoying that the chinese sellers list the metal composition of the parts based on the color and not any actual metallurgy. If they are brass then I would expect an additional contribution to thermal offset.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mzzj on February 05, 2015, 12:37:34 pm
chickenHeadKnob: Looks like brass. Probably not the biggest problem after seeing the internals and shady marketing bullshit  :scared:
Many (chinese) cheapo connectors work just fine with some common sense, ie let things to reach thermal equilibrium and avoid heating the connectors with your hands.
Banana binding post are  usually pretty good thermal conductors and there is very low thermal gradients over the lenght of the body.

Can't be worse than ass-whooping expensive Pomona tellurium-copper binding posts, out of 100 connectors something like 30 were mechanically crooked during manufacturing and totally useless  |O
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Zucca on February 05, 2015, 01:09:25 pm
It´s maaagiccc...

and now stop joking... (I could not resist...)

Nothing against you Awesome14 but I suggest you to design a proper board for it. It would be a very good learning experience and on top of that you could see and touch how much you can improve your product by doing things in a proper way.

Normally board soldered like this are at prototype level, just to test if everything works as supposed (after breadboard or Spice simulation steps). It is time now to use a proper EDA/PCB CAD and try to do reach the level (after several iterations) of a final product ready for your customers. (Don´t you hear the voice inside you to go to a proper Cal Lab?Money really well invested if you believe in this product...)

OK, you probably thought the maturity level was ready for the market, but now if you want to save your project listen to those guys here. There is nothing more beautiful in learning how to do things well, and I thank God the Almighty for the EEVBlog where I can learn a lot of amazing stuff for free.

On the side here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-kx-diy-calibrator-reference-sourcemeter/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-kx-diy-calibrator-reference-sourcemeter/)

you can find a lot of nice hints and suggestions, the brave TiN is trying to reach the best performance in voltage stability in a DIY enviroment.

A friendly regard,
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 05, 2015, 01:41:48 pm
Hi group,

Time to step to back and start a little analysis of the circuit provided by Codeboy2K:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134408;image)


I can build a crude model of the circuit like this, do not worry that I used a simple, and hopelessly inadequate, BZX84C8V2 diode for the reference, it is at constant temperature in the model.


I have included a typical 10K NTC with a Beta of 3457 in the model. The temperature is being driven by the voltage source V3 representing temperature in degrees C. The thermistor model deals with absolute temperature.

I have assumed that the voltage pot is set mid-scale.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134410;image)

I have stepped the Tempco pot from 0 to 50K Ohms in 5K steps. The slope of the compensation changes from 0 ppm /oC with the pot at 0, to -13.5 ppm with the pot set to maximum.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134412;image)


The compensation is always negative, and this is where I see the first challenge. The TI datasheet shows this:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134414;image)


The datasheet indicates that the tempco is defined by a box, the shape of the curve and the slope of the line is not defined.

A similar buried zener datasheet from Linear Technology, LT1021, shows that the temperature coefficient may be positive or negative:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134416;image)

I would expect the TI part to be similar (leap of faith required). The manufacture is trying to compensate the temperature coefficient internally, the error that remains is a measure of the inability to achieve a perfect compensation.

To compensate REF102 with a negative tempco, the NTC would have to be moved to the bottom part of the divider.

I can see that this compensation should work to improve the tempco, it does not address the more difficult issues of aging and humidity.


Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 05, 2015, 03:36:50 pm
Nice analysis Jay !  :-+ 

The Gellar SVR-T and this design are very similar and based on your analysis I think even the Gellar design would have trouble compensating a reference IC that had a negative tempco.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 05, 2015, 03:43:13 pm
Those trim pots are not even low-TC ones, few degrees aways and it's done.
Actually, the TC of the trim pots and the resistor string doesn't matter.  It only affects the trim range of the reference, not the output value directly.

So, for example, if the TCR of the trim pots was 200ppm, and the values used were such that 1ppm of resistance change corresponded to 1ppm of voltage change, then it's only 1ppm of the trim range voltage, which is 25mV. So even 200ppm of 25mV is just 5uV change, or 0.5ppm of the reference output of 10V. 

EDIT: which is actually a good thing because it means one can use cheap trimmers and low tempco resisters here, and (2) it probably helps it survive transport without causing too much actual change in the output if the trimmer gets a small bump
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 05, 2015, 04:01:50 pm

Actually, the TC of the trim pots and the resistor string doesn't matter.  It only affects the trim range of the reference, not the output value.

So, for example, if the TCR of the trim pots was 200ppm, and the values used were such that 1ppm of resistance change corresponded to 1ppm of voltage change, then it's only 1ppm of the trim range voltage, which is 25mV. So even 200ppm of 25mV is just 5uV change, or 0.5ppm of the reference output of 10V.

Maybe not the absolute value is severely affected, but then the claimed T.C. of 0.15ppm/K cannot be met.
Following your calculation / estimation (?), it is 0.5ppm/K instead.

Theoretically, this T.C. influence can also be compensated by the NTC, although it is not in close contact to the trimming components.


Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 05, 2015, 04:53:06 pm
Maybe not the absolute value is severely affected, but then the claimed T.C. of 0.15ppm/K cannot be met.
Following your calculation / estimation (?), it is 0.5ppm/K instead.

Theoretically, this T.C. influence can also be compensated by the NTC, although it is not in close contact to the trimming components.


Frank

Yes, mine is an estimate (example) based on the trim pots having TCR of 200ppm and a 1:1 mapping of resistance change to voltage change in the trim divider. This is obviously not going to be true, it was just an oversimplified example to quickly illustrate how the TCR of the trimpot affects the actual output by a much smaller ratio. 

More reasonably is that there's a 5:1 ratio between the trimpot's TCR and the trim voltage.  Then a 200ppm change in the trimpot is 40ppm in the trim voltage which is 40ppm of 25uV or 1uV change due to 200ppm change in the trimpot . This is still 0.1ppm/K , so the claimed 0.15ppm/K might be achievable.  Your testing will confirm or deny it.  (where was this 0.15ppm/K figure claimed? I couldn't find it)



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 05, 2015, 04:59:15 pm
The claim that "it is set to +/-2ppm or *MY* 732A" is probably true.  Now, the calibration of the 732A is the next question.  Who calibrated the 732A, and what is the stated uncertainty [in the "scope of accreditations", from NVLAP or A2LA] for calibrations of voltage at a fixed value of 10V?  So, let's say the stated calibration uncertainty for the 732A is 10ppm, and the eBay reference is +/-2ppm of that, and now you have an absolute value of 10V +/-12ppm [to the SI volt].  How long will it stay at that setting?  How does it perform with temperature and humidity changes?  What is the time drift?  Does it have a drift with barometric pressure changes [most references do, including the 732A and 732B]?  Well, only frequent calibrations will be able to discern this.  The temperature and humidity changes can be tested in an environmental chamber.  The pressure changes can be determined in a pressure/vacuum chamber [not much pressure/vacuum is needed, so a simple hand pump can be used].  The device can be put into a box with a lot of desiccant packages, and the voltage can be monitored as the humidity approaches zero, then the desiccant can be removed and some hot damp paper towels can be added, and then monitor the output voltage for changes while the humidity goes up.  Usually, there is a delay in output change vs. humidity, ranging from 10's of minutes to weeks [depending on construction and water vapor infusion rates of the various materials].  It is a well known fact that epoxy [PC board material and IC packages] "swell" terribly with humidity, and this puts a "strain" on the die inside the package.  Pretty much any op-amp and/or voltage reference is going to respond to this strain unless the strain has been isolated [like in a hermetic package, and possibly with additional strain-relieving die mounting techniques].  The "zero drift" op-amps will self-compensate for this "die strain", but every other component type is likely susceptible to this effect [capacitors, resistors, and IC's used in the design].

Well said. I do have a pressure/vacuum/environmental chamber which I can get +/- pressure, temp, humidity, desiccant usage with temp/pressure/humidity logging. I am currently testing some long-term stability of this unit and will log all my data. Once this is complete, I can set up an experiment which can run up to 31 days and log all these parameters once a minute changing from high pressure/low humidity to low pressure/high humidity. It would be interesting to see what the logged values would be.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 05, 2015, 05:17:50 pm
...This design uses temperature compensation, which requires [to do it right] quite a bit of time in a chamber to set the TempCo.  So, this design is trading labor for better components.

I predict that these will require a *lot* of hand tuning to get them set right, then will drift like hell after that.

Wouldn't it always be better to use an oven and a good heater and feedback loop to keep the temperature at a fixed point, rather than try to compensate? If everything is at a fixed temperature, maybe only change a few tenths of a degree C, then it's temperature stable and this would eliminate all temperature effects.  You'd still have humidity and pressure to deal with, but the ceramic package can help with humidity. For pressure, maybe the the oven can be sealed at 1 ATM (or does the ceramic package take care of pressure issues too? Since it's hermetic, it might already be at sealed at 1 ATM on the die)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: dom0 on February 05, 2015, 05:58:26 pm
Wouldn't it always be better to use an oven and a good heater and feedback loop to keep the temperature at a fixed point, rather than try to compensate? If everything is at a fixed temperature, maybe only change a few tenths of a degree C, then it's temperature stable and this would eliminate all temperature effects.

Yes. Btw. with high end ovens we're talking about internal temperature changes measured in mK — Millikelvin.

Also probably all high end ovens are hermetic.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: VintageTekFan on February 05, 2015, 06:05:31 pm

Yes. Btw. with high end ovens we're talking about internal temperature changes measured in mK — Millikelvin.


What's that in millidegrees Celsius?  :P
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: idpromnut on February 05, 2015, 06:25:52 pm

Yes. Btw. with high end ovens we're talking about internal temperature changes measured in mK — Millikelvin.


What's that in millidegrees Celsius?  :P

Half a bee's dick.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 05, 2015, 07:39:48 pm
Totally off topic, but interesting
0°C is actually 273.15K
and 273.16K is a very special temperature, where water has all three aggregation states
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 05, 2015, 09:52:51 pm
So, I will email them and let them know they are wrong...

Yes they are wrong. 0°C is 273.15 K.

Also, "water boils at..." and "water freezes at..." are statements subject to all sorts of standardized conditions (absolute purity, standard atmospheric pressure, stable equilibrium). In any experiment you perform at home, water is unlikely to boil at 373.15 K.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mzzj on February 05, 2015, 10:35:34 pm
So, I will email them and let them know they are wrong...

Yes they are wrong. 0°C is 273.15 K.

Also, "water boils at..." and "water freezes at..." are statements subject to all sorts of standardized conditions (absolute purity, standard atmospheric pressure, stable equilibrium). In any experiment you perform at home, water is unlikely to boil at 273.15 K.
even if you have perfect standard conditions the boiling point of the water is not anymore 100,000 degrees like it was previously because of the latest temperature scale doesn't use it as a defining point like earlier ipts68 did.  :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 05, 2015, 10:40:20 pm
Also, "water boils at..." and "water freezes at..." are statements subject to all sorts of standardized conditions (absolute purity, standard atmospheric pressure, stable equilibrium). In any experiment you perform at home, water is unlikely to boil at 273.15 K.
even if you have perfect standard conditions the boiling point of the water is not anymore 100,000 degrees like it was previously because of the latest temperature scale doesn't use it as a defining point like earlier ipts68 did.  :)

Point noted. However, water is unlikely to boil at 273.15 K for the more fundamental reason that this is actually the freezing point of water...  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 06, 2015, 02:49:31 am
Hi,

I did a little more analysis on this circuit:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=134408;image)

The sensitivity of the trim pot, R5,  is about 42 ppm per turn or 8.5 degrees per ppm.

Jay_Diddy_B
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 06, 2015, 06:33:02 am
@Jay_Diddy_B: Thank you for your analysis, data gathering and drawing the (mostly) obvious :)

I would like to know what happens when you remove this piece of cooper tape vs no cooper tape, maybe even versus sticking the thermistor to the case or socket by locite or wire springyness.

I wouldn't expect the cooper tape to work that well as a thermal bridge as it is so thin and long(source: gut feeling), but maybe its just the right amount. Are you sure it doesn't come lose ever, it looks dubious to me (source: Our cooper tape might when used like this)?

As a heat spreader it might help to improve thermal coupling the surrounding resistors and the trimmer, however. Put those experiments after the first few long-time runs. One needs patience to analyze voltage standards. :-DD

And for those people that are strict against perfboard: Give it a chance, dont't discount it completely! Holes store zero humidity , although it is additional surface that allows gas exchange. They are excellent thermal and electrical insulator, even when the cooper-to cooper interfaces of the soldering eyes are closer. And the holes provides the stress relief for the package that so many consider very imporant.

@Calibratory: Measurements will show if it keeps the promises of marketing. At the moment it has a "very optimistic datasheet" that needs to be proven or fixed. Your claims sound a lot like those of audiophools, sorry, product might come out better than those, but still, you degraded trust in you by this bullshit. Recovery is possible.

You might learn a lot about your reference here. If you realize something you learn here to advance your product, like repositioning of the thermistor closer to the case, stopping the useage of fairy tales or not basing your marketing promises on nulling to a single reference standard with questionable state even when it is a fluke,consider paying consulting fees. Because you are cool 8) and we are cool 8). Please. ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 06, 2015, 07:52:44 am
The photos of the D-105 DC posted in this discussion thread are not representative of a typical unit. Also, members here may disagree, but the perf board is the best for this application. It allows convection airflow to stabilize the unit faster and keep it more stable, and it also reduces hysteresis because of the large number of expansion and contraction relief points. If you disagree, please present some evidence to support your point rather than attacking me as a person.

If you cannot keep yourself from attacking me as a person, please get help and then reply. I have presented a +-2ppm voltage reference to support my thesis. Given that a perf board is going to be used, and bare component leads are going to be soldered to pins instead of solder pads, it's just not going to look as pretty as if there were solder pads.

But it works. Yes, the devices might all develop idiosyncratic characteristics, but I contend that these will not throw the device off so that the +-2ppm error-limit is breeched. And to say that these design features preclude manufacture of the device is simply arrogance!

Some members claimed I should be ashamed at the soldering on the board. It really isn't that bad for a perf board. Some didn't like the 4 cables connecting the board to the terminals, claiming it could induce negative characteristics into the output signal. But, again, I have presented a +-2ppm voltage reference to support my implicit claim, while the critics have presented no evidence to support their claims condemning my cable setup.

The device is not intended to be disassembled. That is clear by the seal over the screws. Some members have indicated to me that the design is insane for that very reason: because the device cannot be disassembled and reassembled by the user. I disagree. There are some trade-offs that must be made in order to fit a +-2ppm reference into an ultra-miniature package that can be carried in a pants pocket. The package also must endure environmental extremes, shipping shock, low atmospheric pressure found in cargo planes, all the while maintaining calibration in a powered-down state.

The units are sealed air-tight to prevent large internal relative-humidity changes. Piercing the anti-tamper seal breaks the air-tight seal. Am I to be faulted because others break a seal that is obviously not to be tampered with? NO! I cannot be blamed for design features that collectively produce a +-2ppm voltage reference for under 100.00USD. Those who ignore right reason in their quests are to blame for whatever they get! 

Saying that the design is insane, because the units cannot be disassembled and reassembled by the user, is like saying "His face hit my fist." It's contrived nonsense! The user is to blame for ignoring right reason. I have presented a +-2ppm reference to support my claim. There is evidence presented by other members that support their claims. I don't know what else the members here could want to encourage a positive—or at least neutral—stance toward the D-105 DC and it's capabilities.

I commend those who have held open minds, awaiting results. I don't know what the problem is with potential for long-term drift. I've done something remarkable. But one thing I haven't done is: eliminate the need for periodic calibration.

I've read in this discussion thread that eBay is wrought with questionable claims regarding voltage standards. It really isn't. I'm called overly optimistic for my item description. I think honest would be the proper word.

I've been accused of using hokum terms to describe concepts that have no label, such as: thermoelectric-effect damping. On this board I fell like everywhere I step there's going to be a turd. I am not particularly sociable or friendly, but I am respectful toward others. If you dish it out, be prepared to get some of it back!

I'm reminded of the member who made the sarcastic comment questioning my worth as a person, in a rude way. When his own words were used against him, he went off in a tirade. I have enough respect for others that I'm willing to reflect back honestly to them what I see.

Due to my abilities, both physical and intellectual, I have endured the bitterness of others my whole life. What perplexes my peers seems intuitively obvious to me. Many others have been outright livid at the ease with which I bring my thoughts to fulfillment.

Among other things, I'm a computer programmer/analyst/consultant. During my first two weeks of intro programming class I purchased a programming  book and became a published software author. Several weeks later I established myself as a computer consultant.

I thought the instructor would be happy to have a good student. But he told the entire class that I was simply arrogant to parade my abilities. So, due to an endless litany of being bashed for my capabilities, I might have a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Please bear with me.

I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

I'd like the help of the people on this board to confirm my findings, and to discover hidden weaknesses in my design. To the members who have disassembled their units I say, contact me for free replacements in exchange for the ones that were opened. As long as there is a reasonable output value, the return will be excepted. I will do this for up to 2 members of EEVBlog.

My comment made privately to an eBay user, which was then made public in an attempt to smear me, mentions magic.  I believe there was a misunderstanding. Appears to be magic means: it looks like magic, because nothing quite like this has been seen before, so it challenges our concept of what is possible—something like a 2-foot tall front-end loader that can lift a skyscraper—but we both know reality is governed by inflexible laws beyond the capability of mankind to alter.

It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities, and I've discovered the device is controlled by magic! But I suppose it is the engineer's place to first doubt, imagine the worst case, and then work toward a solution.

I felt like I had to defend myself and my invention. Now, I'd like the thread subscribers to just do whatever you do, and discover what you can. But bear in mind that I have never had a complaint regarding my voltage standards sold on eBay until I came here, which was that the solder is messy.

I've fielded messages from uninformed critics berating me for deceiving the amateur-electronics community in such an insidious way. I've learned that they all go silent when exposed to the light of truth.

And, finally, few people understand the desire to do good for the sake of itself. I'm not concerned by finances, because I have the money I need, and it's important for me to set an example for others: money will not buy what everyone truly desires. If I showed you the AC battery that never requires charging, that runs forever, you would not believe, because it's against the laws of physics. But it isn't if the energy is coming from somewhere; ambient energy coherently converted into a usable form.       
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Zucca on February 06, 2015, 08:53:51 am
I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Wow, that´s scary. If you wrote the truth you should not be afraid. Nobody can hide the truth. They already lost the battle.

I have presented a +-2ppm voltage reference to support my implicit claim, while the critics have presented no evidence to support their claims condemning my cable setup. 


EEVBlog members are the most passionate electronic people I found, I fell like home here. Surely that same passion will drive them to take you product and provide the evidences to see if your claim is true or not (as already mentioned by someone before). To be honest with you I did not see a NIST certification from a proper Cal Lab either and togheter with the pictures of your board, please do not be offended, but I think it is legitimate to have some doubts. Of course we need evidences all the rest is just bla bla :blah:. In God we trust, the others bring data please.

but the perf board is the best for this application. It allows convection airflow to stabilize the unit faster and keep it more stable, and it also reduces hysteresis because of the large number of expansion and contraction relief points. If you disagree, please present some evidence to support your point rather than attacking me as a person.       

Imagine you could have the possibility to place the VIA holes where you want.
Imagine you could move the tracks on the PCB and build the relief points where you want.
Good news for you: it is possible!

...I'm a computer programmer/analyst/consultant...
...Due to my abilities, both physical and intellectual...
...I am a very capable individual...

Oh you can also use the computer so well, this is perfect! I am now begging you on my knees: PLEASE USE A PCB CAD and design a proper board.
What a pity, with your capable brain you have the potential to improve your actual poduct a LOT! Not interested to lower the +-2ppm? Since you don´t need money, you could really spread the beauty of your project anywhere in this planet! Unleash your potential!

A friendly open mind regard,

(http://image.slidesharecdn.com/analyticsforeveryone-unleashyourdatapotential-140805094621-phpapp01/95/analytics-for-everyone-unleash-your-data-potential-4-638.jpg?cb=1407250517)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 06, 2015, 10:01:43 am
As I understand, there are a few of these out there being measured by others than Awesome14. I'll just wait a few months or to see what these measurements show, including transport, humidity, temperature, aging. I hope to se measurements on a handful to get an idea of what's "typical" and what the spread is. Even if the explanations are eccentric and used the components and make me skeptical, claimed results could still be valid.

The price seems to has gone up to US $157.95 ....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 06, 2015, 12:22:14 pm
Off topic: Actually, water DOES boil at 273.15 K or at least exists as steam. That's precisely what the triple point is about. The key is pressure, i.e. conditions have to be absolute vacuum from any other gas.

I have used the so called triple cells. They are hermetically sealed coaxial vessels with water only, no air. They look like a small glass thermos / Dewar. The water is where the vacuum would be in a regular thermos.

You freeze the triple cell by circulating very cold liquid through the center cavity. We used pure alcohol at minus 40C. You have to do it nice and slow. If the water turns to solid, the glass burst at you wasted about $2000. But when it's right, you get a thin ice layer and a water / ice slurry, while the "vaccum" is actually filled with water steam. This mix can physically exist at one temperature and defines 273.16 K (0.01C) in the ITS-90 temperature standard.

From the Fluke web site:

"Must-have, primary temperature standards

• Easy-to-use, inexpensive standard with uncertainty better than ± 0.0001 °C
• Isotopic composition of Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water

The triple point of water (TPW) is not only the most accurate and fundamental temperature standard available, it’s also one of the least expensive and simplest to use."

http://us.flukecal.com/products/temperature-calibration/its-90-temperature-standards/5901-triple-point-water-cells-1 (http://us.flukecal.com/products/temperature-calibration/its-90-temperature-standards/5901-triple-point-water-cells-1)



Also, "water boils at..." and "water freezes at..." are statements subject to all sorts of standardized conditions (absolute purity, standard atmospheric pressure, stable equilibrium). In any experiment you perform at home, water is unlikely to boil at 273.15 K.
even if you have perfec at standard conditions the boiling point of the water is not anymore 100,000 degrees like it was previously because of the latest temperature scale doesn't use it as a defining point like earlier ipts68 did.  :)

Point noted. However, water is unlikely to boil at 273.15 K for the more fundamental reason that this is actually the freezing point of water...  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 06, 2015, 12:26:33 pm

The 732A has an actual output of 10.00000471 when compared to a 732B sent from Fluke Calibration. Fluke assigns output values of their 732Bs  based on their superconducting, cryogenic Josephson Effect standard, which is accurate to 18 decimal places. The error of the 732A is taken into account. We only track the error on the 732A. No turning of the pots. That was done 04/14. The maximum drift of a working 732A is 0.6ppm/month. That was measured by a 48 hour test, and the 732A is within spec., and it's within calibration. So, the uncertainty is 0.6ppm*10months=6ppm max, but probably less. Given that the 732A has had no observable change since last calibration, it is probably less than 6ppm uncertainty. 


.... claimed stability of 0.15ppm/°C

 that is the mean s=10 from 16-26C.


... 1.5ppm/1kHrs in operation

the long-term drift is stated as can be expected, which is a bit softer than will be.


Hello Awesome14,

these additional information are to my opinion much more reputable.

I think, it is not necessary to have such a long and tiring text on your ebay offer, which made the impression on me of a market crier.

I would recommend, that you bring the specification of your device in a more familiar form, only using the important parameters with typical and maximum limits. Latter ones are really missing, or misleading in your current specification and description.

Then it will be obvious, that your product really delivers the (quite good, but not stellar) performance you intended, and what everybody who is trained in electronics / metrology can expect from such a crude setup, and also without the need to refer to any of these 'miraculous' or whatever features or treatments.

It's now obvious, that there are no such, and the buyer only gets what everybody can see in the pictures.

Your device and the trimming of output and T.C. is really very similar to the Geller Lab device, and I think it therefore may perform similar, despite your design.
 
Additional questions:
- How often do you calibrate your 732A, and do you have a history?
- What denotes "s=10"?
Do you mean, that you measured the averaged T.C. by taking 10 output measurements between 16..26°C, and then really trimmed to 0.15ppm/K?
- Did you ever measure these 1.5ppm/1000hrs on one or on a set of devices, over a longer period of time?


OK, let's see, what we can summarize up to now from your information:


uncertainty of Fluke 732B compared to NIST / SI: 0.3ppm, 30 days / 1.6ppm, 1yr. (which one?)
uncertainty of 732A output, compared to 732B: 0.1ppm transfer, using HP3458A
stability of 732A: 0.6ppm/ mo. => 6ppm after 10 months (maximum value)
typical uncertainty maybe < 1ppm, if enough history is available, to predict the timely drift of the 732A
initial uncertainty of D-105 compared to 732A: 0.1ppm transfer accuracy, using HP3458A

Therefore, if I sum up all these uncertainties, optimistically taking the best 732B uncertainty, 30d.:

uncertainty of D-105 to NIST: 1.5ppm typical , 6.5 ppm maximum

Therefore, your claim of +/-2ppm (accuracy? uncertainty?) is reasonable, when you'd declare that as a typical value.
Here's room for improvement, if you use the history.



T.C. = 0.15ppm/K , maybe average T.C. over 16..26°C (box method), max. 2.5ppm/K (from REF102C datasheet)
=> no precise information about trimming or measuring the T.C.

realistic again is the <1ppm/K max., which Geller labs specified, because the design is similar.
Geller uses high grade, low T.C.  resistors, D-105 uses inferior thin film resistors.


long term stability:
1.5ppm/1000hrs. typical, but not proven yet

more realistic is typically 20ppm/1000hrs. ; typ. 5ppm/1000hrs after 168hrs. op. stabilization


Well, if you could provide some more details about your T.C. trimming and maybe long term monitoring,
this could really make up a quite good reference.

Frank

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MadTux on February 06, 2015, 05:23:20 pm
I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.       

Must be a scary as hell. Where did you live to get assassinated that often? North Korea? Syria or South Africa 20 years ago? Wanna hear some cool stories, please.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturation on February 06, 2015, 06:26:22 pm
Wow  :o .  Things have gotten pretty exciting here in a week  :rant: .  I am with Dr. Franks' posts, we really need to test the performance claims before all else.  While criticizing the construction is fair for academics' sake, it becomes moot if the device does perform as stated or even close to it.  Why change what works?  The bigger question then becomes why.  Even if drift is much shorter term, say at 30-90 days or so, it would still be cheaper shipping this device around than a Fluke 731b device as a transfer reference.  Owners can brainstorm thereafter improvements to extended long term stability, but we are not even there yet to consider it.

If a D105 made its way to eevblog labs, having the good folks at TrioSmartCal lab give it a workout would be very interesting.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 06, 2015, 08:21:49 pm
DiligentMinds,
Again, you're on the wrong trigger.

I think, this source has been demystified, and its performance turns out to be quite reasonable,similar to the Gellers ref., which also used a plastic case.

Neither of both refs claim (in the end) to be as good as a 732X..and also not as good as ovenized LTZs Therefore, calm down and wait what this ref really shows in the lab.

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 06, 2015, 08:38:22 pm
Hello Dr. Frank,

because I have several Geller SVR I can confirm that they came with ceramic package AD587LQ.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/geller-labs-svr-and-svr-t/msg271788/#msg271788 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/geller-labs-svr-and-svr-t/msg271788/#msg271788)

Bye
quarks
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 06, 2015, 09:11:42 pm
Well, then the description on Joe Gellers site is different.
Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 06, 2015, 09:46:40 pm
I have some suggestions for improving your reference

Me too. Use precision components that cost at least an order of magnitude more. Preferably 0.00001% tolerance and gold plate where possible. Actually solid gold for the case would be nice to take advantage of superior thermal characteristics-.

And while you are at it cut price in half. Or better still $25 would be nice so I could handle it with one weeks allowance. And free shipping like all the Chinese sellers.

Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 06, 2015, 09:50:24 pm
All my SVR and SVR-T came with ceramic chip.
The SVR is a great transfer standard and I would buy it anytime again.
To bad it is not available anymore.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 06, 2015, 10:05:41 pm
The photos of the D-105 DC posted in this discussion thread are not representative of a typical unit.

Yes, the devices might all develop idiosyncratic characteristics...

And to say that these design features preclude manufacture of the device is simply arrogance!

The units are sealed air-tight to prevent large internal relative-humidity changes. Piercing the anti-tamper seal breaks the air-tight seal. Am I to be faulted because others break a seal that is obviously not to be tampered with?

It's contrived nonsense! The user is to blame for ignoring right reason.

I don't know what the problem is with potential for long-term drift.

I've done something remarkable.

I've read in this discussion thread that eBay is wrought with questionable claims regarding voltage standards. It really isn't.

On this board I fell like everywhere I step there's going to be a turd. I am not particularly sociable or friendly, but I am respectful toward others.

Due to my abilities, both physical and intellectual, I have endured the bitterness of others my whole life. What perplexes my peers seems intuitively obvious to me. Many others have been outright livid at the ease with which I bring my thoughts to fulfillment.

Among other things, I'm a computer programmer/analyst/consultant. During my first two weeks of intro programming class I purchased a programming  book and became a published software author. Several weeks later I established myself as a computer consultant.

I thought the instructor would be happy to have a good student. But he told the entire class that I was simply arrogant to parade my abilities. So, due to an endless litany of being bashed for my capabilities, I might have a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Please bear with me.

I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

I will do this for up to 2 members of EEVBlog.

My comment made privately to an eBay user, which was then made public in an attempt to smear me, mentions magic.  I believe there was a misunderstanding. Appears to be magic means: it looks like magic, because nothing quite like this has been seen before, so it challenges our concept of what is possible—something like a 2-foot tall front-end loader that can lift a skyscraper—but we both know reality is governed by inflexible laws beyond the capability of mankind to alter.

It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities....

I've fielded messages from uninformed critics berating me for deceiving the amateur-electronics community in such an insidious way. I've learned that they all go silent when exposed to the light of truth.

And, finally, few people understand the desire to do good for the sake of itself. I'm not concerned by finances, because I have the money I need, and it's important for me to set an example for others: money will not buy what everyone truly desires. If I showed you the AC battery that never requires charging, that runs forever, you would not believe, because it's against the laws of physics. But it isn't if the energy is coming from somewhere; ambient energy coherently converted into a usable form.       

Seriously?  And you are calling others arrogant? 

I'm sorry but I simply don't see where you have done anything "remarkable".....in fact I see a rather un-remarkable attempt at self marketing an average "voltage standard"....with claims that you have somehow cracked some great physics mystery....

If you keep experiencing hostility from others....throughout your life....maybe it's time to take a step back and realize the problem isn't everyone else  :-//

P.S.  "sealed" is a total embellishment....your package is NOT hermetically sealed, nor is the inside of the enclosure a vacuum....I'm sorry, but your claims are very over the top....there is nothing remarkable or special about your device....although I think the REF102C is an excellent and inexpensive ref IC chip....+/- 2ppm (which is totally unfounded over time) is not "remarkable" 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: 691175002 on February 06, 2015, 10:13:04 pm
Why do these guys always have to sound crazy?  Unverifiable anecdotes, pleas to authority, and meaningless technobabble just make you look defensive and uneducated.

Provide logical rationale for the design decisions that have been made and everyone is happy.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: richiem on February 06, 2015, 10:17:59 pm
My Geller SVR is a plastic AD package. Hadn't hooked it up in quite a few years, so just got it out and it's stabilizing with 15V supply from a linear regulated bench supply.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 06, 2015, 10:23:26 pm
I don't see how following a simple applications schematic is in any way cutting edge.....I simply don't see anything out of the ordinary (other than somewhat shoddy construction), and when confronted with that issue, the maker says "it's a big secret".  Really?  What is so special or secretive about a monolithic REF IC? 

Hell we have all seen the guts of a Fluke standard....and it's a far far far cry above and beyond the $100 ebay special....and even that isn't "remarkable" or "ground breaking"......nor is it "magic" nor does it do anything that can't be significantly bettered......it simply follows an accepted standard for producing reasonably low drift/stable transfer standards.....it's not magic, and it's not super science.....it's basic electronics engineering....given Flukes resources and engineering prowess, i highly doubt any of us here, acting independently are going to best their efforts and "revolutionize" any facet of their already acceptable design.....and it's surer than shit not going to happen at a $100 per unit cost basis.....

I found this whole topic quite amusing at first, but now it has crossed the line into complete and total insanity....conspiracy theories about death threats.....claiming mental superiority over other engineers....claims of cracking mystical boundaries of physics the rest of us are "too dumb to understand"....etc etc etc.....

this shit is just plain bonkers.....but wonderfully entertaining.....I can't wait to hear all about the death threats and "assassination attempts"  :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 06, 2015, 10:27:13 pm
The design was a gift to me, and I'm passing it on.

uhhhhhh, I thought you invented it. Or was it given to you as a gift? Or do you mean a gift from on high?

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: richiem on February 06, 2015, 10:36:26 pm
I'm trying to get my head around where all the snarkiness is coming from. I've always thought of the EEV blog members as pretty substantial and serious folks who are generally even-tempered and polite. So I'm guessing there has to be a lot of life-stress in this small community for such uncivil comments to be on display. At age 75, I've tried to get past all that, and I recommend some quiet time for the members here -- a nap might serve....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andy Watson on February 06, 2015, 10:38:53 pm
If I showed you the AC battery that never requires charging, that runs forever, you would not believe, ...       
At least you've got one thing right!

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 06, 2015, 10:59:18 pm
I'm trying to get my head around where all the snarkiness is coming from. I've always thought of the EEV blog members as pretty substantial and serious folks who are generally even-tempered and polite. So I'm guessing there has to be a lot of life-stress in this small community for such uncivil comments to be on display. At age 75, I've tried to get past all that, and I recommend some quiet time for the members here -- a nap might serve....

I have seen rather civil behavior considering there is someone that is clearly trying to discredit the collective intelligence of everyone here. Mysterious scientific background and apparently some sort of rebel political writer that is under constant threat of assassination. Pseudo-science breakthroughs with not even the slightest bit of backup. This is a forum, not a show for someone to create a bizarre alter-ego of who they hope to be.

If any person was even a fraction of the claimed intelligence -  why would they sell a box with 4 hours of labor plus components for $99 on eBay? This is a 14 year old kid making parts in his dads basement. The ultra-smart distinguished scientist chose the name "Awesome14". Ok. got it.



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 06, 2015, 11:00:15 pm
I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Care to share with us what you have written that garnered 1.4m readers and 15 murder attempts?
After all, it is public, right?
Perhaps you'll even gain some more readers...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 06, 2015, 11:02:12 pm
I'm trying to get my head around where all the snarkiness is coming from. I've always thought of the EEV blog members as pretty substantial and serious folks who are generally even-tempered and polite. So I'm guessing there has to be a lot of life-stress in this small community for such uncivil comments to be on display. At age 75, I've tried to get past all that, and I recommend some quiet time for the members here -- a nap might serve....

I have noticed quite the opposite...also isn't this statement (of yours) a bit "snarky"  " I recommend some quiet time for the members here -- a nap might serve...."   

also "At age 75, I've tried to get past all that"   I don't see see it....if one was past all that they wouldn't be handing down their own judgments? 

I think most of the statements here are quite reasonable, in light of the astounding, hostile and un-scientific claims by the maker of this "standard".  Pile the borderline "insane" statements of mental superiority, death threats and assassination attempts, and I am surprised things are "civil" at all.....

This gentleman basically came on here and made wild and counter-intuitive claims, and then tried to talk down to everyone here (that didn't agree 100% with him) and yet people are still trying to offer suggestions on how to improve his design....and possibly deliver a more marketable and profitable product. 

I also see some fair bench evaluation attempts....DESPITE the makers hostility and general attitude of superiority.  I think this community has done a somewhat commendable job of trying to provide an UN-biased viewpoint of the gentlemans device. 

I would have expected a much "harsher" hand slapping than has been presented.....I doubt any "professional" product review would be so kind....

I guess we all have our own biases and viewpoints though  :-//
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 06, 2015, 11:09:20 pm
The design was a gift to me, and I'm passing it on.

uhhhhhh, I thought you invented it. Or was it given to you as a gift? Or do you mean a gift from on high?

It seems to me it was a gift from Ti application engineers.....who probably absorbed and passed on that gift from an applications engineer at Burr-Brown  :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MadTux on February 06, 2015, 11:32:48 pm
I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Care to share with us what you have written that garnered 1.4m readers and 15 murder attempts?
After all, it is public, right?
Perhaps you'll even gain some more readers...

It became so quiet here, no more words from Awesome14. I fear the worst.
He might have been assassinated for the 16th time. I guess it's the Volt-Nuts Mafia protecting the magic of breadboard REF102 reference.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: helius on February 06, 2015, 11:45:42 pm
Quote
there are many places in a design of this sort to shave off slivers of noise, jitter, instability and drift, if you know where to look.
Ah, yes, the problem of jitter that plagues all voltage references.  :bullshit:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 07, 2015, 12:11:15 am
The price has been raised to $157
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 07, 2015, 12:13:19 am
Guys, we're all missing the bigger picture. He's clearly invented a free energy device and Big Coal is trying to off him because of it.

(Actually, if he's selling a $99 reference that takes 4-8 hours to produce, he *must* have found a source of free energy. Or he's insane.)

You know what I should do? I should take his schematic and make up a real PCB for it, have a few produced and sell them for $1 less than his references. They'll be purple PCBs which we all know contain more magic.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 12:25:55 am
The price has been raised to $157

Thankfully the market dictates "value".  I can buy a half way decent Fluke ref (older model) for around $200 (I foolishly let one go the other day on the ole eBAY), with broad voltage ranges....proper compensation and cal features and don't have to pay 30% of the value in shipping.....

I say best of luck fetching $157 + shipping from a potential customer.....but it won't be coming from my bank account.....but again the seller doesn't care about money, because he's already set-up, in that respect....

Curious that he has all the money he needs though, and is so accomplished, but then feels the need to raise the price, so he can "help the EE community out".....give me a break  :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: richiem on February 07, 2015, 01:08:56 am
@ TunerSandwich RE Fluke refs -- do you mean the 731A or B? Very nice if cleaned up and working well. I've had two 343A (I still have one) and two 332s -- an A and a D -- all of those proved to have both short and long term jumps and spikes. They all had/have the Fluke/Motorola buried zener refs; in the 332s, these are in ovens, while they are naked in the 343s. So as transfer standards, they would work, but as references, not so much. I believe the basic problems come from the chopper amp circuits, so I have a plan to build a different chopper amp for the 343 I have now.

I have had two Fluke 732As with really good experiences -- really wish I had those back now. They would hold better than 0.5ppm from a cold start to fully hot on the 10V output, but the 1V and 1.018V outs were much less good, which was maybe why I had them and some cal lab didn't. I couldn't see any reason to keep them hot all the time, though i suppose that's good long term -- the 732A also uses the Fluke/Moto buried zener ref and puts it and all the divider resistors in a foam box with 4 plate-type heaters.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 11:53:27 am
@ TunerSandwich RE Fluke refs -- do you mean the 731A or B? Very nice if cleaned up and working well. I've had two 343A (I still have one) and two 332s -- an A and a D -- all of those proved to have both short and long term jumps and spikes. They all had/have the Fluke/Motorola buried zener refs; in the 332s, these are in ovens, while they are naked in the 343s. So as transfer standards, they would work, but as references, not so much. I believe the basic problems come from the chopper amp circuits, so I have a plan to build a different chopper amp for the 343 I have now.

I have had two Fluke 732As with really good experiences -- really wish I had those back now. They would hold better than 0.5ppm from a cold start to fully hot on the 10V output, but the 1V and 1.018V outs were much less good, which was maybe why I had them and some cal lab didn't. I couldn't see any reason to keep them hot all the time, though i suppose that's good long term -- the 732A also uses the Fluke/Moto buried zener ref and puts it and all the divider resistors in a foam box with 4 plate-type heaters.

731B.  They are obviously nothing compared to a 734A (loaded with a few 732B).....but you can get them all day on eBAY for under $200.....I let one go a couple weeks ago for $135....figured i have too many transfer standards already, but I would like to have a nice 731B to clean up, cal and refurb (battery pack etc).  I always thought they were cool (in a funky retro gear kind of way) and they were/are certainly well engineered product, with the assurance and confidence that Fluke doesn't partake in any "magic". 

So options given....$157 + shipping for Mr. "Awesome14"  "standard" or $135 + shipping for a genuine Fluke standard....which has pretty solid range capability...and doesn't "lose it's precious vacuum, hermetic, magical seal" when you open it up to re-cal or service it?

Seems like a no-brainer to me....oh and of course lets not forget the Fluke has mains power into it (no additional investment in tying up a nice PSU to let Awesome14 standard cook 24/7).  Also the brilliant capability to remove AC mains and move the unit around......and further gain confidence in your measurement, by running completely isolated from any nasty service flaws.... :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 11:55:37 am
I have a digital image of the cal certificate for the 732A. but I found it confused eBay buyers. I had much less sales, so I took it out of the listing. You can see it if you want, though.

Hi Awesome14,

YES!  Please post the calibration certificate from Fluke here in this forum
OK.

Quote
I have some suggestions for improving your reference:
  • Consider moving the TempCo adjustment to the "noise reduction" pin.  This will reduce the influence the TempCo fine-trim has on voltage fine-trim.
  • Consider using better quality resistors in the divider chain [and for the trim-pot].  The resistors I have in mind are the Vishay UXB-0207 series, which you can buy at 2ppm/K.  The Vishay Precision Group 1285G trim-pot has 5ppm TCR [for the total resistance].  Texas Components, Digi-Key, and Mouser stock these, but they are more expensive in small quantities.
  • I know you stated that the AD587 is not as good as the REF102, and that may be true for the REF102 in a hermetic "can" [which they don't sell anymore], but it is *not* correct for the hermetic AD587 in a ceramic package vs. the REF102 in a plastic package.  Humidity causes the plastic [epoxy] IC packages to expand, and this [in turn] causes stress on the IC's die, and this [in turn] causes a shift in the voltage output.  Inside the package, the buried Zener is probably not affected by this phenomenon very much, but the REF102 also has a current source for the Zener and a boost op-amp with gain setting resistors that *will* be affected.
  • If you don't want to switch to the ceramic AD587, then consider encapsulating the entire circuit board in dual-wall PTFE/FEP heat-shrink tubing.  PTFE and FEP are from the fluorocarbon family, and the strong fluorine bonds in the material make it [chemically] very stable.  When you shrink this over the entire PC board, the PTFE has a higher melt point than the FEP, and so the FEP will melt and "fuse" to the thing that you are encapsulating.  To prevent damaging the components, place a silicone-foam weather strip on top of them and on the bottom of the board before applying the heat-shrink.  This provides a 100% stop to water vapor infusion-- [in essence, it is a "poor man's hermetic package"].  Naturally, you will have wires exiting the heat-shrink for the power [(+), (-) in], the reference [(+), (-) out], and 4 more wires to attach the external trim-pots.
  • Consider using a metal enclosure inside of a plastic enclosure.  The metal enclosure would only be attached to the reference (-) output, and would act as a "guard", as well as would reduce temperature gradients.  The metal box could be placed inside of the plastic box, with wires brought out for power in, reference out, and trim-pots.  Then the inside of the plastic box is filled with closed-cell polyurethane expanding foam [you have probably seen this in your hardware store in a small can-- it is used to seal the cracks in your house from the wind].  The foam [together with the internal metal box] will act as a "thermal lag" type of system, keeping the temperature very stable inside.
  • Please consider switching to Tellurium Copper binding posts on the output (+) and (-) terminals to reduce thermal EMF's.
I think if you did all of these things, you would notice a great improvement in stability of your reference.  I didn't mention accelerated burn-in procedures, as I am sure you are already doing that.  There is no reason why you could not raise the price of your product to cover the costs of doing all of this.

-Ken

Thank you for your suggestions. I will begin evaluating them today. They appear awesome!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: helius on February 07, 2015, 01:03:10 pm
Guys, this was great fun while it lasted. However it is not OK to bait the mentally ill, so there seems little left to say on this topic.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 07, 2015, 01:20:56 pm
@Awesome14 Nah dude, God and I are cool. I met Him (Her? It?) once while on DMT. They're really more a live and let live "deity" and not into granting miracles.

Speaking of drugs, you may want to adjust the dose of your Haloperidol, as it doesn't appear to be quite working. You might want to switch to a second generation anti-psychotic; I've heard good things about Seroquel and Geodone.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 07, 2015, 07:30:47 pm
I want you to wait 24 hours after reading this message. Then, return to this board--if you are able--and try spouting your arrogant diatribe against me words. Behold, The Lord God Almighty!   

That. Just. Happened.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 07, 2015, 07:40:14 pm
This dude has got to be taking the piss.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 07, 2015, 08:35:52 pm
This is the kind of forum where people expect consistent technical explanations to how and why things work. A14 gets tangled up in way too many loose and unrelated ends.  Still, I kind of feel sorry for the him.....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 09:55:13 pm

Seriously?  And you are calling others arrogant? 

I'm sorry but I simply don't see where you have done anything "remarkable".....in fact I see a rather un-remarkable attempt at self marketing an average "voltage standard"....with claims that you have somehow cracked some great physics mystery....

If you keep experiencing hostility from others....throughout your life....maybe it's time to take a step back and realize the problem isn't everyone else  :-//

P.S.  "sealed" is a total embellishment....your package is NOT hermetically sealed, nor is the inside of the enclosure a vacuum....I'm sorry, but your claims are very over the top....there is nothing remarkable or special about your device....although I think the REF102C is an excellent and inexpensive ref IC chip....+/- 2ppm (which is totally unfounded over time) is not "remarkable"

You edited my post in the quote section of your post. That is outright dishonesty and a sure sign that a person considers lying an acceptable means to accomplish their goals. your analysis is consequently judged by your willingness to deceive. I state facts. What others take away from those facts is really more a function of their view of themselves than my experiences in life. Your attitude exactly proves my what I originally stated.

Sealed is what I consider sealed. If it's sealed against moisture, it's sealed. It's my voltage standard, and I can say it's sealed. No one is required to like it. As I ascertain the eBay userrnames of the problematic subscribers to this thread, they are being systematically blocked from purchasing any additional units off of eBay. When I see that people are willing to engage outright deception as a means to malign others, I lose faith in their adherence to accepted scientific principles.

I don't edit others posts in my quotes. You do! As far as I'm concerned, nothing you write on this board can be trusted! You're an intentional deceiver. Your word is worth ZERO to me. If you don't like my invention, don't buy it. But until you have proof to back up your malicious words, you should keep them to yourself.

My standard outperforms the Geller standard by a factor of 2.5. My standard is the only standard to successfully employ tunable, passive tempco employing a heat-equalization pipe. Why didn't you think of that? So, you're just full of it. Blow it into someone else's face. I'm tired of the stink of your posts! And, I believe it is you who have done nothing remarkable, not me.

You will undergo the 24-hr test. I pray to Almighty God that you be humbled within the next 24 hours. If you suffer tragedy, that's good, because God is willing to give you the discipline He bestows on those He Loves, to save their immortal souls from eternal flames! If you do not suffer tragedy, then God is not concerned with you. He's not willing to expend the effort on you. 

I experience hostility from others because I speak the truth, without regard for who likes it. Your posts are proof of that! Truth will set you free. I am not bound by anything you say. What you see is a projection from inside you. I don't want to hurt your feelings as you have done to me, but if the truth indicts someone, it isn't truth's fault! Now you have snared yourself so securely you will never work yourself free.

I should be ashamed of a +-2ppm voltage standard that works? Nonsense! I should be proud to have introduced a revolutionary device that brings the volt within reach of the common man. If you doubt my abilities or my data, or my crude setup, rest assured that all has been supervised by an electrical engineer--an MSEE--with over 40 years experience; a lot more experience than you have, and probably more experience than anyone on this board.

Our engineer was one of the medical team who invented and perfected cardiovascular perfusion and the consequent coronary-bypass procedure! He introduced to the medical community the intra-aortic balloon pump, which even today is employed in every hospital in the nation, and probably the world. He is far more accomplished than anyone on this board. I sent him a link to this thread, but he apparently doesn't have much faith in EEVBlog, because he hasn't taken the time to even glance at it.     

I suggest you think about your words before you write them, because you're looking pretty bad right now. Outright attacking people without cause is a sort of rabies. If you don't see that I've done something remarkable, than show me another 160.00USD, 10VDC standard that can stand up to mine. Put up or shut up! I have done nothing wrong! But satan comes to steal what I have made! You should be ashamed!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:03:22 pm
Why do these guys always have to sound crazy?  Unverifiable anecdotes, pleas to authority, and meaningless technobabble just make you look defensive and uneducated.

Provide logical rationale for the design decisions that have been made and everyone is happy.

What you don't understand you term, "meaningless." I'm not going to supply the scientific principles I employ. That's insanity! But the fact that no one on this board can see what is so obvious is laughable! Everyone has utterly missed the most important feature of my device, simply because they don't understand it. But my background is raw science. So, I design from a standpoint of adapting scientific principles to solving a problem. Whereas engineers function from the application side.

Engineers can get a lot more accomplished in a small amount of time, but true innovation cannot come from what is currently known. It must be new. If I provide the rationale for my design decisions, it would reveal design features I do not wish to reveal.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:06:15 pm
I don't see how following a simple applications schematic is in any way cutting edge.....I simply don't see anything out of the ordinary (other than somewhat shoddy construction), and when confronted with that issue, the maker says "it's a big secret".  Really?  What is so special or secretive about a monolithic REF IC? 

Hell we have all seen the guts of a Fluke standard....and it's a far far far cry above and beyond the $100 ebay special....and even that isn't "remarkable" or "ground breaking"......nor is it "magic" nor does it do anything that can't be significantly bettered......it simply follows an accepted standard for producing reasonably low drift/stable transfer standards.....it's not magic, and it's not super science.....it's basic electronics engineering....given Flukes resources and engineering prowess, i highly doubt any of us here, acting independently are going to best their efforts and "revolutionize" any facet of their already acceptable design.....and it's surer than shit not going to happen at a $100 per unit cost basis.....

I found this whole topic quite amusing at first, but now it has crossed the line into complete and total insanity....conspiracy theories about death threats.....claiming mental superiority over other engineers....claims of cracking mystical boundaries of physics the rest of us are "too dumb to understand"....etc etc etc.....

this shit is just plain bonkers.....but wonderfully entertaining.....I can't wait to hear all about the death threats and "assassination attempts"  :-DD

Not worth the time, sorry.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:07:22 pm
The design was a gift to me, and I'm passing it on.

uhhhhhh, I thought you invented it. Or was it given to you as a gift? Or do you mean a gift from on high?

I inspired it from God.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 07, 2015, 10:17:16 pm
wat.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:18:55 pm
I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Care to share with us what you have written that garnered 1.4m readers and 15 murder attempts?
After all, it is public, right?
Perhaps you'll even gain some more readers...

I made the greatest scientific discovery of all time. So, I published it. It's the holy grail: the key to immortality and absolute power; or perhaps I should phrase it: extremely extended lifespan and the ability to manipulate the physical laws of nature.  I've demonstrated that it is the means by which God conceived the Christ Child in the womb of Mary Most Holy. I've also done a thesis that the same principle when mixed with murder produces vampire fetuses.

No one has ever argued the points I have made regarding immortality, absolute power, or vampires. So, now you'll have a bit of google fodder. But I'm not tying myself to any certain published material, because I don't desire to be linked to it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 07, 2015, 10:19:16 pm
Awesome14, temperature compensated references have been around for a long time. There's even an LT app note showing a schematic for one (Jim Williams AN47 maybe).

Speaking of Jim Williams, he's a true genius and someone I truly admire. The world lost a brilliant mind the day he died.

The fact that you won't show us what's so "obvious" that we missed is akin to a kid on the playground going "I've got something you don't, nanana boo boo!"

It leads me to believe that you're just blowing smoke.

Also, show me exactly what TunerSandwich edited in his quote.

Real scientists and engineers don't act the way you do. God, I can't imagine the way you'd react at having a paper or something peer reviewed. You'd flip the fuck out and smite them all with God's name.

You're either a troll or insane.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 07, 2015, 10:20:55 pm

I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Care to share with us what you have written that garnered 1.4m readers and 15 murder attempts?
After all, it is public, right?
Perhaps you'll even gain some more readers...

I made the greatest scientific discovery of all time. So, I published it. It's the holy grail: the key to immortality and absolute power; or perhaps I should phrase it: extremely extended lifespan and the ability to manipulate the physical laws of nature.  I've demonstrated that it is the means by which God conceived the Christ Child in the womb of Mary Most Holy. I've also done a thesis that the same principle when mixed with murder produces vampire fetuses.

No one has ever argued the points I have made regarding immortality, absolute power, or vampires. So, now you'll have a bit of google fodder. But I'm not tying myself to any certain published material, because I don't desire to be linked to it.

Yup. An insane troll.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:22:31 pm
The price has been raised to $157

The members here complained, I answered.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:25:10 pm
The price has been raised to $157

Thankfully the market dictates "value".  I can buy a half way decent Fluke ref (older model) for around $200 (I foolishly let one go the other day on the ole eBAY), with broad voltage ranges....proper compensation and cal features and don't have to pay 30% of the value in shipping.....

I say best of luck fetching $157 + shipping from a potential customer.....but it won't be coming from my bank account.....but again the seller doesn't care about money, because he's already set-up, in that respect....

Curious that he has all the money he needs though, and is so accomplished, but then feels the need to raise the price, so he can "help the EE community out".....give me a break  :palm:

I was responding to the complaints. That's why I raised the price.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 07, 2015, 10:35:38 pm
 :wtf:
Shouldn't a god given voltage standard be perfect, not 2ppm?
 :-DD

Sorry, I think you lost all credibility here with your rants and claims. Good luck with your product and your life. I sincerely hope you have a good life.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 10:46:10 pm
@ TunerSandwich RE Fluke refs -- do you mean the 731A or B? Very nice if cleaned up and working well. I've had two 343A (I still have one) and two 332s -- an A and a D -- all of those proved to have both short and long term jumps and spikes. They all had/have the Fluke/Motorola buried zener refs; in the 332s, these are in ovens, while they are naked in the 343s. So as transfer standards, they would work, but as references, not so much. I believe the basic problems come from the chopper amp circuits, so I have a plan to build a different chopper amp for the 343 I have now./quote] Those are +-10ppm refs. I have buyers purchasing my standard to calibrate 731s. Sheesh!

Quote
I have had two Fluke 732As with really good experiences -- really wish I had those back now. They would hold better than 0.5ppm from a cold start to fully hot on the 10V output, but the 1V and 1.018V outs were much less good, which was maybe why I had them and some cal lab didn't. I couldn't see any reason to keep them hot all the time, though i suppose that's good long term -- the 732A also uses the Fluke/Moto buried zener ref and puts it and all the divider resistors in a foam box with 4 plate-type heaters.

The 732A is not meant to be powered off, ever!

Quote
731B.  They are obviously nothing compared to a 734A (loaded with a few 732B).....but you can get them all day on eBAY for under $200.....I let one go a couple weeks ago for $135....figured i have too many transfer standards already, but I would like to have a nice 731B to clean up, cal and refurb (battery pack etc).  I always thought they were cool (in a funky retro gear kind of way) and they were/are certainly well engineered product, with the assurance and confidence that Fluke doesn't partake in any "magic". 
The older Flukes are nice for nostalgia.

Quote
So options given....$157 + shipping for Mr. "Awesome14"  "standard" or $135 + shipping for a genuine Fluke standard....which has pretty solid range capability...and doesn't "lose it's precious vacuum, hermetic, magical seal" when you open it up to re-cal or service it?
So, then you want a standard that's less accurate, 10ppm vs. 2ppm. The D-105 DC doesn't require opening of the chassis for any reason.

Quote
Seems like a no-brainer to me....oh and of course lets not forget the Fluke has mains power into it (no additional investment in tying up a nice PSU to let Awesome14 standard cook 24/7).  Also the brilliant capability to remove AC mains and move the unit around......and further gain confidence in your measurement, by running completely isolated from any nasty service flaws.... :-+
The D-105 DC will run for weeks on (2) 9V batteries, isolated from mains. But it is repeatable over power cycles, so you don't need to run it for weeks. The D-105 DC is the most accurate standard behind the Fluke 732A, 732B, Josephson effect reference, and a Daytron reference. You can't touch those for under 500.00! Let's make fair comparisons.   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 10:57:54 pm
I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write.

Care to share with us what you have written that garnered 1.4m readers and 15 murder attempts?
After all, it is public, right?
Perhaps you'll even gain some more readers...

I made the greatest scientific discovery of all time. So, I published it. It's the holy grail: the key to immortality and absolute power; or perhaps I should phrase it: extremely extended lifespan and the ability to manipulate the physical laws of nature.  I've demonstrated that it is the means by which God conceived the Christ Child in the womb of Mary Most Holy. I've also done a thesis that the same principle when mixed with murder produces vampire fetuses.

No one has ever argued the points I have made regarding immortality, absolute power, or vampires. So, now you'll have a bit of google fodder. But I'm not tying myself to any certain published material, because I don't desire to be linked to it.

 :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Sbampato12 on February 07, 2015, 11:05:30 pm
You're either a troll or insane.

I would bet both.

Apart the sad part, this topic is kind of comedy, at some point.

I think by the nick name, that he is Dean (from Supernatural).
By now, getting things with God and vampires, I'm sure about that! :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 11:06:57 pm


Sorry I'll still have the Fluke....because I am in no way worthy of a reference handed down from God itself.... :-DD

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andy Watson on February 07, 2015, 11:09:23 pm
wat.
Awesome isn't it. Truly awesome.  :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 11:16:06 pm
Awesome14, temperature compensated references have been around for a long time. There's even an LT app note showing a schematic for one (Jim Williams AN47 maybe).

Speaking of Jim Williams, he's a true genius and someone I truly admire. The world lost a brilliant mind the day he died.

The fact that you won't show us what's so "obvious" that we missed is akin to a kid on the playground going "I've got something you don't, nanana boo boo!"

It leads me to believe that you're just blowing smoke.

Also, show me exactly what TunerSandwich edited in his quote.

Real scientists and engineers don't act the way you do. God, I can't imagine the way you'd react at having a paper or something peer reviewed. You'd flip the fuck out and smite them all with God's name.

You're either a troll or insane.


Sent from my Smartphone
Quote from: tunersandwich
Quote from: Awesome14
My comment made privately to an eBay user, which was then made public in an attempt to smear me, mentions magic.  I believe there was a misunderstanding. Appears to be magic means: it looks like magic, because nothing quite like this has been seen before, so it challenges our concept of what is possible—something like a 2-foot tall front-end loader that can lift a skyscraper—but we both know reality is governed by inflexible laws beyond the capability of mankind to alter.

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities....[/color]


Quote from: Awesome14
My comment made privately to an eBay user, which was then made public in an attempt to smear me, mentions magic.  I believe there was a misunderstanding. Appears to be magic means: it looks like magic, because nothing quite like this has been seen before, so it challenges our concept of what is possible—something like a 2-foot tall front-end loader that can lift a skyscraper—but we both know reality is governed by inflexible laws beyond the capability of mankind to alter.

[/b][color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities, and I've discovered the device is controlled by magic! [/color][/b]

I have chosen to protect my work using trade-secret rather than patent. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not going to reveal what protects my work, no matter how many times the members call it worthless. Because I know there is nothing like it for the price.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 11:22:39 pm

I have chosen to protect my work using trade-secret rather than patent. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not going to reveal what protects my work, no matter how many times the members call it worthless. Because I know there is nothing like it for the price.

Prove it....I still see no long term drift data....etc etc etc

Also a "trade secret" is OK to share....because we are all in "the trade".....not sure you know what the term "trade secret" means  :bullshit:

I'm still betting on Fluke here....but waiting for you to convince me otherwise......

So far it's working....as Fluke has never offered me such entertainment.....magic, vampires, divine inspiration.....virgin birth!!! 

You should totally publish all of your accomplishments in your eBay listing.....I am sure it will add credibility to the claims and boost sales through the roof   :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 07, 2015, 11:26:45 pm
OK, let's get back to business. If anyone wants to put the D-105 DC through the ropes, I have no objection. Let's just stick with professional opinions and solid research work.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 11:29:29 pm
You're either a troll or insane.

...this topic is kind of comedy...


only "kind" of ? This has got to be one of the best trolls I have ever seen on the ole internets..... 10/10 .... this guy is a riot  :clap:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 07, 2015, 11:32:40 pm
Let's just stick with professional opinions and solid research work.

The existence of vampires, "magic", defying natural laws, virgin birth, visitations from God to help you design circuits, that tsimply follow application diagrams......those are all your "professional opinions"?

Also where is the "solid research work"......please let's see it good sir  :scared:

P.S.  I think you should raise the price even higher....certainly the value of divine circuitry is worth more than you are asking....I say bump it up to around $666 dollars....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 07, 2015, 11:40:56 pm
Even by internet standards - this is comedy gold!

It could be a fundraiser for the EEVblog - sell subscriptions to this thread for $157!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 12:01:45 am
Even by internet standards - this is comedy gold!

It could be a fundraiser for the EEVblog - sell subscriptions to this thread for $157!

I need to save my money for the D-105 DC.....the price hike shattered my dreams  :(
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: AlfBaz on February 08, 2015, 12:24:05 am
Even by internet standards - this is comedy gold!

It could be a fundraiser for the EEVblog - sell subscriptions to this thread for $157!

I need to save my money for the D-105 DC.....the price hike shattered my dreams  :(
It appears you can get a lesser model for cheaper
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-VOLT-DC-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/261499015291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce28e507b (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-VOLT-DC-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/261499015291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce28e507b)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 01:29:02 am
Even by internet standards - this is comedy gold!

It could be a fundraiser for the EEVblog - sell subscriptions to this thread for $157!

I need to save my money for the D-105 DC.....the price hike shattered my dreams  :(
It appears you can get a lesser model for cheaper
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-VOLT-DC-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/261499015291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce28e507b (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-VOLT-DC-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Standard-Nulled-to-Fluke-732A-or-732B-/261499015291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce28e507b)

HOTDAMN!!! *backflips*

maybe that one is less because the baby Jesus didn't bless it with his inspiration....or possibly because that one doesn't ward off vampires....and we certainly don't want parasitic losses
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 01:38:25 am
My standard is the only standard to successfully employ tunable, passive tempco employing a heat-equalization pipe. Why didn't you think of that?

errrmahgerd !!  a "passive tempco heat-equalization pipe" !!!!

You are most certainly right sir....I would never think of such a ludicrous thing.....I bow and am humbled by such a device.... :palm:

"Tuning" the tempco ?   :-DD  Where do you come up with this shit..... :palm:

BTW I am very familiar with passive heatpipe technology....but explain how a passive heat pipe, "tunes" the "tempco" in a "sealed" enclosure   ;)  Doesn't that TDP have to escape the case somehow?  Or does it fly into the "quantum vacuum"?    I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown, nor do I see an external path for the heatpipe to transfer thermal energy to a heat exchanger....nor do I see a fan to further remove that energy from the external heat exchanger.....furthermore....why would you want to REMOVE heat? 

Does the circuit somehow generate enough heat that it will melt the plastic enclosure?  You are familiar with the concept of "ovenizing" these device right? 

Heat pipes are designed to transfer heat form one place to another.....usually from a source of heat, to a heat exchanger....I.E. from a let's say a microprocessor to a thermally bonded "pad"....through the heatpipe itself, to a heat exchanger...which is located a distance form the heat source....and usually to a heatsink, with some form of active cooling solution.....I.E. from cpu to external heat exchanger....with some form of active cooling....the purpose is to move heat OUT of the case.....

Another example would be a sodium filled valve-stem.....which is designed to (once again) REMOVE heat from a cylinder head valve seat....

I am a bit puzzled by how a "passive" heat pipe helps stabilize a monolithic voltage ref IC.....usually we want to pump heat INTO them....have you figured out a way to "make heat" passively?  That is simply astounding.....I would like to know more.  You and the "quantum vacuum" guy must be good friends.....

BTW is this your "heatpipe"?  Because that is simply a piece of foil....and it appears you are trying to move heat between some kind of resistor (or diode...I can't tell because it appears you have slathered everything in some type of non thermal adhesive) and the top of the IC package.....sorry but that is NOT a heat pipe....a heatpipe is a hollow (vapor cavity), tubular (sometime oval or "flat" but hollow non the less) device, usually filled with a type of "wick"....

You do also realize you could have done this same thing, by designing a proper PCB, with a common thermal layer...and a REF IC that is in a "can" (TO package), flipped into the "dead bug" configuration.....although I don't really see the point of either....you have no controlled heat source....unless your "heatpipe" is once again aligned with the "quantum vacuum"....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/5NnRfWE-ekfe4dEhFW1NsMrUZBAF-7KnK3C8ZdG_bYk.jpg)
still feel like playing?   :bullshit:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 01:49:46 am


That's exactly what is going to happen. Due to no part of mine in it, but you earned it. No one is claiming miracles or magic regarding the D-105 DC. The members of this board appear as utter fools because of their presumption and arrogance, something they apparently cannot hide even if they try. Nor can they accept the truth even when it is known. No, they insist on hammering away at the less fortunate, the weak and disabled.



Wait, i thought you said you were mentally superior to all of us, rich beyond the need for financial gain and knew how to bend the laws of nature.....

now you say you are less fortunate, weak and disabled.....

I will most certainly agree with you on the disabled part....you know that you can get medication that might help you with that though?  Maybe your "brilliant cardiologist friend" can help get you that Rx ?  Although I don't think they allow physicians to write scripts posthumously :clap:
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 08, 2015, 07:08:47 am
Awesome14, temperature compensated references have been around for a long time. There's even an LT app note showing a schematic for one (Jim Williams AN47 maybe).

Speaking of Jim Williams, he's a true genius and someone I truly admire. The world lost a brilliant mind the day he died.

The fact that you won't show us what's so "obvious" that we missed is akin to a kid on the playground going "I've got something you don't, nanana boo boo!"

It leads me to believe that you're just blowing smoke.

Also, show me exactly what TunerSandwich edited in his quote.

Real scientists and engineers don't act the way you do. God, I can't imagine the way you'd react at having a paper or something peer reviewed. You'd flip the fuck out and smite them all with God's name.

You're either a troll or insane.


Sent from my Smartphone

...

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities....[/color]

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities, and I've discovered the device is controlled by magic! [/color]

...

I have chosen to protect my work using trade-secret rather than patent. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not going to reveal what protects my work, no matter how many times the members call it worthless. Because I know there is nothing like it for the price.

You fucking dumbass, he didn't edit your post, he quoted the first paragraph in a wall of text and truncated it for brevity. You're friends with God and the most brilliant mind in the world, yet you don't even know what an ellipsis is... (I'd tell you, but it's a trade secret.)

By the way, I'm 80% done with a PCB based on "your" design. I'll be selling them on eBay for $50. So you're right, there will be nothing like it for the price. Because I'll be undercutting you by $100 with a more professional product. Once you go out of business, I'll stop.

I'll be losing money in labor, but I'll more than make up for it in sheer pleasure. It'll be like having an orgasm every time one sells.

Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 08, 2015, 11:49:23 am
Awesome14; seriously, no matter the performance claims, you can't sell this stuff without seriously upgrading the build quality.

Others; I'd say, leave the poor guy alone. He obviously has wiring problems way beyond the technical stuff.

my 2c
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: SkyMaster on February 08, 2015, 05:13:29 pm
This thread is disgraceful.

 :--
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Stupid Beard on February 08, 2015, 05:53:44 pm
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 08, 2015, 06:24:20 pm
This thread is disgraceful.

 :--

1+

Before I post any thing on line I do a quick check, "would I say that to my boss or a friend?"

I strongly support peer review and positive criticism, but it should always be done in a objective way preferably supported by analysis or prior art.

It should never be an attack on the person, his believes or his culture.

There have been some very positive contributions made by members in this thread. I enjoyed reading Dr. Frank's analysis regarding errors and un-certainty.

There is a very large thread on this forum that explores how to get the best performance out of the LTZ1000. This thread is heavy on science and experiments, the correct way a technical discussion should proceed. Most of the science in this thread could be applied to getting the best performance of the REF102 used in the D-105.

The challenges in building a good reference include (non-inclusive):

1) Initial accuracy and calibration.

2) Temperature Coefficient

3) Thermal Hysteresis

4) Aging

5) Humidity

6) component selection

7) Construction

All this has to come together to achieve a few ppm accuracy.

Think what 2ppm is, it is a single dot on a sheet paper, it is 2mm in 1 km (1/8th of inch in a mile for the USA and one other small island that uses imperial measurements  :D)

Comments that help achieve these goals or help readers decide whether to purchase the D-105 are well received.

Comments that are personal attacks should have no place on a technical forum.

Jay_Diddy_B




Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MadTux on February 08, 2015, 06:39:35 pm
Quote
Before I post any thing on line I do a quick check, "would I say that to my boss or a friend?"

I strongly support peer review and positive criticism, but it should always be done in a objective way preferably supported by analysis or prior art.

It should never be an attack on the person, his believes or his culture.

I feel the same way, but here it's a different story. It's plain and simple: scam.
No problem if a guy is using a sloppy breadboard reference in his own lab and believes in magic and unrealistic specs. But selling a black box with false claims (2ppm and esoteric bullshit description) for a horrendous price is scam. And I have no mercy for that, especially on ebay where you need to trust the seller when buying stuff. it's like selling 32GB USB sticks that only have 1GB chips inside. Plain and simple scam
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 07:02:30 pm
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D

If you look at the pictures....and try to decipher Awesome14's comment....this is what I believe he is saying....

He has glued a piece of copper foil, between a diode, and the ref IC case....he is calling that a "heatpipe".  Ok it's not.  I think he is saying that he is cooking that poor little diode, and expecting that a thin piece of copper foil is somehow transferring enough thermal energy from the poor little diode (which is his "heater") to "stabilize" the REF IC.  The efficiency of heat transfer across that piece of foil is nil.  Also the diode is right next to a shit bottom of the barrel trimmer....which hasn't even had the wiper screw glued in place.  So in essence he is creating more of a problem than solving one.  The majority of heat (which is hardly any) is not traveling across the copper foil to the REF innards....it's just traveling, via convection, into the case of the trimmer.

Ok fine...even then I doubt this has any significant impact on anything in this circuit.  If his theory is to heat the case of the REF then why not just take some nichrome wire...zig zag it across the top of the REF IC case....bond it thermally and run some current through it?  That would be far more efficient than his method....and still that isn't the proper way to ovenize this package.

This all could be avoided...by simply designing a proper PCB....with a thermal layer...bonded to a TO (can) REF IC, in the dead bug config....bond the case of the TO package to the thermal layer with some thermal "grease"....and then bond a proper controlled heater to the thermal layer....just like everyone else does....

Instead he claims this is somehow innovative, and we are all too stupid too see it....I am sorry but I am all for helping people, but not when they act like some elitist and call everyone here inferior....ESPECIALLY when they have ZERO basis in their claims...NO data to prove anything and start talking about being handed circuit designs from God himself....throw in vampires, angles, and whatever other bullshit is flying out of this guys mouth, and I just don't feel like being nice anymore....

I said back on page one, that the REF102C is in fact an excellent monolithic ref IC.....I have worked with them many times, and if you hand select (bin) the IC, you can easily get better than 2ppm per year stability....out of the plastic package.  No big deal there.

What I am amazed at is that DESPITE the poor layout and construction of Awesome14's "reference" the Ti REF102C is getting anywhere near 2ppm stability (+/- so 4ppm really) for even a day or two....I still see zero data showing anything about stability over 30, 90, 180, 256,etc etc etc days....

If anything I say this whole scenario just shows how good the REF102C can be....even when someone who has no idea what they are doing slaps one together with perfboard....shit components and construction techniques....

Again I have used the REF102C in a proper ovenized enclosure design...with proper supporting components, and it's a nice little IC, for a reasonable cost.....easy to implement etc etc etc....and IF you hand select the IC you CAN get better than 1.5ppm stability over a year or more....fine, no big deal...that is not innovative, astounding or anything other than "decent".....

The claims of "heatpipes" and "revolutionary design"....and then insulting us all on the basis that since we don't agree, we are somehow mentally inferior and closed minded...is simply going past the point where I feel like lending any advice or being a nice guy....

So again the only conclusion here, is that DESPITE Awesome14's total ignorance and terrible mental disabilities, the REF102C is a half way decent REF IC....I am mainly still here reading and commenting, because I find this entire thread utterly hilarious, on the basis of the divine claims, breaking the laws of physics claims, assassination conspiracy etc etc etc....it's pure comedy at this point....nothing anyone says here is actually going to help Awesome14, he is far beyond that....

To top it off Awesome14 is SELLING these on eBAY....with bogus descriptions....no pictures of internals....and for a price that doesn't justify anything he has done.  Anyone here or there could easily order the same IC from Mouser or Digikey or wherever, for not much money...slap it on a perfboard...with half way decent components....throw it in a hammond enclosure and probably have BETTER results, for under $50. 

So basically this is an eBAY scam, and constitutes fraud....and that is simply shameful....there is nothing innovative or "magical" about the "product"....it's built on nothing more than an application schematic handed down from Burr-Brown to Ti and then from Ti to Awesome14....and he didn't even implement it properly....why would anyone want to help this guy?  He is scum...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 08, 2015, 07:09:20 pm
...if you hand select (bin) the IC...

How do you do that?  Do you buy lots of them and run them all on the bench side by side and monitor them?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 08, 2015, 07:09:35 pm
Agree. I think everyone who has followed the thread has seen enough to make their own conclusions. Please leave it at that.
This thread is disgraceful.

 :--
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 07:13:33 pm
...if you hand select (bin) the IC...

How do you do that?  Do you buy lots of them and run them all on the bench side by side and monitor them?

Yes....which is purely academic in nature, and for personal discovery....as the process is NOT cost effective for "production" units....but it's something we did to gather data on potentially using the REF102C.  Our conclusions mirrored Ti's own lab reports on 15 monitored units....some display orders of magnitude better stability than their MAX spec....some just barely make it.  It's a wash
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Sbampato12 on February 08, 2015, 07:22:03 pm
And if you take a good look in this thread, you will see the firsts attacks come from awesome14.

I agree, in the start, it was looking good, with good points on how to do, and how to evaluate this kind of circuits. But when the people from this forum started to try to get real tests, then the maker came and start to try make everyone to think the same way he does.
Using non-scientific things to explain the circuit, blah blah...

Then, after he show some attacks to whom disagree from him, the things come more comedy... From some pages there is nothing but funny posts, from one side or another.

No big deal. There is somethings that we don't really say to someone, but if he is concerned about this, stop to say something to us (like all that crap about how he get the circuit from heavens, or something about vampires, about the cardiologist who know so much of electronics, about death attempts, how all this are connected to some voltage reference circuit?)

More than a scam, it is a troll.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 08, 2015, 07:30:43 pm
but hilarious, none the less.....I know I have gotten more than a few laughs out of this thread....if that makes me a bad person, oh well...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gilbenl on February 08, 2015, 07:31:56 pm

The 8-digit meter and the 732A belong to our calibration lab, which is owned by CalibratoryTM, LLC. I personally own a large part of CalibratoryTM, LLC, which also manufactures the voltage reference, D-105 10DC. But no man is an island! We all need other people to accomplish anything.


For the record, there's no LLC registered as Calibratory, or CalibratoryTM in the states of MN or WI. I also checked federal tax records and found nothing. This leads me to believe that The name is up for grabs

Anyhoo, we've beaten the piss out of a dead horse. We saw earlier that it actually performs relatively well and that is really a testament to the IC. Go buy the IC and some parts for $30 and you have a decent ref!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 08, 2015, 08:15:13 pm
if that makes me a bad person, oh well...

IMO it does. Along with many others here for whom I had great respect until this came along. Even when early reviews indicated his product performed 10x better than it was supposed to the assumptions, misquotes, abuse of his posts and IP, and general blood lust continued.  I've seen this stuff elsewhere on the net but was surprised to find the infection spread here.

It was disappointing to see Eboy start going on about free energy, vampires, bible quotes, murder, etc but that has almost nothing to due with the despicable behavior shown here. At this point I wouldn't trust a single "independent" review.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 08, 2015, 08:35:21 pm
IMHO you have to admit that the build quality leaves much to be desired. Just look at the eval board from Linear for the LTZ1000. It is very hard to prove that the DC-105 offers the quoted performance. Perhaps it is adjusted properly to a certain level of accuracy and it has some temperature compensation (judging from how the copper foil looks it appears the thermal link is 'tuned')  but it seems to me that it does not get rid of long term drift and/or thermally induced offset voltages.

All of that is OK as long as the seller doesn't start to pull a whole load of BS from his ass. He could have sufficed to say that he doesn't want to disclose the inner workings. Some may accept that and others don't.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 08, 2015, 08:54:43 pm
He let the flood gates open paulie. At first we were poking fun at the build quality. That is no worse than what Dave does for a living.

Then we heard about Angels, mob hits and immortality. He brought it on himself.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 08, 2015, 09:02:56 pm

My thinking is that there appears to still be a market for the voltage transfer service that Joe Geller had [which was more for transferring 10V from his 732B to the buyer, without costing US$500 each time].

It would take Joe about 8-hours in a small chamber he built to calibrate the TempCo of each SVR-T, and that combined with the high cost for a proper [low uncertainty] calibration of his 732B every year ended up being a zero-sum business, so he had to quit doing it.

I think this can still be done, but one would have to charge more for the reference itself, and more for the calibration in order for it to be a viable business model.

So, I've been designing a circuit similar to this, but using the AD587UQ.  No matter what I do, I end up with a circuit to adjust the TC of the AD587 and the time required to adjust the TempCo takes so long that it makes me think that I should just abandon the idea of temperature compensation of a monolithic reference IC altogether.  I think a better idea is to develop a low-cost voltage reference that has a [more or less] "very good" TempCo from the start, then provide a calibrated 10V using that.

I remember when I spoke with Bob Dobkin, Bob told me that the LM399 does not drift when it is off, and that the LM399A model *can* have a TempCo that is considerably less than the data-sheet value [he mentioned 0.1ppm/K].  He said that you could parallel several of these [he said at least 6, but I think 4 would be OK], and then only turn on the reference when you need to calibrate it, or to calibrate something else with it-- the rest of the time, leave it off.  He said you can get away with this because the LM399 has almost no hysteresis through power cycles.

So, why not make a "community voltage transfer device" based on one [or more] LM399A's?  If there is enough interest, I can do this, and sell them on eBay [with low cost follow-on calibrations as often as desired].  This would not need batteries, but could be powered by an external battery pack if desired.  Comments anyone?

I've actually got a partially finished board that sums the outputs of 6 LM399s. The analog section was designed to be ovenized at moderate temp (50c) to help keep the output consistent. (That could be abandoned though.)

I'd be interested in working on it with you.

Another thought, why can't the temperature compensation be automated? Stick it in a thermal chamber that's computer controlled and add a DAC or EEPOT for the trimming. Hook that up to your computer along with your meter and measure the offset over a temperature range or whatever.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 08, 2015, 09:15:13 pm
He let the flood gates open paulie. At first we were poking fun at the build quality. That is no worse than what Dave does for a living. Then we heard about Angels, mob hits and immortality. He brought it on himself.

Unfortunately true but not even close to an excuse for the behavior shown here. Anybody reviewing this thread will see the "he started it" line don't wash.

IMHO you have to admit that the build quality leaves much to be desired.

No, I don't. "Pretty" was never the number one item at the top of my list. Certainly not to the sacrifice of function and performance. IMO just another excuse for perpetrating the feeding frenzy.

It's obvious from all the threats to steal his name, design, or market that those individuals wish they had come up with something nearly as good. At least two of these guys have complained in the past about Chinese stealing ideas from good hard working westerners which makes the situation even more disgusting.

BTW claims it's simply mfg reference design appear lame. Let's see anybody succeed with that approach instead of coveting his innovations. I'm not an expert but do suspect it might actually be an improvement over the adored Geller product and this is just a case of "not invented here" syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 08, 2015, 10:09:32 pm
My thinking is that there appears to still be a market for the voltage transfer service that Joe Geller had [which was more for transferring 10V from his 732B to the buyer, without costing US$500 each time].

It's easy if anyone wants to and has the appropriate gear, you just buy the reference, stick in a box, and trim.
The reference on it's own is more than good enough to do this. No need for sprinkling fairy dust on it.

Quote
It would take Joe about 8-hours in a small chamber he built to calibrate the TempCo of each SVR-T, and that combined with the high cost for a proper [low uncertainty] calibration of his 732B every year ended up being a zero-sum business, so he had to quit doing it.
I think this can still be done, but one would have to charge more for the reference itself, and more for the calibration in order for it to be a viable business model.

It will never make you rich I suspect.
But no need for the chamber and labour, just rely on the reference, trim it, and ship it as a transfer standard. Spec it appropriately which will be more than good enough for most people.
Remember, the only thing that made the Geller reference so popular was the low cost.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 08, 2015, 10:11:51 pm
IMHO you have to admit that the build quality leaves much to be desired.
No, I don't. "Pretty" was never the number one item at the top of my list. Certainly not to the sacrifice of function and performance. IMO just another excuse for perpetrating the feeding frenzy.
I agree about a circuit not needing to be in a fancy casing or maybe the casing has some writing on it. I have bought some commercial products that way and I'm not complaining. And even in high end gear you'll find the occasional bodge wire. Again I'm not complaining.

BUT... When it comes to constructing a circuit which needs to be accurate at levels approaching single digit ppm there is a lot which can go wrong. Read about moisture and thermal EMF and their influence for starters. Lately I've been reading a bit about constructing circuits which work at ppm level accuracies/stability and in that arena there are lots of influences which can introduce a huge uncertainty in a circuit especially over a longer period of time.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 08, 2015, 10:16:44 pm
Well, if you have the chamber and all of the other equipment needed, then there is no reason why the TempCo compensation can't be totally automated [as well as the final voltage trim].  This could certainly be done "covers on" with the appropriate circuitry.
One of the reasons with using an AD587UQ in this application is cost.  One thing I thought of doing was add a small "jelly-bean" microcontroller, that measures the temperature and adjusts the output voltage in real-time.  This same MCU [through it's serial port] would have an EEPROM to store the TempCo constants and the final voltage adjustment value.

I just had the exact same thought, and yes, it would be the only way to go if you wanted to make a tempco adjusted reference at an affordable cost.
Just like they do for MCTCXO's. You build a custom jig with a dozen or more units and stick in a thermal chamber and automate the entire process. Should be able to make a few dozen units a day, or more if you stacked units in the chamber.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 08, 2015, 10:40:26 pm
Lately I've been reading a bit about constructing circuits which work at ppm level accuracies/stability and in that arena there are lots of influences which can introduce a huge uncertainty in a circuit especially over a longer period of time.

No real experience in this realm but I've been following the LTZ1000 and LM399 threads since the start and everything you say sounds true. The problem is does anyone have a handle on what matters and how much. For example  endless arguments about the spiral holes cut in the PCB around the reference chip. Many said it was just a ritual holdover from an unrelated product. Lots of contradictory opinions about those but not so much in the way of hard evidence.

So the real question is are things like those perfboard holes and solder globs really important for the high performance as the designer claims or just defensive manic ramblings. It wouldn't be too hard to prove with proper experimental setup and I'd love to do that but lack the resources and expertise.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 08, 2015, 10:46:07 pm
So the real question is are things like those perfboard holes and solder globs really important for the high performance as the designer claims or just defensive manic ramblings. It wouldn't be too hard to prove with proper experimental setup and I'd love to do that but lack the resources and expertise.

Every electronic component is affected at some level by mechanical stresses and soldering things to a PCB immediately clamps them tightly and transmits stresses through the leads. To avoid any issues arising from this source the best option would be point to point wiring with free floating connections.

PCBs were designed to automate production, not to make circuits look pretty.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 08, 2015, 10:53:46 pm
Lately I've been reading a bit about constructing circuits which work at ppm level accuracies/stability and in that arena there are lots of influences which can introduce a huge uncertainty in a circuit especially over a longer period of time.

No real experience in this realm but I've been following the LTZ1000 and LM399 threads since the start and everything you say sounds true. The problem is does anyone have a handle on what matters and how much. For example  endless arguments about the spiral holes cut in the PCB around the reference chip. Many said it was just a ritual holdover from an unrelated product. Lots of contradictory opinions about those but not so much in the way of hard evidence.

So the real question is are things like those perfboard holes and solder globs really important for the high performance as the designer claims or just defensive manic ramblings. It wouldn't be too hard to prove with proper experimental setup and I'd love to do that but lack the resources and expertise.

I find it hard to believe that the perf board construction and globs of solder are necessary for proper operation. I know for a fact you can develop a very clean and tidy PCB with all the proper construction to accomplish the same thing or better. I really don't understand why the seller of these devices does not want to do this. Does he think that nobody would ever open this unit?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 08, 2015, 10:58:23 pm
So the real question is are things like those perfboard holes and solder globs really important for the high performance as the designer claims or just defensive manic ramblings. It wouldn't be too hard to prove with proper experimental setup and I'd love to do that but lack the resources and expertise.
As others pointed out the process of verifying long term stability is long and cumbersome. Only after a few months or even a year you can tell whether a certain construction is better or worse. So if you want to build or judge such a circuit you have to take a leap of faith and follow the path taken by people before you. Personally I have more confidence in the people at Linear Technology to know what they are doing (especially with the legacy of someone like Jim Williams to back their claims) than someone who put something together but is not able to produce numbers on long term stability.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 08, 2015, 10:59:08 pm
very clean and tidy PCB with all the proper construction

This is mainly about aesthetics. Granted, many people take pride in their work and aspire to make their products look good, but one should not assume that looking good is necessary for performance. For instance, if you open up an IC package and look at the bond wires they might be very untidy. They may not be fixed in the exact center of the pads, and they may even have bends in them. But does this make you dismiss the IC as badly made?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: robrenz on February 08, 2015, 11:14:35 pm
There are ways to shape leads to greatly minimize the stresses transferred to the component if short lead lengths are not necessary but I rarely see any examples on the forum.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 08, 2015, 11:22:28 pm
very clean and tidy PCB with all the proper construction

This is mainly about aesthetics. Granted, many people take pride in their work and aspire to make their products look good, but one should not assume that looking good is necessary for performance. For instance, if you open up an IC package and look at the bond wires they might be very untidy. They may not be fixed in the exact center of the pads, and they may even have bends in them. But does this make you dismiss the IC as badly made?

I understand what you are saying, but at the same time it speaks prototype. Sure, you can make a product stable and work with prototype materials but do you really want to take it to market that way? I just feel it can be taken to the next level, that's all.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 08, 2015, 11:23:59 pm
PCBs were designed to automate production, not to make circuits look pretty.

PCB's were also designed to get better performance by being bale to arrange components in ideal positions while isolating delicate areas with ground planes etc. Try making a high performance SMPS on a perfboard or high-speed digital circuits. The PCB is a part of the circuit performance, sometimes critical and sometimes less so.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 08, 2015, 11:26:43 pm
Hi group,

I think if I was building a reference I would follow the design shown by the forum member 'Blackdog' in this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/6-5-digit-dmm-keysight-34461a-or-rigol-dm3068-or/msg604327/#msg604327 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/6-5-digit-dmm-keysight-34461a-or-rigol-dm3068-or/msg604327/#msg604327)

Here is the schematic:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=135136;image)

I propose the following changes:

1) Replace the LM10 with a LT3082. This will have lower noise performance. The noise of the reference is not gained up in this single resistor set topology.

2) I would use LT5400-1 Quad matched resistor network for the critical resistors R12 and R17. The LT5400 is very economical way of buy the tempco matched resistors.



What I like about this design

1) It is flexible, the circuit will work with just one LT1021-5 references. More can be added if the need arises. Using multiple references reduces the noise by SQRT n.

2) Blackbox has a note that he built the circuit in a 42oC bimbox oven. This could be optional. The circuit will behave reasonably well without the oven.

3) Using multiple reference will also reduce the tempco

To get the best performance, use the metal can versions of the LT1021-5

Blackdog also included battery back-up to keep the references powered continually.

I should add:

This is about building a very good reference at reasonable price. It is not about building a reference to challenge the fluke 732a/b at any price using expensive parts.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: richiem on February 09, 2015, 12:53:01 am
I mentioned on the LTZ1000 thread that I was interested to see what Awesome14's D-105 could do so I was buying one. It came yesterday. In the interest of more light and less heat, here is what I've found so far. The results are not metrology lab measurements -- they are a guide only, but I've provided enough info to make the results useful. One note -- I have thought for a while that my HP 3458A is reading 10VDC about 6ppm high, although it is in spec....

Calibratory D-105 10V standard evaluation, started on 2-7-15
Instruments used in evaluation:
— HP 3458A, calibration checked on 7 Aug. 2014, by Keysight in Loveleand — no adjustments made, found to be completely in spec; this is the standard model — 8ppm ref board. Used to monitor 10V standard outputs. 3458A powered on for last 6 days; internal temp 36.5 °C. ACAL 1 (DC) run at 4:30PM. NPLC=60, NDIG=8
— HP 3456A, cal’d against HP 3458A. Used for monitoring ambient temps with Pt100 RTD.
— Heath 2718 Linear Triple Bench Supply — each 20V supply powering one standard..
— Geller SVR (not the temp comp unit), purchased in 2007, used for approximately 12 hours total since then up to this time. On for the last 8 hours (included in total of 12), since 8AM with 15VDC power. Geller’s 2007 certificate says 10.000 00V, Tolerance 5ppm/°C, 15ppm/1k hrs. Cal’d at 23°C ambient.

D-105 unboxed in lab at 4PM. Connected to bench supply at 14.5VDC, initial ambient temp at case 23.0 °C.  Ambient measured immediately adjacent to and in between the two standards, all sitting on top of an HP 8904A that was powered off — makes a handy stand with some thermal mass.. D-105 output started a few hundred microvolts below 10V, quickly rose to 10.000 05VDC. Calibratory’s certificate says 10.000 0014V, cal’d at 20°C ambient.

Both the Geller SVR and the D-105 outputs are connected with 24ga. solid copper insulated wires (old-school telephone extension wire) to gold flashed dual banana plugs to ease connections to the 3458A. The wires are soldered to the Geller SVR and clamped in the gold-flashed bindind posts of the D-105.

Elapsed time     Ambient   Geller SVR     D-105
for D-105      °C
0.6 hr               23.5           10.000 060     10.000 058
3.4 hr      22.9            10.000 071     10.000 068
5.3 hr      23.6            10.000 060     10.000 066
6.4 hr      23.8            10.000 053     10.000 068
Overnight break in measurements with lab cool-down to thermostat set 66°F, reheat in AM to 71°F; standards left powered on.
20.1 hr           22.4      10.000 092     10.000 078
22.5 hr           22.5      10.000 088     10.000 078
Moved to warmer location on top of HP 3456A, standards and RTD grouped as before.
22.8 hr           28.9      10.000 017     10.000 047
23 hr              29.3          10.000 002     10.000 042
24 hr              29.5        9.999 997     10.000 043
Standards powered down. Will begin from room ambient start in 18 hours or so.

At this point, a simple "box" of drift v. temp shows that average drift for the D-105 is approximately 0.5ppm/°C; the Geller SVR average drift is approximately 1.4ppm/°C (pretty good).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 09, 2015, 01:45:15 am
none of these results are "astounding".....

If someone is inclined to tie up their equipment for LONG term testing.....then ok....+/- 2 ppm would be "somewhat impressive"....

Keep in mind the REF102C has an "enhanced" stability rating, after "168hrs stabilization period".....

A two day test shows very little....as I can get a piss poor MAX6350, on a piss poor perfboard layout....in NO enclosure, to keep +/- 1.5 ppm on my home bench DM3068....across 2 days....and that ain't no 3458A (nor even close)....

If you guys want transfer standards....www.voltagestandard.com (http://www.voltagestandard.com) makes some fairly decent units.....with some realistic quotations on "specs"....

At some point, when doing this kind of design, you have to take a step back and set a "realistic expectation".....

I have played with parallel REF102C, as shown in Ti's applications schematics.....it does help noise.....but again I am not sure at what point you try to make something "better" than stated in the datasheet, and then at what point you start going off into volt-nut land and wind up with a wholly impractical design....which you can't profit from.....

At some point you will spend as much as one would just buying a JJA primary standard.....which you will need to verify your own little standard against, at some point anyhow.....

When you get down to these kinds of numbers....then every last little detail matters.....you might even consider "shock mounting" the components, to avoid harmonic resonances from cosmic rays impacting the poor little ref....and other such nonsense....which obviously Awesome14 has done....with his "heatpipes".....it just doesn't make sense, from an practical standpoint....that one should spend such vast resources and effort to try and build such a thing.....I mean what is it's real practical use?

At some point, like I said above, you will have to have it sent out for comparison against a primary standard....and that will cost more than you will ever net back from such a thing.....

I've been down this road, and gotten to the point of diminishing returns......no sweat....we all go a bit nuts sometimes......it's a lot of fun, but I don't think you would ever be able to provide such devices, on the open market and turn a profit.....

I would be fun to have a community effort to design an easy DiY EEVblog voltage standard.....NOW that sounds like fun, because we could all measure our "identical" standards against eachother....and log the results....which would actually be a HUGELY useful set of data to take academic indicators from.....imagine a loose comparison of a few dozen identical standards, against all the varying conditions each individual "lab" has.....that sounds like a  nice statistical effort and might actually lead to some discovery, for those that don't have any experience in this field and want to learn....and even those who think they know alrady
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 09, 2015, 02:16:02 am
At this point, for me, it does not matter so much for a couple of reasons.

The first is that a voltage standard is a critical piece of equipment that I should be able to rely on as a true reference. It's too much for me to trust a dead bug/perf board constructed device. I feel that it's long term performance would be hard to predict. If I have such critical work that I need standards in-house, it needs to be something that goes beyond a science fair experiment. The functionality should not be mysterious.

The second would be that such a bizarre rubbish of conversation subtracts any confidence at all even if I was willing to overlook the construction.

I don't know much about design of super-precise voltage standards and the unique testing required to verify the performance. I do know that when the end result must be VERY EXACT, everything that goes into it must be EXACT. Obviously that is not really the case here. Is it unique and special? yes, but not in a good way. If the box and the seller are VERY difficult to believe, why would I use this device as a REFERENCE STANDARD?

As for the community project idea, I will pitch in CNC machined cases. They can have a lot of thermal mass making them easy to temp control. If temp temp and humidity are really factors to consider, I can easily make a nitrogen purged case that can be temp controlled to something above typical ambient so that external temp/humidy will not have a chance to impact the circuit. Not sure if that will help, but I am hearing a lot about various tempco challenges and humidity. It seems that isolating a good circuit in a small box from almost all outside influences should off the best chance of making something with god like specs.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 09, 2015, 08:37:54 am
Hi Jay_Diddy_B,

The 8V powersupply build around the LM10 verry low noise!
There is a lot of filtering going on.
The schematic of my 8V powersuppply kicks LT3082 but on noise ;-)

The 10K resistors are Vishay presision type, somting like S102.
No problem, if u want to use the LT5400.
If wil change this week, the LT1012 for a LTC2057.

P1 at the moment is a 10 turn spectrol 534 model potmeter.
But for the best stability use a Vishay special series trimpot in de heathed box, but they are expensive about 15$

Kind regarts,
Blackdog (not Blackbox *grin*)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 09, 2015, 09:08:46 am
One suggestion, in building a "community standard" is to keep it simple....as most of us that have 3458A or similar, can't afford to tie up those devices for "long term" stability testing....so perhaps designing standards that simply meet the potential of "run of the mill" 61/2 digit DMM's is the way to go....the insight gained from broad use is MUCH more important than insight gained in ONE specific controlled environment.....

The value of data across a diversity of unique scenarios is in fact VERY valuable.....especially in determining WHY or WHY NOT something meets "spec"....

At least that has been my experience.....I deal with a lot of precision measurements and this has been invaluable experience to me. 

Step one is in standardizing a set of benchmarks for qualification, based on a cross section of "average" DMM drifts.....I mean what good is a "2ppm" standard, if you can't keep your DMM stable past 15ppm.....it's useless at that point....

The ideal way to do this would be to build "identical" transfer standards...and then have them all calibrated from a SINGLE primary reference.....send them out and see what they do in the real world....then try to figure out why they did or did not do this or that.....

Getting down to sub ppm drifts isn't entirely practical or useful, for anything other than academic purposes and speculation....I know I personally don't mind tying up a DMM to do this with....

In fact i have been designing a standard that has a built in 24 bit ADC, and associated display....and has a built in wi-fi signal out to the network....that way I can run it indefinitely, not tie up any gear, and gain insight on how and why things happen or don't happen....I had posted a block diagram of this a while back in another thread.....

IMO the value in a standard isn't it's absolute resolution....but it's absolute drift over time.....I would love to have a dedicated, temperature controlled chamber...shielded, that i could run 24/7 and log the data from....and 5 years down the line have some real answers on what long term accuracy means....

I have been working on this project off and on for the last few months....and I actually chose the REF102C as a starting point....because it's easy to implement and a decent value.....

Another, possibly "better" scenario...is to build a discreet standard....that way folks can test what each individual component does, and how manipulating them changes outcomes....

Again we have to segment what is practical day to day, and what we do to gain academic insights....

Obviously I am throwing a lot of opinions out there, but opinions usually lead to facts.....if those facts support the initial opinions, is what engineering is all about....

The idea behind the wi-fi output...is a simple way to send data back to a centralized database, and be able to "check-in" on the standard remotely....or set alarms for large changes etc....imagine a "community standard" where each participants device checks in on a regular basis...and the database does a comparative analysis across ALL devices....and updates a master drift figure....

So for example 100 standards in a specific region drifted a total of XX over a given period of time.....then analyze WHY....

Another key here is battery backup....a device going offline basically destroys ANY time put into it before it lost power....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 02:46:45 pm
Richiem, I took the liberty of plotting your data. See attachment. Jan

I mentioned on the LTZ1000 thread that I was interested to see what Awesome14's D-105 could do so I was buying one. It came yesterday. In the interest of more light and less heat, here is what I've found so far. The results are not metrology lab measurements -- they are a guide only, but I've provided enough info to make the results useful. One note -- I have thought for a while that my HP 3458A is reading 10VDC about 6ppm high, although it is in spec....

Calibratory D-105 10V standard evaluation, started on 2-7-15
Instruments used in evaluation:
— HP 3458A, calibration checked on 7 Aug. 2014, by Keysight in Loveleand — no adjustments made, found to be completely in spec; this is the standard model — 8ppm ref board. Used to monitor 10V standard outputs. 3458A powered on for last 6 days; internal temp 36.5 °C. ACAL 1 (DC) run at 4:30PM. NPLC=60, NDIG=8
— HP 3456A, cal’d against HP 3458A. Used for monitoring ambient temps with Pt100 RTD.
— Heath 2718 Linear Triple Bench Supply — each 20V supply powering one standard..
— Geller SVR (not the temp comp unit), purchased in 2007, used for approximately 12 hours total since then up to this time. On for the last 8 hours (included in total of 12), since 8AM with 15VDC power. Geller’s 2007 certificate says 10.000 00V, Tolerance 5ppm/°C, 15ppm/1k hrs. Cal’d at 23°C ambient.

D-105 unboxed in lab at 4PM. Connected to bench supply at 14.5VDC, initial ambient temp at case 23.0 °C.  Ambient measured immediately adjacent to and in between the two standards, all sitting on top of an HP 8904A that was powered off — makes a handy stand with some thermal mass.. D-105 output started a few hundred microvolts below 10V, quickly rose to 10.000 05VDC. Calibratory’s certificate says 10.000 0014V, cal’d at 20°C ambient.

Both the Geller SVR and the D-105 outputs are connected with 24ga. solid copper insulated wires (old-school telephone extension wire) to gold flashed dual banana plugs to ease connections to the 3458A. The wires are soldered to the Geller SVR and clamped in the gold-flashed bindind posts of the D-105.

Elapsed time     Ambient   Geller SVR     D-105
for D-105      °C
0.6 hr               23.5           10.000 060     10.000 058
3.4 hr      22.9            10.000 071     10.000 068
5.3 hr      23.6            10.000 060     10.000 066
6.4 hr      23.8            10.000 053     10.000 068
Overnight break in measurements with lab cool-down to thermostat set 66°F, reheat in AM to 71°F; standards left powered on.
20.1 hr           22.4      10.000 092     10.000 078
22.5 hr           22.5      10.000 088     10.000 078
Moved to warmer location on top of HP 3456A, standards and RTD grouped as before.
22.8 hr           28.9      10.000 017     10.000 047
23 hr              29.3          10.000 002     10.000 042
24 hr              29.5        9.999 997     10.000 043
Standards powered down. Will begin from room ambient start in 18 hours or so.

At this point, a simple "box" of drift v. temp shows that average drift for the D-105 is approximately 0.5ppm/°C; the Geller SVR average drift is approximately 1.4ppm/°C (pretty good).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 03:37:02 pm
The obsolete metal can version of REF102,  REF102BM are avaliable on the open market, sellers have been asking $30. Some where listed on Ebay yesterday. High price but I bought two and will post results when they arrive. Jan
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 09, 2015, 04:00:05 pm
I think that about covers it, unless I neglected something?  Can anyone think of additional features and characteristics this device should have?

I have build and sold some voltage references, and I think it is very hard to achieve all of your items on the list. Most of the specs will be met through the chosen reference. All circuity around it will worsen the reference.

What you have missed are some "practical" things:
- it should be easy to package and send, without getting damaged in the mail.
- it should be easy to manufacture and reproduce.
etc. etc.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 09, 2015, 04:02:31 pm
4 and 11 are a little bit contradicting, aren't they? (Sorry, non-native english speaker)

18. A rechargeable battery is preferrable, but Lithium Ion chemistry is to be avoided in new designs due to air freight problems.
19. In addition to pt. 17, each device shall have a globally unique ID. Preferrably, the comparison labs also should have one. A QR code on the label might contain either the device history or a link to a website dedicated to the device.

I didn't want to tell so early as i am not behind the idea stage, but 19. is exactly something I intended to do, related to the LTZ1000A thread - set up a website which is like a common history file for voltage and resistance standards.

Don't check out http://wildvolttaming.schaffenburg.de/ (http://wildvolttaming.schaffenburg.de/) yet. There is nothing to see. Still.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 04:06:08 pm
Good idea with such a list.

Your list; some things I'd like to see:
- "no need for high precision / stability voltage supply"
- polarity protection
- output overload protection

Some means of historical data would be useful to see how stable the thing has been.


...what the SVR-T and D-105 are supposed to be.... *NOT* something that you would use to maintain a stable volt in your laboratory long-term.
Do the sellers say that? I think most users that look for budget un-documented references don't require sub-1 ppm calibrations. But there is surely a need for a check-up of your hand-held and 4-5-6 digit DMMs. NOT saying the SVR-T and D-105 cant be used as pure short-term transports and that some users could use them as such.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 04:50:22 pm
Sorry, I read "5." as if it was intended to run on mains adapters as well.

Widely available cheap batteries of course the best solution.  Maybe good o'l 9V "PP3, 6LR61", one if a 5V version, two for a 10V?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: orin on February 09, 2015, 06:04:05 pm
@richiem:

That's a bit unfair to the Geller design, because you are not using the temperature compensated SVR-T, so you are comparing apples to oranges.  I suspect the Geller SVR-T would be almost a straight line with temperature, as that is what he obtained for each unit in his micro-chamber after adding the thermistor and "tuned" resistor.  Note that the TC of resistors [and therefore monolithic voltage reference outputs] does not change with time unless they are severely abused [like super high temperature exposure, etc.].  So, once a TC is obtained and set, there is no reason to do it again, any only the voltage offset will need trimming from time to time, and this is mainly due to resistor absolute value drift.

Can you borrow an SVR-T from someone and run the test again of the D-105 vs. SVR-T?


FWIW, my comparison of the SVR-T against a Fluke 731B is here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/geller-labs-svr-and-svr-t/msg282582/#msg282582 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/geller-labs-svr-and-svr-t/msg282582/#msg282582)

If the link works...

They were within 1ppm over 3.8 deg K.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 06:17:38 pm
The price of the D-105 is US $97.95 today....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: richiem on February 09, 2015, 07:05:45 pm
@ Diligent -- I used the SVR because it's what I have. Since getting the 3458A, I just trust that it is good enough for nearly anything I might want to do, so I haven't invested in any real standards. I never even knew about the SVR-T, which I would gladly have bought. I'm out in the boonies of Western Washington on Puget Sound, and I don't know any volt-nuts around here anywhere at all, so no joy on getting an SVR-T unless you have one to ship me. But I don't really think that's necessary -- I suspect that the Geller unit would be at least equal to the D-105 and quite possibly better. Sorry that Joe quit making them.

BTW, I checked noise output in a 10Hz to 10kHz band and the SVR and the D-105 are comparable at around 10uVavg, as measure by an HP 400GL with modded filter. The more important measure would be at lower frequencies, but I don't have any gear that will go into the sub 10Hz region at such low levels. I used my Tek 7A22 with DC-100Hz BW, and they both had noise in the 25-30uVp-p region, but the 7A22 has 10uVp-p noise all by itself...

I do now have a fully characterized 10k R standard (unlimited and effusive thanks to Dr.Frank for some serious work), and I also have a spare ref board from a 3458 that I'm going to turn into a 7.1xxx and 10V standard. So at some point I'll have something more precise to compare to. You know how these things go...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 09, 2015, 07:53:36 pm
The price of the D-105 is US $97.95 today....

My guess is that the sales went to zero after Awesome14 raised the price, so he put it back.  This is good to know-- it seems the "threshold of pain" for the "Arduino crowd" appears to be about US$100 for this kind of device.

If the target audience is the "Arduino" crowd, why do they need a voltage standard anyway? If I was gong to build or participate in building one of these things, it would be primarily to understand the techniques and tools necessary for achieving high-precision and stability. I suspect the lessons learned would serve me well, as it would others. The practical need and use of such a device (for me) is beside the pint. If I really need a standard, I would almost certainly buy a known good design from a reputable manufacturer.

The idea of creating an electronics experiment that spans many people around the world over a long period of time is really intriguing. I just would not want to put a tiny price tag on it to be appealing to those that would never want it or even know what it is. I would say, make the target performance first price second.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 08:20:30 pm
Either I had some browser cashing issues or the price goes up and down. US $157.95 for the 2ppm version now?
He also lists a 6ppm version for $59.95
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 09, 2015, 08:24:39 pm
Either I had some browser cashing issues or the price goes up and down. US $157.95 for the 2ppm version now?
He also lists a 6ppm version for $59.95

I think there are 2 listings for D-105 2ppm, one US and the other International, I guess to cover shipping cost, etc.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 09, 2015, 08:27:40 pm
Yes, the one for $157 is listed as USPS Int. Shipping.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: janaf on February 09, 2015, 08:31:15 pm
Ah! I have one US and one EU shipping address.... Listings change when I change address :-|
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 09, 2015, 09:34:52 pm
@Awesome14:

Just curious, how much did Fox Valley charge you for the calibration for the 732A?

400.00USD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 09, 2015, 09:46:41 pm
Quote
Before I post any thing on line I do a quick check, "would I say that to my boss or a friend?"

I strongly support peer review and positive criticism, but it should always be done in a objective way preferably supported by analysis or prior art.

It should never be an attack on the person, his believes or his culture.

I feel the same way, but here it's a different story. It's plain and simple: scam.
No problem if a guy is using a sloppy breadboard reference in his own lab and believes in magic and unrealistic specs. But selling a black box with false claims (2ppm and esoteric bullshit description) for a horrendous price is scam. And I have no mercy for that, especially on ebay where you need to trust the seller when buying stuff. it's like selling 32GB USB sticks that only have 1GB chips inside. Plain and simple scam

My device promises certain performance criteria. It lives up to it's claims. If I can demonstrate financial losses due to your reckless and untruthful comments, be prepared to pay those damages. It is no scam! Until you can prove that any claim I make is false, it would be best not to dig the hole any deeper. I have research data to prove my claims. You have nothing to disprove them. Let's just stick to professional opinions and leave the rest at the door. 
Title: re: voltage reference
Post by: Awesome14 on February 09, 2015, 09:58:51 pm
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D


If you look at the pictures....and try to decipher Awesome14's comment....this is what I believe he is saying....

He has glued a piece of copper foil, between a diode, and the ref IC case....he is calling that a "heatpipe".  Ok it's not.  I think he is saying that he is cooking that poor little diode, and expecting that a thin piece of copper foil is somehow transferring enough thermal energy from the poor little diode (which is his "heater") to "stabilize" the REF IC.  The efficiency of heat transfer across that piece of foil is nil.  Also the diode is right next to a shit bottom of the barrel trimmer....which hasn't even had the wiper screw glued in place.  So in essence he is creating more of a problem than solving one.  The majority of heat (which is hardly any) is not traveling across the copper foil to the REF innards....it's just traveling, via convection, into the case of the trimmer.

Ok fine...even then I doubt this has any significant impact on anything in this circuit.  If his theory is to heat the case of the REF then why not just take some nichrome wire...zig zag it across the top of the REF IC case....bond it thermally and run some current through it?  That would be far more efficient than his method....and still that isn't the proper way to ovenize this package.

This all could be avoided...by simply designing a proper PCB....with a thermal layer...bonded to a TO (can) REF IC, in the dead bug config....bond the case of the TO package to the thermal layer with some thermal "grease"....and then bond a proper controlled heater to the thermal layer....just like everyone else does....

Instead he claims this is somehow innovative, and we are all too stupid too see it....I am sorry but I am all for helping people, but not when they act like some elitist and call everyone here inferior....ESPECIALLY when they have ZERO basis in their claims...NO data to prove anything and start talking about being handed circuit designs from God himself....throw in vampires, angles, and whatever other bullshit is flying out of this guys mouth, and I just don't feel like being nice anymore....

I said back on page one, that the REF102C is in fact an excellent monolithic ref IC.....I have worked with them many times, and if you hand select (bin) the IC, you can easily get better than 2ppm per year stability....out of the plastic package.  No big deal there.

What I am amazed at is that DESPITE the poor layout and construction of Awesome14's "reference" the Ti REF102C is getting anywhere near 2ppm stability (+/- so 4ppm really) for even a day or two....I still see zero data showing anything about stability over 30, 90, 180, 256,etc etc etc days....

If anything I say this whole scenario just shows how good the REF102C can be....even when someone who has no idea what they are doing slaps one together with perfboard....shit components and construction techniques....

Again I have used the REF102C in a proper ovenized enclosure design...with proper supporting components, and it's a nice little IC, for a reasonable cost.....easy to implement etc etc etc....and IF you hand select the IC you CAN get better than 1.5ppm stability over a year or more....fine, no big deal...that is not innovative, astounding or anything other than "decent".....

The claims of "heatpipes" and "revolutionary design"....and then insulting us all on the basis that since we don't agree, we are somehow mentally inferior and closed minded...is simply going past the point where I feel like lending any advice or being a nice guy....

So again the only conclusion here, is that DESPITE Awesome14's total ignorance and terrible mental disabilities, the REF102C is a half way decent REF IC....I am mainly still here reading and commenting, because I find this entire thread utterly hilarious, on the basis of the divine claims, breaking the laws of physics claims, assassination conspiracy etc etc etc....it's pure comedy at this point....nothing anyone says here is actually going to help Awesome14, he is far beyond that....

To top it off Awesome14 is SELLING these on eBAY....with bogus descriptions....no pictures of internals....and for a price that doesn't justify anything he has done.  Anyone here or there could easily order the same IC from Mouser or Digikey or wherever, for not much money...slap it on a perfboard...with half way decent components....throw it in a hammond enclosure and probably have BETTER results, for under $50. 

So basically this is an eBAY scam, and constitutes fraud....and that is simply shameful....there is nothing innovative or "magical" about the "product"....it's built on nothing more than an application schematic handed down from Burr-Brown to Ti and then from Ti to Awesome14....and he didn't even implement it properly....why would anyone want to help this guy?  He is scum...

I am not required to show internals on eBay. Nothing in my listing constitutes fraud. People have commented in this thread that the device is "dead on" according to their meters. I'm not at all ashamed of a +-2ppm standard that works. It even holds its calibration when shipped powered down. Many people have evaluated this product, and not one has found my claims to be incorrect. I feel sorry for you. You have no ground to stand on, so you resort to unfounded personal attacks. I doesn't bother me what you think of me. But please don't level unfounded criticisms against my invention. Thank you for your kind consideration in this matter.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 09, 2015, 10:03:09 pm
And if you take a good look in this thread, you will see the firsts attacks come from awesome14.

I agree, in the start, it was looking good, with good points on how to do, and how to evaluate this kind of circuits. But when the people from this forum started to try to get real tests, then the maker came and start to try make everyone to think the same way he does.
Using non-scientific things to explain the circuit, blah blah...

Then, after he show some attacks to whom disagree from him, the things come more comedy... From some pages there is nothing but funny posts, from one side or another.

No big deal. There is somethings that we don't really say to someone, but if he is concerned about this, stop to say something to us (like all that crap about how he get the circuit from heavens, or something about vampires, about the cardiologist who know so much of electronics, about death attempts, how all this are connected to some voltage reference circuit?)

More than a scam, it is a troll.

Show me one place where I did anything but tell the truth. I didn't attack anyone.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: jlmoon on February 09, 2015, 10:12:15 pm


I would be fun to have a community effort to design an easy DiY EEVblog voltage standard.....NOW that sounds like fun, because we could all measure our "identical" standards against eachother....and log the results....which would actually be a HUGELY useful set of data to take academic indicators from.....imagine a loose comparison of a few dozen identical standards, against all the varying conditions each individual "lab" has.....that sounds like a  nice statistical effort and might actually lead to some discovery, for those that don't have any experience in this field and want to learn....and even those who think they know alrady


Where do I sign up?   :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 09, 2015, 10:17:49 pm
I have research data to prove my claims.
Then show those and everyone will shut-up if they check out :box:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 09, 2015, 10:30:14 pm
The D-105 DC will not read correctly during a change in temperature. The temp must remain constant for at least an hour. It is best to power the unit off until equilibrium has been reached. The problem arises because of the greater difference in temperature between the tempco thermistor and the IC that occurs during a temperature change.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 09, 2015, 10:34:50 pm
Quote
Before I post any thing on line I do a quick check, "would I say that to my boss or a friend?"

I strongly support peer review and positive criticism, but it should always be done in a objective way preferably supported by analysis or prior art.

It should never be an attack on the person, his believes or his culture.

I feel the same way, but here it's a different story. It's plain and simple: scam.
No problem if a guy is using a sloppy breadboard reference in his own lab and believes in magic and unrealistic specs. But selling a black box with false claims (2ppm and esoteric bullshit description) for a horrendous price is scam. And I have no mercy for that, especially on ebay where you need to trust the seller when buying stuff. it's like selling 32GB USB sticks that only have 1GB chips inside. Plain and simple scam

My device promises certain performance criteria. It lives up to it's claims. If I can demonstrate financial losses due to your reckless and untruthful comments, be prepared to pay those damages. It is no scam! Until you can prove that any claim I make is false, it would be best not to dig the hole any deeper. I have research data to prove my claims. You have nothing to disprove them. Let's just stick to professional opinions and leave the rest at the door.

Whoa there! I would think you would let the device speak for itself! There is no need for threats on either side. If you believe in the D-105 and it really works then there is no need to defend it! So far I am quite pleased with the results. I am currently doing a long term test and so far the results are not too bad!
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 12:05:07 am
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D


If you look at the pictures....and try to decipher Awesome14's comment....this is what I believe he is saying....

He has glued a piece of copper foil, between a diode, and the ref IC case....he is calling that a "heatpipe".  Ok it's not.  I think he is saying that he is cooking that poor little diode, and expecting that a thin piece of copper foil is somehow transferring enough thermal energy from the poor little diode (which is his "heater") to "stabilize" the REF IC.  The efficiency of heat transfer across that piece of foil is nil.  Also the diode is right next to a shit bottom of the barrel trimmer....which hasn't even had the wiper screw glued in place.  So in essence he is creating more of a problem than solving one.  The majority of heat (which is hardly any) is not traveling across the copper foil to the REF innards....it's just traveling, via convection, into the case of the trimmer.

Ok fine...even then I doubt this has any significant impact on anything in this circuit.  If his theory is to heat the case of the REF then why not just take some nichrome wire...zig zag it across the top of the REF IC case....bond it thermally and run some current through it?  That would be far more efficient than his method....and still that isn't the proper way to ovenize this package.

This all could be avoided...by simply designing a proper PCB....with a thermal layer...bonded to a TO (can) REF IC, in the dead bug config....bond the case of the TO package to the thermal layer with some thermal "grease"....and then bond a proper controlled heater to the thermal layer....just like everyone else does....

Instead he claims this is somehow innovative, and we are all too stupid too see it....I am sorry but I am all for helping people, but not when they act like some elitist and call everyone here inferior....ESPECIALLY when they have ZERO basis in their claims...NO data to prove anything and start talking about being handed circuit designs from God himself....throw in vampires, angles, and whatever other bullshit is flying out of this guys mouth, and I just don't feel like being nice anymore....

I said back on page one, that the REF102C is in fact an excellent monolithic ref IC.....I have worked with them many times, and if you hand select (bin) the IC, you can easily get better than 2ppm per year stability....out of the plastic package.  No big deal there.

What I am amazed at is that DESPITE the poor layout and construction of Awesome14's "reference" the Ti REF102C is getting anywhere near 2ppm stability (+/- so 4ppm really) for even a day or two....I still see zero data showing anything about stability over 30, 90, 180, 256,etc etc etc days....

If anything I say this whole scenario just shows how good the REF102C can be....even when someone who has no idea what they are doing slaps one together with perfboard....shit components and construction techniques....

Again I have used the REF102C in a proper ovenized enclosure design...with proper supporting components, and it's a nice little IC, for a reasonable cost.....easy to implement etc etc etc....and IF you hand select the IC you CAN get better than 1.5ppm stability over a year or more....fine, no big deal...that is not innovative, astounding or anything other than "decent".....

The claims of "heatpipes" and "revolutionary design"....and then insulting us all on the basis that since we don't agree, we are somehow mentally inferior and closed minded...is simply going past the point where I feel like lending any advice or being a nice guy....

So again the only conclusion here, is that DESPITE Awesome14's total ignorance and terrible mental disabilities, the REF102C is a half way decent REF IC....I am mainly still here reading and commenting, because I find this entire thread utterly hilarious, on the basis of the divine claims, breaking the laws of physics claims, assassination conspiracy etc etc etc....it's pure comedy at this point....nothing anyone says here is actually going to help Awesome14, he is far beyond that....

To top it off Awesome14 is SELLING these on eBAY....with bogus descriptions....no pictures of internals....and for a price that doesn't justify anything he has done.  Anyone here or there could easily order the same IC from Mouser or Digikey or wherever, for not much money...slap it on a perfboard...with half way decent components....throw it in a hammond enclosure and probably have BETTER results, for under $50. 

So basically this is an eBAY scam, and constitutes fraud....and that is simply shameful....there is nothing innovative or "magical" about the "product"....it's built on nothing more than an application schematic handed down from Burr-Brown to Ti and then from Ti to Awesome14....and he didn't even implement it properly....why would anyone want to help this guy?  He is scum...

I am not required to show internals on eBay. Nothing in my listing constitutes fraud. People have commented in this thread that the device is "dead on" according to their meters. I'm not at all ashamed of a +-2ppm standard that works. It even holds its calibration when shipped powered down. Many people have evaluated this product, and not one has found my claims to be incorrect. I feel sorry for you. You have no ground to stand on, so you resort to unfounded personal attacks. I doesn't bother me what you think of me. But please don't level unfounded criticisms against my invention. Thank you for your kind consideration in this matter.


When you make unfounded scientific claims....I have every right to refute them with a foundation of science.....your "heatpipe" concept is bunk and simply doesn't work....sorry but that is a provable fact.  Also there is ZERO long term testing data to prove your claims of +/- 2 ppm.  Is it possible, sure....and that is in no part due to anything miraculous your have discovered.....you just got a "lucky" IC.  Which you already know to be true....and why you sell different graded devices.  Some meet spec, some don't.....however you have proven NOT once that they meet a spec over any period of time.  Simply sating +/- Xppm is nonsense, as that is a static measurement.....and the real world is a dynamic environment.....not one manufacturer makes a claim of ppm drift, without adding a measurement of time to it...

So again let's see your 30 day, 60 day, 90 day, 180, day etc etc etc numbers....THEN you can make a wholesale claim of XYZppm over time.....until then it's bullshit.....

Also if it doesn't bother you what myself or others think, then why do you keep responding?  Also you should be bothered by what others think, because you have a product to sell.....you rlack of data and attitude have ensured that I will never buy anything from you....if you don't care about that, then you don't care about business......instead of offering proof or data to back any claims, and convincing some of us here that we should buy your product, you have done exactly the opposite....

I don't see Fluke claiming they were handed superior designs from God, or their CEO making any claims about conspiracy theories, regarding assassination attempts.....YOU brought that stuff up, and defamed yourself....you could have said nothing and just posted data to shut us all up....but again you came here with a superiority complex....and then made wild, bogus claims about things like "heatpipe" technology....which your device clearly does NOT employ....nor would it do anything to help the ref with stability if it did.....

AND THAT IS FRAUD......if you need me to link the definition I am happy to http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fraud (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fraud)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 12:18:12 am
And if you take a good look in this thread, you will see the firsts attacks come from awesome14.

I agree, in the start, it was looking good, with good points on how to do, and how to evaluate this kind of circuits. But when the people from this forum started to try to get real tests, then the maker came and start to try make everyone to think the same way he does.
Using non-scientific things to explain the circuit, blah blah...

Then, after he show some attacks to whom disagree from him, the things come more comedy... From some pages there is nothing but funny posts, from one side or another.

No big deal. There is somethings that we don't really say to someone, but if he is concerned about this, stop to say something to us (like all that crap about how he get the circuit from heavens, or something about vampires, about the cardiologist who know so much of electronics, about death attempts, how all this are connected to some voltage reference circuit?)

More than a scam, it is a troll.

Show me one place where I did anything but tell the truth. I didn't attack anyone.


you have GOT to be kidding.....go back and read your own posts.....UN-freaking-believable

We can start with claims about your miraculous "heatpipe" technology.....how about claims of somehow bending the laws of physics, to improve Ti's technology?  Face it, the ref you are selling simply proves the quality of Ti's REF102C package...DESPITE your best efforts to corrupt it's implementation.....

You have been your own worst critic and enemy here.....DESPITE many of us offering suggestions and constructive criticisms....

I have a proposal....show me the testing data, that proves your little piece of copper foil, bonded to a weak heat source, and then bonded to the CASE of the REF IC, does ANYTHING AT ALL to improve performance.....seriously ONE piece of data and I will take you seriously. 

as far as I can see, you have done nothing other than meet Ti's own claims of potential stability in their IC package....nothing more and certainly less, in some cases....in case you missed the Ti lab report on this IC, here it is again.....

Show me ONE SINGLE piece of data that backs up your claims of "bettering" Ti's ref IC....if you simply made a mistake, because you don't understand what you are doing....then that is fine, admit it....be humble and some of us here might be inclined to help you.....but you need to stop posting misleading claims on your ebay listing, and stop with all of this "miraculous" technology inventions of your....they don't exist....nothing here, to me, is magic, or even "seems like magic".....in fact it follows Ti's own data sheet to the T....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/ti3.jpg)

P.S. the chart above is the M package version of the REF102C....which is the TO (can) style package.....Ti claims that the plastic package achieves the EXACT SAME stability figures AFTER 168 hours stabilization time.....which I whole heatedly believe....and can attest to, through my own experiences with the REF102C (non M) package.....nothing miraculous here.....just an honest manufacturer, who makes a device with a degree or predictability, for a reasonable cost.....I.E. good science, good marketing, from a reputable company....and that is PAR for the course...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 10, 2015, 12:40:19 am
My device promises certain performance criteria. It lives up to it's claims. If I can demonstrate financial losses due to your reckless and untruthful comments, be prepared to pay those damages. It is no scam! Until you can prove that any claim I make is false, it would be best not to dig the hole any deeper. I have research data to prove my claims. You have nothing to disprove them. Let's just stick to professional opinions and leave the rest at the door.

It is up to the person making a claim to prove it. Nobody can disprove your claim or claims. You claim that the design was a gift from your god. How does anyone disprove such an extraordinary claim? You claim that your device performs 2.5X better SVR. Prove it or shut up. I don't believe your claims of divine inspiration and if YOU claim something, YOU prove it. It is the same with every woowoo believer, they ant everyone else to prove them wrong on unclear claims. If you think your attitude here helps improve your sales then perhaps your god gave you the wrong attitude to go along with his design.

To claim damages you have to prove 3 things. You have to prove intent to damage your reputation, that the action actually damaged your reputation, and that the reputation wasn't already deserved or assigned before the action. I have an opinion, mine, for me. You are not a rational person and your design is just a basic replication of a reference design, the ideas you have are woowoo, and the construction techniques are what I would expect from a naive audiophool who has no idea of the real world and maybe a ten year old making his first circuit. In other words, I will never buy anything from you and each time you have opened your mouth here, never gets longer.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 01:46:10 am
This listing is for international buyers who want direct USPS shipping. Email and we will put you on the buyer exemption list. The item is the Calibratory D-105 DC, 10.0VDC Precision Voltage Reference Standard. It accepts 12VDC to 35VDC INPUT. The OUTPUT is 10.000000 VDC ±0.0002% (±2ppm) at 14.5VDC (+-2.0VDC) INPUT. The other unit we have listed—The D-104 DC—is a +-0.0006% (+-6ppm) unit. That, temperature-control, and the price, are the only difference between this unit: the D-105 DC and our novice product, the D-104 DC. The D-105 DC has (4) four color-coded, gold-plated banana-sockets w/binding posts for INPUT and OUTPUT connections. The internal connections are soldered or bolted. The regulator IC is socketed, so it is not heated by soldering. We incorporate the precision voltage reference IC—TI REF102C—together with noise filtering, thermoelectric damping, and a trim circuit. Among the photos is a laboratory null voltage-offset setup. The reading is on the mVDC range. The meter reads: 0.0092mVDC (9.2uVDC; 0.92ppm). That is the maximum difference between the 732A 10.000000VDC OUTPUT and the 10.000000VDC OUTPUT of the Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard at its maximum actual error. Our claim of +-2ppm at 10VDC is conservative! The null setup is as follows: Fluke 732A OUTPUT (-)ground(-) to OUTPUT (-)ground(-) on the Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard. Power Supply 14.5 Volt DC (+) and (-) to INPUT of the Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard; (+) 10.0VDC (+) OUTPUT of Fluke 732A to DMM (-) low (-); (+) 10VDC (+) OUTPUT of Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard to (+) DMM (+). All units are nulled to a 732A or 732B Precision Voltage Reference. Recalibration is available anytime. The Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard may also be powered by (2) 9V alkaline batteries wired in series. The device settles in roughly five minutes. Maximum output load is 10.0 mA. The unit is durable and maintenance-free.  Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age. The unit measures approximately 1.5" x 2.25" x 1.75". Test equipment and patch cords are not included. Questions, use the link below. Thank you for viewing our eBay.com listing! We customize calibration parameters for free, i.e. input voltage, temperature, output load, etc.. You've now read the description. For some background, read on! Years ago I wanted something cheap and portable--even implantable--to calibrate hand-held DM meters. So, I took a bare IC and soldered it to a board, connected some wires between the pins and banana sockets; and voila, POOF, a voltage standard was born. It was little better than a standard cell, but it was better. I decided to check eBay for more ICs, and I found 9 of them at a great price. I built 9 more standards and sold them for 29.95 ea.. After that I read engineering notes on analog circuits, from TI and LT. Over a series of years the design has added filtering, noise cancellation, thermoelectric-effect suppression, high-granularity trimming, temperature compensation, dynamic settling, high-accuracy output, low drift, silicon aging, miniaturization, output jitter-damping, resistive balance, safety features, and excellent repeatability. I have a scientific background, so I just had to learn the analog application side. I aimed at the amateur market, because calibration labs were treating them poorly! Now they don't need them! I've been advised that I ought to raise my prices, because the level of accuracy we provide could interfere with the viability of competing products, save that we compete "fairly"! We sell our products to buyers on every continent but Antarctica. We sell to industry, Universities, public utilities, governments, and individuals in 25-30 nations spanning the globe from The USA to China and Japan, in both directions. We believe the best way to make money is work! Our prices are fair and equitable. We're expanding every day to supply the world with an exceptionally unique and valuable device. Our hope is to use the experience we've gained to begin development of a 5.0VDC and a 2.7VDC standard equal to or better than our 10VDC standard. 


Shall we pick these claims apart one at a time? 

Let's start with "temperature control".....where is it?  Please don't claim the "passive heatpipe technology" thing again....it will only serve to make you look fraudulent....

Next up....you claim "5 minutes settle time"......yet here you JUST CLAIMED "The D-105 DC will not read correctly during a change in temperature. The temp must remain constant for at least an hour. It is best to power the unit off until equilibrium has been reached. The problem arises because of the greater difference in temperature between the tempco thermistor and the IC that occurs during a temperature change."

How can the temp remain constant, in the IC during power up, over a 5 minute span?  That defies Ti's own claims about what is possible with their device.....and then you further muck it up by making up some nonsense about "tempco thermistor"....and that it needs an hour to settle, after a temperature change....if your heatpipe technology works...are you seriously claiming it reaches a controlled temp INSTANTLY and somehow INSTANTLY finds an equilibrium with the internal temperature of the buried zener in the MONOLITHIC REF IC PACKAGE...!!!????   :palm:

HUH.....which one is it? 

Letr's start there and then bring up the other claims in your ebay listing....which are NOT demonstrated with ANY actual data....

Oh and THE BIG ONE.....what the hell do you even mean +/- 2 ppm?  Do you mean +/- 2 ppm of the initial output (after settling) of 10 V?  What is miraculous about that....any idiot can twist the screw on a trimmer.....

you also claim less than 1.5ppm drift per 1k/hrs.....ok where is the data to back that?  Show me the 30 day, 60 day 365 day etc etc etc....I see NO data!!!  Just claims....

on and on and on and on......I know I am just feeding a troll here, but I find you about as amusing as the "free-energy" "overunity" guys.....and I find them utterly hilarious....

So again PROVE me wrong...with data....I am waiting to eat my hat and bow down to your god, for bending the laws of physics...which he himself created.....

"God doesn't play dice" - smart guy

"jitter-damping"..... :-DD

can you also explain how you achieved any useful "noise reduction"...without using gain after the filter to make-up for loss?  The REF102C doesn't have the ability to add gain significant to make-up for loss in a "passive filter".  I mean if you want to reduce noise at 10Hz, you most certainly need to employ an op-amp and supporting components.....which Ti's own data sheet graciously shows you how to do....and you claim in your description to have read those documents....in case you actually did NOT read them.....here you go....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/noise.jpg)


"high granularity trimming".... :bullshit:  Ti actually even tells you that trimming the output will ADD drift to their specs.....those don't exactly look like "precision trimmers" to me.....the better solution is a precision resistor network and some nice switches....to avoid the potential problems of "bottom of the barrel trimmers", which you haven't secured the wiper screw on after "calibration".  Your "heater" is literally almost touching the trimmer case....so don't you think after some time the thermal expansion and contraction of that trimmer case, and the lack of locking the trimmer adjust....might just lead to some problems?  That is if your heater does what you claim it does (rhetorical, because we all know it doesn't). 


where are all these precision "miraculous" pieces of technology you invented?  I don't see them....again I just see a rather shoddy implementation of Ti's own application notes.....and even then you aren't using suggested tolerance components....and just to be clear I am NOT talking about the "crudity" of the assemble....simply the "quality" of the parts used
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/2015-02-02205021.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/huh.jpg)



"our prices are fair and equitable"......yet you charge more than double the price for the "added temperature control"....which consists of a $0.03 passive component and a scarp of foil?  and again does NOTHING to support your claim of "passive heatpipe technology" and "precision temperature regulation"....show me the data on how that is doing ANYTHING to stabilize the REF IC.... :bullshit:

you should provide a link to this thread on your ebay listings....so potential customers can come here and see just what it is you are selling..... :-+  If you are confident that you are representing honesty, integrity and sanity....then you should have no fear of doing that

now if you really want to sell your product....you should go post it here http://overunity.com/ (http://overunity.com/)...because those folks just might believe your bullshit claims.....you will fit right in there
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 04:30:26 am
Bravo TunerSandwich. Let's see Awesome14 defend each of those points with real data.

By my calculations, this thread has already given him around $500 from members buying his shitty reference. Some bought it *after* his claims of Jesuit Vampires. Why?!?! Why would you do that!

It would be like if the CEO of Fluke came out tomorrow and said, "From here on out, we'll be giving 50% of our profits to the legal defense of NAMBLA members. Child molestation has always been a passion here at Fluke and we want to give back to the boy-love community at large."

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I run on an anti-boy rape platform as a general rule. If Fluke said this, I'd stop buying their equipment. If everyone did this it would stop the advancement of their agenda.

Likewise, I don't run on the woowoo pseudoscience platform, so I won't give Awesome14 my money and you shouldn't either. Why reward the conman in trying to disprove his claims. He's still getting richer from it. Instead, make *him* provide data to back up his claims, if not dismiss it.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 05:23:35 am
Let's see Awesome14 defend each of those points with real data.

I know he won't....I just want to see more of the conspiracy theories and whacko overunity and quantum vacuum claims....this is as good as any "audiophile" or "free energy" forum post I have ever seen....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/200_s.gif)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 05:33:42 am
@richiem:

That's a bit unfair to the Geller design, because you are not using the temperature compensated SVR-T, so you are comparing apples to oranges.  I suspect the Geller SVR-T would be almost a straight line with temperature, as that is what he obtained for each unit in his micro-chamber after adding the thermistor and "tuned" resistor.  Note that the TC of resistors [and therefore monolithic voltage reference outputs] does not change with time unless they are severely abused [like super high temperature exposure, etc.].  So, once a TC is obtained and set, there is no reason to do it again, any only the voltage offset will need trimming from time to time, and this is mainly due to resistor absolute value drift.

Can you borrow an SVR-T from someone and run the test again of the D-105 vs. SVR-T?
Just a note: The temperature drift of the D-105 DC is not linear. The figure is obtained by: (deltaVDC between 16C and and   26C)/10 degrees. ex. output at 16C=9.999980; output at 26C=10.000012; 10.000012-9.999980=3.2uVDC/10=0.32uVDC/degreeC.
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 06:54:01 am
@richiem:

That's a bit unfair to the Geller design, because you are not using the temperature compensated SVR-T, so you are comparing apples to oranges.  I suspect the Geller SVR-T would be almost a straight line with temperature, as that is what he obtained for each unit in his micro-chamber after adding the thermistor and "tuned" resistor.  Note that the TC of resistors [and therefore monolithic voltage reference outputs] does not change with time unless they are severely abused [like super high temperature exposure, etc.].  So, once a TC is obtained and set, there is no reason to do it again, any only the voltage offset will need trimming from time to time, and this is mainly due to resistor absolute value drift.

Can you borrow an SVR-T from someone and run the test again of the D-105 vs. SVR-T?
Just a note: The temperature drift of the D-105 DC is not linear. The figure is obtained by: (deltaVDC between 16C and and   26C)/10 degrees. ex. output at 16C=9.999980; output at 26C=10.000012; 10.000012-9.999980=3.2uVDC/10=0.32uVDC/degreeC.

This doesn't make sense. How did you come to these calculations?


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 06:58:45 am
@richiem:

That's a bit unfair to the Geller design, because you are not using the temperature compensated SVR-T, so you are comparing apples to oranges.  I suspect the Geller SVR-T would be almost a straight line with temperature, as that is what he obtained for each unit in his micro-chamber after adding the thermistor and "tuned" resistor.  Note that the TC of resistors [and therefore monolithic voltage reference outputs] does not change with time unless they are severely abused [like super high temperature exposure, etc.].  So, once a TC is obtained and set, there is no reason to do it again, any only the voltage offset will need trimming from time to time, and this is mainly due to resistor absolute value drift.

Can you borrow an SVR-T from someone and run the test again of the D-105 vs. SVR-T?
Just a note: The temperature drift of the D-105 DC is not linear. The figure is obtained by: (deltaVDC between 16C and and   26C)/10 degrees. ex. output at 16C=9.999980; output at 26C=10.000012; 10.000012-9.999980=3.2uVDC/10=0.32uVDC/degreeC.

This doesn't make sense. How did you come to these calculations?


Sent from my Smartphone

the same god that handed him the "passive heatpipe technology" must have made them.....and handed them down....

maybe he has a really cruel boss, that is exercising some type of mind control and has him convinced he is god.... :-//  and that boss hands Awesome14 little slips of paper that unlock these vast secrets of the universe.....

I honestly can't fathom where 99% of this nonsense jargon has come from....I personally think someone has been spending too much time in hi-fi shops
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 09:04:46 am

Quote from: tunersandwich
When you make unfounded scientific claims....I have every right to refute them with a foundation of science.....your "heatpipe" concept is bunk and simply doesn't work....sorry but that is a provable fact.  Also there is ZERO long term testing data to prove your claims of +/- 2 ppm.  Is it possible, sure....and that is in no part due to anything miraculous your have discovered.....you just got a "lucky" IC.  Which you already know to be true....and why you sell different graded devices.  Some meet spec, some don't.....however you have proven NOT once that they meet a spec over any period of time.  Simply sating +/- Xppm is nonsense, as that is a static measurement.....and the real world is a dynamic environment.....not one manufacturer makes a claim of ppm drift, without adding a measurement of time to it...

So again let's see your 30 day, 60 day, 90 day, 180, day etc etc etc numbers....THEN you can make a wholesale claim of XYZppm over time.....until then it's bullshit.....

Also if it doesn't bother you what myself or others think, then why do you keep responding?  Also you should be bothered by what others think, because you have a product to sell.....you rlack of data and attitude have ensured that I will never buy anything from you....if you don't care about that, then you don't care about business......instead of offering proof or data to back any claims, and convincing some of us here that we should buy your product, you have done exactly the opposite....

I don't see Fluke claiming they were handed superior designs from God, or their CEO making any claims about conspiracy theories, regarding assassination attempts.....YOU brought that stuff up, and defamed yourself....you could have said nothing and just posted data to shut us all up....but again you came here with a superiority complex....and then made wild, bogus claims about things like "heatpipe" technology....which your device clearly does NOT employ....nor would it do anything to help the ref with stability if it did.....

AND THAT IS FRAUD......if you need me to link the definition I am happy to http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fraud (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fraud)
But you refute nothing if you just say, "NO, you're wrong," when you don't really know yourself. If you want to refute my claims, then refute them. But don't just keep saying I'm incorrect without substantiating it somehow.

What I write on this discussion board cannot be fraudulent. The board has zero authority over anything. I can write whatever I want regarding the D-105 DC, and there are no possible legal repercussions. What I put in my eBay listing is a different story. But I think the bottom line is you put words in my mouth, as do many other contributers ? to this thread. If you take the opportunity to consider my words, you will find I did not say I am rich. I said I have the money I need. Those are two vastly different things.

I did not say I am more intelligent than anyone else. I merely shared my experience dealing with other people, and one real-world example of how I've been treated. But my words did draw conclusive evidence  that my words are true, because you have done to me exactly what I claimed others have done in the past, and for the same reasons. Typically, in a case where another just wants to dog me for the sake of doing it, I'll just show up at his house with two pairs of gloves, and we can duke it out. Would you consider that as a possible means to resolve the issues between us?

I also must make note that just because something is inspired from God in no way implies that it somehow defies the physical laws of nature. God invented the physical laws, and he placed them over the physical reality to constrain it. My invention is governed by physical law. No one claims it isn't. The scientific advancement of the human race at present is an arbitrary measure of intellectual achievement.

God understands all science. He knows every scientific fact about everything. Before mankind existed, all science was known. Before mankind made any discovery, the discovery had already been made. The information was already known. 4,000 years ago there were learned men who developed top-end technology, the likes of which had no been heard of before. All were in agreement that the current advancement of man was unprecedented and surely their theories were perfectly correct!

There were atheists among them. Everyone agreed that ships could sail off the edge of the world, because it's intuitively obvious! If they didn't return to port, where else could they have gone but off the edge of the world? But no one could give an eye-witness account. How could anyone? Everyone who witnessed such a thing is in an eternal freefall!

But there was a bone of contention between the atheists and everyone else. Everyone agreed that there was water above the dome of the sky, because otherwise how could it rain! Most of the people at that time believed God Almighty opened doors in the dome of the sky to allow water to fall to earth--rain. In fact, they were absolutely positive this was the case. But the atheists contended that the doors in the dome of sky opened by themselves, without the assistance of any deity.

Your attitude is piss poor. If you worked for me, you'd be fired. Just get over it. I'm not worth the time and trouble. I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.

I want you to read this thread again, and point out to me where I made outrageous claims, or said anything people have accused me of saying. And I forgive you. I have faith that you can do anything you put your mind to, even to outdo the D-105 DC with a device of your own making. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 09:12:03 am
Bravo TunerSandwich. Let's see Awesome14 defend each of those points with real data.

By my calculations, this thread has already given him around $500 from members buying his shitty reference. Some bought it *after* his claims of Jesuit Vampires. Why?!?! Why would you do that!

It would be like if the CEO of Fluke came out tomorrow and said, "From here on out, we'll be giving 50% of our profits to the legal defense of NAMBLA members. Child molestation has always been a passion here at Fluke and we want to give back to the boy-love community at large."

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I run on an anti-boy rape platform as a general rule. If Fluke said this, I'd stop buying their equipment. If everyone did this it would stop the advancement of their agenda.

Likewise, I don't run on the woowoo pseudoscience platform, so I won't give Awesome14 my money and you shouldn't either. Why reward the conman in trying to disprove his claims. He's still getting richer from it. Instead, make *him* provide data to back up his claims, if not dismiss it.


Sent from my Smartphone

You're another little satan. I pray that God place adversity in your path, so you can learn respect for others, and so that your immortal soul might be saved. Within the next 24 hours you will suffer in a way you have not suffered before. If you apologize, the suffering will cease after a time! I don't intend to harm you in any way. I wish you could be spared the torment, but God cares about you. He wants you to turn toward him. And believe me, you will!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 09:21:27 am
 :-DD

See timb....I told you he wouldn't address ANY of the contradictions or issues I pointed out....from his OWN ebay listing vs what he says here....

I knew more of this conspiracy, pseudo-religious shit would pop up....what an absolute riot this guy is...

Better watch out though, he warned me about my 24 hour damnation and the pain I would experience.....and I think I might have stubbed my toe during that period.....better get your football helmet and safety glasses on.... >:D
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 09:27:27 am

I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.


" Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age."

quoted DIRECTLY from your eBAY ad.....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/drift.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 09:49:05 am
My device promises certain performance criteria. It lives up to it's claims. If I can demonstrate financial losses due to your reckless and untruthful comments, be prepared to pay those damages. It is no scam! Until you can prove that any claim I make is false, it would be best not to dig the hole any deeper. I have research data to prove my claims. You have nothing to disprove them. Let's just stick to professional opinions and leave the rest at the door.

It is up to the person making a claim to prove it. Nobody can disprove your claim or claims. You claim that the design was a gift from your god. How does anyone disprove such an extraordinary claim? You claim that your device performs 2.5X better SVR. Prove it or shut up. I don't believe your claims of divine inspiration and if YOU claim something, YOU prove it. It is the same with every woowoo believer, they ant everyone else to prove them wrong on unclear claims. If you think your attitude here helps improve your sales then perhaps your god gave you the wrong attitude to go along with his design.

To claim damages you have to prove 3 things. You have to prove intent to damage your reputation, that the action actually damaged your reputation, and that the reputation wasn't already deserved or assigned before the action. I have an opinion, mine, for me. You are not a rational person and your design is just a basic replication of a reference design, the ideas you have are woowoo, and the construction techniques are what I would expect from a naive audiophool who has no idea of the real world and maybe a ten year old making his first circuit. In other words, I will never buy anything from you and each time you have opened your mouth here, never gets longer.
I say the device is 10VDC +-2ppm. How am I supposed to prove that? I make one claim of long-term drift specification: 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. How am I supposed to prove that? And why are you demanding proof for claims I DON"T make? If you're belief is that everyone has to prove they're not lying about everything, then why live? What a terrible world! I did not say anything the people here accuse me of saying. I said, "I inspired it from God," which I did. I've inspired other things from God also. You're not required to like it, but do not add or subtract from my actual words.

Is it just me, or does it seem like several of the members on this thread lack sound judgment, as if they're drunk or high. Such seething, venomous and groundless abuse, and with such diligence; Truly Satan has infiltrated this board. I'm tired of it and I don't have time to field this ridiculous nonsense. I won't resort to destructive abuse, but I will say that some of you are sealing your own fate. You're like rabid dogs, fit for nothing but transmitting the disease. You're near the end, and you don't know it. Some of you will be gone very soon. I look with pity upon those who presumed falsely.  And why do you want to harm me? I have done nothing wrong or worthy of revenge. You need help! I'm going to get it for you.   
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 09:54:32 am

I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.


" Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age."

quoted DIRECTLY from your eBAY ad.....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/drift.jpg)
OK, I forgot to update that listing with the new figures. I implore God's Mercy upon me: that you be smote, because you have no respect for others. I pray that God Almighty get you out of my way, today! You earned it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 10, 2015, 09:58:20 am

Is it just me, or does it seem like several of the members on this thread lack sound judgment, as if they're drunk or high. Such seething, venomous and groundless abuse, and with such diligence; Truly Satan has infiltrated this board.
(Emphasis mine)

DilligentMinds.com, what is going on with you ?  ;)

My deity says I can do to Awesome14 what I do to him. >:D
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 10:06:09 am

I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.


" Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age."

quoted DIRECTLY from your eBAY ad.....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/drift.jpg)
OK, I forgot to update that listing with the new figures.

which means the original figures were in fact fraudulent and in error.....and your current listing is in fact fraudulent and in error......
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 11:49:21 am


I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.


" Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age."

quoted DIRECTLY from your eBAY ad.....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/drift.jpg)
OK, I forgot to update that listing with the new figures. I implore God's Mercy upon me: that you be smote, because you have no respect for others. I pray that God Almighty get you out of my way, today! You earned it.

So let me get this straight, you made a mistake, but somehow we're to blame pointing it out? And because of your error, you think God should smite us? Is that about right?

You realize that's batshit crazy, yeah?


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 11:57:45 am

My device promises certain performance criteria. It lives up to it's claims. If I can demonstrate financial losses due to your reckless and untruthful comments, be prepared to pay those damages. It is no scam! Until you can prove that any claim I make is false, it would be best not to dig the hole any deeper. I have research data to prove my claims. You have nothing to disprove them. Let's just stick to professional opinions and leave the rest at the door.

It is up to the person making a claim to prove it. Nobody can disprove your claim or claims. You claim that the design was a gift from your god. How does anyone disprove such an extraordinary claim? You claim that your device performs 2.5X better SVR. Prove it or shut up. I don't believe your claims of divine inspiration and if YOU claim something, YOU prove it. It is the same with every woowoo believer, they ant everyone else to prove them wrong on unclear claims. If you think your attitude here helps improve your sales then perhaps your god gave you the wrong attitude to go along with his design.

To claim damages you have to prove 3 things. You have to prove intent to damage your reputation, that the action actually damaged your reputation, and that the reputation wasn't already deserved or assigned before the action. I have an opinion, mine, for me. You are not a rational person and your design is just a basic replication of a reference design, the ideas you have are woowoo, and the construction techniques are what I would expect from a naive audiophool who has no idea of the real world and maybe a ten year old making his first circuit. In other words, I will never buy anything from you and each time you have opened your mouth here, never gets longer.
I say the device is 10VDC +-2ppm. How am I supposed to prove that? I make one claim of long-term drift specification: 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. How am I supposed to prove that?

You prove it by showing us the data you collected to arrive at that figure.

Long term drift is something you arrive at after keeping a sample lot of references hooked up to a high stability, calibrated meter for thousands of hours. Generally each reference will hook to a switching unit which itself hooks to the meter. The switch and meter hook to a computer via GPIB, USB or LAN which controls the whole operation and logs the data.

This data can then be plotted in a nice graph showing deviation between units. You would also then remove the outliers, average the rest and come up with your drift figures.

That's what we expect when you make a claim like that.

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." -Confucius


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 12:04:03 pm

Bravo TunerSandwich. Let's see Awesome14 defend each of those points with real data.

By my calculations, this thread has already given him around $500 from members buying his shitty reference. Some bought it *after* his claims of Jesuit Vampires. Why?!?! Why would you do that!

It would be like if the CEO of Fluke came out tomorrow and said, "From here on out, we'll be giving 50% of our profits to the legal defense of NAMBLA members. Child molestation has always been a passion here at Fluke and we want to give back to the boy-love community at large."

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I run on an anti-boy rape platform as a general rule. If Fluke said this, I'd stop buying their equipment. If everyone did this it would stop the advancement of their agenda.

Likewise, I don't run on the woowoo pseudoscience platform, so I won't give Awesome14 my money and you shouldn't either. Why reward the conman in trying to disprove his claims. He's still getting richer from it. Instead, make *him* provide data to back up his claims, if not dismiss it.


Sent from my Smartphone

You're another little satan. I pray that God place adversity in your path, so you can learn respect for others, and so that your immortal soul might be saved. Within the next 24 hours you will suffer in a way you have not suffered before. If you apologize, the suffering will cease after a time! I don't intend to harm you in any way. I wish you could be spared the torment, but God cares about you. He wants you to turn toward him. And believe me, you will!

I should change my forum username to "Lil' Satan"! My tag line could be the backwards lyrics from Stairway to Heaven: "Here's to my sweet Satan, six six six."

XD

Seriously though, it's not me that's going to be suffering, but your eBay sales! This thread is the top result when searching for your calibrator on Google.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 10, 2015, 12:05:29 pm
Is it just me, or does it seem like several of the members on this thread lack sound judgment, as if they're drunk or high. Such seething, venomous and groundless abuse, and with such diligence; Truly Satan has infiltrated this board. I'm tired of it and I don't have time to field this ridiculous nonsense. I won't resort to destructive abuse, but I will say that some of you are sealing your own fate. You're like rabid dogs, fit for nothing but transmitting the disease. You're near the end, and you don't know it. Some of you will be gone very soon. I look with pity upon those who presumed falsely.  And why do you want to harm me? I have done nothing wrong or worthy of revenge. You need help! I'm going to get it for you.

Awsome14,

  If you would let me make a suggestion. The EEVblog is one of the largest electronic engineering forums on the internet with a huge international audience of electronics and science professionals, hobbyists and beginners. With that said, you may want to leave the religious references out of this conversation and stick to the science. Instead of trying to defend your claims with visions from God or threats of wrath from God, spend the time to put together some data which can support your claims. I have seen many people including myself blasted by certain individuals here, but much like Youtube that is unavoidable and you can learn from it rather than fight it. Every product has room for improvement, even the most polished product can be picked at to find improvements. Take the good advice from here and use it to your advantage, look at how other companies qualify their measurement products and emulate that.

It's pretty simple, just qualify your product with some hard data to back it up! This will not only help you in sales but can boost your reputation in the process. If you are not sure how to do this effectively then ask. There are plenty with the knowledge to point you in the right direction. Also, look at ways to improve your design, take suggestions and criticism as a blessing that can be used as information to make these improvements. I have seen a lot of good healthy skepticism on this thread that can be very useful in fine-tuning your product.

Just my two cents!  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 01:14:20 pm
Quote
I should change my forum username to "Lil' Satan"! My tag line could be the backwards lyrics from Stairway to Heaven: "Here's to my sweet Satan, six six six."

XD

Seriously though, it's not me that's going to be suffering, but your eBay sales! This thread is the top result when searching for your calibrator on Google.


Sent from my Smartphone

Do you honestly believe that someone reading this thread would avoid my product. There is nothing here to disprove my claims. As far as my sales go, your voice is inert, meaningless. You might as well not even exist for all the damage you can do to me. I'm not suffering at all. I'm selling as many units as I can produce. Why would you think that anything you say carries with it any weight in the minds of others.

You're really a harmless little thing. I don't know if you realize it, but I'm withholding my data because I think withholding it will piss you off. It's my data. I don't have to share it with you. And you'd just say I made it up, anyway, because that's who you are. This thread is the best advertising I can get. If my product can instill this much jealousy, it's got to be good! If you don't like the product, everyone else is sure to buy it, because it's obvious that I know what I'm doing, and you don't. You criticisms are without merit of any kind, and it's glaring.

But you won't be bothering me much longer, because I've asked the Owner of The Universe to clear you out of my way. My Father Owns the Universe! He controls everyone and everything, always, you included. And, there is nothing you can do about it! You might imagine you have free will, but you will do exactly as my Father wishes, no matter what. You're playing into my hands, exactly as I had planned. Thank you for your cooperation.

No matter how many times you criticize me, it's still the image of yourself that you project onto me that you are criticizing. Your reputation among those who actually know what they are doing cannot be further disparaged. And your dirty little secret is now known.   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 10, 2015, 01:38:03 pm
Is it just me, or does it seem like several of the members on this thread lack sound judgment, as if they're drunk or high. Such seething, venomous and groundless abuse, and with such diligence; Truly Satan has infiltrated this board. I'm tired of it and I don't have time to field this ridiculous nonsense. I won't resort to destructive abuse, but I will say that some of you are sealing your own fate. You're like rabid dogs, fit for nothing but transmitting the disease. You're near the end, and you don't know it. Some of you will be gone very soon. I look with pity upon those who presumed falsely.  And why do you want to harm me? I have done nothing wrong or worthy of revenge. You need help! I'm going to get it for you.

Awsome14,

  If you would let me make a suggestion. The EEVblog is one of the largest electronic engineering forums on the internet with a huge international audience of electronics and science professionals, hobbyists and beginners. With that said, you may want to leave the religious references out of this conversation and stick to the science. Instead of trying to defend your claims with visions from God or threats of wrath from God, spend the time to put together some data which can support your claims. I have seen many people including myself blasted by certain individuals here, but much like Youtube that is unavoidable and you can learn from it rather than fight it. Every product has room for improvement, even the most polished product can be picked at to find improvements. Take the good advice from here and use it to your advantage, look at how other companies qualify their measurement products and emulate that.

It's pretty simple, just qualify your product with some hard data to back it up! This will not only help you in sales but can boost your reputation in the process. If you are not sure how to do this effectively then ask. There are plenty with the knowledge to point you in the right direction. Also, look at ways to improve your design, take suggestions and criticism as a blessing that can be used as information to make these improvements. I have seen a lot of good healthy skepticism on this thread that can be very useful in fine-tuning your product.

Just my two cents!  ;D

This is what I claim: +-2ppm, 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use; temperature range: 16-26C; temperature drift: 0.15ppm/C. If people refuse to believe it, I can't make them believe. But I have data from 2 different sources that prove my claims are reasonable. I really don't know what else I can do. I'm always going to gather more data, but I think it's unreasonable to ask me to supply data to support claims I DON'T make.

I am in tune to what the other members suggest, but I am working within constraints that are presently stretched to the limit. I can make a really great standard, but it's expensive. LT has a note on a precision reference that uses the LT1000. LT built one for their A/D converter. They monitor it with 3 3458s. It has drifted 3ppm in ten years of continuous operation. I have heard some good suggestions.

One problem with a PCB is the design is not the same for every unit. Each unit is customized to a certain degree, and many have a different selection of certain components. I know no one believes me, but the only way to prove them wrong is to make a totally different standard that proves my design is better. I'm not doing this to make a lot of money, but I would like to develop  a reputation for who I am and the kind of work I do.

I have independent people doing research on the D-105 DC as I write this. So far it's quite encouraging. No one has demonstrated that any claim I have made is false. But I could work on a detailed spec sheet. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 10, 2015, 01:38:43 pm
Quote
I should change my forum username to "Lil' Satan"! My tag line could be the backwards lyrics from Stairway to Heaven: "Here's to my sweet Satan, six six six."

XD

Seriously though, it's not me that's going to be suffering, but your eBay sales! This thread is the top result when searching for your calibrator on Google.


Sent from my Smartphone
But you won't be bothering me much longer, because I've asked the Owner of The Universe to clear you out of my way.

 :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andy Watson on February 10, 2015, 01:45:13 pm
:palm:
+1
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 10, 2015, 01:54:18 pm
Quote from: Awesome14
This is what I claim: +-2ppm, 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use; temperature range: 16-26C; temperature drift: 0.15ppm/C. If people refuse to believe it, I can't make them believe. But I have data from 2 different sources that prove my claims are reasonable. I really don't know what else I can do. I'm always going to gather more data, but I think it's unreasonable to ask me to supply data to support claims I DON'T make.

I don't think it's unreasonable to show your short and long term data testing results. It's common practice among professional companies all over the world, Keysight, Keithley, etc. all do this.

Quote from: Awesome14
I am in tune to what the other members suggest, but I am working within constraints that are presently stretched to the limit. I can make a really great standard, but it's expensive. LT has a note on a precision reference that uses the LT1000. LT built one for their A/D converter. They monitor it with 3 3458s. It has drifted 3ppm in ten years of continuous operation. I have heard some good suggestions.

Then look into a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. Get the initial prototype and show people the data and what the potential can be. I have seen Kickstarter campaigns for far worse products than this!

Quote from: Awesome14
One problem with a PCB is the design is not the same for every unit. Each unit is customized to a certain degree, and many have a different selection of certain components. I know no one believes me, but the only way to prove them wrong is to make a totally different standard that proves my design is better. I'm not doing this to make a lot of money, but I would like to develop  a reputation for who I am and the kind of work I do.

You can still make the PCB, just design in the capability for necessary adjustments. Again, there are plenty of successful products on the market today that do this. Go Pro and you, market your proven data, clean-up the design and you could command a higher dollar figure for your product then!

Quote from: Awesome14
I have independent people doing research on the D-105 DC as I write this. So far it's quite encouraging. No one has demonstrated that any claim I have made is false. But I could work on a detailed spec sheet.

Then publish that data, whats the problem with that?
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 03:17:54 pm
Is it just me, or does it seem like several of the members on this thread lack sound judgment, as if they're drunk or high. Such seething, venomous and groundless abuse, and with such diligence; Truly Satan has infiltrated this board. I'm tired of it and I don't have time to field this ridiculous nonsense. I won't resort to destructive abuse, but I will say that some of you are sealing your own fate. You're like rabid dogs, fit for nothing but transmitting the disease. You're near the end, and you don't know it. Some of you will be gone very soon. I look with pity upon those who presumed falsely.  And why do you want to harm me? I have done nothing wrong or worthy of revenge. You need help! I'm going to get it for you.

Awsome14,

  If you would let me make a suggestion. The EEVblog is one of the largest electronic engineering forums on the internet with a huge international audience of electronics and science professionals, hobbyists and beginners. With that said, you may want to leave the religious references out of this conversation and stick to the science. Instead of trying to defend your claims with visions from God or threats of wrath from God, spend the time to put together some data which can support your claims. I have seen many people including myself blasted by certain individuals here, but much like Youtube that is unavoidable and you can learn from it rather than fight it. Every product has room for improvement, even the most polished product can be picked at to find improvements. Take the good advice from here and use it to your advantage, look at how other companies qualify their measurement products and emulate that.

It's pretty simple, just qualify your product with some hard data to back it up! This will not only help you in sales but can boost your reputation in the process. If you are not sure how to do this effectively then ask. There are plenty with the knowledge to point you in the right direction. Also, look at ways to improve your design, take suggestions and criticism as a blessing that can be used as information to make these improvements. I have seen a lot of good healthy skepticism on this thread that can be very useful in fine-tuning your product.

Just my two cents!  ;D

This is what I claim: +-2ppm, 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use; temperature range: 16-26C; temperature drift: 0.15ppm/C. If people refuse to believe it, I can't make them believe. But I have data from 2 different sources that prove my claims are reasonable. I really don't know what else I can do. I'm always going to gather more data, but I think it's unreasonable to ask me to supply data to support claims I DON'T make.

No one is asking you to supply data on claims you don't make. We're asking you to supply on the claims you *do* make. Like you just made in the post I'm reply to!

Show us the data that lead you to those results. That's not at all unreasonable.

As for this thread, it will be off putting to potential buyers once they see how you act. It destroys any credibility you may have had.

Praying to God to have someone killed (or something terrible happening to them) just because they ask you to back your claims up with facts is not only very un-Christian like, it's just plain un-moral and the sign of a sociopath (self-centered world view, desire to hurt those that question/contradict them).

Your threats don't scare me, so don't even bother going down that road. I'm an agnostic-atheist.

What would scare me is if you had actual facts to back up your claims.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 10, 2015, 05:16:49 pm
I apologize if this is inappropriate or repetitive, but I was searching for a design using the REF102 with PCB and found this.   All credit to the designer and/or website author.  I have nothing to do with any of it, other than to be impressed at how nice this board looks.  As they say in the US military, this is was right looks like.  (well, in my opinion.)

http://www.phys.ethz.ch/~pmaerki/voltage_regulator_2013_0.02/20140120a_voltage_regulator_2013_0.02_description.pdf (http://www.phys.ethz.ch/~pmaerki/voltage_regulator_2013_0.02/20140120a_voltage_regulator_2013_0.02_description.pdf)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 10, 2015, 06:49:22 pm
Yeah that board looks nice.  Something like that is what I expect from a reference for sale.

To be clear, this is not a 10V reference, nor is it trimmed. It is however, well built.

He's using the REF102 untrimmed, and some OPA2141's for gaining the 10V output to +/-14 Volts

The OPA2141 has max Vos=3mV. This is used on the +14V output, and there is another one that simply inverts that for the -14V, which adds another 3mV offset.  From the datasheet, OPA2141's are 0.14ppm/C @ 14V output, that's not bad.

The REF102 is 0.1%, which is 10mV. The first OPA2141 is gaining up the Ref voltage and the Ref error and the opamp Vos of 3 mv by 1.39. That's 1 + 0.39 because it's a non-inverting op-amp. The 0.39 part is due to the divider resistors, and if using 0.1% divider resistors on the opamp, then the gain error could be ((4k7*1.01)/12k) - (4k7/12k) = 0.39%.  So the 0.39 part of the gain equation could be off by .39%. 

So the max gain will be 1 + (0.39 * 1.0039) =1.392
 (10 + 10mv + 3mv ) x 1.392 = 10.013 mV * 1.392 = 13.94V.

Op-amp input bias is in the pA range, so let's ignore it.

Finally, for the -14V output, add the 3 mV Vos of the second OPA2141 in inverting unity gain, for a maximum output of -13.97V. 

final error is |(13.97 - 14)| / 14 = 0.21%

So there you have a +/- 14V DC reference, which you can only say is 0.21% absolute accuracy. Let's be conservative and say 0.25%

It's still not bad though, for a +/-14V reference. Too bad the way they designed it, the +14V does not track the -14V exactly.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 10, 2015, 07:02:50 pm
Thanks for the analysis.  I meant that the implementation was very impressive, not that the device itself is functionally equivalent to any other device.    I should have been more clear.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 10, 2015, 07:56:55 pm
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.
Title: Re: re: voltage reference
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 09:14:14 pm

I make no claims regarding long-term drift of the D-105 DC, except 2.5ppm/1,000 hours of use. If you don't like it, I apologize, but that's just the way it is. I am not required to supply proof for claims I DON'T make! But that's only common sense; at least to me it is.


" Long-term  drift is <1.5ppm/1,000 hours of use, and decreases with age."

quoted DIRECTLY from your eBAY ad.....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/drift.jpg)
OK, I forgot to update that listing with the new figures. I implore God's Mercy upon me: that you be smote, because you have no respect for others. I pray that God Almighty get you out of my way, today! You earned it.


Just in case anyone missed it......

also just in case anyone missed his "math"......of the statement of "2.5ppm/1000 hours"......or the statement of "I don't know what the long term drift is".....

by his own statements (which he clearly doesn't understand)....the long term drift is 21.9ppm / year......

That is actually WORSE than Ti's own findings......so, since there is NO data to show what HIS device does over time, and he makes the wholesale statement of "2.5ppm/1000 hours".....then we have to assume it's 21.9ppm / year......and that is simply awful   

let's ignore the facts that he can't even follow Ti's recommendations for calculating actual drift over time.....(trust me it's really NOT 21.9 ppm / year).....but by Awesome14's "logic" and lack of testing....that's what he is claiming..... :palm: :bullshit:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 10, 2015, 09:19:35 pm
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.

This really looks like crap. And I was worried my reference was not good enough to sell.  :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 09:51:19 pm

Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.

File a claim with PayPal requesting a refund. One stack is a lot to wast on $10 worth of parts and bad soldering. (Unless you see $90 worth of magic in there!)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 10:12:49 pm
Honestly it doesn't matter what something "looks like".....

What matters is that it performs to stated specifications....

I wouldn't care at all if someone sold me a "ref" that met it's stated figures, but looked like a festering pile of dog turd.....

But it looks like with Awesome14's "product" we don't get either one......

I would focus less on the looks and more on the shoddy parts (aside from teh ref102c) and the total lack of data, and outright lies being told about the product.....

Hell I could even put up with the wacko talking to angles crap if it simply had stated specs and met those specs.....

what do you guys think of this circuit? 

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/williams-circuit.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 10, 2015, 10:24:36 pm
If it works, it works. However, in this case I have no confidence in Awesome14's abilities. I've seen some pictures of Jim Williams breadboard circuits; sometimes he just soldered components together wire to wire in a big ball, hanging in the air by BNC cables! He got amazing performance out of stuff like that, but they were prototypes and not meant as a saleable product.

In this case, it's not *just* the look of it. It's the fact Awesome14 hasn't provided any data along with the hobbyist construction and talking with God stuff. It would have me getting my money back. 


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 10, 2015, 10:25:02 pm
I had it hooked up to my 34461A and after turning it on, the voltage started at 9.9970 Volts and made its way up smoothly to 10V
But when I moved the unit slightly, the voltage was jumping all over.
May be some god inspired awesome solder spot came loose?
Who knows, I do not care anymore.

I filed a claim with ebay / paypal and may be I will be lucky and get the money back.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 10, 2015, 10:33:11 pm
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.

Quite embarrassing isn't it? It was a gamble, but I am not going to get too upset over 99 bucks because I knew I was taking a chance when I purchased it. So hey, I am trying to be optimistic and just move on to the next! I may be able to make chicken salad out of this chicken shit somehow!

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lowimpedance on February 10, 2015, 11:04:19 pm
But you won't be bothering me much longer, because I've asked the Owner of The Universe to clear you out of my way. 

Now that has to be the quote of the week  :-DD
Gotta use it at work  !.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 10, 2015, 11:07:32 pm
I remember seeing these on eBay long before this thread.....and I considered buying one to test, until I noticed zero data.....no pictures of internal construction....and then read the totally conflicting seller description.....I had a laugh over it, but am a bit surprised that others took the bait. 

I feel bad for you guys that had to invest you time and money into this thing.....but as you guys said, it's not like you blew some huge bankroll on it.....

what immediately threw up a red flag for me, upon first viewing his item was this statement in the description "Years ago I wanted something cheap and portable--even implantable--to calibrate hand-held DM meters. "

 :wtf:

also this gem

"Over a series of years the design has added filtering, noise cancellation, thermoelectric-effect suppression, high-granularity trimming, temperature compensation, dynamic settling, high-accuracy output, low drift, silicon aging, miniaturization, output jitter-damping, resistive balance, safety features, and excellent repeatability. I have a scientific background, so I just had to learn the analog application side. I aimed at the amateur market, because calibration labs were treating them poorly! Now they don't need them! "

claiming not to need a cal lab?  but isn't he a "cal lab"?  And if not then why would I want something that didn't rely on a cal lab?  That means it's performance is unknown..... :scared:

and the real nail in the coffin...."jitter-damping"...... :wtf:.....because we all know about the problem of output jitter in an analog REF

in case no one caught that....let's see it again "jitter-damping"......someone has been reading too many hi-fi magazines
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 10, 2015, 11:21:12 pm
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.

Quite embarrassing isn't it? It was a gamble, but I am not going to get too upset over 99 bucks because I knew I was taking a chance when I purchased it. So hey, I am trying to be optimistic and just move on to the next! I may be able to make chicken salad out of this chicken shit somehow!

Same here, I am not upset about the $$.
It is just sad, that such people exist.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 01:06:44 am
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.
Let's be fair. You took it apart and broke it! You had no practical reason to disassemble the unit. If you hadn't done that, it would still be working perfectly! The unit arrives sealed. There is no reason to open it. You can understand that.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 01:11:01 am
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.

Quite embarrassing isn't it? It was a gamble, but I am not going to get too upset over 99 bucks because I knew I was taking a chance when I purchased it. So hey, I am trying to be optimistic and just move on to the next! I may be able to make chicken salad out of this chicken shit somehow!

Same here, I am not upset about the $$.
It is just sad, that such people exist.
It's even more sad that people intentionally break stuff, blame the manufacturer, and then say it's sad that the manufacturer exists.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 01:16:28 am
Unfortunately, I was one of the first one to buy this crab, long before the first pictures emerged.
The unit arrived today.

Here is my little tear down and the pictures.
The soldering looks like it was done by a hobbyist that just started his new hobby and tested on a few spots.
Some stranded cables have some strands looking out and almost touch other connections.
It is horrible from any aspect of engineering.
It is even horrible from a hobbyist point of view.

I would never have bought it, after the first pictures got shown here.
But, well, I have it now.
I will hook it up to my 34461A, just to get some data and see the performance.

OMG, what did we get in to.

Quite embarrassing isn't it? It was a gamble, but I am not going to get too upset over 99 bucks because I knew I was taking a chance when I purchased it. So hey, I am trying to be optimistic and just move on to the next! I may be able to make chicken salad out of this chicken shit somehow!
I'm not the least bit embarrassed, because the performance is stellar if the user doesn't break the unit. Truth will win out in the end. What was Truth is Truth now, and it always will be Truth. There is One Truth! Everything else is w-r-o-n-g !
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 01:22:11 am
Will you just shut up already?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 11, 2015, 01:48:04 am
The construction didn't magically change when it was opened.  I hardly see how one can justify poor construction by blaming the person who discovered it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 11, 2015, 01:58:36 am
If the unit is damaged by taking the cover off, it's not a product. Period. End of story.

I have adjusted and repaired many thousands of boxes over decades. Not once did they ever get damaged when I pulled the cover off.

It is not only reasonable, but expected to be able to take apart for basic service and calibration.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 11, 2015, 02:39:00 am
The construction didn't magically change when it was opened.

This is clearly Schrodinger's Reference!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:11:04 am
The construction didn't magically change when it was opened.  I hardly see how one can justify poor construction by blaming the person who discovered it.
The construction of these units is superb. There is nothing left to chance. Causing a defect + simultaneous discovery of the defect = causing the defect. If the unit was defective before it was sent out, it wouldn't have been sent out. All units are thoroughly and exhaustively tested before shipment. It is possible one could still slip through, but when the defect is caused after the device leaves our custody, and the user disassembled the unit, the user is at fault.

Regardless of how many times you voice the same wrong thing, it will never be true. I don't know why, but the more I extend a voice of reason, the more some members of this board adopt a stance directly  opposed to reason. It simply is not rational to assume the fault lies with a conscientious manufacturer who has nothing to gain, when the user has posted photographs  to prove he opened the unit and thereby ruined it. For all I know his interconnects are bad too.

Many of you assume the worst about everything. You judge by appearances without regard to substance. You seem unable to speak fairly, always resorting to unfair play. Is there any reason why some of the members here act like their lives depend upon disparaging a perfectly good product simply because your prejudices cannot reconcile any viewpoint other than your own.

I am not to blame for anything here. I'm allowed to believe what I please and to share my beliefs in a public forum. Why keep attacking? You only mire yourselves in guilt for doing intentional harm to the innocent.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 03:17:38 am
The construction of these units is superb.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=135515;image)

Really, does anything more need to be said? This is high comedy.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 11, 2015, 03:27:30 am
like they say....A picture is worth a thousand perfboard holes.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:33:21 am
If the unit is damaged by taking the cover off, it's not a product. Period. End of story.

I have adjusted and repaired many thousands of boxes over decades. Not once did they ever get damaged when I pulled the cover off.

It is not only reasonable, but expected to be able to take apart for basic service and calibration.
Your wrong! There is no reason to ever disassemble the unit, even to calibrate it! No matter how many times you say the same wrong thing, it will never be true. I'm the manufacturer. I say the unit cannot be disassembled by the user. If the user does so, and the unit malfunctions, it's the user's fault  for disregarding the obvious seal on the product.

Believe it or not, most people do not buy a voltage standard and then take it apart! News Flash! Most people leave it together and use it for its intended purpose. But I never could have anticipated what I found on this board. If I would have known the horrible injustice that awaited me, I would have just bought real estate! But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to try to do something truly good, to add something to the world, to actually help the very community you meddlers occupy!

It may seem strange to some of you here, but I can easily  afford to take a bulldozer and plow my voltage-standard enterprise into a landfill. After meeting the problem children on this board, I'm thinking about it. I have met here the rudest and most unreasonable people I have ever met in my life. And that is saying a lot! Your tactics are those of abject wickedness! You have a corrupt agenda, and you follow it no matter what the cost.

I think it's sad that a few members on this board piss away your pathetic lives bent on destruction rather than production.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 03:38:39 am
Quote
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god dude shut up. You read like you're hyperventilating. Go breathe into a bag or take some pills or something.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 11, 2015, 03:39:07 am
If the unit is damaged by taking the cover off, it's not a product. Period. End of story.

I have adjusted and repaired many thousands of boxes over decades. Not once did they ever get damaged when I pulled the cover off.

It is not only reasonable, but expected to be able to take apart for basic service and calibration.
Your wrong! There is no reason to ever disassemble the unit, even to calibrate it! No matter how many times you say the same wrong thing, it will never be true. I'm the manufacturer. I say the unit cannot be disassembled by the user. If the user does so, and the unit malfunctions, it's the user's fault  for disregarding the obvious seal on the product.

Believe it or not, most people do not buy a voltage standard and then take it apart! News Flash! Most people leave it together and use it for its intended purpose. But I never could have anticipated what I found on this board. If I would have known the horrible injustice that awaited me, I would have just bought real estate! But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to try to do something truly good, to add something to the world, to actually help the very community you meddlers occupy!

It may seem strange to some of you here, but I can easily  afford to take a bulldozer and plow my voltage-standard enterprise into a landfill. After meeting the problem children on this board, I'm thinking about it. I have met here the rudest and most unreasonable people I have ever met in my life. And that is saying a lot! Your tactics are those of abject wickedness! You have a corrupt agenda, and you follow it no matter what the cost.

I think it's sad that a few members on this board piss away your pathetic lives bent on destruction rather than production.

You mad, bro?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 11, 2015, 03:42:24 am
You are now saying that your voltage reference is going to be accurate within 1.5ppm of 10 volts forever? It never needs calibration as the only way to calibrate is to open it and adjust the pots, but if there is never any reason? Ohhhh, I know, a little holy ghost gets born inside the tomb of your device and adjusts the pots then dies and goes back to heaven! This is to absolve all the sinning voltage references in the world, if only we would believe in your gift from your god.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:43:36 am
The construction of these units is superb.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=135515;image)

Really, does anything more need to be said? This is high comedy.
It works well. Try doing better than that on a proto board. You are attempting to do me intentional harm. Shame on you! Why are you doing that? I have done nothing wrong. I manufacture a superb product. If you are one to judge only by appearances, you can't see the truth! And if you're so concerned with doing me harm, I hold you captive, because you really can't harm me. The product performs superbly when used according to even the most basic common sense. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:46:54 am
Quote
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god dude shut up. You read like you're hyperventilating. Go breathe into a bag or take some pills or something.
No one is forcing you to read it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 03:47:48 am
No, I mean lest you embarrass yourself further... I'm finding this rather entertaining, actually...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:49:33 am
You are now saying that your voltage reference is going to be accurate within 1.5ppm of 10 volts forever? It never needs calibration as the only way to calibrate is to open it and adjust the pots, but if there is never any reason? Ohhhh, I know, a little holy ghost gets born inside the tomb of your device and adjusts the pots then dies and goes back to heaven! This is to absolve all the sinning voltage references in the world, if only we would believe in your gift from your god.
It has closed-chassis calibration controls. That means you don't need to open the chassis to calibrate the unit.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 11, 2015, 03:51:25 am
It is hermetically sealed but has access to the pots..... More woowoo............
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 11, 2015, 03:52:05 am
Just so it is said, the evil and wicked people here on the EEVBlog have been remarkably patient and giving of their time and knowledge for pretty much every one of the thousands and thousands of threads. There are some VERY smart individulas that have been kind enough to share unique and amazing knowledge that has allowed me to grow as a circuit designer far faster than if I was just reading books. Real world, practical ideas and solutions are being shared in a delightfully free community atmosphere. There are basic questions being answered. There are advanced questions being answered here. That is why I participate - so much knowledge to soak up from those that are much smarter than I am. Sometimes I may be able to offer something constructive. 

If you ask anyone on earth to review this little conversation, you may be surprised to find out that it will be hard for anyone to agree with you.

Let me know if you can find a single piece of electronics test equipment of any other professional piece of electronics that is instantly damaged by taking the cover off. It may be true of a consumer USB wall charger, but not lab gear. It's not repetition of words that makes these observations true - facts are facts are facts are facts.

Early on in this conversation, you had an opportunity to learn and step up your offering to a level that could be acceptable to the hobby community and maybe even professionals at some point. You blew that opportunity over and over.  Your device and responses to comments are something I have never seen in my entire life - and I work in the entertainment industry. Don't blame the people here for your issues. The group has been very soft and gentle considering what you have brought to the conversation.

Good luck with all your future endeavors. Luck may be your only chance......
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 03:53:48 am
No, I mean lest you embarrass yourself further... I'm finding this rather entertaining, actually...
I'm not the least bit embarrassed to speak the truth. The final testimony of those who hated truth will be their rotting corpses, dry bones, and finally, dust, while truth lives of forever. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away!   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 03:58:05 am
I'm not the least bit embarrassed to speak the truth.

That is embarrassing.

Quote
The final testimony of those who hated truth will be their rotting corpses, dry bones, and finally, dust, while truth lives of forever. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away!

That is comedy.

It works well. Try doing better than that on a proto board. You are attempting to do me intentional harm. Shame on you! Why are you doing that?

Posting a picture of your product is intentional harm?  :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 04:09:58 am
Just so it is said, the evil and wicked people here on the EEVBlog have been remarkably patient and giving of their time and knowledge for pretty much every one of the thousands and thousands of threads. There are some VERY smart individulas that have been kind enough to share unique and amazing knowledge that has allowed me to grow as a circuit designer far faster than if I was just reading books. Real world, practical ideas and solutions are being shared in a delightfully free community atmosphere. There are basic questions being answered. There are advanced questions being answered here. That is why I participate - so much knowledge to soak up from those that are much smarter than I am. Sometimes I may be able to offer something constructive. 

If you ask anyone on earth to review this little conversation, you may be surprised to find out that it will be hard for anyone to agree with you.

Let me know if you can find a single piece of electronics test equipment of any other professional piece of electronics that is instantly damaged by taking the cover off. It may be true of a consumer USB wall charger, but not lab gear. It's not repetition of words that makes these observations true - facts are facts are facts are facts.

Early on in this conversation, you had an opportunity to learn and step up your offering to a level that could be acceptable to the hobby community and maybe even professionals at some point. You blew that opportunity over and over.  Your device and responses to comments are something I have never seen in my entire life - and I work in the entertainment industry. Don't blame the people here for your issues. The group has been very soft and gentle considering what you have brought to the conversation.

Good luck with all your future endeavors. Luck may be your only chance......
My device performs better than anything else in its class. And I have had people remark in this thread that the treatment I have received is utterly reprehensible, without merit, recklessly irresponsible, for no excuse can be made! Go through this entire thread an show me one thing I said to deserve the miserable treatment I have received.

you will  find nothing. I applaud those few who have the sense to speak up for what's right. The wicked shall fall in the graves they dug for the innocent. I speak the truth! Are you faulting me for that? I have taken under advisement every suggestion I have received. I'd like to implement them all, but the chassis would be huge.  I understand that some of the members have some inborne prejudices about soldering. You don't have to keep criticising the soldering. I understand how you feel about it. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 11, 2015, 04:13:19 am
It has closed-chassis calibration controls. That means you don't need to open the chassis to calibrate the unit.

And how do you do that exactly?
Please be precise in your detailed explanation.
Also, please explain by what mechanism removing the rear case causes damage to the circuitry or calibration.
Once again, please be precise.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 11, 2015, 04:17:34 am
And how do you do that exactly?

Prayer
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 11, 2015, 04:20:50 am
And how do you do that exactly?
Prayer

My guess is Transistor Man:
(http://i.stack.imgur.com/FT8mP.png)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 11, 2015, 04:24:27 am
Just so it is said, the evil and wicked people here on the EEVBlog have been remarkably patient and giving of their time and knowledge for pretty much every one of the thousands and thousands of threads. There are some VERY smart individulas that have been kind enough to share unique and amazing knowledge that has allowed me to grow as a circuit designer far faster than if I was just reading books. Real world, practical ideas and solutions are being shared in a delightfully free community atmosphere. There are basic questions being answered. There are advanced questions being answered here. That is why I participate - so much knowledge to soak up from those that are much smarter than I am. Sometimes I may be able to offer something constructive. 

If you ask anyone on earth to review this little conversation, you may be surprised to find out that it will be hard for anyone to agree with you.

Let me know if you can find a single piece of electronics test equipment of any other professional piece of electronics that is instantly damaged by taking the cover off. It may be true of a consumer USB wall charger, but not lab gear. It's not repetition of words that makes these observations true - facts are facts are facts are facts.

Early on in this conversation, you had an opportunity to learn and step up your offering to a level that could be acceptable to the hobby community and maybe even professionals at some point. You blew that opportunity over and over.  Your device and responses to comments are something I have never seen in my entire life - and I work in the entertainment industry. Don't blame the people here for your issues. The group has been very soft and gentle considering what you have brought to the conversation.

Good luck with all your future endeavors. Luck may be your only chance......
I did not ask for help. I found this miserable thread already started, disparaging me and my product, based purely on conjecture. I tried to make the truth known, but the community wasn't interested. I think it might be the fact that I didn't require outside help for development that turned people here against me. I only heard of this board a short time ago. I  myself am an astounding electronics guy.

I've never required technical assistance from anyone. That may seem difficult to believe, and I tried to explain how I do it, but I was berated for about six pages for even mentioning it. Thanks for all the help. I came to resolve an issue regarding a product. I'm leaving with more than what I came with. I'll never forget this board and the members I met here.   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on February 11, 2015, 04:31:59 am
And how do you do that exactly?
Prayer

My guess is Transistor Man:
(http://i.stack.imgur.com/FT8mP.png)

Sorry Dave, that won't work. That guy has modern clothes, doesn't have a beard and long hair, and where is the cross?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 11, 2015, 06:32:16 am
Transistor man escaped from my unit, now it's out of cal :(

He was working hard in there until I let him out.  That little bugger is running amok in my apartment now.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 06:58:54 am
Your wrong! There is no reason to ever disassemble the unit, even to calibrate it!

once again taken directly from your ebay listing....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/cal.jpg)
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 11, 2015, 07:20:47 am
Just so it is said, the evil and wicked people here on the EEVBlog have been remarkably patient and giving of their time and knowledge for pretty much every one of the thousands and thousands of threads. There are some VERY smart individulas that have been kind enough to share unique and amazing knowledge that has allowed me to grow as a circuit designer far faster than if I was just reading books. Real world, practical ideas and solutions are being shared in a delightfully free community atmosphere. There are basic questions being answered. There are advanced questions being answered here. That is why I participate - so much knowledge to soak up from those that are much smarter than I am. Sometimes I may be able to offer something constructive. 

If you ask anyone on earth to review this little conversation, you may be surprised to find out that it will be hard for anyone to agree with you.

Let me know if you can find a single piece of electronics test equipment of any other professional piece of electronics that is instantly damaged by taking the cover off. It may be true of a consumer USB wall charger, but not lab gear. It's not repetition of words that makes these observations true - facts are facts are facts are facts.

Early on in this conversation, you had an opportunity to learn and step up your offering to a level that could be acceptable to the hobby community and maybe even professionals at some point. You blew that opportunity over and over.  Your device and responses to comments are something I have never seen in my entire life - and I work in the entertainment industry. Don't blame the people here for your issues. The group has been very soft and gentle considering what you have brought to the conversation.

Good luck with all your future endeavors. Luck may be your only chance......
I did not ask for help. I found this miserable thread already started, disparaging me and my product, based purely on conjecture. I tried to make the truth known, but the community wasn't interested. I think it might be the fact that I didn't require outside help for development that turned people here against me. I only heard of this board a short time ago. I  myself am an astounding electronics guy.

I've never required technical assistance from anyone. That may seem difficult to believe, and I tried to explain how I do it, but I was berated for about six pages for even mentioning it. Thanks for all the help. I came to resolve an issue regarding a product. I'm leaving with more than what I came with. I'll never forget this board and the members I met here.

Actually, the thread was hopefully until someone posted an image of the insides. We commented on how unprofessional it was, but still held hope. Then you showed up and we lost complete faith.

It's funny, you can't seem to give answers to *any* technical questions or provide any data on your specs. Yet you accuse us of being mean. Go through the thread and count the times you've been asked a relevant, basic question, yet instead of answering simply damned our souls to hell.

The big one is that, when asked to explain (in detail) how you calibrate a sealed box, you spout some more Holy Roller nonsense and claim to be leaving and never coming back. That's called running like a scared dog with his tail between his legs.

I really hope you do abandon selling these references. Your absolutely terrible at electronics. You're terrible at communicating like a human being. You're terrible at taking any form of criticism. You're just plain bad at life. In fact, it seems the only thing you're really good at is being a source of comedy.

By the way, 24 hours and I wasn't humbled. I guess my +3 Elven Cloak of Spell Protection actually works! (Or I rolled a d20 on my Will Save.) You might think about grinding a few levels or something.

I mean, a level 3 Priest vs a Level 69 Necromancer, you didn't really stand a chance; you don't even have access to Turn Evil yet!


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 07:39:31 am

I've never required technical assistance from anyone. That may seem difficult to believe......

Yes, in fact it is impossible.....how did you learn English?  How did you learn to use a computer?  How to tie your shoes?  How to wipe your own ass?  How to eat without choking....etc etc etc

And the BIG ONE....how did you learn all about your god?  Divine intervention I suppose.....

In fact in your very own eBay listing you say this ......

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/learn.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 07:43:29 am

 I  myself am an astounding electronics guy.


Yep....astoundingly bad....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 08:04:35 am
The construction of these units is superb. It works well. Try doing better than that on a proto board.

I bet $100 that mini actually works, and is much better!

(http://i62.tinypic.com/301pocw.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 11, 2015, 08:28:25 am
This thread will become known as...... "The Bottom of the Internet"
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 11, 2015, 10:04:22 am
The unit arrives sealed. There is no reason to open it. You can understand that.

Well, the bottom has two screws to hold the case together
Here you placed a simple clear tape over the full area, you could almost call it sealed
On the top, there are two holes for the Pot adjustments and they are covered with a little red and green sticker
Definitely not sealed!
The two clamp shells are bend and are definitely not sealed.
No quality lab gear should break, if it is opened up.

You had so many opportunities, to listen to the good people here on eevblog and improve your prototype
to make it a real product. But instead you are claiming that something is wrong with us. This is really unbelievable!

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 10:16:00 am
But instead you are claiming that something is wrong with us. This is really unbelievable!

Hear,  hear
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 11, 2015, 10:45:58 am
I bet $100 that mini actually works, and is much better!

JonnyBerg,
Your standard looks really good.
How much are you selling them for?

Care to trade?
I have an awesome voltage standard with great claims, that is even inspired by the almighty God.
I just don't have any needs for it anymore. You might need it for comparison to your own design?
LOL


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 11:18:26 am
Your standard looks really good.

Thanks

Quote
How much are you selling them for?

Well, selling is perhaps a big word. I made one for myself, and have gotten 11 boards. I made 7 boards compete, of witch I have sold 3 for € 14,50 + postage. That boils down to the price of the components + the boards.
I also can offer the boards, without components for €3,00 + postage. The REF5025 is pin compatible with the LT1021. Could be a nice experiment.
 

Quote
Care to trade?
I have an awesome voltage standard with great claims, that is even inspired by the almighty God.

Hmm .. does not sound to a good deal to me. On the other hand, I only claim te be as accurate as TI in the datasheet, although I think that the actual accuracy is much higher.

What chip is on the almighty reference?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturation on February 11, 2015, 12:30:15 pm
Thanks folks, this has been very helpful.  In my experience too, the original SVR, not temp controlled, is very sensitive to temperature given what its rated at in ppm and what can be experienced in an uncontrolled lab: temperature, and possibly humidity change.  Putting the old Geller in a plastic box improved its stability for me against diurnal variations; something so simple could explain the performance of the D-105 as shown in your regression line.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=135214;image)

Aside, much other discussion on this thread has unfortunately, developed quite a bit of noise  :o, it could use a large ground plane and shielding  ;). 

Richiem, I took the liberty of plotting your data. See attachment. Jan

I mentioned on the LTZ1000 thread that I was interested to see what Awesome14's D-105 could do so I was buying one. It came yesterday. In the interest of more light and less heat, here is what I've found so far. The results are not metrology lab measurements -- they are a guide only, but I've provided enough info to make the results useful. One note -- I have thought for a while that my HP 3458A is reading 10VDC about 6ppm high, although it is in spec....

Calibratory D-105 10V standard evaluation, started on 2-7-15
Instruments used in evaluation:
— HP 3458A, calibration checked on 7 Aug. 2014, by Keysight in Loveleand — no adjustments made, found to be completely in spec; this is the standard model — 8ppm ref board. Used to monitor 10V standard outputs. 3458A powered on for last 6 days; internal temp 36.5 °C. ACAL 1 (DC) run at 4:30PM. NPLC=60, NDIG=8
— HP 3456A, cal’d against HP 3458A. Used for monitoring ambient temps with Pt100 RTD.
— Heath 2718 Linear Triple Bench Supply — each 20V supply powering one standard..
— Geller SVR (not the temp comp unit), purchased in 2007, used for approximately 12 hours total since then up to this time. On for the last 8 hours (included in total of 12), since 8AM with 15VDC power. Geller’s 2007 certificate says 10.000 00V, Tolerance 5ppm/°C, 15ppm/1k hrs. Cal’d at 23°C ambient.

D-105 unboxed in lab at 4PM. Connected to bench supply at 14.5VDC, initial ambient temp at case 23.0 °C.  Ambient measured immediately adjacent to and in between the two standards, all sitting on top of an HP 8904A that was powered off — makes a handy stand with some thermal mass.. D-105 output started a few hundred microvolts below 10V, quickly rose to 10.000 05VDC. Calibratory’s certificate says 10.000 0014V, cal’d at 20°C ambient.

Both the Geller SVR and the D-105 outputs are connected with 24ga. solid copper insulated wires (old-school telephone extension wire) to gold flashed dual banana plugs to ease connections to the 3458A. The wires are soldered to the Geller SVR and clamped in the gold-flashed bindind posts of the D-105.

Elapsed time     Ambient   Geller SVR     D-105
for D-105      °C
0.6 hr               23.5           10.000 060     10.000 058
3.4 hr      22.9            10.000 071     10.000 068
5.3 hr      23.6            10.000 060     10.000 066
6.4 hr      23.8            10.000 053     10.000 068
Overnight break in measurements with lab cool-down to thermostat set 66°F, reheat in AM to 71°F; standards left powered on.
20.1 hr           22.4      10.000 092     10.000 078
22.5 hr           22.5      10.000 088     10.000 078
Moved to warmer location on top of HP 3456A, standards and RTD grouped as before.
22.8 hr           28.9      10.000 017     10.000 047
23 hr              29.3          10.000 002     10.000 042
24 hr              29.5        9.999 997     10.000 043
Standards powered down. Will begin from room ambient start in 18 hours or so.

At this point, a simple "box" of drift v. temp shows that average drift for the D-105 is approximately 0.5ppm/°C; the Geller SVR average drift is approximately 1.4ppm/°C (pretty good).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 11, 2015, 03:50:06 pm
Well, selling is perhaps a big word. I made one for myself, and have gotten 11 boards. I made 7 boards compete, of witch I have sold 3 for € 14,50 + postage. That boils down to the price of the components + the boards.
I also can offer the boards, without components for €3,00 + postage. The REF5025 is pin compatible with the LT1021. Could be a nice experiment.

I would like to get one of your boards completely assembled.
How much would you charge for shipping to Germany?
Thanks
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 04:01:37 pm
@HighVoltage: send you a personal message with all details. Woeh .. in German  8)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 09:08:37 pm
no offense to the gentleman who makes the alternate ref mentioned here.....but why do people keep buying these things w/o seeing ANY specs or data.....

Generally surface mount REF IC's aren't as stable as their through hole counterparts.....

http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ref5025.pdf (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ref5025.pdf)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/5025.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 09:36:29 pm
no offense to the gentleman who makes the alternate ref mentioned here.....but why do people keep buying these things w/o seeing ANY specs or data.....

You are absolutely right. I did not give any spec's, but referred to the datasheet. And I did not make any promises, just relaying the datasheet. 

My intension has never bin to sell this reference. I made one for myself, and sold the leftovers. Min order was 10 PBC's.
No offense taken.

Quote

Generally surface mount REF IC's aren't as stable as their through hole counterparts.....

True again.
I aged all my references, and the datasheet shows clearly that the difference after 1000 hours is only 5 ppm/1000 hours.

I am thinking of making a second version, and perhaps I use a dip. I even consider putting the ref on a "island", to minimize the mechanical stress on the device.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 11, 2015, 09:50:56 pm
no offense to the gentleman who makes the alternate ref mentioned here.....but why do people keep buying these things w/o seeing ANY specs or data.....

Generally surface mount REF IC's aren't as stable as their through hole counterparts.....
Is that just due to mechanical stress (where does that come from?) or are other factors at play?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 11, 2015, 09:56:39 pm
no offense to the gentleman who makes the alternate ref mentioned here.....but why do people keep buying these things w/o seeing ANY specs or data.....

Generally surface mount REF IC's aren't as stable as their through hole counterparts.....
Is that just due to mechanical stress (where does that come from?) or are other factors at play?

I think that soldering plays an important role. When soldering a dip device, package and die get not as hot as with reflow. The plastic of the casing and the metal of the chip have different temp. coef. After aging that stress settles, and the dip and smd version come to a same level of drift.

I have reflowed my pcb's with the exception of the reference. That is quick soldered with hot air, to minimize stress.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 10:41:29 pm
@JohnnyBerg

I am most def. NOT trying to admonish you or your REF.  I can't fault it's design.  My comment was meat more towards HiGhVoltage.  He seems to be ordering every ref he finds, w/o really getting the facts.  So he is going to be disappointed, or at the lest not really have a basis for testing it when it arrives.  That most certainly isn't the manufacturers fault. 

@nctnico

Typically the surface mount REF IC suffer more from thermal gradient issues....also the big one is thermocouple effects......you can limit this somewhat by routing the PCB around the IC itself.....the main drift is coming from issues of surface area vs. PCB thermal gradient interactions....at least that is how I understand those issues.....a DIP or TO package has more "buffer" space? 

an interesting discussion.....I will link some articles later when I get home.....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 11, 2015, 10:55:56 pm
@JohnnyBerg
I am most def. NOT trying to admonish you or your REF.  I can't fault it's design.  My comment was meat more towards HiGhVoltage.  He seems to be ordering every ref he finds, w/o really getting the facts.  So he is going to be disappointed, or at the lest not really have a basis for testing it when it arrives.  That most certainly isn't the manufacturers fault. 

Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference and if I do not have to design it myself, I will save some time that I can use for other parts of the project. In this case I will test the reference myself and see if it will fulfill my requirements. It is low cost enough, that I do not worry, if it does not work perfectly.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 11, 2015, 11:00:12 pm
I did not ask for help. I found this miserable thread already started, disparaging me and my product, based purely on conjecture. I tried to make the truth known, but the community wasn't interested.
*snip*
I've never required technical assistance from anyone. That may seem difficult to believe, and I tried to explain how I do it, but I was berated for about six pages for even mentioning it. Thanks for all the help. I came to resolve an issue regarding a product. I'm leaving with more than what I came with. I'll never forget this board and the members I met here.

Your inability to answer technical questions, or even the most basic questions about things you claimed is very well noted by all.
Thanks for playing. Bye.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 11, 2015, 11:49:21 pm
@JohnnyBerg
I am most def. NOT trying to admonish you or your REF.  I can't fault it's design.  My comment was meat more towards HiGhVoltage.  He seems to be ordering every ref he finds, w/o really getting the facts.  So he is going to be disappointed, or at the lest not really have a basis for testing it when it arrives.  That most certainly isn't the manufacturers fault. 

Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference and if I do not have to design it myself, I will save some time that I can use for other parts of the project. In this case I will test the reference myself and see if it will fulfill my requirements. It is low cost enough, that I do not worry, if it does not work perfectly.


The problem is that it's virtually impossible to know if it's "working properly", without a baseline or point of reference to benchmark against.....one option is to grab a known "certified" transfer standard, and then cal 2 meters against it.....then it's easy to make less subjective determinations about random ebay or UN-doccumented "standards".....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 12, 2015, 03:32:29 am
I am thinking of making a second version, and perhaps I use a dip. I even consider putting the ref on a "island", to minimize the mechanical stress on the device.

The other big consideration is what happens to the REF IC during soldering.....it's a trade off between shocking the "chip" and sticking it in a socket.....the socket is going to suffer its own thermo-electric effects.....and "overheating" the IC is going to cause it's own problems.....kind of a catch 22 situation I suppose.....I have a feeling TO packages, spaced up off the PCB will yield a better result....could be wrong about that though.....however it's easy to clamp "heatsinks" to the legs of the TO when soldering each one....that is a potential solution.....it's how I have done it in the past, but i have no real data to prove that makes any substantial difference.....it's just one of those "seems logical" things....but I suppose we all know that ain't worth squat at the end of the day  ;)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 12, 2015, 04:00:12 am
When soldering the REF50xx chips, I put the boards on a pre-heater and slowly bring them up to 150c over the course of 30-45 minutes, then I apply a small heatsink to the chip itself and quickly drag solder each side at 265c with eutectic solder. Afterwards I ramp the pre-heater down to 85c over 15 minutes, then 50c over 15 minutes. Then I turn the heater off and leave the boards in place, so they're still receiving heat while the heater cools. I give it an hour or two to come back to ambient.

Overkill? Maybe. But I've got 8 of them going in a 25c chamber for the last 6 months gathering data, so I wanted to give them the best shot I could.

Next I want to put 10 REF5010's in series and make a 100 volt reference to classify.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 12, 2015, 05:15:05 am
When soldering the REF50xx chips, I put the boards on a pre-heater and slowly bring them up to 150c over the course of 30-45 minutes, then I apply a small heatsink to the chip itself and quickly drag solder each side at 265c with eutectic solder. Afterwards I ramp the pre-heater down to 85c over 15 minutes, then 50c over 15 minutes. Then I turn the heater off and leave the boards in place, so they're still receiving heat while the heater cools. I give it an hour or two to come back to ambient.

Overkill? Maybe. But I've got 8 of them going in a 25c chamber for the last 6 months gathering data, so I wanted to give them the best shot I could.

Next I want to put 10 REF5010's in series and make a 100 volt reference to classify.


Sent from my Smartphone

I played with some quad eutectic solder on a few boards a while back.....I didn't notice any significant improvement in the quality of the joints or heat vs time issues.....also played with some N2, using lead free....that most def yielded superior results....in terms of temps and times.....nice shiny joints....it's entirely possible I don't have the equipment or patience to track down the "ultimate result"....generally I found that a proper tip and nice multicore silver solder yielded very acceptable results....without the hassle etc....I know there are compendiums of information on these subjects, and i have read quite a bit, but never had a huge problem with the more traditional (hassle free) methods.....a simple heatsink on the IC or lead = totally acceptable results....and with a simple thermocouple fixed to the IC case or legs I was able to get at least ballpark temps going into the IC.....

I do believe there is a lot of validity to the socket vs shock concept though.....pick your poison.....I did notice VERY little negative impact from premium quality sockets though....however "bargain bin" sockets did change things for the worse in virtually every test I could conceive....

I played with all kinds of systems for suspending REF IC's above PCB's and even the opposite....dead bug thermally bonded to a common thermal layer.....in the end the results were mixed, and no appreciable differences were made in drift, over the sDEV of the components themselves....it's kind of like chasing 0.5ppm when the difference from IC to IC can be orders of magnitude higher.....

I did notice that aging and binning "premium chips" yielded substantially improved results though.....however that is shockingly expensive (on all resource fronts)....

The easiest solution to all of these "problems", for me, has simply been proper temp control in the system....best solution we came up with was a simple aluminum enclosure....with a TeC and TeC controller....bond the TeC to common thermal layers....ceramic coat the enclosure (external) and line the inside with some foil (we saw no impact between gold foil and the cheap stuff).....also simple heaters made from resistance wire, sandwiched between glass slides....yielded very nice results....less control and monitoring, but no issue about isolation the "cold" side of the TeC....which is a hell of a bear to implement....

routing around the REF IC on the PCB was another appreciable benefit (when the REF IC has an internal heater).  Obviously the issues of supporting components comes up as well.....we found that "ovenizing" the entire package offered the best price to performance benefits.....the more esoteric stuff just seemed like time/money pissed away (lots of fun though)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 12, 2015, 12:11:14 pm
@JohnnyBerg
I am most def. NOT trying to admonish you or your REF.  I can't fault it's design.  My comment was meat more towards HiGhVoltage.  He seems to be ordering every ref he finds, w/o really getting the facts.  So he is going to be disappointed, or at the lest not really have a basis for testing it when it arrives.  That most certainly isn't the manufacturers fault. 

Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference and if I do not have to design it myself, I will save some time that I can use for other parts of the project. In this case I will test the reference myself and see if it will fulfill my requirements. It is low cost enough, that I do not worry, if it does not work perfectly.


The problem is that it's virtually impossible to know if it's "working properly", without a baseline or point of reference to benchmark against.....one option is to grab a known "certified" transfer standard, and then cal 2 meters against it.....then it's easy to make less subjective determinations about random ebay or UN-doccumented "standards".....
I have a friend here in Germany not far from me, who has a full professional calibration lab.
I use his equipment to verify my SVR-T voltage standard.


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 12, 2015, 12:59:46 pm
@JohnnyBerg
I am most def. NOT trying to admonish you or your REF.  I can't fault it's design.  My comment was meat more towards HiGhVoltage.  He seems to be ordering every ref he finds, w/o really getting the facts.  So he is going to be disappointed, or at the lest not really have a basis for testing it when it arrives.  That most certainly isn't the manufacturers fault. 

Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference and if I do not have to design it myself, I will save some time that I can use for other parts of the project. In this case I will test the reference myself and see if it will fulfill my requirements. It is low cost enough, that I do not worry, if it does not work perfectly.


The problem is that it's virtually impossible to know if it's "working properly", without a baseline or point of reference to benchmark against.....one option is to grab a known "certified" transfer standard, and then cal 2 meters against it.....then it's easy to make less subjective determinations about random ebay or UN-doccumented "standards".....
I have a friend here in Germany not far from me, who has a full professional calibration lab.
I use his equipment to verify my SVR-T voltage standard.

huh?  Just above you said "Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference "

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 12, 2015, 01:06:56 pm
Most likely to implement on the client's board. Either that or he wants a stable reference in his lab so he doesn't have to drag his work over to the cal lab and tie it up each time he needs to measure something.


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 12, 2015, 02:02:09 pm
huh?  Just above you said "Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference "

Yes, this is the case.
May be it is not the most perfect solution, but so far it has worked for me.
In order to verify and confirm the voltage reference at my clients facility, I do the following:

1. Take my Geller Labs SVR-T (battery powered) to the professional calibration lab and get it verified.
2. Also take my Agilent 34410A to the same professional lab and get it calibrated.
3. Take both to the clients facility and get the 34410A warmed up.
4. Check the transfer of the SVR-T to be accurate to the 34410A
5. Verify the clients voltage reference with the 34410A.
6. If verified, give the client a paper of conformity based on these steps

Repeat this procedure every 6 month.
So far, my client has accepted this procedure and has also fulfilled his obligations to his customers.

 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 12, 2015, 08:51:20 pm
huh?  Just above you said "Well, I am working on several projects for a client and I will need a good and stable reference "

Yes, this is the case.
May be it is not the most perfect solution, but so far it has worked for me.
In order to verify and confirm the voltage reference at my clients facility, I do the following:

1. Take my Geller Labs SVR-T (battery powered) to the professional calibration lab and get it verified.
2. Also take my Agilent 34410A to the same professional lab and get it calibrated.
3. Take both to the clients facility and get the 34410A warmed up.
4. Check the transfer of the SVR-T to be accurate to the 34410A
5. Verify the clients voltage reference with the 34410A.
6. If verified, give the client a paper of conformity based on these steps

Repeat this procedure every 6 month.
So far, my client has accepted this procedure and has also fulfilled his obligations to his customers.

ah.....grab a Fluke 734A, and load it with two 732B.  You will save yourself so much time and grief.....it's designed to do exactly what you need to do....by the time you try ever "cheap" "standard" on the market, you could have bought the Fluke.  The cheaper boxes will nickel and dime you to death, and you won't get what you are looking for in the end....

If what you have already gets the job done, I can't see the benefit in flushing money and time down the toilet, on things that simply won't meet or exceed the tools you already have....

If you really do need another "cheap" "standard"....check out www.voltagestandard.com (http://www.voltagestandard.com) .....documentation is provided on specs, and there are lots of units out there proving their "worth"....

As the old automotive saying goes.....fast cheap reliable.....pick two  :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 13, 2015, 10:09:58 am
It has closed-chassis calibration controls. That means you don't need to open the chassis to calibrate the unit.

And how do you do that exactly?
Please be precise in your detailed explanation.
Also, please explain by what mechanism removing the rear case causes damage to the circuitry or calibration.
Once again, please be precise.

Dave not sure why you need this detail.  He is correct, you do not need to open it to calibrate it.
Calibration means comparison between measurements.
Clearly you can calibrate it without opening it  :-//


When there is a discussion about calibration with a non-technical person, it helps for simplicity sake to use phrase "Calibration-Verification" and "Calibration-adjustment" to differentiate.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 13, 2015, 10:41:08 am
When soldering the REF50xx chips, I put the .............

SNIP

Ref50xx is a bandgap device, what the point  :-//
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 13, 2015, 11:27:02 am

When soldering the REF50xx chips, I put the .............

SNIP

Ref50xx is a bandgap device, what the point  :-//

Heat still affects it? Just like all encapsulated silicon devices. The thermal shock creates rapid expansion and contraction leading to micro-fissures in the die. They start at the edges and spread inward. It can affect anything from the initial accuracy to long term drift.

Exactly the same as on a Zener based device. Why would you think it wouldn't?

(Incidentally, these cracks tend to appear when a wafer is diced. Laser "trimming" of resistors etc. before encapsulation can worsen them.)


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 13, 2015, 11:30:25 am

It has closed-chassis calibration controls. That means you don't need to open the chassis to calibrate the unit.

And how do you do that exactly?
Please be precise in your detailed explanation.
Also, please explain by what mechanism removing the rear case causes damage to the circuitry or calibration.
Once again, please be precise.

Dave not sure why you need this detail.  He is correct, you do not need to open it to calibrate it.
Calibration means comparison between measurements.
Clearly you can calibrate it without opening it  :-//


When there is a discussion about calibration with a non-technical person, it helps for simplicity sake to use phrase "Calibration-Verification" and "Calibration-adjustment" to differentiate.

In the case of modern test equipment it's almost always the latter. Stop being pedantic, nobody likes that guy; don't be that guy.


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 13, 2015, 01:50:46 pm

When soldering the REF50xx chips, I put the .............

SNIP

Ref50xx is a bandgap device, what the point  :-//

Heat still affects it? Just like all encapsulated silicon devices. The thermal shock creates rapid expansion and contraction leading to micro-fissures in the die. They start at the edges and spread inward. It can affect anything from the initial accuracy to long term drift.

Exactly the same as on a Zener based device. Why would you think it wouldn't?

(Incidentally, these cracks tend to appear when a wafer is diced. Laser "trimming" of resistors etc. before encapsulation can worsen them.)


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Bandgap devices are noisy, they don't really deserve the extra time. They are not suitable for this kind of 'working standard' reference work.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 13, 2015, 01:57:22 pm

It has closed-chassis calibration controls. That means you don't need to open the chassis to calibrate the unit.

And how do you do that exactly?
Please be precise in your detailed explanation.
Also, please explain by what mechanism removing the rear case causes damage to the circuitry or calibration.
Once again, please be precise.

Dave not sure why you need this detail.  He is correct, you do not need to open it to calibrate it.
Calibration means comparison between measurements.
Clearly you can calibrate it without opening it  :-//


When there is a discussion about calibration with a non-technical person, it helps for simplicity sake to use phrase "Calibration-Verification" and "Calibration-adjustment" to differentiate.

In the case of modern test equipment it's almost always the latter. Stop being pedantic, nobody likes that guy; don't be that guy.


No, it's the case FOR ALL test and measurement equipment, new or old, modern or antique. If I sent my instruments for 'calibration' and they adjusted it without clear instruction to do so, I would be pissed off.

It's not about being pedantic, it is explaining to people who do not understand basic metrology principles and terminology.

Any lab worth it's salt would say something like: "Do you want adjustment as well as verification? We would charge more for adjustment but we can do before and after calibration certificates."
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: helius on February 14, 2015, 12:31:26 am
The phrase "closed-case calibration" is similarly nonambiguous. It always means, electronically adjustable by a diagnostic port. This is a standard usage throughout the industry.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 14, 2015, 12:37:25 am
I think the seller means by "closed-case calibration", is esentially, I whacked a couple of 10-turn pots inside and stuck them through the case!  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: splin on February 14, 2015, 12:48:05 am
no offense to the gentleman who makes the alternate ref mentioned here.....but why do people keep buying these things w/o seeing ANY specs or data.....

You are absolutely right. I did not give any spec's, but referred to the datasheet. And I did not make any promises, just relaying the datasheet. 

My intension has never bin to sell this reference. I made one for myself, and sold the leftovers. Min order was 10 PBC's.
No offense taken.

Quote

Generally surface mount REF IC's aren't as stable as their through hole counterparts.....

True again.
I aged all my references, and the datasheet shows clearly that the difference after 1000 hours is only 5 ppm/1000 hours.

I am thinking of making a second version, and perhaps I use a dip. I even consider putting the ref on a "island", to minimize the mechanical stress on the device.

No! It's 45 or 50ppm/1k hrs after the first 1k hrs (depending on package), not 5ppm! Did you actually bother to read TunerSandwich's post that you replied to? He helpfully showed you the actual drift specifications and a link to the current datasheet. Unfortunately I think you got caught out out by the headlined 5ppm drift claim in earlier versions of the REF5025 datasheet (but not stated in the actual specifications). It was almost certainly a mistake and corrected in later releases - see Reply #4 from this thread here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/low-cost-voltage-references-long-term-stability/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/low-cost-voltage-references-long-term-stability/)

You might also find this interesting about TI's approach to lifetime parameter specifications:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/semiconductor-ten-year-lifetime-parameter-shift-tests/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/semiconductor-ten-year-lifetime-parameter-shift-tests/)

I'm with TunerSandwich and engineer_in_shorts - what is the point of saving a dollar or two when you are spending a significant amount of time building, testing and ageing a few boards?  - how much is your time worth? For example, consider the ADR4525 and the AD586 shown in the table below - you don't even need to age the latter two parts and would still have significantly better drift along with the lower noise and temperature drift benefits.

Of course it also depends on how much faith you put put in the published drift specifications as few people will have the time and resources to actually verify them.

There are other choices, such as hermetically sealed references, which may be better if hysterisis is important to you.


Reference   Cost   TC   Noise   Tol   Drift
REF5025   $6.00    3 (ppm/C)   7.50 (uV pk-pk)   .05%   125ppm (1k hrs)  45ppm (2nd 1k hrs)
ADR4525   $6.92   2 (ppm/C)   1.25 (uV pk-pk)   .02%    25ppm/sqrt(1k hours)
AD586M   $9.86   2 (ppm/C)   2.00 (uV pk-pk)   .05%    15ppm/sqrt(1k hours)

Note: Cost shown is from Digikey (25 off). The AD586 is 5V - the noise value shown is after dividing by 2 for comparison puposes.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 14, 2015, 06:29:28 am
I generally find the REF50xx series fairly consistent from one part to the next. The REF5010's I've been tracking all have an almost identical drift curve. I've also consistently gotten much better than 125ppm/1khr, closer to 25ppm. They're easy to obtain and work with, so I usually use them on boards that have ADC's and DAC's on them.

(It's also an inexpensive way to make a very accurate 1kV reference. Chain 100 of them together.)


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 14, 2015, 08:51:53 am
I aged all my references, and the datasheet shows clearly that the difference after 1000 hours is only 5 ppm/1000 hours.

No! It's 45 or 50ppm/1k hrs after the first 1k hrs (depending on package), not 5ppm! Did you actually bother to read TunerSandwich's post that you replied to?

Read again .. I stated that the difference between the so8 and the dip version is only is only 5 ppm/1000 hours after 1000 hours.

Quote
I'm with TunerSandwich and engineer_in_shorts - what is the point of saving a dollar or two when you are spending a significant amount of time building, testing and ageing a few boards?  - how much is your time worth?

Excuse me, for wasting my time. Sorry, I will not do that again.

Quote
There are other choices, such as hermetically sealed references, which may be better if hysterisis is important to you.

Sure there are. But you have to start somewhere. I found the REF5025A (the A is important) a very good device. Of course paying more money, will get you a better device. The ADM586M is $10. How about a LTZ1000?

The thing is, when engeneering there is always a trade off between specs - result - price and invested time. My goal was a device that gave rock solid reference, to verify and test multimeters up to 6.5 digits. The REF5025A for fills that spec.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 14, 2015, 08:52:49 am
The A is the lesser model though...


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 14, 2015, 09:16:47 am
The A is the lesser model though...

It is not about who has the biggest ..
It is about which device gets the job done.

(http://i61.tinypic.com/2mgl15w.jpg)

Has been so for a week or 2 .. rock solid.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 14, 2015, 10:20:16 am
34401A specs *after 1 hr warmup

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/34401A.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 14, 2015, 10:38:08 am
@TunerSandwich: I did say nothing about its absolute value.  Neither did I make a statement about the temperature in my lab.
What is the point you are trying to make?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 14, 2015, 01:34:50 pm

The A is the lesser model though...

It is not about who has the biggest ..
It is about which device gets the job done.

(http://i61.tinypic.com/2mgl15w.jpg)

Has been so for a week or 2 .. rock solid.

Yeah, that's very true! Sorry, I've seen some people posting in another Vref thread thinking the A model was the higher grade. TI's binning scheme is confusing as hell. (Non-Suffixed parts are the highest grade; A suffix are the lowest.)

I wasn't sure if you were trying to say the part was better or not, but reading back I see now. My bad!

I can totally believe those results as I've seen it too on a 7.5 digit meter.


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 15, 2015, 06:36:59 am
I generally find the REF50xx series fairly consistent from one part to the next. The REF5010's I've been tracking all have an almost identical drift curve. I've also consistently gotten much better than 125ppm/1khr, closer to 25ppm. They're easy to obtain and work with, so I usually use them on boards that have ADC's and DAC's on them.

(It's also an inexpensive way to make a very accurate 1kV reference. Chain 100 of them together.)


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Tim:
do you know what 1kv is?
Al
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 15, 2015, 06:41:51 am
...Uh, it's o...one thousand volts...isn't it?


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 15, 2015, 06:49:36 am
The Mars-Energo lab used 10,000 REF5010's, connected serially, to create a 100kV reference. Initially they did a test with 100 chips to create a 1000V reference.

Source: http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sbaa203/sbaa203.pdf


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 15, 2015, 08:43:45 am
The Mars-Energo lab used 10,000 REF5010's, connected serially, to create a 100kV reference. Initially they did a test with 100 chips to create a 1000V reference.

Source: http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sbaa203/sbaa203.pdf (http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sbaa203/sbaa203.pdf)

Wauw .. not only  the voltage, but also the money  :P

I like the REF50XX. It has proven to be very stable.

I have a some other reference IC's coming. LT1236, LT1021. For my B revision :)
It will come in dip, and so8 and will have the reference IC's placed on an island, as shown by Lineair in the video. I am designing the current source (perhaps a Howland Current pump), with respect to ground, so one does only have to change the "plus" lead when switching from voltage to current.

I also tried the make a "poor mans reference", as  nearly all the money goes into the reference IC. I did some tests with a TL431B. That failed miserably. Also I tried a LM4040. That was better then the TL431B, but still not good enough for the "poor mans reference"  ::)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 15, 2015, 07:47:51 pm
LOL. Looks like "poor man's" is the new "el-cheapo" or "ghetto". Back in the old days it meant for a man that was actually poor. In other words lowest cost solution. Lately it seems to mean expensive but not outrageously so. Or maybe only a little outrageously so. For example:

So, some projects that have been "stewing" in my lab are:
  • Poor-man's primary voltage transfer standard [based on LTZ1000(A)]
  • Poor-man's voltage transfer device
  • Poor-man's multi-junction thermal converter for AC/DC transfers
  • Poor-man's resistance standards [1R, 10R, 100R, 1K, 10K, 100K, 1M, 10M, 100M, 1G]
  • Poor-man's resistance synthesizer [that uses the above resistors to get any value]
  • Poor-man's direct current comparator bridge for low resistance measurement
  • Poor-man's electrometer for high resistance measurement
  • Poor-man's calibrator for DCV, ACV, DCI, ACI
  • Poor-man's automatic LCR bridge
  • (and a few others that are still in the idea stage)

Probably most of those end up costing hundreds if not thousands. I've built many references based on 4040a and tl431 and also 2 cent zeners. Preliminary tracking (few days) show more than adequate for "poor man's" meter (4-5 digit) calibration or reference for most electronics experiments. Or maybe 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 digit lab meters costing only few thousand are considered "poor man's"?

In my world it means something can be built for pennies or a dollar or two at most. Let's see you build a "good enough" voltage reference for 25 cents. You know, like with 4040a or tl431. Wait... tl431 runs only 5 cents plus penny for the resistor!

ps. I figure if we are gonna hijack this guys thread I might as well get in on it. :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 15, 2015, 09:37:32 pm
Hi,

If you want to see what is possible with a TL431, look at this topic from me, on this Dutch site.

You can use Google translate  :D
http://www.circuitsonline.net/forum/view/116156/1/tl431 (http://www.circuitsonline.net/forum/view/116156/1/tl431)

Afther about 40 hours the stability was about +-3 PPM, not bad for a 431A
I dit not test the reference for about 1000 hours, because its used in a power supply with a 10 turn potmeter.
Long-term stability is not so interesting in this application.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 15, 2015, 10:27:29 pm
time + resources to characterize these "el cheapo" components doesn't allow for a "poor mans" anything.....unless your time is worthless :-//
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 15, 2015, 10:58:14 pm
Hi TunerSandwich,

This all depends on your point of view...
time + resources to characterize these "el cheapo" components doesn't allow for a "poor mans" anything.....unless your time is worthless

I spent time on low cost references in building them in ovens.
The out come, not wasted time, but a lot of knowledge on references and ovens.
I never thought that a TL431, LT1234, LT1021 or even a LTZ1000 I use, will be better than a Fluke 732B.
I simply don't have the resources to characterize them.
I have i different point of view, not money is important, but knowledge < now i sound like Yoda  :-DD

Just my 2 cents  :D

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 15, 2015, 10:59:49 pm
time + resources to characterize these "el cheapo" components doesn't allow for a "poor mans" anything.....unless your time is worthless :-//

Why am I not surprised to hear you say that? In reality a poor man's time is worth very little due to low wage or maybe even no job at all. Fortunately not either for me but I do enjoy accomplishing the most with the least. A wonderful challenge.  Unlikely most on this forum have any capacity to understand this philosophy. Maybe one or two others if that, including dannyf who initiated the el-cheapo/ghetto craze.

FYI I'm about half way through a 1000hr characterization of true "poor man's" references. 16 baking in a temperature controlled oven necessary because of wild temperature extremes in my shop. Not including the oven but counting 5 digit meter, datalogger, and references total cost less than $7. As mentioned initial results might be promising for most casual hobbyists but obviously not of any interest to the volt-nerd crowd.

ps. Dog, thanks for the link. I'm really liking this tl431. Even cheaper back-to-back zeners also interesting with almost zero TC by balancing 5.6v to 6.2v parts.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 01:39:45 am
time + resources to characterize these "el cheapo" components doesn't allow for a "poor mans" anything.....unless your time is worthless :-//

Why am I not surprised to hear you say that? In reality a poor man's time is worth very little due to low wage or maybe even no job at all. Fortunately not either for me but I do enjoy accomplishing the most with the least. A wonderful challenge.  Unlikely most on this forum have any capacity to understand this philosophy. Maybe one or two others if that, including dannyf who initiated the el-cheapo/ghetto craze.

FYI I'm about half way through a 1000hr characterization of true "poor man's" references. 16 baking in a temperature controlled oven necessary because of wild temperature extremes in my shop. Not including the oven but counting 5 digit meter, datalogger, and references total cost less than $7. As mentioned initial results might be promising for most casual hobbyists but obviously not of any interest to the volt-nerd crowd.

ps. Dog, thanks for the link. I'm really liking this tl431. Even cheaper back-to-back zeners also interesting with almost zero TC by balancing 5.6v to 6.2v parts.

A poor man can't afford 2 3458A's + a few 732B's......

show me how you can amortize the cost of equipment + resources into a sub $100 MSRP, and come out ahead?  You can't....

If you are doing this for purely academic purposes....then you are once again not a poor man, because you have no financial gain...and only spend resources.....so again not an excercise for a poor man.....the insight you gain and it's value is 100% personal and only equitable based on your own needs....

"Unlikely most on this forum have any capacity to understand this philosophy"


that is ridiculous.....and an elitist attitude.....maybe YOU don't have the capacity to understand basic economics?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 01:50:01 am
Hi TunerSandwich,

This all depends on your point of view...
time + resources to characterize these "el cheapo" components doesn't allow for a "poor mans" anything.....unless your time is worthless

I spent time on low cost references in building them in ovens.
The out come, not wasted time, but a lot of knowledge on references and ovens.
I never thought that a TL431, LT1234, LT1021 or even a LTZ1000 I use, will be better than a Fluke 732B.
I simply don't have the resources to characterize them.
I have i different point of view, not money is important, but knowledge < now i sound like Yoda  :-DD

Just my 2 cents  :D

Kind regarts,
Blackdog

you still have to buy points of reference to even know what you have produced.....they aren't "cheap".....when you talk about word such as "poor mans" you are describing economic value.....intellectual value has no value to others....it's only basis for equity is your own assigned value....but that value is not spoken in terms of "dollars"....so "poor" or "expensive" can only be related to things other than monetary condition.....in that regard everything you learn from has value, but to implement that value towards others, one has to spend an economic measure of value to 1. disseminate the information 2. market the resource

If you follow NONE of the above procedure, you wind up with Awesome14's "reference"....which has little to no academic value, and little to no economic value....it's just crap (technical term)

comparing anything anyone here has done to a 732B is absurd, because it isn't just a DiY reference....it has a built in PSU and battery back-up....those have orders of magnitude more value than a PCB with a ref IC soldered in place.....for example...let's say you are trying to characterize performance of one of these DiY jobs and the power goes out?  Or you have to transport it....you are relying on an un-characterized external power source to keep your data relevant.....a wall wart or 9 volt battery is NOT anywhere close to what the Fluke 732B is doing....it can seamlessly switch power sources, and give a predicted sDEV while doing so.....that is what you are paying for....a warranted set of claims from a trusted manufacturer......how could anyone here have anywhere near the level of industry trust of a company like Fluke?  I see no real data from anyone on ANY of these devices.....a static screenshot of something hooked up to a DMM is worthless....show me provable long term drift figures, under a variety of conditions....I am frankly shocked anyone would compare their DiY standard to a Fluke 732B.....apples and oranges
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 16, 2015, 02:12:57 am
Suppose I make a bunch of homebrew references and compare them against each other. If they drift apart over time I have a problem, they are not very predictable and I can't do much with them. But if they all stick together, then either they are very stable, or they are all drifting at similar rates. Either outcome is good. If they are all drifting at similar rates, that rate is predictable and can be compensated. Making something predictable at low cost is good in terms of a transfer standard, especially if the predictability survives power down during shipping. Just because there are whizz-bang industry devices doesn't mean there is no room for the amateur to make a contribution.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 02:33:50 am
Suppose I make a bunch of homebrew references and compare them against each other. If they drift apart over time I have a problem, they are not very predictable and I can't do much with them. But if they all stick together, then either they are very stable, or they are all drifting at similar rates. Either outcome is good. If they are all drifting at similar rates, that rate is predictable and can be compensated. Making something predictable at low cost is good in terms of a transfer standard, especially if the predictability survives power down during shipping. Just because there are whizz-bang industry devices doesn't mean there is no room for the amateur to make a contribution.

you still have to take the time and buy the resources to gather those benchmarks.....I am all for DiY and lower cost solutions, but I don't think people take into account the actual investment....

even if you did it on borrowed gear and your mom pays the rent and electricity....it still costs someone something.....and those DMM's and baseline ref aren't "cheap"

I have a sizable collection of DiY "standards", and they were all "fun learning experiences", but they weren't cost effective and I would never compare them to a Fluke 732B with a NIST traceable cal cert.....nor do I think any industry with a large consumer liability would trust them either.....if for any reason insurance purposes....if some whizz bang widget takes someones arm off and you can't document or prove you followed generally accepted industry practices.....yikes, I am not brave enough to employ my DiY ref in any critical application.....so again they become hobby devices, and since a hobby generates no revenue...they aren't "poor mans" devices....in fact they are shockingly expensive, because I can't apply them to anything that has financial gain.....

personal knowledge is a great thing....and I am all for experimentation etc....but when terms that classify economic standing are assigned, then it all goes to hell....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 16, 2015, 02:39:10 am
In the early history of science, most research was done by wealthy people of independent means. It's not all about making a profit. The search for knowledge is a worthy goal in itself.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 02:43:43 am
In the early history of science, most research was done by wealthy people of independent means. It's not all about making a profit. The search for knowledge is a worthy goal in itself.

of course....but you can't assign an economic value in that case...like "poor mans standard".....it implies that it's somehow a replacement for a more expensive tool......I don't see how this point can be so corrupted. 

we can't just replace a fluke 732B with NIST cal cert with a $7 IC....and some unpaid time.....at that point why bother getting it certified?  That would be like taking a device in for EMC that you did zero pre-compliance work on....it would just be foolish and a waste of money.....

I mean is anyone here seriously suggesting that ANY of these devices are a replacement for a NIST traceable cert, on a device that can actually prove it's stability over time?  Using a set of resources none of us here can afford?  I mean for gods sake Fluke has an in house JJA to compare it's devices against.....how can we ever do something equivalent for the "sake of knowledge".  If you are wealthy enough to invest millions of dollars into duplicating the Fluke 732B, so that you can have ONE device in you r personal lab....then more power to you.....but that is not the real world

Also these are monolithic IC's.....how are we to do anything to better them?  We aren't going to stumble on some radical discovery, using someone elses "chip",  I suggested earlier on that a discreet ref might actually lend more insight into discover and personal education, because you can change individual component values and seek net results.  That is what research is all about...and that is fantastic, but I don't see how soldering an IC onto a PCB and following some app note = anything other than the predicted results, by the manufacturer of the monolithic IC  :-//

There isn't going to be some magical AH HAAAA moment where we best the predicted uncertainty by many orders of magnitude.....and a Josephson array already bests a 732B by many orders of magnitude....so what groundbreaking thing is it we are chasing? 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 03:14:59 am
(http://i61.tinypic.com/2mgl15w.jpg)

"Has been so for a week or 2 .. rock solid."


Explain to me how this (see above) is a replacement for this (see below)

http://us.flukecal.com/products/electrical-calibration/electrical-standards/732b-direct-voltage-standard-0?quicktabs_product_details=4 (http://us.flukecal.com/products/electrical-calibration/electrical-standards/732b-direct-voltage-standard-0?quicktabs_product_details=4)

All i see is a statement and a static picture.....even if someone here was the most honest guy in the world....do you think a picture and some totally UN-vetted statement is a trustworthy benchmark, in comparison to the millions of research dollars spent by Fluke to generate the data in the link I posted?  c'mon.....

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and can spend their time and money as they see fit.....but I don't see any flood of industry professionals, who rely on data to CYA rushing to buy eBay DiY ref over the Fluke hardware.....it's nowhere near the same league.....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 16, 2015, 04:01:57 am
If I make a device that can hold a stable voltage to 1ppm or less for 7 days an output 1mv to 100v, that had great value as a transfer standard for hobbyists. That could be nulled to a 732B and sent around anywhere in the world. You could use it to calibrate your hobbyist lab meters. That has business potential.

As for gathering data on monolithic ICs, that can actually prove to be useful as most IC manufacturers only gather initial data on 100 chips over 1000 hours. That's what goes into the datasheet. If we've got people gathering data on batches of chips for 10,000 hours, that's producing real data that could be very useful to others. That's science. (http://img.timb.us/emoticon/science.gif)

At any rate, no one is trying to replicate the 732B. I think the goal is to make a standard good enough to validate and maybe even calibrate up to 6.5 digit meters.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 04:13:38 am
If I make a device that can hold a stable voltage to 1ppm or less for 7 days an output 1mv to 100v, that had great value as a transfer standard for hobbyists. That could be nulled to a 732B and sent around anywhere in the world. You could use it to calibrate your hobbyist lab meters. That has business potential.

As for gathering data on monolithic ICs, that can actually prove to be useful as most IC manufacturers only gather initial data on 100 chips over 1000 hours. That's what goes into the datasheet. If we've got people gathering data on batches of chips for 10,000 hours, that's producing real data that could be very useful to others. That's science. (http://img.timb.us/emoticon/science.gif)

At any rate, no one is trying to replicate the 732B. I think the goal is to make a standard good enough to validate and maybe even calibrate up to 6.5 digit meters.


Sent from my Smartphone

The gentleman above was comparing his DiY standard to a 732B....

also where is the proof of holding such calibration?  graphs, control to measure against....test methodology, ambient conditions....tes equipment certificates of cal etc etc etc

I am not saying I doubt you or what any of us here can or can't do....I can make a standard that holds as well.....but how would anyone accept that data, when it doesn't conform to industry specifications?

Also that statement about only characterizing a couple IC's isn't always the case....Ti actually has a massive, and in detail report of long term testing on the REF102....showing exactly how and when chips were chosen, ambient conditions...PSU injected error...uncertainty against a standard cell (null) etc....

I just don't understand what "breakthrough" anyone is going to have.....basically the ideal scenario (assuming you don't have the build quality of Awesome14's "ref") is that it follows the typical...min or max results of the datasheet....

not at all the case if you build your own discreet ref.....a nice current stabilized zener and stabilized precision amplifier to follow.....

I mean if the devices aren't to sell and make profit from, and all you learn is that it conforms to the datasheet (monolithic IC)....I don't get it? 

Now implementing various forms of heater control...that is a different story.  However that is far beyond the scope of the manufacturer, and you will still have pretty large obstacles to overcome to calibrate each unit....as the drift in each IC will be different.....so you would have to hand cal each device, burn in for 1k hrs min, then datalog the drift long term, before you could accept it as a usable standard.....
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 04:20:18 am
I mean I can make my meter show a number also....what does it prove?  Where is the datalog...what were the conditions etc etc etc.....

If no datalog at appropriate intervals....did someone actually watch the meter for 7 days or two whole weeks?  can they prove it? 

The majority of commercial standards can prove their claims.....if they can't they would have never received a NIST cal cert.....that's the point of the traceable reference....anything else is just pissing in the wind and hoping none blows back on you.....how could one derive a known level of uncertainty across their entire test reference system? 

here is a picture.....for the hell of it lets say it's been there "for a week or two" (a week or so?  which one is it...a week, or two....?) ROCK SOLID!!!

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/WP_20150215_001.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 16, 2015, 01:30:00 pm
A poor man can't afford 2 3458A's + a few 732B's......

show me how you can amortize the cost of equipment + resources into a sub $100 MSRP, and come out ahead?  You can't....

If you are doing this for purely academic purposes....then you are once again not a poor man, because you have no financial gain...and only spend resources.....so again not an excercise for a poor man.

As often the case a collection of random non-sequitur, out of context misquotes, and generally lame nonsense. To assume academic efforts are not possible on a budget is absurd. Equally absurd to assume everybody must have multiple 8 1/2 digit lab meters and at least a hundred grand invested in a wall full of similar gear. Estimated at least 9 out of 10 of these forum users are not involved with mars rover or developing heart and lung machine.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hobby (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hobby)

And to assume a poor man cannot pursue academic research for eventual profit just as senseless.

those DMM's and baseline ref aren't "cheap"

Actually they can be.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AD584KH-4-Channel-2-5v-7-5v-5v-10v-High-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Module-Simpl-/181219600361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3187a7e9 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/AD584KH-4-Channel-2-5v-7-5v-5v-10v-High-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Module-Simpl-/181219600361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3187a7e9)

$8 but very stable and comes with calibration data from 6 1/2 digit lab meter so an excellent transfer standard for most setups.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161247229877?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT (http://www.ebay.com/itm/161247229877?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)

5 bucks on Ali. 0.1mv resolution. More than adequate for 99% of hobby AND professional voltage measurement.



I mean I can make my meter show a number also....what does it prove?  Where is the datalog...what were the conditions etc etc etc.....

If no datalog at appropriate intervals....did someone actually watch the meter for 7 days or two whole weeks?  can they prove it? 

Again you don't have to spend more than a new car to arrange data collection. A one or two dollar MCU perfectly able to not only convert meter readings to serial for PC logging but actually store weeks or months internally depending on sample rate.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 16, 2015, 01:58:46 pm
A poor man can't afford 2 3458A's + a few 732B's......

show me how you can amortize the cost of equipment + resources into a sub $100 MSRP, and come out ahead?  You can't....

If you are doing this for purely academic purposes....then you are once again not a poor man, because you have no financial gain...and only spend resources.....so again not an excercise for a poor man.

As often the case a collection of random non-sequitur, out of context misquotes, and generally lame nonsense.

Hear, hear!  :-+

Englisch is not my native language. If it were, I would have given the same reply.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 16, 2015, 03:47:01 pm

I mean I can make my meter show a number also....what does it prove?  Where is the datalog...what were the conditions etc etc etc.....

If no datalog at appropriate intervals....did someone actually watch the meter for 7 days or two whole weeks?  can they prove it? 

The majority of commercial standards can prove their claims.....if they can't they would have never received a NIST cal cert.....that's the point of the traceable reference....anything else is just pissing in the wind and hoping none blows back on you.....how could one derive a known level of uncertainty across their entire test reference system? 

here is a picture.....for the hell of it lets say it's been there "for a week or two" (a week or so?  which one is it...a week, or two....?) ROCK SOLID!!!

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/WP_20150215_001.jpg)

I might post a picture of my meter, but that doesn't mean I'm not collecting long term data.

I've got a nice GPIB setup with an NI GPIB to Serial converter hooked to a BeagleBone Black doing the logging via some Python tools. I've also got a +-1% Honeywell HumidIcon sensor hooked to the BBB collecting RH and temp data that can be plotted with any of the the data.

My HP and Tek meters have valid NIST cal certs from last year. My Keithley 197A and 2000 (not shown) don't. However the 2000 reads to one digit of my HP and the 197A reads spot on to my Tek, so I consider them in calibration.

I have a Keithley 195A that is a bit out, but I was thinking of swapping the reference in it before getting a calibration.

Oh, and my humidity sensor has been calibrated to an NIST standard to within 5%. (They've got these cards in sealed plastic bags you can open and they show the RH by the color of various dots changing. The cards are NIST certified. Each lasts 6 months.)

So yeah, I log my data to traceable standards. I just haven't processed any data yet, but rest assured it's being collected.

(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/16/56261417398af4a89054da62bb771aa0.jpg)

(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/16/e8eec59b69895af3b7704f1f05f38a3b.jpg)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 16, 2015, 09:26:26 pm
Man! This is like reading a good book and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it does.

As to Awesom14 building his circuit on perf board or whatever , what is wrong with that. As to  Jim Williams(a hero to some on here),
I bet he never laid out any of his circuits for production. If Awesome14 put his circuit on a pretty PCB it might not work.
I also knew my boy Tim couldn't go four posts without incurring the Wrath of God.

Al
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 16, 2015, 11:51:10 pm
A poor man can't afford 2 3458A's + a few 732B's......

show me how you can amortize the cost of equipment + resources into a sub $100 MSRP, and come out ahead?  You can't....

If you are doing this for purely academic purposes....then you are once again not a poor man, because you have no financial gain...and only spend resources.....so again not an excercise for a poor man.

As often the case a collection of random non-sequitur, out of context misquotes, and generally lame nonsense. To assume academic efforts are not possible on a budget is absurd. Equally absurd to assume everybody must have multiple 8 1/2 digit lab meters and at least a hundred grand invested in a wall full of similar gear. Estimated at least 9 out of 10 of these forum users are not involved with mars rover or developing heart and lung machine.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hobby (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hobby)

And to assume a poor man cannot pursue academic research for eventual profit just as senseless.

those DMM's and baseline ref aren't "cheap"

Actually they can be.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AD584KH-4-Channel-2-5v-7-5v-5v-10v-High-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Module-Simpl-/181219600361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3187a7e9 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/AD584KH-4-Channel-2-5v-7-5v-5v-10v-High-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Module-Simpl-/181219600361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3187a7e9)

$8 but very stable and comes with calibration data from 6 1/2 digit lab meter so an excellent transfer standard for most setups.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161247229877?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT (http://www.ebay.com/itm/161247229877?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)

5 bucks on Ali. 0.1mv resolution. More than adequate for 99% of hobby AND professional voltage measurement.



I mean I can make my meter show a number also....what does it prove?  Where is the datalog...what were the conditions etc etc etc.....

If no datalog at appropriate intervals....did someone actually watch the meter for 7 days or two whole weeks?  can they prove it? 

Again you don't have to spend more than a new car to arrange data collection. A one or two dollar MCU perfectly able to not only convert meter readings to serial for PC logging but actually store weeks or months internally depending on sample rate.

Those suggestions are so laughable it's hardly worth the time to respond.....if you can't do the simple math to reach a conclusion that you won't be able to even verify these "cheap standards"....then best of luck....

It's very hard to take anything you say seriously with these suggestions....and then your general superiority complex...that you somehow know better than the industry at large, well.....like I said best of luck....feel free to waste your time on these products.....although you could have learned the same exact lessons (with some accredited level of accuracy) by simply reading a few NIST reports about calibration.....

all you will wind up learning with tools like these, is that you can't trust the tools....but it's your time and your dime  :-// 

Not one of these devices comes with ANY form of trustworthy traceability.....it's just Awesome14 all over again.....I suspect something about conspiracy and angels will come out next....good grief....

no 6 1/2 digit "lab meter" is going to verify stability to PPM range.  The least significant digit is not trustworthy and @ 10V your least significant digit is 1ppm....

and YOUR suggestion for measuring vREF is this....?  :-DD  why even bother speculating about "ppm stability".....there is simply ZERO data.... :--

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/laughable.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/laughable2.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/laughable3.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TunerSandwich on February 17, 2015, 12:07:53 am
Man! This is like reading a good book and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it does.

As to Awesom14 building his circuit on perf board or whatever , what is wrong with that. As to  Jim Williams(a hero to some on here),
I bet he never laid out any of his circuits for production. If Awesome14 put his circuit on a pretty PCB it might not work.
I also knew my boy Tim couldn't go four posts without incurring the Wrath of God.

Al

His "ref" doesn't work either way....PCB or not....it can't be verified and as soon as you open it it no longer powers up....as demonstrated....

meh best of luck gentlemen....you are wasting massive resources chasing readily available information, thinking that somehow you will make some breakthrough.....it reminds me of the over-unity endeavor....with a bit of reading, you would soon realize that the arguments posed here can't hold water.....you are essentially refuting decades of documented knowledge, saying that with zero documentation you will somehow best the efforts of giants in this industry....

there isn't even academic value here, because you are simply duplicating extensive test results, spanning decades....using far more resources than anyone here has in their "hobby lab"....it's nonsense....then as soon as someone points anything of relevant value out, you all join in some pat each-other on the back circle-jerk to dispute decades of research and documentation....with these notions your efforts will most certainly remain in the "hobby realm".....especially seeing that you are ignoring the simple math that shows you can't verify ppm stability @ 10V on any of these 6 1/2 digit meters....nor can you publish such documentation w/o a concise breakdown of your measurement methodologies....all the piles of gear in the land aren't going to change that fundamentally flawed methodology....and to even defend anything Awesome14 posted here only furthers the nonsense....


yet NOT ONE PIECE of relevant data is presented.... :palm:

I will leave you folks to it though....you obviously get some delight in admiring each-others nonsense claims...sooner or later though (after you piss away your time and resources) you will have a very rude awakening that the datasheets were right after all....such a pity to see all the time wasted
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 17, 2015, 06:54:32 am
Uh, no one here is claiming what you're claiming they're claiming... You're going off on a massive tirade about, fuck, I really don't know, but it's evident we're all wrong and you're brilliant.

If you want relevant data, go take a look at the LTZ1000 thread, or any other countless numbers of threads here on the forums.

You seem to be missing the point of a hobby grade voltage standard. It's not to replace a proper cal lab or Fluke gear. It's to have a "good enough" reference to sanity check your < 5.5 digit meters. Or perhaps you're making some boards with ADCs or DACs on them and you want to trim out the references, again, this "hobby voltage standard" would be perfect for that.

So yeah, don't be such a fucktard is what I'm trying to say here. Just because you're shortsighted doesn't mean others are.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 17, 2015, 08:16:04 am

yet NOT ONE PIECE of relevant data is presented.... :palm:

I will leave you folks to it though....you obviously get some delight in admiring each-others nonsense claims...sooner or later though (after you piss away your time and resources) you will have a very rude awakening that the datasheets were right after all....such a pity to see all the time wasted
I can not believe you would say that. You seem to be a smart person and sometimes you are going off in a wrong tangent.

As I have said before, if I need lab grade calibration and verification and transfer, I go to my official calibration lab here in my town and they use their Fluke 732B and an Agilent 3458A and a Fluke 8508A.

But for some purpose I do need 5.000 V as a reference in some projects and some of these good quality "hobby" references are doing their work perfectly.
And if I take 3 different meters in my lab, a 34401A (calibrated) a 34461A (calibrated) and a 34410A (calibrated) and all of them show 5.0000xV with the x floating 1 digit up or 1 digit down, and the difference between the meters is 1 or 2 digits off in the last place what is wrong with that?
It has fulfilled my requirements and expectations and I am getting a job done.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 17, 2015, 08:51:24 am
Oh, and TunerSandwich, you state 6.5 digit meters can't verify 1ppm at 10V? I don't know what sort of shitty meter you've got, but mine certainly goes down to 10uV at 10V (10.0000X).


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 17, 2015, 09:15:43 am

yet NOT ONE PIECE of relevant data is presented.... :palm:

I will leave you folks to it though....you obviously get some delight in admiring each-others nonsense claims...sooner or later though (after you piss away your time and resources) you will have a very rude awakening that the datasheets were right after all....such a pity to see all the time wasted
I can not believe you would say that. You seem to be a smart person and sometimes you are going off in a wrong tangent.

As I have said before, if I need lab grade calibration and verification and transfer, I go to my official calibration lab here in my town and they use their Fluke 732B and an Agilent 3458A and a Fluke 8508A.

But for some purpose I do need 5.000 V as a reference in some projects and some of these good quality "hobby" references are doing their work perfectly.
And if I take 3 different meters in my lab, a 34401A (calibrated) a 34461A (calibrated) and a 34410A (calibrated) and all of them show 5.0000xV with the x floating 1 digit up or 1 digit down, and the difference between the meters is 1 or 2 digits off in the last place what is wrong with that?
It has fulfilled my requirements and expectations and I am getting a job done.

Well, that's the spec of the 2ppm reference swamped (by floating 1 digit noise) that you are trying to measure.
I think I would struggle to verify the performance of these hobby standards, with either my trusty fluke 8508A or my dusty hp 3458A. The techniques used, other sources of error and uncertainty guard banding makes this a very error prone 'experiment'.  Forget trying to do it on a crappy 6.5 digit whatever. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 17, 2015, 09:21:48 am
If you're only going for 5.5 digit precision it's more than adequate. That's the point!


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 17, 2015, 09:39:47 am
Well, that's the spec of the 2ppm reference swamped (by floating 1 digit noise) that you are trying to measure.
I think I would struggle to verify the performance of these hobby standards, with either my trusty fluke 8508A or my dusty hp 3458A. The techniques used, other sources of error and uncertainty guard banding makes this a very error prone 'experiment'.  Forget trying to do it on a crappy 6.5 digit whatever.

If the PCB and circuit  is designed well, and one uses a well known reference IC, verifying performance boils down to verifying if the reference IC meets its spec.

For example, the REF5025A has a max T.C. of 8ppm, and typically 3ppm. Changing the operation temperature 10°, would result in a 30 ~ 80ppm change in output. No problem for a 6,5 digit meter.

Different story of course if one try's to make things better .. but that's more for the daredevils among us, not my league  :P
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 17, 2015, 09:51:24 am

Well, that's the spec of the 2ppm reference swamped (by floating 1 digit noise) that you are trying to measure.
I think I would struggle to verify the performance of these hobby standards, with either my trusty fluke 8508A or my dusty hp 3458A. The techniques used, other sources of error and uncertainty guard banding makes this a very error prone 'experiment'.  Forget trying to do it on a crappy 6.5 digit whatever.

So, you consider a 34401A, a 34461A and a 34410A crappy 6.5 digit whatever meter?
Really?

If I am looking for 5.5 digit precision and my 34461A shows 5.00002 V and over several thousand measurements the last digit will not even move and it is confirmed by a 34401A and a 34410A, how is that not verified?

 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 17, 2015, 10:22:50 am
Oh, and TunerSandwich, you state 6.5 digit meters can't verify 1ppm at 10V? I don't know what sort of shitty meter you've got, but mine certainly goes down to 10uV at 10V (10.0000X).
IMHO what you are forgetting is long term stability. I have been looking at voltages references myself for an upcoming project. I think that the best you can expect is a long term stability of 20ppm per year with a very well designed and thermally controlled production circuit. Power cycles, noise, thermal EMF, mechanical stress all add to long term INstability. A reference may be accurate to 1ppm today but how about next month and next year?

There is a difference in resolution an accuracy!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 17, 2015, 10:46:52 am
I think that the best you can expect is a long term stability of 20ppm per year with a very well design and thermally controlled production circuit.

Most manufacturers specify a 1000 hour stability, after a burn in of 1000 hour. Doing 20ppm/year will be very challenging IMHO.
 
You have to outsmart the specification from the manufacturer. And then comes the problem of proof into play. As long as you are staying in spec. with the device, you simply refer to the datasheet. As you outsmart the manufacturer, you have to come up with some proof of yourself. This can be a long, costly process. Wen using the reference internal, this does not have to be a problem. But when selling a reference, it is.

If course, there are a lot of people out there, who promise a lot but in the end cannot deliver  :P
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 17, 2015, 02:13:17 pm

Well, that's the spec of the 2ppm reference swamped (by floating 1 digit noise) that you are trying to measure.
I think I would struggle to verify the performance of these hobby standards, with either my trusty fluke 8508A or my dusty hp 3458A. The techniques used, other sources of error and uncertainty guard banding makes this a very error prone 'experiment'.  Forget trying to do it on a crappy 6.5 digit whatever.

So, you consider a 34401A, a 34461A and a 34410A crappy 6.5 digit whatever meter?
Really?

If I am looking for 5.5 digit precision and my 34461A shows 5.00002 V and over several thousand measurements the last digit will not even move and it is confirmed by a 34401A and a 34410A, how is that not verified?
 

What time period? ... as per TunerSandwich posts look at the accuracy specs:

34401A specs *after 1 hr warmup

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/34401A.jpg)

5V is in the 10V range and therefore within 24hrs the relative accuracy is 15ppm plus 2ppm.

Have you made an uncertainty budget ?

P.S yes, for those kind of measurements 6.5 digit is crap, my fluke on that range is around 0.5ppm within 24hrs (relative).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 17, 2015, 02:32:52 pm


5V is in the 10V range and therefore within 24hrs the relative accuracy is 15ppm plus 2ppm.

Have you made an uncertainty budget ?

Do I really need to worry about 15ppm + 2ppm, when I require only 5.0000V on a 6 1/2 digit multimeter?
Here is my setup:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 17, 2015, 02:35:34 pm

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/34401A.jpg)


5V is in the 10V range and therefore within 24hrs the relative accuracy is 15ppm plus 2ppm.

Have you made an uncertainty budget ?

Your calculation is not correct, either!

uncertainty of 5V on 10V range:
15ppm of  reading (5V)  => 75µV
plus 4 ppm of range (10V) => plus 40µV

=> 115µV / 5V = 23ppm

To be exact, you also have to add the A/D non linearity, which is 2ppm of range => 20µV => gives additionally 4ppm, for a  Grand Total of 27ppm.
And then also some ppm for the temperature coefficient, which I'd like to omit now, because it's already included, if you stay within +/- 1°C.

On a 6 1/2 digit DMM, 27 ppm of 5V or 135µV uncertainty on 10V range are visible on the last two digits: 4.99987 .. 5.00014 V.

That's not so good, more a 4 4/5 digit result, than a 5 1/2 digit one.

It's mainly caused by the mediocre stability specification of the LM399H reference plus the assorted amplifier-resistors.

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 17, 2015, 02:41:11 pm


5V is in the 10V range and therefore within 24hrs the relative accuracy is 15ppm plus 2ppm.

Have you made an uncertainty budget ?

Do I really need to worry about 15ppm + 2ppm, when I require only 5.0000V on a 6 1/2 digit multimeter?
Here is my setup:
As TunerSandwich said, a single picture proves nothing in any terms.  Temper Coef? Drift over time? etc etc
OK, leave that setup and take a picture this time tomorrow (24hrs) - without ANY adjustments.  Note the temperature when photos was taken too.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 17, 2015, 02:49:47 pm

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/34401A.jpg)


5V is in the 10V range and therefore within 24hrs the relative accuracy is 15ppm plus 2ppm.

Have you made an uncertainty budget ?

Your calculation is not correct, either!

uncertainty of 5V on 10V range:
15ppm of  reading (5V)  => 75µV
plus 4 ppm of range (10V) => plus 40µV

=> 115µV / 5V = 23ppm

To be exact, you also have to add the A/D non linearity, which is 2ppm of range => 20µV => gives additionally 4ppm, for a  Grand Total of 27ppm.
And then also some ppm for the temperature coefficient, which I'd like to omit now, because it's already included, if you stay within +/- 1°C.

On a 6 1/2 digit DMM, 27 ppm of 5V or 135µV uncertainty on 10V range are visible on the last two digits.


Frank

Yes, thank you for the correction.
I am also pleased to see there is someone who has read the rest of the specifications i.e non-linearity and temp effect.  I call this 'the small print' it's a phrase used in the UK regarding small print of adverts stating terms and conditions etc etc.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 17, 2015, 02:54:37 pm

Yes, thank you for the correction.
I am also pleased to see there is someone who has read the rest of the specifications i.e non-linearity and temp effect.  I call this 'the small print' it's a phrase used in the UK regarding small print of adverts stating terms and conditions etc etc.


Yes, it's worthwhile to study the specs precisely, even the 8 1/2 digits DMMs have their weaknesses, if you dig deeper, and they also are not specified correctly or completely, in some aspects..

But another question: Your nickname indicates, that you only wear short trousers during your work?

Respect!  :-+

Frank  ;) ;) ;)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 17, 2015, 02:58:34 pm
Ok, I will leave the reference and the 3 multimeters running for 48 hours. Since I will not be in the lab tomorrow, I will post a picture in about 48 hours.

BTW, the reference I have hooked up, is the 0.02% by VoltageStandard.
This reference was calibrated by VoltageStandard about 1 year ago.

http://www.voltagestandard.com/New_Products.html (http://www.voltagestandard.com/New_Products.html)

From their website:

Model Vref5-002 Precision Voltage Reference

The Vref5-002 is a 5.000V, 0.0025% accurate precision voltage reference.  Housed in an anodized aluminum enclosure with rubber feet, this reference will be a great addition to your test bench. Based upon the Cirrus Logic VRE305A (used to be Thaler), proprietary laser trimmed circuitry provides excellent stability and accuracy without an oven!  Output terminals are gold plated banana jacks.  Input power is provided by included 24VDC, UL listed power supply.  Input power connector has locking ring to prevent accidental unplugging.  Red LED adjacent to output terminals provides visual indication that reference is powered-up. At time of shipment, the Vref5-002 is adjusted to be within 5uV of 5.000000V as measured by our calibrated 0.0008% accurate HP 3458A 8.5 digit DMM.  Free calibration is included for first two years after purchase- user just pays shipping/insurance both ways; subsequent calibrations are $7.50 plus $8.50 shipping.

Specifications
Accuracy: 0.0025% 
Stability: Reference output is guaranteed to be within 125uV (0.0025%) of 5V for 6 months.  Ambient temperature must be within 6 oF of calibration temperature (typically 68 oF)
Load regulation: 3ppm/mA
Temperature coefficient: 0.83ppm/oF, typ.
Output noise (0.1 to 10Hz): 3uV p-p typical
Size: 5" W x 4" D x 2" H
Power requirements: 110 - 130VAC 60Hz to power included 24VDC power supply.
Warm up time: 30 minutes


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 17, 2015, 03:04:07 pm
I took another picture with a thermometer that I placed on the meters as reference.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 17, 2015, 03:06:26 pm
I am also pleased to see there is someone who has read the rest of the specifications i.e non-linearity and temp effect.

There are more out there  :P

What I find intriging is the TC specification. What to think from the 18° to 28° range?

Tsja .. resolution and accuracy ..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TiN on February 17, 2015, 03:23:50 pm
Since this thread went off rails long ago, here are my 5c.

Quote
Doing 20ppm/year will be very challenging IMHO.

Difficulty for 20ppm/y might be little overstated. Even without unobtanium parts something like 5-10 ppm/year should be pretty achievable (especially if one have thermostat box to keep stuff constant over temperature) with home-brew resources and ~300-500 USD for parts, given you already have stable DMM to make sure of drift coming from reference, not a measurement tool.

For statements mentioned about long term stability, i have some data logged in almost month time apart.

21 January 2015

+23.0°C

REF1 : 7.1367921 VDC
REF2 : 7.1365940 VDC
REF3 : 7.1304962 VDC

17 February 2015

+23.6°C

REF1 : 7.1367090 VDC, -11.64 ppm off
REF2 : 7.1366613 VDC, 9.43 ppm off
REF3 : 7.1304826 VDC, -1.91 ppm off

Yes, it's not divider/multiplied output, but do note that references and measurement KI 2002 were powered off/on multiple times and moved from one place to another, even
wiring was subject to change as well. Definitely, better figures are achievable if everything kept constant. No custom parts were used (PCB not counted).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: engineer_in_shorts on February 17, 2015, 03:44:19 pm
Since this thread went off rails long ago, here are my 5c.

Quote
Doing 20ppm/year will be very challenging IMHO.

SNIP ............
 given you already have stable DMM to make sure of drift coming from reference, not a measurement tool.
............... SNIP


That's what we are saying!!!!!! You need a 8.5 digit class DMM to verify a 20ppm/year reference and the peeps on here trying verify the drift of a reference device quoted at 2ppm/year using a 6.5 digit class DMM are just dumb. 

Also a 20ppm/year device is not good enough to verify a 6.5 digit class DMM, so whats the point? as 6.5 DMM are cheap and plentiful.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 17, 2015, 03:54:25 pm
Those suggestions are so laughable it's hardly worth the time to respond.....if you can't do the simple math to reach a conclusion that you won't be able to even verify these "cheap standards"....then best of luck....

It's very hard to take anything you say seriously

Not one of these devices comes with ANY form of trustworthy traceability.....it's just Awesome14 all over again.....I suspect something about conspiracy and angels will come out next....good grief....

no 6 1/2 digit "lab meter" is going to verify stability to PPM range.  The least significant digit is not trustworthy and @ 10V your least significant digit is 1ppm....

and YOUR suggestion for measuring vREF is this....?  :-DD  why even bother speculating about "ppm stability".....there is simply ZERO data.... :--

There you go again with all that traceabilty, NIST, 1ppm crap which makes no sense in relation to my posts. You don't seem to get it. Maybe just not capable of understanding what the phrase "5 digit" means. And totally lost in regard to "hobby" or at least pretending so.

I've been noticing your posts since you came on. And the other volt-nuts too. Many wanna-bes but in my estimation probably 2 maybe 3 individuals at most justified in getting into that area. You are not one of them. Not everybody who owns a precision meter (or two) is able to pull their head out of their ass. The phrase "More money than brains" comes to mind.

How's that for elite superiority? I can be a little abusive regarding technical matters but not usually into personal attacks. Thought maybe time for an exception here.

As far as Awesome14 I don't feel too bad being compared there. Even with all the vampire/assassination stuff he still seemed to have one of the more balanced attitudes. Too bad he was banned from the site.  Firing squads worked for Mao and Mussolini so apparently very effective quelling opposition here.  No chance for a defense now. The detractors don't seem too happy either with nothing to strike out at. So I guess anything else that might be in range.

LOL.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 17, 2015, 06:03:44 pm
Fluke adds some proprietary temperature compensation to the reference circuitry, and this DMM's performance over reasonable temperature swings is very good, so that rumor might be true.

What? Secret method for squeezing extreme performance out of otherwise mundane reference chip? Where did I hear that bef... oh yeah!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 17, 2015, 06:47:49 pm

..................................
As far as Awesome14 I don't feel too bad being compared there. Even with all the vampire/assassination stuff he still seemed to have one of the more balanced attitudes. Too bad he was banned from the site. 
..................................

"Awesome14 banned form the site". Who made that decision and why? Foul language sure doesn't get one banned and I don't want to get banned.
AL
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: splin on February 17, 2015, 07:25:02 pm

Your calculation is not correct, either!

uncertainty of 5V on 10V range:
15ppm of  reading (5V)  => 75µV
plus 4 ppm of range (10V) => plus 40µV

=> 115µV / 5V = 23ppm

To be exact, you also have to add the A/D non linearity, which is 2ppm of range => 20µV => gives additionally 4ppm, for a  Grand Total of 27ppm.
And then also some ppm for the temperature coefficient, which I'd like to omit now, because it's already included, if you stay within +/- 1°C.

On a 6 1/2 digit DMM, 27 ppm of 5V or 135µV uncertainty on 10V range are visible on the last two digits: 4.99987 .. 5.00014 V.

That's not so good, more a 4 4/5 digit result, than a 5 1/2 digit one.

It's mainly caused by the mediocre stability specification of the LM399H reference plus the assorted amplifier-resistors.

Frank

Just being a bit picky, but right answer, wrong reason according to my version of the datasheet:
 'A-D Linearity: 0.0002% of reading + 0.0001% of range' - so 2ppm * 5Vrdg + 1ppm * 10Vrange = 20uV.

Splin
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 17, 2015, 07:35:04 pm

Your calculation is not correct, either!

uncertainty of 5V on 10V range:
15ppm of  reading (5V)  => 75µV
plus 4 ppm of range (10V) => plus 40µV

=> 115µV / 5V = 23ppm

To be exact, you also have to add the A/D non linearity, which is 2ppm of range => 20µV => gives additionally 4ppm, for a  Grand Total of 27ppm.
And then also some ppm for the temperature coefficient, which I'd like to omit now, because it's already included, if you stay within +/- 1°C.

On a 6 1/2 digit DMM, 27 ppm of 5V or 135µV uncertainty on 10V range are visible on the last two digits: 4.99987 .. 5.00014 V.

That's not so good, more a 4 4/5 digit result, than a 5 1/2 digit one.

It's mainly caused by the mediocre stability specification of the LM399H reference plus the assorted amplifier-resistors.

Frank

Just being a bit picky, but right answer, wrong reason according to my version of the datasheet:
 'A-D Linearity: 0.0002% of reading + 0.0001% of range' - so 2ppm * 5Vrdg + 1ppm * 10Vrange = 20uV.

Splin

Sorry, I'm well over 50, so I did not remember the linearity spec correctly.

THX for correction.

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 17, 2015, 07:55:14 pm
Fluke adds some proprietary temperature compensation to the reference circuitry, and this DMM's performance over reasonable temperature swings is very good, so that rumor might be true.

What? Secret method for squeezing extreme performance out of otherwise mundane reference chip? Where did I hear that bef... oh yeah!

Ha ha, very funny...

Truth be told though, the LM399 [and it's TempCo tested brother the LM399A] is actually a *VERY* good reference--- far better than what the data sheet says.  And with burn-in and testing/selection, only accepting parts in the lower 10th percentile, well, it can be *exceptionally* good.  The data-sheet spec for an LM399A is 0.3ppm/K [heated of course], and Bob Dobkin told me that the *average* part is going to be more like 0.1ppm/K [they have to state a higher value on the spec sheet for the exceptions].  Now, if you are testing them yourself for TempCo, and destroying 90% of the parts, then it's a good bet that you will end up with a reference that is far better than the "average" 0.1ppm/K.  With a ONE YEAR burn-in at 150C, you are artificially aging the references about 64 years-- so, then you get on the "linear" portion of the logarithmic curve where the drift is 1ppm/year to 2ppm/year.  A single LM399A would kick *any* unheated reference's ass...

There is speculation that the drift in a subsurface Zener is due to the micro-cracks and micro-strain in the silicon die after separation from the wafer.  Supposedly, these crystalline imperfections show up as increased LF-noise [DC to 10Hz].  So, if the rumor is true, if you select for very low LF-noise, it's a good bet that you will end up with a reference that is more stable over time.  If this is true, then I would imagine that it is being kept as a closely guarded "trade secret" by interested parties.  Note that this has nothing to do with the on-chip intentional and unintentional resistors that will account for 99% of the drift, and the burn-in [and subsequent temperature cycling between -55C and +150C] should take care of most of that.  That leaves only the die-attach, which for these chips will most likely be high temperature epoxy that is filled with "micro-balloons".  As the die [heater] is turned on and off, the strain will cause some of these balloons to "pop", and you will see about a 1-ppm jump in the output voltage temporarily.  So, after the burn-in and temp-cycles, the reference heater should be turned on and then off [1-minute on, 1 minute off] for 90 days, but in a cold environment [like a freezer].  This will "exercise" the die attach, and any micro-voids or "ready to pop" micro balloons will have already done whatever it is that they are going to do, and these temporary 1-ppm jumps in voltage will be gone.

So, if you own an older "big name" DMM that you are junking, at least pull the LM399 out of it-- as that reference is likely to be very special indeed.

-Ken

Anyhow, National and LT both specified a typical drift rate only, about  50ppm/year typical, if I remember correctly.
You also could order pre-monitored references, with 20 or 50ppm/year maximum drift.

As most semiconductor suppliers tend to brighten their specs (National and LT may be different from that), these limits really represent, what the LMx99 refs are capable of.
Otherwise, if they would be in reality "much better than specified", then HP or Fluke won't skip 90% of them.

Joe Geller has a very instructive article on his site, how 78 LM299 behave over 1008h:

http://www.gellerlabs.com/LM299AH-20_Case_Study.htm (http://www.gellerlabs.com/LM299AH-20_Case_Study.htm)

The corrected diagram shows the usual statistics, some samples are rock stable, others drift wildly, so there's a maximum envelope of about +/- 10ppm after 1008h, where all references stay within.
http://www.gellerlabs.com/LM299/LM299AH_Corr_Time_Drift%20b.pdf (http://www.gellerlabs.com/LM299/LM299AH_Corr_Time_Drift%20b.pdf)

Hardly to predict, how that would look after 1 year, if these drifts grow linearly, or if they all stabilize to something like +/- 50ppm..
For sure, the LTZ1000, SZA263, LTFLU on 45°C would show an at least 10 time smaller envelope, I would bet.


Anyhow, there's no way out to monitor such references long enough, to be able to specify upper limits for the drift, which would be the only reliable parameter..

Same goes for the 6.5 digit (or even higher grade ) instruments.
All of them MAY perform better than spec, or as given by TYPICAL values, but nobody can count on that, if it's going for measuring uncertainties..

Frank

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 17, 2015, 09:34:26 pm
Did Bob say how long of a warm up the LM399 needs to stabilize? I notice in the datasheet there's an app circuit for a "portable calibrator" where it's only on as long as you hold down the push button. This would tell me it is stable within a few seconds.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 17, 2015, 09:44:26 pm
Hi Group,

Just started a new measurement, with two 34461A an a 34401A, all three more than 24 houre's on before the measurement started.

First this, this is a nice link on the website of Gellerlabs about tempco of DMM's
http://www.gellerlabs.com/DMMtempco.htm (http://www.gellerlabs.com/DMMtempco.htm)

Some pictures of 4 instruments measuring a 10V Reference, is uses a quad heathed LT1021-5V TO ic's
First picture meters are in "Null" state, showing the difference for 2 hour.
2x 34461A, The top meter drift a llittledown and the bottom meter drift a little up.
Cal december 2014 and cal 30-jan 2015
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-03.png)


One of my TEK DMM4050 DMM's.
Almost no drift, only noise, verry stable meter on 10V range.
Cal Nov 2013, 10 V DC, stil spot on.
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-02.png)

This is my old 34401, a view months late for its cal.
It a verry stable meter, but for the last digits it has to be on fore at least 16 hours.
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-01.png)

The meters are compared bij a freshly calibrated 3458A.

Now I have a 3458A, and two calibration reports of these meter, one from the beginning of december 2014 and one at the end of December 2014.
You can almost never be sure, that if you measure 10V DC reference, is accurate to within 3 ppm of NIST and PTB.
There are so many variables, cables, connectors, DMM drift etc.

Probably you can really have a little confidence, if you have 3x 3458a and a Fluke 732a.  :-DD
If you look at the drift specifications of the calibrators used for my 3458a, you will not be happy...
I know the specifications and the reputation of the drift makes it a lot better than specifications.
But still, it gives me no good feeling.
All I can do, is difference measurements, with multiple instruments to see if my circuit drift. Live sucks  :D

Kind regarts,
Blackdog




Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 17, 2015, 10:05:02 pm
Did Bob say how long of a warm up the LM399 needs to stabilize? I notice in the datasheet there's an app circuit for a "portable calibrator" where it's only on as long as you hold down the push button. This would tell me it is stable within a few seconds.

Interresting!

I am doing some experiments with a Lipo and the temp output of a REF5025. I expected it would take quite some time to get a stable output.

Do you have a LM399 at hand?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 17, 2015, 10:08:23 pm
Hi JohnnyBerg,

I have about 20 pieces at hand of the LM399, what do you wanna know?

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 17, 2015, 10:12:35 pm
I have about 20 pieces at hand of the LM399, what do you wanna know?

How fast do they reach there set temperature, and how fast do they settle?

I know from the CO forum that you also experimented with references in ovens. How fast did they settle? (give or take, do we talk seconds, minutes or hours)  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 17, 2015, 10:17:10 pm
Hi JohnnyBerg, :-)


The time depends on the thermal mass, the small ones about 2 minutes and the big one's 15 minutes to 1 Houre depending on the temperature difference.
Tomorrow i wil boot up two LM399 fore you en measure until it is stable.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 17, 2015, 10:40:55 pm
Hi JohnnyBerg, :-)


The time depends on the thermal mass, the small ones about 2 minutes and the big one's 15 minutes to 1 Houre depending on the temperature difference.
Tomorrow i wil boot up two LM399 fore you en measure until it is stable.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog



If you measure the heater current you will know when the temperature has stabilized.

The LT datasheet shows:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=137033;image)

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=137035;image)

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=137037;image)

So this gives you an idea.

It doesn't say how long it takes to stabilize to ppm levels. I know an HP 3456A stabilizes pretty quick.

Jay_Diddy_B

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 17, 2015, 10:46:24 pm
Hi Jay_Diddy_B  ;)

I know the datasheet, i wil do tomorrow a test with both KEYSIGHT 34461A DMM's i have, one fore the zener voltage and the other for the current at 12V, 15, 20, 24DC.
How quick it will reach PPM level, we shall see...

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: SteveyG on February 18, 2015, 08:49:46 am
It works well. Try doing better than that on a proto board. You are attempting to do me intentional harm. Shame on you! Why are you doing that? I have done nothing wrong. I manufacture a superb product. If you are one to judge only by appearances, you can't see the truth! And if you're so concerned with doing me harm, I hold you captive, because you really can't harm me. The product performs superbly when used according to even the most basic common sense.

You can get reasonable results on prototype board.

(http://sdgelectronics.co.uk/images/eev/dacPrototype.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 18, 2015, 10:42:52 am
Hi,


First a picture of the two 34461A DMM's measuring my 10V reference.
Distinctly different behavior, this is also due to the difference of connectors and connectors that are not shielded.
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-04.png)


I have done some testing on a couple of LM399 ICs.
With a test jig and a current source, but i measured big variations in output voltage.
It looked like popcorn noise, but the noise pulses lasted too long.
Then it got time to properly shield the LM399 ICs and use a good quality coax cable to connect the LM399 to the DMM.

It only works if your Reference is mounted in a kind animal box. :-DD
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-07.png)


Mounted in de metal box the strange noise pulses where gone.
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-08.png)


Here you can see that the LM399 is in a socket, YES this is BAD!!!
On the left side of the board you can see the temp compensated 1,3mA current source (not in use for the last measurements)
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-09.png)


Now this is why a socket is bad...
If you wiggle the LM399 you get big shifts in output voltage.
I good not get the voltage to the same level...
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Drift-6.5-DMM-10.png)


If the LM399 is cold, it takes about 15 seconds to come back whitin 1PPM.
Its like the data sheets tells you, if you look at the stabilized current, just like Jay_Diddy_B told us.
So a pushbutton can be used, but be sure to hold 15 seconds  ;)


Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 18, 2015, 09:27:55 pm
It works well. Try doing better than that on a proto board. You are attempting to do me intentional harm. Shame on you! Why are you doing that? I have done nothing wrong. I manufacture a superb product. If you are one to judge only by appearances, you can't see the truth! And if you're so concerned with doing me harm, I hold you captive, because you really can't harm me. The product performs superbly when used according to even the most basic common sense.

You can get reasonable results on prototype board.

(http://sdgelectronics.co.uk/images/eev/dacPrototype.jpg)

What is all that circuitry on the right?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 19, 2015, 10:15:41 am
It looked like popcorn noise, but the noise pulses lasted too long.
Then it got time to properly shield the LM399 ICs and use a good quality coax cable to connect the LM399 to the DMM.

Interesting, and extremely relevant.   Thanks for posting, I will remember this. If I ever get into ppm and sub-ppm requirements, I will shield my references and use coax to bring it to a meter in the future.



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 19, 2015, 10:59:28 am
Almost 48 hours later, I am back in my lab.
It seems at first there was a increase in the first few hours and then the output stayed more constant.
At the end of the graph there is another slight increase, this started after I came in to the lab and turned the light and other instruments on.
Standard deviation is 0.000011 over this time.

But I must say that the 5V reference was turned on just an hour before the test was started.
It would make more sense to restart another 48 hour data collection.
 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: SteveyG on February 19, 2015, 11:40:31 am
It looked like popcorn noise, but the noise pulses lasted too long.
Then it got time to properly shield the LM399 ICs and use a good quality coax cable to connect the LM399 to the DMM.

Interesting, and extremely relevant.   Thanks for posting, I will remember this. If I ever get into ppm and sub-ppm requirements, I will shield my references and use coax to bring it to a meter in the future.

Yes I think I need to purchase some BNC to 4mm adaptors.

What is all that circuitry on the right?

Parts for an audio DAC. TOSLINK/SPDIF input, ASRC, Wolfson DAC. I was experimenting with various configurations and automating switching in/out various options so I could do blind tests of whether anything makes any difference to the sound.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 19, 2015, 12:29:27 pm
Hi  HighVoltage,

This is the way i do it...

DMM at least 24 Houre on.
Power up the reference at least 24 hour.
Use shielded kabel, or use a twisted pair, short as posible.
Be careful with drafts!!!
Shield your connectors with a little foam.

Measure it for say 48 hour, save your measurement.
Power down your reference for 4 hours, leave everything as it is.

Power on your reference and start another 48 hour of measuring time, save it, and compare the results.
You can repeat this several times, but leave the DMM ON, and do not remove the cables.

This why you need more than two 6, digit or better DMM's  :D

Most of the time i use de "NULL" function on my DMM's and on the 34461A i  choose a 20uV span in the graphic representation.
10uV is 1PPM if your reference is 10V.


Kind regarts,
Blackdog


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 19, 2015, 01:42:29 pm
Hello Blackdog,

Thanks for your many suggestions.
I will make some new short and twisted cables and start a new 48h collection of data.
I was a little surprised that the voltage standard had such a drift.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 19, 2015, 01:52:24 pm
Hi HighVoltage,

I was a little surprised that the voltage standard had such a drift.
Be aware, that the 34461A is about 1PPM / Celsius (my two instruments) around 19 to 23C, i dit not test them on a higher temperatuur in my LAB.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 19, 2015, 02:23:48 pm

Yes I think I need to purchase some BNC to 4mm adaptors.


BNC is not a good connector for DC low EMF

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/help-wanted-low-and-high-ohm-measuremet/msg173641/#msg173641 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/help-wanted-low-and-high-ohm-measuremet/msg173641/#msg173641)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 19, 2015, 03:09:17 pm

Yes I think I need to purchase some BNC to 4mm adaptors.


BNC is not a good connector for DC low EMF

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/help-wanted-low-and-high-ohm-measuremet/msg173641/#msg173641 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/help-wanted-low-and-high-ohm-measuremet/msg173641/#msg173641)
BNC is among the best ones for low thermal EMF but I think you'll need gold plated banana plugs:
http://uk.farnell.com/pomona/3269/adaptor-bnc-jack-mini-dbl-banana/dp/2406419 (http://uk.farnell.com/pomona/3269/adaptor-bnc-jack-mini-dbl-banana/dp/2406419)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 19, 2015, 10:42:17 pm
Yeah I use bnc too, along with low triboelectric cables.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 04:51:52 pm
Let's just stick with professional opinions and solid research work.
Also where is the "solid research work"......please let's see it good sir  :scared:
I posted a 40-hour trend plot to the item description. The device was in the early stages when I released it. I just burned in a batch for 35 days, tuned the temperature-compensation circuitry, calibrated them, and shipped them out. Everyone who tried one liked it. So, there never has been any data beyond about one month. I'm selling them so fast I don't have test units.

The other thing is: my units do not require to remain powered-up, like the Fluke 732A, 732B, so it really makes no sense to leave it powered on for long periods, unless one requires it. The best way to test the units is to use them, and power them down when not in use. Then, after 30, 60, 90, 120 days measure the drift. But powering the unit 24/7 is considered excessive and unnecessary, and drift figures may increase. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:10:33 pm
My standard is the only standard to successfully employ tunable, passive tempco employing a heat-equalization pipe. Why didn't you think of that?

errrmahgerd !!  a "passive tempco heat-equalization pipe" !!!!

You are most certainly right sir....I would never think of such a ludicrous thing.....I bow and am humbled by such a device.... :palm:

"Tuning" the tempco ?   :-DD  Where do you come up with this shit..... :palm:
What you do not understand you find humorous, or you revile it.

Quote
BTW I am very familiar with passive heatpipe technology
Your are undoubtedly referring to passive refrigeration, which is one application of a heat pipe, and which uses the familiar and cylindrical form of a pipe.
Quote
....but explain how a passive heat pipe, "tunes" the "tempco" in a "sealed" enclosure   ;)  Doesn't that TDP have to escape the case somehow?  Or does it fly into the "quantum vacuum"?    I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown, nor do I see an external path for the heatpipe to transfer thermal energy to a heat exchanger....nor do I see a fan to further remove that energy from the external heat exchanger.....furthermore....why would you want to REMOVE heat? 
As I implied above, you hold a parochial view of the term heat-pipe. I'm using a more theoretical-thermodynamic sense of heat pipeing, without the passive refrigeration. I'm just pumping heat as a physical circuit inside a closed system, as a distribution method. Don't confuse my use of the word, "circuit" with the more narrow view of electronic circuit. There are also heat circuits used mainly in chemical engineering. I've simply applied the concept for use in my standard.
 
Quote
Does the circuit somehow generate enough heat that it will melt the plastic enclosure?  You are familiar with the concept of "ovenizing" these device right?
Ovenizing requires power; power requirements that precludes the use of small, inexpensive batteries for input power.   

Quote
Heat pipes are designed to transfer heat form one place to another.....usually from a source of heat, to a heat exchanger....I.E. from a let's say a microprocessor to a thermally bonded "pad"....through the heatpipe itself, to a heat exchanger...which is located a distance form the heat source....and usually to a heatsink, with some form of active cooling solution.....I.E. from cpu to external heat exchanger....with some form of active cooling....the purpose is to move heat OUT of the case.....

Another example would be a sodium filled valve-stem.....which is designed to (once again) REMOVE heat from a cylinder head valve seat....

I am a bit puzzled by how a "passive" heat pipe helps stabilize a monolithic voltage ref IC.....usually we want to pump heat INTO them....have you figured out a way to "make heat" passively?  That is simply astounding.....I would like to know more.  You and the "quantum vacuum" guy must be good friends.....

BTW is this your "heatpipe"?  Because that is simply a piece of foil....and it appears you are trying to move heat between some kind of resistor (or diode...I can't tell because it appears you have slathered everything in some type of non thermal adhesive) and the top of the IC package.....sorry but that is NOT a heat pipe....a heatpipe is a hollow (vapor cavity), tubular (sometime oval or "flat" but hollow non the less) device, usually filled with a type of "wick"....
In the most parochial view, yes, what you say is a heatpipe. But in an interdisciplinary sense a heatpipe does not necessarily have a cylindrical shape, nor is it even necessarily hollow. Sometimes it is desirable to transfer heat from one part of a closed system to another, and this is no less the job of a heat pipe than passive refrigeration. 

Quote
You do also realize you could have done this same thing, by designing a proper PCB, with a common thermal layer...and a REF IC that is in a "can" (TO package), flipped into the "dead bug" configuration.....although I don't really see the point of either....you have no controlled heat source....unless your "heatpipe" is once again aligned with the "quantum vacuum"....
Rather than being freed by your knowledge, you are enslaved by it. If you knew who you are insulting, you would be aghast at yourself. But you assume anything you do not understand is worthy of ridicule, contempt, or is irrelevant.

I have learned what I know first by scientific theory, from which I have developed applications. I am not one who learns at the application level. My self-image in no way depends on my knowledge. If I'm incorrect, so be it! I welcome correction. But is it's only a matter of semantics, I don't really care. If it's something of substance, I welcome it! 

Quote
still feel like playing?   :bullshit:

Your words ring hollow, because you justify being correct at the expense of broadening your knowledge base. I'm confident, whereas you cling to a narrow view, demanding that it be recognized as the pinnacle of truth, when in fact it is a slice of a bigger picture. And when you introduce malice toward others, you reveal who you really are; not to be trusted.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:15:29 pm


That's exactly what is going to happen. Due to no part of mine in it, but you earned it. No one is claiming miracles or magic regarding the D-105 DC. The members of this board appear as utter fools because of their presumption and arrogance, something they apparently cannot hide even if they try. Nor can they accept the truth even when it is known. No, they insist on hammering away at the less fortunate, the weak and disabled.



Wait, i thought you said you were mentally superior to all of us, rich beyond the need for financial gain and knew how to bend the laws of nature.....

now you say you are less fortunate, weak and disabled.....

I will most certainly agree with you on the disabled part....you know that you can get medication that might help you with that though?  Maybe your "brilliant cardiologist friend" can help get you that Rx ?  Although I don't think they allow physicians to write scripts posthumously :clap:

If you took into consideration only my words, and not the assumption you attach to them, you would see that I never claimed what you say I do.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:18:06 pm
Awesome14, temperature compensated references have been around for a long time. There's even an LT app note showing a schematic for one (Jim Williams AN47 maybe).

Speaking of Jim Williams, he's a true genius and someone I truly admire. The world lost a brilliant mind the day he died.

The fact that you won't show us what's so "obvious" that we missed is akin to a kid on the playground going "I've got something you don't, nanana boo boo!"

It leads me to believe that you're just blowing smoke.

Also, show me exactly what TunerSandwich edited in his quote.

Real scientists and engineers don't act the way you do. God, I can't imagine the way you'd react at having a paper or something peer reviewed. You'd flip the fuck out and smite them all with God's name.

You're either a troll or insane.


Sent from my Smartphone

...

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities....[/color]

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities, and I've discovered the device is controlled by magic! [/color]

...

I have chosen to protect my work using trade-secret rather than patent. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not going to reveal what protects my work, no matter how many times the members call it worthless. Because I know there is nothing like it for the price.

You fucking dumbass, he didn't edit your post, he quoted the first paragraph in a wall of text and truncated it for brevity. You're friends with God and the most brilliant mind in the world, yet you don't even know what an ellipsis is... (I'd tell you, but it's a trade secret.)

By the way, I'm 80% done with a PCB based on "your" design. I'll be selling them on eBay for $50. So you're right, there will be nothing like it for the price. Because I'll be undercutting you by $100 with a more professional product. Once you go out of business, I'll stop.

I'll be losing money in labor, but I'll more than make up for it in sheer pleasure. It'll be like having an orgasm every time one sells.

Sent from my Tablet

It was truncated in a strategic manner. If you knew who it is that you call names, you would lament in bitterness.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:21:01 pm
Awesome14; seriously, no matter the performance claims, you can't sell this stuff without seriously upgrading the build quality.

Others; I'd say, leave the poor guy alone. He obviously has wiring problems way beyond the technical stuff.

my 2c

The items are hand-made. They're not going to look as perfect as machine-made products. But they work better than machine-made products.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:22:41 pm
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D
They saw but did not understand. Therefore, they ridiculed what made no sense to them.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:32:28 pm
I don't see any heatpipes in the teardown

Maybe he thinks all the plated holes in the perf board are heat pipes. After-all, they're metallic and kind of pipe shaped  ;D

If you look at the pictures....and try to decipher Awesome14's comment....this is what I believe he is saying....

He has glued a piece of copper foil, between a diode, and the ref IC case....he is calling that a "heatpipe".  Ok it's not.  I think he is saying that he is cooking that poor little diode, and expecting that a thin piece of copper foil is somehow transferring enough thermal energy from the poor little diode (which is his "heater") to "stabilize" the REF IC.  The efficiency of heat transfer across that piece of foil is nil.  Also the diode is right next to a shit bottom of the barrel trimmer....which hasn't even had the wiper screw glued in place.  So in essence he is creating more of a problem than solving one.  The majority of heat (which is hardly any) is not traveling across the copper foil to the REF innards....it's just traveling, via convection, into the case of the trimmer.

Ok fine...even then I doubt this has any significant impact on anything in this circuit.  If his theory is to heat the case of the REF then why not just take some nichrome wire...zig zag it across the top of the REF IC case....bond it thermally and run some current through it?  That would be far more efficient than his method....and still that isn't the proper way to ovenize this package.

This all could be avoided...by simply designing a proper PCB....with a thermal layer...bonded to a TO (can) REF IC, in the dead bug config....bond the case of the TO package to the thermal layer with some thermal "grease"....and then bond a proper controlled heater to the thermal layer....just like everyone else does....

Instead he claims this is somehow innovative, and we are all too stupid too see it....I am sorry but I am all for helping people, but not when they act like some elitist and call everyone here inferior....ESPECIALLY when they have ZERO basis in their claims...NO data to prove anything and start talking about being handed circuit designs from God himself....throw in vampires, angles, and whatever other bullshit is flying out of this guys mouth, and I just don't feel like being nice anymore....

I said back on page one, that the REF102C is in fact an excellent monolithic ref IC.....I have worked with them many times, and if you hand select (bin) the IC, you can easily get better than 2ppm per year stability....out of the plastic package.  No big deal there.

What I am amazed at is that DESPITE the poor layout and construction of Awesome14's "reference" the Ti REF102C is getting anywhere near 2ppm stability (+/- so 4ppm really) for even a day or two....I still see zero data showing anything about stability over 30, 90, 180, 256,etc etc etc days....

If anything I say this whole scenario just shows how good the REF102C can be....even when someone who has no idea what they are doing slaps one together with perfboard....shit components and construction techniques....

Again I have used the REF102C in a proper ovenized enclosure design...with proper supporting components, and it's a nice little IC, for a reasonable cost.....easy to implement etc etc etc....and IF you hand select the IC you CAN get better than 1.5ppm stability over a year or more....fine, no big deal...that is not innovative, astounding or anything other than "decent".....

The claims of "heatpipes" and "revolutionary design"....and then insulting us all on the basis that since we don't agree, we are somehow mentally inferior and closed minded...is simply going past the point where I feel like lending any advice or being a nice guy....

So again the only conclusion here, is that DESPITE Awesome14's total ignorance and terrible mental disabilities, the REF102C is a half way decent REF IC....I am mainly still here reading and commenting, because I find this entire thread utterly hilarious, on the basis of the divine claims, breaking the laws of physics claims, assassination conspiracy etc etc etc....it's pure comedy at this point....nothing anyone says here is actually going to help Awesome14, he is far beyond that....

To top it off Awesome14 is SELLING these on eBAY....with bogus descriptions....no pictures of internals....and for a price that doesn't justify anything he has done.  Anyone here or there could easily order the same IC from Mouser or Digikey or wherever, for not much money...slap it on a perfboard...with half way decent components....throw it in a hammond enclosure and probably have BETTER results, for under $50. 

So basically this is an eBAY scam, and constitutes fraud....and that is simply shameful....there is nothing innovative or "magical" about the "product"....it's built on nothing more than an application schematic handed down from Burr-Brown to Ti and then from Ti to Awesome14....and he didn't even implement it properly....why would anyone want to help this guy?  He is scum...
Your malice toward the innocent belies your inner motivations. You cannot rob me of my accomplishments. You cannot prove me wrong. You're inert; completely devoid of influence over me. Yet, you are my slave, because you hold me in contempt. I control you. My very existence controls the way you think and feel. I've revealed for all to see who you really are. You're seething! You seek to destroy. But you only destroy yourself. It's pathetic!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:34:50 pm
And if you take a good look in this thread, you will see the firsts attacks come from awesome14.

I agree, in the start, it was looking good, with good points on how to do, and how to evaluate this kind of circuits. But when the people from this forum started to try to get real tests, then the maker came and start to try make everyone to think the same way he does.
Using non-scientific things to explain the circuit, blah blah...

Then, after he show some attacks to whom disagree from him, the things come more comedy... From some pages there is nothing but funny posts, from one side or another.

No big deal. There is somethings that we don't really say to someone, but if he is concerned about this, stop to say something to us (like all that crap about how he get the circuit from heavens, or something about vampires, about the cardiologist who know so much of electronics, about death attempts, how all this are connected to some voltage reference circuit?)

More than a scam, it is a troll.
Utterly nonsensical and contrived twisting of my words
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 06:38:25 pm

The 8-digit meter and the 732A belong to our calibration lab, which is owned by CalibratoryTM, LLC. I personally own a large part of CalibratoryTM, LLC, which also manufactures the voltage reference, D-105 10DC. But no man is an island! We all need other people to accomplish anything.


For the record, there's no LLC registered as Calibratory, or CalibratoryTM in the states of MN or WI. I also checked federal tax records and found nothing. This leads me to believe that The name is up for grabs

Anyhoo, we've beaten the piss out of a dead horse. We saw earlier that it actually performs relatively well and that is really a testament to the IC. Go buy the IC and some parts for $30 and you have a decent ref!
The IC is +- 5mVDC. The reason my reference works so well is because of me. If it was the IC, anyone could do what I've done. But the fact is, no one ever has, all things considered, especially the price. I'm selling every piece I can make, 2 months into the future!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 21, 2015, 07:56:48 pm
Its happening again.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 21, 2015, 08:06:04 pm
I control you. My very existence controls the way you think and feel. I've revealed for all to see who you really are. You're seething! You seek to destroy. But you only destroy yourself. It's pathetic!

Yay!!!! He's back. I was never so glad to be wrong.

Now let's hope "Kiss on First Date" didn't get too frightened away by my temper tantrum response to his rude posts.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 21, 2015, 08:07:49 pm
I control you. My very existence controls the way you think and feel. I've revealed for all to see who you really are. You're seething! You seek to destroy. But you only destroy yourself. It's pathetic!

This is Crazy for "lol i troll you"
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 21, 2015, 08:17:32 pm
I can't find the ::eats popcorn:: emoticon in the list of smileys. This forum is definitely missing a feature  :(
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mamalala on February 21, 2015, 08:21:12 pm
I can't find the ::eats popcorn:: emoticon in the list of smileys. This forum is definitely missing a feature  :(

That emoticon would need to be so huge here that it would probably would take ages to load...

Greetings,

Chris
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 21, 2015, 08:21:45 pm
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg6/grappler0000/Forum/Emoticons/Popcorn-emot.gif)

This one's amusing (http://reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/popcorn_stephen_colbert.gif) but it's got me yelled at before, probably just for being too big and giffy >:D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 21, 2015, 09:37:55 pm
Or this one:
(http://content.boards.baltimoreravens.com/public/style_emoticons/default/popcorn%20drama.gif)

 :-DD :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 21, 2015, 10:34:47 pm

Awesome14, temperature compensated references have been around for a long time. There's even an LT app note showing a schematic for one (Jim Williams AN47 maybe).

Speaking of Jim Williams, he's a true genius and someone I truly admire. The world lost a brilliant mind the day he died.

The fact that you won't show us what's so "obvious" that we missed is akin to a kid on the playground going "I've got something you don't, nanana boo boo!"

It leads me to believe that you're just blowing smoke.

Also, show me exactly what TunerSandwich edited in his quote.

Real scientists and engineers don't act the way you do. God, I can't imagine the way you'd react at having a paper or something peer reviewed. You'd flip the fuck out and smite them all with God's name.

You're either a troll or insane.


Sent from my Smartphone

...

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities....[/color]

[color=”red”]It does NOT mean: I've evaluated all possibilities, and I've discovered the device is controlled by magic! [/color]

...

I have chosen to protect my work using trade-secret rather than patent. Therefore, as I said before, I'm not going to reveal what protects my work, no matter how many times the members call it worthless. Because I know there is nothing like it for the price.

You fucking dumbass, he didn't edit your post, he quoted the first paragraph in a wall of text and truncated it for brevity. You're friends with God and the most brilliant mind in the world, yet you don't even know what an ellipsis is... (I'd tell you, but it's a trade secret.)

By the way, I'm 80% done with a PCB based on "your" design. I'll be selling them on eBay for $50. So you're right, there will be nothing like it for the price. Because I'll be undercutting you by $100 with a more professional product. Once you go out of business, I'll stop.

I'll be losing money in labor, but I'll more than make up for it in sheer pleasure. It'll be like having an orgasm every time one sells.

Sent from my Tablet

It was truncated in a strategic manner. If you knew who it is that you call names, you would lament in bitterness.

So quit playing stupid games and tell us who you are.

The fact you won't leads me to believe you're a nobody with mental issues.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 21, 2015, 10:39:20 pm

Let's just stick with professional opinions and solid research work.
Also where is the "solid research work"......please let's see it good sir  :scared:
I posted a 40-hour trend plot to the item description. The device was in the early stages when I released it. I just burned in a batch for 35 days, tuned the temperature-compensation circuitry, calibrated them, and shipped them out. Everyone who tried one liked it. So, there never has been any data beyond about one month. I'm selling them so fast I don't have test units. 

So, after hundreds of non-sensical posts from you, we finally manage to wrangle the truth.

You don't actually have any real long term performance data on the units, so the figures in your eBay ad are complete and utter bullshit.

Congratulations! You're a scammer!


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Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 11:23:20 pm
IMHO you have to admit that the build quality leaves much to be desired. Just look at the eval board from Linear for the LTZ1000. It is very hard to prove that the DC-105 offers the quoted performance. Perhaps it is adjusted properly to a certain level of accuracy and it has some temperature compensation (judging from how the copper foil looks it appears the thermal link is 'tuned')  but it seems to me that it does not get rid of long term drift and/or thermally induced offset voltages.

All of that is OK as long as the seller doesn't start to pull a whole load of BS from his ass. He could have sufficed to say that he doesn't want to disclose the inner workings. Some may accept that and others don't.
I'm not lying about anything. It's possible that I'm unfamiliar with certain terminology, or that I invent new terms as the need arises. Why would I resort to lying if my claims are real. There wouldn't be any point. And if I was a scammer, it would be obvious from my feedback on eBay.com. The units are handmade. They're not going to look as tidy as machine-made boards. But the people on this board who are picky about soldering remind me of my second-grade penmanship teacher who paid no attention to content, but only to how pretty the cursive was. She could have been reading Einstein's theory, and even though it revolutionized the world, if the penmanship was marginal, it was worthless! She told me that erasers would grow out of my fingers, because I erased too often. 

That's called smallmindedness, and it applies to soldering also! Fortunately, I pay little heed to it. The devices work, and if people don't want to look at the solder joints, they can just use it as a standard instead of taking it apart! I'm working on a board. But Rome wasn't built in a day! There's a lot involved in designing a board and then testing it. The one I have now works. There is no guarantee that any other design will work as well, or even close to what I use presently.

Flat conductors build up capacitance that can be problematic. But I know one thing: problems increase exponentially when people fix things that aren't broken. 

Unlike others, I assume that I know nothing; that I am nothing! To me, everything is too complex and infinite to ever be comfortable in understanding anything. That leaves my mind open to receive answers that others have no access to. I attribute my success to knowing nothing. People who know everything are unable to receive anything new, because they don't need it. They already know everything!

I'm not referring my entire reply to the author of the quoted post. This reply is useful to anyone using this board.  The invention is fairly new. There is no long-term data beyond 2,000 hours. For that reason I make no claims regarding it. Data takes time to gather. Give me a break! I'll put it in the item description as I get it. I appreciate the feedback if it could be at least as polite as the post I have quoted above.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 11:30:28 pm
He let the flood gates open paulie. At first we were poking fun at the build quality. That is no worse than what Dave does for a living.

Then we heard about Angels, mob hits and immortality. He brought it on himself.


Sent from my Smartphone
I don't believe my words warrant incessant abuse of myself or my product. I think you have a real problem. Bullies have a bad habit of getting their faces plastered to the concrete. I wouldn't do that to you, but you deserve it. And not everyone is as nice as I am. Some people are easily offended. If you say to them what you've said about me, it will be the last thing you ever do! I worry about people like you. Hopefully you will learn the easy way.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 21, 2015, 11:48:39 pm
At this point, for me, it does not matter so much for a couple of reasons.

The first is that a voltage standard is a critical piece of equipment that I should be able to rely on as a true reference. It's too much for me to trust a dead bug/perf board constructed device. I feel that it's long term performance would be hard to predict. If I have such critical work that I need standards in-house, it needs to be something that goes beyond a science fair experiment. The functionality should not be mysterious.

The second would be that such a bizarre rubbish of conversation subtracts any confidence at all even if I was willing to overlook the construction.

I don't know much about design of super-precise voltage standards and the unique testing required to verify the performance. I do know that when the end result must be VERY EXACT, everything that goes into it must be EXACT. Obviously that is not really the case here. Is it unique and special? yes, but not in a good way. If the box and the seller are VERY difficult to believe, why would I use this device as a REFERENCE STANDARD?

As for the community project idea, I will pitch in CNC machined cases. They can have a lot of thermal mass making them easy to temp control. If temp temp and humidity are really factors to consider, I can easily make a nitrogen purged case that can be temp controlled to something above typical ambient so that external temp/humidy will not have a chance to impact the circuit. Not sure if that will help, but I am hearing a lot about various tempco challenges and humidity. It seems that isolating a good circuit in a small box from almost all outside influences should off the best chance of making something with god like specs.
I resent your implications. And, if you require mission-critical accuracy and reliability, it's probably best to spend more than 100USD.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on February 22, 2015, 12:16:32 am
And if you take a good look in this thread, you will see the firsts attacks come from awesome14.

I agree, in the start, it was looking good, with good points on how to do, and how to evaluate this kind of circuits. But when the people from this forum started to try to get real tests, then the maker came and start to try make everyone to think the same way he does.
Using non-scientific things to explain the circuit, blah blah...

Then, after he show some attacks to whom disagree from him, the things come more comedy... From some pages there is nothing but funny posts, from one side or another.

No big deal. There is somethings that we don't really say to someone, but if he is concerned about this, stop to say something to us (like all that crap about how he get the circuit from heavens, or something about vampires, about the cardiologist who know so much of electronics, about death attempts, how all this are connected to some voltage reference circuit?)

More than a scam, it is a troll.

Show me one place where I did anything but tell the truth. I didn't attack anyone.


you have GOT to be kidding.....go back and read your own posts.....UN-freaking-believable

We can start with claims about your miraculous "heatpipe" technology.....how about claims of somehow bending the laws of physics, to improve Ti's technology?  Face it, the ref you are selling simply proves the quality of Ti's REF102C package...DESPITE your best efforts to corrupt it's implementation.....

You have been your own worst critic and enemy here.....DESPITE many of us offering suggestions and constructive criticisms....

I have a proposal....show me the testing data, that proves your little piece of copper foil, bonded to a weak heat source, and then bonded to the CASE of the REF IC, does ANYTHING AT ALL to improve performance.....seriously ONE piece of data and I will take you seriously. 

as far as I can see, you have done nothing other than meet Ti's own claims of potential stability in their IC package....nothing more and certainly less, in some cases....in case you missed the Ti lab report on this IC, here it is again.....

Show me ONE SINGLE piece of data that backs up your claims of "bettering" Ti's ref IC....if you simply made a mistake, because you don't understand what you are doing....then that is fine, admit it....be humble and some of us here might be inclined to help you.....but you need to stop posting misleading claims on your ebay listing, and stop with all of this "miraculous" technology inventions of your....they don't exist....nothing here, to me, is magic, or even "seems like magic".....in fact it follows Ti's own data sheet to the T....

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o282/madgreed/ti3.jpg)

P.S. the chart above is the M package version of the REF102C....which is the TO (can) style package.....Ti claims that the plastic package achieves the EXACT SAME stability figures AFTER 168 hours stabilization time.....which I whole heatedly believe....and can attest to, through my own experiences with the REF102C (non M) package.....nothing miraculous here.....just an honest manufacturer, who makes a device with a degree or predictability, for a reasonable cost.....I.E. good science, good marketing, from a reputable company....and that is PAR for the course...
This specification-police business is really out of hand. If you can prove me wrong, do it. But don't refute my claims based on parochial viewpoints that are mere sliver of a larger reality. If you don't understand something, that doesn't indicate it isn't true.

There are an infinite number of things I don't understand, yet until I prove any of them incorrect, I don't recklessly attack other people--on a personal as well as professional level--like you do. No one knows everything. Personally, I know nothing. That leaves my mind open to all Truth. Inspiring from God doesn't give a device divine attributes. It just saves time. The resulting device is still governed by the laws God placed over the physical reality.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 22, 2015, 12:25:45 am
Personally, I know nothing. That leaves my mind open to all Truth. Inspiring from God doesn't give a device divine attributes. It just saves time. The resulting device is still governed by the laws God placed over the physical reality.

It's rubbish like this which is why people will never take you seriously, ever.

Just couldn't stay away could you?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 22, 2015, 12:34:03 am
Your malice toward the innocent belies your inner motivations. You cannot rob me of my accomplishments. You cannot prove me wrong. You're inert; completely devoid of influence over me. Yet, you are my slave, because you hold me in contempt. I control you. My very existence controls the way you think and feel. I've revealed for all to see who you really are. You're seething! You seek to destroy. But you only destroy yourself. It's pathetic!

Awesome14, please stop this sort of drivel and stick to a technical defense of your product.
If you can't defend your product technically and answer technical questions then you will no longer be welcome here.
I know people are enjoying the freak show that this thread is, but it has to end somewhere.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 22, 2015, 01:47:39 am
I have created a voltage reference that transcends calibration and has itself become the standard. It can drift through space and time which in turn cancels out the the drift perceived in a fixed space and time. Of course this is accomplished by designing a fresh new set physical laws that you may not be aware of.



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gilbenl on February 22, 2015, 02:06:15 am
I'm not lying about anything. It's possible that I'm unfamiliar with certain terminology, or that I invent new terms as the need arises.

"I'm not lying! I just make stuff up when I don't know what I'm talking about."

...oh, okay then. :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 22, 2015, 02:11:35 am
On a serious note: at some point this thread touched some very interesting topics on the design and characterisation of voltage references. It's a pity that went away again.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 22, 2015, 02:21:12 am

I or that I invent new terms as the need arises.


WTF do you mean by "I invent new terms as the need arises"??? Does this mean you just pull something out of your ass to satisfy the buyers?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 22, 2015, 02:35:05 am
TBH, if you don't know the accepted terminology for something, then you must invent your own word for it. A "thing" exists just the same, whatever name it is given by different people. Established terminology exists to permit efficient communication. Thus I can say "square" rather than "planar four-sided shape with all sides equal and all angles equal". A square remains a square, whether or not I know the proper name for it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 22, 2015, 02:37:35 am
On a serious note: at some point this thread touched some very interesting topics on the design and characterisation of voltage references. It's a pity that went away again.

In my case, I decided I should get a 732A and be done with it. My next project is going to require a trustworthy reference. Now I know what I need to spend for that.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 22, 2015, 02:44:51 am
TBH, if you don't know the accepted terminology for something, then you must invent your own word for it. A "thing" exists just the same, whatever name it is given by different people. Established terminology exists to permit efficient communication. Thus I can say "square" rather than "planar four-sided shape with all sides equal and all angles equal". A square remains a square, whether or not I know the proper name for it.

Yeah, but why not stick to proper terminology instead of making up something. If you don't know the terminology then educate yourself so you do. It does not instill trust and faith in a product or seller that does not understand the proper terminology. I can see inventing terminology if you have created something that has no proper way to describe it, but Awsome14 is not doing anything that is different which needs to have new terminology made up.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on February 22, 2015, 03:37:48 am
Yeah, but why not stick to proper terminology instead of making up something. If you don't know the terminology then educate yourself so you do. It does not instill trust and faith in a product or seller that does not understand the proper terminology. I can see inventing terminology if you have created something that has no proper way to describe it, but Awsome14 is not doing anything that is different which needs to have new terminology made up.

I agree.
There is nothing fancy going on here, no new technology, nothing.
Just a reference on some vero board, with some (dodgy looking) thermal coupling between the package and a thermistor in the reference trim network.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 22, 2015, 05:44:17 am

IMHO you have to admit that the build quality leaves much to be desired. Just look at the eval board from Linear for the LTZ1000. It is very hard to prove that the DC-105 offers the quoted performance. Perhaps it is adjusted properly to a certain level of accuracy and it has some temperature compensation (judging from how the copper foil looks it appears the thermal link is 'tuned')  but it seems to me that it does not get rid of long term drift and/or thermally induced offset voltages.

All of that is OK as long as the seller doesn't start to pull a whole load of BS from his ass. He could have sufficed to say that he doesn't want to disclose the inner workings. Some may accept that and others don't.
But the people on this board who are picky about soldering remind me of my second-grade penmanship teacher who paid no attention to content, but only to how pretty the cursive was. She could have been reading Einstein's theory, and even though it revolutionized the world, if the penmanship was marginal, it was worthless!/ She told me that erasers would grow out of my fingers, because I erased too often. 

That's called smallmindednes...

She was critical of your marginal penmanship because she was your *penmanship* teacher, not your *english* teacher.

It's not called small mindedness, it's called doing her job.

Clearly your inability to form logical conclusions and reason well is not a new phenomenon for you, if you were this clueless as a child.

Quote
Flat conductors build up capacitance that can be problematic. But I know one thing: problems increase exponentially when people fix things that aren't broken. 

You use a lot of words, but I don't think they mean what you think they mean.

*All* conductors have capacitance to them. Resistance and inductive properties too!

In fact, a PCB trace can have less due to the ability to make it smaller than the 24-ish AWG wire in your box of horrors.

Finally, being flat really has nothing to do with it. I think you're taking the term "capacitive plates" and extrapolating meaning from it.

(Nit Pickers: Yes, I realize you can make capacitors with two copper layers on a board. That's not what he's talking about.)


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 22, 2015, 10:09:15 am
I also am beginning to think that he actually believes what he is saying.

I totally agree with this statement.
This is very typical for someone who was or is a member of a strange cult and has been brainwashed in believing whatever he says or thinks will manifest in reality at the instant the thought happens. There is actually a name for this mind sickness but it has escaped me at the moment .... or was it called "schizophrenia" ?

Too bad, I hoped he stayed away and we could continue this conversation on a quality technical level.
May be we should start again with a new thread.


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 22, 2015, 04:37:21 pm
Naaaahhh... much more fun hijacking the one for HIS product and continue dealing exclusively with personal attacks and avoiding some simple realities regarding actual performance of D105.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 22, 2015, 08:42:59 pm

Naaaahhh... much more fun hijacking the one for HIS product and continue letting HIM deal exclusively with personal attacks and avoiding some simple realities regarding actual performance of D105.

Fixed that for you.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 22, 2015, 09:06:15 pm

Naaaahhh... much more fun hijacking the one for HIS product and continue letting HIM deal exclusively with personal attacks and avoiding some simple realities regarding actual performance of D105.

Fixed that for you.


Sent from my Smartphone

Well I feel in good company now being grossly misquoted. Maybe meant as a joke but on the internet it's considered bad form. REALLY bad form and indication of the level of character and type of behavior we are dealing with.

This whole internet feeding frenzy thing is quite a phenomenon. I've seen it before and there was a big discussion of causes and consequences on a Yahoo thread devoted to post etiquette. The rage generally reveals quite a bit about personality defects in the attackers and therefor often results in opposite of the intended effect.

Anyone not caught up in mob hysteria who reviews this thread can see the "he started it..", "he deserves....", "I never said..." etc claims just don't wash. Simple lies in some cases. I've gone through this 3 times now and probably the only objective commentator here. Others undoubtedly fear retribution or becoming targets themselves. Or just disgusted. In any case a classic study in mob psychology.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 22, 2015, 09:17:36 pm


Naaaahhh... much more fun hijacking the one for HIS product and continue letting HIM deal exclusively with personal attacks and avoiding some simple realities regarding actual performance of D105.

Fixed that for you.


Sent from my Smartphone

Well I feel in good company now being grossly misquoted. Maybe meant as a joke but on the internet it's considered bad form. REALLY bad form and indication of the level of character and type of behavior we are dealing with.

You've been on the Internet this long and you've never seen someone change quoted text with what it should say (in a humorous manner) with the text "Fixed that for you" as an implication the poster misspoke even though it's painfully obvious he didn't?

Because yes, it is a joke and no it's not bad form. You should really get out (to other forums more).

This thread isn't a feeding frenzy. This thread is like dropping goldfish food into a 5 gallon tank compared to the Shark Week that was classic Something Awful (or maybe 4chan or Fark) threads back in the day.

Like it or not, this thread started off just fine and dandy without the seller's post. Once he started talking about Virgin Mary popping out vampire Christs and hit men, any rational discussions of his product on its own merits went out the window.

Sorry, but if you can't see that, maybe *you* need to read the thread again.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 22, 2015, 09:37:00 pm
You've been on the Internet this long and you've never seen someone change quoted text

I didn't say I never saw it before. In fact thought I implied the opposite. Everybody has their own idea of ethics but separate from that there is a well defined standard for proper behavior. It's one thing to make up a quote without attribution but in this case tacky to leave my name on it. What about someone who just jumps in at the end of a thread (very common) and didn't see what was really said?

Some guy like forum personalty dannyf for example who never attributes quotes just so he can "touch them up". Doen to me twice. IMO much more insidious and potentially malicious,

BTW In reviewing I never saw a single example of Eboy initiating a personal attack but counted at least 30 targeting him.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: c4757p on February 22, 2015, 09:42:42 pm
Oh for god's sake, you're complaining about a 'misquotation' with a freaking FTFY?

Really, dude?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 22, 2015, 10:12:02 pm

You've been on the Internet this long and you've never seen someone change quoted text

I didn't say I never saw it before. In fact thought I implied the opposite. Everybody has their own idea of ethics but separate from that there is a well defined standard for proper behavior. It's one thing to make up a quote without attribution but in this case tacky to leave my name on it. What about someone who just jumps in at the end of a thread (very common) and didn't see what was really said?

Some guy like forum personalty dannyf for example who never attributes quotes just so he can "touch them up". Doen to me twice. IMO much more insidious and potentially malicious,

BTW In reviewing I never saw a single example of Eboy initiating a personal attack but counted at least 30 targeting him.

So you're ignoring the times he said God would punish me and another poster by making us suffer a misfortune within 24 hours. Or the vague threats of not messing with someone of his power. Or calling me little satan. Or... Well, you get the idea.

I don't know what you consider a personal attack, but uh...


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 22, 2015, 10:20:13 pm
This thread is digressing into emotional and religious blabber! Let's please get back to the facts at hand, this is about the D105 reference standard which should be discussed from a technical and engineering point of view. Although all this banter is quite entertaining at times, I really think it needs to return to the original discussion without the religious attacks, emotional outbursts and other ridiculous banter. Please!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 22, 2015, 10:44:12 pm
I would love to see technical discussion but don't think there will much forthcoming from this crowd. Basically all units reviewed performed much better than advertised but most here just didn't like the "look" of it and enraged by the sellers reluctance to kow tow.

Somewhat reminiscent of Joseph Priestly. Not only was his house burned down by a mob but his church too. Right to the ground. Ironically he was the discoverer of oxygen in a world of phlogiston believers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestley_Riots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestley_Riots)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 22, 2015, 10:58:20 pm
I would love to see technical discussion but don't think there will much forthcoming from this crowd. Basically all units reviewed performed much better than advertised but most here just didn't like the "look" of it and enraged by the sellers reluctance to kow tow.

Somewhat reminiscent of Joseph Priestly. Not only was his house burned down by a mob but his church too. Right to the ground. Ironically he was the discoverer of oxygen in a world of phlogiston believers.


Well, let's not jump to conclusions yet on the D105. I have not yet completed the long term testing. Also, if Awesome14 would have just stuck to the technical aspects of the requests instead of getting all fire and brimstone then the conversation would have gone in a different direction. There are always going to be people that disagree with you and even criticize you, but you have to be professional and let it roll on by. This did not happen, just the opposite did! It really is all about being a professional, do you think Extech or Uni-T get all bent if someone hammers their product? Absolutely not, they try and improve it or fix the problem. It was hopeful for a while that this would be a possibility with Awsome14 and his product and it would have been very cool to be part of helping make a product better but, well, we all see how this turned out!

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 23, 2015, 03:58:00 am
Ok I 'm in need of a reasonably priced accurate voltage standard. How many of you goobers have one for sale
comparable to what Awesome14 offers?

Al
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: The Doktor on February 23, 2015, 04:34:18 am
I don't think anyone here sells a standard ATM. Try www.voltagestandard.com (http://www.voltagestandard.com) , they have several models. Well made and make no unreasonable claims. Sadly they don't include any vampires with your purchase, you need Mr. Awesome for that  :-DD

Ed
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 23, 2015, 05:56:00 am
I don't think anyone here sells a standard ATM. Try www.voltagestandard.com (http://www.voltagestandard.com) , they have several models. Well made and make no unreasonable claims. Sadly they don't include any vampires with your purchase, you need Mr. Awesome for that  :-DD

Ed
Thanks Ed.
Those use batteries for the voltage source. Is there an advantage to batteries over a bench supply?
I'm a hobbyist and need something to check my personal meters and scopes. I also repair and sell the Tektronix 200 series
oscilloscopes on the bay and would like to have a means to check them also. I have tried the Tektronix PG506.

PS: Just purchased the DMMCheck Plus.

DiligentMinds:
"goober' was in reference to the poster of reply #57 of this thread.
An 'attack' on Awesome14 before he had ever posted here.

Al
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lowimpedance on February 23, 2015, 06:07:44 am
Sooo.. that means everyone else are also 'goobers' ??.  :-//
What definition are you referring to ?.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 23, 2015, 08:15:03 am

Sooo.. that means everyone else are also 'goobers' ??.  :-//
What definition are you referring to ?.

I was the one who "attacked" him by calling him a goober. It means, "an unsophisticated person; a yokel," to quote OEAD. It's an old term used in the southern US.

Common usage is that of a lighthearted insult. Akin to schmuck perhaps? (Which I just found out originated from the Yiddish word for penis! TMYK)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: branadic on February 23, 2015, 08:48:13 am
Remember that several CERDIP models of AD587 are available:

Model   Initial Error   Temperature Coefficient   Temperature Range
AD587JQ   10 mV   20 ppm/°C   0°C to +70°C
AD587KQ   5 mV   10 ppm/°C   0°C to +70°C
AD587LQ   5 mV   5 ppm/°C   0°C to +70°C
AD587SQ   10 mV   20 ppm/°C   –55°C to +125°C
AD587TQ   10 mV   10 ppm/°C   –55°C to +125°C
AD587UQ   5 mV   5 ppm/°C   –55°C to +125°C

Some of the are available at digikey and ebay.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lowimpedance on February 23, 2015, 10:12:40 am

Sooo.. that means everyone else are also 'goobers' ??.  :-//
What definition are you referring to ?.

I was the one who "attacked" him by calling him a goober. It means, "an unsophisticated person; a yokel," to quote OEAD. It's an old term used in the southern US.

Common usage is that of a lighthearted insult. Akin to schmuck perhaps? (Which I just found out originated from the Yiddish word for penis! TMYK)


Sent from my Smartphone

 Yes I was aware of the connotations, was not sure though if alhoop had a straight face or not when he asked the question  :).
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 23, 2015, 12:24:22 pm
The AD587JQ and it's "better" brother the AD587UQ are the only monolithic 10V references that I have been able to find that are still sold in hermetic packages. 

So since none of the top brands use that part should we assume production of all lab grade instruments in the world has ceased? Is there any clear data available showing just what the impact is for using plastic dip? By clear I mean understandable to a human being.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mrflibble on February 23, 2015, 01:08:23 pm
The AD587JQ and it's "better" brother the AD587UQ are the only monolithic 10V references that I have been able to find that are still sold in hermetic packages. 

So since none of the top brands use that part should we assume production of all lab grade instruments in the world has ceased? Is there any clear data available showing just what the impact is for using plastic dip? By clear I mean understandable to a human being.
I was wondering the same thing. I don't follow that market all that closely, but to the casual observer it seems that there is not that much development going on. Combine that with some parts going EOL, and it seems the amount of options is reducing...

As for the plastic DIP, how viable is it to use the PTFE/FEP trick DigilentMinds mention on the entire dip package? As in do something clever with the leads if required, bake it, and heat shrink it. Is that viable, or even useful?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 23, 2015, 01:14:22 pm
Yes there is an advantage to batteries.

I can verify that too from personal experience. Even with a crude 0.1mv meter any part of my system connected to mains gear made reading very difficult. Specially USB from a PC. When I went to 0.01mv resolution it obviously got much worse and mains connected gear was no longer an option at all.  Using 9v batteries for meter and voltage reference improved everything.

Another fellow who was using commercial precision PSU and lab grade meter when reading my same references experienced extreme noise. Just being near it threw readings off not to mention his issues with radio interference. My battery setup had about an order of magnitude less reading these same units compared to his graphs.

ps. In order to datalog to a PC I had to resort to using an opto-isolator. Even 4N35 type had too much noise coupling so used a homemade version consisting of IR diode and photo transistor (1" separation). Fortunately sending serial to a PC requires only one pin.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/$5-voltmeter-with-5-digit-(0-1mv)-resolution/?action=dlattach;attach=133561;image)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 23, 2015, 02:00:11 pm
RE: batteries...

I have, for a long time now, been considering building my own state-of-the art standard.  I have been watching these threads with great interest, in order to learn from those who know much more than I do. 

I currently have the Voltage Standard VREF10-003 and the Awesome14 version.  Both are stable enough for my current needs, but I will repeat, I cannot verify if it's any better than 100 ppm.  I only have two 5-1/2 digit meters here, so these standards were good enough for my current needs.

But I always thought, if I ever built my own really, really top-shelf volt-standard based on the knowledge shared in these threads, then I would definitely do it with batteries only (along with all the other best-practices the forum has been discussing in the many threads).  I thought about how to have a SLA battery running the reference, and charging the battery too, without getting any line noise into the reference circuit. I don't think it can be done, so I thought I'd need 2 batteries, one running the reference and the other one being charged, then switch over with a hard switch or relay (make before break, so the reference never loses power). I wanted to have the unit battery powered, but constantly plugged in being charged.  Maybe doing that will still introduce noise, due to the proximity of the AC charging circuit to the reference, even if it's not actually in the reference circuit at all. Maybe the AC magnetic fields will have some ppm effect.. I don't know this yet, but I hope I will build it up one days and find out.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 23, 2015, 02:09:24 pm
RE: batteries...


I currently have the Voltage Standard VREF10-003 and the Awesome14 version.  Both are stable enough for my current needs, but I will repeat, I cannot verify if it's any better than 100 ppm.  I only have two 5-1/2 digit meters here, so these standards were good enough for my current needs.


The Awsome14 version is better than 100 ppm but I am not quite convinced it meets the advertised specification at this point.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: alhoop on February 23, 2015, 03:36:24 pm

Sooo.. that means everyone else are also 'goobers' ??.  :-//
What definition are you referring to ?.

I was the one who "attacked" him by calling him a goober. It means, "an unsophisticated person; a yokel," to quote OEAD. It's an old term used in the southern US.

Common usage is that of a lighthearted insult. Akin to schmuck perhaps? (Which I just found out originated from the Yiddish word for penis! TMYK)


Sent from my Smartphone

 Yes I was aware of the connotations, was not sure though if alhoop had a straight face or not when he asked the question  :).
Obviously I didn't have a straight face and it did elicit a response from the true 'goober'  here.
The question was in earnest - I just bought a DMMCheck Plus from Voltagestandard.
Thanks for the helpful answers.

Al
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 23, 2015, 04:16:28 pm
The AD587JQ and it's "better" brother the AD587UQ are the only monolithic 10V references that I have been able to find that are still sold in hermetic packages. 

So since none of the top brands use that part should we assume production of all lab grade instruments in the world has ceased? Is there any clear data available showing just what the impact is for using plastic dip? By clear I mean understandable to a human being.
I was wondering the same thing. I don't follow that market all that closely, but to the casual observer it seems that there is not that much development going on. Combine that with some parts going EOL, and it seems the amount of options is reducing...

As for the plastic DIP, how viable is it to use the PTFE/FEP trick DigilentMinds mention on the entire dip package? As in do something clever with the leads if required, bake it, and heat shrink it. Is that viable, or even useful?

The humidity effect on epoxy [IC packages, board material] is well known.  The epoxy absorbs water vapor [humidity] from the air, and "swells".  The board dimensional changes affect some parts mounted on the board if they are sensitive to board stress.  This can be so high that it actually cracks surface mount resistors and capacitors in the larger packages if they are not designed to absorb this kind of abuse.  And so it is with reference IC's and precision [non-chopper] op-amps.  When the epoxy package absorbs the water, it changes dimensions and this puts a strain on the IC die, resulting in a shift in output.  This is mostly caused by on-chip resistors, that act like strain gauges.

My PTFE/FEP dual-wall heat-shrink trick should work well to stop the water vapor infusion 100%, but it will not stop another thing that happens to reference IC's and precision [non-chopper] op-amps in plastic packages, and that is mechanically caused hysteresis which will shift the output based on previous temperature history.

A method I have used which includes epoxy resins is degassing the epoxy mixture in a heated vacuum chamber before molding the circuit or package. Use a high-quality epoxy, degassing and dehumidifying the mixture in the process and while curing seems to render very good results. Epoxy are far more susceptible to moisture before they are hardened, but I believe that reducing the trapped air and moisture before and during curing seems to help quite a bit.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 23, 2015, 04:54:55 pm
Another option is to include a 40c PTC heater in the enclosure. I found a 15x15mm unit recently that runs on 5V@1W.

The advantages of a PTC heater are that it's self regulating. No messy PID loops or control circuits; give it power and it stays at a constant 40c.

If you were to use a small water tight enclosure, you'd be set I think. Maybe throw in a desiccant pack before sealing to take out any base humidity.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 23, 2015, 04:58:44 pm
Timb, can you post a link to that ptc heater you found?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 23, 2015, 05:00:39 pm
Sure thing, about to go into a meeting, when I get home in a couple of hours I'll grab it off my computer. =)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 23, 2015, 05:01:26 pm
Thanks man!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 24, 2015, 07:15:50 am

Timb, can you post a link to that ptc heater you found?

Okay, I can't seem to find the auction with them available for Buy-It Now, but here's an auction version: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PTC-heating-element-40-1W-5V-consistant-temperature-ceramic-Thermostatic-/291388048996

That same seller might have them in his store, haven't checked yet.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 24, 2015, 12:25:29 pm
Apparently not banned but more likely just hiding out. And all reviews of his product so far indicate performance somewhat better than advertised. However this has not deterred detractors.

There are similar products available from one other company such as this unit with specs not quite so good but slightly cheaper:

http://shop.voltagestandard.com/product.sc?productId=3&categoryId=1 (http://shop.voltagestandard.com/product.sc?productId=3&categoryId=1)

Or this one with case and similar specs as the Eboy top unit but costs more ($300 vs $100):

http://shop.voltagestandard.com/product.sc?productId=2&categoryId=1 (http://shop.voltagestandard.com/product.sc?productId=2&categoryId=1)

This does come with rubber feet which might be perceived as an advantage.

Both companies imply approximately 6 month drift stability. The biggest difference is a "pretty" PCB for the above vs Eboy's perfboard construction which annoys the hell out of most here and also they just don't like his attitude. Mainly a conflict with their religious views.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 24, 2015, 01:12:15 pm
The biggest difference is a "pretty" PCB for the above vs Eboy's perfboard construction which annoys the hell out of most here and also they just don't like his attitude. Mainly a conflict with their religious views.

Perfboard isn't the problem.  It isn't done in a "workmanlike manner."  I can understand not being able to design and get a PCB, but geez,  he can't tin wires and solder them to the perfbord without several strands all splayed out in different directions.  Solder blobs and flux blobs are all over the place, and it looks like he placed the components with a shotgun.   When questioned, he claimes that his construction is "superb" and there is a reason for doing as he did it.  Sorry, there is no reason to badly tin a wire with strands going in every direction with a solder blob.  That ads NOTHING to the design, buy says a lot about his attitude.

Bob Pease and Jim Williams had messy PROTOTYPES.  Bob used to "tack on" multiple components and "touch them in" to compare performance.  They weren't attractive, but there was a purpose.  As someone said, they weren't finished, sell-able products.   I know it's inexpensive, but honestly, 20 minutes spent fixing the layout, and some care spent while putting it together so it doesn't look like a dog's breakfast would do wonders.  It causes one to think:  "If he's that sloppy with the construction, was he equally sloppy with the design?"
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 24, 2015, 01:22:42 pm
The biggest difference is a "pretty" PCB for the above vs Eboy's perfboard construction which annoys the hell out of most here and also they just don't like his attitude. Mainly a conflict with their religious views.

Perfboard isn't the problem.  It isn't done in a "workmanlike manner."  I can understand not being able to design and get a PCB, but geez,  he can't tin wires and solder them to the perfbord without several strands all splayed out in different directions.  Solder blobs and flux blobs are all over the place, and it looks like he placed the components with a shotgun.   When questioned, he claimes that his construction is "superb" and there is a reason for doing as he did it.  Sorry, there is no reason to badly tin a wire with strands going in every direction with a solder blob.  That ads NOTHING to the design, buy says a lot about his attitude.


I would have to agree. I have and still do Perfboard layouts all the time and I take the time to make mine neat and tidy. If I do a Vcc/Vss bus then I use a bare copper wire tack it at the appropriate locations and make nice angles to support my components. If you get blobs of solder then you redo them! Hell, I have seen some beautiful wire-wrap in my earlier days that actually looked neat and tidy.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 24, 2015, 01:26:16 pm
honestly, 20 minutes spent fixing the layout, and some care spent while putting it together so it doesn't look like a dog's breakfast would do wonders.

I agree. But if he does make thousands of dollars an hour like he said then those little 20 minute segments would add up. Time is money.

See... you guys aren't the only ones that can put words in his mouth. :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 24, 2015, 01:28:11 pm
so after reading a very hard to read thread ...

can more than 1 person who is still using his 10v ref give a updated "picture" of/about its stability/drift ?  ... (or did he really got banned just because he could not speak tech?)

i am interested to know if it is still a viable unit, since there is no other premade/pre-cal units made or on offer @ this price. or is there a better option @ USD100 ?


I will upload some long term data shortly. I purchased mine about the time this thread started and have been doing some long-term tests. I will try and post an update later today. I do have a full-time job and to find time to tie up my equipment for long term testing is challenging to say the least.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 24, 2015, 01:49:18 pm
That argument makes no sense.  He's making so much money per hour he can't spend time to lay the components out neatly, nor build it in a workmanlike manner but he can't afford to hire someone to design a PCB, get them made, and even assemble them?   

If he's turning down thousands per hour to build these, he's doing it for rewards other than money.  One would think these would include wanting to at least make a product that doesn't look like complete crap.   He should be smart enough to at least twist the strands together.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 01:52:12 pm
I will upload some long term data shortly. I purchased mine about the time this thread started and have been doing some long-term tests.

I did a teardown of this device. The reference IC is a REF02P (with Bur Brown logo) in a socket!!

I removed the copper foil, to have a look temperature compensation. I have my doubts about that.
Besides that, drift is specified +/-, what if the compensation works(if it works) in the + direction, and the device drifts in the - direction?

Why do you think this device can beat the specs in the datasheet?

(http://i57.tinypic.com/wtgfb.jpg)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 24, 2015, 02:04:36 pm
That argument makes no sense.  He's making so much money per hour he can't spend time to lay the components out neatly, nor build it in a workmanlike manner but he can't afford to hire someone to design a PCB, get them made, and even assemble them?   

If he's turning down thousands per hour to build these, he's doing it for rewards other than money.  One would think these would include wanting to at least make a product that doesn't look like complete crap.   He should be smart enough to at least twist the strands together.

I highly doubt he is making thousands of dollars an hour. His eBay "Sold" counter places the units sold in an auction at 30-40 sold or something like that. Regardless, it was quite apparent from some of his posts that there might have been a psychological problem involved. For all we know he may have some handicap issues either mentally or physically. Before any gets bent, I am saying this as a 3rd party observer to all the posts by Awesome14. I could be wrong, but that's what all of this lead me to possibly believe. It really comes down to taking constructive criticism as a positive instead of a negative. It's a way to improve your skills and you as a person. That was not the case.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 24, 2015, 02:14:00 pm
I will upload some long term data shortly. I purchased mine about the time this thread started and have been doing some long-term tests.

Why do you think this device can beat the specs in the datasheet?


I never said that it could. I am only following through with the tests I stated a while back that I would do. I believe I have mentioned in previous posts that I felt it would not meet the seller's advertised specifications. Instead of speculation and attacks, I am merely trying to prove or disprove to best of my ability the claimed accuracy and stability of a product.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 02:34:08 pm
Why do you think this device can beat the specs in the datasheet?
I never said that it could. I am only following through with the tests I stated a while back that I would do. I believe I have mentioned in previous posts that I felt it would not meet the seller's advertised specifications. Instead of speculation and attacks, I am merely trying to prove or disprove to best of my ability the claimed accuracy and stability of a product.

Ok, fair enough.

IMHO what you get is printed on the IC itself. It is a Burr Brown REF102P

Tried to find a datasheet (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ref102.pdf) for this IC, but for me it is unclear what the precise specs would be.

(http://i60.tinypic.com/14vsr5d.jpg)


note: In September 2000, Texas Instruments acquired BB. What does that tell us about the IC, that has still the BB logo on it?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 24, 2015, 02:37:49 pm

note: In September 2000, Texas Instruments acquired BB. What does that tell us about the IC, that has still the BB logo on it?


Interesting... I can't make it out from the picture but can you find a date code on that IC?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 24, 2015, 02:44:26 pm
Why do you think this device can beat the specs in the datasheet?

(http://i57.tinypic.com/wtgfb.jpg)

Well certainly not anymore.

Even ignoring the obvious rampant bias and prejudice it's unlikely anyone here is in a position to verify if it even meets let alone beats any spec. Once you dismantle or even open the device this becomes impossible. The designer and seller stated this clearly and no one here has any right to dispute that. Of course many will try.

My early prediction that no valid performance conclusions would arise from this thread so far appears true. No matter positive or negative once you violate user instructions all bets off.

And try reading the posts once in a while. Awesome never made any such statement about thousands per hour. I was sarcastically highlighting how badly he has been misquoted and words simply fabricated. It should have been obvious from my facetious addendum:

See... you guys aren't the only ones that can put words in his mouth. :)

ps. People being human will however see what they want to see rather than what is.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 02:55:34 pm

note: In September 2000, Texas Instruments acquired BB. What does that tell us about the IC, that has still the BB logo on it?


Interesting... I can't make it out from the picture but can you find a date code on that IC?

;D

Nope, the only other code on the IC is OBW405B
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 03:00:14 pm
OLD ... and WELL aged ? which could mean ... good?

Hmm .. references only age when a voltage is applied ..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 03:11:14 pm

E14 have them about USD12 each ... hmmmm

Have a closer look  :P

There are different versions .. I assume that the REF102P (BB type) is now REF102AP (TI type)
When buying 10, they are € 3,67 (~ $4,-).
Look at the T.C.  :o

(http://i58.tinypic.com/250mlb8.jpg)

We can only guess where the BB types came from ..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: nctnico on February 24, 2015, 03:20:14 pm
I would only rely on what is specified in the datasheet.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 03:21:13 pm
I would only rely on what is specified in the datasheet.
+100  8)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 04:04:08 pm
the datasheet is not even the actual working item

Perhaps there is someone out there, with an original Burr Brown datasheet?
In a book, on paper?  ;)

And as it is a plastic IC, it has attracted some moisture over the years. What will that do with stability??
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: 6thimage on February 24, 2015, 04:18:47 pm
the datasheet is not even the actual working item

Perhaps there is someone out there, with an original Burr Brown datasheet?
In a book, on paper?  ;)

The only thing I can find online is http://www.pci-card.com/ref102.pdf (http://www.pci-card.com/ref102.pdf). It still refers to the 3 different grades, but also uses R, S and M, for A, B and C (respectively). But these were for TO-99 cans, the plastic DIP is either A or B.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 24, 2015, 04:21:08 pm
inside the TI datasheet, there is a version with 3 outputs into 1 (fig 14) with price of 10 less than USD100 ... now that should make someone a really really good stable reference i bet?

**edit ... its over USD100 for 10 here. but its a diff model

Define good and stable?  ;D

IMHO "good" cannot be quantized.

I used the REF5025A a lot, that has a typ. TC of 3ppm/°C after 1000 hrs. Thats gives a very stable reading on a 6,5 digit DMM (within 1~2 count typical). I suspect it is better then the REF102P

n.b. figure 14 says that it has extremly low noise. We did not talk about noise .. yet :)

My fellow dutchman and forum member  Blackdog did a lot of research on references in parallel.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Excavatoree on February 24, 2015, 04:46:34 pm
And try reading the posts once in a while. Awesome never made any such statement about thousands per hour. I was sarcastically highlighting how badly he has been misquoted and words simply fabricated.

I merely explained how that argument is illogical.  I never claimed he or anyone else had made it. 

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: cncjerry on February 24, 2015, 05:26:54 pm
The Geller you guys keep comparing him with, is that Uri?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Joe Geller on February 24, 2015, 07:59:10 pm
It's a relatively common name; no relation that I am aware of. -Joe Geller
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: drakke on February 24, 2015, 08:59:11 pm
I don't want to hijack a thread but it seems to have degraded already so ...

are these sub-$100 voltage calibrators good value for hobbyist/student use?

I see a lot of them on Ebay.



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Joe Geller on February 24, 2015, 09:11:59 pm
Adding a thermistor and cheap voltage trim components [i.e. carbon-film resistors, and cheap pots] does not [magically or otherwise] improve the specifications of *ANY* monolithic voltage reference.  While you may be able to improve the TC and final voltage initially, these trim settings cannot hold due to the cheap components used.  [And there would still be a very small drift if higher performance and higher cost components were used].

Using an epoxy packaged monolithic voltage reference has well known "issues" with temperature excursions and humidity changes.  Putting all of this into a plastic box and "sealing" this [with whatever] does not [magically or otherwise] make these "issues" go away.  Water vapor is one of the worst things to deal with, and it can infuse through almost all plastics excepting some fluorocarbons.  This would include the epoxy used to encapsulate the IC and the plastic material that was used to injection mold the enclosure.  These are like "sieves" to water vapor.

Yes, "aged" means: power-on time [for the Zener] and time [at operating temperature] for the internal and external intentional and unintentional [parasitic] resistors.  Only *some* of this aging can be accelerated by baking a high temperatures for a long time, and then following that with [progressively smaller] temperature cycles.  The rest of the aging is due to the Zener current, and with a monolithic voltage reference this can only be accomplished with a long power-on period [months to years].

So yes, the performance of *ANY* monolithic reference begins with the data sheet, then becomes worse as you add more components to try to "fix" the shortcomings of the reference.  If you use cheap components to do this, then expect even a less pleasant outcome.  Also, not all voltage reference IC's are them same.  Even if they are from the same fabrication wafer-- each reference can have vastly different drift characteristics that no amount of aging can modify.  So, out of a given batch of reference IC's, a few of them will have very good drift characteristics and some of them will have much worse drift, while the majority of them will be close to data-sheet specifications.

The SVR program was always designed as an inexpensive way to transfer a calibration point.  It was never intended to be a  FLUKE 732B substitute for under $100.

Each SVR-T board was studied for hours with small temperature variations to determine sensitivity for that particular chip.  Relatively high quality IRC trim resistors (not $25 each Vishay resistors) and a relatively high quality Vishay thermistor were used for the correction, which was a small vernier made by the trim circuit (not a 1:1 correlation between trim drift and output voltage change). (The series resistor with the thermistor was standard 1% metal film, as it was a small correction on the trim input, already a small part of the output adjust.)

Burn in was just run time to work out past larger 200 hour change exhibited by many of the series.

Following the correction, each board was tested for 7+ more hours to verify the correction.  Comparison was made by Null measurement with a 34410A on a mV scale to the FLUKE 732B.  Many sets of data show good short term performance, which was the goal of the transfer program. 

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Joe Geller on February 24, 2015, 09:37:08 pm
It is disappointing that the SVR program attracted such strong reaction.  I had the idea for an inexpensive transfer reference around 2003 and bought the FLUKE 732B back then to try make it work.  I learned later that there had been similar efforts with LM399 over the years, but as far as I know, no low cost boards for hobbyists and engineers.

My idea was a small board similar to the "International Crystal" small board kits from the 70's that old timers might recall.

There have been any number of similar approaches from boards to small boxes, at least from a couple of years after I began to sell AD587 based references on eBay. 

One of the most difficult aspects of this sort of product is the wide variety of what users are looking for.  For example, I got several complaints from Simpson 260 owners that turning the trim had no effect on the output voltage.  Others, as discussed at great length here wanted it to be a long term stable voltage standard.  Ironically, many of them have done quite well over years, but my post is not to debate that point.

I wish you all great luck in your own designs.  I see new design ideas all the time.  It is very likely that a great long term stable reference may emerge.  Possibly for under $100.  Great fun!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Galaxyrise on February 24, 2015, 10:32:25 pm
The AD587JQ and it's "better" brother the AD587UQ are the only monolithic 10V references that I have been able to find that are still sold in hermetic packages. 
Linear has a few LT1021 flavors in metal can still. The 10V is hard to find in small quantities, but it'd be cheaper to stack two 5V anyway since the 10V is an "M" flavor.  If you're willing to stack two, the LT1236 and LTC6655 come in LS8.  I've been able to compensate the TC of the 1021 (presumably it would work for the 1236 as well) to nearly zero.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 24, 2015, 11:44:40 pm

Apparently not banned but more likely just hiding out. And all reviews of his product so far indicate performance somewhat better than advertised. However this has not deterred detractors.

No, short term performance is *on par* with the datasheet.

Just because you plug it into your meter and it reads 5.0000V does not mean it's a good standard.

Nobody (including you and the seller) knows what it will read in six months or sixty days or what happens if you're in Florida in July with a 90% RH.

Until we have that data the only thing we can do is estimate performance based on similar devices, the construction, grade of components, etc., which is exactly what we've been doing. We're not detractors, we're real world engineers.

I don't know why you're White Knighting this dude so hard, but it's getting sort of old.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on February 24, 2015, 11:54:29 pm
The SVR program was always designed as an inexpensive way to transfer a calibration point.  It was never intended to be a  FLUKE 732B substitute for under $100.

Each SVR-T board was studied for hours with small temperature variations to determine sensitivity for that particular chip.  Relatively high quality IRC trim resistors (not $25 each Vishay resistors) and a relatively high quality Vishay thermistor were used for the correction, which was a small vernier made by the trim circuit (not a 1:1 correlation between trim drift and output voltage change). (The series resistor with the thermistor was standard 1% metal film, as it was a small correction on the trim input, already a small part of the output adjust.)

Burn in was just run time to work out past larger 200 hour change exhibited by many of the series.

Following the correction, each board was tested for 7+ more hours to verify the correction.  Comparison was made by Null measurement with a 34410A on a mV scale to the FLUKE 732B.  Many sets of data show good short term performance, which was the goal of the transfer program.

Your SVR-T has worked very well for me. I take it to a local professional calibration lab and get a certificate of calibration. At the same time I get my Agilent 34410A calibrated and take both items to my client and use it to calibrate his equipment to 51/2 digits. So far, this procedure and the results have passe every audit. Thank you for a great transfer reference.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Pasky on February 25, 2015, 02:30:02 am
Wow, this thread went on a wild roller coaster ride.  It was great for killing time at work reading it.  So basically he modified a circuit slightly and purchased an expensive calibration unit to tune it in?  I'm curious how much a Fluke 732A and 732B cost new and 2nd hand now.  Fluke's site asks for a quote.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lowimpedance on February 25, 2015, 02:54:47 am
the datasheet is not even the actual working item

Perhaps there is someone out there, with an original Burr Brown datasheet?
In a book, on paper?  ;)

And as it is a plastic IC, it has attracted some moisture over the years. What will that do with stability??
Burr Brown ref102 data sheet copy (first few pages only), FYI.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanB on February 25, 2015, 04:44:59 am
Appending a question to this thread, since it seems to have entered more enlightened territory:

If ceramic packages for voltage references are better than plastic packages for long term stability, why have manufacturers stopped selling them? Presumably there is a price premium that would justify the more expensive option, and if someone needs that stability then price would not be a big issue. So why did they disappear from the market? Were they obsoleted by something just as good?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 25, 2015, 04:47:54 am
Speaking of enlightenment...

We all realize [on this thread] that this is not going to be accomplished with cheap parts,

You can't build a voltage reference with cheap components, and expect stellar results.

You talk about reference diodes [or even cheap Zeners], and a resistor, but you are forgetting that this also needs an ultra stable voltage to generate the ultra stable current for the Zener.

So, having a discussion here about "cheap voltage references" is probably a little bit too far off-topic.

Perhaps you can start a "super cheap voltage reference" thread, as this is starting to pollute the quality of the LTZ thread.

Adding a thermistor and cheap voltage trim components [i.e. carbon-film resistors, and cheap pots] does not [magically or otherwise] improve the specifications of *ANY* monolithic voltage reference.

If you use cheap components to do this, then expect even a less pleasant outcome.  Also, not all voltage reference IC's are the same.

I was writing about some others that sell on the 'bay', that are using the cheapest junk they can buy,

Oh no.... Just noticed Dilligent seems to have picked up a new word of the day. I wonder where that came from? Certainly not me for whom cost is no object and only the best will do.  LOL

(lots more but didn't want my session to time out.)


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 25, 2015, 05:24:35 am
So, I think it was the "suits" [lacking technical knowledge] that forced this change on us to save money.  That's right, greedy "bean counters" did it...

Cheap bastards!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on February 25, 2015, 06:14:44 am
Does anyone remember the radioactive epoxy disaster? What would have this done to floating-gate references like FGA? "Precision reference with enclosure-controlled precision decay" ? :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 08:57:49 am
but since tempco has so much influence on accuracy, drift etc .... why not just LM399 it all and "end of story"?

Price? Battery powered?

Building a "good" reference starts with a tradeoff between TC stability and price. Accuracy is less important, as it can be trimmed.

After that, you have to do everything right (board layout, decoupling etc) to get the most out of it. I think it is very hard to beat the specs in the datasheet. And if you think you can beat them, it is almost impossible to prove that. It takes a long time and a lot of data ;)
And if you think you have beaten the datasheet, is it possible to reproduce those result in a production type? ;P
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 09:36:54 am
**exploratory simulation into making a ref of some kind

And what resistors are you planning to use?

"Normal" 0.1% resistors have a TC of ~20ppm/°C (or worse) .. effectively killing the LM399 ..

Edit: and how are you going to trim your reference? Or are you satisfied with 2.3% accuracy? (3x 0.1% of the resistors + 2% of the LM399)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 10:34:39 am
panasonic 10ppm perhaps? this 1 sits @ 0.01%  :-+

Still killing the LM399  :(
With 10ppm/°C you can use a $3,- reference like the LT1021 ..

Quote
actually after hearing so much about the "wildness" of variable trimmers ... wouldnt it be better to be without it and just have the output as it is ? or have a very small value trim (like blackdogs version with a 100R?)

It depends where you put the trimmer ;)
If you put it inside a direct feedback loop, you have to put it in the oven. This is what Blackdog does.

I use a very large resistor in before the trimmer. I can only trim a few millivolts, but for me that is not a problem, as my reference is accurate enough. This trick won't work with a LM399, as it has a 2% accuracy, and you need to trim over a large range.

Quote
putting together the resistor framework is harder then it seems just by depending on what is available from E14 ... phew !

Welcome to the tough world of voltage standards  :P

Edit: serious: forget the LM399 when building your first refence. Why not try a REF5050A or even REF5050I? You can get 2ppm/°C, if you do your best  ;)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ebclr on February 25, 2015, 10:46:52 am
Take a look on this one

http://cs.utsource.net/goods_files/pdf/16/168867_ZARLINK_ZN458.pdf (http://cs.utsource.net/goods_files/pdf/16/168867_ZARLINK_ZN458.pdf)

Simple and good
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: quarks on February 25, 2015, 10:47:57 am
It is disappointing that the SVR program attracted such strong reaction. 

Hello Joe,

it is very sad to read that you feel disappointed, because I think you earn the highest appreciation and should have payed tribute to you.
You can and you should be very proud of your SVR program.

As I stated already several times, I am a very happy SVR/SVR-T owner.
For me it is a great loss that you had to shut down. 

So many, many thanks for all of your effort to make this very useful and valuable product.

bye
quarks
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 10:49:19 am
but if i dont really trim it, the 2% will not really matter am i right? say if i find a way to also use a smaller trimmer ? by buffering the trimmers "largeness" with fixed 5ppm stuff?

Whats the point in building a reference with 5ppm/°C stuff and a much more precise reference IC?

Why not use a REF5050I (or anything equal), that has 0.05% initial accuracy and 2.5ppm/°C typical (3ppm/°C max.) and uses no presision resistors and can be trimmed without fancy stuff?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 10:53:42 am
Take a look on this one

http://cs.utsource.net/goods_files/pdf/16/168867_ZARLINK_ZN458.pdf (http://cs.utsource.net/goods_files/pdf/16/168867_ZARLINK_ZN458.pdf)

Simple and good

Youre kidding?

(http://i59.tinypic.com/2zyv4hs.jpg)

ehh ..  0.003%/°C is how much ppm/°C ?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 25, 2015, 11:19:56 am
Hi 3roomlab, :-)

My opinion is that you really can not make a cheap voltage reference, with reasonable specifications.
Everyone should stop with the word "cheap" and voltage reference in a sentence.
You are just kidding yourself...

I do a lot of testing on references but every time, the way you built the reference, is really very important.
Its a big part of the stability!!! and remember not to build the reference in a plastic box, METAL is wat you want.

I can create beautiful schematics but if the quality of the components and construction is not good, then it will never be a good reference.
It has already been mentioned many times on this forum, that testing of references is expensive.

If i send away my HP 3458A for Cal/Adjustment, its about 900$, for almost that price i can buy a KEYSIGHT 34461a :-)
And my 3458A is NOT 24/7 on, thats also expensive, i switch on the 3458A 24 hour before i start measuring...
Most of my daily testing is done, with TEK4050 en 34461 DMM's.

Last week i tested some LM399 schematics, the sensitivity for battery voltage change and the power that's needed for the LM399 heater.
My starting point was three 9V batteries in series, to keep the current for LM399 for the heater low.
The circuit does not start, because when you turn the circuit on, the heater current is really high.
If your batteries are getting older, the Ri is also higher, and the batteries cant deliver the peakpower that is necessary to start the heater.

Problem, problems, problems,

And now some pictures, poluting this topic  :-DD
These are the components i use, for the testing i do, with The LM399AH references.
The resitors are Rhopoint 8E16D, Copper band 0.1mm and Vishay 15PPM trimmer pots (1 piece 2x price of a LM399AH!)
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Resistor-8E16D/Resistor-8E16D-1.png)

7 Resistors, the 4K leg and 10K leg, maybe i put some 2 component glue in it to seal it a little.
The copper band keeps the temperatuur of the resistor nice close together, but i have to test it first, to see if its realy works!
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Resistor-8E16D/Resistor-8E16D-2.png)


Vishay 1280G trimmer
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Resistor-8E16D/Resistor-8E16D-3.png)

I'am going back to the LAB bench, for testing of the LT1236-5V LS8.
I do temp sweeps between 42,5C en 29C, most of them, are well within the specifications.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog










Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 12:39:55 pm
i will need to explore what could i do to make something that can sit on the 4th or even 5th decimal point, as a project, as curiosity

The 5th decimal point, were talking 10ppm/count. Nothing fancy needed to realize this.

If you do your best, you'll manage even with a LM4040. And you will learn the most about stabilty when trying with a not so good device :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on February 25, 2015, 04:44:07 pm
for me, anything on or past the 3rd decimal point is exploratory for me.

Save your breath. Words like 5 digit or 3 decimal are not in the vocabulary for some of these guys. It should be obvious from some posts that these concepts and "cheap" are like garlic to a vampire (vampires are real you know...LOL). However we can learn a lot from guys like blackdog and dilligentminds because if you shoot for mars maybe you can reach the moon. For example note that virtually all the suggestions above are bandgap references so even ignoring the heater they are no competition for the likes of zener based LM399 for noise and long term stabilty. I heard it from them first then verified with my own tests so these guys do know what they are talking about.

As far as resistors I inherited several thousand 10ppm Vishay SMD and purchased some 25ppn to compare. I think they are actually the same parts because not only do they look the same (even if you grind them down which I did) but all tested better than 2ppm over 10deg range in my oven. So maybe not as good as wirewound or $40 foil but fine for the kind of references we are interested in. Specially considering the minimal effect on reference circuits as hinted by dilligent and proven by tests from janaf in the other thread.

ps. I have discovered that advice from guys even 10x smarter and more experienced  is not always correct for what I am trying to do. But with this in mind I do learn a lot from them. I'm also glad to see Awsome14 has come to similar conclusion and refuses to cave. Us  fraudulent schizophrenic nincompoops must stick together.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 25, 2015, 05:11:57 pm
For what it's worth and for those who are interested, here are some results from my tests lately with the D105. My lab has been consistently at around 21.5C - 23C with humidity around 27-32% (Dry). I used my Agilent 34461A with an aperture of 100PLC and allowed a 1 hour warm up time before taking measurements. When taking measurements from the D105 I used my highest quality low EMF beryllium copper test leads with my Rigol DP800A PSU set to 14.500V. Warm up time on PSU was 1 hour also just to be consistent.

Each time the tests were conducted on my main test bench with the D105 connected between the two devices. The D105 was allowed to sit flat and undisturbed during these tests. Each of the tests were allowed to run for 1 hour each with periodic monitoring of the recorded output DC value.

Each test had roughly 1,060 samples taken over this 1 hour period. Each sampled time period was done at different times of the day such as morning, afternoon and evening. The reason for 1-hour sample sessions at multiple intervals was to simulate bench use as this device would most likely be used, plus I could not allow tie up that much time with equipment and personal time.

However, there are considerations to be taken into account with these tests. They are as follows:

1) Although the Agilent 34461A is within calibration specification, the unit is rated at 35ppm for a 1 year DCV accuracy. This must be taken into account. Also the desirable TAR rating is not quite adequate which should be at least 4 or higher so taking into consideration the claimed D105 specifications at +/-2ppm that would place the TAR somewhere around .0571428571 but allowing for a more realistic +/-10ppm it would be .2857142857. This is obviously far from the desired TAR rating which I cannot achieve with my current gear so there will be an error factor involved and this should be considered a general set of testing.

2) Humidity, I currently cannot test a wide range of humid environments which may alter the tests significantly. I will have to provide updated tests in the future when time is allowed.

3) Outside interference, As the current round of tests seem to indicate, the D105 is a bit susceptible to RF interference. I allowed my cell phone to sit too close to the D105 (About 3 feet) and a call came through which caused a slight spike in the measured value. It was only a few microvolts but enough to skew the test slightly. This may have also been introduced into the cables also.

4) Cables and connections, this may vary slightly depending on the type of cables used and there EMF rating. I know we are splitting ball hairs here, but all this does add up when we are talking about microvolts.

I am going to post 1 set of tests for now which is the latest test. All sets of tests have been very close to this one. If I have time, I will compile the rest and upload them.

Here is the data for the current test which is almost a month later after the purchase of the D105.

Seller claimed accuracy: 10V +/-2ppm

1hr warm up for all devices.

Latest Test Data: 02/25/2015
Start of time of test: 08:44:50
End of time of test: 09:44:53
Sample Count: 1,060
NPLC: 100
Input Impedance: 10M

Min Value: 9.9999030 VDC
Max Value: 9.9999159 VDC
Avg Value: 9.9999074 VDC
Delta Value: 00000220 nVDC
StdDev Value: 00000145 nVDC

Taking into account all the considerations this test looks to be in the range of 2-3ppm. Again all the considerations and some I probably forgot to include must be added to the equation. Based on what I can test and the given results, the unit is performing well. Even if we add a 20% error factor we are still in a comfort zone for most people using this on the bench for a low-cost DC reference. Again, I have not yet tested the unit under various climate conditions and changes. My lab has been pretty consistent at the listed Temp/Humidity.

Also, keep in mind this test is based on the average 9.9999074 VDC and not nulled to 10VDC. I am merely looking at stability at this point. Based on the seller's certificate of calibration which was 10.0000057 VDC with a 5.7 uVDC/.6ppm error, the accuracy figures would change a bit, but we would need to take into account the differences in calibrations and accuracy between his unit and mine.

Please Note: These tests have been completed with a TAR below the desired value. Even though the completed tests look promising, there are factors and deviation errors that may be present that I cannot take into account. Based on the current technology of a high quality 6.5 digit DMM, the results are not too bad. Aside from the internal construction of the unit being a bit dodgy, the unit is performing admirably, at least in the current series of tests I have conducted over the last month.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 25, 2015, 06:05:11 pm
when you say artificial aging, am i right to say meaning baking over higher than normal temp 100-150oC? and cooling also? or no cooling? for say 1 week? then possibly this process is done on a ... bunch, and select a few good ones with least fluctuations.

No, artificial aging for references is done, purely by connecting them to a power source. No temperature involved.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: edavid on February 25, 2015, 07:32:51 pm
Does anyone remember the radioactive epoxy disaster? What would have this done to floating-gate references like FGA? "Precision reference with enclosure-controlled precision decay" ? :)

No, because there was no such thing.  It was ceramic packages that were found to emit alphas.  I think the radiation level was too low
to affect floating gate references.  Anyway, once it was discovered, it was trivial to screen the clay for low radiation.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 25, 2015, 08:27:43 pm
Hi Group!


Just for the reference...
I have also done a one hour measurement on a 10V voltage reference.
To see the difference is the noise behavior of the D-105 and a Quad LT1021-5 and a lowpass 2x amplifier of my design.

Small picture, click on the link for the high res. picture
(http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Quad-LT1021-1H-10V-b.png)

Link High Res Screenshot.
www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Quad-LT1021-1H-10V-a.png (http://www.bramcam.nl/Diversen/Quad-LT1021-1H-10V-a.png)

Al the setting where the same as Terabyte2007 used.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on February 25, 2015, 11:03:34 pm
...I have also done a one hour measurement on a 10V voltage reference.
To see the difference is the noise behavior of the D-105 and a Quad LT1021-5 and a lowpass 2x amplifier of my design.
...
Kind regarts,
Blackdog

HI Blackdog.... your reference is definitely quieter, more stable and seems to have far less excursions. I see about 5 uV (0.5 ppm) p-p noise, and the average over your 1H period is within 0.350 ppm of the min and max.

The graph of the D-105 over 1 hour shows 100 uV p-p noise, that's 10 ppm of noise right there.  The average voltage over the hour is within 1 ppm however (about 0.850 ppm)

This is the reference from this thread, right?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/10v-reference-(i-did-it-my-way)-no1/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/10v-reference-(i-did-it-my-way)-no1/)

Is this reference heated, as you said "housed in a 42C heated BimBox" ?

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: blackdog on February 25, 2015, 11:14:32 pm
Hi codeboy2k,

That is correct, but the schematic is not optimal, i wil change it, i will put a LTC2057 omamp in it.
And there is a stablility problem with the oven electronics.
No big problem, maybe 2 hours of work.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on February 25, 2015, 11:38:29 pm
Hi codeboy2k,

That is correct, but the schematic is not optimal, i wil change it, i will put a LTC2057 omamp in it.
And there is a stablility problem with the oven electronics.
No big problem, maybe 2 hours of work.

Kind regarts,
Blackdog

Yes, definitely quieter. Do you sell these or is this just your own project.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: AlfBaz on February 26, 2015, 12:27:45 am
Sorry for the slightly off-topic question here but looking at terabyte and blackdog's trend pictures I'm a little confused.
It would appear you would need at least 8.5 digits to get this sort of resolution yet the 34461A's are touted as 6.5 digits
The other confusing aspect is (assuming at least 100NPLC) is the number of samples per second. I see in the specs it says at 100nplc it does 0.6/(0.5) readings/s

I'm currently looking through these meter's documentation in am attempt to understand how they're doing it but so far no good. Any links?

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=138797;image)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: LaurentR on February 26, 2015, 12:39:29 am
Sorry for the slightly off-topic question here but looking at terabyte and blackdog's trend pictures I'm a little confused.
It would appear you would need at least 8.5 digits to get this sort of resolution yet the 34461A's are touted as 6.5 digits
The other confusing aspect is (assuming at least 100NPLC) is the number of samples per second. I see in the specs it says at 100nplc it does 0.6/(0.5) readings/s

I'm currently looking through these meter's documentation in am attempt to understand how they're doing it but so far no good. Any links?

On the picture, 06:00 is 6 minutes.

As far as the number of digits, the 34461A returns the full floating point number for the measurement over SCPI (i.e. ADC + calibration function), so it has plenty of digits and there is quite a bit more effective resolution than the 6.5 digits on the display.
IIRC, the 34401A returns what is on the display, so no gravy.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lowimpedance on February 26, 2015, 12:47:12 am
While there is some talk on the aspect of resistors I have scanned and attached a copy of an ESI catalogue page on their precision resistors construction and specs etc.
For your reference only.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: AlfBaz on February 26, 2015, 01:16:54 am
On the picture, 06:00 is 6 minutes.
ok thanks
Quote
As far as the number of digits, the 34461A returns the full floating point number for the measurement over SCPI (i.e. ADC + calibration function), so it has plenty of digits and there is quite a bit more effective resolution than the 6.5 digits on the display.
That's what I find confusing, specs stipulate +-(0.0015+0.0004) on the 10V scale for 24hrs. Doesn't that equate to roughly +-190uV rendering the nanovolt bits as mathematical artefacts?
 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: LaurentR on February 26, 2015, 02:37:44 am
That's what I find confusing, specs stipulate +-(0.0015+0.0004) on the 10V scale for 24hrs. Doesn't that equate to roughly +-190uV rendering the nanovolt bits as mathematical artefacts?

Not arguing with that, just clarifying where the extra resolution comes from. Clearly, the stability shown is way beyond the 24hr accuracy.

I guess the argument can be made that if it looks stable within a couple of uV over that period of time (that's fractions of 1 ppm), it probably is unless the drift of the DMM miraculously compensates the drift of the DUT. If there was drift, you certainly couldn't say if it's the DMM or the DUT.

Of course, without knowing what the actual ADC resolution is (which I am not sure has been discussed), this could all be, as you said, averaging artifacts.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on February 26, 2015, 03:13:48 pm
On the picture, 06:00 is 6 minutes.

As far as the number of digits, the 34461A returns the full floating point number for the measurement over SCPI (i.e. ADC + calibration function), so it has plenty of digits and there is quite a bit more effective resolution than the 6.5 digits on the display.
IIRC, the 34401A returns what is on the display, so no gravy.

Hi,
That's not correct!
The 34401A also returns one more digit for each single measurement, i.e. 7 digits, over the bus .
Also the statistics function delivers 7 digits, which are really useable when averaged over an appropriate time.


Generally, ALL HP bench meters deliver one or two digits more over the bus, than displayed .
BenchVue also displays this additional resolution.

The 3458A outputs up to 9 digits, and at least 8 digits also for functions which were displayed to 7 or 6 digits only.

All other 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 bench instruments up to now were very similar, or exact copies, concerning the A/D topology, including the reference.
That can be seen also by the Multi Slope III or IV designation, where obviously mostly software related improvements were made.. if you study the schematics in contrast to that.

So the length of the raw A/D output words was always very similar, something like 24..25 Bits  (>30 bits for the 3458A.)

I also think, that even the new 34461 reused the A/D from the 34410A, only the user interface, graphical and statistical functions and interfacing was greatly improved.

And I'm curious about the 34465A, 34470A, if further improvements on reference and A/D were made, or if they only reused again.

Indicator for latter assumption is, that the A/D linearity still is on the order of 1ppm only, like the old 34401A, although 7 1/2  digits would urgently require something like 0.1ppm, which is only possible by the A/D in the 3458A (which has down to 0.02ppm linearity).

Well, if you would like to judge about the stability of the additional digits of the 6 digits instruments, you would best make a longer series of measurements on a known stable reference, and then calculate the Allan stability deviation, like we've done in a recent thread.:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-kx-diy-calibrator-reference-sourcemeter/msg592440/#msg592440 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-kx-diy-calibrator-reference-sourcemeter/msg592440/#msg592440)

It will probably turn out, that NPC 100 does not give useful results, but at about 12 seconds averaging time, this additional digit can be used.

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 26, 2015, 06:25:25 pm
Hey guys, I'm writing up the OP and gathering links for a general "Voltage Reference & Standards Megathread" right now. If you've got any useful links (to other threads or websites/documents/projects) post them here (or pm them to me). The idea behind the thread is as a general post to talk shop regarding that elusive last ppm. It'll also help keep track of relevant information that's currently spread over several threads. (It's not designed to replace any of the specific threads, just a catch all for things outside their scope.)

I'll be posting it tonight, assuming I've got internet after the foot of snow that just came out of nowhere last night.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 26, 2015, 07:33:33 pm
Digi-Key sent an email about "new releases" including the Linear LS8 voltage references. I have not poured over the data sheets but it looks like a humidity insensitve ceramic package. Not sure if they are anything special.

http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/datasheet/6655fe.pdf (http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/datasheet/6655fe.pdf)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mrflibble on February 26, 2015, 07:37:01 pm
Hey guys, I'm writing up the OP and gathering links for a general "Voltage Reference & Standards Megathread" right now.

...

It'll also help keep track of relevant information that's currently spread over several threads.
Great idea. :-+ The various threads have some very useful information in it, but as you indicate it's spread across a rather large number of posts. So one place to condense "the good bits" sound like a plan. :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: JohnnyBerg on February 26, 2015, 07:50:27 pm
Digi-Key sent an email about "new releases" including the Linear LS8 voltage references. I have not poured over the data sheets but it looks like a humidity insensitve ceramic package. Not sure if they are anything special.

http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/datasheet/6655fe.pdf (http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/datasheet/6655fe.pdf)

The C version is nothing special, but the B version looks promising. 2ppm/K. max. and 1ppm/K. typ. High initial accuracy of 0.025%. €11/piece at Farnell.

@timb: great idea!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on March 02, 2015, 08:55:57 pm
Appending a question to this thread, since it seems to have entered more enlightened territory:
Evidently, not... quite... yet...  I think I am going to stop trying to help people that are not nice to me.  ('nuff said...)

Hey diligent, if that was in reference to my "cheap" trick I apologize. It was intended as a joke and I thought, considering your avatar, you might appreciate such. It seemed funny to me that you took off on that word after my use of it. I Hope you may also notice my many complements on your knowledge and experience. Sorry again if you took my humor the wrong way. In any case I appreciated the help given so far in that other thread and will follow your advice to start an "el cheapo" thread as soon as my test results get organized.

*sigh* ... i feel like DIY-ing a LM399 in memory of leonard nimoy :(

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=139697;image)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: LaurentR on March 02, 2015, 10:20:12 pm
...
Generally, ALL HP bench meters deliver one or two digits more over the bus, than displayed .
BenchVue also displays this additional resolution.
...

Thanks Dr Frank. That prompted me to look for more information on the ADC and I stumbled on this HP journal issue with 6 articles on the ins and outs of the 3458A with a lot of very interesting content (very relevant to this thread). I assume it's been posted at some point before, but I thought I'd use the occasion to repost it:
http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf (http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf)
Also found this 1990 paper that has useful general content of DMM performance verification:
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5991-1266EN.pdf (http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5991-1266EN.pdf)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 02, 2015, 10:29:01 pm
...
Generally, ALL HP bench meters deliver one or two digits more over the bus, than displayed .
BenchVue also displays this additional resolution.
...

Thanks Dr Frank. That prompted me to look for more information on the ADC and I stumbled on this HP journal issue with 6 articles on the ins and outs of the 3458A with a lot of very interesting content (very relevant to this thread). I assume it's been posted at some point before, but I thought I'd use the occasion to repost it:
http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf (http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf)
Also found this 1990 paper that has useful general content of DMM performance verification:
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5991-1266EN.pdf (http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5991-1266EN.pdf)

Thanks for posting the links to these white papers. These should be a good read!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on March 03, 2015, 08:28:55 am
http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf (http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1989-04.pdf)

This HP Journal is amazing.
Dated from 1989 and full of technical stuff on the 3458A.
I did not care too much of the firmware development explanations, but the rest is just really good information, including a list of the people who developed the 3458A.

Also interesting, that this 3458A was developed in the 80's and is still state of the art.
Those were probably the prime years of HP.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 03, 2015, 11:16:09 am
Update on the Calibratory D-105 DC. A 288-hour and running trend-plot shows minimal temperature drift (+-0.5ppm, deltaT=6 degrees C), any long-term drift--if ity exists--is masked by temperature drift, no drift due to humidity changes (delta RH% 17), and the device was chosen as a worst-case-scenario device. It is still steady at 10.00000VDC, and rises to 10.00001VDC once in a while. Even when the device was functioning below its temperature range, it still remained within the +-2ppm spec.

The plot trigger is 2 seconds, perpetual. I've set aside two 6-1/2 digit meters to run and monitor the plot for 45 days. 

My observations thus far are encouraging--better than predicted! 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 03, 2015, 11:33:29 am
Where is the graph data plot? I don't see an attachment.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 03, 2015, 11:45:24 am
288 hours isn't long term. Temperature drift is still drift, so it ultimately counts towards the accuracy of the system as a whole. This is why those figures are given in ppm/C. For long term temperature-independent results, the unit needs to be placed in a small chamber that can maintain absolute temperature (25c, 40c, whatever). Lastly, if you've only got 6.5 digit meters, don't bother. At that voltage the 10uV decade is noise anyway and accuracy to 100uV is nothing special. (Power Designs was doing 10uV accuracy in their benchtop power supplies in 1964 with a Zener and a few resistors).


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 03, 2015, 02:01:17 pm
288 hours isn't long term. Temperature drift is still drift, so it ultimately counts towards the accuracy of the system as a whole. This is why those figures are given in ppm/C. For long term temperature-independent results, the unit needs to be placed in a small chamber that can maintain absolute temperature (25c, 40c, whatever). Lastly, if you've only got 6.5 digit meters, don't bother. At that voltage the 10uV decade is noise anyway and accuracy to 100uV is nothing special. (Power Designs was doing 10uV accuracy in their benchtop power supplies in 1964 with a Zener and a few resistors).


Sent from my Tablet
I'm just reporting what I have so far. If you don't like it that's really not my doing. But I'm impressed with the performance thus far.  You should be too. As I said the test is "and running". I can't speed up the passage of time. But you can still criticize me for not doing that. I don't know what drives you. But those who contradict everything another man says, and who criticize everything another man does, are the sand in the intricate mechanism of civilization that makes cooperation among men impossible.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 03, 2015, 02:03:55 pm
Where is the graph data plot? I don't see an attachment.
I have to photograph the meters. Stay tuned. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 03, 2015, 02:08:22 pm
Where is the graph data plot? I don't see an attachment.
I have to photograph the meters. Stay tuned.

A photo of the meters? I think you're going to need long-term plot data and other statistics to back up your claims. Coming back to this thread with a photo of the meters and the same argument, well, I don't think your going to win over the crowd with that. I'm just sayin'  :-//
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 03, 2015, 02:19:01 pm
@Awsome14, Also if you read my post earlier about my testing of the D105 it is marginal to do test's with a 6.5 digit DMM. If you know anything about TAR (Test Accuracy Ratio) then you would know that to test the D105 accurately to the claimed precision you would need a TAR rating of 4 or better. A 6.5 digit DMM barely makes a rating of 1. At a minimum, you would need a 7.5 preferably an 8.5 digit DMM to get a rating of 4 or better and that is only going to happen at a cal lab. I am not trying to burst your bubble, but testing to the claimed precision with a 6.5 digit DMM is going to be marginal at best.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on March 03, 2015, 03:08:37 pm
LOL!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 03, 2015, 03:14:14 pm
@Awsome14, Also if you read my post earlier about my testing of the D105 it is marginal to do test's with a 6.5 digit DMM. If you know anything about TAR (Test Accuracy Ratio) then you would know that to test the D105 accurately to the claimed precision you would need a TAR rating of 4 or better. A 6.5 digit DMM barely makes a rating of 1. At a minimum, you would need a 7.5 preferably an 8.5 digit DMM to get a rating of 4 or better and that is only going to happen at a cal lab. I am not trying to burst your bubble, but testing to the claimed precision with a 6.5 digit DMM is going to be marginal at best.
We're not dealing with absolutes, only degrees of certainty. In the trend plot, the measurement uses a seventh digit of precision, because the trigger is set to 2 seconds, with 50,000 samples/trigger. So, since the meter can use a statistical mean of 50,000 readings per trigger, it gains a legitimate digit of accuracy. Correction: the meter uses 1000 samples per trigger. I have the benefit of checking our meters at least once per month. That adds certainty to the meter's readings. I also record the historical data, so I have drift figures. That increases certainty still more. The total range of the trend plot is  10VDC < +-2ppm. And, we have a 3458A to confirm the research findings.

You can do R&D with a 6-1/2 digit and confirm the findings using an 8-12 digit. Using an 8-1/2 digit for everything takes too long! The meter in lower position in the photo is within 0.5ppm of our 732A, and its internal noise 0.1-0.2uVDC. You might say, "There's no way I could know that!" But there is! Just because something is unknown to one person does not mean it is unknown to everyone! I can test the internal noise of any DM meter, in five minutes!

Everyone who has tested the device intact has agreed that it works as claimed. I guess because of my personal beliefs or idiosyncrasies some people on this board reflexively question my abilities, intent, and credibility. I assure you I take good care to be correct in my claims. You simply have to imagine the catastrophic and immediate end that would come to an enterprise selling voltage standards that don't work as specified.

I've been doing this for years, and I haven't had a single complaint regarding the claims made for my devices. That speaks much louder than a handful of amateurs spouting canned jargon in a desperate plea to disparage me and my product. Let's see someone prove me wrong, in the real world! Two unsolicited, outside sources with 8-1/2 digit meters confirmed my own findings. What more do you want? Sheesh!

So I live in a world that's fun. Big deal! I like being entertained by everything! In my world, I have everything within the three-dimensional reality + many other valuable things. I am never bored. My mind ceaselessly creates. I love creating things. It makes me God's playmate. We create together. It's a lot of fun! I like having fun! If anyone is to fault me for it, they are not having enough fun.  :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 03, 2015, 03:43:36 pm
@Awsome14, Also if you read my post earlier about my testing of the D105 it is marginal to do test's with a 6.5 digit DMM. If you know anything about TAR (Test Accuracy Ratio) then you would know that to test the D105 accurately to the claimed precision you would need a TAR rating of 4 or better. A 6.5 digit DMM barely makes a rating of 1. At a minimum, you would need a 7.5 preferably an 8.5 digit DMM to get a rating of 4 or better and that is only going to happen at a cal lab. I am not trying to burst your bubble, but testing to the claimed precision with a 6.5 digit DMM is going to be marginal at best.
We're not dealing with absolutes, only degrees of certainty. In the trend plot, the measurement uses a seventh digit of precision, because the trigger is set to 2 seconds, with 50,000 samples/trigger. So, since the meter can use a statistical mean of 50,000 readings per trigger, it gains a legitimate digit of accuracy. I have the benefit of checking our meters at least once per month. That adds certainty to the meter's readings. I also record the historical data, so I have drift figures. That increases certainty still more. The total range of the trend plot is < 10VDC +-2ppm. And, we have a 3458 to confirm the research findings.

You can do R&D with a 6-1/2 digit and confirm the findings using an 8-12 digit. Using an 8-1/2 digit for everything takes too long! The meter in lower position in the photo is within 0.5ppm of our 732A, and its internal noise 0.1-0.2uVDC. You might say, "There's no way I could know that!" But there is! Just because something is unknown to one person does not mean it is unknown to everyone! I can test the internal noise of any DM meter, in five minutes!

Everyone who has tested the device intact has agreed that it works as claimed. I guess because of my personal beliefs or idiosyncrasies some people on this board reflexively question my abilities, intent, and credibility. I assure you I take good care to be correct in my claims. You simply have to imagine the catastrophic and immediate end that would come to an enterprise selling voltage standards that don't work as specified.

I've been doing this for years, and I haven't had a single complaint regarding the claims made for my devices. That speaks much louder than a handful of amateurs spouting canned jargon in a desperate plea to disparage me and my product. Let's see someone prove me wrong, in the real world! Two unsolicited, outside sources with 8-1/2 digit meters confirmed my own findings. What more do you want? Sheesh!

So I live in a world that's fun. Big deal! I like being entertained by everything! In my world, I have everything within the three-dimensional reality + many other valuable things. I am never bored. My mind ceaselessly creates. I love creating things. It makes me God's playmate. We create together. It's a lot of fun! I like having fun! If anyone is to fault me for it, they are not having enough fun.  :)

Sigh!  :palm:

Honestly, I don't have time to argue. I will say this, Simply post the data and trend plots you speak of! I can care less how quickly you can determine the internal noise of a DMM or any of the other repetitive rhetorical BS that you keep filling this thread with. "Canned Jargon"? Have you read your eBay page lately? I think you should tread lightly my friend, I was not attacking you!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: paulie on March 03, 2015, 04:39:06 pm
LOL!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mrflibble on March 03, 2015, 04:46:55 pm
:-DD Pure comedy.

Have you read your eBay page lately?
Well darnit, now you made me read it. From the item description on ebay:
Quote
What this device is: It is a revolutionary voltage standard at an affordable price. If you want to get your lab synced to the SI second, our 0.0002% standard provides one possible way to do it.

Synced to the SI second, how quaint. ;D

Ah screw it, I'll just quote it here for the benefit of the readers. It has too many good bits in it to just let it slide past. XD

Quote from: ebay description
The item is a 10.000000VDC Precision Voltage Reference Standard. It accepts 13.0VDC to 35.0VDC INPUT. The OUTPUT is 10.000000 VDC ±0.0002% (±2ppm) at 14.5VDC (+-1.0VDC) INPUT. The other unit we have listed is a 10.000000VDC +-0.0006% (+-6ppm) unit. The absolute accuracy, added temperature-control, and the price, are the only differences between this unit and  our novice product, the +-0.0006% voltage standard. The +-0.0002% standard (the one in this description) has (4) four nonmagnetic, gold-flashed, color-coded banana-sockets w/binding posts for INPUT and OUTPUT connections. The internal connections are soldered or bolted. The regulator IC is socketed for low hysteresis and to prevent damaging the IC by soldering.  The mainboard is a low-hysteresis design, which prevents output drift due to mechanical stresses on the regulator IC and other internal components. We hand-pick the precision voltage reference ICs we incorporate into the units—TI REF102C—and integrate it with (2) low-pass filters for ripple-suppression, shielding against induced thermoelectric effect, and passive temperature-compensation. The +-0.0002% standard can be  power-cycled without affecting the absolute accuracy (+-2ppm). Among the photos is a laboratory null voltage-offset setup. The reading is: 0.0092mVDC (9.2uVDC; 0.92ppm). That is the maximum difference between the 732A 10.000000VDC OUTPUT and the 10.000000VDC OUTPUT of the +-0.0002% standard at its maximum actual error. The null setup is as follows: Fluke 732A OUTPUT (-)ground(-) to OUTPUT (-)ground(-) on the +-0.0002% standard. Power Supply 14.5 Volt DC (+) and (-) to INPUT of the +-0.0002% standard; 10.0VDC (+) OUTPUT (+)  of Fluke 732A to DMM (-) low (-); 10VDC  (+) OUTPUT (+) of +-0.0002% standard to DMM (+) high (+) . All units are nulled to a 732A or 732B Precision Voltage Reference. The +-0.0002% standard consumes roughly 18mW, so it may also be powered by (2) 9V alkaline batteries wired in series. The device settles in roughly five minutes. Maximum output load is 10.0 mA. The unit is durable and maintenance-free. It measures approximately 1.5" x 2.25" x 1.75". Calibration is available any time. We customize calibration parameters on request, i.e. input voltage, calibration temperature, output load, etc.. Test equipment and interconnect cords are not included. Questions, use the link below. Thank you for viewing our eBay.com listing! The following information may be of use to certain buyers. What this device is not: the device is not designed for use in mission-critical applications. What this device is: It is a revolutionary voltage standard at an affordable price. If you want to get your lab synced to the SI second, our 0.0002% standard provides one possible way to do it. The device does not require that it be powered on continuously. It will endure power cycling and retain its absolute accuracy of +-2ppm. Therefore, the device is rated for drift per 1,000 hours of use. Due to demand, we have begun long-term drift testing over 100% power-up conditions. See the graphs in the photos. We have also recently conducted a test to determine the effects of relative humidity on the output voltage. Initial results demonstrate a 17% RH range between 25% and 42% RH has no immediate effect on output voltage.  Based on tests done with each unit, and also a number of samples from outside sources, we have estimated the actual absolute error of our +-0.0002% product to be within +-2ppm, with 95% certainty. In many instances it is desirable to ship our unit (shipping weight = 4 oz.; 112 gm.) from place to place in a powered-down state than to ship a Fluke 732B in a powered-up state, because the accuracy required for a particular application may be less than the 732B provides, and shipping costs are much less. Based on preliminary findings we will guarantee by traceable certificate, +-0.0002% absolute accuracy within the specified operating environment conditions, at >=10 MOhm load, between 0 and 60 days; +-3.5ppm for 61-120 days; and 4.5ppm for 121-180 days. Nothing else will get the volt in the door at a lower cost. The +-0.0002% (+-2ppm) voltage standard was released January 2015. The only data we had acquired at that time was drift figures in ppm/1,000-hours-of-use format, and temperature drift ppm/degreeC. Presently, we are doing research on drift per %RH, and drift per multiple 1,000 hours of use. However, we have years of data for our +-0.0006% (+-6ppm) voltage standard, which uses the same regulator IC. Therefore, we can make certain assumptions that hold true for any device using the same IC. I am not an amateur. This device was created by University graduates outstanding in their fields! I rigorously test, and confirm my findings, before any public claims are made regarding our products. We have 100% positive feedback. We've sold hundreds of voltage standards on eBay! They have been tested on 8-1/2-digit meters by at least five separate, outside sources, which have confirmed our own claims.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mrflibble on March 03, 2015, 04:54:29 pm
Curious. Another thing I just noticed on that ebay page:

External Calibration Controls:    Yes

Are those the external calibration controls inside the box that shall not be opened, or some other external calibration controls?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on March 03, 2015, 09:10:02 pm
Curious. Another thing I just noticed on that ebay page:

External Calibration Controls:    Yes

Are those the external calibration controls inside the box that shall not be opened, or some other external calibration controls?

Below the red and green round stickers (between the binding post's) you will find a small hole each and through these holes you can reach to the two 10-turns potentiometers. I presume this is what he means with "external calibration control"

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Lightages on March 03, 2015, 09:20:57 pm
It is hermetically sealed against moisture with stickers?  :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: mrflibble on March 03, 2015, 10:58:29 pm
Below the red and green round stickers (between the binding post's) you will find a small hole each and through these holes you can reach to the two 10-turns potentiometers. I presume this is what he means with "external calibration control"
Thanks, that answers that. Didn't notice that bit of information if it was mentioned earlier on in the thread...

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 04, 2015, 01:02:29 am

288 hours isn't long term. Temperature drift is still drift, so it ultimately counts towards the accuracy of the system as a whole. This is why those figures are given in ppm/C. For long term temperature-independent results, the unit needs to be placed in a small chamber that can maintain absolute temperature (25c, 40c, whatever). Lastly, if you've only got 6.5 digit meters, don't bother. At that voltage the 10uV decade is noise anyway and accuracy to 100uV is nothing special. (Power Designs was doing 10uV accuracy in their benchtop power supplies in 1964 with a Zener and a few resistors).


Sent from my Tablet
I'm just reporting what I have so far. If you don't like it that's really not my doing. But I'm impressed with the performance thus far.  You should be too. As I said the test is "and running". I can't speed up the passage of time. But you can still criticize me for not doing that. I don't know what drives you. But those who contradict everything another man says, and who criticize everything another man does, are the sand in the intricate mechanism of civilization that makes cooperation among men impossible.

I like how you automatically go on the offensive without reading (or understanding) my entire post.

Let me break down what you need to do for true long term testing:

1) You need to test at least 10 units at the same time. This can easily be done for less than $100 by buying a switching mainframe on eBay. In fact, there are a few HP 3488A up right now for >$75 with relay modules. Another good choice would be the Keithley 7001, it runs a bit high price wise but you can find them for less than $100. Finally, the Keithley 705 is a solid choice. (If you really wanted to do it right you would get a Keithley 2002 8.5 digit meter, which has a built-in slot for scanner cards.)

2) All 10 units need to be in a controlled, constant temperature environment. A styrofoam cooler with a 40c PTC heater would work if you don't want to deal with PID controllers.

3) The wires going to the scanner need to be shielded twisted pair. The wires going to the DMM as well should be terminated with gold copper spade lugs for low thermal emf affects.

4) You would have the scanner switch between units every X seconds and trigger the meter to make X measurements at the slowest integration rate, for each unit, which your software will then average and store as a single reading.

Do this for 3-6 months undisturbed and you'll have useful data.

In fact, I couldn't tell from your last post, but you *are* logging what you're currently doing to a PC and not relying solely on the compressed averaging TrendPlot display, right?


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 05, 2015, 07:42:52 am

288 hours isn't long term. Temperature drift is still drift, so it ultimately counts towards the accuracy of the system as a whole. This is why those figures are given in ppm/C. For long term temperature-independent results, the unit needs to be placed in a small chamber that can maintain absolute temperature (25c, 40c, whatever). Lastly, if you've only got 6.5 digit meters, don't bother. At that voltage the 10uV decade is noise anyway and accuracy to 100uV is nothing special. (Power Designs was doing 10uV accuracy in their benchtop power supplies in 1964 with a Zener and a few resistors).


Sent from my Tablet
I'm just reporting what I have so far. If you don't like it that's really not my doing. But I'm impressed with the performance thus far.  You should be too. As I said the test is "and running". I can't speed up the passage of time. But you can still criticize me for not doing that. I don't know what drives you. But those who contradict everything another man says, and who criticize everything another man does, are the sand in the intricate mechanism of civilization that makes cooperation among men impossible.

I like how you automatically go on the offensive without reading (or understanding) my entire post.

Let me break down what you need to do for true long term testing:

1) You need to test at least 10 units at the same time. This can easily be done for less than $100 by buying a switching mainframe on eBay. In fact, there are a few HP 3488A up right now for >$75 with relay modules. Another good choice would be the Keithley 7001, it runs a bit high price wise but you can find them for less than $100. Finally, the Keithley 705 is a solid choice. (If you really wanted to do it right you would get a Keithley 2002 8.5 digit meter, which has a built-in slot for scanner cards.)

2) All 10 units need to be in a controlled, constant temperature environment. A styrofoam cooler with a 40c PTC heater would work if you don't want to deal with PID controllers.

3) The wires going to the scanner need to be shielded twisted pair. The wires going to the DMM as well should be terminated with gold copper spade lugs for low thermal emf affects.

4) You would have the scanner switch between units every X seconds and trigger the meter to make X measurements at the slowest integration rate, for each unit, which your software will then average and store as a single reading.

Do this for 3-6 months undisturbed and you'll have useful data.

In fact, I couldn't tell from your last post, but you *are* logging what you're currently doing to a PC and not relying solely on the compressed averaging TrendPlot display, right?


Sent from my Tablet
That's a good design for the test. But it isn't the only possible design. It's a brute-force design needed to determine a minimum error. The other way it can be done is to use the worst-possible-scenario example, measure the results, and determine the maximum error of the worst possible example. Other units will be equal or better. Your design is meant to produce data to support tighter specifications. The alternative to that is to spec the device with comfortable margins for error. Then, you just have to determine whether any example performs outside the margins. Setting the error at double what experimental evidence indicates saves a lot of work.

We have an 8-1/2 digit meter. I only need it for checking the results. I'll confirm the findings using 8-1/2 digits. I use coax interconnects. I know that seems a bit weird for DC, but it eliminates several unknowns. The environmental chambers use PWM controllers, which create a 15A DC pulse at 150MHz. Twisted pair is susceptible to induction by high-frequency, high-current pulse signals nearby, but coax + BNC is not; at least  not perceptibly so.

If we decide to try to squeeze another ppm into the accuracy of this design, then I will use the test as designed by you. But right now we're just establishing absolute boundaries. After 14 days, the long-term drift is still masked by temperature drift. It would be nice to know "typical" performance. But for now we're using worst-case figures.

Accuracy figures for instruments are based on worst-possible figures, given the most hostile environments, the most external interference, and the worst possible drift the instrument is rated to endure. In industry, accuracy of measurements in a system must be assured, or it could make the difference between producing a useful drug or a deadly poison. In a controlled lab environment, an instrument should remain consistent across calibration periods.

The absolute error ratings apply at  temperature, radiation, vibration, pressure and humidity extremes. I've had meters that remained well within spec for 10 years, or more. It is proper to respect the volt; to practice due diligence and competency in procedures, methods, practices, documentation, etc.. But it is also proper to use rational sense: if a meter has drifted 0.5ppm during the last decade, and it is used in a laboratory, the maximum error figures given by the manufacturer apply only to an auditor who uses those figures as a guide to determine whether or not the device requires repair or replacement.

The instruments I use are optimized. Calibration and optimization are different things. Most calibration involves no adjustment. The device is simply checked to determine if it's within spec. If you want a piece of equipment spot-on, you have to pay for optimization, or adjust it yourself. 

In real life, if you've got historical data, and the device is reliable, it probably hasn't drifted much since the last calibration. If it has drifted so much that it is out of spec, someone would notice, unless it's the only meter in the joint.

I appreciate the equipment recommendations. I save money when I can, which isn't often. You're correct. If I want to obtain the most useful data, it's going to take time and effort. Data puts more value into the product, but practically no one actually requires  +-2ppm. It's nice to have. But I think I'm maxed out on the price as it is. I sell more +-6ppm units at 59.95USD than I do +-2ppm units at 97.95USD

I appreciate your suggestions and I learned a few new things. Thank you. I'll check out the equipment you recommended. How are the switching units rated, what spec do I look for?   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 05, 2015, 08:12:36 pm
There's a bit of a learning curve on the switch scanner mainframes and modules. The Keithley 7001 scanner mainframe with a 7012-C quad 1x10 multiplexer module looks like a good choice for switching. Are there adapters available for the 96-pin connector on the 7012-C, or do techs make their own adapters, or maybe direct splicing?     

Update, I ordered the scanner switch. Now I just need to read the manual and figure out how to connect to the 96-pin connector.  The other stuff looks like it's fairly intuitive. Which module is better: solid-state or relay? 

@timb, I'm only saving the individual voltage readings. It's a project to set up software, because I have to use pyvisa and libvisa. I can't find anything else affordable to run on Fedora. I'll look online for the scripts I need. I apologize for being defensive, but I was earlier attacked on this board like never before. I can let it go. I think we all learned something from the experience. Adversity slays the wicked and perfects the righteous.

I didn't at first plan to make a big deal of my standard. But I realized, without the proper data to back it up, the standard itself is practically nothing at all. Whenever anyone uses it, they have to reinvent the wheel. So, I've made a commitment to record the data to discover more about the device.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 08, 2015, 12:26:51 am
You want the relay modules. The general purpose relay module will work for you. It does 10 DPDT connections I think. The solid state modules are basically an array of mosfets designed for signaling applications.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 08, 2015, 12:35:03 am
For your Linux VISA stuff, check out InstrumentKit: https://github.com/Galvant/InstrumentKit

It's made by the guy who has that $50 USB to GPIB adapter on eBay. It supports VISA, USBTMC, Serial and GPIB. It's easy to write a module that supports your device as all the communication stuff is taken care of.

I wrote a comm module to support my NI Serial to GPIB adapter. Now I've got 10 GPIB, 3 USBTMC and 2 serial devices all being controlled by a BeagleBone Black.

I'm currently working on a Web Interface that will hook in with InstrumentKit. It will allow you to write and save LUA scripts to easily perform T&M functions. Using some slick libraries you'll even be able to see realtime graphs of the data right on the page.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Vgkid on March 08, 2015, 02:22:47 am
@ Timb : are you talking about the UGsimple usb converter.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 10, 2015, 04:52:33 am

@ Timb : are you talking about the UGsimple usb converter.

No, it's the Galvant Industries one. He sells them on eBay and through his site. :)


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: EEVblog on March 11, 2015, 08:35:59 am
Looks like our friend Awesome14 also sells his standard without any magic thermal compensation:
Scullcom Hobby Electronics #8 - Precision Voltage Reference Modules (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_ZBT4t4dA#ws)
Teradown starts at 31:00
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on March 11, 2015, 12:01:24 pm
Looks like our friend Awesome14 also sells his standard without any magic thermal compensation:

And is using different IC's with clearly very different specifications.
Sometimes the REF102A and
Sometimes the LT1021C
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on March 11, 2015, 12:47:27 pm
Hi Group,

There are two version for sale on eBay, one with temperature compensation and one without. This is the one without.

I noticed in the video (31:00) the LT1021 has date code: 0248. This week 48 of year 2002.

This suggests the part was probably surplus, not fresh parts from an authorized distributor.

Jay_Diddy_B


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on March 11, 2015, 03:23:05 pm
g' morning Jay

I don't even know the date code on mine, I don't want to pull off the magic foil ..

Despite the crudeness of the construction, it does work as well as any temperature compensated reference will work, and relies on the performance of the REF102C / LT1021C + the temperature compensation provided by the thermistor.

Since it was calibrated with the magic foil in it's magic place, I didn't want to mess with that, for fear of losing a ppm or two in tape residue :)

I won't know what part I have, until I decide I want to recalibrate it.



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Terabyte2007 on March 11, 2015, 08:08:21 pm
sometimes i wonder ... how should 1 justify the cost of a Vref ...

Probably for the same reason we justify the cost of all our other test gear!  ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Muxr on March 12, 2015, 12:01:34 am
Looks like our friend Awesome14 also sells his standard without any magic thermal compensation:
Scullcom Hobby Electronics #8 - Precision Voltage Reference Modules (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_ZBT4t4dA#ws)
Teradown starts at 31:00
Nice review. Can't believe how many people actually ordered the snake oil. Current ebay listings for the "higher end" unit show 18 units sold and the "lower end" unit shows 46 sold.

Sorry I am new here (first post). Funny thread, made me feel good about my soldering :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: The Doc on March 12, 2015, 03:00:47 am
The construction of these units is superb.

(https://carousel.dropbox.com/link_token_dl/TzYblf4jDLha7Or?item_counter=8)


Comedy gold   :-DD

Did you solder it with a catapult?



Don't forget to tune in for next week's episode... Awesome's free energy device!



(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15451483800_34ff90eac8.jpg)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on March 12, 2015, 12:07:53 pm
it is interesting to note ... every picture posted here about the PCB is always the same "KLMNOP..." are they all of the same board? or all the units use this particular section ?
May be that is part of the "magic"

Quote
in the background, the banana jack bottoms are ... filed off it seems?
Yes, they are cut and then filed down very roughly.

Quote
and that video ... it says its the most accurate Vref in its price range?
In the video, I think he was only referring to the claims and not the actual unit.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 06:07:34 am
For your Linux VISA stuff, check out InstrumentKit: https://github.com/Galvant/InstrumentKit

It's made by the guy who has that $50 USB to GPIB adapter on eBay. It supports VISA, USBTMC, Serial and GPIB. It's easy to write a module that supports your device as all the communication stuff is taken care of.

I wrote a comm module to support my NI Serial to GPIB adapter. Now I've got 10 GPIB, 3 USBTMC and 2 serial devices all being controlled by a BeagleBone Black.

I'm currently working on a Web Interface that will hook in with InstrumentKit. It will allow you to write and save LUA scripts to easily perform T&M functions. Using some slick libraries you'll even be able to see realtime graphs of the data right on the page.


Sent from my Tablet
That sounds pretty good. I'll clone the git repository.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 06:10:19 am
You want the relay modules. The general purpose relay module will work for you. It does 10 DPDT connections I think. The solid state modules are basically an array of mosfets designed for signaling applications.


Sent from my Tablet
OK, I ordered the wrong multiplexer. So, I ordered the general-purpose keithley 7011-S.  It's supposed to be here next week Wednesday. I wonder, does anyone know if every relay in the multiplexer requires custom compensation. I could also read the manual.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 06:16:21 am
Looks like our friend Awesome14 also sells his standard without any magic thermal compensation:

And is using different IC's with clearly very different specifications.
Sometimes the REF102A and
Sometimes the LT1021C
The man must have purchased his unit before we switched to the 102C. Originally, we used the 1021. But only about 50-100 of those were sold. We switched the chip and now the listing says the IC is the TIREF102C. That was a terrible review, because the device wasn't used properly. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 06:18:28 am
Hi Group,

There are two version for sale on eBay, one with temperature compensation and one without. This is the one without.

I noticed in the video (31:00) the LT1021 has date code: 0248. This week 48 of year 2002.

This suggests the part was probably surplus, not fresh parts from an authorized distributor.

Jay_Diddy_B
We sourced the 1021s from mouser and digikey.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 06:21:25 am
g' morning Jay

I don't even know the date code on mine, I don't want to pull off the magic foil ..

Despite the crudeness of the construction, it does work as well as any temperature compensated reference will work, and relies on the performance of the REF102C / LT1021C + the temperature compensation provided by the thermistor.

Since it was calibrated with the magic foil in it's magic place, I didn't want to mess with that, for fear of losing a ppm or two in tape residue :)

I won't know what part I have, until I decide I want to recalibrate it.
All units with temperature compensation use the TIREF102C.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on March 13, 2015, 07:06:33 am
Latest update on long-term drift. No long-term drift figures are available at this time. But we do have a 21-day trend plot.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on March 13, 2015, 08:23:02 am
Try to reduce your temperature drift slopes during the longish-time measurements!
I know in the US basements are not that usual, but if there is one, use it. Put a cloth over the DUT, or put it in a box. Even consider thermostatting it. You might use a Resistor powered by a programmable PSU and a NTC measured by a leftover DMM and let some software do the work. Second advantage: You get temperature readings for free :) (Could even log the output voltage dmm too!)

The Tempco of the whole reference circuit shall not appear in this longish-term drift measurement but will be its own thing.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: idpromnut on March 13, 2015, 11:34:29 am
@Awesome14: Isn't the image you posted showing +/- 1ppm, so ~2ppm over the measured period?

EDIT: ah, wait, drift is an absolute measurement right? So it's 1ppm drift (+ or -) from 10.000000.  My bad!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on March 13, 2015, 12:04:36 pm
That was a terrible review, because the device wasn't used properly.
I think it would help, if you had clear markings of "input"and "output" on the binding posts
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on March 13, 2015, 12:04:59 pm
All units with temperature compensation use the TIREF102C.

Thanks for the update awesome14! That's good to know, I like the REF102 specs better.

I was really disappointed to see it hand wired, and would have preferred to see a manufactured PC board in there. Please don't say it's not meant to be opened.  It should be safe to open any reference, as long as I don't mess with the settings. People open up 8 digit DMM's and Fluke 732's.  Opening it should not be a problem.

Despite that, it DOES WORK as built and calibrated by Awesome14, and it holds it's value to the best of my ability to measure it. The naysayers need to keep that in mind.   The temperature compensation works, I've not seen any changes in output and my home lab fluctuates about 10 deg C from morning to night (it quickly cools down over night!). So if i'm getting 2 ppm/C then I can't see the 20 ppm change on my meter (which is expected, since I only have a 5-1/2 digit meter).  When I get a better meter I'll be able to measure it better.

The value in your product is in the calibration you offer.  I can build it just as easily as you did, but I can't get it trimmed near 10V like you did, so that's valuable to me.

Good to see that you decided to make a PCB (I think you said so in one of your previous posts).  There's a lot of good information here in the forum, and lots of smart people who have good advice to offer you. You can make a really nice, clean and small PCB to fit in there, and it will significantly reduce your construction time and effort, and the product will still function as it should, and will ultimately be better in the end.  So consider that advice when you do, and you'll make a good product. With Gellar Labs no longer making temperature compensated references, you are in a unique position and have a head start on anyone else jumping in to fill that void. Go for it!

No one likes smoke and mirrors, so they might poke you on that, so remember to stick with the measured facts, only science and engineering here.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: codeboy2k on March 13, 2015, 12:08:45 pm
That was a terrible review, because the device wasn't used properly.

Oh.. don't say that and just end there, because everyone , myself included, wants to know how it should be used then.
What did he do wrong?

I know he didn't use it at exactly the same voltage and temperature that was marked on it, when it was calibrated.  Is that what you mean?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TimFox on March 13, 2015, 12:38:44 pm
"Despite that, it DOES WORK as built and calibrated by Awesome14, and it holds it's value to the best of my ability to measure it. The naysayers need to keep that in mind.   The temperature compensation works, I've not seen any changes in output and my home lab fluctuates about 10 deg C from morning to night (it quickly cools down over night!). So if i'm getting 2 ppm/C then I can't see the 20 ppm change on my meter (which is expected, since I only have a 5-1/2 digit meter).  When I get a better meter I'll be able to measure it better.

The value in your product is in the calibration you offer.  I can build it just as easily as you did, but I can't get it trimmed near 10V like you did, so that's valuable to me."


I agree with this statement excerpted from codeboy2k's response above.  My measurements also are consistent with the spec, and I thought the price was reasonable for the calibration included.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: macboy on March 13, 2015, 05:26:04 pm
You want the relay modules. The general purpose relay module will work for you. It does 10 DPDT connections I think. The solid state modules are basically an array of mosfets designed for signaling applications.


Sent from my Tablet
OK, I ordered the wrong multiplexer. So, I ordered the general-purpose keithley 7011-S.  It's supposed to be here next week Wednesday. I wonder, does anyone know if every relay in the multiplexer requires custom compensation. I could also read the manual.
In the 7011-S specifications, they state <5 uV (microvolt) contact potential per relay contact, but <2 uV per contact pair. You should always use a pair for switching the hi and lo side inputs at the same time. The thermoelectric potential is lower because it is assumed that the pair of contacts will be around the same temperature and therefore around the same potential, effectively cancelling each other out, as voltage is measured differentially across the pair.

There are some other cards (such as the 7067, of which I have a few) that have special low contact potential relays for <1 uV per pair. With 10 V, that's a 0.1 ppm error term.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TimFox on March 20, 2015, 12:43:46 pm
Any updates on long-term stability measurements of the device?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gridleak on March 26, 2015, 06:35:52 am
If this transfer standard could actually maintain even 10ppm/year stability I would have to consider that Calibratory has some very specific empirical knowledge regarding those commodity 1% tolerance metal film resistors. Let's call them CMFRs. Anyway, that's what they look like. The specs. for commodity metal films is +/-1000ppm/year. Thus, the D105 should become useless after 12 months. That said, I believe that the stability specs published are for CMFRs at rated current, and 80C temp. I haven't found data on CMFR stability at 23C over a year. I might conjecture that Calibratory has a secret temperature cycling procedure to improve stability of CMFRs. Perhaps CMFRs become more stable with time, just as the reference does. Merely having an ample inventory of 20 year old CMFRs may permit Calibratory to select the ones that have remained stable for that long.  In order to maintain records on hundreds, or thousands of CMFRs for years on end would take a particular type of individual.  Indeed. Has anyone on this forum ever built two identical reference circuits, one with CMFRs, and the same one with foil or ww to actually compare stability at,  a small temperature range (+/-5C) above and below 23C  for over a year or more?  Then, of course, there's that 1K trimmer. That seems too much range, to me. As a disclaimer, I've purchased a D105, but I don't have a metrology lab setup that can track the progress or demise of my D105 over the course of a year. According to Calibratory, the D105 should remain unpowered, when not in use, for greatest stablility. That sentiment is not without support from some respected metrologists. In one scholarly paper LTZ1000 references were only powered on when needed. Aging was significantly less than other units left on continuously.  IMHO, this is truly a Wait and See thread at this point.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 27, 2015, 01:30:54 am
The LTZ1000 and LM399's should only be powered on when needed due to the internal heater. The hotter you run a semiconductor the faster it degrades.


Sent from my Smartphone
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: SeanB on March 29, 2015, 12:25:52 pm
If you are using it as a standard leave it on, it will degrade slightly with time but the temperature cycling will be worse for drift.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on November 15, 2015, 12:46:23 pm
If this transfer standard could actually maintain even 10ppm/year stability I would have to consider that Calibratory has some very specific empirical knowledge regarding those commodity 1% tolerance metal film resistors. Let's call them CMFRs. Anyway, that's what they look like. The specs. for commodity metal films is +/-1000ppm/year. Thus, the D105 should become useless after 12 months. That said, I believe that the stability specs published are for CMFRs at rated current, and 80C temp. I haven't found data on CMFR stability at 23C over a year. I might conjecture that Calibratory has a secret temperature cycling procedure to improve stability of CMFRs. Perhaps CMFRs become more stable with time, just as the reference does. Merely having an ample inventory of 20 year old CMFRs may permit Calibratory to select the ones that have remained stable for that long.  In order to maintain records on hundreds, or thousands of CMFRs for years on end would take a particular type of individual.  Indeed. Has anyone on this forum ever built two identical reference circuits, one with CMFRs, and the same one with foil or ww to actually compare stability at,  a small temperature range (+/-5C) above and below 23C  for over a year or more?  Then, of course, there's that 1K trimmer. That seems too much range, to me. As a disclaimer, I've purchased a D105, but I don't have a metrology lab setup that can track the progress or demise of my D105 over the course of a year. According to Calibratory, the D105 should remain unpowered, when not in use, for greatest stablility. That sentiment is not without support from some respected metrologists. In one scholarly paper LTZ1000 references were only powered on when needed. Aging was significantly less than other units left on continuously.  IMHO, this is truly a Wait and See thread at this point.

OK, so where to start. With a 45-day burn-in the device drifted < 1ppm average after 90 days. So, we upped the burn-in to 70 days, and the units are still within +-1ppm after 120 days, and counting. We've also changed our calibration procedure, which produces a device that will hold +-1ppm over at least 20 days. It's too soon to tell, but I think the units will hold to +-1ppm for at least 90 days.

We didn't change the spec from +-2ppm, because I'd rather give buyers greater precision than what is advertised than try to milk every penny. Our lab acquired a Fluke 732B that arrived back from the calibration lab a few days ago. We also purchased another 732A, three Fluke 8846As, (2) multiplexer rigs by Keithley (7001 ), and standard resistors. We tested and calculated the internal resistance (0.17 Ohm) of the units and the current draw at 10MOhm (3.0mA).

We've sold units to buyers in 35 nations, and had only one minor issue. The temperature drift is still 0.2ppm/degree C. About the drift in the resistors over time: worst case scenario figures are not typical. The components on our boards operate in a mild environment.

The device is a hit, worldwide. In our latest eBay listings there are about 100 units sold. And we have a 100% feedback score. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on November 15, 2015, 12:52:08 pm
Oh lord, here we go again!

Let's see the empirical data to back up these statements. How often were measurements taken? Was the device connected to the same meter(s) and left undisturbed the entire time? Post a dump of the raw data for the entire 120 day period, please.


Sent from my Tablet
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: acbern on November 15, 2015, 04:09:36 pm
It has been made obvious throughout this blog that this design is, at best, a hobbyist approch to supply a somewhat precise (but in the end unknown) 10V reference voltage. And to be fair, more is not expectable at that price.

From a principle design perspective, using a reference (with an unknown tempco, could be up to plus or minus 10ppm/C for the LT1021C)  and compensating it with a thermistor may result in some temp compensation by coincidence, but this is by no means guaranteed, it may actually become worse. So in real life use, it may or may not compensate environmental temp drifts. That allone makes the 2ppm statement useless (ignoring anyway the fact that the 2ppm number misses any tolerance information with reference to national standards).
Overall, when you do a error propagation calc of all the possible contributors of error, lets face it, this item probably is rather in the 50ppm (K=2) level uncertainty worst case or more once on a users desk (initial drift, initial standard tolerance, worst case temp drift...).
One could go on, like no low EMF binding posts used (not expectable at that price). And so on and so on.
All this makes it an item with undefined specification, maybe usable to check 3.5 or 4.5 meters in a hobbyist environment, but thats it.
Any more statistics will not change this, given its basic design and build standards.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: eas on November 15, 2015, 08:51:20 pm
The device is a hit, worldwide. In our latest eBay listings there are about 100 units sold. And we have a 100% feedback score.

There are multiple hypothesis that could be consistent with these results. You have a hypothesis that you have a natural bias towards, the one that proves you right, and makes you money.

An alternate hypothesis is that your customers don't know what they don't know, and aren't able to adequately validate your claims. And further, that you have, through cunning or dumb luck, chosen a combination of price point and claimed precision such that anyone with the knowledge and equipment to validate your claims isn't willing to invest the time, money and energy necessary to prove or disprove them.

I love the idea of an outsider proving the experts wrong. I know though that that can cloud my judgement. So, I look for independent sources of evidence. If you are both genuine and truly clever, you'll find ways to turn some of your critics into allies, rather than continuing to use them as foils to promote an underdog narrative.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lars on November 19, 2015, 06:29:18 pm
In the end of August I couldn’t resist buying a D105 just out of curiosity. It arrived in a week to Sweden but at the same day it arrived I went on a two week trip abroad so the D105 was left in my home for two more weeks before power-up. It showed +8ppm against my other voltage references but that may not say so much as I am not fortunate to have a calibrated Fluke 732. But what caught my attention was that it seemed to drift with temperature. So I did a temperature scan between 16 and 26°C. It showed a 13ppm difference. I contacted Calibratory LLC and they were very helpful. I got an instruction how much to turn the temperature compensation pot. Adjusted and did another temperature scan and the difference between 16 and 26 was just 1ppm. As the second-order temperature coefficient is quite high on the REF102 (and most all other buried zener based 10V refs) around room temperature I didn´t bother about the last ppm over 10°C range. I set the output to what I believed is 10V.

On October 6 I started to continuously check the D105 (which I call D105-1 in the chart below as it was my first D105). In the first two weeks the output dropped 7ppm and when was relative stable until I started a humidity test a week ago. On Oct 13 I got my second D105 (I call it D105-2). This time the D105 was spot on!! But in the next one and half weeks it moved 4ppm upwards before it stabilized.

Now afterwards I have checked my weather station and found the indoor humidity was almost 60% in September that is quite normal here in autumn. In the beginning of October it fell very quickly to about 40% and has stayed at 35-50% since when (We have had very nice weather in October and November)

On Nov 11 I placed both D105´s together with one of my Geller labs SVR boards in a two liter ice cream box together with 150grams of silica gel I have prepared earlier to have almost 90% relative humidity. Now after a week the SVR hasn´t changed but the D105´s has went up about 15-20ppm.

This test is very similar to tests I have done on six SVR boards with AD587LN´s with different datecodes from 1994 to 2006 (Note: the AD587LN were not ones supplied by Geller Labs). That test also revealed a change of up to 20ppm for 40-50%RH change. The interesting with the AD587LN was that one with datecode from 2004 had a very fast negative change with time constant of about a day or two and that counseled the long term positive change. So for slow humidity changes this looked very good. The other has just a small or almost zero fast negative sensitivity to humidity and the positive long term humidity sensitivity were shown as seasonal variations.

After having said this I still hope we can keep the discussion on a technical level and that nobody says wasn´t this what I already thought. I think we really should encourage Calibratory LLC to develop this standard more and be open minded. I really liked the SVR-T boards as simple voltage transfer standards from a Fluke 732. I also liked that Geller Labs was so open with design, schematic and BOM´s (including my NTC compensation with both first and second order compensation that Joe could have kept for himself). What I missed on the SVR was a box, banana jacks, reverse power polarity and EMC filtering. At least three of these requirements are satisfied with the D105. For EMC protection I can live without that by just turning off my mobile. In my lab I have no high EMI sources and no large transmitters nearby.

So my conclusions are: My two D105 are humidity sensitive but I like the design and concept of a voltage transfer standard in small package. And I really hope for a good open discussion.

Lars
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: bingo600 on November 19, 2015, 08:39:05 pm
Hi Lars

So volt-nuts get to eat a lot of "Glass"   ;)

I have a and a few SVR's , and a single SVR-T (thnx for the design) , Joe mentioned you did it  :-+

/Bingo
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: eas on November 20, 2015, 12:40:20 am
Thanks for providing some independent data, Lars!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ltz2000 on November 21, 2015, 07:35:24 pm
The construction of these units is superb. There is nothing left to chance.

Here comes an offer. Let me do a proper printed circuit board and mechanical redesign for your product. Free of charge.

It costs you absolutely nothing. PCB and mechanical design was my day job for many many years, so I am sure that you will get more than you pay for.

Electrical, mechanical and thermal things taken into account. Binding posts mounted directly on the PCB, no wiring required. Probably saves your assembly time by 90%.

You will receive a set of ready processed manufacturing files. All you need to do is send them to a board manufacturing house of your choice.

The new design probably replaces some of the "magic" with improved reliability and stability, but I believe your customers can live with that.

For some reason I have a feeling what the answer is, but you never know...

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on November 21, 2015, 09:25:19 pm
lars, very interesting results. It's good to see the Calibratory D105 performs as expected. I think in your own case the ultimate 10V standard could be made by making an array of paralleled standards using both the D105's and the SVR's thus:

Code: [Select]
                         Geller SVR stage

+18V o----------------+----- SVR#1 10V -----+-----o
                      |                     |
                      +----- SVR#2 10V -----+

                      +----- SVR#1 GND -----+-----o
                      |
GND  o--+-------------+----- SVR#2 GND -----+
        |                                   |
        +--- D105#1 10V ---- D105#2 GND ----+
        |                                   |
        +--- D105#1 GND ---- D105#2 10V ----+

           Calibratory "null" stage

There would appear to be some redundancy in this array, and I would not recommend the "null" stage in other designs, but if you have it you may as well work with it. In this case anyway.

Those Geller SVR's seem pretty amazing. Shame he had to retire. Are the voltagestandard.com VREF10-003 up to any snuff? No magic claimed and proper board, and free recalibration after 12 months. Cheaper than D105 too.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: orin on November 24, 2015, 06:13:51 pm
<snip>
I really liked the SVR-T boards as simple voltage transfer standards from a Fluke 732. I also liked that Geller Labs was so open with design, schematic and BOM´s (including my NTC compensation with both first and second order compensation that Joe could have kept for himself). What I missed on the SVR was a box, banana jacks, reverse power polarity and EMC filtering. At least three of these requirements are satisfied with the D105. For EMC protection I can live without that by just turning off my mobile. In my lab I have no high EMI sources and no large transmitters nearby.

Hi Lars,

I have an SVR-T (thanks for sharing the design with Geller Labs!) as well as a regular SVR.  I put my SVR-T into a nice metal box with feedthrough caps for the power supply, and added an LM317 based regulator inside the box to get the 15V for the SVR.  So, what EMC effects are you seeing with the SVR-T and what would you do about it?

I found that reversing the leads from an SVR to a 3455A would cause a drop in magnitude of the output by about 10 ppm!  A 0.047uF capacitor across the output helped.  I never really worked out what caused that.  I think it was OK with the 3456A.

I was thinking of adapting the output protection circuits from the Fluke 732 for both my SVR-T and Fluke 731B - any comments on that?

Orin.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lars on December 21, 2015, 02:50:49 pm
Hello Orin

Here comes some general comments to both you and others.

I have don´t know how the Fluke 732 is protected but my general thoughts of  EMI protection is to use the normal bypass capacitors on the PCB, use a ground plane or as close as possible, and use ferrite beads in series. The banana jacks makes the “Faraday case” difficult for high frequencies as it is difficult to bypass without inductances. Therefore the EMI protection should be already on the board.

Four examples of problems I have experienced in my home lab:

1. Mobile phones, gives GHz signal but can of course be avoided (turned off). As it isn´t a CW signal it also gives varying offsets on the voltage reference output so is easily seen.

2. 10MHZ from OCXO. Two years ago I often had a 10MHz OCXO connected with unshielded cables to an Arduino during a GPSDO controller development. This shifted some of my volt refs several ppm and as this was a CW signal it was a constant offset that might be difficult to recognize.

3. Florescent lamp. I added a florescent lamp over my lab bench and that gave a broadband noise all over both the frequency band and the room and disturbed almost everything.

4. 50Hz into pin 8 of AD 587. If I remember correct I had no bypass capacitor on the noise reduction pin 8 on the AD587 and had an NTC very close connected to a mains powered DMM. The AD587 also had +15V from a wall wart. This gave if I remember correct an offset of 60ppm! Your 3455 DMM problem might have been 50HZ hum into the output that really benefit from bypassing.

So my conclusion is that all frequencies from Hz to GHz can affect the voltage reference if not properly taken care of. My greatest concern is also the signals that give systematic errors that you might not recognize. If you check your voltage reference somewhere with different EM fields around and when go back to your lab you can have very different results. This is why I do EMC tests in my professional work but it is not so easy at home.

If you mean over voltage protection that is a completely different story that also is needed in a professional product. On my DIY voltage references I haven´t cared of that (yet).

Lars
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lars on December 21, 2015, 03:22:50 pm
I think in your own case the ultimate 10V standard could be made by making an array of paralleled standards using both the D105's and the SVR's thus:


Many thanks Macbeth for the perfect idea.




So volt-nuts get to eat a lot of "Glass"   ;)

/Bingo

Yes as a true volt-nut I eat a lot of "Glass" (icecream) just to get the boxes. Not only for humidity tests but also to store all my junk DIY voltage references.

Lars
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gilbenl on January 02, 2016, 09:04:10 pm
We also purchased another 732A, three Fluke 8846As, (2) multiplexer rigs by Keithley (7001 ), and standard resistors. We tested and calculated the internal resistance (0.017 Ohm) of the units and the current draw at 10MOhm (3.0mA).

I'm currently working on an automated cal/measure rig, which uses a Keithley 7001. Which cards are you using? What cabling? How are the standards connected to the DUT? I'm particularly interested in the resistance side of things. How did you wire the 4-wire ohms through the 7001 (+I, +S, Ohm G and -I, -S, Ohm G)?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: robert_ on February 08, 2016, 10:10:08 pm
I just read trough this entire thread. You should really charge money for that kind of entertainment, we really laughed out behinds off instead of getting any work done today ;)

Somehow this guy reminds me of Chris-Chan or Drachenlord, with more religious WTF added.

Now for the productive part, did anybody try to build the same circuit without the special god-grade magic and special-needs soldering? I would, but i dont have anything to verify the performance to see if it works just as well or better.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on February 09, 2016, 04:37:48 am
Robert_

I was Laughing Out Load when I read 'Special Needs Soldering' :-DD

You can see a demonstration of 'SNS' in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXkOxP5hka4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXkOxP5hka4)

Enjoy!!

 'SNS' starts at about 1.00

Jay_Diddy_B

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on February 09, 2016, 06:15:33 am
Made my day!  :-DD

TIG welding is a hobby of mine, makes it even better.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on February 13, 2016, 01:34:57 am

I just read trough this entire thread. You should really charge money for that kind of entertainment, we really laughed out behinds off instead of getting any work done today ;)

Somehow this guy reminds me of Chris-Chan or Drachenlord, with more religious WTF added.

Now for the productive part, did anybody try to build the same circuit without the special god-grade magic and special-needs soldering? I would, but i dont have anything to verify the performance to see if it works just as well or better.

Man, I had completely forgotten about Sonichu (aka ChrisChan). What a blast from the past! I was never completely comfortable with the internet trolling a retarded guy, but it was really funny.

Speaking of special needs, I wonder how the OP is doing.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: retiredcaps on March 13, 2016, 05:55:33 am
It sure looks like the same device in the ebay listing, but I could be wrong.  I followed this thread here and there, but not 100% carefully, so there could be another reference that uses the same housing?

Martin mentions this device in his latest video at around 17:20 and ends at 17:48 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55sKTqFG6pI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55sKTqFG6pI)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on March 13, 2016, 08:53:03 am
Martin mentions this device in his latest video at around 17:20 and ends at 17:48 ...
Also mentioned at 02:40 - 03:40.

More interesting is Ian's voltage source. Very nice. Shame it's "only" 10ppm compared do the fantasy 2ppm of Calibratory :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on March 13, 2016, 10:31:27 am
More interesting is Ian's voltage source. Very nice. Shame it's "only" 10ppm compared do the fantasy 2ppm of Calibratory

Hello,

From 17:28 the 2 ppm "Scam" device drifted 200uV in a few months.

Ians voltage source has also one weakness: (12:29)
Where do I get those 9V-Blocks with 600mAh?
With a current draw of 40 mA even those will not last for a 24 hour period.
And after exchange of the batteries (with opening the case) I have to wait 15-30 minutes to stabilize.
So a charger input would be a large benefit.

With best regards

Andreas


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on March 13, 2016, 04:27:55 pm
More interesting is Ian's voltage source. Very nice. Shame it's "only" 10ppm compared do the fantasy 2ppm of Calibratory

Hello,
Ians voltage source has also one weakness: (12:29)
Where do I get those 9V-Blocks with 600mAh?
With a current draw of 40 mA even those will not last for a 24 hour period.
And after exchange of the batteries (with opening the case) I have to wait 15-30 minutes to stabilize.
So a charger input would be a large benefit.
With best regards
Andreas

600mAh re-chargeable lithium-Ion PP3's are available on Ebay.......albeit I never tested to see if that figure is 100% correct. I just know they last a lot longer than your standard PP3 battery. I also have a few 900mAh Lithium-Ion batteries, well thats what the sticker says!......I haven't tested them yet.

With two 600mAh PP3's my Voltage Source lasts for 14hrs continious operation......from first switch on to auto-power down when the low limit is reached.

If you change the batteries, i.e. switch the unit off, change batteries and then power up again immediately then you are probably looking at less than a minute to stabilize.
A charger/external DC supply is something I did look at early on, but it opens up a whole new ballgame in terms of interference and also CE marking........so I abandoned.......for now.

Btw, I am gobsmacked at the D-105........how on earth anyone can have the gall to sell something like that and then try and defend it beats me!

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: manganin on March 13, 2016, 08:46:06 pm
This use profile will also minimize reference drift, because the LM399 "drifts very little" when powered off [according to the chip's designer-- Bob Dobkin].

In 1980's Tinsley manufactured a voltage standard which had two LM399 references. The "working" reference was always powered, but the "primary" reference was switched off, except one hour every month when it was used for calibrating the "working" reference.

The idea was very good. The product itself wasn't.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: plesa on March 13, 2016, 08:58:17 pm
This use profile will also minimize reference drift, because the LM399 "drifts very little" when powered off [according to the chip's designer-- Bob Dobkin].

In 1980's Tinsley manufactured a voltage standard which had two LM399 references. The "working" reference was always powered, but the "primary" reference was switched off, except one hour every month when it was used for calibrating the "working" reference.

The idea was very good. The product itself wasn't.

Whats the benefit of powering only one instead of both?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on March 13, 2016, 09:02:45 pm

A charger/external DC supply is something I did look at early on, but it opens up a whole new ballgame in terms of interference and also CE marking........so I abandoned.......for now.

Btw, I am gobsmacked at the D-105........how on earth anyone can have the gall to sell something like that and then try and defend it beats me!

Ian.

Hello Ian.

It´s always good to know why a design decision was made.
And it´s true: even a charging connector creates a different class of device (with additional tests) for the CE-marking.

For the D-105: everyone who has some experiences in the precision range knows that without a hermetically (metal can or CerDip) voltage reference a stability of below 20 ppm is too optimistic. Unfortunately not all potential customers are aware of that and might believe the 2 ppm spec for the reference in plastic package.

With best regards

Andreas

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on March 13, 2016, 10:01:11 pm
Hello Ian.

It´s always good to know why a design decision was made.
And it´s true: even a charging connector creates a different class of device (with additional tests) for the CE-marking.

For the D-105: everyone who has some experiences in the precision range knows that without a hermetically (metal can or CerDip) voltage reference a stability of below 20 ppm is too optimistic. Unfortunately not all potential customers are aware of that and might believe the 2 ppm spec for the reference in plastic package.

With best regards

Andreas

My first prototype (as per Dave's mailbag video) used a MAX6350 in a plastic package, and what killed it for me was the thermal hysterysis. Right enough I was pushing it well beyond where it should be.......and the result was quite bad!
I looked at other references but nothing came close to the spec I was after. It was the LM399AH or nothing at all.

My own experience, and what should have rung alarm bells for the likes of the D-105 designer, is that every aspect surrounding the reference has to be right. Wing and a prayer doesn't cut it, nor does having no explanation as to why it "appears" to work great.

Diligentmind.com........will be following your design if you are making it public....sounds good!
I built a 10ch pcb so I could age my 399's. As ever I went overboard as it uses 10 chopper op-amps as well to self power the 399's. There are sockets for the 399's.

Ian.

(http://www.ianjohnston.com/images/stories/virtuemart/product/lm399select.jpg)

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on March 13, 2016, 11:35:08 pm
Ian, do you mount the LM399 upside down? I've noted the volt-nuttery have proven this is best for battery powered designs (presumably wastes less power on heater). Either that, or TiNs LM399 Kx boards were a fuck up - I remember trying to follow the excellent super hi-res PCB layouts and scratching my head...  :-DD

One thing I would have liked to see on your reference is a x10 amplifier to get up to 100V.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on March 14, 2016, 01:22:46 am

Ian, do you mount the LM399 upside down? I've noted the volt-nuttery have proven this is best for battery powered designs (presumably wastes less power on heater). Either that, or TiNs LM399 Kx boards were a fuck up - I remember trying to follow the excellent super hi-res PCB layouts and scratching my head...  :-DD

One thing I would have liked to see on your reference is a x10 amplifier to get up to 100V.

I'm working on a 1mv to 100V design based on a high end DAC and using an LT6090 for the 25-100V range. I've been testing it in a composite amplifier configuration with feedback to a chopper amp to get around the offset and drift.

The other option I explored was to make a discrete HV amplifier out of transistors, but I figure for the price of the LT6090 it's not worth the hassle.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TiN on March 14, 2016, 04:20:39 am
Quote
LM399 Kx boards were a fuck up
I wanted to have option to control LM399 temperature externally, hence they are on bottom side. Doesn't matter once it all in the foam..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on March 14, 2016, 06:11:03 am
My LM399's are upside down.........but just due to layout, not specifically intentional.

100v......never thought of that one......there are soooo many different ideas!

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 04:09:35 pm
"Despite that, it DOES WORK as built and calibrated by Awesome14, and it holds it's value to the best of my ability to measure it. The naysayers need to keep that in mind.   The temperature compensation works, I've not seen any changes in output and my home lab fluctuates about 10 deg C from morning to night (it quickly cools down over night!). So if i'm getting 2 ppm/C then I can't see the 20 ppm change on my meter (which is expected, since I only have a 5-1/2 digit meter).  When I get a better meter I'll be able to measure it better.

The value in your product is in the calibration you offer.  I can build it just as easily as you did, but I can't get it trimmed near 10V like you did, so that's valuable to me."


I agree with this statement excerpted from codeboy2k's response above.  My measurements also are consistent with the spec, and I thought the price was reasonable for the calibration included.

OK, the reviewer didn't allow the unit to settle, so the output in the video didn't correspond to the advertised accuracy of the device.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 04:12:54 pm
All units with temperature compensation use the TIREF102C.

Thanks for the update awesome14! That's good to know, I like the REF102 specs better.

I was really disappointed to see it hand wired, and would have preferred to see a manufactured PC board in there. Please don't say it's not meant to be opened.  It should be safe to open any reference, as long as I don't mess with the settings. People open up 8 digit DMM's and Fluke 732's.  Opening it should not be a problem.

Despite that, it DOES WORK as built and calibrated by Awesome14, and it holds it's value to the best of my ability to measure it. The naysayers need to keep that in mind.   The temperature compensation works, I've not seen any changes in output and my home lab fluctuates about 10 deg C from morning to night (it quickly cools down over night!). So if i'm getting 2 ppm/C then I can't see the 20 ppm change on my meter (which is expected, since I only have a 5-1/2 digit meter).  When I get a better meter I'll be able to measure it better.

The value in your product is in the calibration you offer.  I can build it just as easily as you did, but I can't get it trimmed near 10V like you did, so that's valuable to me.

Good to see that you decided to make a PCB (I think you said so in one of your previous posts).  There's a lot of good information here in the forum, and lots of smart people who have good advice to offer you. You can make a really nice, clean and small PCB to fit in there, and it will significantly reduce your construction time and effort, and the product will still function as it should, and will ultimately be better in the end.  So consider that advice when you do, and you'll make a good product. With Gellar Labs no longer making temperature compensated references, you are in a unique position and have a head start on anyone else jumping in to fill that void. Go for it!

No one likes smoke and mirrors, so they might poke you on that, so remember to stick with the measured facts, only science and engineering here.

Cheers!

If the unit is opened the calibration pots can be moved, although I have disassembled several to no ill effect on the calibration.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 04:25:36 pm
Any updates on long-term stability measurements of the device?

With 1kHr. burn-in the device was within 1ppm/120 days. A Florida cal. lab sent their unit recalibration after 27 months, and it had drifted 8ppm. That's about equal to 1ppm/102 days.

Recently we increased the burn-in to 70 days (1.6 kHr.), and will begin evaluating the results on long-term drift shortly..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 04:32:54 pm
Oh lord, here we go again!

Let's see the empirical data to back up these statements. How often were measurements taken? Was the device connected to the same meter(s) and left undisturbed the entire time? Post a dump of the raw data for the entire 120 day period, please.


Sent from my Tablet

Yes, we just hung one off the meter and let it sit there until it drifted.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 04:59:03 pm
It has been made obvious throughout this blog that this design is, at best, a hobbyist approch to supply a somewhat precise (but in the end unknown) 10V reference voltage. And to be fair, more is not expectable at that price.

From a principle design perspective, using a reference (with an unknown tempco, could be up to plus or minus 10ppm/C for the LT1021C)  and compensating it with a thermistor may result in some temp compensation by coincidence, but this is by no means guaranteed, it may actually become worse. So in real life use, it may or may not compensate environmental temp drifts. That allone makes the 2ppm statement useless (ignoring anyway the fact that the 2ppm number misses any tolerance information with reference to national standards).
Overall, when you do a error propagation calc of all the possible contributors of error, lets face it, this item probably is rather in the 50ppm (K=2) level uncertainty worst case or more once on a users desk (initial drift, initial standard tolerance, worst case temp drift...).
One could go on, like no low EMF binding posts used (not expectable at that price). And so on and so on.
All this makes it an item with undefined specification, maybe usable to check 3.5 or 4.5 meters in a hobbyist environment, but thats it.
Any more statistics will not change this, given its basic design and build standards.

Do you have one? It sounds like speculation and nothing more. I have hard data to prove that the temperature drift through the entire temperature range is usually < 1ppm. The actual accuracy of the device is typically <= +-1ppm over 5 minutes, with a standard deviation <=1uV, but typically 500-800nV.

The temperature compensation is tunable, so it isn't just a thermistor sitting there. The amount of compensation is adjusted to match the drift of the individual regulator IC. Depending on the direction of the drift, the TC is adjusted in the opposite direction, until the plot over temperature is flat.

It is possible that shipping inside an airplane cargo hold could cause drift, although we have no hard evidence to demonstrate this. Nevertheless, there is a test underway to check what the drift is in cold temperatures. Thus far 15 days at -18C produced drift of 13ppm. But, over 24 hours at -18C, drift was 0.2ppm for a standard that had not previously undergone freezing, and 0.02 ppm for a unit that had been previously frozen and warmed up, cooled again, and then warmed up again after 24 hours.

Similar results were obtained with heating to 50C. Initially the heating and subsequent cooling caused drift, but after the initial heating, further heating and cooling resulted in very small drift. We have integrated new safeguards into the manufacturing process to account for possible drift due to extreme environmental conditions encountered during shipping.

Please keep in mind that the specs we assign to the units are worst-case. Most of the units perform much better. And, as with all standards, this one requires periodic calibration. It does not become useless when it is out of cal. It just requires recal..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 05:30:39 pm
The device is a hit, worldwide. In our latest eBay listings there are about 100 units sold. And we have a 100% feedback score.

There are multiple hypothesis that could be consistent with these results. You have a hypothesis that you have a natural bias towards, the one that proves you right, and makes you money.

An alternate hypothesis is that your customers don't know what they don't know, and aren't able to adequately validate your claims. And further, that you have, through cunning or dumb luck, chosen a combination of price point and claimed precision such that anyone with the knowledge and equipment to validate your claims isn't willing to invest the time, money and energy necessary to prove or disprove them.

I love the idea of an outsider proving the experts wrong. I know though that that can cloud my judgement. So, I look for independent sources of evidence. If you are both genuine and truly clever, you'll find ways to turn some of your critics into allies, rather than continuing to use them as foils to promote an underdog narrative.

More speculation. We've sold this item in Asia, Japan, every western European nation, South America, Africa, Russia, every US state, UK, China, Australia, New Zealand! WHY, because residents of these locations cannot find something better for the price. It's a revolutionary product unlike anything else in the world. We've sold to university labs, calibration labs, industrial labs. One of our buyers said he bought our unit so he wouldn't have to lug around his Fluke 732B! 

It is possible that everyone who purchases the unit is incorrect, and one person who hasn't purchased one 'is' correct. But it's probably the other way around. At least that's what seems rational to me. I've seen the results with my own eyes, many times. Our quality control has improved greatly since the beginning.

There is one problem I have. I cannot go into detail on the principles involved in exactly how the various parts of the device work. This creates doubt on this board. But when I first came here it was to simply ask that people not judge the device and its capabilities without examining one. I don't care if a DC standard follows every conventional maxim, if it doesn't perform, junk it. Because I keep trade secrets, several members here have made the rash assumption that there are no founding theories to explain why this device works better than others like it.

I'll give everyone a freebee. Enclosing the device is key.   

Finally, anyone can easily check whether they have an thermoelectric error by just reversing the leads on the meter. If negative is the same as positive, it's an accurate reading. If they're different, you have to wait until the temperature equalizes. You can actually watch this effect by holding one of the leads attached to the standard. The heat from the skin will change the meter reading. Then, later it will return to what it was.   
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on April 29, 2016, 05:42:31 pm
The construction of these units is superb. There is nothing left to chance.

Here comes an offer. Let me do a proper printed circuit board and mechanical redesign for your product. Free of charge.

It costs you absolutely nothing. PCB and mechanical design was my day job for many many years, so I am sure that you will get more than you pay for.

Electrical, mechanical and thermal things taken into account. Binding posts mounted directly on the PCB, no wiring required. Probably saves your assembly time by 90%.

You will receive a set of ready processed manufacturing files. All you need to do is send them to a board manufacturing house of your choice.

The new design probably replaces some of the "magic" with improved reliability and stability, but I believe your customers can live with that.

For some reason I have a feeling what the answer is, but you never know...

I accept. How can I refuse? I'm just seeing this post for the first time, today. PM me please.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on May 01, 2016, 12:58:06 am
More speculation. We've sold this item in Asia, Japan, every western European nation, South America, Africa, Russia, every US state, UK, China, Australia, New Zealand! WHY, because residents of these locations cannot find something better for the price. It's a revolutionary product unlike anything else in the world. We've sold to university labs, calibration labs, industrial labs. One of our buyers said he bought our unit so he wouldn't have to lug around his Fluke 732B! 

If a calibration lab purchased it for anything other than to satisfy a curiosity - I would be baffled. Please provide the name of any lab that is using these for any type of reference so I know who NOT to call on for calibration.
At the price you are selling these things, it is not a challenge to get customers to buy it once and take their chances. Once they see the reality, it is very hard to imagine anyone buying a second, third, or more.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 06, 2016, 06:42:08 pm
In the end of August I couldn’t resist buying a D105 just out of curiosity. It arrived in a week to Sweden but at the same day it arrived I went on a two week trip abroad so the D105 was left in my home for two more weeks before power-up. It showed +8ppm against my other voltage references but that may not say so much as I am not fortunate to have a calibrated Fluke 732. But what caught my attention was that it seemed to drift with temperature. So I did a temperature scan between 16 and 26°C. It showed a 13ppm difference. I contacted Calibratory LLC and they were very helpful. I got an instruction how much to turn the temperature compensation pot. Adjusted and did another temperature scan and the difference between 16 and 26 was just 1ppm. As the second-order temperature coefficient is quite high on the REF102 (and most all other buried zener based 10V refs) around room temperature I didn´t bother about the last ppm over 10°C range. I set the output to what I believed is 10V.

On October 6 I started to continuously check the D105 (which I call D105-1 in the chart below as it was my first D105). In the first two weeks the output dropped 7ppm and when was relative stable until I started a humidity test a week ago. On Oct 13 I got my second D105 (I call it D105-2). This time the D105 was spot on!! But in the next one and half weeks it moved 4ppm upwards before it stabilized.

Now afterwards I have checked my weather station and found the indoor humidity was almost 60% in September that is quite normal here in autumn. In the beginning of October it fell very quickly to about 40% and has stayed at 35-50% since when (We have had very nice weather in October and November)

On Nov 11 I placed both D105´s together with one of my Geller labs SVR boards in a two liter ice cream box together with 150grams of silica gel I have prepared earlier to have almost 90% relative humidity. Now after a week the SVR hasn´t changed but the D105´s has went up about 15-20ppm.

This test is very similar to tests I have done on six SVR boards with AD587LN´s with different datecodes from 1994 to 2006 (Note: the AD587LN were not ones supplied by Geller Labs). That test also revealed a change of up to 20ppm for 40-50%RH change. The interesting with the AD587LN was that one with datecode from 2004 had a very fast negative change with time constant of about a day or two and that counseled the long term positive change. So for slow humidity changes this looked very good. The other has just a small or almost zero fast negative sensitivity to humidity and the positive long term humidity sensitivity were shown as seasonal variations.

After having said this I still hope we can keep the discussion on a technical level and that nobody says wasn´t this what I already thought. I think we really should encourage Calibratory LLC to develop this standard more and be open minded. I really liked the SVR-T boards as simple voltage transfer standards from a Fluke 732. I also liked that Geller Labs was so open with design, schematic and BOM´s (including my NTC compensation with both first and second order compensation that Joe could have kept for himself). What I missed on the SVR was a box, banana jacks, reverse power polarity and EMC filtering. At least three of these requirements are satisfied with the D105. For EMC protection I can live without that by just turning off my mobile. In my lab I have no high EMI sources and no large transmitters nearby.

So my conclusions are: My two D105 are humidity sensitive but I like the design and concept of a voltage transfer standard in small package. And I really hope for a good open discussion.

Lars

Lars' review is an actual review. Data presented from an objective viewpoint with rational conclusions. I offer an explanation for why the first standard we sent was so far off: exposure to airplane cargo hold temps. We have tested exposure to low temperatures, and have instituted measures to insure the device remains stable after exposure to temperature extremes. The humidity extremes are outside the bounds of a laboratory, which NIST claims to be a maximum of 55% RH. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: rx8pilot on May 06, 2016, 06:57:04 pm
What cargo hold temps are you talking about? They are not all that cold 5-10C minimum on most I think.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 06, 2016, 07:21:42 pm
We also purchased another 732A, three Fluke 8846As, (2) multiplexer rigs by Keithley (7001 ), and standard resistors. We tested and calculated the internal resistance (0.017 Ohm) of the units and the current draw at 10MOhm (3.0mA).

I'm currently working on an automated cal/measure rig, which uses a Keithley 7001. Which cards are you using? What cabling? How are the standards connected to the DUT? I'm particularly interested in the resistance side of things. How did you wire the 4-wire ohms through the 7001 (+I, +S, Ohm G and -I, -S, Ohm G)?

I used 3M 28 AWG (24) twisted pair flat cable with shield to a breakout box with (10) silver-plated BNC jacks on an aluminum box and bare leads connected to the standard relay 7001/7002 mainframe cards. I'm not using resistance with the 7001s. You just have to get the timing right with the multiplexer.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 06, 2016, 07:34:04 pm
More speculation. We've sold this item in Asia, Japan, every western European nation, South America, Africa, Russia, every US state, UK, China, Australia, New Zealand! WHY, because residents of these locations cannot find something better for the price. It's a revolutionary product unlike anything else in the world. We've sold to university labs, calibration labs, industrial labs. One of our buyers said he bought our unit so he wouldn't have to lug around his Fluke 732B! 

If a calibration lab purchased it for anything other than to satisfy a curiosity - I would be baffled. Please provide the name of any lab that is using these for any type of reference so I know who NOT to call on for calibration.
At the price you are selling these things, it is not a challenge to get customers to buy it once and take their chances. Once they see the reality, it is very hard to imagine anyone buying a second, third, or more.

You really have to try one. A number of our buyers have purchased more than one unit.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on May 06, 2016, 08:04:24 pm

You really have to try one. A number of our buyers have purchased more than one unit.

I bought one from you .... was so disappointed and gave it away ....
Here is my original picture again, if you need a reminder.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on May 06, 2016, 08:36:01 pm
I bought one from you .... was so disappointed and gave it away ....
Here is my original picture again, if you need a reminder.

I can't believe that photo!............I personally could not under any circumstances ever produce and sell something of that build quality (and yes, I sell my own Precision Voltage Source)......no matter how it performs. I couldn't even pot it then sell it knowing what lurked beneath.
Pride has gone out the door in exchange for dollars...............

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 11, 2016, 04:40:05 am
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

Quote from: codeboy2k
Would have preferred to see a manufactured PC board in there. Please don't say it's not meant to be opened.  It should be safe to open any reference, as long as I don't mess with the settings. People open up 8 digit DMM's and Fluke 732's.  Opening it should not be a problem.

Unfortunately, no other board designs have worked. It would be truly phenomenal to just have them manufactured from our parts. The device can be opened, but the trim pots are accessible through the cover, and they may be disturbed by removing it. Nothing else will happen, though. We have recently begun labeling the units "calibration void if labels have been tampered with." In reality, to produce a device like this at this price requires some sacrifices. The device is robust if not tampered with.   

Quote from: codeboy2k
Good to see that you decided to make a PCB (I think you said so in one of your previous posts).  There's a lot of good information here in the forum, and lots of smart people who have good advice to offer you. You can make a really nice, clean and small PCB to fit in there, and it will significantly reduce your construction time and effort, and the product will still function as it should, and will ultimately be better in the end.  So consider that advice when you do, and you'll make a good product. With Gellar Labs no longer making temperature compensated references, you are in a unique position and have a head start on anyone else jumping in to fill that void. Go for it!

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm plagued by oscillation with prefab boards. I'm going to try RF substrate next. It's a shame about Joe Geller. But I have learned from his business model. I took my design right out of a data sheet, and then built on it. Anyone can do it, but not everyone wants to spend months and years experimenting. I never intended to sell voltage references.

I made one with a bare chip and four wires off of it to banana jacks. That was it. It worked for handheld meters, so I was happy. I mentioned the device to a friend I've had my whole life, and he brought over his meter to check out the reference. He said, "It's better than a standard cell."

I said, "What's a standard cell?" So, he explained it to me. Throughout the process of development I was many times mistaken about what you can get out of  a regulator IC. But I had my lifelong friend who has much more experience than I do, to assure me of what was possible.

So, the device eventually turned out better than I ever thought possible. I didn't plan it. It just sort of happened.

Quote from: codeboy2k
No one likes smoke and mirrors, so they might poke you on that, so remember to stick with the measured facts, only science and engineering here.

I'm quite surprised how infuriated some people become at the mere mention of God! SHEESH! I should know where I get my ideas!  There's no smoke and mirrors intended, just a mob mentality to make an inferno out of what was essentially a joke about magic. But, in the middle ages up until medieval times, "science" was called, "magic".
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gilbenl on May 11, 2016, 05:27:53 pm
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

No, its like saying Einstein is bad at basic arithmetic. Soldering is the fundamental tool of the trade. To say you've built a unique and revolutionary voltage reference, solder like a 5 year old with no thumbs and claim that it doesn't matter is laughable.

(https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/flowers-for-charlie-cat3.gif?w=650)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: retrolefty on May 11, 2016, 06:44:44 pm
Quote
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

 I agree. It's best that facts guide us forward rather then going down the rabbit hole of subjectivity.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on May 12, 2016, 10:56:31 am
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

Quote
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

 I agree. It's best that facts guide us forward rather then going down the rabbit hole of subjectivity.

Wrong!.......Einstein did not sell or otherwise supply what he did as a "product" to those who wanted it and those who wanted to use it.
However, you did, and therefore you owe it to your customers to supply a product with a reasonable level of good workmanship within it. You wouldn't buy a Tv that, although worked, was cobbled together in the manner you have seen fit to put yours together.

If you really want to get away with it.......t would be better and clearer to your customers if you stated up front on your ads that you have used a prototyping assembly process & components to make up your device. The electronics community and your customers deserve it don't you think?

It's not subjective......there exists basic expectations in selling an electronics product to the public.....and this is one of them.

Help ma boab, have some pride in what you make man, have some pride!

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 12, 2016, 07:17:26 pm

You really have to try one. A number of our buyers have purchased more than one unit.

I bought one from you .... was so disappointed and gave it away ....
Here is my original picture again, if you need a reminder.

Were you disappointed in the performance? Or just how it looked? Form always follows function! If you'd rather have something that looks good than something that performs well, that's your personal preference. But performance is key.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 12, 2016, 07:28:27 pm
I bought one from you .... was so disappointed and gave it away ....
Here is my original picture again, if you need a reminder.

I can't believe that photo!............I personally could not under any circumstances ever produce and sell something of that build quality (and yes, I sell my own Precision Voltage Source)......no matter how it performs. I couldn't even pot it then sell it knowing what lurked beneath.
Pride has gone out the door in exchange for dollars...............

Ian.

Making these standards apparently is seen as an easy way to make large sums of money.  That is not correct. If pride has gone out the door, it isn't in exchange for money! I pride myself on the supreme design and performance of the product! Nothing performs better in this market tier.

The build quality is supreme, because neatness pertains to form. Form always follows function. That is, if something doesn't function, neatness counts for nothing. Would you impugn Tesla's theories because of his messy penmanship?

We produce the best performing product of its kind and price. We offer an unconditional  return policy. We have never had a return on this product, which means you hated the product so much that you'd keep it rather than send it back for a full refund including shipping charges! That's quite a commentary!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 12, 2016, 07:44:47 pm
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

No, its like saying Einstein is bad at basic arithmetic. Soldering is the fundamental tool of the trade. To say you've built a unique and revolutionary voltage reference, solder like a 5 year old with no thumbs and claim that it doesn't matter is laughable.

(https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/flowers-for-charlie-cat3.gif?w=650)

Pure jealousy! You can't do better at design and performance, so you attack at the solder level: the only thing you can do better at. If the solder makes the connection, it's working. But the design and performance actually require talent. Think of how many people can solder and then how many people can design and implement top-performing products like we can. And don't say our product doesn't perform until you have data to back it up!

The neatness of our construction has vastly, improved over time, as all things will. But there are two kinds of people, those who create and those who destroy. Creation requires talent and skill, whereas destruction does not. I encourage everyone to create, because that makes a better world! 

If you can't use a product that performs better than any other in its price range, simply because just thinking about messy soldering causes you so much angst as to render misery of such magnitude that it cannot be tolerated, well, if that was me, I'd seek professional help. But that's just me.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: gilbenl on May 12, 2016, 08:33:56 pm
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

No, its like saying Einstein is bad at basic arithmetic. Soldering is the fundamental tool of the trade. To say you've built a unique and revolutionary voltage reference, solder like a 5 year old with no thumbs and claim that it doesn't matter is laughable.


The neatness of our construction has vastly, improved over time, as all things will.


Fair enough. Will you post some pictures of your most recent units?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on May 12, 2016, 08:58:03 pm
Pure jealousy!

I think I can say, without fear of being gainsaid, that nobody here feels jealous of you.

Quote
You can't do better at design and performance, so you attack at the solder level: the only thing you can do better at.

Have a look through the voltage reference designs in this topic. There are clearly published designs, constructed versions of the same, and reams and reams of long term monitoring results against accepted standards. There are clearly many people here who can do better at design and can prove performance, and construct and solder cleanly and reliable too.

Quote
If the solder makes the connection, it's working.

Until it doesn't. Have you never heard of the concept of construction for reliability? Would you buy a car constructed as scrapily as your electronics are? Of course you wouldn't unless you only needed it to work for 10 or 20 miles.

Quote
But the design and performance actually require talent. Think of how many people can solder and then how many people can design and implement top-performing products like we can. And don't say our product doesn't perform until you have data to back it up!

And we say you shouldn't make such rarefied claims for your skills and products until you've got the data to prove it and are prepared to show it.

Quote
The neatness of our construction has vastly, improved over time, as all things will. But there are two kinds of people, those who create and those who destroy. Creation requires talent and skill, whereas destruction does not. I encourage everyone to create, because that makes a better world! 

If you can't use a product that performs better than any other in its price range, simply because just thinking about messy soldering causes you so much angst as to render misery of such magnitude that it cannot be tolerated, well, if that was me, I'd seek professional help. But that's just me.

Look, there's something more than a few hundred, perhaps even 1000 years of collected experience here telling you you're doing something wrong. Yet you still keep hand waving and telling us how brilliant you are and if we disagree you stoop to ad hominem attacks. Who is more likely to need to seek professional help - someone who refuses to accept the judgement of a large group of experienced engineers, or a large group of experienced engineers who all agree with each other about the facts of the matter? Would you please consider who is more likely to be right here and who is more likely to be, frankly, deluded?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MadTux on May 12, 2016, 09:02:07 pm
If you have great pride in the nice and good construction of your device, why don't you then put inside images of your device into the ebay description?!?

Thereby each and every potential buyer could decide whether the great quality of the device is worth spending the little money, for which it is listed on ebay.

Over here in great bureaucratic EUdSSR, we have law called CE, which makes it mandatory to check every electronic device you sell by great EU bureaucrats. To be honest, everyone here likes it very much, because it makes it easy, simple and inexpensive to sell your homemade devices. But if I see great Calibratory D-105, I might see a reason, why this law exists  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Most interestingly, it is no longer called Calibratory D-105, but "10 V 10 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard, Nulled to Fluke 732A or 732B". Maybe the Calibratory D-105 name got too famous, for it's high quality. The seller is called kaysert .
Maybe this helps that every potential buyer sees the perfect quality of the device and buys it immediately  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: 6thimage on May 12, 2016, 09:30:05 pm
But performance is key.

I think you are right there - but reliability is very important. When I look at the pictures of your reference it doesn't inspire me with confidence - it looks botched together and your product is worse for it, maybe not in performance, but in terms of selling it.

When I buy a product, for example a power supply, I will take it apart to look inside it, to see the quality of the build and the components used. From this you can get a rough feel for how long it will last and how reliable it will be. There is a good reason why Dave will always comments on the brand of capacitors in test gear (particularly in the power supply), its because it means something - he's not doing to be a dick.

If you improve the quality of the construction (you may have already), then people will be able to trust your reference more. In its current state, I would not buy your reference. In fact, if I was given one of your references for free I would not use it - I might play with it out of curiosity, but I would not trust it or rely on it.

This is the fundamental problem of having a product that looks hacked together. It is not choosing form over function, it is not trusting the function when the form is poor. If you would like it as an analogy, it is like comparing two cars, one that can travel at 90 mph and is in perfect condition, and one that can travel 110 mph but looks like it came out of a destruction derby, with no windows, every panel dented and none of the wheels pointing in the same direction. Whilst the second card might work better, and might work perfectly for now, you would not want to use it everyday (or at all), and you wouldn't trust it.

In addition to this, it is important how you market something. Statistics, which can be shown to be reliable, will always win over an audience. Saying your product was designed with the help of a deity, will always lose an audience, because it is a tactic that has been used for a very long time to sell snake oil. Therefore, if you claim it, no matter how much you believe it, people will assume you are trying to con them.

I shouldn't have to say this, but none of this is meant as an attack - if you improve the construction of your reference, and it performs the way you say it does, then you will be selling them like hot cakes.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MadTux on May 12, 2016, 10:09:39 pm
While I agree that OP might be mentally ill, I think this thread should not be locked as long as the crap is still up for sale and OP is happily screwing other dudes (mostly hobbyists, I suppose) for IMO rather large amounts of money.

 It would be like locking a thread about fake Chinese transistors with the argument that poor Chinese guy can't buy food if noone buys fake transistors. IMO this comparison fits quite well, because both things might cause even more damage than the price of the item itself.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on May 12, 2016, 11:58:49 pm
I guess Bob Roohparvar is mentally ill too? I mean what other explanation could there be? He insists Batteriser works and even gets away with selling it without providing anything at all! Dave should obviously lock the Batteriser thread. Poor Bob, he's having a breakdown maybe?

At least Calibratory is selling his dodgy references, despite some of them even coming equipped with totally different voltage refs than stated! While Awesome14 is still selling his snake oil then there is absolutely no reason to block any threads on it. Quite the opposite.

I also doubt very much that he is mentally ill, and why that should give him a free pass even if he is?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 13, 2016, 12:24:42 am
Quote from: codeboy2k
I was really disappointed to see it hand wired.
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

Quote
Kind of like telling Einstein he has bad penmanship.

 I agree. It's best that facts guide us forward rather then going down the rabbit hole of subjectivity.

Wrong!.......Einstein did not sell or otherwise supply what he did as a "product" to those who wanted it and those who wanted to use it.
However, you did, and therefore you owe it to your customers to supply a product with a reasonable level of good workmanship within it. You wouldn't buy a Tv that, although worked, was cobbled together in the manner you have seen fit to put yours together.

If you really want to get away with it.......t would be better and clearer to your customers if you stated up front on your ads that you have used a prototyping assembly process & components to make up your device. The electronics community and your customers deserve it don't you think?

It's not subjective......there exists basic expectations in selling an electronics product to the public.....and this is one of them.

Help ma boab, have some pride in what you make man, have some pride!

Ian.

I'm not getting away with anything. The construction doesn't bother the world minus those on this board.

Believe it or not, most of our purchasers just use the device as it was intended, without disassembling it, photographing it, having a fit over the soldering, and then posting petty criticism online.

My analogy using Einstein and his penmanship is a valid one, except to those who don't understand it

If you don't like the standard, send it back. I don't want my customers to pay for something they don't want.

Individual expectations of how an electronics device should or should not be constructed are irrelevant to how electronic devices should actually be constructed. Neatness is stressed in a shop environment, and workers derive self-esteem from tidiness and neatness. That is to the advantage of those they work for. 

But the world is bigger than all that. Sometimes the design provides  no solder pad, and sometimes there is no easy way around that. I provide a reliable product that outperforms everything else in its market tier. If you disagree, please provide experimental evidence.

I have pride in what we produce. We do the best we can in neatness of construction while maintaining capacitance low enough to prevent oscillation.  If you don't like the soldering, don't buy the product.

Prefab boards haven't worked correctly, so we're still trying. Until we get one that works, the units will be hand made. All of the Fluke 732As were hand-made!

The build neatness has vastly improved, so most of the solder-criticism is also irrelevant presently.

Impugning our products because of criteria irrelevant to performance, and criteria produced by methods currently unavoidable in the manufacturing process is flawed.(Would you have us sell and inferior product that looks better underneath, or a superior product that isn't as neatly constructed?)  If performance was equal, obviously I would choose prefab boards.

At first semester University I placed into graduate-level physics! There were a lot more students with neat class notes and neat soldering skills in first-semester undergraduate physics.

I don't come to this site to sell references. Although many people on this board have purchased from me. This board is irrelevant to our sales figures. Our facilities produce at maximum capacity, and we barely keep up with international demand. We are one of the few American companies that import raw material, and manufacture a product, integrating intellectual property to add value, products then to be sold abroad.

I actually just like to see the jealousy so present within the hearts of my unjust critics. Constructive critics please take no offense. Your feedback is much valued!

It's a kind of flattery. The deeper the jealousy, the more unattainable I have made my work, and the more I will find nitpicking over the minor but assailable aspects of our products.

I don't mean to criticize any member personally. I just want to make it clear that I read into the hearts of my critics, and I accept your flattery disguised as petty criticism.

It's what keeps me striving for even greater innovation and conquest. And it really only harms those who harbor the envy! You pride yourselves--some of you do--in producing an Internet link that will damage my enterprise.

If my unfair critics only realized that my associates see as I do--they see the jealousy and pettiness in some of the posts--that they are encouraged to purchase from a manufacturer who is willing to spend more money to hand-make the product, because this produces better performance for them.   

The question as to who has the more valid stance: the members of this board or the remainder of the world, lies simply in numbers. The only people who have a problem with our product are those on this board. The remainder of the world voices no objection, and they are even thankful and complimentary toward us!

I must also state that we have an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee offered to any purchaser who doesn't like the product for ANY reason. The money-back guarantee is not dependent on the product's performance! Even if the product performs as spec'ed, nad/or--against clear warnings--the outer labels have been tampered with, the guarantee applies. Yet, only one person in the history of the product ever indicated he/she desired a refund, and that was someone on this board who had opened the unit.

Not only did he/she open the unit, but operated it open, and thus encountered an error. This buyer was also a person who violates common expectations for decent conduct among Internet users! I wouldn't have expected less than that such a person do harm to himself simply to spite someone else. I'm just answering several threads in this reply. Most of it is irrelevant to the poster.

Finally, it appears some members think I am the OP for this discussion thread, and that I came to EEVBlog seeking assistance for my product. Then, I proved myself uncooperative, mean, deranged, inept; and so my product must be flawed.

I did not start the thread. I did not come here looking for assistance. I came in response to an email I received reporting unfair criticism of my products in this thread. I simply wanted to offer a fair defense in the face of what I believed was unfair criticism: people impugning my product without having tested it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 13, 2016, 12:30:31 am

Quote from: gilbenl
Fair enough. Will you post some pictures of your most recent units?

Of course!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on May 13, 2016, 12:59:35 am
Pure jealousy!

I think I can say, without fear of being gainsaid, that nobody here feels jealous of you.

Quote
You can't do better at design and performance, so you attack at the solder level: the only thing you can do better at.

Have a look through the voltage reference designs in this topic. There are clearly published designs, constructed versions of the same, and reams and reams of long term monitoring results against accepted standards. There are clearly many people here who can do better at design and can prove performance, and construct and solder cleanly and reliable too.

Quote
If the solder makes the connection, it's working.

Until it doesn't. Have you never heard of the concept of construction for reliability? Would you buy a car constructed as scrapily as your electronics are? Of course you wouldn't unless you only needed it to work for 10 or 20 miles.

Quote
But the design and performance actually require talent. Think of how many people can solder and then how many people can design and implement top-performing products like we can. And don't say our product doesn't perform until you have data to back it up!

And we say you shouldn't make such rarefied claims for your skills and products until you've got the data to prove it and are prepared to show it.

Quote
The neatness of our construction has vastly, improved over time, as all things will. But there are two kinds of people, those who create and those who destroy. Creation requires talent and skill, whereas destruction does not. I encourage everyone to create, because that makes a better world! 

If you can't use a product that performs better than any other in its price range, simply because just thinking about messy soldering causes you so much angst as to render misery of such magnitude that it cannot be tolerated, well, if that was me, I'd seek professional help. But that's just me.

Look, there's something more than a few hundred, perhaps even 1000 years of collected experience here telling you you're doing something wrong. Yet you still keep hand waving and telling us how brilliant you are and if we disagree you stoop to ad hominem attacks. Who is more likely to need to seek professional help - someone who refuses to accept the judgement of a large group of experienced engineers, or a large group of experienced engineers who all agree with each other about the facts of the matter? Would you please consider who is more likely to be right here and who is more likely to be, frankly, deluded?

The unfair criticisms in this thread are due to about five people who think everyone who fails to explicitly disagree with them are in agreement. Nothing could be further from the truth. My unjust critics stand alone against the remainder of the members, and the remainder of the world!

Yes, I have seen some good designs on this board for DC references, but few that can provide equal performance to mine. My claims are tested, but you will notice I don't make many claims.  I constructed a 10VDC LTZ1000-based reference, and the best I could get out of it, after perhaps 50 prototype revisions, was 1ppm/degree C. Other than that, and the cost of the parts, it was about equivalent to the one we currently sell.

I've tried many approaches to find the one that works. I have the finest equipment available. I'm not trying to fool anyone. I report only what I directly observe.
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on May 13, 2016, 11:18:26 am
Yes, I have seen some good designs on this board for DC references, but few that can provide equal performance to mine. My claims are tested, but you will notice I don't make many claims.  I constructed a 10VDC LTZ1000-based reference, and the best I could get out of it, after perhaps 50 prototype revisions, was 1ppm/degree C. Other than that, and the cost of the parts, it was about equivalent to the one we currently sell.

Wait, you're claiming that your D-105 is on par with a well designed and constructed LTZ1000 based voltage reference?! Is that seriously what you just said?

If that's the case, then why do all these 7.5/8.5 digit DVMs use the LTZ1000? Fluke, Keysight, et al go through painstaking effort to not only design those reference circuits, but actually check each individual LTZ1000 and bin them accordingly. Why would they do that if they could just poorly solder some cheap reference onto a piece of perfboard and call it a day? Hmm?

Also, I'm *still* waiting for those raw CSV files of data from your "long term testing" that you promised 6-months ago.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on May 13, 2016, 12:20:18 pm
I'm not trying to fool anyone. I report only what I directly observe.

Send me one and I'll test.

- HP 3458a 8.5 digit DMM (calibrated less than a couple weeks ago).
- Keysight 34461 6.5 digit DMM with logging.
- Temperature environment chamber (controlled range 10deg below ambient to 35degC approx).
- Temperature controlled workshop 23degC +/- 1 degC.

I'll post results/graphs here straight out the box.

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on May 15, 2016, 10:31:55 pm
Awesome14,

this claim is taken from your ebay ad:
Our testing indicates that under 100% uptime at 10M Ohm load, long-term drift is < 1.0ppm/120 days.

How is it possible that you suggest that your reference drifts less than 1ppm per 120 days when the manufacturer of the IC states "less than 20ppm over 1000h"?

One device you are nulling against, the Fluke 732A exhibits a transfer uncertainty of 6ppm over one year.
How come you know your references are within +-2ppm of the SI-Volt, when your master reference can drift 6ppm per year?

Regards
try

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on May 16, 2016, 11:06:24 am
try,
Obviously you did not read the complete thread, it is well explained - starting on page 7 -

This is actually a very hilarious thread, probably the funniest one on eevblog.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: girish on May 17, 2016, 03:23:38 am
I am a longtime lurker but after reading this long thread I am compelled to say that I was thoroughly entertained. godnut!!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: IanJ on May 19, 2016, 10:56:48 am
I'm not trying to fool anyone. I report only what I directly observe.

Send me one and I'll test.

- HP 3458a 8.5 digit DMM (calibrated less than a couple weeks ago).
- Keysight 34461 6.5 digit DMM with logging.
- Temperature environment chamber (controlled range 10deg below ambient to 35degC approx).
- Temperature controlled workshop 23degC +/- 1 degC.

I'll post results/graphs here straight out the box.

Ian.

Isn't biting........

Ok then, if anyone wants to send me theirs......I'll test it and of course return it afterwards.

PM me.

PS. I am in the UK.

Ian.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on May 19, 2016, 08:39:22 pm
May be Awesome14 should include my pictures in to his ebay listing.

So that we never forget the "awesome" workmanship, here are three more pictures that I took a while back,
when I first got his "standard".
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Dr. Frank on May 19, 2016, 09:52:23 pm
That one is even better, a standard out of thin air.. but that guy knows, what he is doing..

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html)

Frank
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: RobK_NL on May 20, 2016, 08:38:29 am
that guy knows, what he is doing.
Ralf sure does! Hadn't visited his site in a while, thanks for the heads-up.

I like his disclaimer at the start of the article:
"- Der Bericht ist keine Bauanleitung -"  :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on May 20, 2016, 03:37:09 pm
That one is even better, a standard out of thin air.. but that guy knows, what he is doing..

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html)

Frank

For all non-German members:

The guy is describing the process of building his voltage reference using a pretty sophisticated German writing style combined with some nice pictures. The author uses his language abilities to justify his freestyle 3D layout which ressembles some electronic device that has accidentally suffered from a waste press treatment.

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/images/Leiterplatte.jpg (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/images/Leiterplatte.jpg)

What really strikes you is the lack of parts and source information.
The author deliberately leaves out any hint on that kind of information although it's obvious by looking at the pictures which parts he is using.

His built description qualifies as entertainment only - you won't find any usable information you could learn from when building your own reference. The degree of show off becomes obvious once you read the translation below:

[...
    die Spannungsrefenzen sind ein bekannter Typ, der den fachkundigen Lesern bekannt ist - die Nennung spart man sich. Das
The voltage references are of a known type which is known to knowledgable readers - I save my breath to quote them.
schöne an diesen Exemplaren ist, sie hat einen Date Code aus dem Jahr 1991, unbenutzt und richtig alt (so alt kaum erhältlich) - ein
The good thing with these parts is, it has a date code form 1991, unused and really old (hardly obtainable that old)
schönes Gefühl, so lange natürlich vorgealterte Exemplare zu bekommen. Die Kunst mit diesem Referenztyp ist nicht das "Kaufen",
a good feeling to get naturally preaged parts. The art with this type of reference is not the act of buying 
sondern danach das "richtig machen", hierüber finden sich im Internet viele, teils sehr gute Diskussionen.
"but the right doing afterwards", about this matter there can be found lots of discussions on the internet, partly very good ones.

Eine weitere IC-Referenz, die beim Distributor derzeit schon für ca. 90 Euro verkauft wird
Another reference IC, being sold at distributor level already for approx. 90 Euros now
...]

If you like the entertainment aspect of pseudo-science promoted by the awesome soldering expert with his proprietary soldering spraying techniques (improves EMP transient handling O0) or the German voltage reference developer with the nice pictures you could as well read across the now disfunctional page of self-proclaimed krypto expert Detlef Granzow:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140517164246/http://kryptochef.org/ (https://web.archive.org/web/20140517164246/http://kryptochef.org/)

This guy even managed to be quoted by well-known Bruce Schneier - but not in a positive manner.

Have fun reading!

Best regards
try

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: retrolefty on May 20, 2016, 05:56:04 pm
That one is even better, a standard out of thin air.. but that guy knows, what he is doing..

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/Spannungsnormal_Eigenbau.html)

Frank

For all non-German members:

The guy is describing the process of building his voltage reference using a pretty sophisticated German writing style combined with some nice pictures. The author uses his language abilities to justify his freestyle 3D layout which ressembles some electronic device that has accidentally suffered from a waste press treatment.

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/images/Leiterplatte.jpg (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Spannungsnormal/images/Leiterplatte.jpg)

What really strikes you is the lack of parts and source information.
The author deliberately leaves out any hint on that kind of information although it's obvious by looking at the pictures which parts he is using.

His built description qualifies as entertainment only - you won't find any usable information you could learn from when building your own reference. The degree of show off becomes obvious once you read the translation below:

[...
    die Spannungsrefenzen sind ein bekannter Typ, der den fachkundigen Lesern bekannt ist - die Nennung spart man sich. Das
The voltage references are of a known type which is known to knowledgable readers - I save my breath to quote them.
schöne an diesen Exemplaren ist, sie hat einen Date Code aus dem Jahr 1991, unbenutzt und richtig alt (so alt kaum erhältlich) - ein
The good thing with these parts is, it has a date code form 1991, unused and really old (hardly obtainable that old)
schönes Gefühl, so lange natürlich vorgealterte Exemplare zu bekommen. Die Kunst mit diesem Referenztyp ist nicht das "Kaufen",
a good feeling to get naturally preaged parts. The art with this type of reference is not the act of buying 
sondern danach das "richtig machen", hierüber finden sich im Internet viele, teils sehr gute Diskussionen.
"but the right doing afterwards", about this matter there can be found lots of discussions on the internet, partly very good ones.

Eine weitere IC-Referenz, die beim Distributor derzeit schon für ca. 90 Euro verkauft wird
Another reference IC, being sold at distributor level already for approx. 90 Euros now
...]

If you like the entertainment aspect of pseudo-science promoted by the awesome soldering expert with his proprietary soldering spraying techniques (improves EMP transient handling O0) or the German voltage reference developer with the nice pictures you could as well read across the now disfunctional page of self-proclaimed krypto expert Detlef Granzow:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140517164246/http://kryptochef.org/ (https://web.archive.org/web/20140517164246/http://kryptochef.org/)

This guy even managed to be quoted by well-known Bruce Schneier - but not in a positive manner.

Have fun reading!

Best regards
try

 Thanks for the translation. He sounds just like an average Volt-Nut to me.  :-DD
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: chickenHeadKnob on May 21, 2016, 01:38:42 am


For all non-German members:

The guy is describing the process of building his voltage reference using a pretty sophisticated German writing style combined with some nice pictures. The author uses his language abilities to justify his freestyle 3D layout which ressembles some electronic device that has accidentally suffered from a waste press treatment.


What stands out for me is the bill of materials:
Bauteile                                                                                                                                   1500
spezielle Lote                                                                                                                           250
Balsaholz                                                                                                                           40
Außenhölzer                                                                                                                           100
Metallgehäuse                                                                                                                   500
vieles was hier noch auf die Liste kommt, aber noch nicht fotographiert wurde    -
Summe Material bisher:                                                                                                           2390 Euro
   
Zeitbedarf Entwicklung für Aufbau, Messen, Simulation, Berechnungen - bisher:    >400 Stunden


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on May 21, 2016, 06:35:27 am


For all non-German members:

The guy is describing the process of building his voltage reference using a pretty sophisticated German writing style combined with some nice pictures. The author uses his language abilities to justify his freestyle 3D layout which ressembles some electronic device that has accidentally suffered from a waste press treatment.


What stands out for me is the bill of materials:
Bauteile                                                                                                                                   1500
spezielle Lote                                                                                                                           250
Balsaholz                                                                                                                           40
Außenhölzer                                                                                                                           100
Metallgehäuse                                                                                                                   500
vieles was hier noch auf die Liste kommt, aber noch nicht fotographiert wurde    -
Summe Material bisher:                                                                                                           2390 Euro
   
Zeitbedarf Entwicklung für Aufbau, Messen, Simulation, Berechnungen - bisher:    >400 Stunden

What stands out for me is the bill of materials:

parts               1500
special solder     250
balsa wood          40
wood outside    100
metal case     500
lots of stuff to be put on the list but has not yet been photographed

sum of parts till now: 2390 Euro


development time for construction, measurements, simulation, calculations - till now: > 400 hours


I wouldn't question the wood expenses if the maker loves the look. But why paying €500,- for a metal case?
"Special solder" sounds  interesting to me, maybe a cadmium-based one?
But again the author leaves the interested reader in the dark.

Maybe he should have just put a used Fluke 732A into a wooden case. That would have saved him 99% of the labor time.

Here is a report about the power supply for his voltage reference:

http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Netzteil/Versorgung_Spannungsreferenz.html (http://www.amplifier.cd/Technische_Berichte/Netzteil/Versorgung_Spannungsreferenz.html)

On the bottom of the page you see an example of his solder and layout handling.
He is clearly lacking Awesome's solder spraying techniques - must be a noticeable performance decrease. :)

As the saying goes: "Der Weg ist das Ziel!" (The process itself is the goal)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on May 21, 2016, 06:45:26 am
That is an impressive soldering job. Over 400 hours!
It really looks like he knows what he is doing.
Thanks for sharing, Frank..
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ap on May 24, 2016, 08:14:03 am
First of, although I know the amplifiers page, I somehow overlooked that reference report. So thanks for pointing this out.
I read it with mixed feelings though. It would have been nice if the regulator schematics were readable. The statement that it settles without overshoot sounds strange, for a P or PI regulator, also given the dead time. So it must be a very well established PID regulator with the D portion set to exactly compensate the overshoot of a normal PI regulator (I is anyway needed to get the regulation delta to zero). It is unclear to me what he means by selecting transistors for linear graphs. Here the schematics would have helped too.
The heating power needed is not very impressive, pretty high. So if the notion is that the guy knows what he is doing, it would have been good to see more evidence for that.
Also the costs seem to, as has already been pointed out, be out of proportion.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on May 24, 2016, 09:16:20 am
Did you consider that he intentionally wants to overshoot, not regulation but another thing?

Think of obfuscated code...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ap on May 24, 2016, 10:10:53 am
Maybe I misundertand something. But he says:
Die Regelstrecke selbst ist in Näherung erster Ordnung mit Totzeit, sie schwingt aktuell ohne erkennbare Überschwinger auf den Sollwert ein.
So there seems to be no overshoot. And that seems strange (am not saying impossible). As per his simulation, maybe. In reality, hard to believe. 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on April 17, 2017, 08:28:43 pm
Hi folks,

I just discovered that the god of voltage references and creator of the solder spray technique is selling his 34401A:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/HP-Agilent-Keysight-34401A-6-5-Digit-DMM-USB-Ser-GPIB-Digital-MultiMeter-Calib/252849795375 (http://www.ebay.de/itm/HP-Agilent-Keysight-34401A-6-5-Digit-DMM-USB-Ser-GPIB-Digital-MultiMeter-Calib/252849795375)

Furthermore the guy is selling low resistance leads claiming 0,003 Ohm resistance.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/24-Kt-GP-M-to-M-Banana-to-Banana-10-AWG-Low-Resistance-Leads-0-003-ohm/252179341098 (http://www.ebay.de/itm/24-Kt-GP-M-to-M-Banana-to-Banana-10-AWG-Low-Resistance-Leads-0-003-ohm/252179341098)

What I like most ist the claim "american ingenuity, american precision" printed on the picture.
He always speaks about himself as "our". This is probably "plurale majestatis". I am missing that religious overhead speak a bit that we (not me alone  8)) know so well from this forum.

I think it is pretty entertaining that he always speaks about his magic 0,003 Ohm cable resistance while completely ignoring the contact resistances at the end.

Have fun!

Regards
try



Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: TiN on April 18, 2017, 04:34:54 am
Who cares about 34401, when there is
Quote
732B is assigned at 10.00000000 VDC
. Seems like NIST/PTB and rest of the world just wasted money on JJA's, they could just get a magical 732B and be happy with 1ppb precision  :-DD. Especially curious what magical voltmeter did he use to verify this. Oh wait, magic does not need verification, it is just there!  :-DMM
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on April 18, 2017, 07:54:00 am
Furthermore the guy is selling low resistance leads claiming 0,003 Ohm resistance.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/24-Kt-GP-M-to-M-Banana-to-Banana-10-AWG-Low-Resistance-Leads-0-003-ohm/252179341098 (http://www.ebay.de/itm/24-Kt-GP-M-to-M-Banana-to-Banana-10-AWG-Low-Resistance-Leads-0-003-ohm/252179341098)

Sold 16 of them and has 100% positive feedback.
May be his customers are so inspired that they are always happy.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Oldensign on October 08, 2017, 01:51:07 pm
I bought my D-105 on eBay a couple of years ago.  I added labels to it (e.g., INPUT and OUTPUT as well as other useful data).  Then I connected it to my Systron Donner 7-1/2 digit DMM and provided a source of 15 Vdc for the D-105.  Very impressive - 10.00001 measured at ambient room temp.  Then I spent most of 2016 in hospitals and such institutions, so that was a waste of a year.  I recently bought an HP 3468B 5-1/2 digit DMM and checked it out with my Systron Donner M107 voltage standard.  I spied my little D-105 and decided to try it as well.  Same nothing-special 15 Vdc input and the HP measured 10.0000.  I did NOT submerge the D-105 in a half gallon of ice cream nor did I put it on a hot plate.  I did not track the wandering about of the last digit over time, nor did I put it through any MIL-SPEC qualification tests.  All I'm saying is that for less than $100 it's quite an impressive little gadget.  I searched eBay a few minutes ago and did not find the Calibratory D-105.  Maybe I'm easily impressed; I still have some CK722 transistors I bought in 1956 when they broke the $1.00 barrier.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 18, 2017, 05:48:36 am
Awesome14,

this claim is taken from your ebay ad:
Our testing indicates that under 100% uptime at 10M Ohm load, long-term drift is < 1.0ppm/120 days.



How is it possible that you suggest that your reference drifts less than 1ppm per 120 days when the manufacturer of the IC states "less than 20ppm over 1000h"?

That is a secret. Just because I won't reveal how we do it does not indicate it's impossible. Obviousloy it is possible! How is it that the device drifts only 2ppm over 10C when the spec of the chip is 2.5ppm/degreeC?

One device you are nulling against, the Fluke 732A exhibits a transfer uncertainty of 6ppm over one year.
How come you know your references are within +-2ppm of the SI-Volt, when your master reference can drift 6ppm per year?

Regards
try

Read up on characterization.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 18, 2017, 06:02:06 am
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturnin on October 18, 2017, 08:06:25 am
You state your "voltage standard" drifts less than 1 ppm / 120 days = 1 ppm / 4 months = 0.25 ppm / month, so how is it possible that it drifts 6 ppm in 15 months (0.4 ppm/month)?? In 15 months, it should be drift 3.75ppm only (0.25ppm/month*15months=3.75ppm).

It seems you should revise the specification of your "stellar" product   :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Gyro on October 18, 2017, 08:18:44 am
Not this again, why did someone have to rattle the cage!  :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Echo88 on October 18, 2017, 08:42:03 am
Im surprised he does show up here again, since i would have thought that hes busy learning new metrology secrets from Jesus and the Gummy Bears. Maybe hand selected thermally controlled 5% carbon resistors and a specialized copper-foil coupling, which will lead to a metrological standard resistor, better than the SR104, for maybe 100 bucks.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on October 18, 2017, 10:44:27 am
Well, this is at least for me the funniest thread on eevblog, may be the funniest metrology thread of all times.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Rbastler on October 18, 2017, 10:55:30 am
Well, this is at least for me the funniest thread on eevblog, may be the funniest metrology thread of all times.
I loled quite hard, when I saw this and read the first ten pages[emoji23]

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on October 18, 2017, 03:42:48 pm
Hi HighVoltage,

Well, this is at least for me the funniest thread on eevblog, may be the funniest metrology thread of all times.

Awesome14 (ebay: kaysert) is the metrological equivalent to Detlef Granzow and his full bit encryption:

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/06/the_doghouse_kr.html (https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/06/the_doghouse_kr.html)

Shame on me. I should have asked you to lend me your wannabe standard and measure it with PTB at the maker fair.
Maybe next year?
I would bring in my video camera and open your purchased so-called standard under the eyes of the PTB people. I wanna record their priceless faces when they see the soldering and asking them serious questions about the manufacturing process.  8)

Isn't their any US law to stop awesome14 from praising his dubious spray soldering device as US quality because of misrepresentation of the US?!
My 34401A is lacking the spray soldering. I am worried now. Should I send it to kaysert for a quick overspray to improve stability?

I have a tank of compressed air. Would that help me in achieving the same results as kaysert does?

I am always willing to learn from the best!  :-DD

Best regards
try




Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Edwin G. Pettis on October 18, 2017, 04:59:58 pm
It is quite evident that few, if any, of his customers have the capability to verify his claims, since they are unwilling to pay the bucks up front to have their equipment certified by a real calibration lab, they are depending on the 'claims' of this person who refuses to provide verifiable NIST data on his equipment and end products.  A thousand accolades from customers who cannot verify his or their claims is worthless.  His method of construction is pathetic and should be an embarrassment but to his ego, it is an advantage.  I for one will not be a customer of this farce.  Now if he really wants to 'prove' his product's claims, he needs to put up a number of them to an independent lab to be tested against proven 732A/B arrays and his specifications actually verified, once that is done and his claims are at least proven, perhaps the laughter and derision will abate but until something like that actually happens.....his claims are unproven, unverified and not to be believed.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 18, 2017, 05:47:58 pm
It is quite evident that few, if any, of his customers have the capability to verify his claims, since they are unwilling to pay the bucks up front to have their equipment certified by a real calibration lab, they are depending on the 'claims' of this person who refuses to provide verifiable NIST data on his equipment and end products.  A thousand accolades from customers who cannot verify his or their claims is worthless.  His method of construction is pathetic and should be an embarrassment but to his ego, it is an advantage.  I for one will not be a customer of this farce.  Now if he really wants to 'prove' his product's claims, he needs to put up a number of them to an independent lab to be tested against proven 732A/B arrays and his specifications actually verified, once that is done and his claims are at least proven, perhaps the laughter and derision will abate but until something like that actually happens.....his claims are unproven, unverified and not to be believed.

You have zero evidence to substantiate any claim you make. I am a professional. My techniques and practices are state of the art. We welcome anyone to come to our facility and view our traceability documents and calibration procedures. Our products live up to all of our claims! And we have two separate calibration labs.

Your words are those of an ill-mannered man. Calling another man a liar without evidence stirs resentment against ones self. You sow discord without cause amongst the innocent! Our products are second to none in their price tier. If you can prove otherwise, then do it. Among our customers are two US Military defense contractors, a University physics lab, and a calibration lab.

Our products worked perfectly well for all of them! And the whole purpose of purchasing a voltage standard is that it's calibrated; that you don't have to test it. I am an honest man. I don't cheat anyone. I pray that our Lord, Jesus Christ, shine the light of truth in your heart, so you can see yourself for what you've become! I pity you, because there is no cure for what you have.

You can only tear down, destroy; but never create. The soul of man longs to create! You do harm to others for the joy that it brings you.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: The Soulman on October 18, 2017, 06:04:06 pm
We welcome anyone to come to our facility and view our traceability documents and calibration procedures. Our products live up to all of our claims! And we have two separate calibration labs.

That is a nice offer but being thousands of miles away I'm not able to come, maybe you could just post some pics here?
Or a video tour on youtube?
That would be best and could potentially boost your sales.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Gyro on October 18, 2017, 06:07:12 pm
Quote
Among our customers are two US Military defense contractors

That's just shocking!  :o
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on October 18, 2017, 06:11:10 pm
Yep, still runs on god juice.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 18, 2017, 06:25:08 pm
We welcome anyone to come to our facility and view our traceability documents and calibration procedures. Our products live up to all of our claims! And we have two separate calibration labs.

That is a nice offer but being thousands of miles away I'm not able to come, maybe you could just post some pics here?
Or a video tour on youtube?
That would be best and could potentially boost your sales.

Fluke Calibration does not permit its certs to be duplicated. Posting one online would violate that. And, too many people get robbed posting video tours for burglars to view! In a sane world evidence is required to legitimately call a man a liar.

But apparently on eevblog lying is assumed up front. What I have heard about my unwarranted critics in this thread is very negative. I am a man of integrity. I resent very much being called a liar. I am no liar! I have the equipment, skill and experience to do the work I do.

I'm also educated in physics and chemistry, so I can apply those two areas to my designs as necessary. I politely ask that the members of eevblog show me the same respect they do to others.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Echo88 on October 18, 2017, 06:57:28 pm
Maybe the defense contractors can protect you against those murder attempts you mentioned. And since youre educated in chemistry: maybe you can find out whats wrong with your brain chemistry.

Quote: "I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write."
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturnin on October 18, 2017, 07:01:43 pm
Among our customers are two US Military defense contractors, a University physics lab, and a calibration lab.
Now I am really scared!

Since this thread has never been about real metrology, why not to move it to "General Chat" or similar board?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on October 18, 2017, 08:36:45 pm
Fluke Calibration does not permit its certs to be duplicated. Posting one online would violate that.

Please provide a link or similar documenting this policy of Fluke's as I can find no trace of this.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: itsbiodiversity on October 18, 2017, 09:07:37 pm
Fluke Calibration does not permit its certs to be duplicated. Posting one online would violate that.

Please provide a link or similar documenting this policy of Fluke's as I can find no trace of this.

No calibration lab that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 allows certificates to be reproduced "EXCEPT IN FULL" without approval.  He should be able to provide a full calibration report at his discretion.

Directly from ISO/IEC 17025 "It is recommended that laboratories include a statement specifying that the test report or calibration certificate
shall not be reproduced except in full, without written approval of the laboratory. "
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on October 18, 2017, 09:24:14 pm
No calibration lab that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 allows certificates to be reproduced "EXCEPT IN FULL" without approval.  He should be able to provide a full calibration report at his discretion.

Directly from ISO/IEC 17025 "It is recommended that laboratories include a statement specifying that the test report or calibration certificate
shall not be reproduced except in full, without written approval of the laboratory. "

So the team of engineers involved at Calibratory labs (That would be Mr Awesome14 and Buddy Jesus at the least) must have something to hide?  :-DD

I refuse to believe that. An omniscient engineer, even Christ almighty, has nothing to hide.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: CalMachine on October 19, 2017, 12:38:18 am
The one I purchased a few years back, ended up in the trash.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 19, 2017, 03:42:10 am
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

I’m one of the critics early on in this thread.

I tell you what. If you send me one I’ll do a fair assessment of it and put it through the paces on a calibrated meter for 30-days. I’ll even send it back if you’d like.

I’ll be completely neutral in the review I give. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 03:58:59 am
Fluke Calibration does not permit its certs to be duplicated. Posting one online would violate that.

Please provide a link or similar documenting this policy of Fluke's as I can find no trace of this.

There probably is no link. It just says on the paper, "Do Not Duplicate". Not everything is on the Internet. My word is good. Until you can prove otherwise, you don't need to question me. I speak the truth. Your skepticism is a reflection of yourself. Not everyone lies all the time. But it's obviously what you expect, because that's what you would do.

And, most calibration labs have the same policy. We do.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:05:13 am
Yep, still runs on god juice.

You don't even know when to be ashamed. Do you not realize that any decent person shuns those who mock the innocent. I don't want to tell you how I picture you look in real life. Learn a little manners. You'll get on better with the upright.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:15:42 am
Maybe the defense contractors can protect you against those murder attempts you mentioned. And since youre educated in chemistry: maybe you can find out whats wrong with your brain chemistry.

Quote: "I am a very capable individual. I have 1.4 million readers in 155 nations! I must remain anonymous, because I've experienced 15 murder attempts in the last 3 years, all because of what I write."
I have been nothing but honest with the members on this board. I have 1.5 million readers in 165 nations now.

The brain chemistry thing might be cute if we were in Junior High. But no one thinks you're cute. We're all embarrassed for you. Do you ever want to actually do anything constructive in life? I'm replying to your most insensitive remarks, because I don't think you know how truly unattractive you come across. You could at least try.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:23:31 am
No calibration lab that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 allows certificates to be reproduced "EXCEPT IN FULL" without approval.  He should be able to provide a full calibration report at his discretion.

Directly from ISO/IEC 17025 "It is recommended that laboratories include a statement specifying that the test report or calibration certificate
shall not be reproduced except in full, without written approval of the laboratory. "

So the team of engineers involved at Calibratory labs (That would be Mr Awesome14 and Buddy Jesus at the least) must have something to hide?  :-DD

I refuse to believe that. An omniscient engineer, even Christ almighty, has nothing to hide.
Your behavior is utterly shameful. But you don't know when to blush. I forgive you anyway. Just try to do better in the future.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:29:56 am
Fluke Calibration does not permit its certs to be duplicated. Posting one online would violate that.

Please provide a link or similar documenting this policy of Fluke's as I can find no trace of this.

No calibration lab that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 allows certificates to be reproduced "EXCEPT IN FULL" without approval.  He should be able to provide a full calibration report at his discretion.

Directly from ISO/IEC 17025 "It is recommended that laboratories include a statement specifying that the test report or calibration certificate
shall not be reproduced except in full, without written approval of the laboratory. "
I don't want to reproduce the full document. Life is based on trust. People who find it difficult to trust do so because they are untrustworthy.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:35:47 am
Among our customers are two US Military defense contractors, a University physics lab, and a calibration lab.
Now I am really scared!

Since this thread has never been about real metrology, why not to move it to "General Chat" or similar board?
Why would you be afraid of that? I'm not trying to scare anyone. I merely want people to know that my product is trusted by those who have critical tasks to perform. And if they didn't find a problem, there probably isn't one to find.

Even though this thread is here, I still get plenty of buyers off eevblog. Now that's saying something!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:41:30 am
The one I purchased a few years back, ended up in the trash.
You should have had it recal'ed. They don't go bad. I question why anyone on this board would toss one. It doesn't make any sense. I've always serviced all our products.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: hugo on October 19, 2017, 04:45:37 am
"Even though this thread is here, I still get plenty of buyers off eevblog. Now that's saying something!"

It says that there's no such thing as bad publicity  ;)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 19, 2017, 04:56:05 am
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

I’m one of the critics early on in this thread.

I tell you what. If you send me one I’ll do a fair assessment of it and put it through the paces on a calibrated meter for 30-days. I’ll even send it back if you’d like.

I’ll be completely neutral in the review I give. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.
I really appreciate the offer. But the testing you want to do has already been done many times, by myself and by others. We do recal the units, so we get a pretty good idea of long-term drift.

Any reviewer that wants to be taken seriously cannot allow the manufacturer to know the review is being done. For one thing, the manufacturer might send a hand-picked specimen. For another, unless the reviewer's reputation is valuable it's easy to bribe him. You have nothing to lose if I offered you $500 to fudge the report. But if I have no knowledge the review is being conducted, then it must be an honest review.

So, no offense. It just wouldn't be credible if I sent you a standard to test.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: hugo on October 19, 2017, 05:16:51 am
So any reviewer that wants to be taken seriously will have to buy it then :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 19, 2017, 05:17:42 am
May be Awesome14 should include my pictures in to his ebay listing.

So that we never forget the "awesome" workmanship, here are three more pictures that I took a while back,
when I first got his "standard".

hello everyone who derides his (awesome14's) construction techniques:-

what would you say about this *fellow*'s construction ?

regards.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Echo88 on October 19, 2017, 05:34:22 am
@ zhtoor: The fellow you mentioned didnt sell his breadboard-stuff for 150 bucks while yelling bible-quotes. The references sold look like they were quality controlled by Bob Widlar with a hammer.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Rbastler on October 19, 2017, 07:12:52 am
May be Awesome14 should include my pictures in to his ebay listing.

So that we never forget the "awesome" workmanship, here are three more pictures that I took a while back,
when I first got his "standard".

hello everyone who derides his (awesome14's) construction techniques:-

what would you say about this *fellow*'s construction ?

regards.
Fine for a prototype, but not for a finished product.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: babysitter on October 19, 2017, 10:25:07 am
"Even though this thread is here, I still get plenty of buyers off eevblog. Now that's saying something!"

It says that there's no such thing as bad publicity  ;)

Consider the remote possibility that it maybe is a lie.
The same with the claims that god was co-designer. Or the customer list.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on October 19, 2017, 12:35:54 pm
I don't want to reproduce the full document. Life is based on trust. People who find it difficult to trust do so because they are untrustworthy.

And there we have it. You say you have all the documentation. Then you offer an excuse for not showing it. When that excuse is demolished, you say "trust me". That is not how honest people behave. You can say what you like, you can claim to be "upright", you can imprecate the character of your critics, but when you wheedle out of every opportunity that is offered to you to substantiate your claims it is, at the very least, highly suspicious.

My original take on you was that you were either naive or inexperienced, then it changed to thinking that you were a little strange and a bit self-deluded and now it has changed again. With your constant twisting and turning to avoid actually answering your critics and sceptics, while still claiming that you have proof, there is now only one reasonable conclusion left, that you are acting deliberately. I believe that you have no proof and you know that the minute you produced what you actually have then the whole house of cards would come tumbling down and you would be publicly revealed for what you are.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: CalMachine on October 19, 2017, 12:36:55 pm
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

I’m one of the critics early on in this thread.

I tell you what. If you send me one I’ll do a fair assessment of it and put it through the paces on a calibrated meter for 30-days. I’ll even send it back if you’d like.

I’ll be completely neutral in the review I give. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.
I really appreciate the offer. But the testing you want to do has already been done many times, by myself and by others. We do recal the units, so we get a pretty good idea of long-term drift.

Any reviewer that wants to be taken seriously cannot allow the manufacturer to know the review is being done. For one thing, the manufacturer might send a hand-picked specimen. For another, unless the reviewer's reputation is valuable it's easy to bribe him. You have nothing to lose if I offered you $500 to fudge the report. But if I have no knowledge the review is being conducted, then it must be an honest review.

So, no offense. It just wouldn't be credible if I sent you a standard to test.
Let's apply your own words here
Your skepticism is a reflection of yourself. Not everyone lies all the time. But it's obviously what you expect, because that's what you would do.

And, most calibration labs have the same policy. We do.


Actually, most cal labs don't care who you show your cert to.   You paid for it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on October 19, 2017, 12:46:17 pm
Actually, most cal labs don't care who you show your cert to.   You paid for it.

Moreover, as a traceable cal certificate is there for you to prove traceability, most cal labs would surely be very surprised if you didn't show your cal certificates to lots of people. Being able to produce a cal certificate on demand is kind of the point of having one. It's called a "certificate" for a reason, because an independent entity is certifying the accuracy of your instrumentation.

Quote
certify |?s??t?f??|
verb (certifies, certifying, certified) [ with obj. ]
attest or confirm in a formal statement: the profits for the year had been certified by the auditors | [ with clause ] : the Law Society will certify that the sum charged is fair and reasonable.
• chiefly Brit. officially recognize as possessing certain qualifications or meeting certain standards: scenes of violence had to be cut before the film could be certified | (as adj.certified) : a certified accountant.
• officially declare insane.


[Chuckle] I find the final definition there both serendipitous and amusing in the context.
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 19, 2017, 01:04:26 pm
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

I’m one of the critics early on in this thread.

I tell you what. If you send me one I’ll do a fair assessment of it and put it through the paces on a calibrated meter for 30-days. I’ll even send it back if you’d like.

I’ll be completely neutral in the review I give. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.
I really appreciate the offer. But the testing you want to do has already been done many times, by myself and by others. We do recal the units, so we get a pretty good idea of long-term drift.

Any reviewer that wants to be taken seriously cannot allow the manufacturer to know the review is being done. For one thing, the manufacturer might send a hand-picked specimen. For another, unless the reviewer's reputation is valuable it's easy to bribe him. You have nothing to lose if I offered you $500 to fudge the report. But if I have no knowledge the review is being conducted, then it must be an honest review.

So, no offense. It just wouldn't be credible if I sent you a standard to test.

You just got done telling another poster how honest you are and how you don’t lie or cheat. So if you’re that honest you clearly wouldn’t send a hand picked specimen or try to bribe me, right?

Besides, let’s say you see an order come through from Dave Jones, whom you know is a serious, well respected reviewer of test gear. What’s to stop you from shipping him a hand picked unit? Nothing.

And while it’s true everyone has a price (and I mean everyone, anyone that denies it just isn’t being honest with themselves), for some people that price is pretty high. Besides, as someone who’s been doing electronics and test equipment reviews for magazines and websites for years, I *would* have something to lose if it got out I wrote a fake review for $500. Most other serious reviewers feel the same way. (My reputation is pretty important to me; I wouldn’t compromise it for anything less than 9 figures.)

At any rate, review samples being provided by manufacturers is how the world works. Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

This is also how products are reviewed before they are officially released (that includes everything from test gear to computers to cars).

Now, if the publication (or individual) in question runs advertising or sponsored content for a manufacturer of a product they review, I might give a bit less credibility to said reviewer (unless they have a history of not being influenced by their advertising department).

So, I can even swing this back the other way: If I were to pay for your product, out of my own pocket, to review, it would actually be *less* impartial than if you sent me one for free. Why? Cognitive bias. People who shell out money for something don’t want to feel as if they’ve been ripped off, so they will ignore the weak points and problems of something to justify their purchase. They end up convincing themselves the product is great. You see this all the time in the world of high end audio.

When I do reviews, I always tell my readers that a product was provided by the manufacturer for review (and I almost always send the products back or give them away, which I also disclose).

So, no offense but your objections aren’t really reasonable. In fact, it makes me think you’re afraid to have somebody impartially review the unit and are just coming up with BS excuses.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: edavid on October 19, 2017, 03:41:49 pm
Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

Do you have a source for that claim?  A quick search turns up this statement on the CR web site: "It’s worth noting that Consumer Reports doesn’t accept paid advertising or free test samples—and is therefore not swayed by manufacturers."
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: erikg on October 19, 2017, 04:10:56 pm
So, speaking as an amateur relatively new to this forum, and as someone with fairly long experience dealing with technical people (I'm in IT), and internet forums and the typical personality types that inhabit them, I am going to provide a much simplified and shortened summary of the thread below, then my conclusions about the discussion.

For labeling the speaker here I'm going to use "A" for the device manufacturer and "E" for the various board members commenting as a group.

E: "Hey guys, does this Ebay voltage standard look any good?  The specs seem way too good for the price.  I've ordered one to have a look."
E: "I don't think it can work, those specs would be really hard to meet at that price."
E: "I got it and tried it, doesn't seem bad so far... WHOA, LOOK AT THE INSIDES!  THIS GUY IS AN AMATEUR WITH POOR SKILLS!  RIDICULE HIM!"

A: "Hey guys, it does work according to spec.  Thanks for your interest."

E: "Are you kidding me?  You obviously are a kid in your parents' basement, and this thing can't possibly work because X, Y, and Z."

A: "Nope, it does in fact work because it's divinely inspired and the case is filled with (magic) and lots of people like them."

E: "WHAAAaaaaat??!?  You're a scam artist because you don't know how this works and your work is shoddy and you're claiming magic and God when these sorts of things are really all about data sheets and specifications, which we know because we're experts.  You can't solder worth a darn, your design is amateurish, you're a fraud, a scammer, and no one here likes you."

A: "Well, I won't share what I know about how this works because it's a secret, but it does work.  Try it out and see."

E: "NO!  I'm not going to give you money for something Everyone Knows can't possibly work.  You're some kind of idiot whack job.  Look, everyone - see the funny amateur EE guy claiming things in a non standard way!   Isn't his poor soldering skill funny!  Look at his posts about religion and magic!  Everyone laugh!"

E: "I'm gonna make my own version of your product and sell it cheaper to put you out of business!"

A: "God is gonna condemn you guys for acting like this"

E: "Bwahahahahah... sure.   You should start taking some medication, crazy person."

A: "I'm posting some more data here, sorry it's not exactly the proof you requested."

A: "Have you guys tried the device out?  Let's stick to facts here."

E: "Hahahahah the crazy man is back."

(Repeat for many pages).


So in summary, I conclude that Awesome14 is guilty of being a non EE industry person selling a product on Ebay that he doesn't necessarily understand, and which may have over exaggerated specifications for an unusually low price for such a device.  He's also guilty of being a religious person who posts on internet forums, a person who prefers mysticism and religion to scientific explanations and of trampling Internet Expert egos.

On the other side, various members of this board are guilty of behavior unbecoming EE professionals, lack of adherence to scientific method, Internet Flame Warring, condescension, stereotyping and prejudice (against religious people and amateur EE types).  No level of expertise in the subject matter justifies this kind of behavior, period.

If Awesome14 HAD been a kid in his parents' basement and had appropriately kissed ass on certain people here, lots of folks would have patted him on the back.  After all, he's made a business selling a home built electrical device on Ebay that's successful enough that he's selling more than a few products world wide.  Many, many people here would love to build a business doing that.  Sure, his specs are probably exaggerated, but pretty much everyone buying a home built voltage standard on Ebay isn't capable of understanding why they're exaggerated much less being in possession of the equipment to check.  In fact, most of them probably just bought his little box for an occasional sanity check on their voltmeter.

What angers most posters here seems to be that 1) He's not an EE professional 2) He won't take their advice on improvements or changed specs 3) He doesn't follow what the industry considers proper methods for design, manufacture, and claimed specs and prefers a mystical explanation and 4) Most painfully to them he's successful and making money despite all this.

Sure, he's selling a poorly made device with inflated specs on Ebay, but he's far from the only one doing so.

As I read this forum in the future, I'm definitely going to take anything the various abusive posters in this thread say with a huge grain of salt.  Their expertise may be unquestioned, but their character certainly isn't and both *do* matter.

As an amateur EE type reading this forum, that's my view.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 19, 2017, 04:40:48 pm
Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

Do you have a source for that claim?  A quick search turns up this statement on the CR web site: "It’s worth noting that Consumer Reports doesn’t accept paid advertising or free test samples—and is therefore not swayed by manufacturers."

Cars and other big ticket items are generally loaned by (and in some cases rented from) dealers. Small appliances (toasters, hair driers, consumer electronics, etc.) and consumable items (batteries, shaving cream, soup, whatever) they buy, and in the latter case from multiple locations across the country through a network of secret shoppers (to rate consistency).

I read this in a behind the scenes article about 15 years ago. You know they even have their own test track for cars?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 19, 2017, 05:00:55 pm
Sure, he's selling a poorly made device with inflated specs on Ebay, but he's far from the only one doing so.


Let me change the context of your statement a little bit:

“Sure, he’s a rapist and a murderer, but it’s not like he’s the *only* one. Therefore we should no longer prosecute these crimes. Right?”

Just because other people do something wrong doesn’t mean the people we catch should be given a pass.

Also, your summary isn’t quite right. People didn’t start making fun of the “manufacturer” until he started spouting all the crazy religious stuff.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with criticizing the performance and assembly of a product, which is how the thread started.

And frankly, if you think the way we reacted to Awesome14 was extreme, well, you haven’t been on the Internet very long, because if anything most of the replies were mild and restrained by comparison.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: edavid on October 19, 2017, 05:12:17 pm
Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

Do you have a source for that claim?  A quick search turns up this statement on the CR web site: "It’s worth noting that Consumer Reports doesn’t accept paid advertising or free test samples—and is therefore not swayed by manufacturers."

Cars and other big ticket items are generally loaned by (and in some cases rented from) dealers.

That is not what their web site says:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-how-consumer-reports-tests-cars/ (https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-how-consumer-reports-tests-cars/)

"Most automotive publications evaluate cars and trucks lent to them by manufacturers. But we purchase every vehicle we test from a dealership, just like you do."
Title: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 19, 2017, 05:21:31 pm
Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

Do you have a source for that claim?  A quick search turns up this statement on the CR web site: "It’s worth noting that Consumer Reports doesn’t accept paid advertising or free test samples—and is therefore not swayed by manufacturers."

Cars and other big ticket items are generally loaned by (and in some cases rented from) dealers.

That is not what their web site says:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-how-consumer-reports-tests-cars/ (https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-how-consumer-reports-tests-cars/)

"Most automotive publications evaluate cars and trucks lent to them by manufacturers. But we purchase every vehicle we test from a dealership, just like you do."

Well then, I stand corrected. They’ve either changed their policy regarding cars or I’m misremembering. (Though I’m pretty sure it’s the former as I remember discussing it with someone after reading it. I remember details too, like how they had secret shoppers rent vehicles, along with a network of trusted dealers that provided loaners.)

I suppose it makes sense, I’m sure the dealerships wouldn’t appreciate their vehicles coming back with blown shocks after putting a few hundreds miles on over the “washboard” section of a test track. I wonder if they have their own Stig? Hmm...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: erikg on October 19, 2017, 09:48:24 pm
Quote
Let me change the context of your statement a little bit:
“Sure, he’s a rapist and a murderer, but it’s not like he’s the *only* one. Therefore we should no longer prosecute these crimes. Right?”

That's not a valid comparison.  Selling a poorly made product using inflated specs probably doesn't even count as a crime in most places. 

Quote
Just because other people do something wrong doesn’t mean the people we catch should be given a pass.
My point here is that you're not just "catching" him, you're taking the opportunity to abuse him because you feel it's ok since he's selling a product you don't feel is any good.  It's trashy, unprofessional, and frankly beneath the standards of behavior I see elsewhere on this forum.  Online bullying and abuse is never ok.

Quote
Also, your summary isn’t quite right. People didn’t start making fun of the “manufacturer” until he started spouting all the crazy religious stuff.
That's irrelevant.  There's no excuse for behaving that way even if someone seems crazy or amateurish.  He's not trying to deceive anyone here or do harm to anyone, he's just less experienced and knowledgeable than you are and has some beliefs you don't agree with.

If Dave didn't have rules about it, would you be hanging out in the beginner section abusing newbies?

Quote
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with criticizing the performance and assembly of a product, which is how the thread started.
I agree, but that's also irrelevant since it's not what we're talking about.  For your reference, we're talking about the part after that where people started to call the guy a nut, fraud, or even pledging to put him out of business by undercutting his prices.

Quote
And frankly, if you think the way we reacted to Awesome14 was extreme, well, you haven’t been on the Internet very long, because if anything most of the replies were mild and restrained by comparison.

I didn't say it was extreme, I said it was unprofessional and unwarranted.  Also, for the record I've been engaging in discussions online since 1990, so I feel pretty comfortable assessing when someone's being a jerk.


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on October 19, 2017, 10:29:32 pm

Snip ...

 I am going to provide a much simplified and shortened summary of the thread below, then my conclusions about the discussion.

For labeling the speaker here I'm going to use "A" for the device manufacturer and "E" for the various board members commenting as a group.

E: "Hey guys, does this Ebay voltage standard look any good?  The specs seem way too good for the price.  I've ordered one to have a look."
E: "I don't think it can work, those specs would be really hard to meet at that price."
E: "I got it and tried it, doesn't seem bad so far... WHOA, LOOK AT THE INSIDES!  THIS GUY IS AN AMATEUR WITH POOR SKILLS!  RIDICULE HIM!"

A: "Hey guys, it does work according to spec.  Thanks for your interest."

E: "Are you kidding me?  You obviously are a kid in your parents' basement, and this thing can't possibly work because X, Y, and Z."

Snip ...


This is a pretty accurate summary of this thread on the EEVblog.

This thread could have gone completely differently IF:

1) The device was built with better workmanship, including a PCB. At the time the thread started you could buy PCBs for a $1.50 each, now they are less.

2) The specifications matched the performance of the parts used. Do not claim that the part is equal to performance of the industry leaders, Fluke 732A/B etc.

3) Questions were answered properly. Example I buy the best grade of the REF102c and then further select the best parts from the lot for the premium references, I sell two grades the best parts are in the premium grades.

4) The datasheet says that the worst drift occurs in the first 168 hours. I take care of this by burning them in.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362128;image)

5) It is difficult to correct the temperature coefficient for the REF102. Here is the datasheet:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362122;image)

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362124;image)


6) I suspect that the Calibratory D-105 has some form of tempco adjustment, for the simple reason that the teardown pictures show a thermistor and two pots. I assume that one put is to trim the voltage, the second the tempco.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=226300;image)

7) This reply from page 29 of this thread:

Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

Presents a reasonable number for long term drift, (sample size unknown), after a burn-in period.
Note: that contradicts the information in the eBay listing.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362126;image)

As a minimum the eBay list should be updated.

Note:Although not specified on the TI datasheet drift normal is expressed as ppm per square root of time. Recognizing that the drift reduces with time.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

This is my 1500th post:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362130;image)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: erikg on October 19, 2017, 11:00:31 pm
Nice analysis, logical and to the point.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: try on October 20, 2017, 06:53:05 am

Note:Although not specified on the TI datasheet drift normal is expressed as ppm per square root of time. Recognizing that the drift reduces with time.

TI left out the square expression on purpose and not by error, I think.
Andreas wrote somewhere on eevblog about an IC reference where the drift rate did not diminish over time.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 20, 2017, 09:41:23 am

Snip ...

 I am going to provide a much simplified and shortened summary of the thread below, then my conclusions about the discussion.

For labeling the speaker here I'm going to use "A" for the device manufacturer and "E" for the various board members commenting as a group.

E: "Hey guys, does this Ebay voltage standard look any good?  The specs seem way too good for the price.  I've ordered one to have a look."
E: "I don't think it can work, those specs would be really hard to meet at that price."
E: "I got it and tried it, doesn't seem bad so far... WHOA, LOOK AT THE INSIDES!  THIS GUY IS AN AMATEUR WITH POOR SKILLS!  RIDICULE HIM!"

A: "Hey guys, it does work according to spec.  Thanks for your interest."

E: "Are you kidding me?  You obviously are a kid in your parents' basement, and this thing can't possibly work because X, Y, and Z."

Snip ...


This is a pretty accurate summary of this thread on the EEVblog.

This thread could have gone completely differently IF:

1) The device was built with better workmanship, including a PCB. At the time the thread started you could buy PCBs for a $1.50 each, now they are less.

2) The specifications matched the performance of the parts used. Do not claim that the part is equal to performance of the industry leaders, Fluke 732A/B etc.

3) Questions were answered properly. Example I buy the best grade of the REF102c and then further select the best parts from the lot for the premium references, I sell two grades the best parts are in the premium grades.

4) The datasheet says that the worst drift occurs in the first 168 hours. I take care of this by burning them in.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362128;image)

5) It is difficult to correct the temperature coefficient for the REF102. Here is the datasheet:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362122;image)

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362124;image)


6) I suspect that the Calibratory D-105 has some form of tempco adjustment, for the simple reason that the teardown pictures show a thermistor and two pots. I assume that one put is to trim the voltage, the second the tempco.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=226300;image)

7) This reply from page 29 of this thread:

Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

Presents a reasonable number for long term drift, (sample size unknown), after a burn-in period.
Note: that contradicts the information in the eBay listing.

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362126;image)

As a minimum the eBay list should be updated.

Note:Although not specified on the TI datasheet drift normal is expressed as ppm per square root of time. Recognizing that the drift reduces with time.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

This is my 1500th post:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362130;image)

hello,

looks like if +ve correction is done between 0 and 25 degC and -ve correction is done between 25 and 50 degC
(via thermister / heatpipe) the net tempco can be improved - at least between 0 and 50 degC.
assuming the zero-crossing is somewhere near 25 degC.


regards and comments required.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on October 20, 2017, 12:05:05 pm
hello,

looks like if +ve correction is done between 0 and 25 degC and -ve correction is done between 25 and 50 degC
(via thermister / heatpipe) the net tempco can be improved - at least between 0 and 50 degC.
assuming the zero-crossing is somewhere near 25 degC.


regards and comments required.

That would be a logical conclusion looking at this graph on the datasheet:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=362124;image)

However, the text on the datasheet says: 'the shape of the drift curve is not known' this means that it is not so simple to correct. If the curve was known the manufacturer would correct it internally  :-//

That's one of the points that I am trying to make.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 20, 2017, 12:54:44 pm
maybe the reason for not doing so by TI is the temperature range being compromised to 0-50 degC which is all right for volt-nut purposes.

anyways, ref102c should be characterized for tempco and then the decision made on compensation strategy.

regards.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MK on October 20, 2017, 09:05:36 pm
The big problem as they would say in Scotland is that Awesome 14 's mouth is all brown and he is away with the fairies, nothing more needs to be added, that construction technique is so awful is is actually funny, worthy of the Marx Brothers, or Buster Keaton get intoduced to a soldering iron...
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: retrolefty on October 21, 2017, 01:48:16 am
One thinks it's time to put this thread into cold storage. No knowledge is being exchanged.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 03:25:58 am
Just an update: Long term testing indicates 15-month drift to be ~6ppm, and 30-month drift about ~9ppm.

Contrary to what one might imagine, many of my buyers mention this thread and the collection of critics who refuse to even test the device. Apparently the criticism is practically inert. It generates indignation in others, which makes them more prone to purchase from me.

So, thanks for all the free publicity!

I’m one of the critics early on in this thread.

I tell you what. If you send me one I’ll do a fair assessment of it and put it through the paces on a calibrated meter for 30-days. I’ll even send it back if you’d like.

I’ll be completely neutral in the review I give. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.
I really appreciate the offer. But the testing you want to do has already been done many times, by myself and by others. We do recal the units, so we get a pretty good idea of long-term drift.

Any reviewer that wants to be taken seriously cannot allow the manufacturer to know the review is being done. For one thing, the manufacturer might send a hand-picked specimen. For another, unless the reviewer's reputation is valuable it's easy to bribe him. You have nothing to lose if I offered you $500 to fudge the report. But if I have no knowledge the review is being conducted, then it must be an honest review.

So, no offense. It just wouldn't be credible if I sent you a standard to test.

You just got done telling another poster how honest you are and how you don’t lie or cheat. So if you’re that honest you clearly wouldn’t send a hand picked specimen or try to bribe me, right?

Besides, let’s say you see an order come through from Dave Jones, whom you know is a serious, well respected reviewer of test gear. What’s to stop you from shipping him a hand picked unit? Nothing.

And while it’s true everyone has a price (and I mean everyone, anyone that denies it just isn’t being honest with themselves), for some people that price is pretty high. Besides, as someone who’s been doing electronics and test equipment reviews for magazines and websites for years, I *would* have something to lose if it got out I wrote a fake review for $500. Most other serious reviewers feel the same way. (My reputation is pretty important to me; I wouldn’t compromise it for anything less than 9 figures.)

At any rate, review samples being provided by manufacturers is how the world works. Even the holy grail of impartial reviews, Consumer Reports, doesn’t buy every product they review. (Otherwise they couldn’t afford to review expensive items such as cars.)

This is also how products are reviewed before they are officially released (that includes everything from test gear to computers to cars).

Now, if the publication (or individual) in question runs advertising or sponsored content for a manufacturer of a product they review, I might give a bit less credibility to said reviewer (unless they have a history of not being influenced by their advertising department).

So, I can even swing this back the other way: If I were to pay for your product, out of my own pocket, to review, it would actually be *less* impartial than if you sent me one for free. Why? Cognitive bias. People who shell out money for something don’t want to feel as if they’ve been ripped off, so they will ignore the weak points and problems of something to justify their purchase. They end up convincing themselves the product is great. You see this all the time in the world of high end audio.

When I do reviews, I always tell my readers that a product was provided by the manufacturer for review (and I almost always send the products back or give them away, which I also disclose).

So, no offense but your objections aren’t really reasonable. In fact, it makes me think you’re afraid to have somebody impartially review the unit and are just coming up with BS excuses.
There have been no less than 20 competent, in depth reviews done by others of our 10V standard, covering from 1 month to two years duration. Since none of them were solicited, I can rely that they are objective, and all of them confirmed my own findings. In order to properly evaluate the device over a 1-month period, you really have to work on the 100mV scale of a meter, which means you need a DC standard like the Fluke 732B. I had one customer complain that the standard was 40uv high, 2ppm out of spec! It turned out later that his 732B had drifted and my standard was actually within spec.

Quite honestly, I don't know you other than from eevblog, and here you mercilessly criticized me without cause, without shame or remorse, so I question your ability to be objective and for different reasons, whether you have the necessary equipment to competently conduct such a test. All of the people in this thread who were able to competently review my product concluded that it lives up to my claims! One person broke theirs, by failing to observe the instructions, and then blamed the device. 

Since my own findings agree with those of others, I'm satisfied. But I'll consider your offer after some thought.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 03:56:43 am
"Even though this thread is here, I still get plenty of buyers off eevblog. Now that's saying something!"

It says that there's no such thing as bad publicity  ;)

Consider the remote possibility that it maybe is a lie.
The same with the claims that god was co-designer. Or the customer list.
My latest buyer from here was on 10/9/2017. I encourage you to show some respect for yourself, and not to call others liars without some evidence to substantiate the claim. It's a matter of common decency and etiquette. Do you want others to think you're low class? As a man I have my word. I have not broken it. But you call it into question!

WHY? For several reasons I suppose. I don't reveal exactly how my device works. But I didn't build it as a community project. I'm religious. Yes, my faith is important to me. Yes, I inspire from God. And yes, that makes me exceptional! Ridiculing others for their faith is the mark of poor breeding and upbringing!

I don't ask for help. I didn't come to this thread asking for help. I didn't start the thread. I came to defend my product against warrantless criticism I was informed of by one of my buyers on eBay. I had never heard of eevblog before he gave me the link to this thread, and informed me that it wasn't all positive.

But I will reveal this much: I state I burn in each standard for 70 days. I actually burn them in for 1-2 years. Since  the regulator IC drifts less and less as time progresses, this brings the long-term drift way down from what others observe in their own designs. But as long as I burn them in for at least 70 days, it's perfectly honest.

I will also tell you this: no bare-board voltage reference will ever work well, and this is spelled out in every data sheet. Air currents across the IC pins can create up to 10uV of thermal EMF. Many of the people on this board are attaining poor results simply because of bare-board designs.

Maybe I'll reveal more secrets in the future.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 04:03:01 am
OK, I talked to Fluke Calibration. The girl encouraged me to display my cert, even publicly, and even obfuscating personally identifying information. I read the cert again--i guess that speed reading class didn't really pay off--and it says "may not be duplicated, except in full". So, here it is:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 06:02:51 am
I don't want to reproduce the full document. Life is based on trust. People who find it difficult to trust do so because they are untrustworthy.

And there we have it. You say you have all the documentation. Then you offer an excuse for not showing it. When that excuse is demolished, you say "trust me". That is not how honest people behave. You can say what you like, you can claim to be "upright", you can imprecate the character of your critics, but when you wheedle out of every opportunity that is offered to you to substantiate your claims it is, at the very least, highly suspicious.

My original take on you was that you were either naive or inexperienced, then it changed to thinking that you were a little strange and a bit self-deluded and now it has changed again. With your constant twisting and turning to avoid actually answering your critics and sceptics, while still claiming that you have proof, there is now only one reasonable conclusion left, that you are acting deliberately. I believe that you have no proof and you know that the minute you produced what you actually have then the whole house of cards would come tumbling down and you would be publicly revealed for what you are.
I actually misread the cert. Since Fluke Calibration encouraged me to display it with personally identifying info obfuscated--which was my actual objection--I have posted it. Don't sell yourself short by selling other people short. All things are pure to the pure, Suspicion is the device of a guilty mind.

I think it is the bare minimum expectation that a calibration lab would have certified standards. I've been honest all my life. I've even gotten myself into trouble because of it. I didn't set out to build voltage standards. I found out about precision reference ICs from a blog post by a hospital tech in Tanzania.

I just wanted something to calibrate  3-1/2 digit meters. I wasn't trying to build anything spectacular. But, I told my father about it, and he tested it. He's a MSEE from Marquette, with 30 years experience. If anyone thinks I'm lying about that, I make a challenge: If I'm not lying, my challenger has to make a video of himself eating his shorts and post it online. If I'm lying, I have to do the same thing. But bear this in mind before calling me a liar again: my Dad is a member of this board, and I'd love to see one of my undeserved critics eat his shorts!

My Dad told me the bare regulator IC was better than a standard cell. So, I took that to mean it was good. I didn't want to make any more standards. I just wanted one for myself. But my Dad wanted one. So, I made another one. All it was was a bare regulator IC inside a box with wires directly off the pins connected to banana sockets set in the enclosure.

So, then I dropped it. I wasn't interested in making any more of them. But my Dad burned his up with reverse polarity on the input. So, I had to make another one, this time with a diode on the input ground. I really didn't see the potential in improving the performance. I was happy as a writer at that time. I played around with electronics projects in my spare time, mainly repair work, but some original projects.

However, my Dad encouraged me to develop a product around the regulator IC. Natively, the IC is 10V +- 0.05%, with 2.5ppm/degreeC drift. I just thought if there was any potential, someone would have exploited it by then. My original aim was +-6ppm at a certain temperature. That worked, but it was nothing to write home about. A lot of people bought those. They were cheap.

But my Dad thought the product could be better. We even got into a shouting match. But it turned out he was right. I was relying on the last digit of a DMM to estimate the stability of the IC, which gave the illusion that it wasn't very stable. But I bought a higher precision meter, and I found that the IC was much more stable than predicted.

So, my aims at that point were temperature compensation and long-term drift. I say I inspired the design from God, but I actually only inspired a part of the TC from God. Maybe it just came to me in a creative moment. It all depends on how you look at it.

The TC circuit simply varies the gain on the output with temperature, in the opposite direction the regulator IC drifts with temperature. One of the difficulties the people on this board run into is attempting to design a standard that will maintain accuracy under harsh environmental conditions. Another difficulty I see is failure to invest sufficient capital, effort and time.

R&D is no place to scrimp. I still have to find a PCB design that works, but I can hardly be blamed for making my instrument by hand, which costs 3x as much as prefab. People are actually getting more for their money. And, most buyers don't really care, as long as it works.

I'm making a guarantee. If one of our standards ever fails, it can be sent back for inspection. If it is determined that the failure was a result of faulty soldering, the user gets a free repair and recal. But none so far have failed that I'm aware of.

So, when everyone else my age was out partying and having fun, I was hold up in my shop doing R&D. I tried 113 designs before I found one that worked well. I am very concerned with maintaining an accurate volt. No one should falsify the volt, or any other standard. It costs me a lot to maintain certified standards.

The cert I posted on 10/20/2017 cost almost 800.00USD, and even more if you include shipping. I make about 6,000.00USD/yr selling standards. If I quit tomorrow I wouldn't miss it. But I fill an important void in the marketplace. Many of my buyers pay me great respect for my product. And I'd like to pass the business to my son someday.

For my critics on this board, I'm not the problem. I have been nothing but honest and forthright. When the world gets to the point  that no evidence is required to impugn the upright, it is a very dangerous time indeed. No one is safe, because if it can happen to one person, it can happen to anyone.

I have now posted to this thread not one but two cal certs. If that isn't enough to make my unearned critics blush, they have not the wisdom to be embarrassed.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 08:18:23 am
OK, I took some advice from that IT guy who summed up the thread. Why does my standard outperform the raw regulator IC? It's all in the datasheet, if anyone actually read the whole thing. Long-term drift: the IC is aged 1-2 years. That brings the drift way down. We age the entire assembly, so any other components that experience long-term drift benefit.

Why is the temp drift lower than the raw IC? A 100kohm NGT is wired into the trim circuit. When the temp rises, the resistance drops, and the output gain is decreased. The IC drifts up with temperature, so it evens out.

But that's not enough. Because the thermistor has to be a bit different for each individual IC, because temp drift is not constant between specimens. The manufacturer rates temp drift over a huge range. I'm only concerned with 17-26C. The drift is fairly flat there, and so is the NGT.

A pot used as a rheostat in parallel with the thermistor adjusts the resistance delta of the thermistor with temperature, which is all we really care about (how much does it change). It is the quantity of change that determines how much the TC compensates the output gain.

The absolute resistance in the TC circuit is not critical. By adjusting the rheostat, the resistance delta of the NGT decreases or increases with temp, giving less or more tempco. The copper heat pipe keeps the delta temp similar between the IC and the NGT.

Without it, calibration of the tempco would not be possible. The device would oscillate because of the tempco. The exact thickness of the heat pipe is critical. If it's too thin, it doesn't transfer enough heat. If it's too thick, it acts as a heat sink, which throws off the thermodynamic balance of the entire assembly.

Unlike that other guy who made the standards and then quit, I have a much faster way to test the tempco. Then, I only require the environmental chamber to test the final result.

Why is it so cheap? I am not ambitious. I make 1500% profit on the parts, after eBay and Paypal fees. I don't need to sell them for more! I'd feel guilty!

How can you do what no one else seems to be able to do for the price? I persist, I believe in myself, and I apply scientific principles in new ways. That's it. And, I received much welcome advice from a very intelligent MSEE, without whom the entire project would have failed.

No one is going to get a surprising result unless they try something new.

Why is the soldering so bad? Because it's made with a perf board. There are no solder pads. With traces I get stray capacitance, which causes oscillation.

How can you make such exaggerated claims? A: How would anyone know my claims are exaggerated if they haven't tested the device?

Why are you such an idiot? Well, I truly know nothing. But my IQ is a standard deviation of 4 from the mean. I don't consider myself intelligent. But compared to other humans I guess I am.

How can you show your face on eevblog? I have nothing to be ashamed of. I can show my face anywhere. I'd prefer to make a product that works right with bad soldering than one that has neat solder joints and doesn't work.

Why are your long-term drift figures so unbelievable? I just age the ICs for a long time.

How can you claim +-2ppm accuracy? I make the claims that are justified by experimental evidence. I haven't been able to get +-1ppm accuracy. So, I stick with +-2ppm.

Do you have any new specs? Yes, thank you for asking. Typical standard deviation of the output of 250 samples at 100PLC is 500nV. That means 99% of the readings are within 1.5uV of each other.

If you are willing to spend 800.00USD on a calibration from Fluke Calibration, why do scam everyone? I don't think anyone who intends to scam actually requires certified instruments. 

Why did you allow everyone to call you a liar, and only after that post the cal cert? To piss you off!

Why don't you just leave us to our prejudices? Because ignorant is no way to go through life. I see a lot of technical skills on this board, but that's about where it ends. A man is measured by the kindness he displays to others.

Why is your design so stable? Mostly because I put it in a box. That prevents changes in thermal EMF caused by air currents across the IC pins. Read the datasheet!

Why should we accept you here? You have the mind of a child! I'm not asking for acceptance. I could never hope to attain unto the examples set by the other members on this board. I'd be happy if you just based your criticisms on experimental evidence rather than idle speculation. I mean, you use experimental evidence in every other area.

Are you mentally ill? I'm a creative genius. Mental illness seems to go along with that quite frequently. My prose  have been compared to those of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, two authors who were considered by many to be mad.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 21, 2017, 08:39:24 am
The big problem as they would say in Scotland is that Awesome 14 's mouth is all brown and he is away with the fairies, nothing more needs to be added, that construction technique is so awful is is actually funny, worthy of the Marx Brothers, or Buster Keaton get intoduced to a soldering iron...
I'll tell you what. I'll ship you the parts to make the board, and you show the community how much better you can do!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 21, 2017, 09:18:14 am
OK, I took some advice from that IT guy who summed up the thread. Why does my standard outperform the raw regulator IC? It's all in the datasheet, if anyone actually read the whole thing. Long-term drift: the IC is aged 1-2 years. That brings the drift way down. We age the entire assembly, so any other components that experience long-term drift benefit.

Why is the temp drift lower than the raw IC? A 100kohm NGT is wired into the trim circuit. When the temp rises, the resistance drops, and the output gain is decreased. The IC drifts up with temperature, so it evens out.

But that's not enough. Because the thermistor has to be a bit different for each individual IC, because temp drift is not constant between specimens. The manufacturer rates temp drift over a huge range. I'm only concerned with 17-26C. The drift is fairly flat there, and so is the NGT.

A pot used as a rheostat in parallel with the thermistor adjusts the resistance delta of the thermistor with temperature, which is all we really care about (how much does it change). It is the quantity of change that determines how much the TC compensates the output gain.

The absolute resistance in the TC circuit is not critical. By adjusting the rheostat, the resistance delta of the NGT decreases or increases with temp, giving less or more tempco. The copper heat pipe keeps the delta temp similar between the IC and the NGT.

Without it, calibration of the tempco would not be possible. The device would oscillate because of the tempco. The exact thickness of the heat pipe is critical. If it's too thin, it doesn't transfer enough heat. If it's too thick, it acts as a heat sink, which throws off the thermodynamic balance of the entire assembly.

Unlike that other guy who made the standards and then quit, I have a much faster way to test the tempco. Then, I only require the environmental chamber to test the final result.

Why is it so cheap? I am not ambitious. I make 1500% profit on the parts, after eBay and Paypal fees. I don't need to sell them for more! I'd feel guilty!

How can you do what no one else seems to be able to do for the price? I persist, I believe in myself, and I apply scientific principles in new ways. That's it. And, I received much welcome advice from a very intelligent MSEE, without whom the entire project would have failed.

No one is going to get a surprising result unless they try something new.

Why is the soldering so bad? Because it's made with a perf board. There are no solder pads. With traces I get stray capacitance, which causes oscillation.

How can you make such exaggerated claims? A: How would anyone know my claims are exaggerated if they haven't tested the device?

Why are you such an idiot? Well, I truly know nothing. But my IQ is a standard deviation of 4 from the mean. I don't consider myself intelligent. But compared to other humans I guess I am.

How can you show your face on eevblog? I have nothing to be ashamed of. I can show my face anywhere. I'd prefer to make a product that works right with bad soldering than one that has neat solder joints and doesn't work.

Why are your long-term drift figures so unbelievable? I just age the ICs for a long time.

How can you claim +-2ppm accuracy? I make the claims that are justified by experimental evidence. I haven't been able to get +-1ppm accuracy. So, I stick with +-2ppm.

Do you have any new specs? Yes, thank you for asking. Typical standard deviation of the output of 250 samples at 100PLC is 500nV. That means 99% of the readings are within 1.5uV of each other.

If you are willing to spend 800.00USD on a calibration from Fluke Calibration, why do scam everyone? I don't think anyone who intends to scam actually requires certified instruments. 

Why did you allow everyone to call you a liar, and only after that post the cal cert? To piss you off!

Why don't you just leave us to our prejudices? Because ignorant is no way to go through life. I see a lot of technical skills on this board, but that's about where it ends. A man is measured by the kindness he displays to others.

Why is your design so stable? Mostly because I put it in a box. That prevents changes in thermal EMF caused by air currents across the IC pins. Read the datasheet!

Why should we accept you here? You have the mind of a child! I'm not asking for acceptance. I could never hope to attain unto the examples set by the other members on this board. I'd be happy if you just based your criticisms on experimental evidence rather than idle speculation. I mean, you use experimental evidence in every other area.

Are you mentally ill? I'm a creative genius. Mental illness seems to go along with that quite frequently. My prose  have been compared to those of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, two authors who were considered by many to be mad.

hello,

keep up the good work. even if it is not good enough for anybody or everybody.

welcome to the board,
we are all brothers/sisters here, and share a common parent; ie; Adam & Eve.

and if i have understood correctly,
the best advice from the mighty prophet called Jesus / Isa (may peace be upon him)
is to forgive and "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".

best regards.

zhtoor/pakistan.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 21, 2017, 09:29:49 am
and by the way,

using a perfboard probably cuts down on warping of the board due to thermal gradients,
which can easily be simulated by using finite element thermal analysis,
sort of like drilling *MANY* holes in the board, instead of drilling them around the LTZ1000 in
some published pcb designs.

regards.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 22, 2017, 02:27:30 pm
and by the way,

using a perfboard probably cuts down on warping of the board due to thermal gradients,
which can easily be simulated by using finite element thermal analysis,
sort of like drilling *MANY* holes in the board, instead of drilling them around the LTZ1000 in
some published pcb designs.

regards.

Yes, and allow me to complete the principle. The holes in the perf board relieve thermal stress which would otherwise induce changes in the output, due to hysteresis in the regulator IC. Actually, regarding the LTZ1000, there is an engineering note that advises the pins be held in rubber grommets fit into the PCB, and that the connections to the IC pins be made with 30 gauge bare copper wire coiled to reduce stiffness.

So, thank you for your observation and for your vote of confidence.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 22, 2017, 06:03:47 pm
My Dad actually told me that over the phone some time ago. I'll ask him where he got the information, and post it if I can find out.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: 2N3055 on October 22, 2017, 07:29:28 pm
......................

LOL... Epic!  :-+
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on October 23, 2017, 12:32:24 am
Hello Awesome14,
                            actually it was me - in person - that revised latest datasheet of the LTZ1000A - and all comments were approved, typos removed and errors modified by engineers from LTC and this became DS LTZ1000 rev. E 11/15-2015.

Slot holes are effective for certain footprints (e.g. LTC6655 LS8) - some LTC videos prove this, and I discussed this also with a leading, eminent specialist in buried zeners - and his conclusion was that after many years monitoring slot holes on the LTZ1000 - they did not see any statistical effect and they stopped using slot holes more than one decade ago ... - those boards w/o slot-holes were shipped to CERN and other leading institutions.

Certain people that did not understand the way the LTZ1000(A) works and should be implemented - copied the black magic over and over ... - also the chinese do ... - very funny for insiders to see this happen

During all my observations I never spotted Fluke, Keysight, Keithley using slot-holes - Last couple of years I have invested many hundreds of hours in reading many articles, app. notes, from LTC a.m.o. ... about LTZ1000A - and if such design note from LTC would exist - I would probably have known this - and after more than 25 years as professional design engineer - I do not believe in VooDoo solutions ...

So I leave it up to you to proof - that I am wrong - by showing such design note from LTC discussing the effect of slot holes to improve the stability of the LTZ1000(A), i said in particular case for LTZ1000(A) ...

Good luck !

cheers
butterfly

This ap note applies to all LT references, although the example of slotting is applied to a different IC. The paper doesn't specifically exclude the LTZ1000. But the latest data sheet might be newer. Then LT should correct AN-82. http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/application-note/an82f.pdf (http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/application-note/an82f.pdf)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Jay_Diddy_B on October 23, 2017, 12:48:13 am

This ap note applies to all LT references, although the example of slotting is applied to a different IC. The paper doesn't specifically exclude the LTZ1000. But the latest data sheet might be newer. Then LT should correct AN-82. http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/application-note/an82f.pdf (http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/application-note/an82f.pdf)

AN-82 says that metal packages TO-5 and TO-46 are largely immune to board stress. Since the LTZ1000(A) is a metal package, it is excluded. Here it is:

(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/calibratory-d-105-dc-precision-voltage-reference-standard/?action=dlattach;attach=363055;image)

Regards,
Jay_Diddy_B

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on October 23, 2017, 02:06:36 am
so the board stess "voo-doo" *does* apply to dip packages then, as used in calibratory d-105?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: 2N3055 on October 23, 2017, 07:35:37 am
so the board stess "voo-doo" *does* apply to dip packages then, as used in calibratory d-105?

Plastic DIP and SMD packages..
And it's not voodoo..
Plastic packages are affected by mechanical influences, and also by humidity absorption.
Also they have rather large hysteresis on temperature and humidity changes, from both mechanisms..
Well known physics phenomena..
That is why you want metallic or ceramic hermetic case to minimize both...

All that is well discussed here on EEVBLOG, on Internet, and in numerous app notes...

And we all do prototypes and one off circuits on perfboard. But you shouldn't solder with a hammer..

This is workmanship to aspire to..
http://elm-chan.org/docs/wire/wiring_e.html (http://elm-chan.org/docs/wire/wiring_e.html)


Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on October 23, 2017, 12:24:57 pm
Since the LTZ1000(A) is a metal package, it is excluded. Here it is:

Specifically for the LTZ1000(A), the die attach material is unique to the part and was developed both to thermally insulate the die from the case and to reduce stress transmission between the die and the case. This is specifically the 'A' part, not the 'non-A' part, which uses a more conventional die attach.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Zucca on October 26, 2017, 08:20:34 am
This thread is better than Game of Thrones now. Thanks butterfly.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: lars on October 26, 2017, 07:33:41 pm
Here is two screen shoots from excel with about two years of measurements of two D-105, two SVR-T and one VREF10. As reference I have an REF102CM (metal case) with temperature compensation that has been powered for 17 years. The VREF10 is compensated with the value 1.3ppm/C I got from the manufacturer. The others are not compensated. The room temperature has varied between 19 and 29 °C.

In the beginning I did a humidity test as can be seen in the graphs. Both D-105 and SVR874 were in a box with a large amount of silica gel prepared to get about 80-85%RH. As can be seen from the quick drop the box was not very tight. The VREF10 was in a plastic bag with a silica gel bag.

The D-105 and SVR874 were continuously powered about the first year. The last year it has been in a shelf in a box between measurements so now with a humidity of 35%RH in the room but above 50%RH most of the last two months the references probably have acquired humidity. This can be clearly seen on the D-105's as they dropped about 5ppm the last week when powered in the about 35%RH environment.

The VREF10 has only been powered about 15 minutes at every measurements. The original batteries are still ok!

Lars
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: timb on October 28, 2017, 12:59:22 am
Wow, the graphs for the two D-105s are basically identical, and pretty bad. It literally jumps all over the place, following the humidity curve, which is what you don’t want to see! The VREF10 is climbing, but that looks like natural settling over time.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Gyro on October 28, 2017, 10:30:37 am
It's just what I'd expect to see from an epoxy packaged reference (as seen in the teardown photos) in response to humidity. I just wonder why it doen't appear up in the specified performance.  :-//


P.S. Thanks for the continuing SVR-T data Lars, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: martinr33 on October 30, 2017, 01:35:43 am
The star of the show here is definitely the SVR device, where both units are closely tracking 0 ppm. This figure also gives some confidence in the reference.

The Calibratory devices are obviously vulnerable to humidity, but it looks like they would be not so bad with some better sealing. Or even a bag of silica gel inside the package.

The SVRs have the advantage of a ceramic package,plus a lot of careful tuning to compensate for temperature.

The VREF10 part is interestingly independent of humidity, maybe because it is in a plastic bag with silica gel.  Plus, it is temperature compensated. If there is correlation between temperature and humidity, then the VREF10 is getting an unfair advantage over the other plastic part devices.

All in all, some solid work here! Thanks for having the foresight...

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Macbeth on October 30, 2017, 10:24:03 pm
Hello VoltNuts - I spoke today with a main responsible of our national accredited Lab (CE approval) and apparently to export a DC source to europe in the way it is presented by Awesome14 - the manufacturer and export/import company - both are fully liable to comply with CE legislation (CE compliance, RoHS, etc. ... ).

So where are the documents that grant such export license to europe ... ?

best regards
Butterfly

Just stick a crappy "CE" or the "China Export" mark on it.

CE is worthless shit, much like everything else dreamt up by unelected Brussels bureaucrats. You know the HP 3458A is now illegal for sale within the EU?

As much as I dislike Awesome14's insane claims, we really do not want political zealots to decide who gets to sell voltage refs. Let the free market decide. We also have traceable cal certs for a reason.

This also applies to any dickhead in charge of a lab that decides to use Awesome14's D-105 instead of a Fluke 732 for example. Instant job loss.  :palm:
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Echo88 on October 30, 2017, 10:39:51 pm
Did you hear they want to ban asbestos?! *cough* Those bastards! *cough*! Next time they might take away our lightbulbs, those dickheads!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: zhtoor on November 01, 2017, 11:25:01 am
Hello Awesome14 (Tom K.) - I am still waiting on you to show us that particular design note ... or went your B.S. generator out of service lately ... ?

http://www.atrixnet.com/bs-generator.html (http://www.atrixnet.com/bs-generator.html)

Hello Awesome14,
                            actually it was me - in person - that revised latest datasheet of the LTZ1000A - and all comments were approved, typos removed and errors modified by engineers from LTC and this became DS LTZ1000 rev. E 11/15-2015.
...
So I leave it up to you to proof - that I am wrong - by showing such design note from LTC discussing the effect of slot holes to improve the stability of the LTZ1000(A), i said in particular case for LTZ1000(A) ...

Good luck !

cheers
butterfly

respectfully sir,

lets not start a flame war again...

best regards.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on November 22, 2017, 12:49:28 am
I asked my Dad where he read the ap note on the LTZ1000, and he didn't remember. He only mentioned it in passing over the telephone when I was working on a LTZ1000 reference. But I did mock up a LTZ1000 reference and push on the IC a bit, and the voltage output changes.

Now, for Lars graphs; Good, solid work. I'm happy to have the info. If the unit was designed to operate at over 50% RH, I'd have a problem. But the standard is designed to be operated in a controlled environment not to exceed 50% RH, and with a temp between 17-26C.

I haven't done any testing at RH above 50%, because I work in a standards lab with a controlled environment (RH 30-40%). I wasn't aware there was a market for high-humidity, low-cost standards. But, in any event, the unit is not designed to operate above 50% RH or above 26C.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Cerebus on November 22, 2017, 03:23:08 am
But the standard is designed to be operated in a controlled environment not to exceed 50% RH, and with a temp between 17-26C.

This is the first time, as far as I am aware, that you have specified this humidity limitation and, having just checked your ebay sale offer, there is no mention of that limitation there. I find that rather odd, to not mention a basic, critical design parameter. Heck, even my TV comes with that information clearly supplied.

You say:
I haven't done any testing at RH above 50%, because I work in a standards lab with a controlled environment (RH 30-40%). I wasn't aware there was a market for high-humidity, low-cost standards. But, in any event, the unit is not designed to operate above 50% RH or above 26C.

Didn't it ever occur to you that: 1) Buyers of cheap voltage references aren't likely to be people running standards labs with highly controlled environments (if you can afford the air-con you can afford the 732), 2) that 50% RH is quite average for much of the temperate world, indeed it's most definitely not a "high-humidity" environment.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: beanflying on November 23, 2017, 12:51:34 am
Wow was on my watch list and considering buying one. - unwatched for bad attitude to peer review alone.

I wasn't going to post up my veroboard MAX6350 reference in the projects section due to my "average soldering" but I think I will  ::)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Andreas on November 23, 2017, 02:05:52 am

From my friend volt nut I have the indication of around 0.3-0.4 ppm/% rH for the REF102 in plastic package.
Time constant of epoxy packages with humidity is around 3-7 days reaction time.

So my suggestion would be to do verification measurements in february / march when there is low humidity and in august / september with high humidity.

From a 5 V Reference (LT1027CN, 2 samples) I get a humidity coefficient of around 0.5ppm/%rH


Hmm,

thats what we knew already 2.5 years before. (plastic package = humidity sensitive with individual sensitivity and time constant)

Anyway if the calibration is done at 30% rH and travels 1 week to a customer with 50% rH it will be already 10 ppm off.
In my lab with 40%rH in winter and up to 70% in summer even more.

with best regards

Andreas
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ManateeMafia on November 23, 2017, 01:32:36 pm
Has anyone else wondered if Awesome14 is also keen101? This appearance of the 3458A reference board makes me wonder even more.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: saturnin on November 23, 2017, 02:44:15 pm

Hello Tom K. (awesome14) - Oooh it was you working on this LTZ1000 reference ... ? We observed this ad with your great soldering artwork on Flebay - "used briefly for a prototype"  :-DD :-DD :-DD

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3458A-Voltage-Reference-Board-REV-A-03458-66509-LTZ1000/263337867308?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D49452%26meid%3Dfa21f476378b41c3b41e43bb691f0928%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D263337867308&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253Af8c65513-cfbf-11e7-8aec-74dbd18045d9%257Cparentrq%253Ae55276b115f0ab6ac789a120fffb06cc%257Ciid%253A1 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3458A-Voltage-Reference-Board-REV-A-03458-66509-LTZ1000/263337867308?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D49452%26meid%3Dfa21f476378b41c3b41e43bb691f0928%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D263337867308&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253Af8c65513-cfbf-11e7-8aec-74dbd18045d9%257Cparentrq%253Ae55276b115f0ab6ac789a120fffb06cc%257Ciid%253A1)

A true craftsman at work ...  :palm: :palm: :palm:

Wow! $288 for abused 3458A reference module with very questionable performance. Wouldn't it be at least fair to explicitly mention that some components were desoldered and put back (or replaced)?!
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MK on November 23, 2017, 06:50:10 pm
Hi, that reference still has solder splashes on it! does not inspire confidence, they could move later at any time.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on November 23, 2017, 07:12:16 pm
You guys have it all wrong ....

May be because of the "special soldering" and spots on the pcb and "amazing" workmanship, this 03458-66509-LTZ1000 reference has ultra special drift and accuracy abilities, surpassing any modern keysight reference.

Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: ManateeMafia on November 23, 2017, 08:01:37 pm
I noticed that 732A and knew it was him. I also wondered if someone else caught it but I can see it was obvious.

Thanks for the link. eBay is certainly full of scammers and I consider myself lucky there is a well educated community keeping everyone else informed.

MetroPhool? I like it. Every auction that uses the word NIST will make me think about it.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: HighVoltage on November 23, 2017, 08:53:00 pm
Nice investigation work here, butterfly
Hopefully lots of people will find this, before they buy anything of this MetroPhool
 
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on December 06, 2017, 02:18:01 am
But the standard is designed to be operated in a controlled environment not to exceed 50% RH, and with a temp between 17-26C.

This is the first time, as far as I am aware, that you have specified this humidity limitation and, having just checked your ebay sale offer, there is no mention of that limitation there. I find that rather odd, to not mention a basic, critical design parameter. Heck, even my TV comes with that information clearly supplied.

You say:
I haven't done any testing at RH above 50%, because I work in a standards lab with a controlled environment (RH 30-40%). I wasn't aware there was a market for high-humidity, low-cost standards. But, in any event, the unit is not designed to operate above 50% RH or above 26C.

Didn't it ever occur to you that: 1) Buyers of cheap voltage references aren't likely to be people running standards labs with highly controlled environments (if you can afford the air-con you can afford the 732), 2) that 50% RH is quite average for much of the temperate world, indeed it's most definitely not a "high-humidity" environment.

Both Flukecal and NIST specify that in the USA, DC standards labs be < 50% RH. But I think I'll add that to the item description.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on December 06, 2017, 02:22:27 am
I asked my Dad where he read the ap note on the LTZ1000, and he didn't remember. He only mentioned it in passing over the telephone when I was working on a LTZ1000 reference. But I did mock up a LTZ1000 reference and push on the IC a bit, and the voltage output changes.
Now, for Lars graphs; Good, solid work. I'm happy to have the info. If the unit was designed to operate at over 50% RH, I'd have a problem. But the standard is designed to be operated in a controlled environment not to exceed 50% RH, and with a temp between 17-26C.

Hello Tom K. (awesome14) - Oooh it was you working on this LTZ1000 reference ... ? We observed this ad with your great soldering artwork on Flebay - "used briefly for a prototype"  :-DD :-DD :-DD

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3458A-Voltage-Reference-Board-REV-A-03458-66509-LTZ1000/263337867308?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D49452%26meid%3Dfa21f476378b41c3b41e43bb691f0928%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D263337867308&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253Af8c65513-cfbf-11e7-8aec-74dbd18045d9%257Cparentrq%253Ae55276b115f0ab6ac789a120fffb06cc%257Ciid%253A1 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3458A-Voltage-Reference-Board-REV-A-03458-66509-LTZ1000/263337867308?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D49452%26meid%3Dfa21f476378b41c3b41e43bb691f0928%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D263337867308&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253Af8c65513-cfbf-11e7-8aec-74dbd18045d9%257Cparentrq%253Ae55276b115f0ab6ac789a120fffb06cc%257Ciid%253A1)

A true craftsman at work ...  :palm: :palm: :palm:

Relative humidity
Both Fluke (8060A,...) & Keysight (U125XB,...) warrant in their manuals that their handheld DMMs function at a relative humidity up to 80% ... so probably your toys were addressing the market of the high end DMMs such as 8508 - 3458A - 1281 and alike ?
Well, I didn't solder on the board. I just dropped it onto some pins.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on December 06, 2017, 02:50:14 am
OK, I thought perhaps I could appeal to the civilized side of the members on this board, but there doesn't seem to be one. I've seen bad manners and quarrelsome individuals, but nothing close to what I've witnessed on this board.

I'm embarrassed for you. I don't know how anyone can get along in life with such a rude demeanor. It's utterly pathetic. But, it will keep you down where you belong and make more room for civilized people at the top.

One thing I find universal among fools: they are to the mechanism of cooperation what sand is to the mechanism of a watch. Didn't anyone teach you people how to behave?

It is no reflection of me what occurred in this thread. You have no idea who it is that you criticize. I suffered warrantless accusations of lying, without a shed of proof! Fools realize the truth after it's too late. And the thing is, you people go out of your way to create trouble for me!

Because of that, and because you couldn't be content abusing just me, and because no amount of sound instruction has proven sufficient to correct your behavior, I turn you over to the one you failed. Hopefully your souls can be saved through abject adversity. But I think it will just kill most of you.

You've failed! I gave you enough rope to hang yourselves, and you did. May God have mercy on you.
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: beanflying on December 06, 2017, 03:41:19 am
Keep on going your imaginary friend will keep you making your pseudo science speak a reality if you believe and wish hard enough.

If you overstate manufacturers claims and accuracy specifications you need to back it up with FACT and LOCIC and not BABBLE!

BTW how many other accounts do you run here or on other forums >:D
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Echo88 on December 06, 2017, 12:36:52 pm
Can we please close this thread and not feed this troll anymore?
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: MK on December 06, 2017, 12:55:15 pm
Item does not meet spec, end of story, lets close this one
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: bopcph on December 06, 2017, 08:24:27 pm
Here is two screen shoots from excel with about two years of measurements of two D-105, two SVR-T and one VREF10. As reference I have an REF102CM (metal case) with temperature compensation that has been powered for 17 years. The VREF10 is compensated with the value 1.3ppm/C I got from the manufacturer. The others are not compensated. The room temperature has varied between 19 and 29 °C.

In the beginning I did a humidity test as can be seen in the graphs. Both D-105 and SVR874 were in a box with a large amount of silica gel prepared to get about 80-85%RH. As can be seen from the quick drop the box was not very tight. The VREF10 was in a plastic bag with a silica gel bag.

The D-105 and SVR874 were continuously powered about the first year. The last year it has been in a shelf in a box between measurements so now with a humidity of 35%RH in the room but above 50%RH most of the last two months the references probably have acquired humidity. This can be clearly seen on the D-105's as they dropped about 5ppm the last week when powered in the about 35%RH environment.

The VREF10 has only been powered about 15 minutes at every measurements. The original batteries are still ok!

Lars

If you give that REF102C a stable environment it ani't that bad, isn't it !?
Look at Lars' nice graphs and compensate for the humidity its actually quite nice considering a price tag of 1/20th of a LTZ1000A  ;)

Thanks Lars  :)
Title: Re: Calibratory D-105 DC Precision Voltage Reference Standard
Post by: Awesome14 on December 09, 2017, 03:23:42 pm
OK, everyone, thanks for all the help.