Efratom MRK Rubidium Standard Module.......

[Smokey]

I scored a Efratom MRK 101656-012 Rubidium Standard Module (1997 vintage) on the cheap from a swap meet junk bin recently. 
https://www.tzsupplies.com/ball-efratom-mrk-101656-i4098269/


It's supposed to go in a rack like this: https://www.febo.com/pages/efratom_mfs/

https://www.febo.com/pages/efratom_mfs/mfs.pdf

Unfortunatly I only have the MRK Rubidium module and none of the other rack.  The module only has that big multi-way backplane connector on the back, and that's it.  The front panel has some BNCs but it sort of looks like the output is distributed through the backplane for the other cards.

You can get a whole rack system for like $600 from ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/364067614125

Anyone played with one of these? 
Should I try to figure out what's going on with the backplane connector or just skip it and tear the enclosure apart and try to interface with the components directly?

[edpalmer42]

I'd pull the FRK and test it seperately.

It was available with two connector styles - seperate pins or a three row Winchester-style connector.  If you're lucky and got the version with seperate pins, it's trivial to make the connections.  In fact, if you've a dead ATX power supply, the female jacks on the 24 pin, 6/8 pin, or 4 pin power connectors are a perfect fit.  Carefully cut the connectors apart and you end up with nice, insulated single pin sockets.

The full service manual for the FRK (including schematics and calibration info) is widely available online.

If the FRK checks out, you can then decide what your next steps are.  Personally, I'd just put the FRK into a new box with a power supply.  Without the chassis and the other modules (i.e. power supply and output splitter/amp) the module doesn't have much else that's useful.

Ed