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SW downloaded, like good.
Now I must build optic interface...

If anyone needs PCB ZRC1, please let me know. There are enough of them.
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Test Equipment / Re: SDS800X HD Wanted Features
« Last post by ebastler on Today at 06:36:12 am »
Since display modes have to be implemented in hardware, an additional mode would take additional resources that (if at all available) would be much better spent elsewhere.

I can certainly acknowledge that point. Engineering resources are limited, and if the change would be too "expensive" for what it delivers, it will not make the cut. I think that is the better way to look at it, rather than going round in circles debating whether there are use cases which would benefit from "scan mode".   
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Test Equipment / Re: Siglent SDS800X HD 12 bit DSO's
« Last post by ebastler on Today at 06:32:12 am »
Imho, this is a feature. For now. Whether it can be optimized / improved somehow,  remains to be seen. Of course it is nice if there is way to do it so that is works independently.

At least in my case, this feature has never made it difficult to use the machines for their intended purpose as a tool. I classify it mostly as a cosmetic "disadvantage" for now.

I think "improvement" is the right category. It's not a bug; it's not new functionality (feature); but it improves user experience.

Agreed, the slow-down does not really limit the scope's functionality. But the slow-down of the update rate is a little irritating every time I experience it. It just feels "wrong" to see the core data processing affected by what should be an entirely separate and transparent user interaction. It makes me feel that either the hardware just barely makes ends meet, or the firmware is not well-engineered in this respect. Either way, it does not instill confidence in the instrument.

So if the impact of mouse/touch operations can be reduced by a firmware optimization, I think it would be time well-spent.
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Repair / Re: Help needed for repair of Efratom FRS-C rubidium oscillator
« Last post by ejd.pol on Today at 06:28:07 am »
Hello Ed,

There are two ways to look at it.  You can build or buy 3 power supplies with the hope that the board powers up and works properly and then those power supplies become the permanent replacement for the entire blown U39 module.  If the counter is dead, you repurpose those supplies as lab supplies.

You could also build or buy three lab supplies that cover the voltages necessary.  In that case, you end up with three nice lab supplies and then, if the board works, build or buy 3 dedicated supplies to repair the counter.  You end up with three lab supplies.  You can *NEVER* have too many power supplies in your lab!  :)

Yeah, agreed. What I would like best as end result is to have a working counter, with no visible modifications on the outside. Inside is a different story.
And I am willing to put some effort into achieving that result. That is why I would like to know up front whether or not it is worth while going down that path.
So my preference is the second approach, with as extra goal to build the 3 dedicated supplies into the counter.

Same thing applies to the Fluke 7261A. I'd like to know if it still works, before I decide to rebuild the primary side of the transformer.

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One complication to keep in mind is that the input to the U39 module is high voltage DC rather than AC.  I don't know if typical AC switching power supplies will tolerate high voltage DC input.  You might have to rearrange the input power to feed them with AC.

The conversion from AC to DC is done with a straightforward rectifier. That rectifier should be able to deal with momentary mains peak voltages, so I would expect it to be ok, no?
And if the replacement power module has AC input, it can also be hooked up tot he AC line coming into the box.

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I'm not seeing any analog switches.  The oscillator itself is U1, 54LS320 which is a dedicated quartz oscillator chip, followed by a 54HCT393 which is a ripple counter, i.e. a divider.  In any case, you had a solid 10 MHz signal coming out of the oscillator board and I don't see anything between the oscillator board and the power supply board.

I went back to the manual, and saw that indeed I misremembered: there are analog switches, but they are in the modulation circuitry, not in the 10 MHz path.

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I don't think you stated what the amplitude of the bad signal was.  Did it look like a solid signal or something that was basically noise being coupled in to the output line and then amplified by Q3?  Bad solder joints or other circuit faults anywhere in the system are a possibility, but the clean 10 MHz coming out of the oscillator board but not on the output connector points toward the power supply board rather than the oscillator board.

Indeed I didn't, and indeed it may be that it was just a stray signal weakly coupled into the 10 MHz line. I wish I had made some scope screen shots...  |O
In analyzing the fault location, I started at the connector, and worked my way back to the oscillator, making big steps. Once I found the signal,
I followed it forward towards the connector, making small steps. And to my surprise, I could then follow it all the way to the connector. (Simplified account, but basically correct.)
I expect that at some point in the future, the 10 MHz signal disappears again. Then I will do the same thing, but with improved recording of my findings!

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Rubidium standards do drift over time.  Considering the age of the unit, recalibrating it by comparing it to your GPSDO isn't a bad idea.  It will be challenging to do it with a scope, you really need a time interval counter.  The frequency will also shift slightly with temperature and input voltage.  But since you've got that pot, that's a good starting point.

FYI, the PM6681 power supply is very close, if not identical to the PM6685.  The service manual warns that if you touch the +5V trimmer, you have to adjust 'the complete instrument', whatever that means.  The PM6685 service manual doesn't say that, but since it's so similar, keep that warning in mind.

Ed

Yeah, if I get the entire box working, then I can use that to measure my GPSDO, and adjust the pot for an exact 10,000,000.000 reading.
That would be the best I can do, as my other counters have less digits! I have a few more 74LV8154 lying around,
so I am tempted to use those to make a dual 12 (or even higher) digit counter, with the help of a micro dealing with overflows. Hmmm....  8)

Cheers for now, variable supplies are ordered, I will report back once I have rigged up the whole shebang.   
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Test Equipment / Re: SDS800X HD Wanted Features
« Last post by eTobey on Today at 06:21:26 am »
One second of no feedback can be pretty long when I'm e.g. trying to adjust something. At 200 ms/div it's two seconds …

Sorry, but I cannot see a valid argument here.

When i think creativily, i imagine many different signals, not just a 1Hz signal. Try to look at a 10Hz signal with 100ms. And no, you dont change the timebase, because there are other signals too. Also there are signals that are just a pain in the a** to setup a trigger for. Especially with the trigger system it is now. I just turned on the scope this morning to see, that all my trigger settings were lost, and as bad as the delay trigger is documented and seemingly functioning, not something i would expect from a 600$ product...
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Beginners / Re: Why is there no 6-pin USB to RS232 chip?
« Last post by dusan on Today at 06:21:03 am »
I mean USB virtual com port to uart that is used by mcus like stm32
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RF, Microwave, Ham Radio / Re: 120 or 125 ohm coax
« Last post by uer166 on Today at 06:20:20 am »
Hmm, twisted pair might not work anyway, because it can't exactly be unshielded inside a metal pipe.  The Zo will be lower than expected, including normal mode.

Tim

Oh very true! Since it's a dipole, I assume OP needs a balun as well. One simple way would be a ferrite sleeve current balun at the end of 50ohm coax, then 120Ohm UTP through a plastic pipe.
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Microcontrollers / Re: ESP32 and waterfall graph
« Last post by gcrcien on Today at 06:20:03 am »
Not sure if i should continue this here or make a new post, but here it goes, i have finally managed to get time to work on this project a bit more, i changed from the esp32 to a stm32 which was the original mcu i used to start, I went back just because im more familiar with it, although im not sure if this chip would be capable of a waterfall graph.

The board has fucntions and connections to try to interface with existing radios or make your own.
It has a tayloe detector and a 3.5mm jack for the IQ output, please feel free to criticize and help if you want :D  ;D
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sure! :-)

The ReferenceResistor: 121  \$\Omega\$

The RCL is the following components in series:
R: 1.2k  \$\Omega\$ (1190  \$\Omega\$)
C: 183 K (so probably 18000 pF  ± 10%
L: 3300uH (3,3mH) (3300uH±10%)
should result in :Resonance at 20650Hz (Qfactor : 0,36)
Using a simple RCL calc, like this one:
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/rlc-circuit

 |O
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Coat hanger wouldn't pass EMC by any means, but signal quality would be perfectly cromulent for Full Speed.  It might even work for High Speed, but I think you would at least need to make it a parallel-lead transmission line by then.

Tim
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