Unbrick Tektronix RSA3308 RSA3303 WCA280

[imett]

Hi to everyone,
i wanna open this thread about restore of a Tek RSA3308A RSA3303A, WCA280 realtime spectrum analyzer.
If the hard disk dead, the instrument  became impossible to recover   .
It use a special Windows XP distribution from Tektronix ad is very difficult to find one.

I receive from an user an image of its WCA280 (the same family) but the instrument not recognize the calibration/configuration files and no trace appears

My question: someone could send me an image of its RSA3308 (if possible  ) or a example of calibration files?

To share i have the image of WCA280.

Thanks in advance matteo

[NikiG]

 Hello Mateo, it's me, Niki, i have also image of HDD from RSA3308 (Win XP), but result will be the same like WCA280 (, also i have calibration data.

Regards.
NikiG

[imett]

HI Niki, nice to see you!
Now my instruments with your wca280 image, start up and the application  run but no trace. i suspect that the instruments  not recognize the calibration files, or maybe the correct headers of that files.
Please leave me the calibration files, i want see if the header are the correct.
Thanks again, happy easter!

[LateLesley]

Hi, I take it you have tried installing the firmware for that particular device, direct from Tek??

https://www.tek.com/wca230a-software/rsa3000b-and-rsa3000a-series-firmware-v420009

It looks like you need to create a log in to get it, but i'd assume after that, that you could download it and then install it on the device?

[imett]

Yes i tried different version but the system, not recongnize  as 33008 due to the calibration/configuration files (they are in the same folder). In fact there is a configuration file where it recongnize the option and the type ( in my case a wrong wca280), i add in this file the tag  3308A  insted of wca280 but nothing . It someone could leave this files i try.
There is also a small  memory in dip format, l've a dump, but nothing to undestand inside
Thanks Matteo

[LateLesley]

OK - I do not have this machine, so I don't know it apart from a cursory glance at online info. I'm coming more from a PC repair tech side of things, and since this thing runs just like a computer...  I'm just trying to help from a perspective of see if it boots, see if it has the right software, and go from there.

Now it strikes me, that there must be some way to do an initial set up of the calibration on this thing. Prerequisites i'd imagine is that windows is installed and working, the firmware (application) is installed for your particular model, and that we have the service manual to follow calibration procedures.

Now, assuming you've covered the first two here's the third. https://www.opweb.de/english/company/Tektronix/RSA3303A

Now you say it's not recognising the machine as the right model. So first, i'd make a backup folder, move those config/cal files into the backup folder, make sure the config/cal folder is empty, then try reinstalling the firmware. There's a chance it may ask you what model and what options you have, and set it up as part of the install process. If not, then you may need someone to post a sample config file for your model to start with, and modify.
You might want to try the initialize step on page 4-4 (p114) of the manual i linked. It might just get you into a basic factory config. If it's not booting that far, we have other problems to fix first.

[imett]

HI, i've some news, i try to reinstall the software as suggested, the software search the file "option.cal"in this file there is hardware=WCA280 .. product=WCA280A ...option=2,3...
If i put product=RSA3308a  before the software istallation it recognize the RSA3308A but the application starts and report  "no variable
named startup" ...i suppose that it search a file or a key not used in wca280 (i've only an image of WCA280)
For that reason i need a copy of the folder in D:\ __RtsaCalData__       of a working RSA3308a 
Someone could help me and provide that folder?
Happy easter, Matteo

[imett]

Hi, i've the news, the final news!!

I found that one of DC/DC converters doesn't work! and for that reason the application in my case doesn't start.
It was hard to find beacuse there are 12 leds for the voltage check,in my case two of that are a little deep, and with a dmm i found that the 6.8V used for the RF circuits are at 3.3V.
it is very strange, tektronix (japan!)use two DC/DC UWR-3.3/4250-d24A  to create the 6.8V from the 24V, each 3.3V. This dc/dc are very expencive for a 15W, the very problem was fix it. With a little luck they are incaspuled with silicon rubber and find the broken mos was simple (FDS6680)..
The converter works with 2 mos (sync bridge) and works ony if the mos are the same.

To summirize, the application run , know my work is to restore the calibration files.
For unbrick, the only file that need the system is the option.cal with the hardware key.
Now i change my RSA3308A to RSA3408A!! with more decoding option
Again thank for your support. Have a nice test

[LateLesley]

So it was a hardware fault all along. :-) I'm glad you managed to find it, and repair it. Awesome. Congratulations on getting it up and running again.

[analogRF]

Hi, i've the news, the final news!!

...
To summirize, the application run , know my work is to restore the calibration files.
For unbrick, the only file that need the system is the option.cal with the hardware key.
Now i change my RSA3308A to RSA3408A!! with more decoding option
Again thank for your support. Have a nice test

would you mind telling me where did you get those option.cal and hardware key? and did you need to modify the option.cal file?

[kada]

Hi to everyone. I have RSA3308A without HDD. I would appreciate it if someone can share the HDD image of RSA3308A, RSA3303A, WCA280.

[NikiG]

Hello, becuse i lost one archive, but finded another one, i'll post two images that made with Winhex program like raw image.First WCA280A win 98, second - RSA3408 Win XP.

https://mega.nz/file/Y7IxnJpD#DsYebOhmkoJGMtXwna9g2cocV8btuvs0mbE0VzZZRGg

https://mega.nz/file/JuJAzCSJ#VF0YQalruN_xqfXG6sg_RB5T4oFSai6joF37caN44KQ

Best regards and success!

[smaultre]

Hello, and thanks for the ISO images.
After a few try's to prevent XP BSOD on booting. I reinsall XP on existing HDD image. And SA boots well.
But it seems it have some problems with calibration procedure.
It shows "uncal" message. On my research there's no 100MHz cal signal output from A100 Cal Generator board.
25MHz cal signal is present from the same board.
Anybody have the same problem? On the first look all DC supply voltage is OK..
There's Omron RF relay on the output on A100 board.
33MHz on "25" switch position input is present.
But on input 100MHz relay leg there-is 100Mhz and on latch pin there always 12V,
independently what input i choose on "input" menu 25 or 100MHz..

[smaultre]

update it looks like the 100MHz cal signal is present, but offset-ed by around 32,05MHz and SA can not lock to it.
When connect 100 MHz from gen it shows 132.05MHz
300M-333MHz
500M-534Mhz
and so on..
Looks like it need calibration or cal files files on this ISO is incorrect for a 3408A model.
Who have the correct working cal files for 3408a?

[smaultre]

It's good news it' worked! But need new calibration. On debug mode there's A100 module was disabled in config.
I enabled  it, rewrite cal files, reconfigure YTF constants as wrote on the module. And it's work OK now! 

[wn1fju]

Glad you are getting your machine to work.  Here's a sad tale of what happened (at my job) to our WCA280A.

I really liked the WCA280A and I used it a lot at work.  One day it malfunctioned.  Being a work machine, I wasn't about to try and fix it, so our company sent it to Tektronix for repair (it was out of warranty). 

Tektronix called a couple of weeks later and said that they identified the problem and it would cost approximately $5,000 USD to repair.  We told them to go ahead.  About a week later, Tektronix called back and said that they found a second problem with the unit.  They told us that it would cost another $5,000 USD to repair that. 

But get this - Tektronix said that we had two choices:  1) Fix the second problem (for a combined cost of about $10,000 USD, or 2) Tektronix will return the broken WCA280A to us but we STILL had to pay them $5,000 for fixing the first problem. 

Kind of had us over a barrel and we paid them the $10,000 USD. 

Needless to say, when it was time to purchase new test equipment, I made sure Tektronix was last on the list.