[time-nuts] Reliability of atomic clocks

[Rob Sherwood.]

My Efratom M-100 has been running for about 15 years 24/7.  
I have no idea if that is typical.
It was purchased as NOS for $300.
Rob
NC0B

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 27, 2016, at 9:11 AM, "Bob Camp" <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> The “typical life” numbers on the tubes in the various Cesium standards
> are fairly accurate. Most units that are well cared for “die” when the tube
> goes out and come back to life when it’s replaced. The tube life dominates
> the MTBF in this case. 
> 
> Rb’s are a device that by it’s (possibly unfortunate) physics needs to run 
> hot. The vast majority in service are “miniature” in comparison to a 5071 or
> a 5065. That drives the temperatures of all the parts up. MTBF on them
> is very “temperature of use” dependent. They fail for a range of reasons
> as the parts in them die of “hot old age”. 
> 
> Efratom had some pretty good data on MTBF vs temperature in the LPRO 
> data sheets. The internals of all the designs are similar enough that it likely 
> applies over more than  just one design. Temex has a similar data snapshot. 
> I have a sample of the Temex units in front of me as I type this. They died 
> as one would expect - from something other than the bulb. Capacitors, IC’s, 
> crystal drift, board corrosion, being crusted (physical damage), each pop up
> in the sample. 
> 
> Bob
> 
>> On Mar 27, 2016, at 7:53 AM, Attila Kinali <attila at kinali.ch> wrote:
>> 
>> Moin,
>> 
>> Maybe someone here can help me.
>> I am looking for data on the reliability of atomic clocks.
>> I.e. how often and, if possible, how they fail.
>> 
>> Unfortunately, if I google for reliability then all that pops up
>> are descriptions of the accuracy and stability of atomic clocks.
>> If I go for MTBF I only get two papers from the 70s that tackle
>> the problem in general, without giving any data.
>> 
>> Does someone know where I could find current data about MTBF and
>> failure modes of atomic clocks? Given the number of 5071's installed
>> in labs, there must be at least some data on them....
>> 
>> 
>>            Attila Kinali
>> 
>> -- 
>> Reading can seriously damage your ignorance.
>>        -- unknown
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