[time-nuts] Thunderbolt Harmonics

[jimlux]

On 1/18/17 6:25 PM, Tom Holmes wrote:
> Jim Lux...
>
> Note that the Keysight 33622 is basically an ARB, and not really intended to
> be an RF signal generator.

Yes, but it has performance that is as good as the run of the mill 
signal generator.

The big defect in the 33600 series is that it cannot be phase locked to 
an external reference.  If you feed it a 10 MHz ref, it has a frequency 
locked loop that pushes the internal oscillator around to match the 
external reference.


  It's output is DAC based, not oscillator based.
> Hence it will tend to have higher distortion products than a good RF
> generator.

As good as, if not better, than an inexpensive generator (e.g. the low 
end Keysight sig gens)

phase noise at non-harmonic frequencies is not as good.



  As you point out, a suitable filter for the intended frequency
> certainly can clean that up, of course.
>
> Tom Holmes, N8ZM
>