[time-nuts] Re: [OT] MB506 pre-scaler module ??

[ghf at hoffmann-hochfrequenz.de]

Am 2023-05-12 20:52, schrieb Richard (Rick) Karlquist via time-nuts:

> a considerable amount of knowledge about them.  The idea
> that a simple frequency divider could replace the
> traditional harmonic sampler architecture used in microwave
> counters is way too simplistic.  Especially if that divider
> is the dynamic variety, which is the only kind available
> on the open market, AFAIK.

What is dynamic in this context? Like the dynamic HP n-mos
process I had to use in the 80s? There are now real FlipFlops.
Like 7474, only 30 GHz.

> Trying to take the entire LF to
> 18 GHz spectrum, and somehow process it as a single
> broadband signal without filtering, and then trigger a
> flip flop is not realistic, as a general purpose piece of
> test equipment, when there is noise and spurs that have
> to be tolerated.  The HP 5340, circa 1970, actually
> achieved a single coaxial input that could measure
> any frequency from 10 Hz to 18 GHz, automatically.
> I would venture to say that this 50+ year old technology
> could still handily beat any prescaler IC today.

Actually, the HMC363 triggers quite nicely on nasty signals
like this ADF5356 frequency synthesizer output whose
frequency doubler cannot make up its mind if it should pass
the 5 GHz fundamental or the wanted 10 GHz out.
I admit that the input gain block peters out below 1 GHz, but
there is nothing anyway.

When I don't care about missed / suppressed zero crossings,
then I can just as well have the spectrum analyzer crawl behind
the wanted signal. Then I can see what dirt is there in addition.
The old W&G SNA-33 does that to 1 Hz resolution from 20 Hz to as
far as 3.5 mm connectors go.

Gerhard

Oh, in the previous post I forgot:  www.dubus.org
And my provider tags timenuts as spam now.
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