[time-nuts] Progress of my HP Z3801A -- Ooops!

[xaos]

Mangus,
> 
> > Now, to the more problematic issue of time delay between
> > :SYST:STAT? invocation and receiver response.
> > 
> > I just wish that the information in the :SYSTEM:STATUS?
> > command was available separately.
> 
> Much of it is. I have reverse-engineered the actual SCPI command structure, but
> I haven't had time to test them all. Besides, I actually found an error in my
> analysis and haven't had time to fix it.

I can't imagine that the engineers, who designed the system, did not
have a way of getting all the info via another method.

> 
> > That said, it usually takes 4-5 seconds for the receiver
> > to respond to this command. As a result, the interactive
> > interface is sluggish and the "auto" mode lags behind.
> > 
> > What to do?
> > 
> > 1.	Send the :SYSTEM:STATUS? command and report it as-is.
> > 	Problems:
> > 		Time lag is very obvious but we at least get
> > 		what the receiver's state is.
> > 
> > 2.	Send the :SYST:TIME? and at least get the time.
> > 	Problems:
> > 		Ok, we got the info but now we need to send the
> > 		:SYSTEM:STATUS? anyway. Then for display purposes
> > 		we interpolate the receiver time forward.
> > 		Not a bad solution but still...
> > 
> > 3. Option of how the user might want this handled.
> > 
> > I am open to suggestions here.
> 
> First of all, not all info needs to be sharp on the microsecond so to speak.
> The EFC, TI and time we would like fairly timely, where as the satellite data
> doesn't need to be that timely, but we like it in snapshot form if possible.
> 
> Second, you can experiment with other baud-rates.

I'll try approach 2 on a test version and see how it looks.
> 
> Third, there is a Forth interprenter in there, maybe that may put into use to
> create a less verbose format but in a more timely maner? I haven't toyed with
> it yeat, but I think I know how to kick-start it. ;O)

Hmmm... Embedded Forth. It was quite the rage a while back. These days,
it is much easier to just create an embedded Linux image. Hardware is
cheap.
> 
> Thanks to the logging, I now see that my Z3801A has an erruption right now.
> I would have enjoyed a TI plot aswell actually.
> 
> Cheers,
> Magnus
> 

I think that the  GD::Graph perl module only supports two different
scales on the same graph.

What could be done here is combine the TI graph with EFC or HU but
not both. Also the TI graph could be completely separate.

I suppose I could just gen it and leave it to the user on how to display
it.

Comments?

-GH