[time-nuts] HP 5359A Time Synthesizer question

[John Ackermann N8UR]

Chuck Norton said the following on 03/24/2007 04:03 PM:
> I am wondering if anyone on the list has any experience using the HP 5359A Time Synthesizer. I have an opportunity to pick up a couple of them but even after reading the 1988 catalog description, am not sure I can get any real use out of them. I did notice that they have a really nice jitter spec of 100pSec rms. I was thinking about seeing if I could use one of them to externally gate my 5370 or 5345 for doing some AV measurements and other types. 
> Chuck Norton
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I have one and it's a fairly useful box; if nothing else it makes nice
fast-rise time pulses.  The only downside is the somewhat limited delay
range -- the maximum you can delay the output pulse from the trigger is
180ms.  It would be sooooo much cooler if you could delay by up to a
full second. :-(

One thing I use it for is synchronizing clocks.  I run my main GPS
receiver as close to dead on as possible, and have all the other clocks
run some number of microseconds early in comparison.  I set one GPS to
run quite early (like 50ms) and use it to trigger the 5359A.  Then, I
adjust the delay on the 5359A and use that as the sync pulse for the
clocks.  Works real well, but again it would be so nice if it could
handle a nearly 1 second delay.

John