[time-nuts] RF Prescaler for 53131A/53132A/53181A counters - update !

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote:

> Right now, the performance is really good up to 3.5 GHz :
> 
> 50 MHz : -7 dB
> 100 MHZ : -15 dB
> 250 MHz : -26 dB
> 500 MHz : -30 dB
> 1 GHZ : -32 dB
> 2 GHz : -32 dB
> 3 GHz : -30 dB
>  

The real deal on the performance of prescalers is the ability to count
noisy sources.  If you did these tests with a pristine source,
they don't mean much unless all you ever want to measure are
pristine sources.  You also didn't mention how many significant
digits of accuracy you verified.  A marginal prescaler might
look good for the first half dozen or so digits but make errors beyond
that.  I like to see at least 10 digits that are not only stable
but correct; they can be stable but incorrect.

Rick Karlquist N6RK