[time-nuts] FW: Re: Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for

[Arnold Tibus]

Hallo Samuel,

after reading all your decription and the answers given I am impressed 
and interested on your project!

In general I am fully in agreement with Bob Camp's and John Miles's comments. 
Personally I would accept as well a SMA-Type connector, I do use them in 
most cases. 
If I understand it correct, there is a cutout preparation for a BNC-Type diameter 
connector in the front panel.
It would not be very difficult to fit in a SMA manufacturing a kind of washer 
with a stepped diameter. 
I have to look tomorrow into my own 53132A.

Never I would use an N-Type connector for this counter. It is not only bulky,
there will be a big risk to connect a next good RG214 with the N connector 
to it, which would be too stiff and heavy, a risk for the panel and the Insrtument
would not stay in place. An N-Type connector for small sized cable dias 
is more difficult to get...
I remember the comment of Bob concerning connectors.

I worked a lot with the TNC-types. They are quite rugged and even moisture 
proof and a lot better then the BNC because the thread connection. Moving
 the cable does not affect the outer and inner contact quality as it is the case 
with BNC!

As I do use only small sizes of cables for that purpose to avoid the bending 
forces to the panels, I would find either an adapter TNC-SMA or I would 
apply a rather short adapter cable to connect my SMA sortiment.
So I think the TNC on your pictures does look nice and would be a safe 
solution.

My next wish would be to make the frontend repairable even in 10 years 
ore more. I never killed any input devices of counters or analyzers etc, 
but a lot of students and young engineers learned very quick that it is 
wise to try the measurement with at least a 10dB attenuator in front, 
which can stay if it still work safe with 10 or 20 dB more and make a power 
check before!  ;-)

If I think to the hours and tools needed to make a high quality board 
population without errors - I could think to pay for a professional 
work...


Arnold, DK2WT




On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:19:22 +0100, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote:

>I can't. SMA just doesn't fit on the 53131A front panel. A SMA connector is
>located on the BNC, but I need a SMA to xxx cable to connect the internal
>prescaler PCB to the front panel. You could see the TNC connector on the
>picture I linked on my first email.
>I would be happy to find a way to match the diameter of the BNC hole with a
>SMA connector, but no luck righy now.


>-----Message d'origine-----
>De : time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] De la
>part de John Miles
>Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 22:09
>À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
>Objet : Re: [time-nuts] FW: Re: Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for

>I'd vote SMA.  TNC isn't widely used on other HP/Agilent gear.

>-- john, KE5FX

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com]On
>> Behalf Of Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER
>> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:02 PM
>> To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'
>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] FW: Re: Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for
>>
>>
>> BNC is definitely not an option. My "standard" connector for this
>> project is
>> a TNC connector. It's rated to 8 GHz and many adapter are available for
>> cheap. The N connector might be an option (I can propose the PCB with a
>> Type-N) but as you said, it will require another front panel. Keep in mind
>> that Agilent is selling this front panel for $199 ! I think this doesn't
>> worth that price.
>>
>>
>> -----Message d'origine-----
>> De : time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] De la
>> part de Rich Stolte
>> Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 21:12
>> À : time-nuts at febo.com
>> Objet : [time-nuts] FW: Re: Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for
>>
>> N connector would be preferable if space would accomidate the cutout being
>> drilled to a larger size.  If not, the front panel from the 5 GHZ /12 GHz
>> counter is available from Agilent.  They did not use a BNC
>> connector past 3
>> GHz and I don't think you want to either.   As far as the specification
>> tradeoffs, I think you should try to mirror Agilent's specs as closely as
>> possible for their 5 GHz opton
>> <http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/product.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&nid
>=-53690243
>8.536907575&pageMode=OV>
>http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/product.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&nid=-536902438
>..536907575&pageMode=OV  Anything that does not meet Agilent's spec will
>cause calibration problems for anyone who wants to send it off to a
>commercial calibration lab unless they are given very specific instructions
>which might be hard to do years in the future when the specs to your board
>have been forgotten and mislaid.

>Pricing would depend on a few factors, not the least of which would be your
>fixed cost, and how much work / cost are involved in making the front panel
>connector work.  I would say a range from $250 each to $1000 each wouldn't
>be unreasonable.  If you hit the low end of that range, I would be
>interested in talking about buying a quantity of them from you to resell.
>At the high end of that range, you can probably find a few buyers if you
>work hard at marketing, but definitely count me out.

>Right now, it is also hard to find option 010 oven timebase for these
>counters.  I wonder if you or someone else on this list has any insight
>about the possibility of retrofitting one of the older ubiquitous oven
>oscillators, or possibly even an lpro?