[time-nuts] BC637PCI and OCXO

Fri Feb 7 19:55:19 UTC 2014

Sounds like you cracked it, and beat me to it:-)

I just dug out a PCI expansion chassis, the quickest option for now,  and 
have one card up and running but have discovered, as a left over from  my 
playing earlier, that installing the later software, what Symmetricom calls  
its "BC635/637 configurator program", causes earlier versions of the software 
to  fail at startup, even with the latest one uninstalled, so that's 
something to  watch out for:-(

The later stuff does seem to offer all the options of the earlier software  
though, and as you've no doubt discovered the oscillator parameters you 
mention  are accessed through the BC635 software rather than the BC637 version.

On the version I'm running at least, verion 10 of the "configurator" at the 
 moment, there is a menu option to switch between internal and external  
oscillators on the Hardware menu in "standard" configuration and the other  
options as you say are available in  "advanced" with the  oscillator switching 
no longer showing.

Interesting to see the rolling time displayed down to microseconds,  
although my eyes do struggle a bit to keep up with that, but rather a shame that  
for now I seem to be stuck in June 1994!

I am getting the impression though that this particular software is  
expecting a later version of the card, this card is showing in Device  Manager as 
a BC635/7PCI-eV2, which it certainly isn't, and the software is  offering to 
adjust the DDS frequency for me, which would be nice but I don't  remember 
it having DDS either.

Time to have a software clearout methinks and to start over.

Have fun:-)

Nigel
GM8PZR

In a message dated 07/02/2014 19:12:34 GMT Standard Time, time at patoka.org  
writes:

Now  I have the plan. Thanks !

I'll try to connect external OCXO to that  15-pin connector, then using 
provided utility, I could switch to external  oscillator.

I think here is settings for externally connected source of  10Mhz:

12. Select Clock Source ->
0.  Internal
1. External

Probably I'll need to do some  adjustment using so-called "Advanced 
settings":

Advanced  Menu:

1. Control Jam-Sync
2. Force Jam-Sync
3. Set Clock Value
4. Load D/A Converter
5. Set  Disciplining Gain
6. Disconnect Battery to RTC Chip
0.  Back to main menu

Regards,

V.P.

On 2014-02-07 13:39,  GandalfG8 at aol.com wrote:
> My first card at least is a Datum card so  quite old now, and that was 
> fine
> doing what you want to  do..
> 
> You really will need to read the manuals in some detail  and I do 
> suggest
> downloading the larger of the two files I  uploaded, that will give you 
> the
> latest versions of the Demo  programs that allow adjustment of the card, 
> as
> well  as  the earlier versions of the same and all the manuals
> For some things,  with earlier versions anyway, it's better to use the
> BC635 version of  the Demo software, as that comes with a built in help  
>  section
> which the BC637 version lacks.
> 
> I'll try and  get a card installed so I can run the software properly 
> again
>  and if so will come back with more information later.
> 
>  Regards
> 
> Nigel
> GM8PZR
> 
> 
> In a  message dated 07/02/2014 18:25:22 GMT Standard Time, 
>  time at patoka.org
> writes:
> 
> 
> It  seems I  have first generation of that card. And I was thinking to 
> use
>  that  card as a source of 1PPS and 10MHZ - not to feed it from  another
> reference. I though it is possible to do some "modding" to  replace VCXO
> by OCXO.
> 
> PCI Board Revision ID : 18  (0x12), Firmware Version :  DT10041V11
> 
> 
> 
>  On 2014-02-07 03:00, mike cook wrote:
>> Le 7  févr. 2014 à  00:18, d0ct0r a écrit :
>> 
>>> 
>>>   Hello,
>>> 
>>> Does anybody seen any links to the  information  how to implement
>>> external OCXO to  Symmetricom PCI TFP BC635/BC637  ?
>>> 
>>>  
>>    check the Symmetricom  datasheets. You don't  mention the version 
>> you
>> are needing info for ,   IRIG/GPS..  Anyway,  all  that I glanced at
>> show  an  Exr. 10MHz ref input on pin 1 of the sub-D 15 connector.
>>  Digital, 40%  to 60% or sine, 0.5V to 8V p-p, > 10kOhm.
>>  ex.
>> 
>> 
>  
<http://www.symmetricom.com/resources/download-library/documents/datasheets/bc637pci-v2>
>>  
>>> --
>>> WBW,
>>> 
>>>  V.P.
>>>   _______________________________________________
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> 
> --
> WBW,
>  
> V.P.
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--  
WBW,

V.P.
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