[time-nuts] low noise multiplication to 100 MHz

[Gerhard Hoffmann]

Am 22.01.2016 um 22:40 schrieb jimlux:
> the oscillator is a HCMOS output, so figure swinging about 3.5V
> Output.. I'm feeding differential clock inputs on ADCs.  I'll bet a 
> +/- 300mV swing would work.
>
>> 4)Title said "Low Noise"  needs better definition as to what kind of
>> noise and how far down. Are we to be  concerned about harmonic and spur
>> content as compared to real random white noise?
>
> This is time-nuts.. it has to be perfect..
>
> But realistically, my source is probably going to be about -90dBc/Hz 
> at 1 Hz, -125 at 10Hz, -145 at 100 Hz.  I'm going up by a factor of 
> 10, so I'd expect 20 dB worse plus a little..(nothing is perfect, eh?)
>
> Call it maybe -100 to -95 at 10 Hz, -125 to -120 at 100 Hz and so forth.
>
> harmonics are interesting: it's the sample clock into an ADC. So 
> harmonics of the 100 aren't a big deal.  harmonics of the 10 or 20 
> are.  If you have significant 90 or 110 contaminating the 100, then 
> you get weird spurs..  (I had this problem on a software radio where 
> the 50 MHz sample clock was contaminated with some 66 MHz from the CPU)
>
> Spurs cause the same issues.
>
> ON the other hand... spurs that are pretty low don't make much 
> difference if you're digitizing a signal that is close to the noise 
> floor: the spur multiplied by the desired signal is usually lower and 
> down in the noise.  Strong CW in band signals, though, are a real pain.
>
>
< 
https://picasaweb.google.com/103357048842463945642/Tronix#6079270188048833778 
 >

I think that top left board would not be far away:

in : 10 MHz LVDS or CMOS
in:  3V3
out: 100 MHz CMOS 3V3

just a few hours wall clock time from layout to working as a
ham radio weekender, so please excuse my diy home board
production process.

Ok, the use of a 4046 descendant may not be the last word
from a timenut perspective, but I'll redo it with an osc of
my own anyway. Divider 100/10 is a LVC163 (161?) + lvc04.


< http://www.crystek.com/crystal/spec-sheets/vcxo/CVHD-950.pdf >

Digi-Key has 153 of them on a tape and  441 of a similar one , even
cheaper that seems to point to the same data sheet.

< 
http://www.digikey.de/product-detail/de/CVHD-950-100.000/744-1213-ND/1644128 
 >
You can get the few dB missing close-in by transfer from your reference.

In the picture:
The bottom row of boards is a doubler 100->200 MHz using 2*BF862, slight 
gain,
and diode doubler 200 -> 400 MHz, SAW filter to get rid of 
100/200/300/500/600 +/-10  etc,
post amp to get a usable level again.

Still missing  400-> 800, 800->1600 to feed  _my_ ADC clock input.

regards, Gerhard