[time-nuts] Synthesized Signal Generator query

[jimlux]

On 3/7/19 7:32 AM, Don at True-Cal wrote:
> Leo,
> Thanks for the IFR/Aeroflex/Marconi 2401 suggestion, I looked at the data
> sheet and it might be a good alternative to watch for. I REALLY like the
> "closed box" calibration feature. I was suspicious of the E44xx series but
> never used or tested one, I had some hope that like other HP/Agilent
> instruments, they might be a lot better than what's on the spec sheet.

Maybe pre-1990-2000, that might be something to hope for, but today, not 
so much - the whole philosophy of test equipment design and use has 
changed over the decades.  I think there's a real awareness of a "3 year 
life cycle" these days, and very much a "design to cost" aspect, which 
tends to be correlated with smaller design margins at each step of the 
design.  Automated design tools and modeling make it a lot easier to 
design to the ragged edge - much less use of a "safe conservative" design.

So getting better than spec sheet performance is more a matter of luck 
than design.