[time-nuts] Where does the VXI E1740A fit in ?

Robert Atkinson robert8rpi at yahoo.co.uk
Tue Mar 8 12:52:49 UTC 2011


While I agree in general, with this (and often custom I/F cards get lost when the PC goes back to IT for data protection), the E1740A info is on the Agilent website. The manual http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/E1740-90005.pdf has the instruction set and code examples. You need a VXI mainframe and either a VXI processor (68000, Intel or whatever) or a VXI to external controller bridge card. Bridge cards come in various flavours including HP-IB and Firewire. Ther are also custom ones that need that elusive PC card. VXI is a standard. If we (Timenuts) could find a source of e1740As in quantity a roll your own USB I/F and software might be possible. Mainframes vary from "How MUCH!!!!" from dealers who sell ATE to a few pounds (dollars) at hamfests and ebay.
 
Robert G8RPI.
 

--- On Mon, 7/3/11, Pete Lancashire <pete at petelancashire.com> wrote:


From: Pete Lancashire <pete at petelancashire.com>
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Where does the VXI E1740A fit in ?
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" <time-nuts at febo.com>
Date: Monday, 7 March, 2011, 16:20


I pretty much agree. Toss in so many companies trashed the originals
and you are left with luck that someone took a copy home with them.

I'll toss in another one, you get a surplus dealer and he immediately
breaks up a 'system' up to in his mind make more money and many times
that corrugated box with papers floppies etc gets tossed out or a couple
times I've witnessed when I use to go to industrial auctions tossed in
the dumpster  as his is loading his hoard. I made it a point to be around
after everyone has loaded up. Got many a manual, attenuator, scope probe,
etc that way.

The same goes for what HP/Agilent calls CLIPS, or what should be called
real service manual.

After say 1990 all this stuff was on a disk drive somewhere, and should
have been copied to at least a ftp site. Even drawings and manuals could
be eventually recreated.

It actually surprises me the of all companies HP/Agilent does not have all
documentation say after 1990 available.

-pete

On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 6:11 AM, paul swed <paulswedb at gmail.com> wrote:
> Indeed as I am slowly learning there is a gap in equipment vintage thats a
> black hole.
> Late 80s to 2005 approx. This is the point that the various test instruments
> went more to a hybrid mix of hardware and software with external software
> loads. When you pick up an instrument there are rarely any software disks.
> Though on 2 occasions I have been lucky. A pair logic analyzers Tek and HP
> obtained less then a week apart, go figure.
> Then about 2001 to now and in the future very good/reasonable home brew gear
> showed up with essentially open software and using the power of the PC and
> modern chips sets.
> Its unfortunate that the gap exists because I have seen some great gear at
> the MIT flea market and obvious as heck 0 chance to make it operational.
> Regards
>
> On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 8:11 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk at phk.freebsd.dk>wrote:
>
>> In message <298E3F36-5846-4814-BA22-3E9C520E3B09 at rtty.us>, Bob Camp
>> writes:
>> >Hi
>> >
>> >They are very cool devices - when you get them working. Without
>> the custom Windows software, they make a nice piece of wall art. A
>> lot of them are mated up with non-HP VXI PC's so getting them running
>> can take you off in multiple directions. Timing wise, they will do
>> all of the standard stuff (AVAR, MTIE, TDEV etc) at 5370(?) type
>> resolution.
>>
>> Is there any register-level programming information for them ?
>>
>> If so, putting an open source UNIX on the VXI PC should be possible...
>>
>> --
>> Poul-Henning Kamp       | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
>> phk at FreeBSD.ORG         | TCP/IP since RFC 956
>> FreeBSD committer       | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
>> Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
>>
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