[time-nuts] Best Rubidium Frequency Standard

Charles Steinmetz csteinmetz at yandex.com
Sat Mar 12 18:11:35 EST 2016


jerry wrote:

>Is there any model-suffix or other identifier that would inform 
>whether a used PRS-10 has the PPS sync input feature??

Not that I am aware of.  Not even the "customer part number" is a 
reliable guide -- I have had several examples each of various CPNs, 
and some did have the sync input feature and some did not.  (I've 
also seen examples of other CPNs, *none* of which had the 
feature.  My sample hasn't been large enough to conclude that none of 
them does, however.)

Re: how useful the feature is, if it is present: the PRS10 PLL is 
extremely adjustable, and there are LOTS of combinations of settings 
that won't work worth a damn with any particular external input.  So, 
finding a good combination can be difficult, and finding the best 
combination can be elusive at best to maddening (or worse).  Read the 
manual carefully, and pay attention both to the default settings and 
to the hints that SRS provides.  With the right settings, a PRS10 
*does* work extremely well with the PPS input from a GPS.  They do 
generally take several days or more to lock, because of the long time 
constants involved.

Best regards,

Charles




More information about the time-nuts mailing list