[time-nuts] J06 HP-59992A time interval calibrator for HP-531xx counters

Poul-Henning Kamp phk at phk.freebsd.dk
Mon Jul 10 14:51:35 EDT 2017


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In message <DM5PR1101MB21057D2E3C55E34307A0FDE2CEAB0 at DM5PR1101MB2105.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>, Mark Sims writes:

>Also coax and RF relays cost a lot.   Pretty soon your BOM cost
>is over what a 59992A will run... assuming you can find one.

The crucial feature of the 59992A was support for DC-bias, and
that seems to have dictated its design.

If you have no need for DC-bias, an 8-pin microcontroller with a
stable crystal and suitable resistor networks on the outputs will
do fine.

TI measurements on top of DC-bias was important in development and
manufacturing of disk drives:  Measurement of jitter of mechanical
origin must happen on the analog side of the differential read
amplifier, which usually balances a couple of volts up for cost
reasons.

-- 
Poul-Henning Kamp       | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
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