Measurement & Analysis Instruments

In this episode Shahriar does a deep dive into the operation and architecture of Agilent/HP mm-Wave Extension Modules and Controller. The Agilent 85015A and W85104A work in conjunction and as the front-end for a W-Band (75-110GHz) S-Parameter T/R set. Although the mainframe system (HP 8510 Network Analyzer) is not available, a close look at the block diagrams reveals that the controller can be driven via external synthesizers to provide LO and RF signals. The detailed explanation of the entire system is presented from the ground up. The full teardown of the mm-wave controller and T/R module are also presented and by reverse engineering the GPIB commands, the T/R module is brought to life. Several experiments show the full functionality of the system including a high-resolution CW radar demonstration. One Simple Wish Foundation: https://www.onesimplewish.org/ Equipment Repair, Experiments, Teardown, Tutorial Experiments, Parts, Repair, RF, Teardown, Tutorial Social Media Archives...

In this episode Shahriar presents an overview of a small portion of the vendors present on the exhibition floor at the International Microwave Symposium 2019. The IEEE MTT International Microwave Symposium (IMS) is the premier annual international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice. It consists of a full week of events, including technical paper presentations, workshops, and tutorials, as well as numerous social events and networking opportunities. The symposium also hosts a large commercial exhibition. Co-located with IMS are the IEEE RFIC, IMBioC and ARFTG conferences. http://ims2019.org 00:08 – Introductions 01:29 – Trade-Show Floor 01:47 – Rohde & Schwarz (www.rohde-schwarz.com) 10:25 – Keysight Technologies (www.keysight.com) 16:38 – Junkosha Inc. (www.junkosha.co.jp/english) 19:57 – Amphenol (www.amphenol.com) 21:48 – GGB Industries Picoprobe (www.ggb.com) 23:23 – Anritsu (www.anritsu.com/en-US) 26:45 – Diamond Enginee...

In this episode Shahriar reviews the affordable ERASynth Micro 12.5MHz – 6.4GHz portable synthesizer with a built-in LCD screen. The USB powered instrument is fully open-source, Arduino compatible and can be operated in stand-alone mode. The system block diagram and operation of the instrument is presented. The measurements show some of the strengths and limitations of the instrument in AM/FM modulation modes and general CW use cases. Equipment Review, Experiments, Teardown Parts, Review, RF, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month November 2019  (3) September 2019  (3) August 2019  (1) July 2019  (3) April 2019  (2) March 2019  (6) January 2019  (2) November 2018  (5) September 2018  (3) August 2018  (4) July 2018  (3) May 2018  (1) April 2018  (2) February 2018  (2) December 2017  (3) November 2017  (1) October 2017  (4) September 2017  (7) July 2017  (1) June 2017  (1) May 2017  (4) March 2017  (4) February 2017  (4) January 2017  (5) Oct...

In this episode Shahriar reviews the Keithley DAQ6510 6.5-Digit Data Acquisition & Multimeter. The instrument offers a new level of simplicity. The DAQ6510 has a touchscreen user interface that enables faster setup time, real time monitoring of test status, and detailed data analysis on the instrument. This review is organized as follows: 00:08 – Introductions 01:57 – Instrument specification and datasheet 03:06 – Unit overview & design 05:41 – DAQ6510 teardown and analysis 11:39 – Keithley 7700 acquisition module teardown 16:38 – Power on and GUI overview 18:29 – Component binning experiment with advanced triggering 28:31 – Analyzing DC-DC converter behavior at 1MS/s 32:06 – Thermal monitoring and modeling using DAQ6510 42:35 – KickStart PC software capabilities 45:43 – DAQ6510 buit-in App ecosystem 48:00 – Concluding remarks Equipment Review, Experiments, Teardown Analog, Experiments, Parts, Review, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month Novem...

In this episode Shahriar takes investigates the architecture and benefits of a precision sub-sampling wide-bandwidth oscilloscope. The teardown of the Agilent DCA instrument reveals a PC core combined with the acquisition board. The instrument without any plug-in modules does not perform any exciting tasks. A 20GHz sampling module from eBay is available. However, the unit does not have an front connectors. New connectors are sourced from an old timing module and the sampling head is back to working condition. In order to test the unit, an Optellent OBP-04×10 4-channel pattern generator and error counter is used. The teardown of the unit reveals a simple design built around several transceiver ICs. The comparison between the sub-sampling scope and a real-time scope is also presented alongside measured results from the DCA. Equipment Repair, Experiments, Teardown Analog, Experiments, Repair, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month November 2019  (3) September 2019  ...

In this episode Shahriar takes a look at a non-functional R&S FSEK 40GHz spectrum analyzer. The instrument’s LCD screen back light no longer works and the front glass is broken. Furthermore, no testing can be done until these problems are resolved. The CCFL tube is replaced with an LED counterpart and a new front panel glass is also installed. After power on it becomes clear that the instrument has other defects. The internal PLL is unlocked. It is observed that the OCXO module is cold and potentially not working. Examination of the LO board shows a bad inductor on the DC filter side. After this problem the instrument operates correctly but only for signals below 7GHz. After further testing it is discovered that the YIG tuned filter on the pre-selector path is not tuning at all. Eventually the fault is traced to some operational amplifiers on the YIG driver board. The repaired instrument is verified for correct operation. Equipment Repair, Experiments, Teardown Experiments, Part...

In this episode Shahriar reviews the new Tektronix AFG31000 Arbitrary Function Generator. The AFG31000 series with InstaView™ technology is the first high-performance AFG with built-in waveform generation applications, patented real-time wave monitoring, and a modern user interface. The instrument is capable of 2GS/s waveform generation up to 250MHz and 14-bits of vertical resolution. This review is organized as follows: 00:08 – Introductions 01:01 – Front panel, rear panel and instrument design 03:44 – Detailed teardown, analysis, architecture and components 17:30 – GUI overview and basic functions 20:25 – Broadband FM modulation experiments 23:55 – InstaView experiments with a non-linear impedance 35:38 – Equation editor, waveform builder and advance sequencing 51:21 – Concluding remarks Equipment Review, Experiments, Teardown Analog, Experiments, Parts, Review, RF, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month November 2019  (3) September 2019  (3) August 201...

In this episode Shahriar reviews the newly released Siglent SVA1032X. The SVA series instrument spectrum & vector network analyzers are powerful and flexible tools for broadcast and RF device / system testing. With a wide frequency range covering 9 kHz to 3.2 GHz, the analyzer delivers reliable automatic measurements and plenty of features including a tracking generator and multiple modes of operation. This review is organized as follows: 00:09 – Introduction and instrument overview 02:25 – Complete teardown and detailed analysis of the instrument hardware 23:36 – Basic instrument GUI operation and overload detection limitations 28:38 – Tracking generator signal purity and performance 30:06 – Instrument internal phase noise performance 33:01 – VNA operation and amplifier impedance tuning experiment 39:28 – Amplifier characterization using built-in functions 44:20 – Digital demodulation experiments 49:30 – Distance to fault experiments using built-in functions 49:16 – Conc...

In this episode Shahriar examines a failed Agilent 1169A 12GHz Smart Active Probe. The probe does not get recognized by the oscilloscope and therefore cannot be calibrated. The instrument uses an I2C interface to the probe to download the probe’s specifications and characteristics. The probe teardown reveals a simple I2C EEPROM IC. After removing the IC it becomes clear that the chip is damaged and must be replaced. A duplicate probe is used to copy the EEPROM data onto a new IC which revives the probe. With the help of the community, the CRC checksum code is discovered and the probe is assigned a new serial number. Equipment Repair, Teardown Digital, Parts, Repair, RF, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month November 2019  (3) September 2019  (3) August 2019  (1) July 2019  (3) April 2019  (2) March 2019  (6) January 2019  (2) November 2018  (5) September 2018  (3) August 2018  (4) July 2018  (3) May 2018  (1) April 2018  (2) February 2018  (2) Decem...

In this episode Shahriar troubleshoots a defective Agilent N9020A 8.4GHz spectrum analyzer. The instrument reports LO Unlock and refuses to perform any sweep at all. The complete block diagram of the instrument is presented with focus on the LO generation blocks. The teardown of the instrument reveals the individual assemblies presented during the block diagram overview. After a few measurements, it is concluded that the LO Synthesizer module is faulty. The module is presented in detail and various components and signal paths are identified. Extensive measurements are carried out until the fault is traced to problems in the varactor bank of the main VCO. After the component replacement, the instrument is fully functional. The X-Ray of the synthesizer module is also presented during the repair. Equipment Repair, Teardown Analog, Repair, RF, Teardown Social Media Archives Archives Select Month November 2019  (3) September 2019  (3) August 2019  (1) July 2019  (3) April 2019  ...