my lab
in [Design]
|
From: a7yvm109gf5d1 on 9 Oct 2009 19:37 Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the OCXO. Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are coarse and fine adjustments on the can... Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a bit of patience. I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice box. So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is everything GPIB, USB, or some mix?
From: Joerg on 9 Oct 2009 19:50 a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: > Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the > OCXO. > Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not > knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are > coarse and fine adjustments on the can... Well, there is WWV :-) > Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a > bit of patience. > I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice > box. > > So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is > everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable (because they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) inevitably comes with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The logic analyzer and some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 era. Modern gear like the DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have HPIB garden hoses here anymore. So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus the traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by 1-1/2" to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important boxes. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Phil Hobbs on 9 Oct 2009 19:59 Joerg wrote: > a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >> Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the >> OCXO. >> Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not >> knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are >> coarse and fine adjustments on the can... > > > Well, there is WWV :-) > > >> Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a >> bit of patience. >> I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice >> box. >> >> So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is >> everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? > > > A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable (because > they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) inevitably comes > with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The logic analyzer and > some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 era. Modern gear like the > DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have HPIB garden hoses here anymore. > > So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus the > traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by 1-1/2" > to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, > international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during > lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important boxes. > I'm so used to GPIB that I'm probably not a good example. It's a great deal nicer than RS232, and given that it's been around so long, I don't have to worry much about OSes not supporting it in detail--unlike USB. A nice Prologix GPIB-Ethernet is next on my list. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
From: Joerg on 9 Oct 2009 20:09 Phil Hobbs wrote: > Joerg wrote: >> a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >>> Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the >>> OCXO. >>> Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not >>> knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are >>> coarse and fine adjustments on the can... >> >> >> Well, there is WWV :-) >> >> >>> Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a >>> bit of patience. >>> I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice >>> box. >>> >>> So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is >>> everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? >> >> >> A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable >> (because they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) >> inevitably comes with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The >> logic analyzer and some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 era. >> Modern gear like the DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have HPIB >> garden hoses here anymore. >> >> So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus >> the traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by >> 1-1/2" to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, >> international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during >> lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important >> boxes. >> > > I'm so used to GPIB that I'm probably not a good example. It's a great > deal nicer than RS232, and given that it's been around so long, I don't > have to worry much about OSes not supporting it in detail--unlike USB. > GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew off and crashed onto new carpet. That was the end of GPIB for me. There sure are better busses out there. I used to prefer RS232 but now everything is USB. > A nice Prologix GPIB-Ethernet is next on my list. > If you have to use equipment at clients a lot and its legacy HP stuff the USB version is very practical. Plug it in, hit print on the analyzer, done. But Abdul (the Prologix designer) and I had to iron out a bias problem before it liked HP legacy gear. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Phil Hobbs on 9 Oct 2009 20:18
Joerg wrote: > Phil Hobbs wrote: >> Joerg wrote: >>> a7yvm109gf5d1(a)netzero.com wrote: >>>> Well I got a HP 5316A universal counter, with the 1GHz channel and the >>>> OCXO. >>>> Very nice, I think. Although I suppose I still have the problem of not >>>> knowing exactly the frequency of the OCXO is, after all there are >>>> coarse and fine adjustments on the can... >>> >>> >>> Well, there is WWV :-) >>> >>> >>>> Eh, still, I'm pretty happy with the cheap stuff you can get with a >>>> bit of patience. >>>> I think that I will build a 10V "standard" from my AD588s, in a nice >>>> box. >>>> >>>> So, what kind of connectivity do you guys have in yuor lab? Is >>>> everything GPIB, USB, or some mix? >>> >>> >>> A mix, and that's unavoidable. Older gear that is irreplaceable >>> (because they simply don't make some of the good stuff anymore) >>> inevitably comes with those dreaded HPIB garden hose connections. The >>> logic analyzer and some other gear I rarely use is from the RS232 >>> era. Modern gear like the DSO is USB. And I will absolutely not have >>> HPIB garden hoses here anymore. >>> >>> So, there is a Prologix HPIB/USB adaptor, an RS232/USB adaptor plus >>> the traditional USB spreader octopus. I raised the equipment rack by >>> 1-1/2" to make all that fit underneath, plus scope probes, chargers, >>> international outlets, a flat vise and whatever else is needed during >>> lab work. Nice thing is, a laptop can now talk to all the important >>> boxes. >>> >> >> I'm so used to GPIB that I'm probably not a good example. It's a >> great deal nicer than RS232, and given that it's been around so long, >> I don't have to worry much about OSes not supporting it in >> detail--unlike USB. >> > > GPIB is terrible. The topper happened a long time ago, after I had just > laid new carpet. Connector slipped off, the garden hose cable > ricocheted, hit my coffee mug which was half full ... *THWACK* ... flew > off and crashed onto new carpet. That was the end of GPIB for me. There > sure are better busses out there. I used to prefer RS232 but now > everything is USB. > > >> A nice Prologix GPIB-Ethernet is next on my list. >> > > If you have to use equipment at clients a lot and its legacy HP stuff > the USB version is very practical. Plug it in, hit print on the > analyzer, done. But Abdul (the Prologix designer) and I had to iron out > a bias problem before it liked HP legacy gear. > Spilling coffee is a criticism of a bus? GPIB can do about 1 MB/s when externally clocked, which is better than good enough for most things I need to do in the lab, and if I tighten the screws I can even keep my coffee and my carpet. ;) Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net |