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NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2024 20:31:21 +0000
From: john larkin
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: "Sampler??"
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:31:20 -0700
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On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:46:06 -0400, Joe Gwinn
wrote:
>On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:13:47 -0000 (UTC), Cursitor Doom
> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:01:17 -0400, Joe Gwinn wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:51:10 GMT, Jan Panteltje
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On a sunny day (Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:20:47 -0000 (UTC)) it happened
>>>>Cursitor Doom wrote in
>>>>:
>>>>
>>>>>On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:36:51 GMT, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On a sunny day (Tue, 30 Jul 2024 08:58:35 -0000 (UTC)) it happened
>>>>>> Cursitor Doom wrote in
>>>>>> :
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 05:16:24 GMT, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On a sunny day (Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:29:04 -0700) it happened john
>>>>>>>> larkin wrote in
>>>>>>>> <72gfajl8ke966lsu54bpajpang9dvgmt63@4ax.com>:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On Mon, 29 Jul 2024 05:19:06 GMT, Jan Panteltje
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On a sunny day (Sun, 28 Jul 2024 21:40:41 -0000 (UTC)) it happened
>>>>>>>>>>Cursitor Doom wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I still can't see where the 'sampling' bit comes into it.
>>>>>>>>>>>AFAICT, there's are two signals into this thing and one signal
>>>>>>>>>>>out. The signal from the LHS is passed through a very fast diode
>>>>>>>>>>>which generates harmonics from that fundamental. The signal from
>>>>>>>>>>>the RHS is unmodified and mixed with the desired harmonic to give
>>>>>>>>>>>the necessary output signal which is then filtered to get rid of
>>>>>>>>>>>the unwanted mixing products. If that's all correct, as I believe
>>>>>>>>>>>it is,
>>>>>>>>>>>where does any *sampling* come into it?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>A 'sampler' is fact a non-linear mixer.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>In the audio world, a "mixer" is a linear summer.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>In RF, a mixer is usually a multiplier, typically a 4-quadrant
>>>>>>>>>diode thing or a Gilbert cell type circuit. Or a 2-quadrant thing
>>>>>>>>>like a pentode. Or even a single diode. All do some flavor of
>>>>>>>>>multiplying.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Some mixers inherently multiply a signal by a square wave, which
>>>>>>>>>resembles other multiplier-type things once you lowpass filter the
>>>>>>>>>output. That's a "synchronous detector", which we usually do in an
>>>>>>>>>FPGA.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>A sampler is a signal multiplier too.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>These are all variations on the basic idea of multiplying two
>>>>>>>>>signals.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> A the word 'mixer' in RF is not the same as a multiplier,,
>>>>>>>> Multipliers are like harmonic generating stages say you have a 1
>>>>>>>> MHz distorted sine wave and then a second stage tuned at 3 MHz,..
>>>>>>>> turned to third harmonic.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> mamamatical speaking RF mixing is indeed multiplication.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Like Shakepierce once said:
>>>>>>>> "What's in a name..." CocaCola wihout coke
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I think in this context, HP is using the term "sampler" to mean
>>>>>>>something which 'sniffs' a small amount of a signal for testing
>>>>>>>purposes. Like a few turns of wire around a transmission line will
>>>>>>>'sniff' a small sample of what's going on in the line.
>>>>>>>Where I went wrong was rigidly thinking HP meant 'sampling' in the
>>>>>>>manner a sampling oscilloscope works. That's what threw me. I tend to
>>>>>>>interpret things very literally. :(
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Would be nice to see a real circuit diagram of that thing.
>>>>>> What is the model / type number?
>>>>>> I am curious.
>>>>>> So far I have been able to find circuits for most stuff I came across
>>>>>> with google.
>>>>>
>>>>>It's the HP8566B - a very well known lab-grade analyser of the day
>>>>>which many RF designers still use. There is a *ton* of service info on
>>>>>this model online. However, I have not been able to see a *proper*
>>>>>schematic for the "sampler" in the A11A5 board which is where the issue
>>>>>is.
>>>>
>>>>OK, thank you, I will google a bit..
>>>>I got the user manual now:
>>>> https://elektrotanya.com/
>>hp-8566b_spectrum_analyzer_100hz-2.5ghz_2-22ghz_usr-
>>programming_1984_sm.pdf/download.html#dl
>>>>Then trouble shooting manual part 1
>>>> https://xdevs.com/doc/HP_Agilent_Keysight/
>>HP%208566B%20Troubleshooting%20&%20Repair%20Vol.%201.pdf
>>>>Seems to have at least some circuits (just a quick look)
>>>>and part 2
>>>> https://xdevs.com/doc/HP_Agilent_Keysight/HP%208566B,
>>%208568B%20Troubleshooting%20&%20Repair%20Vol.%202.pdf
>>>>also has some circuits I will have a look at the hundreds of pages, will
>>>>take some time.
>>>>I presume you have these?
>>>>Took 10 seconds to find with google
>>>>
>>>>OTOH my 1.4 GHz RTL_SDR sticks cost 30 dollies($$) or so,
>>>> https://www.ebay.com/p/22032165355?iid=335019807057
>>>>I can use a 5 dollies($$) satellite LNB as down mixer to go from 10 to
>>>>12 GHz to say 1 GHz (modified a LNB for xtal locked to Rubidium
>>>>reference)
>>>>Also build a small downmixer so it can see 2.4 GHz too Plenty free
>>>>spectral display programs online for it,
>>>>I wrote my own:
>>>> https://panteltje.nl/panteltje/xpsa/index.html
>>>>it also has an 'harmonic' button to look for the next harmonic when you
>>>>select a carrier...
>>>>The latest version has some more stuff and runs on Raspberry Pi..
>>>>The RTL_SDR sticks can even receive GPS signals...
>>>> https://panteltje.nl/pub/run_50_outside_2728000.gif uses this guys
>>>> software<;
>>>> http://michelebavaro.blogspot.nl/2012/04/spring-news-in-gnss-and-sdr-
>>domain.html
>>>>
>>>>For 100 Hz to 20 kHz a PC soundcard or maybe USB audio stick (as I use
>>>>for my Raspberry)
>>>>and there are several audio programs with spectrum display
>>>>
>>>>There are so many possibilities...
>>>
>>> HP always put the theory notes in the HP Journal, so I'd suggest
>>> searching there for the HP8566B, in the issues around when the
>>> instrument was first introduced.
>>
>>This analyser is well over 30 years old, so whatever's gone wrong is most
>>likely age-related and wouldn't have come to light for many years.
>>Fortunately there's a lot of info out there - *if* you can find it!
>
>On the lack of a schematic, I did dig into how it worked many years
>ago, and as I recall it was based of some fancy abuse of a slotted
>rectangular waveguide which supported various orthogonal modes - this
>cannot be described by any lumped-parameter circuit.
>
>Try this:
>
>US4647795A, Travelling wave sampler, Agoston Agoston, Beaverton, Oreg.
>Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, Oreg. granted 3 March 1987.
>
>.
>
>It does have schematics, in a manner of speaking.
>
>Joe Gwinn
I have an old HP sampling plugin that uses a machined block slotline
structure. 3 GHz bandwidth as I recall.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3h4fvsfdh2youfd4kuolk/AIapB4g1x0BYRNXRIrAsrO8?rlkey=q5v7llkkk6yagr2w7h4c4kq8k&dl=0
Agoston has a patent for a similar metal-block slotline sampler, but
as far as I know Tek never manufactured it. The SD-series samplers
were hybrids.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dnejszdktyc70se6frcdo/AM4vWFFsXPPF4Tw2ZeEm6m8?rlkey=xm82mhqn5mnrlv3l9j0pebj29&dl=0