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CHECK OUT THE WIKI The purpose of the wiki is mainly to allow you to find information on instruments, either from either
- The model number
- The function(s) listed below. Some instruments have multiple functions - for example, the 4195A is a VNA, spectrum analyzer and an impedance analyzer. Therefore the 4195A is listed in multiple categories
Please also check out HPWiki available here:
- Accessory kits - various types
- AC power analyzers - PA2201A and PA2203A
- AC power supplies 6811C, 6812C, 6813C
- Airlines
- Arbitrary waveform generators M8194A
- Amplifiers?493A, 495A?
- Attenuators (optical) 8156A, 8157A, 8158B, 81566A, 81576A,?
- Attenuators (RF) 8494A
- Attenuator set (500 Ω) 350C
- Attenuator set (600 Ω) 350D
- Attenuator switch driver
- Audio analyzers? 8903A, 8903B, 8903E,? ?
- Base station test sets
- Bit error rate testers (BERTs)
- Cables
- Capacitance meters U1701A, U1701B, 4272A, 4278A, 4279A
- Capacitor Bridge 4270A,
- Capacitor standards 16380A, 16380C,?
- Carrier noise test setsi
- Cesium frequency standards
- Clamp ammeters
- Close field probes
- Crystal Impedance E4915A, E4916A
- Data Acquisition Systems (DAQs)
- DC power analyzers
- DC power supplies 6030A , 6031A , 6032A, 6033A, 6035A, 6131C, 6621A, 6622A, 6623A, 6624A, 6627A, 6255A, 6645A, 6671A, 6672A, 6673A, 6674A, 6675A, 62003A, 62003C, 62003E, 62004A, 62004B, 62004E, 62005A, 62005B, 62005E, 62006A, 62006B, 62006E, 62010A, 62010C, 62010E, 62012A, 62012C, 62012E, 62015A, 62015C, 62015E, 62018A, 62018C, 62018E, 62024A, 62024C, 62024E, 62028A, 62028C, 62028E, 62048A, 62048C, 62048E
- Delay lines
- Detectors
- Device current waveform analyzers
- Digital communications analyzers
- Directional couplers
- Distortion analyzers 330B, 330C, 330D, 331A, 332A, 333A, 334A, 339A, 8903A, 8903B, 8903E,???
- Dynamic measurement DC source
- Electrometers
- Fading simulators
- Femto ammeters
- Filters
- Frequency counters 522B, 5342A 5343A 5352B
- Frequency standards?
- Function Generators ? 3310A,? 8165A,
- GPIB controllers, extenders, cables etc.
- GPS frequency standards
- Harmonic mixers
- High resistance meters 4339B
- High resistance meter fixtures 16008B
- HEV EV Grid Emulators and Test Systems
- In-circuit test systems
- Impedance analyzers 4195A, 4291A, 4291B, 4395A, 4396A, 4396B, 4294A, E4990A, E4991A
- Impedance Analyzer Accessories
- Impedance / Gain Phase analyzer 4194A
- Impedance Meter 4193A,
- Isolators
- LCR meters? U1701A, U1701B, U1731A,? U1731B, U1731C, U1732A, U1732B, U1732C, U1733C, 4191A , 4192A, 4194A, 4195A, E4196A,? 4216A, 4260A, 4261A, 4262A? 4263A, 4263B, 4271B, 4274A, 4275A, 4276A , 4277A, 4284A, 4285A, 4286A, 4287A, 4291A, 4291B, 4294A, 4332A, 4342A, 4395A, 4396A, 4396B, E4980A and E4980AL
- LCR meter calibration devices? 16380A 42030A? 42090A, 42091A and 42100A
- LCR meter accessories
- 2-Terminal BNCs.
- 4-Terminal Pair (BNC connectors)
- Cable extension 16048A, 16048D, 16048E, 16048G, 16048H
- DC current bias accessories 42841A, 42842A, 42842B, 42842C, 42843A
- DC voltage bias accessories 16065A, 16065C,
- Kelvin clips 16089A, 16089B, 16089C,16089E
- Lead Components 16047A,16047B, 16047D, 16047E
- Material 16451B, 16452A
- Probes 42941A
- SMD 16034E, 16034G, 16034H
- 2-port 16096A
- 7 mm (APC7)
- 2-Terminal BNCs.
- LCZ meters? 4276A, 4277A,
- Lightwave clock / data receivers
- Lightwave converter
- Lightwave component analyzer
- Lightwave measurement system mainframes
- Lightwave polarization analyzers 8509B
- Logic analyzers
- Nemo wireless network solutions.
- Noise and interference test set
- Noise figure analyzers
- Noise sources 346A, 346B. 346C ,
- Matching pads (50 ohm to 75 ohm or similar)
- Materials test equipment
- Microwave repeaters
- Microwave downconverters 70427A
- Microwave / THz sources
- Milliammeter 428B
- Milliohm meter
- Mobile communications DC source
- Modular instruments
- AXIe
- Data acquisition (DAQ)
- USB
- PXIe
- Modulation analyzers
- Multimeters 427A, 970A
- Optical attenuators
- Optical heads
- Optical sources
- Optical spectrum analyzers
- Oscilloscopes 120A, 120AR, 120B, 122A, 130A, 130B, 130BR, 130C, 140A, 140B, 141A, 150A, 150AR, 160B, 180A, 180AR, 180CD, 181A, 181AR, 181T, 181TR, 182C, 182T, 183A, 183B, 184A, 184B, 185A, 185B, 1200A, 1200B, 1220A, 1221A, 1703A, 1707A, 1707B, 1710A, 1710B, 1715A, 1722A, 1725A, 1726A, 1740A, 1741A, 1742A, 1743A, 1744A, 1746A, 1980A, 1980B, 5403A, 6000A, 6000L, 16533A, 16534A, 54100A, 5410B, 54100C, 5100D, 54111D, 54120A, 54120B, 54200A, 54501A, 54502A, 54503A, 54504A, 54520A, 54520C, 54540A, 54540C, 54542A, 54542C, 54600B, 54601A, 54601B, 54602B, 54603B,? 54645A, 54654N, 54710A, 54720A, 54750A, 54825N, E1428,?
- Oven controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs)
- Pattern generators
- PCM terminal test set
- Phase noise measurement
- Pico ammeters
- Printers 2225
- Plotters 7470A, 7475A?
- Probes
- Protocol analyzers and exercisers.
- Power booster test sets
- Power meters 431A, 431B, 431C, 432A, 435A, 435B, 437B, 438A
- Power splitters
- Power supplies
- Pulse generators
- Q-meters 4342A?
- Q-meter calibration inductors 16470A
- Reflection transmission test set
- Return loss module (optical)
- Relays / switches / switch matrices (optical)
- Relays / switches / switch matrices (RF)
- Resistor standards 42030A?and 42100A
- S-parameter test sets
- Scalar network analyzers
- SCSI bus preprocessor interface E2324A
- Selective level meters 3746A
- Semiconductors
- Semiconductor parameter analyzers 4145A, 4155B, 4156B,
- Signal analyzers
- Signal generators / sweep generators / signal sources / oscillators 200CD, 201B, 209A, 204D,? 608A,? 8165A
- Software
- Source measure units
- Spectrum analyzers 4195A,???
- Switch control units
- SWR meter 415E?
- Time interval? counters
- Time mark generator 226A
- Timing and data state modules
- Torque wrenches
- Transmitter testers
- Trigger modules
- Ultrasound transducers
- Universal bridge? 4260A, 4265A, 4265B?
- Vacuum tube voltmeter 410C
- Vector Impedance Meter 4193A, 4800A, 4815A
- Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs) 4195A,? 8510A, 8510B, 8510C, 8753A, 8753B, 8753C, 8753D, 8753E, 8753ES, 8752ET, 8719A, 8719B, 8719C, 8719D, 8720A, 8720B, 8720C, 8720D, 8720ES, 8722A, 8722B, 8722C, 8722D, 8722ES,
- Vector Network Analyzers (VNA) calibration kits 85032B, 85032E, 85033C, 85033D, 85033E, 85050B, 85050C, 85050D, 85052B, 85052C, 85052D, 85054A, 85054B, 85054D, 85056A
- Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) verification kits
- Vector Signal Analyzer 89650S, 89600S
- Vector voltmeters 8405A, 8508A,
- VXI mainframes 70000B, 70000C
- Waveform and function generators
- Waveguide to waveguide and waveguide to coaxial transitions.
- Wireless 58 OTA chambers
- Wireless channel emulators
- Wireless network emulators
- Wireless communication test sets
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Re: 48-440 Hz AC power compatibility option (HP 8660B OPT 003) - acoustic noise (hum/buzz) from the unit?
Well I have run into the laminates?also. But on a HP8640b it was the transformer and it finally let the smoke out. This happened some 20 years ago and on that generator I plumbed in a external linear supply. It lives in the basement and is a backup backup backup... So trying to find a replacement never made sense. Paul |
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Re: 48-440 Hz AC power compatibility option (HP 8660B OPT 003) - acoustic noise (hum/buzz) from the unit?
Years back I had a problem in my 8660 where I had 60 Hz sidebands on the CW output that exceeded spec.? After extended troubleshooting and consultations with the (at the time) Yahoo group it came out that the problem was not electrical in the power supply itself but related to the transformer which was creating an external magnetic field which was inducing current into the instrument frame rear section which formed a pickup loop and this 60 Hz ground potential shift was getting into various electronics.? Mechanically breaking the loop temporarily would eliminate the output noise and I considered a mechanical solution involving a machined FR4 piece to replace a small aluminum section but eventually was able to find a replacement transformer which solved the problem.? It didn't eliminate the problem but attenuated the 60 Hz to where it was acceptable and within spec.
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The new transformer was audibly quieter as well.? IIRC it was the 400 Hz capable one, as was the replacement.? I believe most of the instruments available at the time were military surplus. I disassembled the old transformer with guidance from at least one person from old HP who was intimately involved with this generator and even posted photos but there was no obvious faults found such as an unsoldered or cracked copper sheet shield. One conclusion was that it was entirely possible that some instruments left the factory out of spec due to issues in their transformers. I still have the instrument and it still works but needs alignment and the low frequency plug-in needs repair at some point.? Much of the alignment can be done without extenders but some adjustments cannot be done without and that's kept me from working on it in favor of other projects.? Perhaps I can borrow a set from someone at some point. Peter On 3/3/2025 10:34 PM, David Feldman via groups.io wrote:
My AC mains 60 Hz (however, good question!) |
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Re: HP 3403C True RMS Voltmeter display fault
Hey everyone,
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I'll check whether or not the blob will melt. Both capacitors have this blob, although it is more pronunced on the dead one. Considering that we can now see inside the capacitor I think it's indeed solder. It was there when I got it, and the caps date code match the rest of the instrument.?
Is it wise to reuse the old one which is good, but looks justs as weird? I'll post a picture later when on lunch pause. I have already mapped the original part numbers for the capacitors in the unit based on the manual, I need to check the actual reality of it. I'll post the sheet when I'm done. They're basically all still available new, albeit at a premium. Once again a costly order. ?
After that I'll adjust the voltage again, and try to calibrate it. I do not own a trustable RF source yet as my Marconi 2018A is in repair aswell (and part of the order), but I do own an Adret 104A DC voltage standard which is good enough for decent DC calibration.
It's probably been one or two decades since this thing had someone try to calibrate it. I'm worried about the converter internal state. Testing it, it's of course not accurate but it's not widdly far from it. I've tested it up to about 20MHz. DC is particularly close. ?
Cheers,
Arnaud.
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Re: E5052A Power On Test (3.3V Bus Supply)
Thanks, Jim!
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We have gone through all the usual suspects when choosing the phase noise kit for this round. There was also NoiseXT (is it former Aeroflex?)
Cross-correlation is a great advantage but you have to start with decent phase noise LOs if you want to keep the R&D cycle sensible.
I have no idea how people design long term high stability oscillators in one lifetime!
Leo
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On Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 09:51 PM, Jim Ford wrote:
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Re: E5052A Power On Test (3.3V Bus Supply)
Thank you Jeremy,
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I might pick one up to play with.
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I have spoken to Jeremy Everard last year about shared low phase oscillators development and ended up sending him the actives I was using that they were going to test at the department.
He was using fully kitted out FSWP26 at the time but it was not perfect for low phase noise work.
To be honest far out noise between -170 and -180 is not a problem since cross-correlation gets it cleaned ?up within a minute or two.
It's the close in at 1Hz which takes forever to stabilise — I usually have to wait 30-40 minutes for it to reach -120dBc/Hz at 1Hz for 10MHz carrier.
Also 10-100Hz is a very problematic area where a lot of hash is holding cross-correlation stubbornly high for longer.
Leo
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On Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 10:56 AM, jmr wrote:
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Re: HP 3403C True RMS Voltmeter display fault
开云体育When the orange “tombstone” plastic encapsulated surface mount tantalum caps fail, they fail shorted.
Last year, while powering up a 9000/715, I saw one actually flame because I had the good fortune to have the case open. Fortunately, damage was minimal and i happened in have a partial real of an exact replacement.
I’ve had other tantalum capacitors fail, orange drop epoxy dipped, actually incandesce and shoot an glowing slug about 5 feet away onto the carpet.
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Re: HP8510C TRL Calibration
Once calibration/correction constants have been computed externally on a computer, would it be possible to upload the computed correction constants to the 8510C so it can do calibrated measurements with this externally determined correction?
If so, how? This would allow correction schemes that the 8510C not originally allows.
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Tom |
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Re: 48-440 Hz AC power compatibility option (HP 8660B OPT 003) - acoustic noise (hum/buzz) from the unit?
My AC mains 60 Hz (however, good question!)
Other than irritating (and not really all that bad, seeing as the cooling fan is about the same total dBa), it was more of a concern that it might be indicating something (else) wrong with the unit. I could see running one of these at 400 Hz on an aircraft, but the aircraft probably couldn't get off the ground with this thing aboard. Thanks for your description/info, much appreciated! Dave |
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Re: 48-440 Hz AC power compatibility option (HP 8660B OPT 003) - acoustic noise (hum/buzz) from the unit?
Do you mean that the audible noise is there when operating on 400 Hz, or that it's there at 50 or 60 Hz now? You are right to suspect the core laminations buzzing. On transformers intentionally built to run well up to 400 Hz, the laminations are usually quite a bit thinner than for 50/60 Hz, so tend to be more pliable and can rattle against each other if anything is too loose. Usually the whole transformer would be vacuum impregnated with some kind of varnish or other goop that damps the motions at all frequencies, but after so many years it can deteriorate or get rusty, or the core mounting may loosen up. This all can happen in a regular 50/60 Hz unit too. Also, a regular unit can work at 400 Hz too, but the core loss goes up, so it would tend to run hotter, and you would want a little derating of thermal specs - usually no big deal.
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You can look at the condition and try tightening or loosening it up first, then look to see if a particular area is emitting most of the power. If it's an E-I core, the corners can be quite tight due to the mounting screws, but the rest in between tends to bow and form gaps that allow motion. Sometimes it can be mostly caused by a gap around a single lamination that's just right to resonate and be irritating. If there's room enough, you can poke around between laminations with a razor blade and maybe find spots where it can jam in and greatly change the sound situation. If you ID any really bad ones, you can jam a paper or plastic shim in there.
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The noise is harmless to the machine, but you can get eddy currents that circulate in and around the chassis depending on the electro-mechanical character and condition of the core mounting scheme, so there can be some signal interference. I wouldn't worry too much about it in this old gear, unless it seriously affects the specs or is very irritating.
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Ed |
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48-440 Hz AC power compatibility option (HP 8660B OPT 003) - acoustic noise (hum/buzz) from the unit?
My HP 8660B (subject of the instability issue now resolved) includes option 003 which is compatibility with 48-440 Hz power sources.
The HP 8660B has a linear power supply (ca. 1970s, predates switchers), presumably to improve the ability of the unit to serve as ballast on a large ocean-going vessel, among it's other capabilities.) Question is this - the machine emits an acoustic (audible) noise after being on for a few minutes. I didn't pay attention to this before, but realized that the noise may be associated with the wide-range AC mains frequency compatibility - I figured it was just plates in the power transformer rattling. In my (now obsolete) work life (mostly in cable tv engineering), "ferroresonant" power transformers (used to adapt 60 Hz local mains power to the 60-90 Hz pseudo-sinewave power used in the cable tv hardline infrastructure to deliver power to inline amplifiers), the noise was similar. Does this (acoustic) noise ring a bell with anyone? Should I be concerned? The machine doesn't appear to exhibit any operating problems related to this (and I doubt has anything to do with the now-mitigated PLL issue). Thanks Dave |
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Re: 8656B HPIB connector
Save money and defer the repair until such time as you have a need to use GPIB.
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The connectors are reasonably easy to find around here but very costly to ship. Peter KB2VTL On 3/3/2025 5:29 PM, Wayne Eckert via groups.io wrote:
Hi all, working on my 8656B sig gen, and managed to break the IDC Centronics connector , so the cable is no longer attached. Is there a suitable replacement available taht is not too ex[ensive. Have to replace teh mains socket as smoke came out, still waiting on that, and it cost over $86Aus? from RS on its own.I don't want to spend more than the device is worth to fix it, not that I am likely to use this port |
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Re: 8656B HPIB connector
Hi thanks for the reply, I think part of the connector may be missing, I have moved house a few times , with the back panel hanging of the unit? from when I was investigating the power socket issue. This is what led to the cable being pulled out of the connector. I will have a close look and see what I may be able to do when the power connector gets here.
Also my eyesight and steady hands are not what they used to be.
Do the documents indicate which colour wire is pin 1?
?I need to blow up the manuals more to be able to read them |
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Re: 8656B HPIB connector
You know, if it's not broken too badly, you can reattach the IDC into the ribbon cable manually by slowly and carefully jamming the leads against the forks in the connector. Put the connector in a vise or other secure holder, and align the ribbon cable carefully to be sure of the right pinning, with the forks in a fresh spot on the insulation. Then use a broad flat screwdriver tip or a piece of sheet stock to gradually push the lines into the forks. Start between the rows of forks, and run back and forth across from one edge of the cable to the other, each time pushing the insulation a bit deeper until punched through. Then push the areas farther out from centerline a little at a time until it's reasonably flat and thoroughly punched through all around. If the plastic cover is intact you can attach it and squeeze it tight, or epoxy it on if necessary.
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If it's messed up so much such that the forks can't be used, you can with some artful lead prepping just solder each one to its corresponding fork directly. This old-school stuff is big enough that a steady hand and decent vision can get the job done, and there aren't all that many lines - I think 20 or 24 max. Use a small iron, and pre-tin the lead ends and forks.
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Ed |
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8656B HPIB connector
Hi all, working on my 8656B sig gen, and managed to break the IDC Centronics connector , so the cable is no longer attached. Is there a suitable replacement available taht is not too ex[ensive. Have to replace teh mains socket as smoke came out, still waiting on that, and it cost over $86Aus? from RS on its own.I don't want to spend more than the device is worth to fix it, not that I am likely to use this port
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Wayne
VK2WDE |
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Re: HP 54512B (pair) repair
Jim - a lot of Elmers out there, it turns out... Radu On Mon, Mar 3, 2025, 2:10 PM Jim Ford via <james.ford=[email protected]> wrote: Nope, Radu, a cable tie would require labor to install (“costs too much” in suit-speak).? Cheaper to glue it down.? I had a mechanical engineer coworker years ago with the nickname Elmer because he wanted to glue everything!? Ha! |
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Re: HP 54512B (pair) repair
Nope, Radu, a cable tie would require labor to install (“costs too much” in suit-speak). Cheaper to glue it down. I had a mechanical engineer coworker years ago with the nickname Elmer because he wanted to glue everything! Ha!
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Jim On Mar 3, 2025, at 1:31?PM, Razvan Popescu via groups.io <yo8ryr@...> wrote: |
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Re: E5052A Power On Test (3.3V Bus Supply)
Unlikely to have been from a switching reg -- 1kHz is pretty low. Close-in spurs are often suppressed by some form of cancellation, and a little drift can cause the reappearance of spurs at around that level (or more). That's where I'd look first, anyway. But if it's gone, be happy (unless or until it comes back). :)
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Tom -- Prof. Thomas H. Lee Allen Ctr., Rm. 205 420 Via Palou Mall Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-4070 On 3/3/2025 1:42 PM, Jim Ford via groups.io wrote:
In my case it was a Keysight E8257D PSG that showed spurs >-60 dBc at around 1 kHz offset. ?Our project had about a 6 month lull, and when we got back to the lab and set up the benches again, no such spurs could be found! ?I figured the original spur was from a switching regulator, but who knows? |
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Re: HP 3403C True RMS Voltmeter display fault
开云体育Yes, Ed, I know exactly what you mean regarding the orange leadless tantalum caps. ?Sprague used to make them, and they told us that the orange material prevented them from printing the value, voltage, etc on them. ?A real bummer because many times the wrong voltage rating parts were installed and blew up! ?I stopped designing boards with them for that reason. ?Life’s too short to have exploding caps in your products. ?Too short not to intentionally blow them up on the bench, though! ?LOL!??Jim Ford? Laguna Hills, California, USA? On Mar 3, 2025, at 10:59?AM, Joel Setton via groups.io <setton@...> wrote:
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Re: E5052A Power On Test (3.3V Bus Supply)
开云体育70 MHz Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) BPFs used to be common for satcom. ?10 kHz is very narrow, though.I’m snickering a bit at the differences in spur performance in sig gens because I’ve seen exactly that issue before not too long ago. ?In my case it was a Keysight E8257D PSG that showed spurs >-60 dBc at around 1 kHz offset. ?Our project had about a 6 month lull, and when we got back to the lab and set up the benches again, no such spurs could be found! ?I figured the original spur was from a switching regulator, but who knows? ?Either that particular generator had a problem and we have been using a different one since then, or KS fixed that when it went for calibration. ?Cue the Twilight Zone theme! Jim On Mar 3, 2025, at 11:46?AM, jmr via groups.io <jmrhzu@...> wrote:
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Re: HP 54512B (pair) repair
Hi Radu,
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If you have a hot air desoldering station try to see if the heat will soften the glue/resin. Use low temp first and increase it slowly. Monitor the heat on the arm with an infrared thermometer in the same time not to melt the arm. Regards, Razvan On 03/03/2025 22:17, Radu Bogdan Dicher via groups.io wrote:
Thank you, Mike. |
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