Re: 5345A electronic counter *restoration adventure*
Hi?Wolfgang Schraml,
From one very happy HP 3545A owner, thank you very much for your detailed? post. |
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Kind regards,
Terry?
Kind regards,
Terry?
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On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 8:17?AM Roy J. Tellason, Sr. via <roy= [email protected]> wrote: On Wednesday 12 February 2025 05:09:28 pm RubenRubio via wrote:
> I think this manual is the worst I have ever seen.
Making good manuals is as much of an art as it is a skill.? I used to have a book on this subject,? wish I could find it.? One bit in the book that I can still remember vividly is a pair of facing pages,? with schematics on each of them.? One was really horribly drawn,? and resembles stuff that I've encountered,? and the other was the same equipment,? but with the schematic done right,? very clear and easy to follow...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
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Re: HP 8670B amplifier - does it ring a bell with anyone?
I'm pretty sure it's real. Does it show up in any catalogs of that era? There's many free PDF hp test equipment catalogs online.
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HP 8670B amplifier - does it ring a bell with anyone?
Subject line says it all - expected coverage is 2-18 GHz but no other data can be found.
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
Sending it to someone that can do the work is probably the best idea.
?
My way of dealing with old diskettes is having old PCs running DOS and early windows and older linux that have 3.5, 5 1/4 and 8" drives. Takes up a little space but when you need to read or write something vintage, old hardware and software usually works. ?
?
Also if you have a later piece of HP gear with a 3.5 disk drive that reads/writes both LIF and PC DOS formats, and has an Ethernet connection, you can often pop the LIF disk in the drive and read the contents back to a PC.? Later you may be able to format a PC DOS diskette in the drive and push the contents back to a disk that can be read in more modern or PC type hardware.
--
T. Gerbic
Central California
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
Second that. Off to McGuire with it.
Do NOT mess around with these disks with a Windows or Linux workstation.
--
With best regards
Tam HANNA
Enjoy electronics? Join 21k4 other followers by visiting the Crazy Electronics Lab at
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
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On 2/13/25 14:51, Dave Daniel via wrote:
> 1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of
> your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option.
? ?No, this is NOT an option.? A USB-connected floppy drive does not
allow register-level access to the floppy controller; in fact the
required registers aren't even present.? Such access is generally
required to read or write floppy disks in other than "PC standard"
format, which these are not.
? ? ? ? ? -Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
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Re: What kind of chip is this?
Probably a custom designed part ?
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only time this particular piece of software has shown up. Now is not the time to be experimenting.
Spinrite is a surface scanning program, not a program that allows access to data in different filesystem types. We're not dealing with a PC disk that has errors here; this is software for an HP-9000 workstation, which has about as much in common with a PC as a sewing machine.
The correct thing to do here is to image the disk using a flux-transition imager or something like lifutils, TeleDisk, or ImageDisk.
-Dave
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On 2/13/25 16:11, Paul Carrington via groups.io wrote: I'd try and get hold of a parallel floppy.drive and if still no joy try and use an old.tool called spinrite on it back in the day I had success recovering data from floppy drives when all was lost. I've probably got an old dell kicking around with a 34pin ribbon based floppy in it.
On Thu, 13 Feb 2025, 20:41 Dave McGuire via groups.io <>, <mcguire@... <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
On 2/13/25 14:51, Dave Daniel via groups.io <> wrote:
> 1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of
> your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option.
? ?No, this is NOT an option.? A USB-connected floppy drive does not
allow register-level access to the floppy controller; in fact the
required registers aren't even present.? Such access is generally
required to read or write floppy disks in other than "PC standard"
format, which these are not.
? ? ? ? ? -Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
I'd try and get hold of a parallel floppy.drive and if still no joy try and use an old.tool called spinrite on it back in the day I had success recovering data from floppy drives when all was lost. I've probably got an old dell kicking around with a 34pin ribbon based floppy in it.
On 2/13/25 14:51, Dave Daniel via wrote:
> 1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of
> your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option.
? ?No, this is NOT an option.? A USB-connected floppy drive does not
allow register-level access to the floppy controller; in fact the
required registers aren't even present.? Such access is generally
required to read or write floppy disks in other than "PC standard"
format, which these are not.
? ? ? ? ? -Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
On 2/13/25 14:51, Dave Daniel via groups.io wrote: 1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option. No, this is NOT an option. A USB-connected floppy drive does not allow register-level access to the floppy controller; in fact the required registers aren't even present. Such access is generally required to read or write floppy disks in other than "PC standard" format, which these are not. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
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Re: E5071C Port Coupler Issue?
For future reference if anyone is interested, the part that was bad causing the wavy response (S11, S22) on these units was a burnt out switch a little further down in the chain (1GC1-6234).? It actually makes sense as it was the one part with extra thermal connections to the top cover.? Presumably these units were left on 24/7 in the labs where they were used (probably for 5-10 years) and then got too hot and burnt out.? Unfortunately, it looks like they cost about $700 a pop on epay.? Interested on tips if anyone has a good source for a few parts (5-10).
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Re: What kind of chip is this?
I looked up that HP83732A. Looks like only the rough info is included in the manual, but from the specs and block diagram it seems to be a very nice instrument. It covers the whole 1-20 GHz range with two fundamental YTOs and RF dividers and signal routing, so more or less direct synthesis with no multiplying or mixing needed. Likewise, the 0-1 GHz is made directly by dividing one of the YTOs rather than heterodyning down-conversion as I had assumed.
?
Also note in the leveling, the 1-20 GHz is taken care of by a single broadband directional coupler that includes a compensating diode detector. No such diode is shown in the 0-1 GHz detector, so probably the one in the coupler does compensation for both - presuming these items are well thermally coupled. The schematic symbol for low band is shown the same as the high band coupler, but we know that it must be a directional bridge or simple (non-directional) diode pickoff, since no evanescent-wave line coupler can reach the 1-10 MHz range in a practical size - especially not in that tiny hybrid module.
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Anyway, it's very cool - I sure wouldn't mind having one.
?
Ed
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
The disk is most likely in LIF format so your Windows machines won¡¯t recognize it. Best recommendation is to get it to Dave McGuire as he¡¯s volunteered to make it available to the public.?
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On Feb 13, 2025, at 1:51?PM, Dave Daniel via groups.io <kc0wjn@...> wrote:
? Two things come to mind:
1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option.
B. If you have access to a *UX box (Linux, Solaris, etc.) ISTR that there is a "raw" copy command that will copy a data source to a data destination byte-by-byte.
If I can find a way to copy the contents of the disk I would be glad to upload or share the program. It is mentioned in a number of HP documents such 9018-06438-3 on using HPIB. So far I have not succeeded at making a copy using a USB floppy drive on a Windows 11 machine. Windows claims the disk is unformatted. I did try the disk management diskmgmt.msc but no luck.
I do have a couple of older XP machines but they do not have floppy drives installed (just CD drives).
?
Is this worth pursuing? Suggestions?
?
Jim
?
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Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
Two things come to mind:
1. One can purchase USB-connected 3.5" floppy disk drives; if any of your XP boxes have USB ports, this is an option.
B. If you have access to a *UX box (Linux, Solaris, etc.) ISTR that there is a "raw" copy command that will copy a data source to a data destination byte-by-byte.
If I can find a way to copy the contents of the disk I would be glad to upload or share the program. It is mentioned in a number of HP documents such 9018-06438-3 on using HPIB. So far I have not succeeded at making a copy using a USB floppy drive on a Windows 11 machine. Windows claims the disk is unformatted. I did try the disk management diskmgmt.msc but no luck.
I do have a couple of older XP machines but they do not have floppy drives installed (just CD drives).
?
Is this worth pursuing? Suggestions?
?
Jim
?
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Re: What kind of chip is this?
I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s a directional coupler with a diode detector in the coupled leg. You should be able to inject RF power into the line with the transmission line and see a proportional dc voltage at the diode output. The cap and resistor combination at the bottom of the device is where you can find the dc voltage corresponding to the magnitude of the RF power.? Regards? Mike
Hi folks,
?
here is the inside of the HP83732A A8A5 .01-1GHz power detector which is part of the SLPFA module:
It appears to be passive, no power supply, top left RF in, top right RF out, pin to the bottom ALC signal.
Does anybody have an idea what kind of chip is inside?
And any idea where to get a replacement module? The open block is plug-in. I have never seen it on ebay, but I also don't really know how to search for it.
The numbers printed on the pcb are unknown to Google.
?
Tom
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Re: 8643A Will not power-up
Many thanks both.
I take it from that, that the power supply is on, even when the on-off button on the front panel is not pressed?
Regards,
Alwyn
_____________________________________________________
Alwyn Seeds, Director
SynOptika Ltd.,
114 Beaufort Street,
London,
SW3 6BU,
England.
SynOptika Ltd., Registered in England and Wales: No. 04606737
Registered Office: 114 Beaufort Street, London, SW3 6BU, United Kingdom. _____________________________________________________
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Re: 5345A electronic counter *restoration adventure*
On Wednesday 12 February 2025 05:09:28 pm RubenRubio via groups.io wrote: I think this manual is the worst I have ever seen. Making good manuals is as much of an art as it is a skill. I used to have a book on this subject, wish I could find it. One bit in the book that I can still remember vividly is a pair of facing pages, with schematics on each of them. One was really horribly drawn, and resembles stuff that I've encountered, and the other was the same equipment, but with the schematic done right, very clear and easy to follow... -- Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" - Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin
|
Re: Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
On 2/13/25 13:59, Jim via groups.io wrote: If I can find a way to copy the contents of the disk I would be glad to upload or share the program. It is mentioned in a number of HP documents such 9018-06438-3 on using HPIB. So far I have not succeeded at making a copy using a USB floppy drive on a Windows 11 machine. Windows claims the disk is unformatted. I did try the disk management diskmgmt.msc but no luck.
I do have a couple of older XP machines but they do not have floppy drives installed (just CD drives).
Is this worth pursuing? Suggestions? Wow. It is definitely worth pursuing. I hope Windows didn't do anything to the disk. A USB floppy drive won't work for something like this. If you are willing to send it to me, I can image it and get it into the public archives. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
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Test Set Program Development Tool DEV_PL on 3.5" floppy
If I can find a way to copy the contents of the disk I would be glad to upload or share the program. It is mentioned in a number of HP documents such 9018-06438-3 on using HPIB. So far I have not succeeded at making a copy using a USB floppy drive on a Windows 11 machine. Windows claims the disk is unformatted. I did try the disk management diskmgmt.msc but no luck.
I do have a couple of older XP machines but they do not have floppy drives installed (just CD drives).
?
Is this worth pursuing? Suggestions?
?
Jim
?
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Re: What kind of chip is this?
Do you know if it's actually bad? It should be easy to test - just put some in-band RF power (say +13 dBm) through it into a terminator, and look for some DCV at the detector output pin. Then swap the RF ports, and look for a different DCV. It should be most responsive in the forward power direction, and much less in the reverse.
?
Since it's for the low band, it is most likely a directional bridge type detector, so inside the hybrid should be some resistors and a detector diode. Besides grounds, there are only the RF through-ports and detector output pin. Often there would be another diode built in for temperature compensation, so this must be done somewhere else.
?
In order to achieve wide bandwidth all the way down toward DC, the bridge has to be resistive, so quite lossy over 6 dB as I recall, so you need a lot more RF power input to get decent output, compared to the higher bands, which would use directional coupler type detectors that are much more efficient. So, the low band typically needs quite a big amplifier to have enough gain to make up for the down-conversion mixer and detector losses, and enough output power to drive the detector and get sufficient leveled power out of the generator overall.
?
At this frequency range of up to a GHz or so, it's conceivable to build your own replacement circuit into it, but tricky to get good flatness. It's best to find the real thing if possible. Good luck.
?
Ed
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Dave McGuire