8920B low frequency limit
Bit of a cross post from HPAK group.
For 250kHz signal generator usable output the 8920A/B must have a mechanical (relay) A23 output module. Option 055 was the normal option for a mechanical input assembly on a 8920B. However lack of an option 055 mark is not conclusive. I have a later 8920B that has no 0ption 055 mark (2 option stickers present) but if you run the configuration list diagnostic it indicates "A23 extended measurement" is fitted. Testing against a 8566B confirms the signal generator output is flat down to 250kHz. So you have to check the unit to be 100% sure.
Robert G8RPI.
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
255 or 125 files? I remember in FAT that you could only put 125 (or 122?) files in the root dir Well, time to go after the other cards, I'm very curious about the "AM TESTS" card...
Thanks for the help!
Alexandre, PU2SEX =)
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---8<---Corte aqui---8<--- Em seg., 4 de jan. de 2021 ¨¤s 19:50, Robert G8RPI via <robert8rpi= [email protected]> escreveu:
Hi,
Glad you got it working.
You can put as much software on the card as will fit or possibly 255 files max. No directories; they all go in the "root".
The card I have has both RF tools and NA FM on it.
Even more interesting I can view and edit the .pgm (IBasic) files on the PC so might try some modifications. Or even write my own.
Always easier to start with something that works.
Robert G8RPI.
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
A small write-up to gather all the knowledge and data necessary to create a card
(in portuguese, google translator is your friend =D )
Thanks you all for the help
?
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
Hi,
Glad you got it working.
You can put as much software on the card as will fit or possibly 255 files max. No directories; they all go in the "root".
The card I have has both RF tools and NA FM on it.
Even more interesting I can view and edit the .pgm (IBasic) files on the PC so might try some modifications. Or even write my own.
Always easier to start with something that works.
Robert G8RPI.
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
Just to update you all:
I got an old notebook (toshiba L60?!) with pcmcia and windows XP. Inserted the HP 1MB SRAM card on it and copied the files of the RF Tools package to it. Worked flawlessly \o/. Note I had to format the card AGAIN on the pc for it to copy the files.
Next, loaded Memory Card Explorer (MCE) on the notebook, had lots of troubles to run. If you need to run it, and it shows "memory window error" or something like that, open CMD, go to MCE dir and type MCE WD4 or one of the options of the W command: D0, D4, D8, DC, E0, E4, E8, EC. One of then MAY works for you. Note that the command is W and not /W. I spent 2 hours fighting MCE because of the slash. Everywhere on the net says you need the /. After you give the correct command, it will save on the INI file and you'll run it just clicking on the icon.? Ok, MCE running, got the BIN file and wrote it on the SRAM card. Worked ok. Got an old 4MB linear flash card, wrote it, worked also OK.
So, I got RF Tools working on the E8285A. Woohoo! \o/
Is there any other software avaiable? I was curious of the AM Tools. Can I have more than 1 software on a card? Using subdirectories?
Thanks A LOT for the software and the info =)
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---8<---Corte aqui---8<--- Em dom., 3 de jan. de 2021 ¨¤s 19:32, Alexandre Souza via <alexandre.tabajara= [email protected]> escreveu:
Robert, I have NEVER EVER SEEN a pcmcia card works as a driver. But if you are saying, I'll give a try. I love to learn new things :D thanks for the tip! Enviado do meu Tele-Movel
Em dom, 3 de jan de 2021 18:42, Robert G8RPI via <robert8rpi= [email protected]> escreveu: I did some checks today and found the following.
1/ PC used old Sony laptop running XP and the "generic" PCMCIA memory card drivers from windows installled.
2/ Memory card was a SRAM 2m card with write protection switch.
3/ Card formatted in the laptop for FAT, unknown capacity - result was a 512kB capacity card recognised? by windows.
4/ Individual fles (.pgm, .lib etc from the files ssection here) copied under windows.
5/ Card ejected and WRITE PROTECT SWITCH set to ON
6/ Card tried under "Tests" in a 8920B and I was able to load the programs into the test set.
The odd bit was it seems that the first time the card was put in the 8920B it had to have write protect on but subsequently it could be off.
This was hard to verify fully.
Robert G8RPI
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
Robert, I have NEVER EVER SEEN a pcmcia card works as a driver. But if you are saying, I'll give a try. I love to learn new things :D thanks for the tip! Enviado do meu Tele-Movel Em dom, 3 de jan de 2021 18:42, Robert G8RPI via <robert8rpi= [email protected]> escreveu:
I did some checks today and found the following.
1/ PC used old Sony laptop running XP and the "generic" PCMCIA memory card drivers from windows installled.
2/ Memory card was a SRAM 2m card with write protection switch.
3/ Card formatted in the laptop for FAT, unknown capacity - result was a 512kB capacity card recognised? by windows.
4/ Individual fles (.pgm, .lib etc from the files ssection here) copied under windows.
5/ Card ejected and WRITE PROTECT SWITCH set to ON
6/ Card tried under "Tests" in a 8920B and I was able to load the programs into the test set.
The odd bit was it seems that the first time the card was put in the 8920B it had to have write protect on but subsequently it could be off.
This was hard to verify fully.
Robert G8RPI
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
I did some checks today and found the following.
1/ PC used old Sony laptop running XP and the "generic" PCMCIA memory card drivers from windows installled.
2/ Memory card was a SRAM 2m card with write protection switch.
3/ Card formatted in the laptop for FAT, unknown capacity - result was a 512kB capacity card recognised? by windows.
4/ Individual fles (.pgm, .lib etc from the files ssection here) copied under windows.
5/ Card ejected and WRITE PROTECT SWITCH set to ON
6/ Card tried under "Tests" in a 8920B and I was able to load the programs into the test set.
The odd bit was it seems that the first time the card was put in the 8920B it had to have write protect on but subsequently it could be off.
This was hard to verify fully.
Robert G8RPI
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
Em 03/01/2021 11:04, Craig Harris escreveu: Servicing 101 is to first eliminate issues with the power supply. That is what solved my E8285A. It was a shorted tantalum cap on the 40V rail... -- ---8<---Corte Aqui---8<---
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
interesting that the MISC test passed when connecting DUPLEX to ANT.
Would almost lead me to believe the loopback relay is bad or not getting activated during the selftest or a poor connection / contact n the relay.? A complete failure would show errors like the 8920B.
Does everything work on the 8920A outside of the test ?
If you look in the CLIP a little more to the right you should see a relay the loops the GEN out to the RX
The issue on service monitors like the 892X selftest is that since they loopback on themselves the failures may not be what they seem.? HP did a fantastic job of trying to direct the troubleshooting based on the failure data but it's not foolproof .
Often the most effective way is to swap modules with a known good unit but be careful there especially on the RF I/O since the calibration data will be different and the RF I/O has a huge number of calibration points.
On both the 8920A and the 8920B it would be good to check the RF GEN output levels on both the DUPLEX and RF I/O
On the 8920B you may have a low or no output on the RF GEN ...bad output module ?
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
Servicing 101 is to first eliminate issues with the power supply.
Granted keying high power into a sensitive cct is not advisable and can/will cause damage.
(The Motorola units all have a fuse on the input inside the removable ANT BNC connector and will scream at you or alert you if you do something naughty.
The fuse will pop and save you much heart ache and money because you can simply replace it s a user accessible item)?
I have seen on later Agilent schematics input protection on the sensitive input. 8920s ?
I understand the desire to delve in. But you have stated you do not have the basic of basics requirement in servicing which is an oscilloscope.
You can read all the literature you like but that wont tell you what`s wrong only where to look.
Its not advisable to use faulty equipment to diagnose but in a pinch, can you not use the OSC on one unit to check the other??
Once you have eliminated the power supply (all the way down to the cct in question) you can then move on to deeper issues.
JYELMGREN has given you some clues to check the input cct. Have you done this?
Sounds like you might be deep in the woods? Servicing service equipment is not for the faint hearted.
That said, I will try to give you some sound advice and help.
Get yourself an oscilloscope if you are intending to do fault finding.
Best of luck,
Craig.?
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
Hello again, thanks for taking the time to reply.
I have done a few more tests today to further isolate it down, I will start off with the 8920A
the antenna input detector fails when I run the RF diags however it will pass the tests under Misc diags (RF I/O to Duplex out and Duplex out to Ant IN)
I have heard of the damage that can be done by keying into the antenna port and exceeding the 200mw limit, it just seems strange that it will fail in the RF diags test and not the Misc tests. I have been reading the CLIP for the 8920 and was thinking that a good starting point to look at would be either the?432YZ-7486 relay or the CR-204 HSMS-2800 schottky diode, what do you think?.
The 8920B does run a lot of failures in both the RF diags and MS diags which to me lines up more along the line that someone has accidently keyed into the antenna port. I have checked the PSU rails as best I can but will try to borrow a CRO to get a better look.
all in all the 8920A only fails on the antenna detect whereas the 8920B has 21 failures in RF diags on various tests.
I have attached a bunch more screen grabs of the tests and the results and will start with the 8920B input assembly this week, Hopefully I can find something concrete when I open it up.?
Thanks again,
Allan
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
The 8920A failure is a common problem and typically caused by someone keying into the antenna port.
You have to pull the RF I/O and crack the case and look at the antenna port components.
typically it checks? for no signal on that detector during the main RF diag and on the MISC diags? when you cable the DUPLEX OUT to ANT it should see a level there.
On the 8920B? does that unit pass all the RF diags? and MISC diags ?
It almost like you have a bad? RF I/O or the SA assembly but the RF diags? & MISC? diags should have caught something
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Re: 8920A and 8920B faults
Hi Allan,
I have no experience with the 8920s in particular but have years of experience with Motorola units.
You haven`t detailed what you have done so far so lets take it from the top.
Before looking for a deeper problem I would personally run a CRO over the power supply rails checking for correct and clean voltage levels.
Both units look to be showing suspicious signs of dirty rails.
Craig.
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Hi everyone,
I have a couple of questions regarding an 8920A and a 8920B I own. I have a fault on each and I am hoping someone here might be able to point me in the right direction.
I noticed when running rf-diags on the 8920A I get a failure at antenna input detector, I have run through the assembly level repair to try and diagnose it but have hit the limit of my knowledge, has anyone here experienced this before?
The 8920B has a different fault, it seems to be when I change the reference level in the spec analyzer from -10dBm to -20dBm or anything below, the signal is almost completely lost.
The screen shots I captured are of a tracking gen set at the level of -40dBm with the spec an set to 502MHz center and 1GHz span, as you can see when I change from -10 to -20 the entire sweep is attenuated.
this has me completely scratching my head, it does seem to be intermittent some times too.
any help is much appreciated.
Regards,
Allan
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
I bought a Dell Latitude E6410 on ebay for the purpose of reading PCMCIA cards. Cost was $50
wally
On Thursday, December 31, 2020, 05:44:08 PM EST, Alexandre Souza <alexandre.tabajara@...> wrote:
Thanks a lot, Craig and Robert. Now I'll find an old notebook with PCMCIA =)
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Hi Alexandre,
Have a look at this link and you will find MCE v2.31 in the dropbox link in the thread. This is old software designed for Win XP and less.
I have not verified this and I am not able to assist you with knowledge. Read the steps to flash a bin to the card.
He refers to it as the Tech2 Memory Card Explorer but it is the Elan MCE program. The Tech2 is a GM Can bus Tool.
Best of luck. Let us know how you go.
Craig
cphelectronics
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
Thanks a lot, Craig and Robert. Now I'll find an old notebook with PCMCIA =)
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Hi Alexandre,
Have a look at this link and you will find MCE v2.31 in the dropbox link in the thread. This is old software designed for Win XP and less.
I have not verified this and I am not able to assist you with knowledge. Read the steps to flash a bin to the card.
He refers to it as the Tech2 Memory Card Explorer but it is the Elan MCE program. The Tech2 is a GM Can bus Tool.
Best of luck. Let us know how you go.
Craig
cphelectronics
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
OP has a RAM card so not an issue, but you are correct, very few laptops have the 12V programming supply (I have a Sharp sub-laptop that does) and some Linear Flash cards need it. Not all cards though and unless you have detailed data sheets for the card it's hard to tell. I've had same make, capacity and label cards that did and did not need 12V. Only the detailed part number was different.
Robert G8RPI.
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
I use MCE for both my tech2 and hp8920 linear flash cards. XP on an ancient laptop, the make and model escapes me right now but I can dig it out if necessary. I seem to recall some laptops don¡¯t have 12 volts available at the pcmcia socket and fail to work with the linear flash cards for this reason.?
?
Chris
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Re: How to write a PCMCIA SRAM card?
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Re: Firmware update for 8935 E6380A
Mmmmm....... Interesting thought. Unlikely in a FW upgrade as it would require calibration. But there is potential for a hack.
Success beyond intimate knowledge would hinge on whether the binary is encrypted and check summed. If its plain the you could search for band limit matches and alter to what you want.
Risky business, you could brick your unit.
Craig
cphelectronics
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Alexandre Souza
