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2755AP - 2nd LO tuning failure when span <= 500 Hz


 

Have had this 2755AP for 10+ years; for the first time in recollection I've needed to use very narrow span width (to inspect output of a HP synthesizer). Frequency being inspected is 1000 MHz. When span is set to 500 Hz/div, I get occasional "Tuning failure 2nd LO". When span is set to 200 Hz or 100 Hz/div, the error messages are more frequent but not continuous. The error message does not appear at power-up self-test.

I used Shift 0 3 to access "2ND LO DIAGNOSTIC AID".

Doesn't appear I can post the photo here, but this is the displayed info:

TUNE VOLTS NOMINAL=0.01V DAC SET = 0.19V
2ND LO FREQ DESIRED = 2.182.000GHZ COUNTED = 2.182.099GHZ
OFFSET FREQ DESIRED = 18.000 000MHZ COUNTED = 17.900MHZ
OFFSET SETTING ACCURACY 294.912KHZ

The verbiage in the service manual (volume 1, page 6-12, section titled "TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO" includes the text

"The offset setting accuracy is the maximum permitted difference between the actual and desired offset frequencies. The setting process ends when the difference becomes less than or equal to this value. The tolerance depends on frequency span and band."

I'm puzzling over what this is trying to tell me.

Also I believe the analyzer has a built-in back-up battery which has not been touched in at least the 10 years I've had the unit here. Does the back-up battery store some calibration coefficients that could have been lost? There has been no error message related to back-up battery specifically.

Thanks!

Dave


 

The test (previous post) was conducted at default power-up settings (1.8 GHz band, full span).

I'll repeat the test with narrow spans reflecting the sweep I wanted to run, and post the results.


 

Re-ran the 2ND LO diagonstic at 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10000 Hz/div span, the following was recorded

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - VERY FREQUENT
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
100 -0.04V -0.59V 2.181 993GHz 2.181 995GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
18.006 714MHz 18.004 660MHz 5Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - VERY FREQUENT
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
200 0.08V -0.50V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 008GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.991656MHz 5Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - INFREQUENT
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
500 0.08V -0.50V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 009GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.991 17MHz 12Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - NOT SEEN
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
1000 0.08V -0.51V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 008GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.991 68MHz 40Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - NOT SEEN
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
2000 0.08V -0.51V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 009GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.991 3MHz 80Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - NOT SEEN
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
5000 0.08V -0.52V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 009GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.991 4MHz 200Hz

TUNING FAILURE - 2ND LO - NOT SEEN
Hz/div span TV Nominal DAC set 2ND LO Desired Counted
10000 0.08V -0.52V 2.182 008GHz 2.182 009GHz
Offset Desired Counted Off Set'g Acc'y
17.991 683MHz 17.990 8MHz 320Hz


 

Reading further through service manual #1 section on 2ND LO tuning failure - there is an onboard calibration procedure (SHIFT 0 1 (calibration) 4 (2nd LO) - typo in the manual misses the 1 step). This provides prompts to adjust several tuning control potentiometers (4 or 5 total in sequence). In each step a measurement (made after a few seconds) was out of tolerance and prompt was offered as to which potentiometer to adjust. As I don't have the unit open, I just bypassed each of the steps. It appears that calibration of this type is manged through potentiometers rather than DAC outputs and the microcontroller, so the unit will be opened as soon as bench space is cleared for it.

I will update once I've completed (with success or failure) the calibration steps noted.


 

Anybody know how close the 2755 is to the earlier 492b ... 494a series design?


 

I'm assuming a similar setup like the later 492 for the following comments...
The issue seems to be one of accuracy. It won't lock in time when high accuracy is demanded by the cpu.
If like the 492 scheme, there are 4 oscillators used in 2nd if, a 2200 fixed from 100 MHz ref, a 16 to 20MHz, a 2182 and 719Mz which is used only for the middle bands.

It's like noise is getting into one of the oscillators, likely the 2182, or 18 hz or the error amp. After the cal, if no joy, check the 2182 error signal is clean. The later 27xx units may have the surface mount caps that fail and or leak. Checking inside rf shields is a good idea as some circuits have a dedicated 5v regulator under shields. I bet it's similar to the older design 492b etc.


 

I have repaired and adjusted a 2756P and a 494P.

Apart from replacing all old capacitors as recommended by KE5FX
document I also checked all RF boards for "suspicuous" components.

One thing to look out for is that there are several resistors with very
high resistance. Old Allen-Bradley, 4.7, 10 MOhm, etc. that has aged far beyond
their rated tolerance. In my case > 50% (!). One is located on the span attenuator:
R1046 and that one was some 16 MOhms.

There are also low resistance Allen-Bradley types used in the decoupling networks.
They too had drifted and was replaced even though I cannot say that they were
faulty.

Before replacing these resistors, I was able to execute the internal calibration
procedure without any problem only to discover that the analyzer did not
lock the next time it was used in narrow band modes.

The batteries were dead on both analyzers and I replaced them with modern
types. On the 2756 with a larger capacity battery that was placed outside
the PCB (plenty of space in that instrument).

There are also electrolytic capacitors that should be checked and replaced
in the phase lock assembly modules.

After having replaced most axial and radial type electrolythic capacitors, a number of
A-B resistors and having re-run the calibration routine, the analyzers
became stable, not needing any further adjustments.

And a bit OT. I mentioned, before in another thread: The Air inlet holes
for the 2756P are IMO way to few/small. The small Buhler fan ran at full
speed and the air that came out from the PSU was very very hot.

After having drilled a lot more holes on the bottom side close to the
front, the fan now runs at lower speed. I have not noticed any drift or other
instabilities on the analyzer after that modification.

Ulf
SM6GXV