May 10, 2018, 7:38 am
While I was making a video on how to use HP 8671A as the frequency reference for an improved version of my simple DIY tracking generator for my HP 8566B spectrum analyzer, my spectrum analyzer suddenly decided to call it quits and displayed the dreaded “YTO Unlock” message. Although it wasn’t the first time it had done so — other times the “YTO Unlock” message only appeared once in a blue moon and rarely affected any measurements — this time however the problem seemed to be permanent and the error message wouldn’t go away. Continue reading ‘HP 8566B Spectrum Analyzer “YTO Unlock” Repair’ »
February 2, 2018, 8:57 pm
I recently bought an HP 8671A microwave frequency synthesizer on eBay. This synthesizer can generate signals from 2GHz to 6.2GHz with an unleveled output of more than 8dBm. It is a nice complement to my HP 8642B signal generator and Wavetek 907 signal generator. Using these generators, I can now generate signals of pretty much any frequencies under the 12GHz range. A video of this teardown is linked towards the end of this post. Continue reading ‘Teardown of an HP 8671A Microwave Frequency Synthesizer’ »
Tags:
74LS298,
HP 8566B,
HP 8671A,
HP 8671B,
HP 8672A,
Microwave,
Ovenized Crystal Oscillator,
PLL,
Synthesizer,
Teardown,
Wavetek 395,
YIG,
YTO Category:
Electronics,
Teardowns |
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January 10, 2016, 6:22 pm
In this blog post, I will show you how to build a 0 to 5.8 GHz tracking generator for the HP 8566B 100 Hz to 22 GHz spectrum analyzer using off-the-shelf components for under $100. Although this tracking generator is specifically designed for my HP 8566B spectrum analyzer, the method discussed below is applicable to pretty much any spectrum analyzer that has an LO output (typically the 1st LO). Continue reading ‘Building A Tracking Generator’ »
December 21, 2015, 9:23 am
In this blog post, Let’s take a look at how to measure a filter’s frequency response using a spectrum analyzer and a signal generator. Typically, a tracking generator is preferred for this kind of scalar network analysis as its center frequency is in-sync with the frequency the spectrum analyzer’s bandwidth filter is currently tuned to. But with a good signal generator, we can manually sweep across the desired frequency range and obtain similar amplitude versus frequency measurements. Continue reading ‘Tracing Filter/Oscillator Frequency Response Using Spectrum Analyzer and Signal Generator’ »
December 11, 2015, 8:40 pm
In my previous blog post, I did a quick teardown of my HP 8566B spectrum analyzer. In this post, I will discuss how to use a spectrum analyzer like this to demodulate an AM or a FM signal. A video including the theory and a few experiments is linked towards the end. Continue reading ‘AM/FM Demodulation Using HP 8566B Spectrum Analyzer’ »
December 9, 2015, 8:41 pm
The latest addition to my lab is an HP 8566B spectrum analyzer. This isn’t just any spectrum analyzer, it was perhaps the best spectrum analyzer money could buy back in the late 80’s. While it was discontinued in 1997 and has long become obsolete, its performance remains quite impressive even by today’s standards and still rivals that of many of its modern counterparts. Continue reading ‘Some Pictures of My HP 8566B Spectrum Analyzer’ »