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’ »
September 1, 2017, 7:28 pm
I got a couple of Microsemi’s C900502 10.525 GHz X-band Doppler radar motion sensors a while ago. This batch was made in UK and had “UK patents 2243495 and/or 2253108 apply” printed on the case. I have seen a teardown of an HB100 Doppler radar module before and was wondering if I this one is any different inside. Continue reading ‘Teardown and Experiments with a Doppler Microwave Transceiver’ »
Tags:
Barium titanate,
Dielectric Resonant Oscillator,
Doppler Effect,
Local Oscillator,
MDU,
Microwave Transceiver,
Mixer,
Motion Detector Unit,
Radar Motion Sensor,
Spectrum Analyzer,
X-Band Category:
Electronics,
Teardowns |
4 Comments
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 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’ »