Hi From a quick eyeball look at the S parameter data, there may be a simple L network that would give you a few more db in the top couple of GHz. Certainly a lot cheaper than an amp. Bob On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:07 PM, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote: > About MMIC, that's true for the Minicircuits parts. Roll off is high at the > top of the range (from 13 dB to 8 dB), but the NBB-300 from RFMD seems to > have flat gain curve from DC to rated freq. This said, that's only paper and > I don't know the real behavior of this chip. > > About sensitivity, 0 dBm is for 8 GHz, exceeding the rated specs of the > components (7 GHz for the ADF4107 for exemple). So, my "real" target is 6 > GHz, but even at those freq, sensibility without amp stage is -10 dBm in the > worst case (it began to drop after 4 GHz). Doesn't looks sensitive enough, > does it ? > > > -----Message d'origine----- > De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la > part de John Miles > Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 01:50 > À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler > > >> RFMD seems to produce some nice MMIC, for example the NBB-300 >> (http://www.rfmd.com/CS/Documents/Nbb-300.pdf), but I never used a RFMD >> amplifier. I used Agilent/Avago MMIC since years with great results, but >> always with frequencies no more than 3 GHz. >> >> Anyone have some experience with DC-8/12 GHz MMIC and which's the best ? > > My experience is that they roll off pretty quickly right where you are > looking for extra gain. You'll probably end up with more gain where you > don't need/want it, and not as much as you'd like at the very top end of the > range. > > The best off-the-shelf performance will probably come from Hittite's parts. > Compared to the Mini-Circuits parts, they are relatively power-hungry, > expensive, and hard to work with. They're available only as LFCSP packages > or bare dice, and only in lots of 10 or more. > > IMHO few users would reject your prescaler board due to a sensitivity spec > of 0 dBm. At lower signal levels people are more likely to be using a > spectrum analyzer than a high-precision counter. > > -- john, KE5FX > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

Hi If you take a look at the ADF 5001 spec sheet you can see pretty well what a simple match can do at the high end of the range. On the 5001 they may have gone just a bit overboard. Any bets about the part liking to oscillate right around 20.01 GHz? A little box with a 5001 and a 4107 might make a nice counter accessory. Instant 1 to 25 GHz counter. Toss in a second 4017 to another input and you have 200 MHz to 6 GHz covered. With some luck you just might be able to make them both to divide by some nice round number like 1,000. Bob On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:18 PM, Bob Camp wrote: > Hi > >> From a quick eyeball look at the S parameter data, there may be a simple L network that would give you a few more db in the top couple of GHz. Certainly a lot cheaper than an amp. > > Bob > > > On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:07 PM, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote: > >> About MMIC, that's true for the Minicircuits parts. Roll off is high at the >> top of the range (from 13 dB to 8 dB), but the NBB-300 from RFMD seems to >> have flat gain curve from DC to rated freq. This said, that's only paper and >> I don't know the real behavior of this chip. >> >> About sensitivity, 0 dBm is for 8 GHz, exceeding the rated specs of the >> components (7 GHz for the ADF4107 for exemple). So, my "real" target is 6 >> GHz, but even at those freq, sensibility without amp stage is -10 dBm in the >> worst case (it began to drop after 4 GHz). Doesn't looks sensitive enough, >> does it ? >> >> >> -----Message d'origine----- >> De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la >> part de John Miles >> Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 01:50 >> À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler >> >> >>> RFMD seems to produce some nice MMIC, for example the NBB-300 >>> (http://www.rfmd.com/CS/Documents/Nbb-300.pdf), but I never used a RFMD >>> amplifier. I used Agilent/Avago MMIC since years with great results, but >>> always with frequencies no more than 3 GHz. >>> >>> Anyone have some experience with DC-8/12 GHz MMIC and which's the best ? >> >> My experience is that they roll off pretty quickly right where you are >> looking for extra gain. You'll probably end up with more gain where you >> don't need/want it, and not as much as you'd like at the very top end of the >> range. >> >> The best off-the-shelf performance will probably come from Hittite's parts. >> Compared to the Mini-Circuits parts, they are relatively power-hungry, >> expensive, and hard to work with. They're available only as LFCSP packages >> or bare dice, and only in lots of 10 or more. >> >> IMHO few users would reject your prescaler board due to a sensitivity spec >> of 0 dBm. At lower signal levels people are more likely to be using a >> spectrum analyzer than a high-precision counter. >> >> -- john, KE5FX >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

Indeed era or gali... both good answers and inexpensive On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 8:06 PM, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER <sam@canardpc.com>wrote: > Well, I just done some tests and I will not be able to avoid a MMIC in the > front stage if I want to preserve sensitivity in the lower and upper range. > Without a MMIC, sensitivity drops to -10 dBm at 200 Mhz and -5 dBm at 100 > Mhz. The same for the top of the range (-10 dBm at 6 Ghz, -5 dBm at 7 Ghz > and -2 dBm at 8 GHz). This looks bad compared to the -20 dBm to -30 dBm I > got on the 1-4 GHz range. > > I think I will use a ERA-1+ MMIC. Spec'd at DC-8 GHz and "Unconditionally > stable" according to the datasheet :-D > > > -----Message d'origine----- > De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la > part de Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER > Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 23:17 > À : 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' > Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler > boardforHP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A > > That's 100% true. I tried the MSA-0x86 from Avago and got some strange > auto-oscillation and many noise at some frequencies. I will try my best to > avoid a MMIC, but sensitivity might be lower on the < 100 MHz and > 5 GHz > area. > > > > > -----Message d'origine----- > De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la > part de Bob Camp > Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 22:06 > À : 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' > Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler > boardforHP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A > > Hi > > Every time I've ever done much "amp in front of the counter" stuff, I've > discovered a great way to make a doubler / tripler / quadrupler / random > number generator. There always seems to be some magic combination of > frequency and level that does strange things, often multiple combinations. > They rarely pop up when testing the front end design it's self. They are > amazingly easy to come up with when actually using the device. > > Strange how things always seem to work that way. > > If you really need to amplify, something like a very high speed ECL gate > biased in it's linear region is a good thing to try. At no extra charge it > would give you a differential signal to route into the divider. You are > already pretty sensitive so it may not help at all. > > Bob > > -----Original Message----- > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > Behalf Of paul swed > Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:42 PM > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler > boardforHP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A > > Well if you do want a amplifier/fuse. The mini circuit gali-1 0-8Ghz is $2 > in small quantites. > Just a thought. > > On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 4:37 PM, John Miles <jmiles@pop.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com]On > > > Behalf Of Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER > > > Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:42 AM > > > To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' > > > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board > > > forHP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A > > > > > > > > > I'm thinking about the need for a MMIC amplifier before the ADF4107. > > > I was unable to find a cheap DC-8 GHz GaAs amplifier to put there > > > for a try. > > > > Bob's right; if anything, you want an attenuator in front of that chip, > not > > an amplifier. > > > > -- john, KE5FX > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

No, I can't. The frequency limitation for this project doesn't come from the prescaler itself. The 53131A/53132A/53181A Channel 3 internal input is limited to ~70 MHz and is expecting a /128 prescaler, so the maximum "displayable" frequency is around 9 GHz. I reached 100 MHz in the preliminary tests (12.8 GHz displayed), but it was at the cost of major additional efforts. That's why OPT50 and OPT124 are not retrofitable like OPT30 : they require a modification on the main board to accept a higher divider ratio. This project is intended to be a "clean" modification for the 531xxA counter and not a "generic" prescaler. This said, I can add layout options to use the board as a generic prescaler. I already planned a SMA output (near the HE10 connector for the 53131A), an external +12V input voltage and a dipswitch to select the divider ratio (/100 - /128 - /256 - /500 - /512 - /1000). Nice, isn't it ? ;) -----Message d'origine----- De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la part de Bob Camp Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 02:53 À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler Hi If you take a look at the ADF 5001 spec sheet you can see pretty well what a simple match can do at the high end of the range. On the 5001 they may have gone just a bit overboard. Any bets about the part liking to oscillate right around 20.01 GHz? A little box with a 5001 and a 4107 might make a nice counter accessory. Instant 1 to 25 GHz counter. Toss in a second 4017 to another input and you have 200 MHz to 6 GHz covered. With some luck you just might be able to make them both to divide by some nice round number like 1,000. Bob On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:18 PM, Bob Camp wrote: > Hi > >> From a quick eyeball look at the S parameter data, there may be a simple L network that would give you a few more db in the top couple of GHz. Certainly a lot cheaper than an amp. > > Bob > > > On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:07 PM, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote: > >> About MMIC, that's true for the Minicircuits parts. Roll off is high at the >> top of the range (from 13 dB to 8 dB), but the NBB-300 from RFMD seems to >> have flat gain curve from DC to rated freq. This said, that's only paper and >> I don't know the real behavior of this chip. >> >> About sensitivity, 0 dBm is for 8 GHz, exceeding the rated specs of the >> components (7 GHz for the ADF4107 for exemple). So, my "real" target is 6 >> GHz, but even at those freq, sensibility without amp stage is -10 dBm in the >> worst case (it began to drop after 4 GHz). Doesn't looks sensitive enough, >> does it ? >> >> >> -----Message d'origine----- >> De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la >> part de John Miles >> Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 01:50 >> À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler >> >> >>> RFMD seems to produce some nice MMIC, for example the NBB-300 >>> (http://www.rfmd.com/CS/Documents/Nbb-300.pdf), but I never used a RFMD >>> amplifier. I used Agilent/Avago MMIC since years with great results, but >>> always with frequencies no more than 3 GHz. >>> >>> Anyone have some experience with DC-8/12 GHz MMIC and which's the best ? >> >> My experience is that they roll off pretty quickly right where you are >> looking for extra gain. You'll probably end up with more gain where you >> don't need/want it, and not as much as you'd like at the very top end of the >> range. >> >> The best off-the-shelf performance will probably come from Hittite's parts. >> Compared to the Mini-Circuits parts, they are relatively power-hungry, >> expensive, and hard to work with. They're available only as LFCSP packages >> or bare dice, and only in lots of 10 or more. >> >> IMHO few users would reject your prescaler board due to a sensitivity spec >> of 0 dBm. At lower signal levels people are more likely to be using a >> spectrum analyzer than a high-precision counter. >> >> -- john, KE5FX >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.

Hi I was suggesting a completely different project - one to build an external box. I admit that combining that with the observation on the input matching may have made that a bit unclear. Bob -----Original Message----- From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Samuel D. [CPC] Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 6:57 AM To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler No, I can't. The frequency limitation for this project doesn't come from the prescaler itself. The 53131A/53132A/53181A Channel 3 internal input is limited to ~70 MHz and is expecting a /128 prescaler, so the maximum "displayable" frequency is around 9 GHz. I reached 100 MHz in the preliminary tests (12.8 GHz displayed), but it was at the cost of major additional efforts. That's why OPT50 and OPT124 are not retrofitable like OPT30 : they require a modification on the main board to accept a higher divider ratio. This project is intended to be a "clean" modification for the 531xxA counter and not a "generic" prescaler. This said, I can add layout options to use the board as a generic prescaler. I already planned a SMA output (near the HE10 connector for the 53131A), an external +12V input voltage and a dipswitch to select the divider ratio (/100 - /128 - /256 - /500 - /512 - /1000). Nice, isn't it ? ;) -----Message d'origine----- De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la part de Bob Camp Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 02:53 À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler Hi If you take a look at the ADF 5001 spec sheet you can see pretty well what a simple match can do at the high end of the range. On the 5001 they may have gone just a bit overboard. Any bets about the part liking to oscillate right around 20.01 GHz? A little box with a 5001 and a 4107 might make a nice counter accessory. Instant 1 to 25 GHz counter. Toss in a second 4017 to another input and you have 200 MHz to 6 GHz covered. With some luck you just might be able to make them both to divide by some nice round number like 1,000. Bob On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:18 PM, Bob Camp wrote: > Hi > >> From a quick eyeball look at the S parameter data, there may be a simple L network that would give you a few more db in the top couple of GHz. Certainly a lot cheaper than an amp. > > Bob > > > On Mar 25, 2010, at 9:07 PM, Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER wrote: > >> About MMIC, that's true for the Minicircuits parts. Roll off is high at the >> top of the range (from 13 dB to 8 dB), but the NBB-300 from RFMD seems to >> have flat gain curve from DC to rated freq. This said, that's only paper and >> I don't know the real behavior of this chip. >> >> About sensitivity, 0 dBm is for 8 GHz, exceeding the rated specs of the >> components (7 GHz for the ADF4107 for exemple). So, my "real" target is 6 >> GHz, but even at those freq, sensibility without amp stage is -10 dBm in the >> worst case (it began to drop after 4 GHz). Doesn't looks sensitive enough, >> does it ? >> >> >> -----Message d'origine----- >> De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la >> part de John Miles >> Envoyé : vendredi 26 mars 2010 01:50 >> À : Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler >> >> >>> RFMD seems to produce some nice MMIC, for example the NBB-300 >>> (http://www.rfmd.com/CS/Documents/Nbb-300.pdf), but I never used a RFMD >>> amplifier. I used Agilent/Avago MMIC since years with great results, but >>> always with frequencies no more than 3 GHz. >>> >>> Anyone have some experience with DC-8/12 GHz MMIC and which's the best ? >> >> My experience is that they roll off pretty quickly right where you are >> looking for extra gain. You'll probably end up with more gain where you >> don't need/want it, and not as much as you'd like at the very top end of the >> range. >> >> The best off-the-shelf performance will probably come from Hittite's parts. >> Compared to the Mini-Circuits parts, they are relatively power-hungry, >> expensive, and hard to work with. They're available only as LFCSP packages >> or bare dice, and only in lots of 10 or more. >> >> IMHO few users would reject your prescaler board due to a sensitivity spec >> of 0 dBm. At lower signal levels people are more likely to be using a >> spectrum analyzer than a high-precision counter. >> >> -- john, KE5FX >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.

Hi For all timenuts who follow my "prescaler board for HP counter" project, I'm happy to announce that final PCB just arrived today :) As promised, I added some features to use the board as a generic prescaler with SMA output and configurable divider ratio. Now, I need some more weeks to tune and select the best components for the RF stage. Here's a picture : http://www.x86.fr/rfpsc/pcb_103s.jpg Regards Sam. -----Message d'origine----- De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la part de Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 18:42 À : 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for HP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A I'm thinking about the need for a MMIC amplifier before the ADF4107. I was unable to find a cheap DC-8 GHz GaAs amplifier to put there for a try. -----Message d'origine----- De : time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] De la part de Bob Camp Envoyé : jeudi 25 mars 2010 17:36 À : 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Objet : Re: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for HP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A Hi I don't need a board so take this as a comment from a "non customer". Mounting the board inside the counter is a very useful thing. I would go with the connector that originally was on the front panel. That makes it mechanically sound and it should work every bit as well as the original. Second choice would be to lash an SMA into the same location with enough mechanical support to be very secure. What ever connector is there, it's going to get a lot of use / abuse. I do agree that BNC would not be my first choice (or even in the top 10) for a multi GHz connector in terms of RF performance. It does have the great virtue of being quick on / quick off. The levels sound pretty good. I would make sure that the input will take +20 dbm on a continuous basis. It probably should read accurately to +13 dbm. I would not add a bunch of amplification. Often when you do, it improves sensitivity, but they do odd things as you overload them. Low end frequency sounds plenty good enough. There's a fine input just below it on the counter if you want to go below 100 MHz. I would probably scale the input caps so that they start to block RF below something like 50 MHz. That will help with overload and possibly improve sensitivity in real applications. Hope that helps. Bob -----Original Message----- From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:35 AM To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Subject: [time-nuts] Low-Cost 6+ GHz Prescaler board for HP/Agilent53181A/53131A/53132A Last year, I posted a message on timenuts about a project for an internal prescaler board for the 53131A (and related 53181A & 53132A) counter. I successfully cloned the original 3 GHz board from Agilent and I've looked further. I then designed a more advanced prescaler PCB based on the Analog ADF4107 PLL, able to reach 6 GHz and beyond. I worked on component selection to get a stable board and I'm now in the final stages of the design process. I will order soon a batch of the final PCB and consider selling them to recover some of the bucks I spend on the project. My goal is NOT to make big money, just help some ham and others measurements addicted like me to benefit from a frequency extensions for one of the more wide-spread counter. This said, I need your opinion about some points. 1- The minimum measurable frequency for that design is 80-85 MHz for a sine wave (down to DC with a square wave). To get lower specs, I need to add some more components to get fast-rising edge in all cases at the input of the ADF4107. I don't think there is a need for that as the original 5 GHz board for Agilent is rated to 200 MHz min. What's your thought ? 2- About sensibility, my goal is to achieve -20 dB over the 0.1-6 GHz range (as "rated" spec). To get higher sensitivity, I need to add some RF amps. It would cost more and seems overkill for that application, but .... ? 3- Let's speak about input protection. More protected = less sensitivity. Right now, the front stage is protected by a voltage limiter (2x dual RF diode) but it will not support a huge peak (more than 30 dBm). Should I add some more protection ? In all case, the "rated" spec will be 10 dBm. 4- Connectors. The PCB board will input into a standard SMA connector. I first planned to provide the board with a short SMA/Type-N cable to mount inside the 53131A. This is not possible because the front-panel hole is not big enough and will require hardware mod to fit a Type-N connector. So, the only other option is a TNC connector at input. Is it a right choice ? A BNC @ 6+ GHz seems not a good idea, but works just fine too and is the industry standard... 5- I'm thinking about selling the prescaler board as a "nude" PCB or an assembled board. Should I sell a "kit" PCB too ? The board is all SMD and the main chip is a fine pitch TSSOP quite hard to solder. This is not for beginners. 6- Price. Last but not least : the price ! Right now, the original 3 GHz board costs $1100 and up to $2200 for the 5 GHz. What a ripoff ! You could buy some refurbished 3 GHz board on eBay for about $200. Thanks for your answers ! PS : Two pictures of the Beta 0.7 PCB measuring a 3 GHz / -30 dB signal (http://cpc.cx/OB) and a 8 GHz / 0 dB signal (http://cpc.cx/OA) PS2 : Sorry for my bad English. --------------------- Samuel DEMEULEMEESTER Presse Non Stop - Canard PC http://www.canardpc.com Tel : +33.6.13.73.4003 MSN : sam@x86.fr _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.