Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[Mark Spencer]

Thanks John.   I just placed an order.

All the best
Mark S
VE7AFZ

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 7, 2016, at 11:45 AM, John Ackermann N8UR  wrote:
> 
> I'm happy to report that TAPR is now accepting orders for the TICC 
> timestamping / time interval counter.  We've placed an order with the 
> contract manufacturer and expect to have finished product ready to ship 
> sometime in February.  The TICC system will include the TICC shield mounted 
> on an Arduino Mega 2560 compatible processor, with TICC software loaded.  
> Each system will be tested for function before shipping.
> 
> As I mentioned in my original email, TAPR is going a bit out on a limb to 
> produce the TICC, and we have to make a significant up-front payment to our 
> contract manufacturer. So, early orders are very much appreciated to help 
> recover our cash flow.
> 
> The regular price will be $190 each for the TICC shield with Arduino 
> compatible processor,* but to encourage early orders, we're offering a $10 
> discount for orders placed on or before December 21 -- that makes the price 
> $180 plus shipping.
> 
> You can order from: http://tapr.org/kits_ticc.html
> 
> Thanks!
> John
> 
> * We will provide a Sainsmart version of the Arduino Mega 2560 R3.  They seem 
> to be a reliable supplier and we used these boards for TICC development.
> 
> 
>  Forwarded Message 
> Subject: [time-nuts] New Timestamping / Time Interval Counter: the TICC
> Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:48:57 -0500
> From: John Ackermann N8UR 
> 
> Counters with resolution below 1 nanosecond are difficult.
> They require either outrageous clock speeds, or interpolators
> that are typically a bunch of analog components mixed with black
> magic and stirred by frequent calibration.  The very best single-shot
> resolution that's been commercially available is 20 picoseconds in
> the Keysight 53230A and HP 5370A/B.  My 5370B has an one-second
> noise ADEV of about 4x10e-11.
> 
> With the help of some very talented friends, I've been working on a new
> counter called the "TICC" with <60ps resolution and similar jitter,
> based on the Texas Instruments TDC7200 time-to-data-converter chip. The
> one-second noise ADEV is about 7x10e-11, not much worse than the 5370,
> but here's the trick:  the TICC is an Arduino shield (mounting on a
> Mega 2560 controller) that weighs only a couple of ounces, requires
> *no* calibration, and is powered from a USB cable!
> 
> The TICC is implemented as a two-channel timestamping counter.  That
> means it can measure one or two low-frequency (e.g., pulse-per-second)
> inputs against an external 10 MHz reference, or it can do a traditional
> time interval measurement of one input against the other.  It can also
> measure period, ratio, or any other function of two-channel  timestamp
> data.  (And by the way -- multiple TICCs can be connected to yield 4,
> 6, 8, or more synchronized channels, though we haven't tested this
> capability yet.)
> 
> I've attached a picture of the TICC prototype as well as an ADEV plot
> of a 17+ day run of multiple measurements taken by two TICCs, and also
> showing the TICC noise floor.  The good news behind that plot is that
> there are more than 6 million data points behind these results, and
> there was not a single glitch or significant outlier among them.
> 
> There's more information available at http://febo.com/pages/TICC
> 
> The software is open source (BSD license) and is available at
> https://github.com/TAPR/TICC -- the current version seems be reliable
> but there are still features to add and a *lot* of cleanup to do; it's
> currently ugly and very much a work in process.
> 
> As always, I'll be making the TICC available through TAPR.  We're still
> finalizing details, but we expect the price to be less than $200 for a
> turn-key system:  TICC mounted on an Arduino with software loaded and
> tested for basic functionality.  We hope to ship the TICC by February.
> 
> I'll post a note in a week or two with final price and ordering
> information.  As a heads up, we will probably offer a small discoun
> for pre-orders.  TAPR is a shoestring non-profit group and the up-front
> cost to manufacture this unit will frankly be a challenge for us.
> Getting pre-orders will help our cash flow significantly, so we ask you
> to keep that in mind.
> 
> John
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ___
> 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.

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[jimlux]

On 12/8/16 3:34 PM, Don Latham wrote:

Hi Jim:  From a hardware multi drop viewpoint, the CAN Bus seems on paper to be 
simplest…
2 120 ohm resistors and a twisted pair…
Don

except no PC has a CAN interface, so debugging is a pain.  One advantage 
of USB is that pretty much every computer in the world has a USB.


Serial over USB is a pretty simple interface - and it's "very" fast in 
these emulated schemes - megabits/second.


There's been more than one occasion where we had just the sensor modules 
and i just plugged them into any PC, loaded and ran our Python code, and 
we were off and running.


So that's why we haven't really jumped to something else  - CAN and 
RS-485 are pretty similar - a shared twisted pair.


And there are USB-CAN pods and USB-RS485 pods that are fairly 
inexpensive (<$100).






On Dec 8, 2016, at 8:40 AM, jimlux  wrote:

On 12/8/16 6:18 AM, John Ackermann N8UR wrote:

Hi Luciano --

The expanded-channels scenario would use one TICC/Arduino pair for each
set of channels.  It would require much redesign to stack multiple TICCs
on a single Arduino, and I don't think one board would have the power to
handle it.

What I envisioned would be a set of TICC/Arduinos each putting their
data on USB, and then something like a RPi receiving the multiple USB
data streams and serving as a control unit that might multiplex the data
onto a single ethernet stream, or do processing/storage itself.

At this point, the TICC board includes the connections to allow multiple
boards to be synchronized but we haven't implemented the full system yet
-- in part because until now there are only 4 working TICCs in the
world, and they are in 3 locations!





This is the strategy I would use.  I've been using a lot of Teensy boards (a 
small Arduino clone from http://www.pjrc.com) for data acquisition, radar 
controls, and the like.  (see, e.g. FINDER
http://blogs.mathworks.com/headlines/2016/04/25/how-nasas-microwave-radar-designed-for-space-saved-lives-after-earthquake/)

I went through a variety of approaches - a multichannel data acquisition system 
from NI, etc. - this worked out the best - each little processor deals with ONE 
thing and one thing only, and streams the data out the serial port (emulated by 
USB) to a host processor which collects the data, aligns it, does all the post 
processing, etc.

For synchronization among multiple units, there's an input pin on each 
processor that I use as the sync input, driven either from a 1pps or from 
another of the processors (e.g. with a configuration where I've' got 1 
transmitter and 4 receivers, the transmitter sends the sync pulse, and the 
receivers all use that to sync their side)

We have been working on using something other than USB to collect the data: 
probably a shared RS485 type multidrop interface.  Our cumulative data rate 
isn't huge and most readily available host processors (PC, RPi, BBB, etc.) 
don't have lots of independent interfaces - they tend to have one or two or 
three of something.

The other approach we're looking at is making our own "data aggregator" with another 
teensy - if that's all it has to do, then even using a "soft UART" off a programmable IO 
pin is probably good enough to merge a dozen 10kbps streams into one.

BTW-
USB has all sorts of weird idiosyncracies as you propagate down through the 
succession of 4 port hubs, particularly with respect to power management (hubs 
can turn downstream ports on and off, but have to be able to be woken up), and 
most operating systems don't deal well with it.
Among Linux, Windows, and OS X, they all run into trouble with the OS's model of the 
power state of all the downstream hubs not matching the actual state.. it's a *hard* 
problem, and in a consumer environment, you tell them to just "unplug and 
replug" - that triggers a wakeup and re-enumeration of the tree.

I will add that almost all modern OS versions handle the USB serial number thing so that 
devices retain their same identity, no matter where they happen to be in the USB tree, 
and what's going on with enumeration.  No more do you deal with the the "COM port 
number changing capriciously", assuming your serial port supplier is following the 
rules.

(Of course, we DO have code that goes out and tries all possible com ports and 
probes them for our device, just in case)


___
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.



Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.
Lucky is he who has been able to understand the causes of things.
Virgil
---
"Noli sinere nothos te opprimere"

Dr. Don Latham, AJ7LL
Six Mile Systems LLC, 17850 Six Mile Road
Huson, MT, 59846
mailing address:  POBox 404
Frenchtown MT 59834-0404

VOX 406-626-4304
CEL 406-241-5093
Skype: buffler2
www.lightningforensics.com 

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[Don Latham]

Hi Jim:  From a hardware multi drop viewpoint, the CAN Bus seems on paper to be 
simplest…
2 120 ohm resistors and a twisted pair…
Don

> On Dec 8, 2016, at 8:40 AM, jimlux  wrote:
> 
> On 12/8/16 6:18 AM, John Ackermann N8UR wrote:
>> Hi Luciano --
>> 
>> The expanded-channels scenario would use one TICC/Arduino pair for each
>> set of channels.  It would require much redesign to stack multiple TICCs
>> on a single Arduino, and I don't think one board would have the power to
>> handle it.
>> 
>> What I envisioned would be a set of TICC/Arduinos each putting their
>> data on USB, and then something like a RPi receiving the multiple USB
>> data streams and serving as a control unit that might multiplex the data
>> onto a single ethernet stream, or do processing/storage itself.
>> 
>> At this point, the TICC board includes the connections to allow multiple
>> boards to be synchronized but we haven't implemented the full system yet
>> -- in part because until now there are only 4 working TICCs in the
>> world, and they are in 3 locations!
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the strategy I would use.  I've been using a lot of Teensy boards (a 
> small Arduino clone from http://www.pjrc.com) for data acquisition, radar 
> controls, and the like.  (see, e.g. FINDER
> http://blogs.mathworks.com/headlines/2016/04/25/how-nasas-microwave-radar-designed-for-space-saved-lives-after-earthquake/)
>  
> 
> I went through a variety of approaches - a multichannel data acquisition 
> system from NI, etc. - this worked out the best - each little processor deals 
> with ONE thing and one thing only, and streams the data out the serial port 
> (emulated by USB) to a host processor which collects the data, aligns it, 
> does all the post processing, etc.
> 
> For synchronization among multiple units, there's an input pin on each 
> processor that I use as the sync input, driven either from a 1pps or from 
> another of the processors (e.g. with a configuration where I've' got 1 
> transmitter and 4 receivers, the transmitter sends the sync pulse, and the 
> receivers all use that to sync their side)
> 
> We have been working on using something other than USB to collect the data: 
> probably a shared RS485 type multidrop interface.  Our cumulative data rate 
> isn't huge and most readily available host processors (PC, RPi, BBB, etc.) 
> don't have lots of independent interfaces - they tend to have one or two or 
> three of something.
> 
> The other approach we're looking at is making our own "data aggregator" with 
> another teensy - if that's all it has to do, then even using a "soft UART" 
> off a programmable IO pin is probably good enough to merge a dozen 10kbps 
> streams into one.
> 
> BTW-
> USB has all sorts of weird idiosyncracies as you propagate down through the 
> succession of 4 port hubs, particularly with respect to power management 
> (hubs can turn downstream ports on and off, but have to be able to be woken 
> up), and most operating systems don't deal well with it.
> Among Linux, Windows, and OS X, they all run into trouble with the OS's model 
> of the power state of all the downstream hubs not matching the actual state.. 
> it's a *hard* problem, and in a consumer environment, you tell them to just 
> "unplug and replug" - that triggers a wakeup and re-enumeration of the tree.
> 
> I will add that almost all modern OS versions handle the USB serial number 
> thing so that devices retain their same identity, no matter where they happen 
> to be in the USB tree, and what's going on with enumeration.  No more do you 
> deal with the the "COM port number changing capriciously", assuming your 
> serial port supplier is following the rules.
> 
> (Of course, we DO have code that goes out and tries all possible com ports 
> and probes them for our device, just in case)
> 
> 
> ___
> 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.
> 

Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.
Lucky is he who has been able to understand the causes of things.
Virgil
---
"Noli sinere nothos te opprimere"

Dr. Don Latham, AJ7LL
Six Mile Systems LLC, 17850 Six Mile Road
Huson, MT, 59846
mailing address:  POBox 404
Frenchtown MT 59834-0404

VOX 406-626-4304
CEL 406-241-5093
Skype: buffler2
www.lightningforensics.com 
www.sixmilesystems.com 
___
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.

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[jimlux]

On 12/8/16 7:39 AM, timeok wrote:


   John,
   Ok I know the development job is very hard with a lot of rework and time 
spending.
   I will try your basic unit but I hope you will develop a "multiboard" 
scenario with a single USB to send the real time data to Timelab.
   Thank you again to you and the group for what you are doing for us.
   Luciano
   www.timeok.it




given how cheap Arduinos are,  you're not saving much by stacking 
multiple $100 boards on a single $15 Arduino.   I would say a "multi 
USB" would be better long term approach, assuming one can "synchronize" 
multiple boards with some sort of simple interconnect.


___
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.

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[timeok]

   John,
   Ok I know the development job is very hard with a lot of rework and time 
spending.
   I will try your basic unit but I hope you will develop a "multiboard" 
scenario with a single USB to send the real time data to Timelab.
   Thank you again to you and the group for what you are doing for us.
   Luciano
   www.timeok.it


   From "time-nuts" time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
   To time-nuts@febo.com
   Cc
   Date Thu, 8 Dec 2016 09:18:51 -0500
   Subject Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- 
Available to Order
   Hi Luciano --

   The expanded-channels scenario would use one TICC/Arduino pair for each
   set of channels. It would require much redesign to stack multiple TICCs
   on a single Arduino, and I don't think one board would have the power to
   handle it.

   What I envisioned would be a set of TICC/Arduinos each putting their
   data on USB, and then something like a RPi receiving the multiple USB
   data streams and serving as a control unit that might multiplex the data
   onto a single ethernet stream, or do processing/storage itself.

   At this point, the TICC board includes the connections to allow multiple
   boards to be synchronized but we haven't implemented the full system yet
   -- in part because until now there are only 4 working TICCs in the
   world, and they are in 3 locations!

   John
   

   On 12/8/2016 8:09 AM, timeok wrote:
   >
   > Hi John,
   > a question: In the draft operating manual is write is possible to use 2, 4 
,6 etc. input using multiple (1,2,3) TICC.
   > How are connected the extra TICC boards?
   > Is it possible a single Arduino drive multiple boards or each board is 
connected to an Arduino processor?
   > thanks,
   > Luciano
   > www.timeok.it
   >
   >
   > From "time-nuts" time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
   > To "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" 
time-nuts@febo.com
   > Cc
   > Date Wed, 7 Dec 2016 14:45:17 -0500
   > Subject [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available 
to Order
   > I'm happy to report that TAPR is now accepting orders for the TICC
   > timestamping / time interval counter. We've placed an order with the
   > contract manufacturer and expect to have finished product ready to ship
   > sometime in February. The TICC system will include the TICC shield
   > mounted on an Arduino Mega 2560 compatible processor, with TICC software
   > loaded. Each system will be tested for function before shipping.
   >
   > As I mentioned in my original email, TAPR is going a bit out on a limb
   > to produce the TICC, and we have to make a significant up-front payment
   > to our contract manufacturer. So, early orders are very much appreciated
   > to help recover our cash flow.
   >
   > The regular price will be $190 each for the TICC shield with Arduino
   > compatible processor,* but to encourage early orders, we're offering a
   > $10 discount for orders placed on or before December 21 -- that makes
   > the price $180 plus shipping.
   >
   > You can order from: http://tapr.org/kits_ticc.html
   >
   > Thanks!
   > John
   >
   > * We will provide a Sainsmart version of the Arduino Mega 2560 R3. They
   > seem to be a reliable supplier and we used these boards for TICC
   > development.
   >
   >
   >  Forwarded Message 
   > Subject: [time-nuts] New Timestamping / Time Interval Counter: the TICC
   > Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:48:57 -0500
   > From: John Ackermann N8UR <j...@febo.com>
   >
   > Counters with resolution below 1 nanosecond are difficult.
   > They require either outrageous clock speeds, or interpolators
   > that are typically a bunch of analog components mixed with black
   > magic and stirred by frequent calibration. The very best single-shot
   > resolution that's been commercially available is 20 picoseconds in
   > the Keysight 53230A and HP 5370A/B. My 5370B has an one-second
   > noise ADEV of about 4x10e-11.
   >
   > With the help of some very talented friends, I've been working on a new
   > counter called the "TICC" with <60ps resolution and similar jitter,
   > based the Texas Instruments TDC7200 time-to-data-converter chip. The
   > noise ADEV is about 7x10e-11, not much worse than the 5370,
   > but here's the trick: the TICC is an Arduino shield (mounting a
   > Mega 2560 controller) that weighs a couple of ounces, requires
   > *no* calibration, and is powered from a USB cable!
   >
   > The TICC is implemented as a two-channel timestamping counter. That
   > means it can measure or two low-frequency (e.g., pulse-per-second)
   > inputs against an external 10 MHz reference, or it can do a traditional
   > time interval measurement of input against the other. It can al

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[jimlux]

On 12/8/16 6:18 AM, John Ackermann N8UR wrote:

Hi Luciano --

The expanded-channels scenario would use one TICC/Arduino pair for each
set of channels.  It would require much redesign to stack multiple TICCs
on a single Arduino, and I don't think one board would have the power to
handle it.

What I envisioned would be a set of TICC/Arduinos each putting their
data on USB, and then something like a RPi receiving the multiple USB
data streams and serving as a control unit that might multiplex the data
onto a single ethernet stream, or do processing/storage itself.

At this point, the TICC board includes the connections to allow multiple
boards to be synchronized but we haven't implemented the full system yet
-- in part because until now there are only 4 working TICCs in the
world, and they are in 3 locations!





This is the strategy I would use.  I've been using a lot of Teensy 
boards (a small Arduino clone from http://www.pjrc.com) for data 
acquisition, radar controls, and the like.  (see, e.g. FINDER
http://blogs.mathworks.com/headlines/2016/04/25/how-nasas-microwave-radar-designed-for-space-saved-lives-after-earthquake/) 



I went through a variety of approaches - a multichannel data acquisition 
system from NI, etc. - this worked out the best - each little processor 
deals with ONE thing and one thing only, and streams the data out the 
serial port (emulated by USB) to a host processor which collects the 
data, aligns it, does all the post processing, etc.


For synchronization among multiple units, there's an input pin on each 
processor that I use as the sync input, driven either from a 1pps or 
from another of the processors (e.g. with a configuration where I've' 
got 1 transmitter and 4 receivers, the transmitter sends the sync pulse, 
and the receivers all use that to sync their side)


We have been working on using something other than USB to collect the 
data: probably a shared RS485 type multidrop interface.  Our cumulative 
data rate isn't huge and most readily available host processors (PC, 
RPi, BBB, etc.) don't have lots of independent interfaces - they tend to 
have one or two or three of something.


The other approach we're looking at is making our own "data aggregator" 
with another teensy - if that's all it has to do, then even using a 
"soft UART" off a programmable IO pin is probably good enough to merge a 
dozen 10kbps streams into one.


BTW-
USB has all sorts of weird idiosyncracies as you propagate down through 
the succession of 4 port hubs, particularly with respect to power 
management (hubs can turn downstream ports on and off, but have to be 
able to be woken up), and most operating systems don't deal well with it.
Among Linux, Windows, and OS X, they all run into trouble with the OS's 
model of the power state of all the downstream hubs not matching the 
actual state.. it's a *hard* problem, and in a consumer environment, you 
tell them to just "unplug and replug" - that triggers a wakeup and 
re-enumeration of the tree.


I will add that almost all modern OS versions handle the USB serial 
number thing so that devices retain their same identity, no matter where 
they happen to be in the USB tree, and what's going on with enumeration. 
 No more do you deal with the the "COM port number changing 
capriciously", assuming your serial port supplier is following the rules.


(Of course, we DO have code that goes out and tries all possible com 
ports and probes them for our device, just in case)



___
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.

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[John Ackermann N8UR]

Hi Luciano --

The expanded-channels scenario would use one TICC/Arduino pair for each 
set of channels.  It would require much redesign to stack multiple TICCs 
on a single Arduino, and I don't think one board would have the power to 
handle it.


What I envisioned would be a set of TICC/Arduinos each putting their 
data on USB, and then something like a RPi receiving the multiple USB 
data streams and serving as a control unit that might multiplex the data 
onto a single ethernet stream, or do processing/storage itself.


At this point, the TICC board includes the connections to allow multiple 
boards to be synchronized but we haven't implemented the full system yet 
-- in part because until now there are only 4 working TICCs in the 
world, and they are in 3 locations!


John


On 12/8/2016 8:09 AM, timeok wrote:


Hi John,
a question: In the draft operating manual is write is possible to use 2, 4 
,6 etc. input using multiple (1,2,3) TICC.
How are connected the extra TICC boards?
Is it possible a single Arduino drive multiple boards or each board is 
connected to an Arduino processor?
thanks,
Luciano
www.timeok.it


From "time-nuts" time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
To "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" time-nuts@febo.com
Cc
Date Wed, 7 Dec 2016 14:45:17 -0500
    Subject [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available 
to Order
I'm happy to report that TAPR is now accepting orders for the TICC
timestamping / time interval counter. We've placed an order with the
contract manufacturer and expect to have finished product ready to ship
sometime in February. The TICC system will include the TICC shield
mounted on an Arduino Mega 2560 compatible processor, with TICC software
loaded. Each system will be tested for function before shipping.

As I mentioned in my original email, TAPR is going a bit out on a limb
to produce the TICC, and we have to make a significant up-front payment
to our contract manufacturer. So, early orders are very much appreciated
to help recover our cash flow.

The regular price will be $190 each for the TICC shield with Arduino
compatible processor,* but to encourage early orders, we're offering a
$10 discount for orders placed on or before December 21 -- that makes
the price $180 plus shipping.

You can order from: http://tapr.org/kits_ticc.html

Thanks!
John

* We will provide a Sainsmart version of the Arduino Mega 2560 R3. They
seem to be a reliable supplier and we used these boards for TICC
development.


 Forwarded Message 
Subject: [time-nuts] New Timestamping / Time Interval Counter: the TICC
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:48:57 -0500
From: John Ackermann N8UR <j...@febo.com>

Counters with resolution below 1 nanosecond are difficult.
They require either outrageous clock speeds, or interpolators
that are typically a bunch of analog components mixed with black
magic and stirred by frequent calibration. The very best single-shot
resolution that's been commercially available is 20 picoseconds in
the Keysight 53230A and HP 5370A/B. My 5370B has an one-second
noise ADEV of about 4x10e-11.

With the help of some very talented friends, I've been working on a new
counter called the "TICC" with <60ps resolution and similar jitter,
based the Texas Instruments TDC7200 time-to-data-converter chip. The
noise ADEV is about 7x10e-11, not much worse than the 5370,
but here's the trick: the TICC is an Arduino shield (mounting a
Mega 2560 controller) that weighs a couple of ounces, requires
*no* calibration, and is powered from a USB cable!

The TICC is implemented as a two-channel timestamping counter. That
means it can measure or two low-frequency (e.g., pulse-per-second)
inputs against an external 10 MHz reference, or it can do a traditional
time interval measurement of input against the other. It can also
measure period, ratio, or any other function of two-channel timestamp
data. (And by the way -- multiple TICCs can be connected to yield 4,
6, 8, or more synchronized channels, though we haven't tested this
capability yet.)

I've attached a picture of the TICC prototype as well as an ADEV plot
of a 17+ day run of multiple measurements taken by two TICCs, and also
showing the TICC noise floor. The good news behind that plot is that
there are more than 6 million data points behind these results, and
there was not a single glitch or significant outlier among them.

There's more information available at http://febo.com/pages/TICC

The software is open source (BSD license) and is available at
https://github.com/TAPR/TICC -- the current version seems be reliable
but there are still features to add and a *lot* of cleanup to do; it's
current

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[timeok]

   Hi John,
   a question: In the draft operating manual is write is possible to use 2, 4 
,6 etc. input using multiple (1,2,3) TICC.
   How are connected the extra TICC boards?
   Is it possible a single Arduino drive multiple boards or each board is 
connected to an Arduino processor?
   thanks,
   Luciano
   www.timeok.it


   From "time-nuts" time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
   To "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" time-nuts@febo.com
   Cc
   Date Wed, 7 Dec 2016 14:45:17 -0500
   Subject [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available 
to Order
   I'm happy to report that TAPR is now accepting orders for the TICC
   timestamping / time interval counter. We've placed an order with the
   contract manufacturer and expect to have finished product ready to ship
   sometime in February. The TICC system will include the TICC shield
   mounted on an Arduino Mega 2560 compatible processor, with TICC software
   loaded. Each system will be tested for function before shipping.

   As I mentioned in my original email, TAPR is going a bit out on a limb
   to produce the TICC, and we have to make a significant up-front payment
   to our contract manufacturer. So, early orders are very much appreciated
   to help recover our cash flow.

   The regular price will be $190 each for the TICC shield with Arduino
   compatible processor,* but to encourage early orders, we're offering a
   $10 discount for orders placed on or before December 21 -- that makes
   the price $180 plus shipping.

   You can order from: http://tapr.org/kits_ticc.html

   Thanks!
   John

   * We will provide a Sainsmart version of the Arduino Mega 2560 R3. They
   seem to be a reliable supplier and we used these boards for TICC
   development.


    Forwarded Message 
   Subject: [time-nuts] New Timestamping / Time Interval Counter: the TICC
   Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:48:57 -0500
   From: John Ackermann N8UR <j...@febo.com>

   Counters with resolution below 1 nanosecond are difficult.
   They require either outrageous clock speeds, or interpolators
   that are typically a bunch of analog components mixed with black
   magic and stirred by frequent calibration. The very best single-shot
   resolution that's been commercially available is 20 picoseconds in
   the Keysight 53230A and HP 5370A/B. My 5370B has an one-second
   noise ADEV of about 4x10e-11.

   With the help of some very talented friends, I've been working on a new
   counter called the "TICC" with <60ps resolution and similar jitter,
   based the Texas Instruments TDC7200 time-to-data-converter chip. The
   noise ADEV is about 7x10e-11, not much worse than the 5370,
   but here's the trick: the TICC is an Arduino shield (mounting a
   Mega 2560 controller) that weighs a couple of ounces, requires
   *no* calibration, and is powered from a USB cable!

   The TICC is implemented as a two-channel timestamping counter. That
   means it can measure or two low-frequency (e.g., pulse-per-second)
   inputs against an external 10 MHz reference, or it can do a traditional
   time interval measurement of input against the other. It can also
   measure period, ratio, or any other function of two-channel timestamp
   data. (And by the way -- multiple TICCs can be connected to yield 4,
   6, 8, or more synchronized channels, though we haven't tested this
   capability yet.)

   I've attached a picture of the TICC prototype as well as an ADEV plot
   of a 17+ day run of multiple measurements taken by two TICCs, and also
   showing the TICC noise floor. The good news behind that plot is that
   there are more than 6 million data points behind these results, and
   there was not a single glitch or significant outlier among them.

   There's more information available at http://febo.com/pages/TICC

   The software is open source (BSD license) and is available at
   https://github.com/TAPR/TICC -- the current version seems be reliable
   but there are still features to add and a *lot* of cleanup to do; it's
   currently ugly and very much a work in process.

   As always, I'll be making the TICC available through TAPR. We're still
   finalizing details, but we expect the price to be less than $200 for a
   turn-key system: TICC mounted an Arduino with software loaded and
   tested for basic functionality. We hope to ship the TICC by February.

   I'll post a note in a week or two with final price and ordering
   information. As a heads up, we will probably offer a small discoun
   for pre-orders. TAPR is a shoestring non-profit group and the up-front
   cost to manufacture this unit will frankly be a challenge for us.
   Getting pre-orders will help our cash flow significantly, so we ask you
   to keep that in mind.

   John
___
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.

Re: [time-nuts] TICC Timestamping / Time Interval Counter -- Available to Order

[Christopher Hoover]

Thanks, John!Just ordered two and looking forward to receiving it.  73,
Christopher de AI6KG

On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 11:45 AM, John Ackermann N8UR  wrote:

> I'm happy to report that TAPR is now accepting orders for the TICC
> timestamping / time interval counter.  We've placed an order with the
> contract manufacturer and expect to have finished product ready to ship
> sometime in February.  The TICC system will include the TICC shield mounted
> on an Arduino Mega 2560 compatible processor, with TICC software loaded.
> Each system will be tested for function before shipping.
>
> As I mentioned in my original email, TAPR is going a bit out on a limb to
> produce the TICC, and we have to make a significant up-front payment to our
> contract manufacturer. So, early orders are very much appreciated to help
> recover our cash flow.
>
> The regular price will be $190 each for the TICC shield with Arduino
> compatible processor,* but to encourage early orders, we're offering a $10
> discount for orders placed on or before December 21 -- that makes the price
> $180 plus shipping.
>
> You can order from: http://tapr.org/kits_ticc.html
>
> Thanks!
> John
>
> * We will provide a Sainsmart version of the Arduino Mega 2560 R3.  They
> seem to be a reliable supplier and we used these boards for TICC
> development.
>
>
>  Forwarded Message 
> Subject: [time-nuts] New Timestamping / Time Interval Counter: the TICC
> Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:48:57 -0500
> From: John Ackermann N8UR 
>
> Counters with resolution below 1 nanosecond are difficult.
> They require either outrageous clock speeds, or interpolators
> that are typically a bunch of analog components mixed with black
> magic and stirred by frequent calibration.  The very best single-shot
> resolution that's been commercially available is 20 picoseconds in
> the Keysight 53230A and HP 5370A/B.  My 5370B has an one-second
> noise ADEV of about 4x10e-11.
>
> With the help of some very talented friends, I've been working on a new
> counter called the "TICC" with <60ps resolution and similar jitter,
> based on the Texas Instruments TDC7200 time-to-data-converter chip. The
> one-second noise ADEV is about 7x10e-11, not much worse than the 5370,
> but here's the trick:  the TICC is an Arduino shield (mounting on a
> Mega 2560 controller) that weighs only a couple of ounces, requires
> *no* calibration, and is powered from a USB cable!
>
> The TICC is implemented as a two-channel timestamping counter.  That
> means it can measure one or two low-frequency (e.g., pulse-per-second)
> inputs against an external 10 MHz reference, or it can do a traditional
> time interval measurement of one input against the other.  It can also
> measure period, ratio, or any other function of two-channel  timestamp
> data.  (And by the way -- multiple TICCs can be connected to yield 4,
> 6, 8, or more synchronized channels, though we haven't tested this
> capability yet.)
>
> I've attached a picture of the TICC prototype as well as an ADEV plot
> of a 17+ day run of multiple measurements taken by two TICCs, and also
> showing the TICC noise floor.  The good news behind that plot is that
> there are more than 6 million data points behind these results, and
> there was not a single glitch or significant outlier among them.
>
> There's more information available at http://febo.com/pages/TICC
>
> The software is open source (BSD license) and is available at
> https://github.com/TAPR/TICC -- the current version seems be reliable
> but there are still features to add and a *lot* of cleanup to do; it's
> currently ugly and very much a work in process.
>
> As always, I'll be making the TICC available through TAPR.  We're still
> finalizing details, but we expect the price to be less than $200 for a
> turn-key system:  TICC mounted on an Arduino with software loaded and
> tested for basic functionality.  We hope to ship the TICC by February.
>
> I'll post a note in a week or two with final price and ordering
> information.  As a heads up, we will probably offer a small discoun
> for pre-orders.  TAPR is a shoestring non-profit group and the up-front
> cost to manufacture this unit will frankly be a challenge for us.
> Getting pre-orders will help our cash flow significantly, so we ask you
> to keep that in mind.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
> ___
> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/m
> ailman/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.