[time-nuts] Re: Stanford Research SR620 GBIB
Perhaps use the rs232 interface with a USB adapter? On 2021-08-28 04:29, Julien Goodwin wrote: On 28/8/21 5:33 pm, Volker Esper wrote: Julien, Can you please tell us wich GPIB-adapter you are using? Thanks Volker Didn't have that info to hand when I wrote the mail, one of these: http://www.galvant.ca/#!/store/gpibusb (possibly an earlier rev, but there's nothing on the PCB to indicate, other than a year of 2014) I should have an alternative *somewhere* around here, but I doubt my luck finding it, and it's a similar sort of device, just a different implementation. On 28/8/21 5:50 pm, Dave Baxter via time-nuts wrote: I'd be inclined to check the SR620's exact needs re command/query terminators, and also how exactly it terminates its responses. From your description, it sounds like that sort of issue. It may be, your GPIB device or its handler code is not recognising the end of the instruments response, and also buffers are not being flushed before starting another query transaction. So youre software get "out of step" between what it sends to the instrument and what it sees coming back. The eventual lockup, is also indicating potential buffer problems. I absolutely agree, except that it's not quite consistent behavior, and it's just the SR620 that does it. If I was consistently getting a reading delayed every time I'd assume one of the commands is responding that I don't expect, but that's not what it seems to be. Possibly adding a few extra sleep calls into my init code will help. You need to see "exactly" what data is happening on the GPIB itself, does your device/support code have any sort of bus analyzer capability? Nope, I could rig up an adapter on my MSO scope, or possibly pick up an old HP one, but the cost in almost any of these options (especially by the time you include shipping to Australia) is getting up there with just buying a newer HPAK counter. Given that such a logic analyser adapter is easy enough to design that I might as well do that, putting the PCBs and connectors on my next orders with those suppliers. 73. Dave G8KBV. Message: 4 Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2021 17:03:09 +1000 From: Julien Goodwin Subject: [time-nuts] Stanford Research SR620 GBIB To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Message-ID: <4e137f33-67e5-c00c-0293-16276e591...@studio442.com.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 For an upcoming (very time-nutty, and hopefully to be shared soon) project I need to finally do some frequency datalogging. I've had a Stanford SR620 sitting around, and plugged it in to a handy GPIB adapter (*not* a major commercial one, one of the community ones). While I can get it to talk GPIB there seems to be some reliability issues, with what looks to be some form of read buffering happening, with measurement results coming in as the answer to some later command. A few times I've even restarted it as it stopped responding (luckily that hasn't happened once measurements had started). Since I'm hoping to actually use measurements as part of a control loop this is obviously a bad thing. Does anyone have any experience with the SR620 & GPIB as to why this might be happening? I've not experienced this with other instruments (ancient HP, modern Keysight, recent Keithley, 90s Anritsu) I've used with the same GPIB adapter. The SR620 has version 1.48 firmware. -- On Sat, 28 Aug 2021 08:31 , wrote: Send time-nuts mailing list submissions to time-nuts@lists.febo.com To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to time-nuts-requ...@lists.febo.com You can reach the person managing the list at time-nuts-ow...@lists.febo.com When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of time-nuts digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Dana Whitlow) 2. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Lux, Jim) 3. Re: uncertainty/SNR of IQ measurements (Joseph Gwinn) 4. Stanford Research SR620 GBIB (Julien Goodwin) -- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:30:14 -0500 From: Dana Whitlow Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" If my watch were that bad, I'd toss it out and go shopping for a new one. I wonder if Leviton offers a version with an external ref input. Dana On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 12:12 AM D. Resor wrote: I inquired with Leviton as to the accuracy of the VTP24 24 Hour Programmable Timer with DST. https://www.leviton.com/en/products/vpt24-1pz Don Resor Here is the reply I received: Hello, Thank you for contacting Leviton technical support. According to the code it meets, it is required to have time keeping accuracy
[time-nuts] Re: Stanford Research SR620 GBIB
On 28/8/21 5:33 pm, Volker Esper wrote: > Julien, > Can you please tell us wich GPIB-adapter you are using? > Thanks > Volker Didn't have that info to hand when I wrote the mail, one of these: http://www.galvant.ca/#!/store/gpibusb (possibly an earlier rev, but there's nothing on the PCB to indicate, other than a year of 2014) I should have an alternative *somewhere* around here, but I doubt my luck finding it, and it's a similar sort of device, just a different implementation. On 28/8/21 5:50 pm, Dave Baxter via time-nuts wrote: > I'd be inclined to check the SR620's exact needs re command/query > terminators, and also how exactly it terminates its responses. > > From your description, it sounds like that sort of issue. > > It may be, your GPIB device or its handler code is not recognising the end > of the instruments response, and also buffers are not being flushed before > starting another query transaction. > > So youre software get "out of step" between what it sends to the instrument > and what it sees coming back. > > The eventual lockup, is also indicating potential buffer problems. I absolutely agree, except that it's not quite consistent behavior, and it's just the SR620 that does it. If I was consistently getting a reading delayed every time I'd assume one of the commands is responding that I don't expect, but that's not what it seems to be. Possibly adding a few extra sleep calls into my init code will help. > You need to see "exactly" what data is happening on the GPIB itself, does > your device/support code have any sort of bus analyzer capability? Nope, I could rig up an adapter on my MSO scope, or possibly pick up an old HP one, but the cost in almost any of these options (especially by the time you include shipping to Australia) is getting up there with just buying a newer HPAK counter. Given that such a logic analyser adapter is easy enough to design that I might as well do that, putting the PCBs and connectors on my next orders with those suppliers. > 73. > > Dave G8KBV. > > > Message: 4 > Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2021 17:03:09 +1000 > From: Julien Goodwin > Subject: [time-nuts] Stanford Research SR620 GBIB > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Message-ID: <4e137f33-67e5-c00c-0293-16276e591...@studio442.com.au> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > For an upcoming (very time-nutty, and hopefully to be shared soon) > project I need to finally do some frequency datalogging. > > I've had a Stanford SR620 sitting around, and plugged it in to a handy > GPIB adapter (*not* a major commercial one, one of the community ones). > > While I can get it to talk GPIB there seems to be some reliability > issues, with what looks to be some form of read buffering happening, > with measurement results coming in as the answer to some later command. > > A few times I've even restarted it as it stopped responding (luckily > that hasn't happened once measurements had started). > > Since I'm hoping to actually use measurements as part of a control loop > this is obviously a bad thing. > > Does anyone have any experience with the SR620 & GPIB as to why this > might be happening? > > I've not experienced this with other instruments (ancient HP, modern > Keysight, recent Keithley, 90s Anritsu) I've used with the same GPIB > adapter. > > The SR620 has version 1.48 firmware. > > -- > > On Sat, 28 Aug 2021 08:31 , wrote: > >> Send time-nuts mailing list submissions to >> time-nuts@lists.febo.com >> >> To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send a message with subject or >> body 'help' to >> time-nuts-requ...@lists.febo.com >> >> You can reach the person managing the list at >> time-nuts-ow...@lists.febo.com >> >> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific >> than "Re: Contents of time-nuts digest..." >> >> Today's Topics: >> >>1. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Dana Whitlow) >>2. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Lux, Jim) >>3. Re: uncertainty/SNR of IQ measurements (Joseph Gwinn) >>4. Stanford Research SR620 GBIB (Julien Goodwin) >> >> >> -- >> >> Message: 1 >> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:30:14 -0500 >> From: Dana Whitlow >> Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? >> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> >> Message-ID: >> > uq...@mail.gmail.com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" >> >> If my watch were that bad, I'd toss it out and go shopping for a new one. >> I wonder if Leviton offers a version with an external ref input. >> >> Dana >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 12:12 AM D. Resor wrote: >> >>> I inquired with Leviton as to the accuracy of the VTP24 24 Hour >>> Programmable >>> Timer with DST. >>> >>> https://www.leviton.com/en/products/vpt24-1pz >>> >>> Don Resor >>> >>> Here
[time-nuts] Re: Stanford Research SR620 GBIB
I'd be inclined to check the SR620's exact needs re command/query terminators, and also how exactly it terminates its responses. >From your description, it sounds like that sort of issue. It may be, your GPIB device or its handler code is not recognising the end of the instruments response, and also buffers are not being flushed before starting another query transaction. So youre software get "out of step" between what it sends to the instrument and what it sees coming back. The eventual lockup, is also indicating potential buffer problems. You need to see "exactly" what data is happening on the GPIB itself, does your device/support code have any sort of bus analyzer capability? 73. Dave G8KBV. Message: 4 Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2021 17:03:09 +1000 From: Julien Goodwin Subject: [time-nuts] Stanford Research SR620 GBIB To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Message-ID: <4e137f33-67e5-c00c-0293-16276e591...@studio442.com.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 For an upcoming (very time-nutty, and hopefully to be shared soon) project I need to finally do some frequency datalogging. I've had a Stanford SR620 sitting around, and plugged it in to a handy GPIB adapter (*not* a major commercial one, one of the community ones). While I can get it to talk GPIB there seems to be some reliability issues, with what looks to be some form of read buffering happening, with measurement results coming in as the answer to some later command. A few times I've even restarted it as it stopped responding (luckily that hasn't happened once measurements had started). Since I'm hoping to actually use measurements as part of a control loop this is obviously a bad thing. Does anyone have any experience with the SR620 & GPIB as to why this might be happening? I've not experienced this with other instruments (ancient HP, modern Keysight, recent Keithley, 90s Anritsu) I've used with the same GPIB adapter. The SR620 has version 1.48 firmware. -- On Sat, 28 Aug 2021 08:31 , wrote: > Send time-nuts mailing list submissions to > time-nuts@lists.febo.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send a message with subject or > body 'help' to > time-nuts-requ...@lists.febo.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > time-nuts-ow...@lists.febo.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of time-nuts digest..." > > Today's Topics: > >1. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Dana Whitlow) >2. Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? (Lux, Jim) >3. Re: uncertainty/SNR of IQ measurements (Joseph Gwinn) >4. Stanford Research SR620 GBIB (Julien Goodwin) > > > -- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:30:14 -0500 > From: Dana Whitlow > Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Message-ID: > uq...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > If my watch were that bad, I'd toss it out and go shopping for a new one. > I wonder if Leviton offers a version with an external ref input. > > Dana > > > On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 12:12 AM D. Resor wrote: > > > I inquired with Leviton as to the accuracy of the VTP24 24 Hour > > Programmable > > Timer with DST. > > > > https://www.leviton.com/en/products/vpt24-1pz > > > > Don Resor > > > > Here is the reply I received: > > > > Hello, > > > > Thank you for contacting Leviton technical support. According to the code > > it > > meets, it is required to have time keeping accuracy within 5 minutes > every > > year. > > > > It also uses a crystal to keep time, as it must maintain the time even > > during power outages. > > > > Regards, > > > > Virgilio Dominguez > > Technical Services Representative II > > Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. > > 201 North Service Road., Melville, NY 11747 > > > > ___ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com -- To unsubscribe > send > > an email to time-nuts-le...@lists.febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to and follow the instructions there. > > > > -- > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2021 06:25:06 -0700 > From: "Lux, Jim" > Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Leviton VTP24 Is this Time Accurate enough? > To: time-nuts@lists.febo.com > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed > > On 8/27/21 3:30 AM, Dana Whitlow wrote: > > If my watch were that bad, I'd toss it out and go shopping for a new one. > > I wonder if Leviton offers a version with an external ref input. > > > > Dana > > When your requirement is "turn the lights on and off with the sun" 5 > min/year is pretty good. > > OTOH, Perhaps there's an aftermarket for a modified version. Maybe > you've got a niche business opportunity there,
[time-nuts] Re: Stanford Research SR620 GBIB
Julien, Can you please tell us wich GPIB-adapter you are using? Thanks Volker Am 28. August 2021 09:03:09 MESZ schrieb Julien Goodwin : >For an upcoming (very time-nutty, and hopefully to be shared soon) >project I need to finally do some frequency datalogging. > >I've had a Stanford SR620 sitting around, and plugged it in to a handy >GPIB adapter (*not* a major commercial one, one of the community ones). > >While I can get it to talk GPIB there seems to be some reliability >issues, with what looks to be some form of read buffering happening, >with measurement results coming in as the answer to some later command. > >A few times I've even restarted it as it stopped responding (luckily >that hasn't happened once measurements had started). > >Since I'm hoping to actually use measurements as part of a control loop >this is obviously a bad thing. > >Does anyone have any experience with the SR620 & GPIB as to why this >might be happening? > >I've not experienced this with other instruments (ancient HP, modern >Keysight, recent Keithley, 90s Anritsu) I've used with the same GPIB >adapter. > >The SR620 has version 1.48 firmware. >___ >time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com -- To unsubscribe send an >email to time-nuts-le...@lists.febo.com >To unsubscribe, go to and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com -- To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-le...@lists.febo.com To unsubscribe, go to and follow the instructions there.
