Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Hal Murray
> Noise spectra down into the 1/f region (< 10 Hz) would be nice. Usually that stuff scales with the master clock frequency. There are a couple of shorted-input graphs on page 11. They go down to 1 Hz. Figure 15 on the next page goes down to 0.2 Hz. For EFC type uses, I'd expect the drift o

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Magnus Danielson
On 06/29/2010 01:45 AM, Hal Murray wrote: The one I'm building up is a ADS1278 http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ads1278.pdf There are others in the series with fewer inputs. As with a lot of converters, there isn't a whole lot of data on them. What are you looking for? There is a section o

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Bob Camp
Hi Noise spectra down into the 1/f region (< 10 Hz) would be nice. Bob On Jun 28, 2010, at 7:45 PM, Hal Murray wrote: > >> The one I'm building up is a ADS1278 >> http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ads1278.pdf >> There are others in the series with fewer inputs. As with a lot of >> converters

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Hal Murray
> The one I'm building up is a ADS1278 > http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ads1278.pdf > There are others in the series with fewer inputs. As with a lot of > converters, there isn't a whole lot of data on them. What are you looking for? There is a section of DC parameters on page 3. No missin

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Bob Camp
; > -Original Message- > From: Bob Camp > Sender: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com > Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:18:32 > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Reply-To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Subject: Re: [time-

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Didier Juges
-boun...@febo.com Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:18:32 To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Reply-To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking Hi TI has a line of ADC's that drop a chopper stabilization loop around a fairly

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-28 Thread Bob Camp
Hi TI has a line of ADC's that drop a chopper stabilization loop around a fairly normal 24 bit "audio ADC" part. Their claimed benefit is that they take down the level of flicker noise and DC drift present in audio only parts. Since most of the "interesting" stuff on an EFC is long time span,

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-27 Thread Steve Rooke
ge- > From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On > Behalf Of Poul-Henning Kamp > Sent: 26 June 2010 21:06 > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking > > In message <4c265bb1.8090...@earthlink.

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-27 Thread Poul-Henning Kamp
In message , "John Miles" writes: >> That is actually a very debatable proposition, a lot of them are >> tracking types that conveniently cover up any lack of linearity >> on the analog side of the fence. > >Can you elaborate on that? Linearity is linearity - wouldn't it ultimately >show up in th

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread jimlux
Didier Juges wrote: I am not sure how to translate the IMD specs into integral or differential non-linearity, but from what I have seen, IMD specs are not significantly better for 24 bit sound cards than for the older high-end 16 bit models, when high-end 16 bit models were available. Noise specs

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread jimlux
Didier Juges wrote: I can only guess at what a sound card with linearity specs approaching those of the AD kit would cost, and it's still AC coupled, and as Poul pointed out, has no long term stability spec. This *is* an issue.. the audio ADCs have great performance in the "sub 1 second" sort

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Didier Juges
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:25:28 To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Reply-To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking > >sound card ADCs, the high end 24 bit ones, are pretty darn linear [...] > &

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread WB6BNQ
Hi Steve, Let me build on the VFC idea for a minute. If I am understanding your interest properly, you are wanting to monitor and track the EFC changes then process that information as a form of studying the stability to some degree. Is that correct ? Well, it occurred to me, admittedly after

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread John Miles
> >sound card ADCs, the high end 24 bit ones, are pretty darn linear [...] > > That is actually a very debatable proposition, a lot of them are > tracking types that conveniently cover up any lack of linearity > on the analog side of the fence. Can you elaborate on that? Linearity is linearity -

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Didier Juges
o.com Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:57:37 To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Reply-To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking Didier Juges wrote: > Steve, > > You may want to check the "Analog Devices Min

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Chris Stake
Here we go again C -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Poul-Henning Kamp Sent: 26 June 2010 21:06 To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking In message <4c265bb1.8

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Poul-Henning Kamp
In message <4c265bb1.8090...@earthlink.net>, jimlux writes: >sound card ADCs, the high end 24 bit ones, are pretty darn linear [...] That is actually a very debatable proposition, a lot of them are tracking types that conveniently cover up any lack of linearity on the analog side of the fence. T

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread jimlux
Didier Juges wrote: Steve, You may want to check the "Analog Devices MiniKit for ADuC702x-series". http://www.google.com/search?q=Analog+Devices+MiniKit+for+ADuC702x-series This kit includes a 24 bit ADC and integrated ARM processor in a small PWB with all the tools and sample code to do what

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread J.D. Bakker
At 01:43 +1200 27-06-2010, Steve Rooke wrote: > I don't know if it qualifies as simple/cheap, but Analog Devices and others have single chip low-rate sigma/delta converters with good to excellent > properties; these were meant for strain gauges but should be able to track > slow-moving cont

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread J.D. Bakker
At 06:40 -0700 26-06-2010, jimlux wrote: J.D. Bakker wrote: Charge injection is a bit on the high side on a 4066; a more expensive (A)DG4xx-series chip may improve on that. Or the traditional chopper approach of a mercury wetted reed relay? Good luck with that in this day an

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Hal Murray
[voltage-to-frequency converter] > I just had one of those duh! moments :) It does make the sampling a little > more complicated as I'd have to take a number of samples and do something > like a FFT to get the frequency, I think. My idea seemed just a simple way > to just make a single, or limited

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Didier Juges
Original Message- > > From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com > > [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Steve Rooke > > Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 7:13 AM > > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Subject: [time-nuts] EFC tracking >

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Didier Juges
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: [time-nuts] EFC tracking > > I would like to track the EFC voltage in hardware using > something cheap and ready to hand. I was thinking of using a > sound card as it has good resolution but it's obviously on

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Raj
Steve, Do a simulation and see how your card behaves. I've had some unexpected results in similar attempts years ago. Nothing like an add on card suitable for the job. These cards are not cheap. >I would like to track the EFC voltage in hardware using something >cheap and ready to hand. I was

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Raj
Steve, Large amplitude signals on the input ports tend to leak into the inputs on sound cards. Isolation testing required! >> Soundcards have inputs and outputs. You can feed the output with a >> series of samples that represent your control waveform. The PC becomes >> the oscillator and you kn

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread jimlux
Steve Rooke wrote: The eval board for the part may have a computer interface built into it. So I need to locate this if possible, any pointer please? Go to Analog Devices website (http://www.analog.com/) and find your ADC.. typically there's an eval board with a USB interface available. Fo

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Chuck Harris
Oz-in-DFW wrote: Chopping is used to cancel DC offsets in imperfect amplifiers, it adds no gain. If there is a DC component and you filter with a cutoff frequency below the chop rate, the offsets of the amplifier can be effectively canceled. Chopping isn't quite that magical. You chop the D

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
Oz, On 27 June 2010 01:49, Oz-in-DFW wrote: > Soundcards have inputs and outputs.  You can feed the output with a > series of samples that represent your control waveform.  The PC becomes > the oscillator and you know it's frequency and relative phase track. Brilliant! > Chopping is used to ca

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
On 27 June 2010 01:40, jimlux wrote: > J.D. Bakker wrote: >>> >>> I wonder if anyone has done something like this before and could share >>> their experiences. >> >> The general principle should work. However, as you're interested in slow >> changes, there are some error sources that might be unac

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Oz-in-DFW
On 6/26/2010 8:36 AM, Steve Rooke wrote: > Oz, > > On 27 June 2010 01:09, Oz-in-DFW wrote: > > On 6/26/2010 7:12 AM, Steve Rooke wrote: > >>> >>> >>> >> I've done similar stuff in work projects, but never written code. I've >> thought about this some as well. I'd consider a few thin

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
Bill, On 27 June 2010 01:21, WB6BNQ wrote: > Steve, > > I think using a voltage-to-frequency converter would solve that problem.  They > are not too expensive and there are several flavors from Amalog devices and > some > others. I just had one of those duh! moments :) It does make the sampling

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
JDB, On 27 June 2010 01:19, J.D. Bakker wrote: >> I wonder if anyone has done something like this before and could share >> their experiences. > > The general principle should work. However, as you're interested in slow > changes, there are some error sources that might be unacceptable, including

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread jimlux
J.D. Bakker wrote: I wonder if anyone has done something like this before and could share their experiences. The general principle should work. However, as you're interested in slow changes, there are some error sources that might be unacceptable, including the drift of (differential) channel

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
Oz, On 27 June 2010 01:09, Oz-in-DFW wrote: > > > On 6/26/2010 7:12 AM, Steve Rooke wrote: >> >> I next thought about turning the DC into AC by chopping it, IE. >> inverting 50% of the voltage via an oscillator. This way I could pass >> the square wave directly into an unmodified sound card, tak

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread WB6BNQ
Steve, I think using a voltage-to-frequency converter would solve that problem. They are not too expensive and there are several flavors from Amalog devices and some others. Just set it for a 1KHz start point or maybe 10KHz. BillWB6BNQ Steve Rooke wrote: > I would like to track the EFC v

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread J.D. Bakker
I wonder if anyone has done something like this before and could share their experiences. The general principle should work. However, as you're interested in slow changes, there are some error sources that might be unacceptable, including the drift of (differential) channel resistances for th

Re: [time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Oz-in-DFW
On 6/26/2010 7:12 AM, Steve Rooke wrote: > > I next thought about turning the DC into AC by chopping it, IE. > inverting 50% of the voltage via an oscillator. This way I could pass > the square wave directly into an unmodified sound card, take > measurements and then do an RMS calculation on th

[time-nuts] EFC tracking

2010-06-26 Thread Steve Rooke
I would like to track the EFC voltage in hardware using something cheap and ready to hand. I was thinking of using a sound card as it has good resolution but it's obviously only AC coupled so it would not measure the DC of the EFC. I thought about modifying a sound card to make it DC coupled but mo