Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-21 Thread Bob Camp
Hi I found that I was past the network analyzers 120 db floor with two stages at 10 MHz. Actually the reactive termination thing is a bit of a "maybe yes / maybe no" sort of thing. It seems to help with some setups and not with others. What does work just about always is to terminate the mixer

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-21 Thread Bruce Griffiths
Have achieved around 120db with 3 cascaded 2N3904 CB amps. Something like a BFQ18 broadband transistor with its built in emitter ballasting may be a better choice. They work well in a pushpull CB Norton transformer feedback amp to boost the +7dBm output of an OCXO to +19dBm. Unfortunately Nort

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bob Camp
Hi A pair of common base amps will get you to what ever your layout will permit. A single common base at 10 MHz should get you to at least 60 db with a little care. If you run a reasonable transistor you can run levels that will fry a 10 or a 13 dbm mixer. Again, all the discrete circuits work

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bruce Griffiths
Reverse isolation at 10MHz is around 43dB. This can be improved significantly by using a Sziklai pair instead of a single transistor in each amplifier. However one could also do this in a CB amp. Since phase detectors require LO and RF input levels of around 10dBm either deign should suffice.

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bob Camp
Hi A few more parts and likely not quite as much isolation. None of that means it won't do a good job though. Bob On Nov 20, 2012, at 11:20 PM, Bruce Griffiths wrote: > The attached circuit is somewhat more efficient and a little quieter. > With a little elaboration lower distortion is poss

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bob Camp
Hi Given that common practice is to mis-match the IF port on the mixers, it's probably not realistic to depend on exact match for isolation. Simple / cheap common base buffers likely are a better approach. Lots of isolation and not much flicker noise. Bob On Nov 20, 2012, at 9:01 PM, Bruce G

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bruce Griffiths
The details about matching (if any) used in the Czech DMTD would be informative. To avoid degrading the performance of the DMTD system below that imposed by the mixers any isolation amps used will need a flicker phase noise floor below that of the mixers. Even an opamp based isolation amplifie

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bob Camp
Hi Those isolation numbers are *highly* dependent on very good matching at all ports. That's rarely the case unless you have a bunch of pads running around the system. Bob On Nov 20, 2012, at 5:49 PM, Bruce Griffiths wrote: > Typical Minicircuits SMT RF amps have a phase noise at best 20dB w

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bruce Griffiths
Typical Minicircuits SMT RF amps have a phase noise at best 20dB worse (@10Hz offset) than the mixer/phase detector. Their reverse isolation is quite low (<<40dB) The principle reason that the Czech DMTD has such low internal noise is due to the absence of any isolation amplifiers. They use the

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bruce Griffiths
Since mixer noise is one of the limiting factors using a mixer with low flicker noise will help. NIST found that a custom mixer using diode connected (collector base short) 2N222As had a significantly lower flicker phase noise than either the ZRPD1 or the 10534A. They used off the shelf 1:5 impe

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread EWKehren
Yes Bruce I have the paper. I am not suggesting to copy it verbatim but if there is a way to reach reasonable priced 1 E-14 members of the list should pipe in. I am willing to do an other board. the rest of the systems well on its way. Einally after three years. Bert Kehren In a message d

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread Bruce Griffiths
ewkeh...@aol.com wrote: The D/M is being revisited because of the counter performance. 1 E-13 is easily attainable but the Czech IREE published a paper and claim 2 E-15. Do you mean the paper ""optimization of dual-mixer time-difference multiplier" ? The ZCD developed in this is a bit of

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-20 Thread EWKehren
Dave Thank you for your offer. I think I have the documentation solved. Brian, who helped in the past has offered to help and has some of the previous work to build on. As to PIC programming I will ask Juerg to get with you off list. Bert In a message dated 11/19/2012 8:47:25 P.M. Eastern S

Re: [time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-19 Thread David McQuate
Hi Bert, What kind or sort of documentation is needed? schematics? PC layout? software / firmware documentation? I've been programming PICs intermittently for 10+ years. Some of my projects use 2 or 4 line LCD displays. I have given other microcontrollers a short test spin. I've also done s

[time-nuts] Nifty "MINI TIC" for DMTD work detail Info please read

2012-11-19 Thread EWKehren
Allow me to put all this in perspective. Three years ago having just joined time-nuts I started to be interested in Dual Mixers. Having CS and Rb my main interest was and still is low noise signal generators and I have all the HP equipment for those measurements. Did my first Shera Rb abo