[time-nuts] Information on OVCXO (Don J)
Dave Brown
tractorb at ihug.co.nz
Thu Jun 14 08:04:49 EDT 2007
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Johnson" <true-cal at swbell.net>
To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Information on OVCXO (Don J)
> voltage controlled OCXO. I believe that this is the oscillator that
> is used in the SRS SR620 Frequency Counter when it has the 2-ppb
> option-01 timebase (please correct me if wrong info). The unit has
> four terminals simply labled 1-4 on the bottom as well as the case
> studs. The label says it is a +15VDC unit. Can anyone provide the
> pin-out of this oscillator. Short of an actual pin diagram, can
> anyone suggest a way to help identify each pin function, i.e. DC
> resistance, AC impedance, safely applying power with series
> resistance? I do not want to blow this unit as I have high hopes for
> it as a replacement disciplined oscillator in my Trimble Thunderbolt
> GPS timebase. I will be glad to share my conversion experience as I
> proceed with this project. Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Don Johnson
> True-Cal Services
***********
So what happened to the original oscillator, Don?
DaveB, NZ
Hi Dave,
I guess you are asking about the original oscillator in the
Thunderbolt. The symptoms would suggest that the heater has gone bad.
I use it to track my Rb standard for long term drift. I use an SRS
SR620 with a Tek display to watch Alan Variance and drift over both
short and long time intervals. I monitor the rate of time change
between ch-A (Rb) and ch-B (Thunderbolt) 10MHz signals as they cross
through 0.0V trigger point. The Thunderbolt has started to do a rapid
change of >100 ns as my air conditioning cycles in the room. The
Thunderbolt monitor computer interface program displays only 0.5
degree change in internal temperature. In the past, I could always
maintain <20 ns change that resembled a sine wave with about a
5-minute period (GPS disciplined TC) with little affect from the room
AC. Now it looks like a sawtooth with the period of my AC.
The original oscillator is an OCXO but not as good as this new double
ovened SC-cut oscillator. The VC range is the same between the two
oscillators and the time-constant I can change with the Thunderbolt
software.
Comments…
Regards…
Don
Thanks Don- Yes it was the Thunderbolt oscillator I was interested in-
I wonder if anyone else has had issues with the oven heater in them?
Certainly it's not something I have seen reported here recently.
Seems to me that it would take a complete failure of the heater to
allow the aircon to have that effect. I don't know what temperature
the OCXO would have normally operated at but the case surface
temperature might provide a clue as to what is going on without major
surgery. If it's cold then I guess your worst fears will have been
realised.
It will be interesting to see how you get on with the replacement
process.
Regards
DaveB, NZ
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