[time-nuts] Fast frequency counting question

Magnus Danielson magnus at rubidium.dyndns.org
Sun May 4 18:42:01 EDT 2008


From: "Pete" <peterawson at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Fast frequency counting question
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 16:07:02 -0600
Message-ID: <004401c8ae33$336ee590$0200a8c0 at BASE1>

Pete,

> I may be out in left field (again), but isn't this
> a textbook measurement for a fast sampling
> 'scope? I think most of the recent devices in
> this category have 500MHz to 10+GHz
> sampling rate, with plenty of memory depth.
> They can output a time record via GPIB, 
> USB or whatever.
> 
> The time record can be post-processed to
> yield actual zero crossings. You also get all
> the amplitude data, which should help with
> analysis.
> 
> Some of the newer 'scopes have the post-
> processing software built in & there is at
> least one source of  PC based timing
> analysis available.

I still think it will be hard to acheive the required resolution that way.
But yes, modern scopes have moved considerably in the right direction lately.

I also somewhat question the importance of this initial time. It should not be
the make or break of the application as being claimed.

One interesting thing one can do is to hook a spectrum analyser to the
oscillator output and see how the spectrum changes over the first initial time.
It should be an interesting experience trying to figure out what is happening
and why... :)

Cheers,
Magnus



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