[time-nuts] VNA design

Alexander Pummer alexpcs at ieee.org
Mon Jun 2 18:18:00 EDT 2014


Although I used to work for one of the competitor, I still do have a 
complete working 8410, Rick is right, it is a very nice teaching tool
73
KJ6UHN

On 6/2/2014 2:36 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
> On 6/2/2014 12:41 PM, Brooke Clarke wrote:
>> Hi:
>>
>> I started with the HP 8410 and added an external computer.
>> Since it can be used manually I think it's an excellent way to learn
>> about VNAs.
>> http://www.prc68.com/I/MWTE.shtml#NA
>>
>
> For my last 8 years at Agilent before retiring in March, I
> was doing advanced R&D on network analyzers.  The newer
> guys coming up didn't have an intuitive understanding of
> network analyzer architectures like I did. I
> started using the 8410 back in 1973 before I even worked
> for HP.  Because of the modular design, it was like a
> teaching tool that forced you to understand what was
> going on.  When I mentored the young guys, I would
> explain to them a lot of principles based on the 8410.
> Modern network analyzers are too "automatic".
> The 8410 puts modern VNA's into perspective.  BTW, I used
> to sit next to Dick Lee, who was a member of the 8410
> design team in 1963 at the dawn of the golden age of
> microwave instruments based on YIG tuned oscillators
> and step recovery diode samplers.
>
> As you noted, the architecture was built around the YIG tuned 
> oscillator and certain things were done that way they were because of 
> that.
>
> Rick Karlquist N6RK
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