8340/8341 Automated Software

[caperry]

Anyone have any information regarding an automated program for the 8340/8341's.  Acquisition or a way to write one, but preferably acquisition of it.    We need a quicker way to get these out of our backlog.

Thanks,

Perry

[USMCPMEL]

I do not have one but I was wondering where you work?

[MRD]

There are off the shelf procedures for the both the HP 8340/8341 by SureCal.   

[caperry]

What do you mean by off the shelf?  Have you ever used it?

[mdbuike]

Been using the MMS software for years..can turn one around in under a day including phase noise (not counting oscillator settling) , but it uses the approved USAF software..if you have the software, PM me and I'll send you a copy of our routines..biggest thing is to review it against the calibration procedure to ensure the limits are still good, we tend to stick with 75% of the limits to warn us if something is going bad.

Good luck,

Mike

[dminesinger]

What is MMS software. I have MetCal and SureCal plus the Army ICE software. But, being Army have not heard of MMS.

David
[email protected]

[ventura]

Mike is this MMS that you are talking about the same software that we used on the 8902 MMS system and a couple of other Power Measurement automated systems?  I don't remember what the aplication was I just remember it being on a Windows 98 or maybe it was Windows 95 system but it was a DOS based program.

[mdbuike]

It is the DOS based system, 'tho I've tweaked out old 486 a bit, running a lot of it in upper memory (Gawd, i just showed how old I am    ).

While most everyone uses it just for attenuators, Frank here at Offutt sat down and learned how to program the generators, and I learned how to clean it up.

We've had to put everything into different directories (i.e Gen, ATT, and DirCup), because there's a limit on how many routines you can have in a directory, but it works pretty good.

The new MMR with it's software is taking a bit to learn, but we've got a good line with the programers at AFMETCAL.

Mike

[CalLabSolutions]

Not much call for those old generator calibration procedures any more in the comerical world. 

It has been a long time sense we developed any software for the 834x units.  I think our procedure ran in about 2.5 hours end to end. I remember it look a ling time to develop and was one of our more expenxive procedures.  However our customers where very happy at the time savings and the fact that they could use less skilled technicians to cal them now.

It would be fun to update the whole procedure to use the newest standards. Agilent N5531A or the R&S FSMR.  We have done some newer generators with those standards.  I wonder how much calibration time we could cut.

[Bryan]

Long ago & far away Agilent (then Hewlett-Packard) produced an op verification routine in Basic that thrashed the frequency dividers and performed a couple power relted tests.  Depending on the use of the sweepers that may be helpful, I have a couple that are LOs and operate in monitored applications and it works for me. 
Part was 08340-60270 on 3.5 in disc.  It runs on the old controllers like the 9836 with a 9122 external floppy drive.  Equipment used was 436 power meter, 8485A sensor & 5343 counter. 
Back in my day.....

[ventura]

I can't imagine with the newer ATE that is out for this type of cal why anyone would want to use the older setup, unless they are monetarily constrained. 

If you want to make a case of equipment cost for updating an older unit versus the man hours saved I am sure you could find a lot of help here for that.

Sorry I can't help you, 10 years ago I could but not now.  Heck to do my attenuators I use an 8510A...yes I said an A...Its that freakin old...lol Hopefully we will be getting a new Network Analyzer at that time I will be configuring a calibration for our specific needs, so I might be on here picking some of yall's brains.

[RFCAL]

We wrote our own in HTBASIC.Don't know of any other software to buy