Interstate Electronics Corporation SPG-800 Signal Generator Teardown - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: cat87
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2016, 01:01:32 pm
content: I've just bought myself a newChristmas giftpiece of test gear. It's an Interstate Electronics Corporation SPG-800 Programmable Generator.The only thing I know about it is that it seems to be some military equipment. I can't seem to get a hold of any other info, not even basic stuff such as frequency span, output levels, etc.Though I'm still waiting for the unit to arrive, the seller has informed me that it does not power up, so I think I'm soon going to need a manual for this one. I don't suppose anyone has one lying around?Any info on this is welcome

author: forrestc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 15, 2016, 01:19:24 pm
content: Quote from: cat87 on December 15, 2016, 01:01:32 pmThere's a manual with schematic on ebay...http://www.ebay.com/itm/Interstate-Electronics-L-3-SPG-800-Programmable-Generator-Operation-Manual-/281919278310Seems kinda pricey though...

author: cat87
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2016, 01:31:12 pm
content: Yes, saw that one. Too pricey for my blood. And that's without shipping.

author: cat87
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2017, 05:38:46 pm
content: Ok, so I just recently received the unit, so please excuse the delay.The unit was sold as faulty, so when it came in, I didn't expect it to work. It had a blown fuse, but that was pretty much it.Turns out, that the On/Off switch was all cruddy inside. Replaced it, and what do you know: it works like a charm.For a full teardown, you can also visit:http://electronicsplayground.blogspot.ro/2017/01/interstate-electronics-corporation-spg.htmlAnd now, for the interesting stuffFront and Back:Inside of the unit:IEEE-488 CardProgram Logic CardSome Analog Card I have yet to know what it doesFrequency Synthesizer CardWaveform select cardOurput Amp CardPSU BoardPPS: In case someone has a manual for this thing, please contact me, as I could really use one. Thanks

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2017, 08:28:42 pm
content: Quote from: cat87 on January 08, 2017, 05:38:46 pmYou can link to the pictures:

author: cat87
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2017, 05:09:24 pm
content: Solved itThanks for the hint. I initially tried linking to the pics from my Google Photos account, but that didn't work. Neither did from Dropbox, so I ifgured I might at least post the links.

author: Staffan Casserstål
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 10:12:48 pm
content: Hello,I read your lines with great interest! I have one of those myself. All seems to be working, except for the fact that no signal is delivered to the output. Unfortunately I have no manual, so if anyone happen to get one (as pdf), I am interested of a copy. The one on ebay, would be very expensive delivered to Sweden.I plan to make some form of extension units to be able to make measurements on the circuit boards. There is a BNC-connector on the rear side, which should deliver 1 MHz. It does not carry a signal and I expect that if I can trace the signal path back to its origin and fix that, the rest will work as well.Best wishes!Staffan of Sweden

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 08:18:08 pm
content: There's a lot of bits in that !I once had an IEC analog function generator - they don't seem to be very common, at least here in the UK. It had the nice feature of going down to some absurdly low frequency, about 0.001 Hz.