HP8593E vs HP85933  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2018, 11:41:12 pm
content: Reading over HP8590 E and L user's manual, I noticed there are references to HP8593E and HP85933. Does anyone know what 85933 refers to? Looking at context how it's used, it seem to refer to 8593E but it never explains it.Thank you.

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 12:15:52 am
content: I noticed this too, and the model numbers are not the only examples. They are OCR errors.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 12:19:25 am
content: I noticed 50 (ohm symbol) has turned into 500 and 75 (ohm symbol) has turned into 750 as well. So it's plausible.I recall seeing 85933 in other document also, though. There may be something to do with this suspected error.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 12:36:50 am
content: By the way, I just purchased one with options. Wooohooo.... 26.5GHz!

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 01:25:13 am
content: Nice! I have a 8595E, which is sufficient for my needs.When you get it (or if you already have it), you might want to follow the procedure to backup your cal constants since they are stored in battery powered RAM. It's a manual procedure and is described in the Assembly Level Repair Manual, chpt 3:http://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/08590-90316.pdf

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 01:30:59 am
content: It's sitting in my lab already, right next to HP8591EM. I wouldn't have purchased the 26.5GHz version except the deal was too good to let go. I will read up on backing up cal. I bought it from a local cal-lab so it came with professional verification.One surprise was, how expensive and limiting hardware choices were if I wanted to use maximum bandwidth on this thing. Simple thing like adapters and cables cost a bundle. Plus, it doesn't have a tracking generator. This is the only reason why I'm keeping my 8591.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 01:34:37 am
content: Quote from: tkamiya on October 14, 2018, 12:36:50 amIt's all fun and games until you have buy cables, connectors, and cal kits, lol! High-class problems.Congratulations.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 01:44:25 am
content: Nah.... I have plenty of battery jumper cables for that.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 01:47:49 am
content: Quote from: tkamiya on October 14, 2018, 01:44:25 amMy cheap jumper cables seem to roll off after about 10Ghz which is ok for carburated cars, but the newfangled fuel injected cars need the full 26.5Ghz for sure.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:09:37 am
content: One thing I do not understand is that my SA came with an N connector for input. It is an option to get it with 3.5mm - which I do not have. I found a long discussion on Agilent site that explains ones HP uses for these 26.5GHz units aren't ordinary N connectors. (that tops at 18GHz) They are specially made so that they actually work at that frequency. Well, how do I find a mating male connector for this? No one makes this HP special version and so far, I can't find one from HP either. Maybe HP wants to sell harness for mega bucks? It got to make a transition to something else somewhere.Luckily for me, I do not intend to go beyond 10GHz at most, and even at that, amplitude accuracy isn't critical. So I found some converter from Mini-circuits that go to 18GHz. And all else fails, I'll grab my jumper cables.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:18:37 am
content: Keysight makes special swiss machined BNC's that go beyond the performance of any off the shelf BNC. You can use regular BNC's all day long which is nice. 3.5mm is a budget buster if you are not looking to get every drop of performance on a daily basis.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:39:21 am
content: I actually have a micro lathe. Out of a garden variety potatoes, I shall invent a new connector that goes to 500THz!Not too long ago, I was looking at some 1mm connectors. Talk about $$$!

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:42:45 am
content: I wonder why HP keeps doing that then. Special N, special BNC.... when they can just use garden variety connectors rated for that frequency. I still wonder how we are supposed to acquire mating connectors to those.Apparently, HP eliminated the slot from outer shield connection and made some other changes. Someone even showed how to actually spot cavity effect from ordinary N connectors at 20 some GHz.

author: LapTop006
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:08:28 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on October 14, 2018, 02:42:45 amBecause people like equipment with connectors they already use.People also like equipment with high bandwidth.My new MSO6004X has some of their weird BNCs to pass 6GHz, but these days that's actually low, the video production industry does 12Gbit on single 75ohm BNCs with SDI these days.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2018, 02:37:01 pm
content: Just now, looking for the HP document I mentioned, found a newer version of the same document.On this one, HP rep corrects himself and says HP N connectors are NOT engineered to do anything different. He says, since everything else is SMA, any error can be attributed to just that N connector. Variations are noted in the equipment spec itself. Kind of a weird twisted logic.... I guess it makes no practical difference.