R&S Cryptic Acronyms - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: PixieDust
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 11:30:27 am
content: I’m trying to figure out what the RTC, RTM, RTB acronyms stand for on their oscilloscope names.And their FPC Spectrum Analyzer.Any ideas?

author: Rich@RohdeScopesUSA
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 01:49:10 pm
content: RTO is real-time oscilloscope. For the others, I don't believe there was a "true" name behind them. Meaning they didn't necessarily get their lettering with a specific intent. With that said, we sometimes call them (in the US at least):RTC = CompactRTB = BasicRTM = MidRTA = AdvancedRTH = Handheld-Rich

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 04:59:36 pm
content: In careful usage, an "acronym" is a pronounceable word formed from an abbreviation: e.g., "NASA", "laser", "mosfet".The etymology of "acronym" is analogous to "synonym", where "onym" comes from the Ancient Greek ὄνυμα (ónuma) for "name".Non-pronounceable abbreviations are just abbreviations: e.g., "RTC", "RTB", "RTO", "DVM".

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 07:21:58 pm
content: The first letter generally denotes the type of instrument:RTx - real time (scopes), but note newMXOseries of scopesFxx - frequency (spec ans)Sxx - signal generatorZxx - network analyzer (Z -> complex impedance)Exx - EMC receiversCxx - communications testersNxx - power supplies (but note, NRPxx is RF power sensors). I'm told "N" stands for "Netzgerät"Numbers sometimes (but not always) indicate maximum frequency (FSW85 - 85 GHz)."Similar" classes and generations of instruments may have similar names, e.g. the older SMU and FSU versus the newer SMW and FSW. Many handhelds end in "H" - FSH, FPH, ZNH, ZPH, RTH, etc. But beyond that there's no universal naming scheme that I'm aware of.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 07:29:36 pm
content: Quote from: PixieDust on November 11, 2022, 11:30:27 amNote that there are two versions of the FPC, the FPC1000 and the FPC1500. The difference is the FPC1500 has a tracking generator and therefore supports the network analysis option. Both have the same maximum frequency of 3 GHz (not 1500 MHz / GHz ....)

author: MJF
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 11, 2022, 08:05:43 pm
content: Quote from: Rich@RohdeScopesUSA link=topic=351617.msg4516031#msg4516031 date :-+=1668174550

author: PixieDust
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 03:32:59 am
content: Quote from: Rich@RohdeScopesUSA on November 11, 2022, 01:49:10 pmThanks RichardI'm guessing going off that that FPC is Frequency Processor Compact? (referring to the spectrum analyser).Quote from: TimFox on November 11, 2022, 04:59:36 pmDidn't know that, I am now more educated.Quote from: pdenisowski on November 11, 2022, 07:29:36 pmYep, I figured that out

author: zitoune
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 03:57:29 am
content: Thanks Rich ! I also always wondered

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 10:10:56 am
content: Now that those are done we can start wondering what means "MXO"?

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 10:15:22 am
content: I guess the M stands for "mixed", and the O for "oscilloscope", but the X that is the stranger in town

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 12:51:32 pm
content: And of course there are the ex-Hameg productsHMO = Oscilloscopes (7xx, 1xxx, 2xxx, 3xxx)HMP = PSU (2020, 2030, 4030,4040)HMC = Compact... PSU (804x), DMM (8012), Power Analyser (8015)

author: rf-messkopf
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2022, 09:12:30 pm
content: Quote from: pdenisowski on November 11, 2022, 07:21:58 pmThe classic R&S instruments had a quite stringent naming scheme, often with an obvious German origin. Today this has become somewhat blurry. But still, all receivers (not just EMC receivers) start with an E, for "Empfänger". For exampleEB200,ESMD,EK07,EK070, etc.Signal generating instruments start start with an S, and lab RF signal generators still are SMx, for "Mess-Sender", others had a different second letter (e.g. theSNFvideo level generator, or theSPDpulse generator,SUBaudio generator, etc.).The classic R&S power supplies were all NGxx, for "Netzgerät", whereas power and SWR meters were Nxx or Uxx, when considered a voltage indicating instrument. This went as far as that the URV5 was also available as NRV, the only difference being that the NRV would start up in power indicating mode, where the URV5 would start up indicating voltages. Audio analyzers are UPx. This was of course spoiled by the addition of the former Hameg products (power supplies HMPxxx).Frequency domain instruments (in a broad sense) are Fxx, e.g. spectrum analyzers, modulation meters (FAM, FMAB,FAB, etc.), but also counters (FEI,FET, etc.).The classic attenuators were Dxxx, for "Dämpfungsglied".Frequency sweepers were SWxx, the most well known are the classic SWOB series:SWOB,SWOB1,SWOB3,SWOB5.Communication radios are Xnnn, but some old frequency standards also had designations starting with X. I don't know about broadcast transmitters and antennas, but they sometimes also have talking designations.Instruments that were manufactured to the specifications of the German armed forces sometimes had an Y in the designation, for example URY, which is an URV5, or the radio tester CMS42y, which is a version of the CMS54. This is probably due to the fact that the license plates of vehicles of the German Federal Armed Forces begin with a Y.Sometimes there was a little humor in the designations, for example the noise generatorSUFandSUF2("Rauschgenerator SUF"). Difficult to get that across in English.Seeherefor an incomplete list of old R&S gear and datasheets.Edit:The classic R&S scopes are Oxxx, e.g.OBF,OKF,OMF, or special purpose gear likeODFA.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2022, 02:54:57 am
content: @rf-messkopfFirst, thank you very much for that explanation! Quite a bit of history there!Quote from: rf-messkopf on November 12, 2022, 09:12:30 pmExcept of course for theportablereceivers like the PR100 (instead of the TE100)I guess products like the ETL (broadcast) and EVSx/EDS (avionics) analyzers could still be considered "receivers" in the larger sense of the word.Any idea why antennas start with H? That's always been a mystery to me. (Hochfrequenz? Hörer?)

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2022, 03:02:15 am
content: Quote from: rf-messkopf on November 12, 2022, 09:12:30 pmI'm assuming that's a play on "Rausch" (noise, but also intoxication / drunkenness) and "Suff" ("boozing / alcoholism", related to "saufen")

author: egonotto
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2022, 04:40:51 am
content: Hello,NF-Geräuschspannungsmesser Psophometer UPGS 248.0019.02Rohde & Schwarz, PTE; München.For people from Munich, Psophometer sounds like a measuring device that measures a person's state of intoxication (noise floor).Because if you drink a lot of alcohol you have a "Rausch" (= intoxication and "rauschen" == noise) and are "bsoffen" (=drunken).Best regardsegonotto

author: RBBVNL9
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2022, 07:46:22 pm
content: Thanks, rf-messkopf, for the very interesting explanations!Would you, by any chance, know what the "W" as the first letter stands for in R&S devices? This letter seems to be used for frequency meters of various types. These include two of my favorite oldies in my lab (WAL and WAM), but there were also other models (WAC, WAT, WEN, WFC, WID, WIK, and WIP).I myself had guessed wellenmesser (if that is a proper word in German)...

author: egonotto
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2022, 09:35:36 pm
content: Hello,Probably you are right.http://www.museum-nt.de/objekte/rs_wip.html:"Die Darstellungen der Rohde & Schwarz Firmengeschichte nennen den „Allwellen-Frequenzmesser Type WIP“ eine der ersten Entwicklungen des Unternehmens zu Beginn der 1930er Jahre. Gerät und Messprinzip findet sich bereits in einem Aufsatz von Lothar Rohde und Herrmann Schwarz "Interferenzwellenmesser mit großem Wellenbereich für das Laboratorium" in der Zeitschrift "Hochfrequenztechnik und Elektrodynamik" aus dem Jahr 1932 (Band 40, Seite 117 -120) beschrieben, also noch vor Gründung des Unternehmenes im Jahr 1933."And inhttps://www.radiomuseum-bocket.de/wiki/index.php/Rohde_u_Schwarz:"1935: Die erste AuslandsvertretungBereits 1935 übernahm die Firma REMA Leo Haag S.A. in Spanien den Vertrieb von Geräten des „Physikalisch-technischen Entwicklungslabors Dr. L. Rohde und Dr. H. Schwarz“ (PTE). Das erste Projekt war der Verkauf des Interferenzwellenmessgeräts WIP an die Dirección General de Correos y Telecomunicaciones (Generaldirektion für Post und Telekommunikation). Damit ist die REMA als älteste Auslandsvertretung zu sehen."Best regardsegonotto

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2022, 10:03:27 pm
content: The cognate in technical English, "wavemeter" or "absorption wavemeter", is an obsolescent test device comprising a solenoid in parallel with a variable capacitor, where the capacitor dial is calibrated in the resonant frequency.One places the coil in the vicinity of the machine being tested, then adjusts the capacitor to get a reaction from the machine.Seehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_wavemeter

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2022, 03:32:32 pm
content: Quote from: RBBVNL9 on November 14, 2022, 07:46:22 pmI think either "Wellenmesser" or "Wellenmessgerät" are both fine, although be aware that a "Wellenmesser" is also a special kind of knife used to cut wavy (get it?) patterns in vegetables.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2022, 05:28:13 pm
content: Quote from: egonotto on November 13, 2022, 04:40:51 amSo it looks like when you are drunk, your Rausch intoxication noise is High, so when you are Not drunk, your Rausch is Low, meaning we are always in some state of intoxication

author: RBBVNL9
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2022, 07:22:47 am
content: QuoteThis comes actually pretty close. The WAM and WAL use different principles (an LC circuit and a Tuneable λ/4 line tuned cavity, respectively). And both methods are obsolete, I'd say ;-)I made a video reviewing them both and repairing one of them:https://youtu.be/EuDcRPdHJE0