Tektronix Prism 3002 & 3001 TekLink 174-1391-00 or 174-1152-00 cable data needed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2017, 01:37:03 pm
content: Hi all, I am a newby here on this Forum, BUT not to owning Tektronix, having bought my first Oscilloscope a 465DM43 brand new about 1 year after they were released.I lost count how many Tek instruments / plugings I own. Well over 100 I think.Anyways I have a few Tektronix Logic Analyzer model -> Tek Prism 3002's a 3001 and a 3002E ( expansion chassis), plus a lot of probes, various acquisition modules, manuals and software on disks.Would love a GPIB comms module. One day one will turn up.What I don't have is any of the Teklink cables. It appears that the Prism 3002 to 3002E Teklink cable 174-1152-00 at 4ft and 174-1391-00 at 9 inchesI can find NO wiring information to make either of these. Does anyone have it ? OR have one of the above cables they don't need ?Also does anyone have the cable info for the Tektronix video cable 174-1299-00 6ft that goes from the 3002 to an ega DB9 pin connector ?The chassis Teklink connector is a 26pin 1.27mm pitch one. sort of like those from scsi interface BUT not a SCSI cable.Picture following is my Tektronix Prism 3002 Logic Analyzer, Mainframe (top) and 3002E expansion box ( bottom). The communications link cable is the small socket on the right of both units. Its marked Teklink "out" on Mainframe, and Teklink "in" on the Expansion box. From the Prism Manual there were different cables lengths available.some info on the mainframe teklinkwith close up of the mainframe pin out of J910But I cannot find the same info on the board in the expansion chassis, so I don't know if its a straight through cable or crossed over.Hope someone can helpregardsDavidAustralia

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 12:00:25 am
content: Hi all,Well I am beginning to think that the number of these Logic Analyzer expansion boxes sold with the teklink cable must have been very low.I have had zero response to my question in this or any of the other forums I have posted in.Guess over the coming month, I will try and find cheap another Prism 3002 or 3001 mainframe Main Board, and make up a 1 to 1 cable and just try it.Worst case is if I get the cable wron, then it could or would destroy the Custom ASIC's on both instruments.

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2017, 11:29:13 am
content: Well I just ordered a couple of the following 26 pin connectors to prepare to make a interconnect cable, between the 3001 main frame and my 3001E expansion frame.Its going to be hit and miss, since I have NO idea of the 3001E Texlink plug pinouts. Just wish I could get data on these TekLink 174-1391-00 or 174-1152-00 cablesWhat I plan to do is make a short cable to break out measuring points, with the 3rd 26pin connector I bought. Then I plan to plug it into the 3001E and1. using a multi-meter first, make note of the voltages of each pin.then2. using an oscilloscope, I will probe each pin to see if there is any signals.3. Once I have an idea if pins 15,12,11 on the 3001E, have no signals coming out, then I will feel comfortable to connect them to the same pins from the 3001 connector J910.4. Then I will do the same measurements on pins 2,4,6,8, 26,20,22, 19 & 17.Then its a time to think and evaluate what I have measured before I try building a interconnect cable.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2017, 11:55:05 am
content: What I would probably do is to open the 3002E and check for continuity between pins "1, 3, 5, 7, 16" and a test point or capacitor near the input. It's very likely that all of those pins are separate wires inside the cable, but connect together again in the expansion box. That would reveal a great deal about the pinout of the wire. Pins 11 and 12 also must be twisted pairs for correct impedance (could be 120 ohm) and this suggests the cable may be made out of Spectra-Strip, which further constrains the pinout. If you can find a matched length signal pair in the 3002E it again is very likely to be this balanced signal.

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2017, 12:33:27 pm
content: Appreciate the feedback.I must admit I was wondering why there would be 5volts out of J910 on pins 1,3,5,7 and 16, since the 3002E box also has ac mains input and thus its own switch mode PSU to provide the internal 5v. Then I started a spreadsheet to map the pins and see the +5v is intermixed with Sig1 -> 4 and between S-Clk and Systrig. So it may have been done to reduce noise or maybe each Sig has its own remotely powered isolated receiver gate in the 3002E. I see no mention of 0v dc on the J910.Just wish I could get a service manual for the 3002E (being the expansion chassis) !!Well the 3002 and the 3001 main frames, certainly uses the Teklink cable internally as well. So I think its also worth my looking at the way that cable structure is.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2017, 05:38:50 pm
content: I'd open both devices and see how things are connected internally and whether signals are connected to outputs, inputs or bidirectional drivers. Also cables are usually wired 1 to 1 to keep them simple.

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2017, 10:11:12 am
content: Thanks for the suggestion 'nctncio'I had no chance today 'sunday', to get time to do some tests. It was family day here.But I just relooked at the only drawing I have and its a block diagram.I note that it appears if I follow the signal lines from pins 2,4,6,8 on J910 that they appear to be bi-directional as I see some gates on the O/P lines E1,E2,E3 and E4 of the Teklink gate array. I also see inputs to the Teklink gate array via VE1, VE2, VE3 and VE4 pins.So at least these make sense that I can feel comfortable connecting them.However I do NOT have any documentation on the 3002E expansion system chassis.I really wish I could find genuine Tektronix Printed Service manuals for the all the Prism family of chassis and the various Acquisition Modules.

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2017, 12:04:57 am
content: Well I got to briefly talk by phone to a retired Tek engineer, that was involved with Logic Analyzers.Sadly he really did not wish to offer any support not information.I tried to explain my Teklink problem, but he re said he could not help.My final comment to him was "I cannot even make a cable as I dont know if its 1 to 1 straight through. !"His parting words were " well the cable was not made 'keyed', so you could plug either end into the mainframe or expansion box."At first I thought "well that means the cable must have been straight through !" Then I thought about it more and recalled an RS232 cable where pins 2 and 3 crossed over. ie pin 2 when to pin 3 and pin 3 when to pin 2. So apart from the sex of the end connectors, that cable could hook up with either end to say device A and still work with alternate other end connector to say a device B.So I am back to my Quandry. However, when the plugs I have ordered I am going to try and make a one to one connection cable and try it.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2017, 12:21:41 am
content: Being able to use a cable in either direction is normally assumed, if both ends use the same connector. The pinout is reversible if it is self-inverse: so if pin 1 is mapped to 9, then 9 must be mapped to 1, etc. A straight-thru cable meets this requirement, but so does a roll-over cable. That's why I suggested investigating the pins that are commoned to see if they have the same location in the expansion box.

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2017, 02:41:23 am
content: Hi again Helius,Between your very help prior post suggesting I open my both boxes and my most recent post, I had a very 'full' week trying to excavate about 12cm of mudstone and clay, bore 6 holes, a number of them up to 3m deep at 300mm dia, insert 5 to 6m long 200UC steel posts, mix and pore concrete to complete the major part of a 3m high retaining wall at home, By days end I was simply way to tired to focus on the Logic Analyzers.Hopefully I will get a chance late this weekend.rgdsdavid

author: inotarobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 08:09:09 am
content: Been just looking through my 6 Various Tektronix Prism Logic Manual when I came across a VERY interesting WARNING against using theo the 174-1391-00 at 9 inches verses the Teklink cable 174-1152-00 at 4ftOn page 14 of Tektronix Publication 070-7696-05 titled 'Application Module & Expansion Mainframe Installation Manual', there is the following bold NOTE mid page. I quoteQuoteSince their seems little to no online information on the Teklink setup for the Prism 3001 & 3002 in relation to the 3002E (expansion fame) I felt it worth adding this note to my posting.

author: abtr1995
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 08, 2022, 04:31:58 am
content: Hi,Can you specify the name of the connector shown? I need the connector’s male to usb cable. Is that possible? Please help. You can send photographs and links to buy it if available. Thank you in advance.Regards,Thakur

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2022, 03:59:33 pm
content: It is usually called 'MDR36', but you aren't going to find any cables that adapt a TekLink interface to USB.Are you trying to connect to a parallel printer? There may be IEEE 1284-C to USB converters but driver support would be an issue.

author: abtr1995
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 09, 2022, 04:40:02 am
content: Hi helius,Thank you so much for your input. I actually have 02 SSDs sata which are interfaced via a pcb and then connected to a mdr 26 pin connector. It is a vintage setup and is hence difficult to take out data from the SSDs. Please help me if you have any inputs pertaining to the above mentioned issue.Regards,Thakur