Rohde Schwarz ZVR Network Analyzer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: sixtimesseven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2019, 10:47:46 pm
content: I thought I start this thread to collect information about the R&S ZVx variants in general and my ZVR specifically.Just received my unit which is probably going to replace my 8753D since it has 4 receivers and can do true TRL cal.Here are some limited teardown fotos:https://www.flickr.com/photos/154275690@N07/albums/72157712364455743I have a couple mods which I want to do.1.Add 10 or 100 Base ETH, something like this:https://www.ebay.de/itm/SMC-60-600518-002-60600518002-10-100-Ethernet/282825024043?hash=item41d9af622b:g:LugAAOSwEVZaY3FxBase 100 makes little sense due to the ISA interface limitations. But GPIB is pretty fast too.2.Replace the dreadfully low res lcd with this:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000243656502.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.77534c4dNVddNjProbaply not possible. I hoped that I could scale up the instrument resolution output on the VGA but I have not found a way to do so. You can scale up the resolution on the Win NT operating system VGA output but that doesn't help much.3. Replace the HDD with a CF card.THIS IS A MUST, DO IT AS SOON AS YOU GET YOUR INSTRUMENT!My hdd failed about two weeks after I got the instrument and without it I would have lost all the factory cal data....https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000306486184.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.77534c4dNVddNjThis particular one did not work out for me. See:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/rohde-schwarz-zvr-vna-repair/msg2891896/#msg2891896

author: Georg - PY5ZSE
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2020, 02:30:35 am
content: Did the unit work before you teared it down?The hard disk on your pictures does not seem to be the original one.In my ZVCE, the disk is a 1,083 GB Toshiba, date code 9708. Yours is a 30 GB Fujitsu dated 2004. The label indicates that it is for the FSEx / FSIQ spectrum analyzer family.It can still contain the ZVxx firmware, the processor part of these VNA's and the spectrum analyzers is more or less the same (the power supply, btw., as well). But it sure as hell looks like your disk is a replacement, not the one that originally came with the unit.Do you have the service manuals? That's where I found mine:http://www.ko4bb.com/getsimple/index.php?id=manuals&dir=Rohde_SchwarzGeorg.

author: sixtimesseven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2020, 11:23:21 am
content: Quote from: ghieber on January 08, 2020, 02:30:35 amUnit works fineYes, the hdd was replaced. That does not surprise me. I find it curious that the hdd is not replaced by a generic hdd but by another R&S labeled drive...However, I wan't to replace it with a cf card by cf to ide adapter anyway.

author: Georg - PY5ZSE
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2020, 04:10:14 pm
content: The replacement disk might have come from R&S as a spare part, with firmware installed, or from an instrument dealer who took it from a cannibalized FSEx.You might be interested in this:http://www.dd1us.de/Downloads/Ersatz%20der%20HDD%20im%20FSIQ%20durch%20Compact-Flash-Karte%201v1.pdfThe hard disks seem to be the achilles heel of that generation's R&S equipment. The problem is, that hard diskswillbreak one day, and faster then the rest of the unit. So replacing the HD by a compact flash is a good idea - as well as keeping the image backed up somewhere on your computer. I know what I talk about - I got my ZVCE "not booting", I took the HD out, and on a IDE/USB - adapter it fails reading and makes clicking noises... That's why I was so happy about you posting a link to your disk's image in teh other ZVx thread.About network adapters: There was such an option from R&S. As the card is a more or less standard ISA bus card, he main problem seems to be to find drivers for the old Windows NT R&S is using as an operating system. I remember reading something to that issu, but forgot where. google might help.I doubt, that replacing the display with a higher resolution unit will work, as temting as it looks. These instruments have some sort of a dual graphics adapter, one part is a simple VGA for the "computer" part of the instrument, and the other shows the measurment screen - that's at least how I understqand the service manual. And this part is more or less hard wired to VGA resolution.Georg

author: sixtimesseven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2020, 06:42:24 pm
content: Hi GeorgQuote from: ghieber on January 08, 2020, 04:10:14 pmWell, you might be right.I got excited when I was able to scale the Win NT resolution up. I thought wiring to the external VGA might work.Unfortunately the display output goes to e dedicated VGA port and desktop resolution does not seem to impact it's resolution. Also, the picture quality is terrible, desktop scaled up is all out of focus with lots of bandingI might end up replacing the original screen eventually since I'm not impressed with the viewing angles and I have my instrument above me... However that mod moved down the list a few nodges...

author: YU7C
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2020, 08:05:46 am
content: Hi,which options for this analyzer are hardware and which are pure software?I have 8753B/85046A and thinking to replace it with ZVR or 8753D/E/ESThanks,Vojislav

author: sixtimesseven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2020, 09:30:27 am
content: Quote from: YU7C on January 09, 2020, 08:05:46 amThe HP8753D Option have been hacked. There is a thread here on the forum.ZVR has a few software options and the key generating algoritme seems to have been hacked as well, however I could not get the script from the R&S hacking thread to work and the author is not responding.However, I find the software options just mildly usefull. The ZVR has a weak processor in it, the 8753D's even worse. THe 8753E/ES has a new cpu but is more expensive and prob. still inferior to the Pentium inside the ZVR. On the HP, as soon as you enable options it just slows to a crawl...I have both the 8753D and the ZVR on the bench right now. Some random thoughts:ZVR:- 4 Receiver test set enables switch term measurments for TRL calibration (NOT true for the ZVRE)- Pretty fast. Two port SOLT cal coefficent calculation at 2001 points takes 5-10s (HP >60s). Preset restore is also several times faster.- Big display (with low res and terrible viewing angles. Maybe 40deg)- UI is more intuitive in my opinion and looks a lot more modern- Standard N-Connectors on ports- About as loud but less annoying sound than the HP- Comes with a HDD which I would replace asap with a solid state drive (CF to IDE mini adapter...)- From what I saw so far the RS is very modular inside and you get easy access everywhere. The HP is more cluttered inside.HP:- Lots of free software around for cal kit generation, s2p download, t-check etc.- Original CRT is atrocious (for my retina screen generation eyes). Replace with a LCD asap...- If you buy the 6GHz variant with integrated test set you get APC-7 connectors and you will need adapters...- More documentation and spare parts available- Slightly smaller...- Pop up more often on ebay etc.

author: sixtimesseven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2020, 06:46:41 pm
content: Quote from: ghieber on January 08, 2020, 04:10:14 pmI seem to have a lot of trouble running from a CF card.So far I tried a SAN DISK Extreme Pro 64GB and a Transcend 133x 8GB CF card. Both card seem to show up as "fixed drive". Or at least in windows partition manager they do not show up as remvable but look like normal drives. Both cards were setup with the above mentioned Linux method. I also tried the "master" / "slave" jumper on the CF adapter but no change at all.Do I have to set additional settings on the ZVR itself? I read something about a CMOS Bios for windows NT but during boot I get no boot menu prompt and as far as I can tell there is no bios integrated in NT?