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Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement

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Re: [time-nuts] Time Interval Counter(?) for high-precision watch measurement

HM
Hal Murray
Tue, Sep 8, 2020 8:25 PM

I've been using a basic digital oscilloscope to measure the interval between
the PPS and the watch signal

I've been looking at the SR620 as a candidate, which appears to be available
used for around 2k USD

Does your scope have a USB or serial interface?  Do you like programming that
sort of thing?

I have a Rigol DS1102E.  It has a USB goes-into port on the back.  You can set
parameters, read the screen as a gif/jpeg, and read the individual data
points.  My memory was that the description of the programming interface was
poor and/or the firmware was buggy but I managed to blunder through to get it
to do what I wanted.  (I like that kind of programming.)

The 1102 is 100 MHz 2 channel for $400 several years ago.  They have other
models.  I think it's typical of the not-high-end digital scopes.


If I were doing that sort of thing, I'd probably start with a TAPR TICC.
(partly because I have one)

With a typical counter/timer instrument, you trigger on one channel and get
the time to the next event on the other channel.  That gets complicated if the
two events are very close together and/or may drift back and forth so that
they swap which happens first.  The TICC gives you time stamps.  Your software
has to cope with whichever comes first.

--
These are my opinions.  I hate spam.

cuervamellori@gmail.com said: > I've been using a basic digital oscilloscope to measure the interval between > the PPS and the watch signal > I've been looking at the SR620 as a candidate, which appears to be available > used for around 2k USD Does your scope have a USB or serial interface? Do you like programming that sort of thing? I have a Rigol DS1102E. It has a USB goes-into port on the back. You can set parameters, read the screen as a gif/jpeg, and read the individual data points. My memory was that the description of the programming interface was poor and/or the firmware was buggy but I managed to blunder through to get it to do what I wanted. (I like that kind of programming.) The 1102 is 100 MHz 2 channel for $400 several years ago. They have other models. I think it's typical of the not-high-end digital scopes. ---------- If I were doing that sort of thing, I'd probably start with a TAPR TICC. (partly because I have one) With a typical counter/timer instrument, you trigger on one channel and get the time to the next event on the other channel. That gets complicated if the two events are very close together and/or may drift back and forth so that they swap which happens first. The TICC gives you time stamps. Your software has to cope with whichever comes first. -- These are my opinions. I hate spam.