Ronald

Thanks for all the information. Have not kept up with the price, but ~$6K is too much to afford right now By the time I can I hope it doesn't go up . Ronald Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2018 17:50:48 -0800 From: jimlux <jimlux@earthlink.net> To: time-nuts@febo.com Subject: Re: [time-nuts] CSAC purchase Message-ID: <5b9271c4-734d-e8e0-f092-a143126c2324@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed On 1/20/18 5:05 PM, Ronald Held wrote: > I am thinking of buying a CSAC plus evaluation board. > Eventually I might want to make it portable. Any suggestions including > where to buy it? > MicroSemi is the manufacturer - Find a distributor and order it. For instance, Digikey has the CSAC ($5312.50) and the eval board ($928.75) portable isn't a problem - just run it off batteries. It's pretty easy to hook up - power, 1pps in and out and 10 MHz out (they have versions that put out 5, 10.24, and 16.384 MHz too). A serial port to control the device The eval board has SMA connectors, a sub-d for the serial port, and comes with a wall wart to run it. Download the Microsemi CSAC UserGuide for more info you can fool with the disciplining algorithm, etc. It's a low power device compared to a OCXO (<120mW) They're a pretty nifty device, even if the price more than tripled in the last couple years. Jackson Labs makes some integrated systems using CSAC, I believe.

 Ronald

Ronald, What exactly motivated specifically CSAC for you? There might be other cheaper alternatives to your problem. For me CSAC solves a problem within very specific set of parameters, where low powerconsumption is one of them. Depending on the actual details of the application a TCXO might be a better choice, or even some OCXOs. It's not that I want to deny you the fun of toying with CSAC, I have three myself, but if you don't really need what it is good for, other choices might be better. Also, the one place for such advice is for sure this email list where a lot of experience is gathered and ready to share. Cheers, Magnus On 01/22/2018 12:09 AM, Ronald Held wrote: > Thanks for all the information. Have not kept up with the price, but > ~$6K is too much to afford right now By the time I can I hope it > doesn't go up . > > Ronald > > Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2018 17:50:48 -0800 > From: jimlux <jimlux@earthlink.net> > To: time-nuts@febo.com > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] CSAC purchase > Message-ID: <5b9271c4-734d-e8e0-f092-a143126c2324@earthlink.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed > > On 1/20/18 5:05 PM, Ronald Held wrote: >> I am thinking of buying a CSAC plus evaluation board. >> Eventually I might want to make it portable. Any suggestions including >> where to buy it? >> > > > MicroSemi is the manufacturer - Find a distributor and order it. > > For instance, Digikey has the CSAC ($5312.50) and the eval board ($928.75) > > portable isn't a problem - just run it off batteries. > > It's pretty easy to hook up - power, 1pps in and out and 10 MHz out > (they have versions that put out 5, 10.24, and 16.384 MHz too). > > A serial port to control the device > > The eval board has SMA connectors, a sub-d for the serial port, and > comes with a wall wart to run it. > > Download the Microsemi CSAC UserGuide for more info > > you can fool with the disciplining algorithm, etc. > It's a low power device compared to a OCXO (<120mW) > > They're a pretty nifty device, even if the price more than tripled in > the last couple years. > > > Jackson Labs makes some integrated systems using CSAC, I believe. > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

Ronald

Hi The “compelling case” for the CSAC is the combination of low power and long term stability. You can get OCXO’s that run less power. A TCXO that uses less power is trivial. Temperature stability wise, there are TCXO’s that get pretty close (= factor of 10) to overlapping with the CSAC. There is nothing out there that will do the 1 month stability at anything close to the same power level. The CSAC is unique in that respect. Can you find most of this on eBay? Well, wait a decade or two ….. As a source for a radio project, the CSAC *really* needs a cleanup oscillator. That’s not a knock on the part. The cleanup oscillator may well use more power than the entire CSAC. Let those who really need it add it on to their systems. Bob > On Jan 21, 2018, at 6:26 PM, Magnus Danielson <magnus@rubidium.dyndns.org> wrote: > > Ronald, > > What exactly motivated specifically CSAC for you? > > There might be other cheaper alternatives to your problem. > > For me CSAC solves a problem within very specific set of parameters, > where low powerconsumption is one of them. Depending on the actual > details of the application a TCXO might be a better choice, or even some > OCXOs. > > It's not that I want to deny you the fun of toying with CSAC, I have > three myself, but if you don't really need what it is good for, other > choices might be better. Also, the one place for such advice is for sure > this email list where a lot of experience is gathered and ready to share. > > Cheers, > Magnus > > On 01/22/2018 12:09 AM, Ronald Held wrote: >> Thanks for all the information. Have not kept up with the price, but >> ~$6K is too much to afford right now By the time I can I hope it >> doesn't go up . >> >> Ronald >> >> Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2018 17:50:48 -0800 >> From: jimlux <jimlux@earthlink.net> >> To: time-nuts@febo.com >> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] CSAC purchase >> Message-ID: <5b9271c4-734d-e8e0-f092-a143126c2324@earthlink.net> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed >> >> On 1/20/18 5:05 PM, Ronald Held wrote: >>> I am thinking of buying a CSAC plus evaluation board. >>> Eventually I might want to make it portable. Any suggestions including >>> where to buy it? >>> >> >> >> MicroSemi is the manufacturer - Find a distributor and order it. >> >> For instance, Digikey has the CSAC ($5312.50) and the eval board ($928.75) >> >> portable isn't a problem - just run it off batteries. >> >> It's pretty easy to hook up - power, 1pps in and out and 10 MHz out >> (they have versions that put out 5, 10.24, and 16.384 MHz too). >> >> A serial port to control the device >> >> The eval board has SMA connectors, a sub-d for the serial port, and >> comes with a wall wart to run it. >> >> Download the Microsemi CSAC UserGuide for more info >> >> you can fool with the disciplining algorithm, etc. >> It's a low power device compared to a OCXO (<120mW) >> >> They're a pretty nifty device, even if the price more than tripled in >> the last couple years. >> >> >> Jackson Labs makes some integrated systems using CSAC, I believe. >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.