TNP #23 - Tektronix THDP0200 ±1.5kV High Voltage Differential Probe Teardown, Repair & Analysis
15.7K views
October 17, 2022 11:24 PM
In this episode Shahriar repair a Tektronix high voltage probe. The probe is incorrectly identified when plugged into a TekVPI interface and causes the scope to freeze and fail communication with the probe firmware.
With the help of xDev.com the firmware of the probe is compared with a known good probe.
https://xdevs.com/fix/thdp_tmdp/#tekisp
The probe contains two different microprocessors to handle various probe functions and configurations. The new EEPROM content corrects the problem and points to some interesting conclusions on how the probe is identified by the scope. Measurements confirm the probe is now functional.
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TNP #22 - Zeiss Axioskop 2 MOT LED Retrofit Revisited & Bright/Dark Field, Polarization Microscopy
11.3K views
October 8, 2022 5:53 PM
In this episode Shahriar returns to the microscope LED upgrade challenge. The highest light density LED is used as a point source to improve Kohler illumination. Both transmission & reflected light sources are upgraded while maintaining the control purely through the microscope controls. The LED used can be found here:
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/new-energy/XHP70B-00-0000-0D0BP250E-SB01/7428211
Several images are also presented using bright field, dark field as well as polarization manipulation.
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TNP #21 - Stanford Research SR630 16-Channel Thermocouple Monitor Teardown, Repair & Experiment
9.9K views
October 6, 2022 10:15 PM
In this episode Shahriar takes a look at a Stanford Research SR630 16-Channel Thermocouple Monitor. This instrument provides accurate temperature readings multiplexed from 16 unique inputs. It also supports a wide range of thermocouple types. The instrument is purposely not powered on initially as it is prone to capacitor leakage on the main board. The capacitors have destroyed many of the crucial traces all of which have to be individually replaced with wires.
Repair is successful and the instrument is back to life! To test the unit, the temperature on both surfaces a Peltier cooler is measured. The thermoelectric pump is able to cool one side to below -5C while consuming 3.5W.
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TSP #214 - What is a good RF cable? Junkosha Phase/Amplitude Stable Cable Theory & Experiments
51.7K views
September 18, 2022 11:15 PM
In this episode Shahriar discusses the engineering challenges associated with making good RF & mm-Wave cables. The significance of the connector, cable frequency range, loss, phase/amplitude stability & temperate are all examined from a theoretical & practical aspects.
The stability of Junkosha cables are demonstrated up to 50GHz through S11 & phase measurements. The Junkosha MWX7 series cables offer optimized PTFE dielectrics as well as some of the best phase/amplitude/temperature stable operation:
https://www.junkosha.com/en/products/EMF-07
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TSP #213 - Keysight 20GHz MXG Analog RF Signal Generator Teardown, Repair & Analysis (Part 2)
15.8K views
September 4, 2022 3:52 PM
In this episode (Part 2) Shahriar returns to the MXG repair! The awesome engineers at Keysight have provided a replacement for the suspect part! The exchange is not easy due to the component’s strict thermal requirements. A method to provide a good thermal & electrical contact is presented. The repaired instrument is verified for functionality.
A close look at the complex micro-module is also presented under the microscope with analysis of each sub-component ceramic part & III/V MMIC.
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