TNP #45 – Tektronix TekVPI TPA-BNC (TekProbe Converter) Adapter Repair & Teardown

January 3, 2024 No comments

In this episode Shahriar upgrades the internal firmware of a TPA-BNC TekVPI adapter. The teardown of the adapter is presented and the internal architecture described. The firmware is copied from a newer unit to the faulty one and the adapter can now detect a wide range of probes.

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TSP #237 – Rohde & Schwarz LCX200 Precision 10MHz LCR Meter Review, Tutorial, Teardown & Experiments

December 21, 2023 No comments

In this episode Shahriar presents a detailed review of the Rohde & Schwarz LCX200 LCR meter. The new LCR platform from Rohde & Schwarz can operate up to 10MHz with a basic accuracy of ±0.05% for impedance measurements:

https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/products/test-and-measurement/lcr-meters-and-impedance-analyzers/rs-lcx-lcr-meter_63493-1172288.html

With capabilities such as binning, logging and sweeps, there is a lot to talk about! This review is organized as follows:

00:00 – Introductions
00:46 – Instrument overview, front & back panels
02:57 – Test fixtures and fixture teardown
04:28 – Detailed teardown, architecture, sub-component overview
11:23 – Remote interface, GUI overview, measurement parameters, fixture compensation
15:14 – Capacitor standard measurement, parameters setup, incident voltage, LowZ mode, auto-ranging
19:43 – Capacitor impairment measurements, Cs/Rs/Cp/Rp comparison, DC resistance & leakage measurements
21:44 – In-circuit measurements considerations, active device impacts
22:49 – Variable capacitor measurements, logging & plotting performance
25:37 – LC resonance measurements, frequency sweep capabilities, SRF detection, data export & post processing
29:22 – PN junction varactor measurements, DC bias sweep, active device characterization
31:35 – Variable inductor measurements, current stimulus capabilities, quality factor measurements
32:59 – Transformer fixture & transformer characterization, number of turns, mutual inductance and transformer verifications
35:02 – Surface mount device measurements, setup for binning and statistical measurements, triggering
37:05 – External DC bias voltage setup, internal voltage readout, 40V capability
38:57 – Concluding remarks & future improvements

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TNP #44 – AT&T 938A LED Optical Loss Set Repair, Teardown & Experiments

December 14, 2023 No comments

In this episode Shahriar takes a look an AT&T optical loss set which is equipped LED sources 875nm & 1300nm. The unit has been storage for over a decade with heavily leaked batteries.
After the cleanup, the unit powers on and is able to measure optical power as well as generate light from the LED source. The accuracy of the photodetector is verified against a calibrated optical meter. The wavelength of the 875nm LED source is also measured using a spectrometer.

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TSP #236 – A 77GHz Automotive Radar Module Measurement, Reverse Engineering & RFIC/Antenna Analysis

November 30, 2023 No comments

In this episode Shahriar takes a detailed look at two different automotive 77GHz radar modules. Each module design is presented along with the overall architecture and functional blocks.

The working module measurements are presented with discussions on how to capture an FMCW waveform at mm-wave frequencies. The teardown of the faulty module reveals the overall synthetic aperture design, antenna placement and design considerations and the digital backend processing. A close look at the Infineon 77GHz RFICs are also presented.

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TSP #235 – Stanford Research SR650 Dual Programmable Filter HP/LP Repair, Teardown & Experiments

November 25, 2023 No comments

In this episode Shahriar repairs an SRS SR650 dual programmable filter. The unit powers on with nearly all the front-panel LEDs illuminated but does not respond to any buttons. Schematic and internal measurements show a lack of activity on any of the main processor pins which is traced to a faulty inverter IC responsible for clock generation. The main SRAM IC is also missing and needs to be replaced.
Additional analysis of the circuits and modifications are also presented. However, the unit develops a new problem due to very high thermal dissipation of the 5V regular and full bridge rectifier. A new rectifier is installed and the faulty 5V regular is also replaced. The QuantAsylum QA403 Audio Analyzer is used to characterized the filter and ensure both the high-pass and low-pass filter sections are functional.

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