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1-to-8 Pulse and Frequency Distribution Amplifier

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Last edited by Anders Wallin
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High performance 8-channel Pulse and Frequency distribution amplifier

Project Description

This 1U 19" rack project houses two boards, one 8-channel logic-pulse distribution amplifier (pda) board (i.e., for 1 pulse-per-second signals) and one 8-channel frequency distribution amplifier (fda) for typically 5 or 10 MHz sine-wave signals. The boards can be built with either BNC or SMA connectors. DC power to the boards is supplied by two +9VDC "brick" powersupplies via a 230VAC IEC-connector on the back panel.

Main Features

Frequency-Distribution-Amplifier

  • latest release "FDA 2017.03", board revision 3 on 2018-02-15.
  • 2-sided PCB, 170 mm x 70 mm
  • Input stage LMH6702 1.7 GHz CFA op-amp
  • Output stages LMH6609 900 MHz VFA op-amp
  • +6V and -6V low-noise DC rails provided by LT1963A (1.5A, 40 uVRMS noise) and LT3015 (-1.5A, 60 uVRMS noise) low-noise regulators.
  • residual phase-noise below -160 dBc/Hz @ 1 kHz offset from a 10 MHz carrier.
  • ToDo: level detector? (logic-pin or LED to indicate presence of signal)
  • ToDo: LED indicator for input signal
  • ToDo: monitoring interface? (arduino or similar, Ethernet?)
  • ToDo: multiple inputs?

Pulse-Distribution-Amplifier

  • latest release "PDA 2017.04", board revision 3 on 2018-02-15
  • 2-sided PCB, 170 mm x 70 mm
  • +3V3 DC-rail from LT1963A
  • Input to LT1711 comparator
  • 1.0V trigger level, from LT1790 voltage reference
  • fan-out and outputs from IDT5PB1108
  • LTC6993 timer drives 200ms "BLINK" pulse to front panel LED
  • trimmer-caps on each output allows tuning the output-to-output delay skew.
  • typical output-skew 200 ps before tuning, <20 ps after tuning.
  • drives 3.3V pulse into 1 MOhm (not recommended!) and ca 2.7V pulse into a 50 Ohm load.
  • <700 ps 10%-to-90% rise-time into 50R load, measured with 4 GHz oscilloscope.

Enclosure

  • Two boards fit side-by-side an a 1U high 19" rack enclosure.
  • 16 mm connector-to-connector distance, either SMA or BNC
  • 150 mm deep enclosure (can be reduced, depending on powersupplies)
  • two front panel indicator LEDs per board
  • AC connector on back panel
  • passively cooled, no fan.

Users

  • VTT MIKES UTC-laboratory, Finland
  • Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station, Finland

Project information

Contacts

Design and general questions

  • Anders Wallin (anders.e.e.wallin "at" gmail.com)

Commercial producers

Status

Date Event
01-2015 First ideas for making the distribution amplifiers
18-12-2015 First tests on Pulse distribution amplifier prototypes
27-12-2015 Frequency Distribution Amplifier, v2 simulations made
30-01-2017 Frequency Distribution Amplifier measurements made
12-08-2017 Project started on ohwr
18-08-2017 5 prototypes built. S/N 005 tested
29-08-2017 Metsähovi connected to the official time of Finland with the distribution amplifier
21-10-2017 Design files published on ohwr.org
03-01-2018 Enclosure Design notes and CAD files published
07-02-2018 Draft datasheet
15-02-2018 Aivon LTD announced commercial availability of 1:8 PDA/FDA
04-01-2019 Sync Technology, plans for commercial availability of 1:8 PDA/FDA
2020-05-29 160mm wide FDA
2020-10 Aivon produces S/N 30 of the FDA/PDA

Files