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TAPR Clockblock and USRP (GnuRadio) anyone ?

PK
Poul-Henning Kamp
Sat, Jan 13, 2007 11:16 AM

I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now
and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for
64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ?

--
Poul-Henning Kamp      | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG        | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer      | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.

I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for 64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ? -- Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20 phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956 FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
J
jra@febo.com
Sat, Jan 13, 2007 5:11 PM

I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now
and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for
64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ?

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm fairly nervous about the phase noise; the
ICS-525 chip isn't really designed for RF applications.  But of course,
there's no harm in trying it out...

Realistically, I think the best answer is a Reflock-II board locking a
good quality 64MHz VCXO to a 10MHz source.

John

> > I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now > and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for > 64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ? I haven't tried it yet, but I'm fairly nervous about the phase noise; the ICS-525 chip isn't really designed for RF applications. But of course, there's no harm in trying it out... Realistically, I think the best answer is a Reflock-II board locking a good quality 64MHz VCXO to a 10MHz source. John
PK
Poul-Henning Kamp
Sat, Jan 13, 2007 6:24 PM

I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now
and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for
64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ?

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm fairly nervous about the phase noise; the
ICS-525 chip isn't really designed for RF applications.  But of course,
there's no harm in trying it out...

Realistically, I think the best answer is a Reflock-II board locking a
good quality 64MHz VCXO to a 10MHz source.

Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already:

http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf

--
Poul-Henning Kamp      | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG        | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer      | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.

In message <1025.134.53.50.125.1168708295.squirrel@fluffles.febo.com>, jra@febo.com writes: >> >> I see that TAPR has the "clockblock" PLL gadget for sale now >> and that Matt Ettus USRP now sports a convenient facility for >> 64MHz clock input, anyone tried the combination yet ? > >I haven't tried it yet, but I'm fairly nervous about the phase noise; the >ICS-525 chip isn't really designed for RF applications. But of course, >there's no harm in trying it out... > >Realistically, I think the best answer is a Reflock-II board locking a >good quality 64MHz VCXO to a 10MHz source. Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already: http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf -- Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20 phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956 FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
ME
Matt Ettus
Sat, Jan 13, 2007 9:21 PM

On 1/13/07, Poul-Henning Kamp phk@phk.freebsd.dk wrote:

Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already:

     http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf

Actually, it isn't.  Its a plain crystal oscillator.  Selected for
very low jitter, but it does have up to 50 ppm drift over temperature.

Matt

On 1/13/07, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@phk.freebsd.dk> wrote: > In message <1025.134.53.50.125.1168708295.squirrel@fluffles.febo.com>, jra@febo.com writes: > >> > > Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already: > > http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf Actually, it isn't. Its a plain crystal oscillator. Selected for very low jitter, but it does have up to 50 ppm drift over temperature. Matt
DI
David I. Emery
Sat, Jan 13, 2007 11:01 PM

On Sat, Jan 13, 2007 at 01:21:06PM -0800, Matt Ettus wrote:

On 1/13/07, Poul-Henning Kamp phk@phk.freebsd.dk wrote:

Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already:

     http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf

Actually, it isn't.  Its a plain crystal oscillator.  Selected for
very low jitter, but it does have up to 50 ppm drift over temperature.

I tried and failed to find an off the shelf 64 MHz VXCO that

would fit...  perhaps my search wasn't vigorous enough.  If there is
one I'd certainly want to hear about it.

I really do wish some one of the folks offering USRP type A/D

and D/A functionality would at least provide an unstuffed 10 MHz
reference clock locking circuit on their board - there are lots of
applications where it is really useful to be able to have a really
stable accurate clock and 10 MHz GPSDOs that supply a highly accurate 10
MHz reference are cheap, high performance and widely available.  And
obvious the phase noise and jitter of the sampling clock is quite
critical, so an integrated solution on board with a VCXO seems more
optimum than an external board, cable, connectors and all the issues
those introduce.

--
Dave Emery N1PRE,  die@dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493
"An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten
'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in
celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either."

On Sat, Jan 13, 2007 at 01:21:06PM -0800, Matt Ettus wrote: > On 1/13/07, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@phk.freebsd.dk> wrote: > > In message <1025.134.53.50.125.1168708295.squirrel@fluffles.febo.com>, jra@febo.com writes: > > >> > > > > Actually the USRP v4 seems to have a VCXO already: > > > > http://gnuradio.org/svn/usrp-hw/trunk/USRP_REV_4_2/clock.pdf > > Actually, it isn't. Its a plain crystal oscillator. Selected for > very low jitter, but it does have up to 50 ppm drift over temperature. I tried and failed to find an off the shelf 64 MHz VXCO that would fit... perhaps my search wasn't vigorous enough. If there is one I'd certainly want to hear about it. I really do wish some one of the folks offering USRP type A/D and D/A functionality would at least provide an unstuffed 10 MHz reference clock locking circuit on their board - there are lots of applications where it is really useful to be able to have a really stable accurate clock and 10 MHz GPSDOs that supply a highly accurate 10 MHz reference are cheap, high performance and widely available. And obvious the phase noise and jitter of the sampling clock is quite critical, so an integrated solution on board with a VCXO seems more optimum than an external board, cable, connectors and all the issues those introduce. -- Dave Emery N1PRE, die@dieconsulting.com DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493 "An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten 'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either."