MJLorton Solar Power and Electronic Measurement Equipment Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Paul Collins M0BSW on December 07, 2014, 06:45:02 AM
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It's cold in the workshop today so been playing with my Spectrum analyser which seems to work extremely well,I think when I built it and added all that screening has paid off, this is spectrum Analyser Mk1 I'm on Mk 3 now , which consists of surface mounted and through components and I'm making it more compact plus Mk3 work directly with the scope and not through software.
this image is of a filter I made to try it out.
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Very cool! Are you thinking about writing your own software for it? I would like to know a bit more about your project if you're willing to share.
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Nice! any pics / explanation of the inner workings?
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Hi, Well it's nothing so special the idea is from a book called Homebrew Cookbook by a fellow Radio Amateur called Eamon Skelton EI9GO it's of modular construction,and consists of Noise Source,Mixer-Product Detector,Crystal Oscillator ,AF amp. I built this one for checking the response of Crystal filters, the best software is the registered version of Zeloscope.
With that behind me I'm building a version of poor-mans spectrum analyser, using the block diagram as a map, with my own versions of the blocks, it's the only way to learn. as with the first S/A the building blocks I changed to make my own versions I want it to work with my scope,rather than software, it's a great way you learn especially when it works.
There is a Vector Network Analyser home brew, that fascinates me a lot .hope this helps a bit, I found just concentrating on a small part of the circuit at a time helps.
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Nice! any pics / explanation of the inner workings?
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Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.
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Very cool! Are you thinking about writing your own software for it? I would like to know a bit more about your project if you're willing to share.
Eric I wish I had the skill of writing,I used to back in the DOS days, Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.
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Nice! any pics / explanation of the inner workings?
stage
Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.
nah - there's nothing wrong with 'shabby' prototypes in my book ;-)
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Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.
Modern compilers write the assembly code - so you don't have to; and if you need more 'grunt' - just choose a faster chip! If you're using Pics you need to understand how to read the datasheet, then you're good to go. Start with a 'blinky' then add an lcd, buttons etc and away you go!
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Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.
Modern compilers write the assembly code - so you don't have to; and if you need more 'grunt' - just choose a faster chip! If you're using Pics you need to understand how to read the datasheet, then you're good to go. Start with a 'blinky' then add an lcd, buttons etc and away you go!
I will have go using the laptop instead of suffering in the cold cellar workshop, I do have the board that connects between the pic chip & laptop,so it's worth a look at,I usually copy & paste the code file and the board does it's magic, it would be nice to write my own programs.
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Nice! any pics / explanation of the inner workings?
stage
Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.
nah - there's nothing wrong with 'shabby' prototypes in my book ;-)
lol, you ought to see some of my prototypes! Not much of a looker but they work great! ;D