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G8MNY > TECH 10.06.11 07:53l 126 Lines 5447 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 17152_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: PIC Freq Counter Mods
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<DB0RES<ON0AR<UA6ADV<GB7CIP
Sent: 110610/0041Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:17152 [Caterham] $:17152_GB7CIP
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To : TECH@WW
By G8MNY (Updated Feb 09)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
After making a PIC frequency counter from EI9GQ's design in October 2006
Radcom, as an "on the night club construction contest", I found some faults
with it/the club kit provided.
USELESS PREAMP
The original circuit has very poor gain up to 1V RMS input was needed to get
the 4V p-p logic level needed to drive the PIC properly. I could not discover
exactly why, it was not just the biasing, as the HF frequency response was
also very poor!
So I replaced the supposedly 550MHz BF199, for a 500MHz 2N2369A & rebiased it
to give the best input sensitivity (around 18k base to collector).
I also protected it from overload (when the display goes funny & needs
repowering to reboot the PIC) with 2 back to back signal diodes on the input
BNC socket. And I increased the LF range by changing the 470pF input cap to a
10nF so that frequencies down to 1kHz could be measured (software disabled
below that!)
ÚÄÄÄ+5V
560R Frequency Sensitivity
Protection ÚÄÄÄÄ´ 1kHz - 10kHz 100mV
Diode 18k ÃÄ270RÄ>PIC 10kHz - 10MHz 10mV
BNC Clipping 10n ³ ³/ 10MHz - 30MHz 100mV
I/P o)ÄÄÂÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ÃÄÄÁÄÄ´2N2369A 30MHz - 45MHz 600mV
Socket³ _³_ _³_ open ³\e
³ \_/ /_\ wires ³
ÀÄÄÁÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄ
2x 1N4148 PIC PCB
FREQUENCY ACCURACY
On the construction day, all the kits read a 10MHz reference about 1.5kHz high.
This meant the 10.240MHz timebase crystal has to be slowed down. EI9GQ'a write
up mentions the 2 fixed 22pF caps need to be selected for your crystal. I
changed my original crystal for a recovered surplus one (different batch) &
again had the same frequency. So I swapped the 22pF caps for slighty larger
values, but I found the best result was to add a small ceramic 22pF across the
crystal. This gave a nice +/- 200Hz range @ 10MHz on the fine Cal trimmer.
PIC
³ 10.240 ³
ÃÄÄ´[]ÃÄÄ´
³ ÃÄÄÄ¿
ÃÄÄÄ´ÃÄÄÄ´ ³\
³ 22pF ³ ³/\
=== === === Cal
22pF³ 22pF³ /³ Trimmer
ÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÁÄÄ
As there is no temperature compensation of the reference crystal, I also tried
some negative temperature 22pF caps, but these would not tune on frequency for
me! :-(
SOFTWARE PRECALLER
I did find that there is a software problem affecting the accuracy when the
counter uses its software selected PIC prescaller. E.g. if you calibrate the
counter at say 4MHz & retest it at 40MHz, there is a small under read error of
greater than 10x the count. This may be due to the software loosing some counts
cycles when it does its cleaver stuff counting buffer over loads etc. But
normal counters also connected behave quite normally on this test.
BOXING UP
I found a second hand plastic box that was just big enough (120 x 65 x 40mm),
as the smaller plastic & diecast ones I had were all too small.
I mounted the display with 6BA stand off pillars that were exactly the same
depth as the LCD display, but I had to drill out the metric PCB holes to 6BA
clearance.
display cut out
====================================
³³ [] |~~~~~~~~LCD~~~~~~~~| [] ³³ []=threaded stand off pillars
³³heat=========================== ³³
³³sink--screen--- ³³ Input
POWER³³ reg=========== room for ³³ BNC
JACK o) PIC nicads ((o)
=====================================
Box Bottom
I then stacked the PIC PCB with long 6BA bolts on that. But that was actually a
mistake & I needed a double insulated screening plate between the 2 PCBs with
6BA nut separators, to stop the display crosstalk noise from upsetting the
counter reading.
POWERING
I added a series idiot diode on the 12V feed & initially a heatsinked the
regulator as I was powering bright backlight LED from 5V.
But later I used a small nicad battery option with no LED, but charging via the
LED. PCB track cuts were needed for this circuit arrangement.
2x 1N4001 ____ +5.0V ON/OFF
+12V o)ÄÂÄ´>ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄ´7805ÃÄÄÄÄ¿ N.O. relay SWITCH
³ ³ === ~~³~ .ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄoÄÄÄÄÄÄÄo\______+5V to
³ À´>ÃÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ N.C. ³ PCB
³ ³ 33R _³_ ³ ===
³ ÚÄÄÁÄÄ¿ _³_ Charge ³ _³_
³ ³Small³ \_/=Backlight ³
³ ³Relay³ ³ LED ³
³ ÀÄÄÂÄÄÙ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ+4.8 to 5.5V
³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
³ +_³_ NICADS
³ Ü 4x
³ ³ 100mA/H
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
When the relay is released with no 12V, power comes from the wired in nicads.
Charging is through the Relay & the bright LCD display LED, & is enough current
to recharge in 24 hrs. Also running the LED only from 12V via a 1W 33R to the
nicad battery instead of the original 10R from 5V will remove the need for a
regulator heatsink.
See other tech buls "Watson 'Hunter' Counter Mods", "Old Venner Counter Type
TSA3334", "198kHz Off Air Standard", & "Off Air Lock for Ref Osc."
Why don't U send an interesting bul?
73 de John G8MNY @ GB7CIP
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