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JOURNAL
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N F R O M T H E - h p - L A B O R A T O R I E S
VOL. 2 No. 2
LJBLISHED BY THE HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY, 395 PAGE MILL ROAD, PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA OCTOBER, 1950
IN recent years a new type of instrument— ond. The circuit consists of two decades, giv
the sealer— has been increasingly used for ing a scaling factor of one hundred, so that
pulse-counting and frequency measure for every one hundred pulses applied to the
ment purposes. A sealer is basically a fre sealer a single output pulse is generated. Re
quency-dividing instrument that is capable sidual counts are indicated by two panel
of dividing quantities of pulses by an arbi meters having a combined capacity of one
trary factor, usually 10" or 2n. Scaling cir hundred counts. An important feature of the
cuits differ from conventional frequency sealer is that it has no lower limit on pulse
divider circuits, however, in that scaling cir rate. The high speed and scaling factor allow
cuits must be aperiodic to be usable with the instrument to be used in front of the ma
pulses arriving at a random rate, whereas jority of existing sealers which are capable
frequency dividers are usually periodic. of operation into the region of 105 pulses per
The major objective in the development second.
of the sealer shown in Figure 1 was to design The high speed of the sealer is not achieved
an instrument capable of operating at very at the expense of operational reliability. The
high rates without sacrifice in reliability. In circuit design is such that no adjustments of
final design, the instrument is capable of any sort are required, even for highest speed
scaling pulses arriving at uniform rates up to operation. Extensive tests of reliability have
10 million per second. It has a double-pulse been made with favorable results. For ex
resolving time of 0.1 microsecond and a ample, from a group of 30 tubes selected at
triple-pulse resolving time of 0.2 microsec- random and placed in the high-speed cir
cuits, only one tube failed to allow the sealer
to operate properly up to 10 me. In tempera
ture variation tests, the instrument operated
properly over a range from — 20°C to + 50°C.
SCALING METHODS
P R I N T E D I N U . S . A .
C O P Y R I G H T 1 9 5 0 H E W L E T T - P A C K A R D C O .
(A)
plied pulses, the multivibrators re purposes. If maximum speed is to be It can be seen that a sealer such as
vert to the same sense as after the obtained, these diodes must neces the -hp- Model 5 20 A is useful as a
tenth pulse of the previous group, sarily be of the crystal type to mini wide-range frequency divider. The
thus completing a cycle. mize stray capacities. basic circuit is also adaptable to meas
In effect, this arrangement has re Since crystal diodes are regarded uring events occurring in limited
moved the major delays from former by many as unreliable, considerable time intervals and to measuring
types of feedback circuits, because a test work has been performed to time intervals in terms of events oc
pulse from multivibrator "A" re- wards developing a reliable method curring at uniform rates. Such cir
triggers multivibrators "C" and "B" for the selection of diodes to insure cuits will be described in future
with only the delay in multivibrators that diode replacement would not issues.
"A" and "D." These delays have become troublesome. To date, the -A. S. BAGLEY
been minimized through the use of method used has given 97% relia
very fast switching circuits. bility in 500-hour tests on finished
MODEL S20A HIGH-SPEED
instruments— a figure comparable if DECIMAL SCALER
ONE MEGACYCLE SCALER not better than the reliability of con SPECIFICATIONS
The output of the 10-megacycle ventional tubes. Further refinements REQUIRED INPUT POLARITY: Operates from
positive pulses.
in the method of selection are ex REQUIRED INPUT AMPLITUDE: See Resolving
Time.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT pected to give even greater relia REQUIRED RATE OF RISE: 10 volts or more
per microsecond.
The Hewlett-Packard Jour bility. INPUT IMPEDANCE: 5000 ohms.
RESOIVING TIME: For two 10-volt or more
nal wishes to acknowledge here RESIDUAL COUNTS pulses, 0.10 microsecond; for three 10-volt
the valuable contributions of Two panel meters are provided to
or more pulses, 0.20 microsecond, first to
third. Maximum continuous uniform rate,
Mr. Howard M. Zeidler toward indicate residual counts. One meter
10" counts per second on pulses of five
volts peak. No lower limit on rate.
the development of the Model is calibrated from 0 to 90 in multi OUTPUT: Either positive or negative triangu
lar pulse with approximately 0.5 micro
618A UHF Signal Generator de ples of 10 and the other from 0 to 9 second rise time and approximately 3 mic
roseconds wide at base. 50 volts peak
scribed in last month's issue in multiples of 1. The combination amplitude.
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 5000 ohms.
(Vol. 2, No. 1). indicates residual counts from 0 to AMBIENT TEMPERATURE RANGE: O'C to
Mr. Zeidler envisioned the 99. Thus, if a discrete group of 4039
~50°C.
INPUT AND OUTPUT CONNECTORS: UHF
possibilities of the circuit with pulses is applied to the instrument, type ¡acks (Navy type-49194).
POWER SOURCE: Operates from nominal 115-
regard to straightforward sup 40 output pulses will be delivered volt, 50/60 cycle supply. Requires 200
watts.
pression of undesired oscilla and the panel meters will show the DIMENSIONS: lOVz" high, 19" wide, 13"
tions, and further performed residual count of 39.
deep.
MOUNTING: Supplied in relay rack style
much of the basic development SHIPPING WEIGHT: Approximately 80 Ibs.
INPUT CIRCUIT
work that led to the ultimate PRICE: $600.00 f.o.b. Palo Alto, California.
success of the project. The instrument operates from Data subject to change without notice.