492: Difference between revisions

492 (view source)

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Kurt

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 During the lifespan of the instrument, the specifications and included options were altered several times. A major upgrade was the introduction of the '''492A''' in 1987 which added marker functionality and resolution bandwidths and the '''492BP''' in 1989 which added a counter and increased the displayed dynamic range. The '''492PGM''' is a cost reduced version introduced in 1990. Also see [[49X Series Comparison]].
+Regarding the 492, [[Linley Gumm]] says,
+<blockquote>
+Given how complicated it was,  many people contributed to the design.
+I currently have a list of 20 people.
+The problem is that I’m sure that I am missing several people and I hate to submit a list without them.
+The 492 was designed at the request of the military.
+They asked for a modern replacement of the 491.
+It was required that it provide coaxial input coverage of the lower microwave bands (~18 GHz),
+be very rugged, be a one person carry and fit through a submarine hatch.
+There was a lot more than that of course.
+When the 492 program started I was the project leader of the 7L18
+and was still working to finish it off.
+The 7L18 was the first instrument at Tektronix to use a microprocessor.
+We had worked long and hard to learn how to electronically switch and control all the elements
+that were controlled by physical switch closures in the earlier instruments.
+Understand that to position the frequency of a YIG filter correctly
+with respect to the frequency of a YIG oscillator
+one must generate very quiet DC voltages accurate to roughly 1 part in 20,000 (I.e. 1 MHz in 18 GHz),
+so new control techniques were required.
+Plus the TEK made YIG filter designed for the 7L18 was therefore ready for use in the 492.
+We had also learned quite a number of things not to do and this was also used to anchor the 492 program.
+I say this to note that most of the long lasting, “classic”, Tektronix products were often the second,
+but more often the third generation product by the same design group.
+The 492 was definitely a second generation product in its use of
+microwave components and a microprocessor based control system;
+perhaps a third if you lump the 7L12, 7L13 (microwave systems)
+and the 7L5 (electronic bus control system) together as a first generation.
+Larry Lockwood led the first part of the program.
+He defined the RF and microwave frequency conversion architecture of the 492.
+As the program progressed, Steve Morton became the project manager of the initial 492 program.
+Recognize that beyond that initial project,
+follow-on design work went on for years as new features were added.
+Further, after their initial design work in the initial portion of the project,
+designers often went on to do rather different subsystems in the follow-ons.
+I worked on the 492 as a circuit designer in the initial design
+and in several other roles later, none of which were leadership roles.
+The other people I can recall having worked on the 492 at some point in its life were:
+Roberto Alm,
+Bob Bales,
+Carlos Beck,
+Bill Benedict,
+Craig Bryant,
+Russel Brown,
+Wes Hayward,
+David Leatherwood,
+Gordon Long,
+Dave Morton,
+Bill Peterson,
+David Shores,
+Steve Skidmore,
+Dennis Smith,
+Phil Snow,
+Leighton Whitset, and
+Norman Witt.
+Be aware my spelling is often “inventive”.  There are at least two other names I can’t bring to mind.
+</blockquote>
 {{BeginSpecs}}