I have this same exact Analog Devices evaluation board currently on order. Thank you for going through the steps you did, as it will make my journey that much easier/clearer. The eval board is scheduled to arrive in another week or so. Fred
I was curious and did the exact same measurements using the RF Power Snitch, which is a diode detector. Turns out that for the range above -30dBm the Power Snitch does even better. So a simple diode detector can do well under certain conditions I think (this chip isn't cheap). The only thing that needs attention is temperature compensation. I was looking into this chip series for a new project.
Hello MAESTRO, today I got the HP POWER METER 436A (very clean luck new little used) the reference from the HP 435A and 436A spot on 0dBm I'm happy I waiting for the Marconi 6950 is analogic and I go to start with, The chopper system on the detector is similar I think have some fun have ordained the N FET and I go to build the chopper inside the powerhead and put the dc reference in if work. This is the first step. (I think you doing very well and fast of me with your experience) Your videos are one inspiration for this project. Thank you!
I've had good luck using a plain vanilla AD8007 feeding the 10 bit arduino analog input. Within 1dB -60 to +8 dBm. I got a bit better linearity by using a lookup table for every 10 dB and interpolating between points. I used a precision voltage reference for full scale on the Arduino. My application was a remote power meter for an antenna range that transmitted the received level back on 433 MHz.
today my Rf lab got 2 other instruments to calibrate the power meter board, one Farnell PSG1000with frequency 10Mhz reference GPSO, and one HP436A power meter both calibrated, are fun to see the tinySA reading frequency and power properly.
I built one with the AD8307 chip into a box about four years ago; the spec was up to 500 MHz; characterized it from 1 - 650 MHz and found it to be quite linear from -74 dBm up to +18 dBm. A simple chart yields as you say, a really nice power meter for next to nothing. It actually surprised me with a very stable slope of 32.9 mV/dBm. Sufficient for most work around the bench and I don't have to pull out all the cables & sensors for the HP437 to do a quick measurement!
Was just looking at the AD8307 last night , those critters are going for $13+ from Mouser/Digikey price has went way up on them since I last checked, those prebuilt China modules are cheap if they work then great!
I didnt know that chip, recently i bought the AD8307 and the AD8313, and just yesterday while i was checking my diy dbm (AD8307), i found in the tinySa that while doing a LO output at 10 Mhz there is a Jump of 5db extra attenuation (-50dbm) when doing -45dbm and repeat from then on, it happens too in other frequencies...and it is not the dbm meter i checked it with an attenuator and its Ok.
Yes, the sensor inside got two parts. first, the detector itself (diode or thermistor) is gold stuff, end the second part is the Chopper (two N FET), and one transistor the first amplifier on PCB the Zero, the feedback ecc.. The second stage is the way to connect the sensor to the meter and is reproducible if I reach this part to connect the second stage to the meter the calibration is with D.C. I think there is a different way for the detector itself (remember this whose old technology) instead of gold stuff can put one IC detector personally 3or 6 Ghz is good to me. Is creasy the meter £50 pounds, the connector cable £150, and the powerhead £800 is crazy!
Hello friend, I take your suggestion" to make one power meter need one power meter" I buy one HP 8484A powerhead sensor very clean from one well-reputed UK company at a very reasonable price to use with the HP436A , this means I go forward to build one other use this for calibrate.
The AD 8318 8Ghz the 8317 reach 10Ghz is perfectly feasible to put on the front end one of this detector and use the meter (some use one of this detector and one mini Babbuino (sorry Arduino) and make a USB power meter.
I pimped my RSSI meter with that chip and an Arduino for data logging etc. Works great! Thanks!
You helped me a lot - had the same board - did not run.
I have this same exact Analog Devices evaluation board currently on order. Thank you for going through the steps you did, as it will make my journey that much easier/clearer. The eval board is scheduled to arrive in another week or so. Fred
Datasheets are your friend. They explain everything about the chip to stupid details. Enough to design circuits around it.
Another project? Great, more fun.Thanks for the look.
I was curious and did the exact same measurements using the RF Power Snitch, which is a diode detector. Turns out that for the range above -30dBm the Power Snitch does even better. So a simple diode detector can do well under certain conditions I think (this chip isn't cheap). The only thing that needs attention is temperature compensation. I was looking into this chip series for a new project.
I tend to buy some of the more interesting things you review. I wouldn't get one of these without your review, but I'm getting 2 of them.
Hello MAESTRO, today I got the HP POWER METER 436A (very clean luck new little used) the reference from the HP 435A and 436A spot on 0dBm I'm happy I waiting for the Marconi 6950 is analogic and I go to start with, The chopper system on the detector is similar I think have some fun have ordained the N FET and I go to build the chopper inside the powerhead and put the dc reference in if work. This is the first step. (I think you doing very well and fast of me with your experience) Your videos are one inspiration for this project. Thank you!
I've had good luck using a plain vanilla AD8007 feeding the 10 bit arduino analog input. Within 1dB -60 to +8 dBm. I got a bit better linearity by using a lookup table for every 10 dB and interpolating between points. I used a precision voltage reference for full scale on the Arduino. My application was a remote power meter for an antenna range that transmitted the received level back on 433 MHz.
today my Rf lab got 2 other instruments to calibrate the power meter board, one Farnell PSG1000with frequency 10Mhz reference GPSO, and one HP436A power meter both calibrated, are fun to see the tinySA reading frequency and power properly.
I built one with the AD8307 chip into a box about four years ago; the spec was up to 500 MHz; characterized it from 1 - 650 MHz and found it to be quite linear from -74 dBm up to +18 dBm. A simple chart yields as you say, a really nice power meter for next to nothing. It actually surprised me with a very stable slope of 32.9 mV/dBm. Sufficient for most work around the bench and I don't have to pull out all the cables & sensors for the HP437 to do a quick measurement!
"I'll add that to my list of projects." I've lost track of the number of times I've said that :)
Was just looking at the AD8307 last night , those critters are going for $13+ from Mouser/Digikey price has went way up on them since I last checked, those prebuilt China modules are cheap if they work then great!
Thanks for the video! Did you ever put the AD8318 in the project box? Do you have any other videos which show the project box you mentioned at around
i know it's been a year but how did you get the voltage values for the decreasing values of dBm scale?
It does not look like the standard evaluation board from Analog Devices, is this one of those sold on Amazon or Ebay from China?
I didnt know that chip, recently i bought the AD8307 and the AD8313, and just yesterday while i was checking my diy dbm (AD8307), i found in the tinySa that while doing a LO output at 10 Mhz there is a Jump of 5db extra attenuation (-50dbm) when doing -45dbm and repeat from then on, it happens too in other frequencies...and it is not the dbm meter i checked it with an attenuator and its Ok.
Yes, the sensor inside got two parts. first, the detector itself (diode or thermistor) is gold stuff, end the second part is the Chopper (two N FET), and one transistor the first amplifier on PCB the Zero, the feedback ecc.. The second stage is the way to connect the sensor to the meter and is reproducible if I reach this part to connect the second stage to the meter the calibration is with D.C. I think there is a different way for the detector itself (remember this whose old technology) instead of gold stuff can put one IC detector personally 3or 6 Ghz is good to me. Is creasy the meter £50 pounds, the connector cable £150, and the powerhead £800 is crazy!
Hello friend, I take your suggestion" to make one power meter need one power meter" I buy one HP 8484A powerhead sensor very clean from one well-reputed UK company at a very reasonable price to use with the HP436A , this means I go forward to build one other use this for calibrate.
The AD 8318 8Ghz the 8317 reach 10Ghz is perfectly feasible to put on the front end one of this detector and use the meter (some use one of this detector and one mini Babbuino (sorry Arduino) and make a USB power meter.