Tag Archives: Electronics

HP 3325B Function Generator

I saved a HP3325B from the trash almost 6 months ago which is an awesome score. When I had first powered it up it threw a FAIL 023 error, I put it under my desk and decided to get it out and patch it up today.

First key bit of information is that HP / Agilent are absolutely spectacular companies for providing service manuals, product manuals, and datasheets well beyond the retail life of their instruments. You can still pick up documentation directly from Agilent here.

In digging through the datasheet you can see that a FAIL 023 means we’re having a problem with the dc offset, so I printed off the relevant service information (groups K,J) and prepared for the worst. After powering the machine on at my desk I was again met with the FAIL 023 when requesting a sine wave, and a new error was a FAIL021 when requesting a square wave. I then out of chance cycled through the other 3 settings (triangle, etc) and returned to the square wave and sine waves to discover that the errors had went away! It’s likely that I had a stuck/hung up relay and switching away from square and sine waves cycled something into place again. We’ll see how long it lasts but hopefully I’ve just picked up a nice piece of equipment.

Additionally while I was reassembling the covers, turning the instrument from side to side resulted in a nice pinball sound, I swung it back in forth until I was greeted with 3 washers on my desk, I can’t imagine that these were helping with things but they’re out now. Looks like they came off the main power transformer which someone had helpfully duct-taped into place at some point.

Fuji PYZ Series PYZ4RAY1-4V Controller Dead

I’ve got 3 PYZ series PYZ4RAY1-4V controllers who have all decided to quit working in a week or so of eachother.

Fuji PYZ Controller

They all won’t respond correctly to the sense input (TC, RTD, Voltage/Current) and 2 of them are stuck at -208 no matter what. I don’t see any glaring issues on the boards, the capacitors are all happy, nothing burned out/damaged. Can’t find any reference to them on the internet except for a manual here.

I’ve also got an Omega CN8500 with similar issues.

Anyone else familiar with these controllers?

Lots of Fuji PYZ Controllers

The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronic Junk Arrives!

I signed up a few months ago on a fun website which tracks boxes of electronic junk being mailed around the world.

Of course I wanted to receive my own box of random electronic junk and send it on its way, so I added myself to the list and awaited an e-mail. A few weeks passed and I was contacted by Ronald in Tennessee who was starting several new boxes and wondered if I’d like to receive one. Three days later a box arrives via priority mail at work marked “Rattling is Normal” and it was here!

Of course if USPS was handling anything but junk the box would have been ripped apart and inspected by the DEA, ATF and the CIA; and it would have taken 7+ days to get here despite being priority, but junk, hell, they probably flew it up to make sure it got here quick. . .

On opening the box it was apparent that, as advertised, it was indeed a box of junk 🙂

I’ll post the contents and what I added after it reaches Colin since I know he’ll cheat and read this before the box reaches him!