Firmware for older HP spectrum analyzers?

[Joel Koltner]

Does anyone know of a source of firmware updates (on EEPROMs) for older HP
spectrum analyzers, such as the 8594EM? Or even a list of what bugs were
fixed and featured added with various versions? We have some older test
equipment like this around the shop, and I'm curious as to what else might be
possible with these units... in many ways they're a lot more "interesting"
than the newer analyzers which are just big Windows boxes.

Thanks,
---Joel

 

[Max65]

Hi Joel,
for no longer supported instruments, try to contact Dave Cunningham at
Agilent.

His e-mail address is:

[email protected]

I did it for my HP8711A network analyzer, and he supplied me the LIF
image of the upgrade disks for the latest version.

He is good fellow (if he can get it), he will help you for sure.

Have a great day.

Massimo

 

[Jorgen Lund-Nielsen]

Does anyone know of a source of firmware updates (on EEPROMs) for older HP
spectrum analyzers, such as the 8594EM? Or even a list of what bugs were
fixed and featured added with various versions? We have some older test
equipment like this around the shop, and I'm curious as to what else might be
possible with these units... in many ways they're a lot more "interesting"
than the newer analyzers which are just big Windows boxes.

Thanks,
---Joel

Ask there:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/hp_agilent_equipment/

Jorgen
dj0ud

 

[[email protected]]

Joel,

I have an 8594EM (with tracking generator and oven stabilised
frequency counter), so I would be interested in what you discover. If
I remember rightly the 8594EM was modified at some point to add a
parallel printer port interface instead of using HPIB printing. Mine
was made just before this change.

Earlier this year I repaired my 8753A vector network analyzer which
had a defective eprom and gave a checksum error on startup. This was
done by scanning the eproms for any bits which changed with small
variations in supply voltage. I flipped a suspicious bit and restored
correct operation. Later I was able to compare the eprom dump files
with those from another 8753A owner and confirm their correctness.

This was all described in sci.electronics.repair.

If anyone wants a copy of the 8753A dump files I would be happy to
send them.

John

 

[Bob Pownall]

Does anyone know of a source of firmware updates (on EEPROMs) for older HP
spectrum analyzers, such as the 8594EM? Or even a list of what bugs were
fixed and featured added with various versions? We have some older test
equipment like this around the shop, and I'm curious as to what else might be
possible with these units... in many ways they're a lot more "interesting"
than the newer analyzers which are just big Windows boxes.

I assume you've already checked the Agilent website. (Agilent got the
instrument divisions when HP split up a few years back.)

You might also check ftp://ftp.agilent.com/pub/manuals/ - that's where
Agilent posts equipment manuals that it hasn't yet gotten around posting
to its "official" pages.

A couple other sites you might try checking are
http://hparchive.com/hp_equipment.htm and http://bama.sbc.edu/. The
first is a site for collectors of HP and Agilent test gear. The second
focuses on ham radio, but it has some stuff on HP products relevant to
ham radio, such as 'scopes, signal generators and spectrum analyzers.

All three are kind of long shots, but you don't have anything to lose,
do you?

HTH.

Bob Pownall

 

[Joel Koltner]

Thanks to everyone for all the responses -- you've given me some good leads to
follow.

EPROMs... boy, that brings back memories... I haven't used in over a decade!
Hmm... too bad I told my UniPro and SuperPro years ago now! I might still
have one of those ART Electronics serial-port interfaced programmers back at
my parents house, but I suspect these days it's best -- if I can find an
electronic copy of the ROMs -- to just have someone who still burns EPROMs
regularly as a service do it.

---Joel

 

[Joel Koltner]

Answering part of my own question here: With some help for Agilent, I found
this web page:
http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent...eng&ckey=478756&nid=-536900125.0.00&id=478756
....which lists the firmware versions for all the 8590EM series instruments.
Interestingly, there were only 4 and it turns out I do have the last one
listed (96.07.09).

Thanks again to everyone for the help,
---Joel