HP/Agilent 6632B Easter Egg!

[Macbeth]

Have just been playing around with this supply and found a "WARGAMES" Easter Egg, you have to type in the number of the beast along with your serial number. Are there any other hidden features for these excellent power supplies? Yes I know about powering on with 0 and 9 pressed too.

Uploaded to youtube here:- http://youtu.be/SK4CSCqZAgI



 

[AndyC_772]

Either this is a better-than-average wind-up, for which I commend you, or I'm not doing it right. Tried 2x 6632B's and a 6634B, and nothing happens.

[Macbeth]

Did you press the enter key after entering "the number of the beast" and your serial number?

Also notice my PSU was in "Dis" mode, output off...

[AndyC_772]

Yep.

You don't have something plugged into one of the data ports at the back, by any chance? 

[Macbeth]

Yep.

You don't have something plugged into one of the data ports at the back, by any chance? 

Ahh... You got me I recently acquired a DB9 Null Modem and couldn't resist... I also considered claiming these supplies had an RTC and playing with the DISP:TEXT function in the same way for time and date and waiting until April 1st, but I'm too impatient.

Anyway, for those interested here is some code to play with in C#.NET

You can see how I achieved the "special effects" cursor and flashing text too.

Code: [Select]

using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.IO.Ports;

// This is just a silly but quite enjoyable play with the RS232 port and the SCPI commands available on my recently acquired HP 6632B System Power Supply.
// I like the old-school protocol, no bloated NI-VISA, MATLAB, LabVIEW etc. needed.
// Get the programming manual from the HP/Agilent/Keysight website: 5962-8198.pdf
// Also, I haven't done much C#.NET programming in a while, so this has been fun.
// Macbeth @ [url=https://www.eevblog.com/forum/]www.eevblog.com/forum/[/url] ;)

namespace ConsoleHP6632
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string str;

            // Change "COM3" to whatever your real RS232 port, or your USB-RS232 adapter is.
            // Please don't use an FTDI USB adapter and come back to me if it bricks.
            // I have a Prolific USB converter somewhere, haven't used in 5 years. So I just got a new one on ebay.
            // My own is a super cheap Chinese with no drivers that claims not to work on any OS above XP and cost £1.11
            // I found the drivers for Windows 7 x64 in ten minutes. It reports as 'USB2.0-Ser!' and then 'USB-SERIAL CH340' when the driver is installed.
            // You need a F/F Null Modem cable to connect to the HP 66xxB serial port. Again, I have one somewhere, but for the hassle involved
            // looking for it, I just got a new one from ebay for £1.39 ;)

            SerialPort com = new SerialPort("COM3", 9600, Parity.None, 8, StopBits.One);
            com.Open();
            com.WriteLine("OUTP OFF;*IDN?");

            str = com.ReadLine();
            Console.WriteLine(str);
            com.WriteLine("DISP:STATE ON;MODE TEXT");

            WOPR(com, "GREETINGS", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "PROFESSOR", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "FALKEN.", 3000);
            WOPR(com, "SHALL WE PLAY", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "A GAME?", 5000);
            WOPR(com, "GLOBAL THERMO-",1000);
            WOPR(com, "NUCLEAR WAR", 500);

            com.WriteLine("VOLT 0 ;CURR 0");
            com.WriteLine("OUTP ON");
            FlashWOPR(com, 30);
           
            com.WriteLine("DISP:TEXT \" 999.9V 9999.9A\"");
            FlashWOPR(com, 30);

            WOPR(com, "Sorry, I'm only", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "100 Watts :(", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "Couldnt launch", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "the skin off a", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "rice pudding :(", 1000);
            WOPR(com, "Back to normal", 1000);
            com.WriteLine("OUTP OFF");
            com.WriteLine("DISP:MODE NORM");
            com.Close();
           
        }
        static void WOPR(SerialPort com, string str, int sleep)
        {
            int i;
            Console.WriteLine(str);         
            for (i = 0; i <= str.Length; i++)
            {
                com.WriteLine("DISP:TEXT \"" + str.Substring(0, i) + "_\"");
                Thread.Sleep(100);
                com.WriteLine("DISP:TEXT \"" + str.Substring(0, i)+ "\"");
                Thread.Sleep(100);
            }
            Thread.Sleep(sleep);
               
        }
        static void FlashWOPR(SerialPort com, int times)
        {
            int i;
            for (i = 0; i <= times; i++)
            {
                com.WriteLine("DISP:STAT OFF");
                Thread.Sleep(150);
                com.WriteLine("DISP:STAT ON");
                Thread.Sleep(150);

            }
        }
    }
}


[Whales]

My power supply wants to melt the world.  Awwwww SO CUTE!

[Macbeth]

I have to admit, I really like this over the top for my needs PSU, but so cheap for what it is!.

I am definitely going to fit Option 020 which I can easily make on a single sided PCB looking at the circuit diagram. But why all the chokes and capacitors instead of just straight cables like Dave did with his HP6643A System Supply?

It also looks like instead of jumpering some tracks like in Daves video, the 0 ohm R456-R459 links have to be removed from the A1 board for the front panel binding post option?

Also L601 to L604 values are not specified in the documentation. Any ideas?

 

I'm definitely on the lookout for more of these PSUs, at a good price, but with the higher voltage/current instead   The size and the noise doesn't bother me.

Oh, and if anyone knows how to rejuvenate the VFD display let me know. It's clear this PSU has spent its poor life stuck in a rack in the old Nokia factory in Germany 24/7 on the same voltage settings for at least 10 years. 

Mind you, I can always claim the dodgy VFD brightness changes are a kind of electronic "patina" - and proves my ancient antique is genuine. If I remove the patina, Pawn Stars would only give me $10 as it would sit on the shelf for months, etc.

ETA: The circuit diagram for the binding post option on the A1 Board.

[Precipice]

I'm definitely on the lookout for more of these PSUs, at a good price, but with the higher voltage/current instead   The size and the noise doesn't bother me.

One other thing that might annoy you (or others) - the big transformers in these PSUs will wobble CRTs in nearby gear - particularly if you tend to stack gear, 3u of separation seems to be enough.

[AndyC_772]

WOPR 

Hats off to you, that's a good wind-up - though it's rather early for April Fools 

[babysitter]

I knew it is a joke, but inspired me to prepare a similar prank for when my trainee is back next week

[T3sl4co1l]

It also looks like instead of jumpering some tracks like in Daves video, the 0 ohm R456-R459 links have to be removed from the A1 board for the front panel binding post option?

Also L601 to L604 values are not specified in the documentation. Any ideas?

Hmm, little RFI filter board?  They probably used plain old ferrite beads, rated for enough current; but beware that they'll saturate beyond maybe 0.2A, meaning the low frequency properties are impaired (a ferrite bead in saturation doesn't simply crap out, but progressively higher frequencies are shunted as more bias is applied).  A better alternative would be something like a lossy powdered iron (#26 (yellow-white), #52 (green-blue) or such) with a few turns to get about the same inductance (ferrite beads are roughly 0.2-3uH/t^2 depending on size and composition).

If you like, you can take wires off the PCB and run both input and output sides through common mode chokes, obviously, using +/- pairs at a time.  A choke might range from a simple cable core to many turns through a larger core.  If you're expecting to work a lot with noisy, noisy hardware, this might be handy, otherwise I don't see it being very useful around an already-quiet linear supply.

This, by the way, is a number one top priority on those POS-1 Chinese switchers (the bigger Masteks and insert-brand-here's).  The outputs are D-I-R-T-Y and need a minimum of a large common mode choke plus a 1-10uF film capacitor at the terminals.

Tim