Besides Keygilent, who makes Frequency Counters with GPIB?

[XFDDesign]

I have a strict "do-not-buy Agilent" policy and am in need of a high-count frequency counter for some characterization work. Oddly, I've not found many vendors who make frequency counters, let alone ones with GPIB on them.

As my google-fu has been failing me, I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a brand who makes counts good to 200MHz or so, with GPIB interfaces? Standard CMOS logic levels (3.3V) are plenty fine for the input tolerance. Something which can be traceable by calibration is also a need.

Thanks!

[tszaboo]

HP made counters with GPIB interface.

[XFDDesign]

HP made counters with GPIB interface.

And HP->Agilent->Keysight.

Agilent burned their bridge with me with great gusto. None of that brand's products sit on my benches, nor will they.

[CJay]

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1724108.pdf?_ga=1.113604359.1436912983.1465303675

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1906939.pdf?_ga=1.88551579.1436912983.1465303675

Second one is 'optional' GPIB and may not have high enough resolution?

[HighVoltage]

What happened with you and Agilent?
To me they make some of the finest test gear.

Anyhow, you could use some of the older Philips PM6666 and PM6665
I still have one of each in perfectly good working condition.

[XFDDesign]

Ok so there is a failing I had- I'm looking for _new_.

WRT Agilent, TL;DR edition:

Put in time to buy a fairly big ticket item back in 2004. Their sales support decided they couldn't be fucked to take payment and instead wasted two weeks of my time figuring out what the hell they were doing.

After the two weeks, I decided if this is the standard of their sales, it's probable that their other support folks are only worse. I went and got an inferior product from Tektronix, but it at least did the job and Tek was more than happy to take my money. From that point forward, Agilent and any variant there-of is on my black list.

[flash2b]

Tektronix FCA3000 and 3100 series: http://www.tek.com/frequency-counter/fca3000-3100

[tszaboo]

From that point forward, Agilent and any variant there-of is on my black list.

Congratulations. Next time, you accidentally trip over in something, make sure you blacklist your feet and never walk again. That would be the same level.

[nctnico]

Put in time to buy a fairly big ticket item back in 2004. Their sales support decided they couldn't be fucked to take payment and instead wasted two weeks of my time figuring out what the hell they were doing.

Being located in the US you shouldn't have a problem finding another dealer. I do understand your frustration though. I'm in an country which is a small market so most brands only have one dealer. I have found some dealers are difficult to work with which puts some brands out of my reach.

[HighVoltage]

Put in time to buy a fairly big ticket item back in 2004. Their sales support decided they couldn't be fucked to take payment and instead wasted two weeks of my time figuring out what the hell they were doing.

12 years later, these sales people are probably gone.
But this has nothing to do with the quality of the test gear.
I expected you to have a huge technical breakdown.
May be time to give them another chance, times have changed.

[XFDDesign]

Once you clear a certain pricetag point, they switch to direct field sales agents rather than relying on distributors. (It also depends on the particular product line)

12 years later, these sales people are probably gone.
But this has nothing to do with the quality of the test gear.
I expected you to have a huge technical breakdown.
May be time to give them another chance, times have changed.

John Berg is still at Keysight, and is still quite popular with this existing customer base. When I worked at Analog Devices' Northwest Labs, he was the go-to guy for their gear needs. Where possible, I worked to deprive him of sales. Where ever I can, I put forth my best effort to keep Keysight out of any lab I can.

"But this has nothing to do with the quality of the test gear."
The sales team is the first contact you have with a company. If they are unbelievably incompetent, by what standard do you operate that everything else in the company is not? Suppose the product IS good (and the unit did seem superb), but you get one unit that has problems (it happens to all companies). If the sales team is that useless, how much more useless is their technical support going to be?

Precisely because I did not "hope in spite of the evidence," I never reached a point of having a huge technical breakdown and finding the answer to the quality of their tech support.

I don't give second chances.

[rstofer]

The good news is that there is a vast number of frequency counters with GPIB to choose from.  Even given that you want new and you probably don't want direct Chinese (can that crap even be calibrated?), you should still find dozens of candidates.

I agree, hang tough with your policy.  Truth is, the Keysight rep probably knows of you and would probably not want to hear from you anyway.

[XFDDesign]

Truth is, the Keysight rep probably knows of you and would probably not want to hear from you anyway.

He tried to patch things up as a kind of political effort while I was in NWLABS, but I flatly rejected him. To that end, you're correct. XD

Thus far, only the Tek counter mentioned above was the first I've discovered.

[Hydrawerk]

http://www.thinksrs.com/products/SR620.htm
SR620 Frequency Counter
http://www.thinksrs.com/downloads/PDFs/Catalog/SR620c.pdf

[Wuerstchenhund]

Well, there's also the Anritsu MF2400C Series:

https://www.anritsu.com/en-GB/test-measurement/products/mf2413c

Although the frequency range (and probably the price) is a bit higher than you probably expected 

[XFDDesign]

Well, there's also the Anritsu MF2400C Series:

https://www.anritsu.com/en-GB/test-measurement/products/mf2413c

Although the frequency range (and probably the price) is a bit higher than you probably expected 

Yeah, but besides that we got our Anritsu VNA showing up any day now. XD

[oldway]

l'll be honest with you, I do not like your topic nor your way of doing things. 

It is clear that you have experience and you know how to look after a counter with GPIB, you don't need our help for this.

This topic is not sincere.

What you seek is simply to prejudice Keysight for a problem that goes back a long time.

Yourself you confess it saying:

John Berg is still at Keysight, and is still quite popular with this existing customer base. When I worked at Analog Devices' Northwest Labs, he was the go-to guy for their gear needs. Where possible, I worked to deprive him of sales. Where ever I can, I put forth my best effort to keep Keysight out of any lab I can.

So you'd better refrain this rancor that does not honor you.

[XFDDesign]

It is clear that you have experience and you know how to look after a counter with GPIB, you don't need our help for this.

This topic is not sincere.

It has been. The tek counter did not show up when I did my searches. What I was able to find were hobby counters, kits, and BK Precision sorts of equipment. Not pro counters with GPIB and tracability. That was my criteria.

What you seek is simply prejudice Keysight for a problem that goes back a long time.

I posted my problem, and end goal in my OP. I said nothing of my story, rather High Voltage asked specifically. If your complaint here were valid, I would have started with this. Someone asked, I answered.

Yourself you confess it saying:

I explain why I refuse to associate with Keysight products. I explain why I won't give them a second chance.

Let's be honest with your post here: "I'm offended at your dislike of this beloved brand. I'm going to come into your thread, not contribute, and try to white-knight a brand I probably like. I'm not going to make any argument. I'm not going to make a case against your reasoning for excluding the brand I probably like. I'm just going to take a dump here and whine about how mean you are."

So you'd better refrain from this rancor that does not honor you.

Or what? If you don't like what has been written, suggest that others stick to the root question and not ask my reasons.

Wuerstchenhund proposed an option that is far in excess of the needs I listed in my OP.
Hydrawerk's SRS counter isn't an item that is stocked at Mouser, Digikey, etc.
Flash2B (and CJays) mentioned the Tek FCA3000, which is what looks to be the best candidate. Digikey doesn't list it. Mouser doesn't list it when you search for "in stock". Newark does list it, and thus will likely be the disty I buy from.
High Voltage suggested a part that is readily available, but not new - and that was a failure on my part for initial constraint.

ll be honest with you, I do not like your topic nor your way of doing things. 

This is a confession that you have nothing to add and are simply whining out of offense. Your brand affinity is meaningless to me. Five people have been helpful in contribution specifically (even if one was excessive for the constraints I was looking for), you've offered nothing.

You can show yourself out now.

[XFDDesign]

Congratulations. Next time, you accidentally trip over in something, make sure you blacklist your feet and never walk again. That would be the same level.

Insanity is repeating an action and expecting different results. I too can toss out vaguely parallel statements that are useless.

Let's run with your insightful analogy:

"Oh shit, I just tripped. Why did I trip?"
Did my foot get caught on a cord? I better deal with the cord in an appropriate way that I don't have the same result or worse.
Did I trip on my own shoe laces? I better ensure that they're tied so that the same result doesn't happen again.
Did I trip and fall on the stairs? What were the circumstances which led to that event? How might I prevent that from happening again?
Should I go on? Or do you see the idiocy of your argument? I made an effort to engage in business with Agilent. They, apparently, didn't want it (until they did). The service was crap. By what standard should I expect anything different from the rest of the experience?

At this point, five people have been valuable enough to provide meaningful, helpful answers to the degree that I have solved my problem. I can entertain these poor arguments now, with casual indifference.

[rstofer]

Actually, you started slamming Keysight in the thread title, both in the misspelling and in the wording.
But, WTH, we might as well play along...

[XFDDesign]

Actually, you started slamming Keysight in the thread title, both in the misspelling and in the wording.
But, WTH, we might as well play along...

Agisight. Keygilent. When they keep changing names, we get to have fun. If not, better inform Dave, since he does the same thing.

Title of thread, "Besides Keygilent, who makes Frequency Counters with GPIB?"

I.e. Of all brands who make Counters, XOR'ing them with Keysight, who is left. Should I diagram this?

[oldway]

The title of your topic leaves clear that the real purpose you are pursuing is to tell what happened there dozen of so years and, as you admit, "Where ever I can, I put forth my best effort to keep Any Keysight out of lab I can. "

[XFDDesign]

The title of your topic leaves clear that the real purpose you are pursuing is to tell what happened there dozen of so years and, as you admit, "Where ever I can, I put forth my best effort to keep Any Keysight out of lab I can. "

And if no one asked, it'd not be brought up. Your claim doesn't follow the evidence, but your feelings follow your claims. Make a reasoned argument, or piss off.

[oldway]

You can't deny what you have publicly admitted.

[XFDDesign]

You can't deny what you have publicly admitted.

I publicly stated why I don't use them. I stated it, because someone asked. This is what you deny.

Do you have an actual argument, or are you simply engaging in masturbatory self flagellation?

If you are unable to post an argument, I'll simply dismiss your inability to present an argument as a concession that you have nothing to contribute. As such, anything else you sob onto the keyboard will be equally dismissed.