The HP/Agilent 5071A is a primary cesium beam frequency standard delivering exceptional accuracy and long-term stability for metrology, calibration, and telecommunications infrastructure. Built on Cesium II technology with an improved beam tube and advanced signal processing electronics, the 5071A achieves ±1 × 10⁻¹² accuracy and environmental stability better than 1 × 10⁻¹³ across all operating conditions. Its automated startup sequence and menu-driven front panel minimize manual intervention, while full remote programmability via SCPI over RS-232C or optional GPIB enables seamless integration into networked measurement systems. NIST traceability confirms measurement confidence for demanding calibration workflows.
Technical Specifications
Frequency Accuracy & Stability
• Standard cesium tube: ±1 × 10⁻¹² accuracy
• Environmental stability: <1 × 10⁻¹³ frequency change across all environmental conditions
• Long-term stability (5-day averaging): ≤5 × 10⁻¹⁴
• Short-term stability (1-second average): <5 × 10⁻¹³
• Aging rate: <5 × 10⁻¹⁴/day
• Optional high-performance tube (Option 001): ±5 × 10⁻¹³ accuracy with ≤1.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ long-term stability and flicker floor guaranteed ≤1 × 10⁻¹⁴
Output Frequencies
• Standard outputs: 10 MHz, 5 MHz, 1 MHz
• Programmable outputs: 5 MHz, 10 MHz
• Telecommunications options: 1.544 Mb/s and 2.048 Mb/s clock rates
• 1PPS output (TTL compatible, 50Ω termination required)
Synchronization & Control
• External 1PPS input with timing adjustment ±500 ms in 50 ns steps
• Automatic 1PPS synchronization
• GPS synchronization capability for global time/frequency alignment
• Programmable frequency steering: ±999999 × 10⁻¹⁵ range with 6.331991 × 10⁻¹⁵ resolution
– Key Features
• Menu-driven operation with full front-panel status display
• Complete SCPI command set for automated control
• RS-232C interface (DTE); optional IEEE-488 GPIB
• Programmable interrogation and calibrated frequency adjustment
• Sync input for external reference signal alignment
– Typical Applications
• Primary frequency reference for national metrology labs
• Calibration standard for test equipment and instruments
• Telecommunications network synchronization
• GPS and time-code system validation
– Compatibility & Integration
RS-232C serial interface standard; GPIB optional. All outputs and inputs operate at TTL levels with 50Ω termination where specified. Fully compatible with SCPI-based automated test systems.
