With the work on the Micro-Tel SG-811 generator PLL mostly completed, some trials with the Micro-Tel 1295 receiver – this instrument has similar YIGs fitted, just needs to be tuned 30 MHz above the actual frequency tuned, because the 1295 is running on a 30 MHz IF (all diagrams have tuned frequencies, not LO frequencies).

After some crude analysis of the schematics, the 1295 seems to be able to handle a bit more PLL bandwidth – so the target set more in the 500 Hz to 1 kHz region, and some calculations were carried out with the ADIsimPLL program, to determine the rough capacitor and resistor values – otherwise, the loop filter is the same as for the SG-811 PLL, also using an OPA284 opamp.

Otherwise, pretty much comparable results (earlier post related to the SG-811), for example (17.8141 GHz tuned/17.8171 GHz LO frequency, Icp setting 6):

Gain (disregard 1 to 10 Hz)

Phase

After quite a few of these measurement (doesn’t actually take too long), the results.
adf41020 pll bw phase margin 1295

Phase margin vs. bandwidth

Bandwidth vs. charge pump current Icp setting, at various frequencies

Again, a bandwidth frequency^0.7 product could be used to get the numbers down to two parameters – slope and intercept of the bandwidth*frequency^0.7 vs. Icp setting curve.
Finally, suitable Icp settings for a 600 Hz target BW:

The result seems quite satisfactory, pretty much constant 600 Hz BW can be achieved over the full 2 to 18 Ghz range, at about 47 degrees phase margin. This should allow for stable operation. No locking issues were observed at any of the frequencies, even with full Icp current.