Agilent Technologies 53150A User manual

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Agilent 53150A/151A/152A
Microwave Frequency Counter
Assembly Level Service
Guide
This guide describes how to service the Agilent 53150A, 53151A, and
53152A Microwave Frequency Counters. The information in this guide
applies to instruments having the number prefix below, unless
accompanied by a “Manual Updating Changes” package indicating otherwise.
SERIAL PREFIX NUMBER: 3735A, US3925, and US4050 (53150A)
3736A, US3926, and US4051 (53151A)
3737A, US3927, and US4052 (53152A)

Agilent Technologies, Inc. 7.C.NL.06.15.01.R1.M.CW6FC
5301 Stevens Creek Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95052-8059
 Copyright Agilent
Technologies, Inc. 1999, 2002
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction, adaptation, or
translations without prior
written permission is
prohibited, except as allowed
under the copyright laws.
Printed: August 2002
Printed in U.S.A.
Manual part number
53150-90015
Certification and Warranty
Certification
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
certifies that this product met
its published specification at the
time of shipment from the
factory. Agilent further certifies
that its calibration
measurements are traceable to
the United States National
Institute of Standards and
Technology (formerly National
Bureau of Standards), to the
extent allowed by the Institute’s
calibration facility, and to the
calibration facilities of other
International Standards
Organization members.
Warranty
Agilent warrants
Agilent hardware, accessories
and supplies against defects in
materials and workmanship for
a period of one year from date of
shipment. If Agilent receives
notice of such defects during the
warranty period, Agilent will, at
its option, either repair or
replace products which prove to
be defective. Replacement
products may be either new or
like-new.
Agilent warrants that
Agilent software will not fail to
execute its programming
instructions, for the period
specified above, due to defects in
material and workmanship
when properly installed and
used. If Agilent receives notice
of such defects during the
warranty period, Agilent will
replace software media which
does not execute its
programming instructions due
to such defects.
For detailed warranty
information, see back matter.
Safety Considerations
General
This product and related
documentation must be
reviewed for familiarization
with this safety markings and
instructions before operation.
Before Cleaning
Disconnect the product from
operating power before
cleaning.
Warning Symbols That May
Be Used In This Book
Instruction manual symbol; the
product will be marked with
this symbol when it is necessary
for the user to refer to the
instruction manual.
Indicates hazardous voltages.
Indicates earth (ground)
terminal.
or
Indicates terminal is connected
to chassis when such connection
is not apparent.
Indicates Alternating current.
Indicates Direct current.
Safety Considerations
(cont’d)
WARNING
BODILY INJURY OR DEATH
MAY RESULT FROM
FAILURE TO HEED A
WARNING. DO NOT
PROCEED BEYOND A
WARNING UNTIL THE
INDICATED CONDITIONS
ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD
AND MET.
CAUTION
Damage to equipment, or
incorrect measurement data,
may result from failure to
heed a caution. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION
until the indicated conditions
are fully understood and met.
Safety Earth Ground
An uninterruptible safety earth
ground must be maintained
from the mains power source to
the product’s ground circuitry.
WARNING
WHEN MEASURING POWER
LINE SIGNALS, BE
EXTREMELY CAREFUL AND
ALWAYS USE A
STEP-DOWN ISOLATION
TRANSFORMER WHICH
OUTPUT IS COMPATIBLE
WITH THE INPUT
MEASUREMENT
CAPABILITIES OF THIS
PRODUCT. THIS PRODUCT’S
FRONT AND REAR PANELS
ARE TYPCIALLY AT EARTH
GROUND. THUS, NEVER TRY
TO MEASURE AC POWER
LINE SIGNALS WITHOUT AN
ISOLATION TRANSFORMER.
For additional safety and
acoustic noise information, see
back matter.

Contents
Assembly Level Service Guide iii
How to Use This Guide vii
Repair Strategy vii
Instrument Identification viii
Instruments Covered by this Guide viii
Assembly-Level Service Guide Organization viii
How to Order Guides ix
Description of the Microwave Frequency Counter x
Options xi
Hardware xi
Support xi
Accessories Supplied and Available xii
Accessories Supplied xii
Accessories Available xii
Manuals Supplied xii
1 Performance Tests
Introduction 1-2
Operational Verification 1-2
Complete Performance Tests 1-3
Recommended Calibration Cycle 1-3
Test Record 1-3
Equipment Required 1-4
Operational Verification 1-5
Power-On Self Tests 1-5
10 MHz Test 1-6
Run Self Test 1-7
External Timebase Test 1-8
10 MHz External Timebase Input Test 1-8
Complete Performance Tests 1-11
Test 1: External Timebase Input Test 1-12
1 MHz External Timebase Input Test 1-12
2 MHz External Timebase Input Test 1-14
5 MHz External Timebase Input Test 1-14
10 MHz External Timebase Input Test 1-15

Contents
iv Assembly Level Service Guide
Test 2: Channel 1 Frequency Sensitivity 1-16
Test 2a: 10 Hz to 20 MHz Frequency Sensitivity 1-16
Test 2b: 50 MHz to 125 MHz Frequency Sensitivity 1-18
Test 3: Channel 2 Frequency Sensitivity 1-21
Test 3a: 50 MHz to 20 GHz Frequency Sensitivity 1-21
Test 3b: 22 GHz to 26.5 GHz Frequency Sensitivity 1-23
Test 3c: 30 GHz to 46 GHz Frequency Sensitivity 1-24
Test 4: Channel 2 Power Measurement 1-25
Test 4a: 50 MHz to 20 GHz Power Measurement
(–20 dBm) 1-25
Test 4b: Channel 2 22 GHz to 26.5 GHz Power Measurement
(–20 dBm) 1-27
Test 4c: Channel 2 26.5 GHz to 46 GHz Power Measurement
(–20 dBm) 1-28
Test 4d: Channel 2 50 MHz to 20 GHz Power Measurement
(0 dBm) 1-28
Test 4e: Channel 2 22 GHz to 26.5 GHz Power Measurement
(0 dBm) 1-29
Test 4f: Channel 2 30 GHz to 46 GHz Power Measurement
(0 dBm) 1-29
Performance Test Record (Page 1 of 4) 1-30
Performance Test Record (Page 2 of 4) 1-31
Performance Test Record (Page 3 of 4) 1-32
Performance Test Record (Page 4 of 4) 1-33
2Service
Introduction 2-2
Returning the Counter to
Agilent Technologies for Service 2-3
Providing Repair Information 2-3
Packing Counter in Original Packaging Materials 2-4
Packing Counter in Other Packaging Materials 2-4
Calibration Procedure 2-6
Equipment Required 2-6

Contents
Assembly Level Service Guide v
Pre-Troubleshooting Information 2-8
Safety Considerations 2-8
Recommended Test Equipment 2-9
Repair Considerations 2-9
Electrostatic Discharge 2-9
Surface Mount Repair 2-10
Disassembly and Reassembly Specifics 2-10
After Service Considerations 2-10
Product Safety Checks 2-10
Product Performance Checks 2-11
Assembly Identification and Location 2-11
Troubleshooting the Counter 2-13
Power Supply Check 2-13
Adjusting the +5 VDC Output 2-14
Self-Test 2-15
Running the Self Test 2-15
Self Test Error Messages 2-16
3 Replacing Assemblies
Introduction 3-2
Tools Required 3-3
Do This First 3-3
Removing the Bumpers 3-4
Removing the Handle and Handle Mounts 3-5
Removing the Rear Bezel 3-6
Removing the Shroud 3-8
Removing the Front Bezel 3-11
Removing the Rear Panel Assembly 3-12
Removing the Cooling Fan 3-15
Replacing the Power Supply 3-16

Contents
vi Assembly Level Service Guide
4ReplaceableParts
Introduction 4-2
Replaceable Parts 4-2
How To Order A Part 4-3
Contacting Agilent Technologies 4-4
Parts Identification 4-5
Reference Designations 4-5
Cabinet Parts and Hardware 4-5
Accessories and Miscellaneous Items 4-5
5 Backdating
Introduction 5-2
6 Specifications
Introduction 6-2
Measurement Specifications and Characteristics 6-3
Typical power measurement uncertainty
at 25°C for various input levels 6-5
Typical power measurement uncertainty
at −25 dBm input level 6-6

Assembly Level Service Guide vii
In This Guide
This guide provides assembly-level service information for the
Agilent 53150A, 53151A, and 53152A Counters.
How to Use This Guide
Repair Strategy
This service guide is designed to isolate failures to the assembly level only.
The Agilent 53150A/151A/152A Counter can be returned to Agilent for all
service work, including troubleshooting, and verifying specifications.
Contact your nearest Agilent Sales and Service Office for more details.
NOTE ISD (Instrument Service Division) Emergency Response or Express
Calibration Service is available for Agilent customers in the USA.
If downtime is critical, you can receive your repaired Counter via
overnight shipment. Call 1-800-403-0801, and ask for Emergency
Response or Express Calibration Service. When your Counter is repaired,
it is returned via overnight shipment at no extra charge.
If you decide to service the Counter yourself, use the troubleshooting
procedures in Chapter 2 (Service) and the disassembly and reassembly
procedures in Chapter 3 (Replacing Assemblies). Then, use the calibration
instructions in Chapter 2 to calibrate the Counter for peak-performance
operation, and finally, perform all of the performance tests in Chapter 1 to
verify that the Counter is operating to the specifications.
NOTE If the motherboard, the sampler, or the front-panel assembly are
defective, the instrument must be returned to an Agilent Service Center
for repair and recalibration.

In This Guide
viii Assembly Level Service Guide
Instrument Identification
The instrument is identified by the serial number on the rear panel.
Agilent uses a two-part serial number with the first part (prefix)
identifying a series of instruments and the second part (suffix) identifying
a particular instrument within a series. Agilent-assigned alpha characters
before the prefix identify the country in which the instrument was
manufactured.
Instruments Covered by this Guide
This guide applies directly to Agilent 53150A, 53151A, and 53152A
Counters that have the same serial number prefix(es) shown on the title
page. If the serial number prefix of your Counter differs from that listed
on the title page of this guide, there may be differences between this guide
and your instrument.
Instruments having a higher serial prefix are covered (when required) by
one or more manual-change sheets included with this guide. If a required
change sheet is missing, contact your nearest Agilent Sales Office listed at
the back of this guide.
Assembly-Level Service Guide Organization
This Assembly-Level Service Guide consists of a table of contents, a
preface, six chapters, and an index. The page headers identify the
chapters and sections of this manual. The chapter contents are
summarized as follows:
Chapter 1 Performance Tests provides procedures that verify the
Counter operates properly and meets the Agilent 53150A/151A/152A
specifications given in Chapter 6, “Specifications,” in this guide.
Chapter 2 Service is divided into seven main sections that provide
instructions for returning the Counter to Agilent for service, calibrating
the Counter, and troubleshooting the assemblies in the Counter.
Chapter 3 Replacing Assemblies provides procedures for replacing
defective assemblies and/or modules in the Counter.

In This Guide
Assembly Level Service Guide ix
Chapter 4 Replaceable Parts lists the replaceable parts contained in
the Counter, and explains how to order replacement parts for your Counter.
Chapter 5 Backdating contains information required to adapt this
manual for older instruments (to be provided when required).
Chapter 6 Specifications lists all the specifications and operating
characteristics for the Agilent 53150A/151A/152A Counter.
How to Order Guides
The part number for this guide is listed on the Certification and Warranty
page (on the back of the title page) and on the back cover of this guide.