Agilent Technologies 8614 B Series User manual

Agilent 8614xB Series
Optical Spectrum Analyzer
User’s Guide

ii
Notices
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No part of this document may reproduced in
(including electronic storage and retrieval or trans-
lation into a foreign language) without prior agree-
ment and written consent from Agilent
Technologies Deutschland GmbH as governed by
United States and international copyright laws.
Copyright 2001-2004 by:
Agilent Technologies Deutschland GmbH
Herrenberger Str. 130
71034 Böblingen
Germany
Subject Matter
The material in this document is subject to change
without notice.
Agilent Technologies makes no warranty of any kind
with regard to this printed material, including, but
not limited to, the implied warranties of merchant-
ability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Agilent Technologies shall not be liable for errors
contained herein or for incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, perfor-
mance, or use of this material.
Printing History
New editions are complete revisions of the guide
reflecting alterations in the functionality of the
instrument. Updates are occasionally made to the
guide between editions. The date on the title page
changes when an updated guide is published. To
find out the current revision of the guide, or to pur-
chase an updated guide, contact your Agilent Tech-
nologies representative.
Warranty
This Agilent Technologies instrument product is
warranted against defects in material and work-
manship for a period of one year from date of ship-
ment. During the warranty period, Agilent will, at its
option, either repair or replace products that prove
to be defective.
For warranty service or repair, this product must be
returned to a service facility designated by Agilent.
Buyer shall prepay shipping charges to Agilent and
Agilent shall pay shipping charges to return the
product to Buyer. However, Buyer shall pay all ship-
ping charges, duties, and taxes for products
returned to Agilent from another country.
Agilent warrants that its software and firmware
designated by Agilent for use with an instrument
will execute its programming instructions when
properly installed on that instrument.
Agilent does not warrant that the operation of the
instrument, software, or firmware will be uninter-
rupted or error free.
Limitation of Warranty
The foregoing warranty shall not apply to defects
resulting from improper or inadequate maintenance
by Buyer, Buyer-supplied software or interfacing,
unauthorized modification or misuse, operation out-
side of the environmental specifications for the
product, or improper site preparation or mainte-
nance.
No other warranty is expressed or implied. Agilent
Technologies specifically disclaims the implied war-
ranties of Merchantability and Fitness for a
Particular Purpose.
Exclusive Remedies
The remedies provided herein are Buyer’s sole and
exclusive remedies. Agilent Technologies shall not
be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental,
or consequential damages whether based on con-
tract, tort, or any other legal theory.
Assistance
Product maintenance agreements and other cus-
tomer assistance agreements are available for Agi-
lent Technologies products. For any assistance
contact your nearest Agilent Technologies Sales
and Service Office.
Certification
Agilent Technologies Inc. certifies that this product
met its published specifications at the time of ship-
ment from the factory.
Agilent Technologies further certifies that its calibra-
tion measurements are traceable to the United
States National Institute of Standards and Technol-
ogy, NIST (formerly the United States National
Bureau of Standards, NBS) to the extent allowed
by the Institutes’s calibration facility, and to the cal-
ibration facilities of other International Standards
Organization members.
ISO 9001 Certification
Produced to ISO 9001 international quality system
standard as part of our objective of continually
increasing customer satisfaction through improved
process control.
Fourth Edition:
86140 - 90U03: June 10, 2005
Third Edition:
86140 - 90U03: May 15, 2004
Second Edition:
86140 - 90068: January 1, 2002
First Edition:
86140 - 90035: February 1, 2000

iii
Safety Symbols.
CAUTION
The caution sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention
to a procedure which, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage to or destruction
of the product. Do not proceed beyond a caution
sign until the indicated conditions are fully under-
stood and met.
WARNING
The warning sign denotes a hazard. It calls atten-
tion to a procedure which, if not correctly per-
formed or adhered to, could result in injury or loss
of life. Do not proceed beyond a warning sign until
the indicated conditions are fully understood and
met.
The instruction manual symbol. The prod-
uct is marked with this warning symbol
when it is necessary for the user to refer
to the instructions in the manual.
The laser radiation symbol. This warning
symbol is marked on products which have
a laser output.
The AC symbol is used to indicate the
required nature of the line module input
power.
The ON symbols are used to mark the
positions of the instrument power line
switch.
The OFF symbols are used to mark the
positions of the instrument power line
switch.
The CE mark is a registered trademark of
the European Community.
The CSA mark is a registered trademark of
the Canadian Standards Association.
The C-Tick mark is a registered trademark
of the Australian Spectrum Management
Agency.
This text denotes the instrument is an
Industrial Scientific and Medical Group 1
Class A product.
Typographical Conventions.
The following conventions are used in this book:
Key type for keys or text located on the keyboard or
instrument.
Softkey type for key names that are displayed on
the instrument’s screen.
Display type for words or characters displayed on the
computer’s screen or instrument’s display.
User type for words or characters that you type or
enter.
Emphasis type for words or characters that empha-
size some point or that are used as place holders for
text that you type.
ISM1-A

iv
General Safety Considerations
General Safety Considerations
This product has been designed and tested in accordance with the standards listed on the Man-
ufacturer’s Declaration of Conformity, and has been supplied in a safe condition. The documenta-
tion contains information and warnings that must be followed by the user to ensure safe
operation and to maintain the product in a safe condition.
Install the instrument according to the enclosure protection provided.
This instrument does not protect against the ingress of water.
This instrument protects against finger access to hazardous parts within the enclosure.

v
General Safety Considerations
WARNING If this product is not used as specified, the protection provided by the equipment could be
impaired. This product must be used in a normal condition (in which all means for protection are
intact) only.
WARNING No operator serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel. To prevent
electrical shock do not remove covers.
WARNING This is a Safety Class 1 Product (provided with protective earth). The mains plug shall only be
inserted in a socket outlet provided with a protective earth contact. Any interruption of the
protective conductor inside or outside of the instrument is likely to make the instrument dangerous.
Intentional interruption is prohibited.
WARNING To prevent electrical shock, disconnect the instrument from mains before cleaning. Use a dry cloth
or one slightly dampened with water to clean the external case parts. Do not attempt to clean
internally.
CAUTION Fiber-optic connectors are easily damaged when connected to dirty or damaged cables and
accessories. The Agilent 8614x series’s front-panel INPUT connector is no exception. When you
use improper cleaning and handling techniques, you risk expensive instrument repairs, damaged
cables, and compromised measurements. Before you connect any fiber-optic cable to the
Agilent 8614x series, refer to “Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements” on page 6-8.
CAUTION This product complies with Overvoltage Category II and Pollution Degree 2.
CAUTION Do not use too much liquid in cleaning the optical spectrum analyzer. Water can enter the front-
panel keyboard, damaging sensitive electronic components.
CAUTION VENTILATION REQUIREMENTS: When installing the product in a cabinet, the convection into and
out of the product must not be restricted. The ambient temperature (outside the cabinet) must be
less than the maximum operating temperature of the product by 4× C for every 100 watts
dissipated in the cabinet. If the total power dissipated in the cabinet is greater than 800 watts,
then forced convection must be used.
CAUTION Install the instrument so that the detachable power cord is readily identifiable and is easily reached
by the operator. The detachable power cord is the instrument disconnecting device. It disconnects
the mains circuit from the mains supply before other parts of the instrument. The front panel switch

vi
General Safety Considerations
is only a standby switch and is not a LINE switch. Alternatively, an externally installed switch or
circuit breaker (which is readily identifiable and is easily reached by the operator) may be used as
a disconnecting device.
CAUTION Always use the three-prong AC power cord supplied with this instrument. Failure to ensure
adequate earth grounding by not using this cord may cause instrument damage.
CAUTION Do not connect ac power until you have verified the line voltage is correct as described in “Line
Power Requirements” on page 1-10. Damage to the equipment could result.
CAUTION This instrument has autoranging line voltage input. Be sure the supply voltage is within the
specified range.
CAUTION The Agilent 8614xB contain a light source classified, according to IEC 60825-1.
CAUTION Use of controls or adjustment or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may
result in hazardous radiation exposure.

Contents
Contents-1
1 Getting Started
Product Overview 1-2
Setting Up the Analyzer 1-8
aking a easurement 1-12
The enu Bar 1-15
The Softkey Panels 1-16
Laser Safety Information 1-27
Product Options and Accessories 1-28
2 Using the Instrument
Setting Up easurements 2-2
Calibrating Wavelength easurements 2-13
Saving, Recalling, and anaging Files 2-18
Analyzing easurement Data 2-26
Analyzer Operating odes 2-29
3 Function Reference
4 Remote Front Panel Operation
Remote Front Panel 4-2
5 Status Listings
Overview 5-2
Error Reporting Behavior 5-4
SCPI-Defined Errors 5-5
OSA Notices 5-16
OSA Warnings 5-17
Application-Specific Warnings 5-29
OSA Status Errors 5-35
OSA Errors 5-36
Firmware Errors 5-38
6 aintenance
Changing the Printer Paper 6-2
Printer Head Cleaning Procedure 6-4
Cleaning Connections for Accurate easurements 6-8
Returning the Instrument for Service 6-21

Contents-2
Contents
7 Specifications and Regulatory Information
Definition of Terms 7-3
Specifications 7-5
Regulatory Information 7-19
Declaration of Conformity 7-20

1
Product Overview 1-2
Setting Up the Analyzer 1-8
Making a Measurement 1-12
The Menu Bar 1-15
The Softkey Panels 1-16
Laser Safety Information 1-26
Product Options and Accessories 1-27
Getting Started

1-2
Getting Started
Product Overview
Product Overview
The 8614xB series of optical spectrum analyzers provide fast, accurate, and comprehensive mea-
surement capabilities for spectral analysis.
• Full-featured SCPI commands for programming instruments over LAN
• Display-off feature for making faster measurements
• Remote file saving and printing for outputting measurement results
• Filter mode for accurate and flexible measurements
• Built-in applications for accelerating test times
Filter Mode The Agilent 86146B filter mode allows single dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to
be isolated and routed to external test equipment. The filter mode capability is built-in to internal
applications to allow for fast and easy implementation of channel dropping. For Agilent 86146B
instruments, this mode also allows the ability to measure time resolve chirp (TRC).
Built-in Applications Built-in applications allow fast, repeatable measurements for WDM systems, lasers, amplifiers,
and passive components. These applications can be added through a firmware upgrade.
WDM Application
This application allows you to measure DWDM sub-system components, (such as transmission
sub-systems, optical add/drop multiplexers, and multiplexers/de-multiplexers) for parameters
such as optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR), channel wavelength, channel power, and span tilt.
Passive Component Test Application
This application simplifies the testing of passive components, such as filters, couplers, and isola-
tors by defining a test plan that measures parameters such as insertion and return loss, band-
width, and filter shape.
Source Test Application
This application offers automated optical source and laser characterization.

1-3
Getting Started
Product Overview
Amplifier Test Application
This application simplifies the process of characterizing gain and noise figure of optical amplifiers
such as EDFA’s, SOA’s and Raman amplifiers.

1-4
Getting Started
Product Overview
Agilent 8614xB Front and Rear Panels

1-5
Getting Started
Product Overview

1-6
Getting Started
Product Overview
Optical Spectrum Analyzer Display
Figure 1-1. Optical Spectrum Analyzer Display

1-7
Getting Started
Product Overview
Figure 1-2. Display Annotations

1-8
Getting Started
Setting Up the Analyzer
Setting Up the Analyzer
Step 1. Receive and Inspect the Shipment

1-9
Getting Started
Setting Up the Analyzer
Table 1-1. Items in a Standard Agilent 8614xB Series Shipment
• Inspect the shipping container for damage.
• Inspect the instrument.
• Verify that you received the options and accessories you ordered.
Keep the shipping container and cushioning material until you have inspected the contents of the
shipment for completeness and have checked the optical spectrum analyzer mechanically and
electrically.
If anything is missing or defective, contact your nearest Agilent Technologies Sales Office. Refer
to “Returning the Instrument for Service” on page 6-21. If the shipment was damaged, contact
the carrier, then contact the nearest Agilent Technologies Sales Office. Keep the shipping materi-
als for the carrier’s inspection. The Agilent Technologies Sales Office will arrange for repair or
replacement at Agilent Technologies’ option without waiting for claim settlement.
Step 2. Connect Accessories and Power Cord
• Although you can operate all instrument functions using only the front-panel keys, and track-
ball on portable models, these accessories make your optical spectrum analyzer easier to use.
Connect any standard PC-compatible mouse (or other pointing device), keyboard, or external
VGA-compatible display.
Description Product Number Item
Quantity
BNC Cable (24 inches) 8120-1839 1
GPIB Cable 8120-3444 1
FC/PC Dust Cap 1401-0291 2
English User’s Guide Manual 86140-90U03 1
Application Guide 86140-90071 1
Programming Guide 86140-90069 1

1-10
Getting Started
Setting Up the Analyzer
CAUTION Donot stack other objects on the keyboard; this will cause self-test failures on power-on.
r You can connect a PCL-language printer (for example, an HP1LaserJet) to the instrument’s rear
panel Parallel connector. Use a parallel Centronics printer cable, such as an HP C2950A (2 m) or
HP C2951A (3 m).
r The line cord provided is matched by Agilent Technologies to the country of origin on the order.
Refer to “Accessories” on page 1-28.
1. HP and Hewlett-Packard are U.S. registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Table 1-2. Line Power Requirements
Voltage 100/ 115/ 230/ 240 V ~
Frequency 50 / 60 Hz

1-11
Getting Started
Setting Up the Analyzer
Step 3. Apply Power to Instrument
• Press the power switch at the lower left-hand corner of the front panel.
• After a short initialization period, the display will look similar to the picture on this page.
• Allow the instrument to warm up for at least 1 hour.
Step 4. Clean Connectors and Prepare for Measurements
CAUTION Fiber-optic connectors are easily damaged when connected to dirty or damaged cables and
accessories. The front-panel INPUT connector of the Agilent 8614x series is no exception. When
you use improper cleaning and handling techniques, you risk expensive instrument repairs,
damaged cables, and compromised measurements. Before you connect any fiber-optic cable to
the Agilent 8614x series optical spectrum analyzer, refer to “Cleaning Connections for Accurate
Measurements” on page 6-8.
CAUTION A front-panel connector saver is provided with Agilent 8614x series instruments. Attach the
connector saver to the front-panel INPUT connector of the instrument. You can now make your
connections to the connector saver instead of the instrument. This will help prevent damage to the
front-panel INPUT connector of the instrument. Damage to the front-panel INPUT connector is
expensive in terms of both repair costs and down-time. Use the front-panel connector saver to
prevent damage to the front-panel INPUT connector.
• After the instrument has warmed up for at least 1 hour, perform an auto align by pressing the
frontpanel Auto Align button. This will ensure optimal amplitude accuracy, and can correct for
any mis-alignment caused by the instrument shipment.
To learn more about this or any Agilent Technologies Optical Test and Measurement Products,
visit our web site at
http://www.agilent.com/comms/optical
Note
All product specifications apply to measurements made without using the front-panel con-
nector saver.

1-12
Getting Started
Making a Measurement
Making a Measurement
This procedure will introduce you to the Agilent 8614x series optical spectrum analyzer front
panel controls. By following this procedure you will do the following:
• Perform an auto alignment
• Perform a peak search
•Useadeltamarker
•Printthedisplay
Refer to “The Menu Bar” on page 1-15 and “The Softkey Panels” on page 1-16.
Instrument setup
A source signal must be present at the input of the optical spectrum analyzer. In this procedure a
Fabry-Perot laser is used as the source. You can use another source or the optional 1310/1550
nm eeled. If another source is being used, the display will differ from those shown.
To set the OSA to a known state
• Press the front-panel Preset key to set the instrument to a known state. For a complete descrip-
tion of preset conditions, see page 3-59.