Agilent Technologies 81150A User manual

Agilent
Pulse Function Arbitrary
Noise Generator
81150A and 81160A
Getting Started Guide

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2011
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
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storage and retrieval or translation into a
foreign language) without prior agreement and
written consent from Agilent Technologies,
Inc. as governed by United States and
international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
81160-91010
Edition
First edition, March 2011
Printed in Germany
Agilent Technologies, Deutschland GmbH
Herrenberger Str. 130
71034 Böblingen, Germany
For Assistance and Support
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defects in material and workmanship for a
period of three years from date of shipment.
During the warranty period, Agilent
Technologies 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 Technologies. The
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Technologies 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 uninterrupted or error free.
Limitation of Warranty
The foregoing warranty shall not apply to
defects resulting from improper or inadequate
maintenance by the Buyer, Buyer-supplied
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Certification
Agilent Technologies Company certifies that
this product met its published specifications at
the time of shipment. Agilent further certifies
that its calibration measurements are traceable
to the United States Institute of Standards and
Technology, to the extent allowed by the
Institute's calibrating facility, and to the
calibration facilities of other International
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Safety Summary
General Safety Precautions
The following general safety
precautions must be observed
during all phases of operation of
this instrument. Failure to
comply with these precautions
or with specific warnings
elsewhere in this manual
violates safety standards of
design, manufacture, and
intended use of the instrument.
Agilent Technologies Inc.
assumes no liability for the
customer's failure to comply
with these requirements.
Before operation, review the
instrument and manual for
safety markings and
instructions. You must follow
these to ensure safe operation
and to maintain the instrument
in safe condition.
General
This product is a Safety Class 1
instrument (provided with a
protective earth terminal). The
protective features of this
product may be impaired if it is
used in a manner not specified
in the operation instructions.
All Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs) used in this product are
Class 1 LEDs as per IEC 60825-
1.
Environment Conditions
This instrument is intended for
indoor use in an installation
category II, pollution degree 2
environment. It is designed to
operate at a maximum relative
humidity of 95% and at altitudes
of up to 2000 meters.
Refer to the specifications tables
for the ac mains voltage
requirements and ambient
operating temperature range.
Before Applying Power
Verify that all safety precautions
are taken. The power cable inlet
of the instrument serves as a
device to disconnect from the
mains in case of hazard. The
instrument must be positioned
so that the operator can easily
access the power cable inlet.
When the instrument is rack
mounted the rack must be
provided with an easily
accessible mains switch.
Ground the Instrument
To minimize shock hazard, the
instrument chassis and cover
must be connected to an
electrical protective earth
ground. The instrument must be
connected to the ac power mains
through a grounded power cable,
with the ground wire firmly
connected to an electrical
ground (safety ground) at the
power outlet. Any interruption
of the protective (grounding)
conductor or disconnection of
the protective earth terminal will
cause a potential shock hazard
that could result in personal
injury.
Services and Support
Any adjustment, maintenance,
or repair of this product must be
performed by qualified
personnel. Contact your
customer engineer through your
local Agilent Technologies
Service Center. You can find a
list of local service
representatives on the Web at:
http://www.agilent.com/Service/
English/index.html
Do Not Operate in an
Explosive Atmosphere
Do not operate the instrument in
the presence of flammable gases
or fumes.
Do Not Remove the
Instrument Cover
Operating personnel must not
remove instrument covers.
Component replacement and
internal adjustments must be
made only by qualified
personnel.
Instruments that appear
damaged or defective should be
made inoperative and secured
against unintended operation
until they can be repaired by
qualified service personnel.

Safety Symbols on
Instruments
Indicates warning or caution. If
you see this symbol on a product,
you must refer to the manuals for
specific Warning or Caution
information to avoid personal
injury or damage to the product.
Safety requirements for electrical
equipment for measurement,
control, and laboratory use
CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1
(1993) UL 3101, 3111 (First
Editions). This equipment has
also been evaluated to IEC 61010
edition 1 including amendments
1 and 2.
Notice for European Community:
This product complies with the
relevant European legal
Directives: EMC Directive
89/336/EEC and Low Voltage
Directive 73/23/EEC.
Conformity Mark of the
Australian ACA for EMC
compliance.
General Recycling Mark for
plastic parts used in the product.
Environmental Information
This product complies with the WEEE Directive
(2002/96/EC) marketing requirements. The affixed
label indicates that you must not discard this
electrical/electronic product in domestic household
waste.
Product category: With reference to the equipment
types in the WEEE Directive Annexure I, this product
is classed as a “Monitoring and Control
instrumentation” product.
Do not dispose in domestic household waste.
To return unwanted products, contact your local
Agilent office, or see
www.agilent.com/environment/product/ for more
information.

Introduction
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 5
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
1Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 7
2Installing the 81150A/81160A ............................................................................................................. 9
2.1 The Front Panel............................................................................................................................ 10
2.2 The Front-Panel Display at a Glance........................................................................................ 14
2.2.1 Menu Mode ..................................................................................................................... 14
2.2.2 Graph Mode..................................................................................................................... 15
2.3 The Rear Panel............................................................................................................................. 16
3Getting Started .................................................................................................................................... 18
3.1 Setting up a Clock Signal ........................................................................................................... 19
3.2 Setting up a Pulse Signal ........................................................................................................... 26
3.3 Setting up a Continuous Burst.................................................................................................. 37
3.4 Setting up a Triggered Burst ..................................................................................................... 42
3.5 To output a Modulated Waveform ........................................................................................... 49
3.6 To output an FSK Waveform ..................................................................................................... 54
3.7 To output a Frequency Sweep................................................................................................... 60
3.8 Setting up a Triggered Frequency Sweep ............................................................................... 66
3.9 Coupling between Channels...................................................................................................... 73
3.9.1 Settings for Channel 1 ................................................................................................... 73
3.9.2 Settings for Channel 2 ................................................................................................... 75
3.10 Adding up Channel 1 and Channel 2........................................................................................ 83
3.10.1 Settings for Channel 1 ................................................................................................. 84
3.10.2 Settings for Channel 2 ................................................................................................. 88
4Installation and Maintenance............................................................................................................ 95
4.1 Options and Accessories ........................................................................................................... 95
4.2 Power Requirements................................................................................................................... 96
4.3 Ventilation Requirements........................................................................................................... 97
4.3.1 Thermal Protection......................................................................................................... 97
4.4 Battery........................................................................................................................................... 98

Introduction
4.5 Operating Environment............................................................................................................... 99
4.6 Cleaning Recommendation...................................................................................................... 100

Introduction
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 7
1 Introduction
Introduction
The Agilent Technologies 81150A and 81160A are Pulse Pattern and
Function Arbitrary Noise Generators with built-in arbitrary waveform and
pulse capabilities.
The 81150A offers pulse generation up to 120 MHz and sine wave
generation up to 240 MHz.
The 81160A offers pulse generation up to 330 MHz and sine wave
generation up to 500 MHz.
Standard
Deliverables
Check if the Agilent 81150A / 81160A shipping container contains the
following standard deliverables:
The Agilent 81150A / 81160A Pulse Pattern and Function Arbitrary
Noise Generator
Power Cable
USB Cable
The Product CDs (contains the User Guide and the Getting Started
Guide)
General
Instructions
If the contents are incomplete, if there is a mechanical damage, or if
the instrument does not work within its specifications, notify the
nearest Agilent Office. The Agilent office will arrange for the repair or
replacement without awaiting settlement.
Once you have plugged in the instrument, you can start using it.
Make sure you keep the ventilation holes free whenever you install
the instrument.

Introduction
Note
Refer to the User Guide delivered on the Product CD if you need more
information about working with the instrument.

Installing the 81150A/81160A
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 9
2 Installing the 81150A/81160A
Introduction
This section guides you through the first steps when installing/operating
the 81150A / 81160A via the user interface.
For information on operating the 81150A / 81160A via the Remote Interface,
refer to the Remote Programming Reference chapter in the 81150A and
81160A User Guide.
Switching On the
Instrument
The instrument executes the power-on self test during the boot phase. If
there are errors, the instrument displays the power-on error messages.
These messages can be seen any time later as they are not cleared until the
instrument is switched off.

Installing the 81150A/81160A
2.1 The Front Panel
Introduction
The instrument is mainly operated from the front panel, when used for
bench top testing.
Now that you have unpacked the instrument and plugged it in, let us take a
look at the main elements of the Front Panel. These are shown and
explained in brief below.
Ch 1
Ch 2
Coupling
Graph
Cancel
7 8 9
45 6
1 2 3
0 . +/-
Out 2 Out 2 Out 1 Out 1
Man Con t Pu lse Square Mod Store/
Recall
Utility
Help
Sweep
BurstArb
Ramp
Noise
SineTrig
Gated
max. ±15V
Trigge r Out 2 Strobe Ou t 2Ex ter nal In Trigger Out 1 Strobe O ut 1
81150A
Pu lse Fu nction Arbitrary Generator
120 MHz
L ocal
Power Switch Menu Softkeys Cancel
Graph / Local
Numeric Keypad Inputs / Outputs
USB Host Channel 1 Selection Channel Coupling
Channel 2 Selection
Navigation
Keys Rotary Knob Cursor Keys Trigger Modes Waveform Type Advanced Modes Special Function Keys
Front-panel of the 81150A
Ch1
Ch2
Coupli ng
Gr aph
C a n c e l
L o c a l m a x . ± 1 0 V
E x t e r n a l I n S y n c O u t A S y n c O u t B
789
4 5 6
1 2 3
0 . +/-
Out 2 Out 2 Out 1 Out 1
Man Cont Pulse Square Mod Store/
Recall
Utility
Help
Sweep
BurstArb
Ramp
Noise
SineTrig
Gated
Channel 1 Selection
Channel Coupling
Channel 2 Selection
USB Host
Power Switch Menu Softkeys Cancel
Graph / Local
Numeric Keypad Inputs / Outputs
Special
Function Keys
Advanced
Modes
Waveform
Type
Trigger
Modes
Rotary Knob
Cursor Keys
Navigation
Keys
Front-panel of the 81160A

Installing the 81150A/81160A
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 11
Keys/Switch
Function
Power Switch
Used to switch on and off the instrument.
USB
The Front Panel contains a USB host connector. It is intended to
connect USB drives to store instrument states and waveforms on an
external memory.
Menu Softkeys
The five keys below the main display screen are called softkeys
(software-controlled keys). The current function of each softkey is
indicated in the corresponding box on the display. The More softkey
switches to the next layer of softkeys on the current screen.
Cancel
Cancels the selection and helps you exit out of a screen.
Ch 1 Selection
Selects channel 1 as to be controlled from the front panel.
Ch 2 Selection
Selects channel 2 to be controlled from the front panel.
Channel Coupling
Enables/disables the channel coupling.
Refer to the 81150A and 81160A User Guide for more information on
Channel Coupling.
Unlike all the other keys on the Front Panel, the Coupling key is
not protruded or alleviated. It is flat and is embedded inside the
instrument. This is done intentionally to avoid accidental
pressing of the coupling key as pressing it would over-write the
settings.
Graph/Local
In Local Mode: Toggles between textual and graphical representation
of the waveform.
In Remote Mode: Switch back to local operation.
Numeric Keypad,
Cursor Keys,
Rotary Knob
These keys are used to select and modify parameters when operating
the instrument.
Navigation Keys
Used to navigate between the parameters on the screen. These keys
provide an alternative method of navigation to the softkey menus.
Inputs/Outputs
The EXTERNAL IN can be used to connect an external arming
source (triggered or gated modes).
81150A only: The TRIGGER OUT marks the start of the pulse
period or of parts of a pattern

Installing the 81150A/81160A
Keys/Switch
Function
81150A only: The STROBE OUT marks beginning and end of a
burst, marks the beginning of a sweep and outputs the
modulation signal.
81160A only: The SYNC OUT connector. The Logical TRIGGER
Signal or the Logical STROBE Signal can be routed to the SYNC
OUT.
The OUTPUT connectors provide the signal output (normal and
inverted) and the indicators show the current state of the
output (on or off).
Special Function Keys:
Store/Recall, Utility; Help
The STORE/RECALL key can be used to store to/recall from 1 to 4
individual settings in the instrument memory.
The UTILITY key provides access to system settings, output amplifier
and clock reference configuration, self-test and self calibration
functionalities.
The HELP key provides access to the instrument’s built-in help system
or in warning or error state, access to Warning/Error Report screen.
Trigger Mode Keys
The following trigger modes are available:
Continuous
External Triggered
External Gated
Internal Triggered
Manual
The MAN key can be used to manually trigger or gate the instrument.
Refer to the 81150A and 81160A User Guide for more information on
the Trigger Modes.
Waveform Types
Includes standard waveforms and pre-defined arbitrary waveforms.
Refer to the 81150A User Guide for more information on the
Waveform Types.
Advanced modes of
Operation
There are three advanced modes of operation available:
Modulation: Selects the modulation type from AM, FM, PM,
FSK, PWM.
Sweep: For frequency sweeps.
Burst: Repeats selected waveform n times.
Refer to the 81150A and 81160A User Guide for more information on
the Advanced Modes of Modulation.

Installing the 81150A/81160A
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 13
Note
To get context-sensitive help on any front-panel key or menu softkey,
press and hold down that key.

Installing the 81150A/81160A
2.2 The Front-Panel Display at a Glance
Introduction
This section explains the Menu and the Graph mode as seen on the Front
Panel of the 81150A and 81160A.
2.2.1 Menu Mode
Introduction
This section explains the Menu as seen on the Front Panel of the
81150A/81160A.
Channel Information
Units
Channel 1 Information
(Channel addition)
Channel 2 Information
(Frequency Coupling)
Softkey Labels
Trigger Information for
Channel 1 and 2
Numeric Readout

Installing the 81150A/81160A
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 15
2.2.2 Graph Mode
Introduction
To enter the Graph mode, press the key.
To exit, press the key again.
Note
Not all screens do have a graphical representation.
The trigger mode screen will always be in textual mode, even if graph mode
is enabled.

Installing the 81150A/81160A
2.3 The Rear Panel
Introduction
The rear panel contains:
GPIB connector
USB device connector
LAN connector
These three are used for remote control of the instrument.
Channel 1 Modulation In
Channel 2 Modulation In (2 channel instrument only)
10 MHz Clock Ref-In
10 MHz Clock Ref-Out
A USB Host Connector is used to connect external USB storage device for
storing instrument settings or software updates.
4 5 6 7 8 921 3
Rear panel of the 81150A
1USB Interface Connector (Host type for external mass memory)
2USB Interface Connector (device type for remote programming)
3LAN Interface Connector
4Channel 1 External Modulation Input Terminal
5Channel 2 External Modulation Input Terminal
6External 10 MHz Reference Input Terminal
710 MHz Reference output Terminal
8GPIB Interface Connector
9Power

Installing the 81150A/81160A
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 17
G P I B
L AN
M o d u l a t i o n I n 1M o d u l a t i o n I n 21 0 M H z R e f I n1 0 M H z R e f O u t
1V
pp
2 0 0 - 2 4 0VA C 5 0 - 6 0 H z 1 8 0 W m a x .
1 0 0 - 1 2 7VA C 5 0 - 4 0 0 H z 1 8 0 W m a x .
10V
pk 10V pk
42V
pk
m a x . 5 V
r m s
± 1 0 V
m a x . m a x . 5 V
r m s
5 6 71 2 3 48 9
Rear panel of the 81160A
1External 10 MHz Reference Input Terminal
2External 10 MHz Reference Output Terminal
3Channel 1 External Modulation Input Terminal
4Channel 2 External Modulation Input Terminal
5USB Interface Connector (Host type for external mass memory)
6USB Interface Connector (device type for remote programming)
7LAN Interface Connector
8GPIB Interface Connector
9Power

Getting Started
3 Getting Started
Introduction
The intention of this chapter is to give the necessary steps to set up generic
signals for first-time users of the 81150A/81160A.
This chapter provides examples for the following types of signals:
Setting up a Clock Signal
Setting up a Pulse Signal
Setting up a Continuous Burst
Setting up a Triggered Burst
To output a Modulated Waveform
To output an FSK Waveform
To output a Frequency Sweep
Setting up a Triggered Frequency Sweep
Coupling between Channels
Adding up Channel 1 and Channel 2
Remarks
All screenshots in this chapter have been made using an 81150A. The
81160A default settings in the User Interface will show different default
settings at some locations. Also, the measurement results displayed in this
chapter have been made with an 81150A. The measurement results from an
81160A will differ as e.g. the 81160A can generate faster transition times.

Getting Started
81150A and 81160A Getting Started Guide 19
3.1 Setting up a Clock Signal
Task
To set up a continuous clock signal with 50 MHz frequency, a duty cycle of
50%, a high Level of 2.5 V and a low level of 0.0 V.
Duty Cycle = 50%
f = 50 MHz
0.0 V
2.5 V

Getting Started
Selecting a Square
Waveform
To set the operating mode and trigger mode as required, do the following:
Before setting any values, press the Store/Recall key and press the
Set to Defaults softkey. Confirm the action by pressing the Yes
softkey.
Press the Ch 1 key to select channel 1.
Press the normal and inverted output keys to enable both outputs of
channel 1.
The Continuous trigger mode is enabled by default. Therefore, we
only need to select a square waveform. To select a square waveform,
simply press the Square key given on the Front Panel. This brings
you to the following screen.
Important Tip
Pressing the Period softkey selects period and pressing it again
toggles to Frequency softkey.
If the Frequency softkey is already selected, do not press it again as
it will toggle to the Period softkey.