Agilent Technologies 81150A User manual

Agilent
Pulse Function Arbitrary
Noise Generator
81150A
Getting Started Guide

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2007
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
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storage and retrie al or translation into a
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written consent from Agilent Technologies,
Inc. as go erned by United States and
international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
81150-91010
Edition
First edition, No ember 2007
Printed in Germany
Agilent Technologies, Deutschland GmbH
Herrenberger Str. 130
71034 Böblingen, Germany
For Assistance and Support
http://www.agilent.com/find/a
ssist
Warranty
his Agilent product has a warranty against
defects in material and workmanship for a
period of three years from date of shipment.
During the warranty period, Agilent
echnologies 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 echnologies. he
Buyer shall pay Agilent’s round-trip travel
expenses. For products returned to Agilent
echnologies for warranty service, the Buyer
shall prepay shipping charges to Agilent and
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shall pay all shipping charges, duties and
taxes for products returned to Agilent
echnologies from another country. Agilent
echnologies 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
software or interfacing, unauthorized
modification or misuse, operation outside of
the en ironmental specifications for the
product, or improper site preparation or
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Product maintenance agreements and other
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for Agilent products. For any assistance,
contact your nearest Agilent Sales Office.
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
Standards Organization members.

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/Se
rvice/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 Directi e
(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 Directi e 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

Contents
81150A Getting Started Guide 7
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 7
1Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 9
2Installing the 81150A ..........................................................................................................................10
2.1 The Front Panel............................................................................................................................ 11
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 ....................................................................................................................................17
3.1 Setting up a Clock Signal ........................................................................................................... 18
3.2 Setting up a Pulse Signal........................................................................................................... 25
3.3 Setting up a Continuous Burst.................................................................................................. 36
3.4 Setting up a Triggered Burst ..................................................................................................... 41
3.5 To output a Modulated Wa eform ........................................................................................... 48
3.6 To output an FSK Wa eform ..................................................................................................... 53
3.7 To output a Frequency Sweep................................................................................................... 59
3.8 Setting up a Triggered Frequency Sweep ............................................................................... 65
3.9 Coupling between Channels...................................................................................................... 72
3.9.1 Settings for Channel 1................................................................................................... 72
3.9.2 Settings for Channel 2................................................................................................... 74
3.10 Adding up Channel 1 and Channel 2........................................................................................ 82
3.10.1 Settings for Channel 1................................................................................................. 83
3.10.2 Settings for Channel 2................................................................................................. 87
4Installation and Maintenance............................................................................................................94
4.1 Options and Accessories ........................................................................................................... 94
4.2 Power Requirements................................................................................................................... 95
4.3 Ventilation Requirements........................................................................................................... 96
4.3.1 Thermal Protection ........................................................................................................ 96
4.4 Battery........................................................................................................................................... 97

Contents
8 81150A Getting Started Guide
4.5 Operating En ironment............................................................................................................... 98
4.6 Cleaning Recommendation........................................................................................................ 99

Introduction
81150A Getting Started Guide 9
1 Introduction
Introduction The Agilent Technologies 81150A is a 120 MHz synthesized Pulse Function
Arbitrary Noise Generator with built-in arbitrary wa eform and pulse
capabilities.
Standard
Deliverables
Check if the Agilent 81150A shipping container contains the following
standard deli erables:
The Agilent 81150A 120 MHz Pulse 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 ha e plugged in the instrument, you can start using it.
Make sure you keep the entilation holes free whene er you install
the instrument.
Note Refer to the User Guide deli ered on the Product CD if you need more
information about working with the instrument.

Installing the 81150A
10 81150A Getting Started Guide
2 Installing the 81150A
Introduction This section guides you through the first steps when installing/operating
the 81150A ia the user interface.
For information on operating the 81150A ia the Remote Interface, refer to
the Remote Programming Reference chapter in the 81150A User Guide.
Switching On the
Instrument
The instrument executes the power-on selftest during the boot phase. If
there are errors, the instrument displays the power-on error messages.
These messages can be seen anytime later as they are not cleared until the
instrument is switched off.

Installing the 81150A
81150A Getting Started Guide 11
2.1 he Front Panel
Introduction The instrument is mainly operated from the front panel, when used for
benchtop testing.
Now that you ha e 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 Cont Pulse Square Mod Store/
Recall
Utility
Help
Sweep
BurstArb
Ramp
Noise
Sinerig
Gated
max. ±15V
r igger Out 2 Strobe Out 2External In rigger Out 1 Strobe Out 1
81150A
Pu lse Function Arbitrary Generator
120 MHz
Local
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
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 dri es to store instrument states and wa eforms on an
external memory.
Menu Softkeys The fi e 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.

Installing the 81150A
12 81150A Getting Started Guide
Keys/Switch Function
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 User Guide for more information on Channel
Coupling.
✎ Unlike all the other keys on the Front Panel, the Coupling key is
not protruded or alle iated. It is flat and is embedded inside the
instrument. This is done intentionally to a oid accidental
pressing of the coupling key as pressing it would o er-write the
settings.
Graph/Local In Local Mode: Toggles between textual and graphical representation
of the wa eform.
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 na igate between the parameters on the screen. These keys
pro ide an alternati e method of na igation to the softkey menus.
Inputs/Outputs The EX ERNAL IN can be used to connect an external arming
source (triggered or gated modes).
The RIGGER OU marks the start of the pulse period or of
parts of a pattern
The S ROBE OU marks beginning and end of a burst, marks
the beginning of a sweep and outputs the modulation signal.
The OU PU connectors pro ide the signal output (normal and
in erted) and the indicators show the current state of the
output (on or off).
Special Function Keys:
Store/Recall, Utility; Help
The S ORE/RECALL key can be used to store to/recall from 1 to 4
indi idual settings in the instrument memory.
The U ILI Y key pro ides access to system settings, output amplifier
and clock reference configuration, self-test and self calibration
functionalities.
The HELP key pro ides access to the instrument’s built-in help system
or in warning or error state, access to Warning/Error Report screen.

Installing the 81150A
81150A Getting Started Guide 13
Keys/Switch Function
rigger Mode Keys The following trigger modes are a ailable:
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 User Guide for more information on the Trigger
Modes.
Waveform ypes Includes standard wa eforms and pre-defined arbitrary wa eforms.
Refer to the 81150A User Guide for more information on the
Wa eform Types.
Advanced modes of
Operation
There are three ad anced modes of operation a ailable:
Modulation: Selects the modulation type from AM, FM, PM,
FSK, PWM.
Sweep: For frequency sweeps.
Burst: Repeats selected wa eform n times.
Refer to the 81150A User Guide for more information on the Ad anced
Modes of Modulation.
Note To get context-sensiti e help on any front-panel key or menu softkey,
press and hold down that key.

Installing the 81150A
14 81150A Getting Started Guide
2.2 he 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.
2.2.1 Menu Mode
Introduction This section explains the Menu as seen on the Front Panel of the 81150A.

Installing the 81150A
81150A 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 ha e a graphical representation.
The trigger mode screen will always be in textual mode, e en if graph mode
is enabled.

Installing the 81150A
16 81150A Getting Started Guide
2.3 he Rear Panel
Introduction The rear panel contains:
GPIB connector
USB de ice 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 de ice for
storing instrument settings or software updates.
The following figure shows the rear panel iew of the 81150A.
1 USB Interface Connector (Host type for external mass memory)
2 USB Interface Connector (device type for remote programming)
3 LAN Interface Connector
4 Channel 1 External Modulation Input Terminal
5 Channel 2 External Modulation Input Terminal
6 External 10 MHz Reference Input Terminal
7 10 MHz Reference output Terminal
8 GPIB Interface Connector
9 Power

Getting Started
81150A Getting Started Guide 17
3 Getting Started
Introduction The intention of this chapter is to gi e the necessary steps to set up generic
signals for first-time users of the 81150A.
This chapter pro ides 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 Wa eform
To output an FSK Wa eform
To output a Frequency Sweep
Setting up a Triggered Frequency Sweep
Coupling between Channels
Adding up Channel 1 and Channel 2

Getting Started
18 81150A Getting Started Guide
3.1 Setting up a Clock Signal
ask To set up a continuous clock signal with 50 MHz frequency, a duty cycle of
50%, a high Le el of 2.5 V and a low le el of 0.0 V.

Getting Started
81150A Getting Started Guide 19
Selecting a Square
Waveform
To set the operating mode and trigger mode as required, do the following:
Before setting any alues, 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 in erted 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 wa eform. To select a square wa eform,
simply press the Square key gi en on the Front Panel. This brings
you to the following screen.
Important ip 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.

Getting Started
20 81150A Getting Started Guide
Selecting
Frequency
Press the Frequency softkey and set the frequency to 50 MHz.
✎ For setting the alue, you can use the Numeric Keypad or the Rotary
Knob.
From the arious a ailable options, choose the desired unit by simply
pressing it.
Selecting Duty
Cycle
The alue of Duty Cycle is set to 50% by default. Therefore, there is
no need to change it.