Agilent Technologies Keysight N9310A User manual


Agilent N9310A
RF Signal Generator
Quick Start Guide

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2006
No part of this manual may be reproduced
in any form or by any means (including
electronic storage and retrieval or transla-
tion into a foreign language) without prior
agreement and written consent from Agi-
lent Technologies, Inc. as governed by
United States and international copyright
laws.
Edition
First Edition, June 2006
Printed in China
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Qianfeng Hi-Tech Industrial Park
Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development
Zone(West District)
Chengdu, 611731, P.R.C
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ject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the max-
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Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operat-
ing procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage
to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION notice until the indi-
cated conditions are fully under-
stood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly per-
formed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated condi-
tions are fully understood and
met.
Software Revision
This guide is valid for V1.0 revisions of the
Agilent N9310A RF Signal Generator
software. Due to our continious effert to
improve our product, please go to our web
site to download the latest version of the
Quick Start Guide or User’s Guide.

1

Quick Start Guide
This Quick Start Guide helps you in preparing the signal
generator for use. With this guide, you will become familiar
with its basic operation and programming information. For
more information, please refer to
User’s Guide from:
www.agilent.com/find/n9310a
N9310 Overview 4
Preparation for Use 7
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal 9
Generating a Step Sweep Signal 11
Generating a Modulated Signal 13
Some Help Hints 15
Remote Control 16
Contact Agilent Technologies 22
Factory Default Settings 23

2Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Check the Shipment
After receiving the shipment, you should first check the
shipment and your order list refer to the procedures below.
✔Inspect the shipping container for damage.
Signs of damage may include a dented or torn shipping
container or cushioning material that indicates signs of
unusual stress or compacting.
✔Carefully remove the contents from the shipping container
and verify that your order is complete. Each signal
generator includes the following items as standard:
✔Verify if the ordered options are included in the shipment
by checking the serial number on the rear panel of the
signal generator:
Any question about your shipment, please contact Agilent
Technologies Customer Contact Center for consulting and
service.
Item Quantity Part Number
N9310A signal generator 1 N9310A
USB cable 1 8121-1482
three-pin power cord 1 Specific to location
Quick Start Guide 1 N9310-90003
User’s Guide 1 N9310-90001
Help kit CD-ROM 1 N9310-84500
Calibration certificate 1 N/A
Option Name Part number
001 I/Q modulator N9310A-001
1CM Rackmount flange kit N9310A-1CM
1TC Hard transit case N9310A-1TC

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 3
Safety Notice
Please read the following warnings and cautions carefully
before you power on the signal generator to ensure your
personal and instrumental safety.
WARNING Always use a well-grounded, three-pin AC plug and power cord to
connect to a power source. Personal injury may occur if there is any
interruption of the AC power cord of the signal generator. Intentional
interruption is prohibited.
WARNING Personal injury may result if the signal generator covers are removed.
There are no operator serviceable parts inside. To avoid electrical
shock, refer servicing to qualified personnel.
WARNING Electrical shock may result if the signal generator is connected from
the power supply while cleaning. Do not attempt to clean
internally.
CAUTION To install the signal generators in other racks, note that they may
promote shock hazards, overheating, dusting contamination, and
inferior system performance. Consult your Agilent customer engineer
about installation, warranty, and support details.
CAUTION Damage to the signal generator may result when the total power
dissipated in the cabinet is greater than 800 watts. When this
condition exists, forced convection must be applied.
CAUTION The RF OUT connector is for signal output only. Avoid manually adding
any external signal into the signal generator via this connector. This
connector endures maximum +36 dBm RF power or 30 V DC input
(1 minute lasting). Or it may result in instrument damages.

4Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
N9310 Overview
An Agilent N9310A RF Signal Generator finds general
purpose test application between 9 kHz to 3 GHz. It is
capable to generate variables of signals as shown below,
which could be applied in the field of manufacture, service
and repair, development and education:
• Continuous wave (CW) signal
•Lowfrequency(LF)signal
• RF/LF/Amplitude step sweep
• Amplitude modulation (AM) signal
• Frequency modulation (FM) signal
•Phasemodulation(FM) signal
•Pulsemodulationsignal
The signal generator comprises an optional broadband I/Q
modulator (option 001). With this option, N9310A is capable
of generating complicated digital signal widely used in
modern digital communication system in conjunction with an
external I/Q signal generator.
The N9310A RF Signal Generator has USB connectors for
yourremote control and fast file transferring.

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 5
The Front Panel at a Glance
FUNCTIONS
LF OU T RF OU T 50
Rem ote
Standby
On
N9310A RF Signal Gen erator 9 kHz - 3. 0 GHz
Frequency
Amplitude
Enter
7
4
1
8
9
56
23
0
MOD
On/Off
On/Off
RF
I/Q
FM
Preset
AM
FMPulse
Utility
Sweep
Trigger
LocalFile
LF Out
1
.
8
9
10
11
12
13
18
17
16
15
14
7
56
4
3
2
REV ERSE PWR
4W MA X 30VD C
1Screen 10 RF On/Off hardkey
2Softkeys 11 RF OUT connector
3Enter key 12 LF OUT connector
4Amplitude hardkey 13 Numeric keypad
5Frequency hardkey 14 Standby switch
6Function hardkeys 15 Switch On LED
7Mod On/Off hardkey 16 Standby LED
8Knob 17 Remote LED
9Arrow hardkeys 18 USB Device connector

6Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
The Rear Panel at a Glance
The signal generator rear panel provides input, output, and
remote interface connections. Refer to “Rear Panel Overview”
on
User’s Guide for more information.
VGA OUTPUT
DEV
TRIG IN
HOST
MOD IN
PULSE M OD I N
REF IN
REF OUT
I IN 1V RMS
MAX
Q IN
LINE:
100-240V
50-60Hz
100W MAX
Made in China
HIPOT PASS
N9310A N9310A-CFG002
SER:CN*********
1
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11 12
2
5
1 AC power switch 7 Pulse input connector
2 AC power connector 8 Modulation source input connector
3 USB host connector 9 Q input connector
4 Trigger input connector 10 I input connector
5 Reference output connector 11 VGA connector
6 Reference input connector 12 USB device connectors

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 7
Preparation for Use
1Connect the power cord. Insert the plug into a power socket
provided with a protective earth. Set the tilt adjustor for
your preference.
2Connect an RF cable to the output connector of the signal
generator and then connect the cable to your DUT (device
under test) or other instrument.
D
U
T

8Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Turn On the Signal Generator
Follow this procedure to power on the signal generator:
1Press the power switch on the rear panel. The orange
LED will light and the signal generator is in standby mode.
2Press the standby switch on the front panel. The green
LED will light.
Self- initialization takes about 30 seconds; the signal
generator then defaults to the menu mode with the
maximum frequency of 3 GHz and minimum amplitude of
–127 dBm, then the signal generator is ready for your
current use. After power on, let the signal generator warm
up for 45 minutes for stabilization.
NOTE The front panel switch is a standby switch only; it is not a power
switch. To disconnect the signal generator from the line power, shut
off the power switch on the rear panel.

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 9
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate a
continuous wave (CW) signal with a:
•Frequencyof1GHz
•Powerlevelof–20.0 dBm
Setting up Frequency
Setting up Amplitude
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press hardkey Frequency becomes the active function in
the data entry area. This area displays the
factory preset frequency.
3. Enter 1 using the
numeric keypad and
press GHz softkey
The FREQUENCY area and the active entry
area both display the new carrier frequency
(1.0000000000 GHz).
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Frequency becomes the active function in
the data entry area. This area displays the
factory preset frequency.
2. Enter –20 using the
numeric keypad and
press dBm softkey
The AMPLITUDE area and the active entry
area display the new level (–20.0 dBm).
Preset
Frequency
Amplitude

10 Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Enable RF Output
The screen looks like this:
Operation Notes
Press hardkey Notice that the display annunciator changes
from to . The CW signal is now
available at the RF OUT connector.
RF
On/Off

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 11
Generating a Step Sweep Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate a RF
sweep signal with the characteristics of:
• Frequency range from 1 to 2 GHz
• 10 step point
• Dwell time of 500 ms for each step
Setting up a Step Sweep
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press hardkey Enables the submenu of sweep
softkeys.
3. Press Step Sweep softkey Enables the submenu of sweep
settings.
4. Press RF Start > 1 > GHz Sets the step sweep start
frequency to 1 GHz.
5. Press RF Stop > 2 > GHz Sets the step sweep stop
frequency to 2 GHz.
6. Press #Points > 10 > Enter Sets the step point to 10 in the step
sweep.
7. Press
More>Step Dwell>500>ms
Sets the dwell time to 500 ms for
each point in the step sweep.
Preset
Sweep

12 Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Enable RF Sweep
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Turn on the RF OUT connector. Notice
that the display annunciator changes
from to .
2. Press Return>Sweep Mode Displays another menu allowing you to
choose the sweep mode
3. Press RF softkey The indicates sweep on,
signifying that the sweep mode is
enabled. The sweep signal is now
available at the RF OUT connector.
RF
On/Off

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 13
Generating a Modulated Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate an
amplitude modulated (AM) signal with a:
• Carrier frequency of 900 MHz
• Carrier power level of –20.0 dBm
• AM depth of 60%
Setting up carrier frequency and amplitude
Setting up Amplitude Modulation
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey. Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press > 900 > MHz Sets the carrier frequency to 900 MHz for
amplitude modulation.
3. Press >–20 > dBm Sets the carrier amplitude to –20 dBm for
amplitude modulation.
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey. Displays the AM first level menu.
2. Press AM Depth > 60 > % Set the AM depth to 60%.
3. Press AM On Off softkey. AM toggles from Off to On. The
indicates “On” signifying that you have
enabled amplitude modulation.
Preset
Frequency
Amplitude
AM

14 Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Enable Amplitude Modulation
Then the screen displays like this:
Refer to
User’s Guide for more information.
Operation Notes
Press hardkey. The display annunciator changes from
to . The AM signal is now
available at RF OUT connector.
RF
On/Off
NOTE After pressing hardkey, will display on the screen which
indicates the modulation is active. If you ignore this procedure, you
need to press hardkey to enable the modulator.
Preset
Mod
On/Off

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 15
Some Help Hints
Refer to the following hints to set the signal generator to
your required setting:
• Set the screen saver on by pressing
> Screen Saver> On
• Select a display style by pressing
> Display Style
• Toggle the phase noise mode by pressing
> Opti. FNoise> Normal/ResFM Opt.
• Save the current configures for your frequent use to
either local memory or an external USB memory by
pressing > Save
• Connect and set an external reference by pressing
> Ref Setups
• Connect an external display monitor to the VGA
connector for the education projects or other needs.
Utility
Utility
Utility
File
Utility
NOTE The calibration cycle of N9310A RF Signal Generator is one year.
NOTE A button cell provides power to the real time clock of the signal
generator. It is not rechargeable. If you find your N9310A encounters a
clock defect, please contact your nearest Agilent Customer Contact
Center (CCC) for service.

16 Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
Remote Control
The N9310A signal generator provides USB connection to
your PC, allowing you run your N9310A in remote mode.
Before remotely control your N9310A, Make sure your PC
meets the following minimum requirements:
✔450 MHz processor
✔128 MB RAM
✔175 MB available disk space
✔Microsoft®Windows®2000 SP4, XP SP2
✔Display resolution: 800*600
Frequency
Enter
7MOD
On/O ff
RF
4
1
0
2
9
6
3
On/ Off
Amplitude FM
Utility
LFOut
Preset
Local
AM I/Q
Fil e
TriggerPulseM
·
Sweep
8
5
Remote
Standby
On
N9310A RFSignal Ge nerator 9kHz - 3.0 G Hz
REVERSEPWR
4WM A X 30VDC
LF OU T RF OU T 50
FUN CTIO N S
USB
cable

NOTE Pressing hardkey returns the signal generator from remote mode to
local mode.
Local

N9310A RF Signal generator
Quick Start Guide 17
Installing Agilent IO Libraries suite
Before trying to remotely control your N9310A, you need to
install Agilent IO Libraries suite on your PC. The Agilent IO
Libraries Suite is a general purpose instrument driver for all
Agilent test and measurement instruments. This software is
in the documentation CD with the shipment, or download a
latest version from
http://www.agilent.com/find/iolib
Follow the windows wizard to finish the installation. Then,
you have successfully set up an environment for remotely
control your N9310A.
Connecting your N9310A to a Controller
1Switch on your N9310A. The orange standby LED on the
front panel is turned off and the green LED is turned on.
2Refer to the following graphic for your PC to insturment
connection.
Then the signal generator is available for your remotely
control. Any further information on programming please
refer to
User’s Guide .
Connecting
PC
Connecting
Device

18 Quick Start Guide
N9310A RF Signal Generator
SCPI Command List
SCPI Command Utility
Frequency
SCPI command
:FREQuency:CW <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:CW?
Set CW frequency
:FREQuency:RF:STARt <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:RF:STARt?
Set RF start frequency
:FREQuency:LF:STARt <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:LF:STARt?
Set LF start frequency
:FREQuency:RF:STOP <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:RF:STOP?
Set RF stop frequency
:FREQuency:LF:STOP <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:LF:STOP?
Set LF stop frequency
:FREQuency:RF:SCALe LOG|LIN
:FREQuency:RF:SCALe?
Set Sweep Scaling
Amplitude
SCPI command
:AMPLitude:CW <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:CW?
Set CW frequency
:AMPLitude:STARt <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:STARt?
Set Start Amplitude
:AMPLitude:STOP <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:STOP?
Set Stop Amplitude
Trigger
SCPI command
:TRIGger:IMMediate Sweep immediately
:TRIGger:SSWP Trigger a single sweep
Sweep
SCPI command
:SWEep:RF:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:RF:STATe?
Turn On/Off RF Sweep
:SWEep:LF:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:LF:STATe?
Turn On/Off LF Sweep
:SWEep:AMPLitude:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:AMPLitude:STATe?
Turn On/Off Ampl Sweep