Agilent Technologies 81101A User manual

S
S1
Agilent 81101A 50 MHz Pulse Generator
Quick Start Guide

Per 1.000µ
µµ
µs Normal
OUTPUT TRG-LEVLIMITSMODE/TRG
OFF
Delay 1 0ps
Width
LeadE
TraiE
100.0ns
5.00ns
=LeadE
Offset
Amplit +0.0mV 1.00V
50Ω
ΩΩ
Ωinto 50.0Ω
ΩΩ
Ω
*OFF
ON
MODIFY
MORE
GRAPH
Use the KNOB to select a
mode or modify parameters
and formats
Press ENTER or a UNIT key to
confirm parameter changes
Use the CURSOR keys to move
the entry focus to a mode,
parameter format, or
parameter value
Press a SOFTKEY to access
the required entry screen Press MORE key to access
the additional screen menus:
MODE/TRG TRG-LEV MEMCARD CONFIG
Screen Selection Area
Mode / Parameter Area Modify / Enter Area
Entry Focus
Front Panel Display and Softkeys

Quick Start Guide
Agilent 81101A 50 MHz
Pulse Generator
Part No. 81101-91020
Printed in Germany March 2000
Edition 1.1, E0300

4
Notice
Notice
Copyright
1998 Agilent Technologies 1998, 2000. All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means
(including electronic 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.
Notice
The material contained in this document is subject to change without
notice. Agilent Technologies makes no warranty of any kind with regard
to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability 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,
performance, or use of this material.
Warranty
This Agilent Technologies 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 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 Buyer shall pay Agilent
Technologies round-trip travel expenses. For products returned to
Agilent Technologies for warranty service, the Buyer shall prepay
shipping charges to Agilent Technologies and Agilent Technologies shall
pay shipping charges to return the product to the Buyer. However, the
Buyer shall pay all shipping charges, duties and taxes for products
returned to Agilent Technologies from another country.

5
Notice
Agilent Technologies warrants that its software and firmware designated
by Agilent Technologies for use with an instrument will execute its
programming instructions when properly installed on that instrument.
Agilent Technologies 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 environmental specifications for the product, or improper
site preparation or maintenance. No other warranty is expressed or
implied. Agilent Technologies specifically disclaims the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Exclusive Remedies
The remedies supplied are the Buyer's sole and exclusive remedies.
Agilent Technologies shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special,
incidental, or consequential damages, whether based on contract, tort or
any other legal theory.
Certification
Agilent Technologies certifies that this product met its published
specifications at the time of shipment. Agilent Technologies 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.
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

6
Safety Summary
Safety Summary
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.
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.
Environmental 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 the product is set to match the available line voltage, the
correct fuse is installed, and all safety precautions are taken. Note the
instrument's external markings described under Safety Symbols on
page 8.

7
Safety Summary
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.
Fuses
Only fuses with the required rated current, voltage, and specified type
(normal blow, time delay, etc.) should be used. Do not use repaired fuses
or short-circuited fuse holders. To do so could cause a shock or fire
hazard.
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
service 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.

8
Safety Summary
Safety Symbols
Caution (refer to accompanying documents)
Protective earth (ground) terminal
In the manuals:
WARNING The WARNING sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention to a
procedure, practice, or the like, which, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in personal injury. Do not proceed
beyond a WARNING sign until the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
CAUTION The CAUTION sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating
procedure, or the like, which, if not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to or destruction of part or all of the product. Do
not proceed beyond a CAUTION sign until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

9
About this Book
About this Book
This quick start guide helps you to quickly get familiar with the features
and the user interface of the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator.
Chapter 1 Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator on page
15 gives a general overview of the Agilent 81101A, its features, the user
interface, and the steps required for operating the instrument.
For getting started Chapter 2 Getting Started on page 29 gives the
setup information for some real-world signal examples, which can easily
be used by varying only some parameter values.
Chapter 3 Using the Agilent 81101A on page 43 provides complete
information on the user interface screens.
Installation and maintenance are described in Appendix A Installation
& Maintenance on page 75.
For specifications and information on operating the instrument by means
of remote control, please refer to the Reference Guide, p/n 81101-91021.

10
About this Book
Conventions Used in this Book
This book uses certain conventions to indicate elements of the
Agilent 81101As user interface. The following table shows some
examples:
Softkeys Press the MODE/TRG softkey to access the Mode/
Trigger screen.
Hardkeys Press the MORE key to switch to the alternative
softkey layout.
Alternate Keys Press SHIFT + 0 (ON/OFF) to switch on the output.
The alternate key labelwhich is selected by
pressing the SHIFT keyis given in parentheses.
Screen Quotes Move the entry focus down to PULSE-PERIOD and
turn the knob to select INTERNAL PLL.
Entry Focus The highlight field, that can be moved with the
cursor keys, to change modes, parameters, or
parameter formats.

xi
Contents
Notice ......................................................................................... 4
Safety Summary ......................................................................... 6
About this Book ......................................................................... 9
Chapter 1 Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
What you can do with the Agilent 81101A ............................ 16
The Front Panel ....................................................................... 18
Operating the Agilent 81101A ................................................ 20
Switching On the Instrument .............................................................. 20
The Basic Screens ................................................................................. 21
Adjusting Parameters ........................................................................... 23
Switching the Output On and Off ....................................................... 26
Using the Special Function Keys ........................................................ 26
Help is Available ...................................................................... 27
The Rear Panel ........................................................................ 28
Chapter 2 Getting Started
Setting Up a Clock Signal ....................................................... 30
Setting Up a Pulse Signal ........................................................ 35
Setting Up a Burst Signal ....................................................... 39

xii
Contents
Chapter 3 Using the Agilent 81101A
The Mode/Trigger Screen ....................................................... 44
Overview ................................................................................................. 44
Continuous Pulses Mode ...................................................................... 46
Continuous Burst Mode ........................................................................ 47
Triggered Pulses Mode ......................................................................... 48
Triggered Burst Mode ........................................................................... 50
Gated Pulses Mode ................................................................................ 52
Gated Burst Mode ................................................................................. 54
External Width Mode ............................................................................ 55
The Output Screen ................................................................. 56
Timing Parameters ................................................................................ 56
Level Parameters ................................................................................... 61
The Limits Screen ................................................................... 64
The Trigger-Level Screen ....................................................... 65
Threshold and Impedance Parameters ............................................... 65
Trigger and Strobe Level Parameters ................................................. 66
The Memory Card Screen ....................................................... 67
The Configuration Screen ...................................................... 70
Warnings and Errors .............................................................. 72
Appendix A Installation & Maintenance
Initial Inspection .................................................................... 76
Standard Deliverables ........................................................................... 77
Options and Accessories: ..................................................................... 78

xiii
Contents
Power Requirements ............................................................... 80
Power Cable ............................................................................. 82
Ventilation Requirements ....................................................... 83
Thermal Protection ............................................................................... 83
Battery ..................................................................................... 84
Battery Replacement ............................................................................ 85
Operating Environment .......................................................... 86
Cleaning Recommendation ..................................................... 87
Acoustic Noise Emission ......................................................... 88

xiv
Contents

15
1
1Introducing the
Agilent 81101A Pulse
Generator
The purpose of the introduction chapter is to give a general overview of
the Agilent 81101A.
The main features and use models are described in What you can do
with the Agilent 81101A on page 16.
Operating the instrument via the front panel user interface is described in
The Front Panel on page 18 and Operating the Agilent 81101A on
page 20.
Help is Available on page 27 shortly introduces the Agilent 81101As
on-line help system.
Finally, The Rear Panel on page 28 takes a look at the back of the
Agilent 81101A.

16
Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
What you can do with the Agilent 81101A
What you can do with the
Agilent 81101A
This section introduces the basic features and use models of the
Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator.
Basic Features
The Agilent 81101A is a single-channel pulse generator with variable
transition times. It is capable of generating all standard pulses and bursts
of pulses needed to test current logic technologies (for example, TTL,
CMOS, ECL, PECL, LVDS, GTL) and other digital designs up to 50 MHz.
The instrument features two internal oscillators:
 a synchronously triggerable internal oscillator
 an accurate, stable internal PLL
For even more accuracy, an external frequency reference can be
connected.
Any timing parameter can be varied without glitch or drop out. This
contributes to more accurate and confident characterizations of the
device under test (DUT).
Complete signal setups can be stored locally (9 internal non-volatile
registers available) or on a memory card.
Benchtop Testing
The Agilent 81101A features a graphic display showing all pulse
parameters at a glance. The cursor keys and the modify knob allow fast
and simple operation.
The user interface is designed to minimize the time invested in getting
familiar with the instrument. After familiarization, the instrument
supports quick setups of signals. This leaves you free to concentrate on
the measurement task and testing of the DUT.

17
Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
What you can do with the Agilent 81101A
Automated Testing
The Agilent 81101A features an GP-IB/SCPI-conform command structure
for all features. Using this programming interface, the instrument can be
easily integrated into all phases of test system development such as
planning rack integration and test program generation.
Programs designed for the Agilent 81101A are compatible with all other
models of the Agilent 81100 family.
NOTE For a command reference list, please refer to the Reference Guide, part
number 81101-91021.

18
Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
The Front Panel
The Front Panel
When used for benchtop testing, the instrument is mainly operated from
the front panel.
The front panel switch is used to switch on and off the instrument.
NOTE When the front panel switch is off, the instrument is in standby mode.
The instrument is disconnected from the AC line power only by
disconnecting the power cord.
The four keys below the display are the softkeys (software-controlled
keys). The current function of each softkey is indicated in the
corresponding box on the display.
Pressing the MORE key changes the softkey layout.
The other keys (special function keys, data entry keys, cursor keys)
and the rotary knob are used to select and modify parameters when
operating the instrument (see Operating the Agilent 81101A on
page 20).
Special Function Keys Data Entry Keys Cursor Keys Rotary Knob
Front Panel
Switch
Softkeys MORE Key Inputs and Outputs

19
Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
The Front Panel
The major inputs and outputs of the instrument are available at the front
panel:
 The external input (EXT INPUT) can be used to connect an external
arming source (triggered or gated modes), or to perform pulse
recovery (external width mode). For details, please refer to The
Mode/Trigger Screen on page 44.
 The strobe output (STROBE OUT) provides a signal indicating the
duration of a burst.
In burst mode, the STROBE OUT signal marks the start and end of
each burst of pulses generated. The rising edge of the STROBE signal
is synchronized to the start of the first pulse period in a burst, the
falling edge is synchronized to the start of the last pulse period in the
burst. (see The Mode/Trigger Screen on page 44).
You can set the output levels to TTL or ECL (see The Trigger-Level
Screen on page 65)
 The trigger signal (TRIGGER OUT) marks the start of each pulse
period (see The Mode/Trigger Screen on page 44). You can set the
output levels to TTL or ECL (see The Trigger-Level Screen on
page 65).
 The OUTPUT provides the signal output, the indicator shows the
current state of the output (on or off).
NOTE An input connector for external frequency reference (CLOCK/REF INP.)
is available at the rear panel (see The Rear Panel on page 28). When
the rear panel option UN2 is ordered, all input and output connectors are
available at the rear panel.
NOTE For information on the use of the memory card slot, refer to The
Memory Card Screen on page 67.

20
Introducing the Agilent 81101A Pulse Generator
Operating the Agilent 81101A
Operating the Agilent 81101A
This section guides you through the first steps when operating the
Agilent 81101A via the user interface.
NOTE For information on operating the Agilent 81101A via remote control,
please refer to the Reference Guide, part number 81101-91021.
Switching On the Instrument
After switching on the instrument the display indicates that the
instrument selftest is running. This can take several seconds to complete.
If the selftest fails, you see a flashing E at the bottom of the screen. Press
the HELP key to see a list of the selftest error messages. Use the knob or
the cursor keys to scroll through the list if necessary.
To return to normal operation press HELP again. Note that the selftest
error messages are removed from the error queue after this.