Applied Radar AR2010 User manual
Applied Radar, Inc.
www.appliedradar.com
AR2010
USB Stick Synthesizer
Generation II
User Manual
Revision 2.0.1, June 2012
AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer User Manual
Notices
© Applied Radar, Inc. 2012
No part of this manual may be repro-
duced in any form or by any means
(including electronic storage and re-
trieval or translation into a foreign
language) without prior permission
and written consent from Applied
Radar, Inc. as governed by United
States and international copyright
laws.
Manual Part Number
AR2010-99-2
Edition
Revision 2.0.1, June 2012
Printed in the USA
Applied Radar, Inc.
315 Commerce Park Road
Unit 2
North Kingstown, RI 02852 USA
Trademark Acknowledgements
Fedora is a registered trademark of
Red Hat, Inc.
LINUX is a registered trademark of
Linus Torvalds.
Mac and Mac OS is a registered
trademark of Apple Inc.
MATLAB is a registered trademark
of The MathWorks, Inc.
NI-VISA is a registered trademark of
the National Instruments Corporation
NI-VXI is a registered trademark of
the National Instruments Corporta-
tion
Windows is a U.S. registered trade-
mark of Microsoft Corporation.
Warranty
The material contained in this docu-
ment is provided "as is," and is sub-
ject to be changed, without notice, in
future editions. Further, to the max-
imum extent permitted by applica-
ble law, Applied Radar disclaims all
warranties, either expressed or im-
plied, with regard to this manual and
any information contained herein, in-
cluding but not limited to the implied
warranties of merchantability and fit-
ness for a particular purpose. Ap-
plied Radar shall not be liable for
errors or incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the fur-
nishing, use, or performance of this
document or of any information con-
tained herein. Should Applied Radar
and the user have a separate writ-
ten agreement with warranty terms
covering the material in this docu-
ment that conflict with these terms,
the warranty terms in the separate
agreement shall control.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and/or software de-
scribed in this document are fur-
nished under a license and may be
used or copied only in accordance
with the terms of such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. Government Restricted Rights.
Software and technical data rights
granted to the federal government
include only those rights custom-
arily provided to end user cus-
tomers. Applied Radar, Inc. pro-
vides this customary commercial li-
cense in Software and technical data
pursuant to FAR 12.211 (Technical
Data) and 12.212 (Computer Soft-
ware) and, for the Department of De-
fense, DFARS 252.227-7015 (Tech-
nical Data - Commercial Items) and
DFARS 227.7202-3 (Rights in Com-
mercial Computer Software or Com-
puter Software Documentation).
Safety Notices
CAUTION
ACAUTION notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operat-
ing procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or ad-
hered to, could result in damage to
the product or loss of data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice
until the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an oper-
ating procedure, practice, or the
likes that, if not correctly per-
formed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING no-
tice until the indicated conditions
are fully understood and met.
Applied Radar, Inc. Revision 2.0.1 i
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Restricted Rights Legend
The Software and Documentation have been developed entirely at private expense. They are delivered
and licensed as "commercial computer software" as defined in DFARS 252.227-7013 (Oct 1988), DFARS
252.211-7015 (May 1991), or DFARS 252.227-7014 (Jun 1995), as a "commercial item" as defined in FAR
2.101(a) or as "restricted computer software" as defined in FAR 25.227-19 (Jun 1987) (or any equivalent
agency regulation or contract clause), whichever is applicable.The End User has only those rights pro-
vided for such Software and Documentation by the applicable FAR or DFARS clause or the Applied Radar
standard software agreement for the product involved.
General Warranty
The material contained in this document is provided "as is," and is subjected to being changed, without
notice, in future editions. Further, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Applied Radar,
Inc. disclaims all warranties, either expressed or implied with regard to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose. Applied Radar, Inc. shall not be liable for errors or for incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, use, or performance of this document or any information
contained herein. Should Applied Radar and the user have a separate written agreement with warranty
terms covering the material in this document that conflict with these terms, the warranty terms in the
separate agreement shall control. Duration and conditions of warranty for this product may be superseded
when the product is integrated into (becomes part of) other Applied Radar products. During the warranty
period, Applied Radar will, at its option, either repair or replace products which prove to be defective. The
warranty period begins on the date of delivery or on the date of installation if installed by Applied Radar.
Product Safety
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation of this device.
Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates
safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of this device. Applied Radar, Inc. assumes
no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
Safety Notices
CAUTION
ACAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage to the product or loss of data. Do
not proceed beyond a CAUTION notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or the
likes that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
Personal Safety Considerations
This is a Safety Class I product (provided with a protective earthing ground incorporated in the power
cord). The mains plug shall only be inserted in a socket outlet provided with a protective earth contact.
Applied Radar, Inc. Revision 2.0.1 ii
AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer User Manual
Any interruption of the protective conductor, inside or outside the product, is likely to make the product
dangerous. Intentional interruption is prohibited. 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 of protection are intact) only.
No operator serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel. To prevent electrical shock,
do not remove covers. For continued protection against fire hazard, replace the line fuse(s) only with
fuses of the same type and rating (for example, normal blow, time delay, etc.). The use of other fuses or
material is prohibited.
General Safety Information
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation of this prod-
uct. Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual or any
manual associated with this product violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use
of the product. Applied Radar, Inc. assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these
requirements.
WARNING
BEFORE APPLYING POWER TO THIS PRODUCT OR MAKING ANY CONNECTIONS TO THIS PROD-
UCT ensure that all instruments are connected to the protective (earth) ground. Any interruption
of the protective earth grounding will cause a potential shock hazard that could result in personal
injury or death.
CAUTION
∙Use this device with the cables provided.
∙Do not attempt to service this device. This device should be returned to Applied Radar,
Inc. for any service or repairs.
∙Do not open the device.
User Environment
This instrument is designed for indoor use only.
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Markings
The following markings may appear on the equipment or in any related documentation.
J
ESD Sensitive
This marking indicates that a device, or part of a device, may be susceptible
to electrostatic discharges (ESD) which can result in damage to the product.
Observed ESD precautions given on the product, or in its user documentation,
when handling equipment bearing this mark.
Part 15
This marking indicates that the device complies with applicable sections of part
15 of the FCC rules.
This marking indicates that the device complies with the Virtual Instrument Soft-
ware Architecture (VISA) specification.
This marking indicates that the device complies with the Standard Commands
for Programmable Instrumentation (SCPI) specification.
This marking indicates that the device complies with the USB Test & Measure-
ment Class (USBTMC) and the USB 488 subclass specifications.
This marking indicates that the device complies with the VME eXtensions for
Instrumentation (VXI) specification.
This marking indicates that the device complies with the LAN eXtensions for
Instrumentation (LXI) specification.
ÎThis marking indicates that the device communicates over the RS232 Serial Bus.
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AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer User Manual
This marking indicates that the device communicates over the Universal Serial
Bus (USB).
This marking indicates that the device communicates over Ethernet.
This marking indicates that the device is USB Low Speed and Full Speed certi-
fied.
This marking indicates that the device is USB On The Go (OTG) Low Speed and
Full Speed certified.
This marking indicates that the device is USB High Speed certified.
This marking indicates that the device is USB On The Go (OTG) High Speed
certified.
This marking indicates that the device communicates over the proprietary Ap-
plied Radar Expansion Bus. This expansion bus allows multiple Applied Radar
products to be connected to a common host board to provide a single connection
to the control computer.
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Revision Control
Revision Description of Changes Date
1.0.0 Initial Creation 08/18/2011
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Contents
Notices .................................................. i
Manual Part Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Edition............................................. i
Trademark Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Warranty............................................ i
Technology Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Restricted Rights Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Safety Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Restricted Rights Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
General Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
ProductSafety .............................................. ii
SafetyNotices ............................................ ii
Personal Safety Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
General Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Markings ............................................... iv
Revision Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
1 Product Overview 2
1. AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. PartNumber ............................................. 3
2 Remote Operation 4
1. Introduction.............................................. 6
1.1 USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 Command Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.1 Mnemonic Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.2 Using a Semicolon(;) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.3 Using Whitespace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.4 Using "?" Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.5 Using "*" Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3 Diagram Syntax Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4 Default Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5 Status Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6 SCPI Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.1 <boolean>Definition................................. 7
1.6.2 <character_data>Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.3 <NAN>Definition................................... 8
1.6.4 <non-decimal numeric>Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.5 <NRf>Definition ................................... 8
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1.6.6 <NR1>Definition................................... 8
1.6.7 <NR2>Definition................................... 8
1.6.8 <NR3>Definition................................... 9
1.6.9 <numeric_value>Definition ............................. 9
1.6.10 <string>Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.7 Input Message Terminators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8 Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8.1 IEEE-488.2 Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8.2 SCPI Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8.3 USBTMC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.8.4 VISA Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3 Command Quick Reference Guide 12
1. Common (*) Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2. FREQuency Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3. POWER Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4. SYSTem Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 FREQuency Subsystem 16
1. FREQuency:LOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2. FREQuency:PLLMode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3. FREQuency:REFerence:DIVider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4. FREQuency:REFerence:EXTernal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. FREQuency:REFerence:FREQuency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6. FREQuency:RETreiveACTual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7. FREQuency:SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5 POWEr Subsystem 25
1. POWEr:RF .............................................. 26
2. POWEr:SET ............................................. 27
6 SYSTem Subsystem 28
1. SYSTem:ERRor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2. SYSTem:FIRMware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3. SYSTem:OPTions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4. SYSTem:SERialNUMber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5. SYSTem:STATus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6. SYSTem:TEMPerature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7. SYSTem:TEMPeratureTHRESHold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
8. SYSTem:OVERTEMPerature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
9. SYSTem:VERSion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
10. SYSTem:SAVESTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
11. SYSTem:LOADSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
12. SYSTem:BOOTSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
13. SYSTem:READSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
7 IEEE 488.2 Command Reference 45
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1. SCPI Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2. *CLS ................................................. 47
3. *ESE <NRf>............................................. 48
4. *ESR? ................................................ 49
5. *IDN?................................................. 50
6. *OPC ................................................. 51
7. *OPT? ................................................ 52
8. *RCL <NRf>............................................. 53
9. *RST ................................................. 54
10. *SAV <NRf>............................................. 55
11. *SRE <NRf>............................................. 56
12.*STB?................................................. 57
13.*TRG ................................................. 59
14.*TST?................................................. 60
15.*WAI ................................................. 61
16. USBTMC/USB488 Universal Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Index 62
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List of Tables
2.2 Default Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.1 Common (*) Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2 FREQuency subsystem Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.3 POWER subsystem Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.4 SYSTem subsystem Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.1 Comparison between Integer and Fractional PLL modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.1 Error Codes and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6.2 Status Codes and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7.1 IEEE 488.2 Common commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
7.2 *ESE bit mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
7.3 *ESR? mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
7.4 *OPC mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
7.5 *SRE bit mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.6 *STB? mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
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1
Product Overview
In This Chapter
1. AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. PartNumber ............................................. 3
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1. AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer Overview
The AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer product line is a low-cost, wideband PLL based line of frequency
synthesizers ideally suited for bench top test and measurement as well as low-cost small form-factor
radar and communications systems. The AR2010 is USB bus powered so it must be connected to a USB
port on the computer or through powered USB hub for operation. The output power of the AR2010 is user
adjustable in power steps dependent on the model number. The AR2010 features an internal reference
for independent operation. The AR2010 may be operated off an an externally applied reference signal
between 10 MHz and 70 MHz through the MMCX connector on the side of the AR2010, allowing the
AR2010 to be synchronized with other test equipment.
The AR2010 includes three indicator LEDs on the side of the case, a blue LED which when lit indicates
that the AR2010 has been enumerated by the computer, the reference selector LED which indicates use
of an external reference when lit and an internal reference when off, and the Lock LED. The Lock LED
indicates the lock status of the AR2010. When green, the AR2010 is locked and when red the AR2010 is
unlocked.
The AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer is available in a black or white housing.
2. Part Number
The part number for the USB Stick Synthesizer is in the format AR2010-XX-YY, where XX is the lower
operating frequency limit in MHz or GHz and YY is the upper operating frequency limit in MHz or GHz.
For example, AR2010-138-4400 identifies the USB Stick Synthesizer as having an operating range of
138 MHz to 4400 MHz and a part number of AR2010-5-10 identifies the USB Stick Synthesizer as having
an operating range of 5 GHz to 10 GHz.
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2
Remote Operation
In This Chapter
1. Introduction.............................................. 6
1.1 USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 Command Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.1 Mnemonic Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.2 Using a Semicolon(;) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.3 Using Whitespace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.4 Using "?" Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.5 Using "*" Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3 Diagram Syntax Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4 DefaultUnits .............................................. 7
1.5 Status Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6 SCPI Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.1 <boolean>Definition ..................................... 7
1.6.2 <character_data>Definition ................................. 8
1.6.3 <NAN>Definition ....................................... 8
1.6.4 <non-decimal numeric>Definition .............................. 8
1.6.5 <NRf>Definition ....................................... 8
1.6.6 <NR1>Definition ....................................... 8
1.6.7 <NR2>Definition ....................................... 8
1.6.8 <NR3>Definition ....................................... 9
1.6.9 <numeric_value>Definition.................................. 9
1.6.10 <string>Definition....................................... 9
1.7 Input Message Terminators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8 Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8.1 IEEE-488.2 Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.8.2 SCPI Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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1.8.3 USBTMC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.8.4 VISA Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The following markings apply to the AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer family of products.
J
ESD Sensitive
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1. Introduction
1.1 USB Configuration
The Applied Radar AR2010 USB Stick Synthesizer has been designed to configure as a USB Test and
Measurement Class (USBTMC) device. No additional drivers are required.
The AR2010 has been designed to be Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA) and Standard
Commands for Programmable Instrumentation (SCPI) compliant and as such, all you need in order to
communicate with the USB Stick Synthesizer is a VISA library installed on your machine. The AR2010
will work with any of the three major providers of VISA; National Instruments, Agilent, and Tektronics. If
you do not have a VISA library installed, please visit one of the three vendors listed above to obtain a
legal copy of the VISA library.
1.2 Command Syntax
In this manual, the following command syntax conventions are used:
∙Square brackets ([ ]) indicate multiple keywords, one of which must be used
∙Bars(|) can be read as "or" and are used to separate parameter options.
1.2.1 Mnemonic Forms
Each keyword has both a long and short form. A standard notation is used to differentiate the short form
and long form keyword. The long form of the keyword is shown, with the short form of the keyword shown
in uppercase letters and the rest of the keyword is shown in lowercase letters. For example, the short
form of FREQuency is FREQ.
1.2.2 Using a Semicolon(;)
Use a semicolon to separate two commands within the same command string.
1.2.3 Using Whitespace
You must use whitespace characters, [tab], or [space] to separate a parameter from a keyword.
1.2.4 Using "?" Commands
The bus controller may send commands at any time, but a SCPI instrument may only send a response
when specifically instructed to do so. Only commands that end with a "?", henceforth referred to as
queries, instruct the instrument to send a response message. Queries can return either measured val-
ues, instrument settings, or internal status codes.
Note: If you send multiple queries without reading the response between queries, only the result of the
last query will be returned when the response is read. The query buffer is a first-in first-out configuration.
1.2.5 Using "*" Commands
Commands starting with a "*" are called common commands. They are required to perform identical
functions for all instruments that are compliant with the IEEE-488.2 interface standard. The "*" commands
are used to control reset, self-test, and status operations in the USB Stick Synthesizer.
1.3 Diagram Syntax Conventions
∙Solid lines represent the recommended path
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∙Ovals enclose command mnemonics. The command mnemonic must be entered exactly as shown
in the oval.
∙Dotted lines indicate an optional path for passing secondary or optional keywords.
∙Arrows and curved intersections indicate command path direction.
∙All diagrams flow from left to right. A path may not travel to the left except in a bypass loop.
1.4 Default Units
Unless otherwise specified, the following units are assumed:
Table 2.2: Default Units
Current mA
Frequency GHz
Power dBm
Time ms
Temperature °C
Voltage Volts
1.5 Status Reporting
Status reporting is used to monitor the USB Stick Synthesizer to determine which events have occurred.
Status reporting in accomplished by configuring and reading status registers.
The USB Stick Synthesizer has the following main registers:
∙Status Register
∙Standard Event Register
∙Operation Status Register
∙Questionable Status Register
∙Device Status Register
Status and Standard Event registers are read using the IEEE-488.2 common commands.
Operation and Questionable Status registers are read using the SCPI STAT subsystem.
1.6 SCPI Data Types
The SCPI language defines different formats for use in program messages and response messages.
Instruments are flexible listeners and can accept commands and parameters in various formats. However,
SCPI instruments are precise talkers. This means that SCPI instruments always responds to a particular
query in a predefined, rigid format.
1.6.1 <boolean>Definition
Throughout this document <boolean>is used to represent ON|OFF|<NRf>. Boolean parameters have
a value of 0or 1and are unitless. ON corresponds to 1and OFF corresponds to 0.
On input, an <NRf>is rounded to an integer. A nonzero result is interpreted as 1.
Queries always return a 1or a 0, never ON or OFF.
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1.6.2 <character_data>Definition
Throughout this document, <character_data>is used to represent character data, that is, A-Z, a-z, 0-
9 and _ (underscore). STOP and A4_U2 are examples of character data. The first character must
be alphanumeric, followed by either alphanumeric or underscore characters up to a maximum of 12
characters.
1.6.3 <NAN>Definition
Not a number (NAN) is represented as 9.91 E37. Not a number is defined in IEEE 754.
1.6.4 <non-decimal numeric>Definition
Throughout this document, <non-decimal numeric>is used to represent numeric information in bases
other than 10 (that is, hexadecimal, octal, and binary). Examples of non-decimal numeric include #HFF4,
#hff4, #Q25, #q25, and #B101011.
1.6.5 <NRf>Definition
Throughout this document, <NRf>is used to denote a flexible numeric representation. The following
show examples of <NRf>
∙+185
∙-10
∙+1.2E09
1.6.6 <NR1>Definition
Throughout this document, <NR1>numeric response data is defined as:
+
Digit
-
The following shows the examples of <NR1>:
∙127
∙+127
∙-12345
1.6.7 <NR2>Definition
Throughout this document, <NR2>numeric response data is defined as:
+
Digit . Digit
-
The following shows the examples of <NR2>:
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∙12.7
∙+127
∙-1.2345
∙-0.123
1.6.8 <NR3>Definition
Throughout this document, <NR3>numeric response data is defined as:
+
Digit ∙Digit
-
+
E Digit
-
The following shows the examples of <NR3>:
∙1.23E+4
∙12.3E-45
1.6.9 <numeric_value>Definition
Throughout this document, the decimal numeric element is abbreviated to <numeric_value>.
1.6.10 <string>Definition
Throughout this document, <string>is used to represent the 7-bit ASCII characters. The format is de-
fined as:
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