Dream Catcher ME1310 User manual

ME1310 Antenna and Propagation (3D)
courseware Ready-to-Teach Package for Antenna and Propagation
Quick Start Guide
revision 1.10
updated on the 9th August 2023

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NOTE:
This product has been tested and found to conform to the following EMC standards.
The limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a laboratory installation.
EMC:
Standard
Limit
CISPR11:1990/EN55011:1991
Group 1, Class A
Safety:
IEC61010-1:1990+A1
This product complies with the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC and EMC Directive
89/336/EEC requirements and carries the CE-marking.
CAUTION –ESD!
THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS SENSITIVE TO
ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE.
An electrostatic discharge generated by a person or an object in contact with the
electrical components may damage or destroy the product. To avoid the risk of
electrostatic discharge, please observe the handling precautions and
recommendations in the EN100015-1 standard. Do not connect or disconnect the
device while it is being energized.
WARNING:
CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED BY THE PARTY
RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE EMC RULES COULD VOID THE
USER'S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE PRODUCT.

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Table of contents
ME1310 Antenna and Propagation (3D) courseware.............................................................................1
DreamCatcher Courseware Customer Login Guide...............................................................................5
1. Software Installation Guide.........................................................................................................7
2. Setup and Verification with ME1310 Training Kit........................................................................8
2.1. Setup ME1310 COM Port Connection....................................................................................8
2.1.1. Setting Up the Device Connections.......................................................................................8
2.1.2. Setting Up COM Port number on PC.....................................................................................9
2.1.3. Verification and Test................................................................................................................11
2.2 Setup and Verification with Network Analyzer ............................................................................14
2.2.1 Setup on Network Analyzer ..................................................................................................14
2.2.2a Configuring the Network Analyzer (Keysight FieldFox RF Analyzer).................................15
2.2.2b. Configuring VNA (E5062A/E5061B ENA Network Analyzer)............................................17
2.2.3 Configuring PC......................................................................................................................18
2.2.3a TCP Network Setup............................................................................................................20
2.2.3b USB Device Setup..............................................................................................................27
2.2.4 Configuring the RadPat Software .........................................................................................28
2.3. Quick Test the Setup..................................................................................................................33
2.3.1 Adding Marker to Plot .........................................................................................................38
2.3.2 Save the Plotted Data ..................................................................................................39
3. Setup and Verification with Signal Generator...................................................................................41
3.1 The following steps demonstrate the setup of the ME1310 training kit together with an RF signal
generator: ..........................................................................................................................................41
3.2 The following section demonstrates the verification procedure of the ME1310 test setup.........45
3.3 RF Detector Testing ....................................................................................................................49
3.4 Adding Marker to Plot..................................................................................................................53
3.5 Save the Plotted Data ...........................................................................................................54
4. Support and Warranty...............................................................................................................56
4.1. Terms and Conditions...........................................................................................................56
4.2. Product Warranty ..................................................................................................................56
Appendix A: RadPat v4 Software Menu ...............................................................................................57
Appendix B: Technical Specifications...................................................................................................60
Appendix C: Tips on How to Calibrate the Keysight N9912A FieldFox RF Analyzer...........................61
S11 Calibration..................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
S21 Calibration..................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix D: Tips on How to Calibrate the RF Detector (If a Signal Generator is Used as Source)....63
Appendix E: Tips on How to Import the Plotted Data into Microsoft Excel®.........................................66

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Appendix F: Introduction to Antenna ....................................................................................................68
Antenna Type and Polarization .........................................................................................................68
Monopole Antenna 915 MHz.........................................................................................................68
Dipole Antenna 915 MHz...............................................................................................................68
Dipole Antenna 2400 MHz.............................................................................................................69
Microstrip Patch Antenna 2400 MHz .............................................................................................69
Dual Band Patch Antenna 915 MHz 2400 MHz ............................................................................70
Yagi Antenna 2400 MHz................................................................................................................70
Spiral Antenna 915 MHz................................................................................................................71
Appendix G: RadPat Installer Variants .................................................................................................72
RadPat v4.XXa –serial communication running at baud rate 57600 ...............................................72
RadPat v4.XXb–serial communication running at baud rate 38400 ................................................72
Appendix H: How to Create an SCPI Command File ...........................................................................73
Full Descriptions of Keysight FieldFox SCPI command:...................................................................78
Appendix I: Adjust the 2nd Axis Knob Fitting.........................................................................................79
Appendix J: Configuring/Re-Installing NI-VISA ....................................................................................80
Revision History....................................................................................................................................83
Contact Us ............................................................................................................................................84

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DreamCatcher Courseware Customer Login Guide
1. Go to the DreamCatcher Courseware website at http://dreamcatcher.asia/cw/
2. Click the Product Registration / Download link at the bottom left corner of the page.
3. If you are a new customer, go to step 5. If you are a returning customer, proceed to step 4.
4. If you are a returning customer, click Continue under the LOGIN section to log in.
NOTE: If you have created your DreamCatcher account before the 1st of September 2017,
you will receive an e-mail request to reset your password. If you do not receive the password
reset e-mail within a few minutes of logging in, please check your Junk E-mail folder just in
case the password reset e-mail got delivered there instead of your inbox. Follow the
password reset e-mail instructions to reset your password and continue logging in.
Go to step 6 to complete the logging-in procedure.
5. If you are a new customer, click Continue under the CREATE ACCOUNT section to create a
new account.
Fill in the New Account form and click SIGN UP to submit your registration.
6. After successfully logging in, your DASHBOARD page appears.

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1. EDIT PROFILE
Update your user profile.
2. REGISTER NEW PRODUCT
Register a new product with the given product key.
NOTE: Contact your local sales representative if you need further assistance.
3. PRODUCT DOWNLOADS
Download the registered product's contents and materials.
NOTE: Product downloads are made available only for registered products. Click
REGISTER NEW PRODUCT to register your product first.
4. WARRANTY INFORMATION
View your product's warranty expiry date.

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1.Software Installation Guide
Step 1: Installing the MATLAB Runtime R2016a
Download the R2016a version of MATLAB runtime from this link:
https://ww2.mathworks.cn/en/products/compiler/matlab-runtime.html
If your computer is 64-bit, download the 64-bit version. Then, execute the downloaded installer
and follow the instructions to proceed with the installation.
Step 2: Installing the RadPat v4 Software
Extract the RadPat.zip file downloaded from the DreamCatcher website, then navigate to the
extracted folder and launch setup.exe to begin the installation of the RadPat v4 software. Follow
the instructions on the screen to proceed with the installation.
NOTE
1. Run "setup.exe" as administrator to install RadPat.
2. Please check if Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) and Microsoft Visual
C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86) are available on your PC; if not, please install Microsoft Visual
C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) and Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86).

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2.Setup and Verification with ME1310 Training Kit
2.1.Setup ME1310 COM Port Connection
2.1.1. Setting Up the Device Connections
IMPORTANT
•Excessive power levels from instruments can damage the training kit. Please adhere
strictly to the power levels recommended in the instructions.
•Turn off the training kit when not in use.
1. Connect the type
B connector end
of the USB cable
to the receiver
module and the
type A connector
end to the PC.
2. Supply a 5V input
voltage to the
receiver module
to power it up
using a 5V power
adapter.
1
5V Power
Adapter
2

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2.1.2. Setting Up COM Port number on PC
1. Right-click My Computer and select Properties (or System in the Control Panel).
2. For Windows XP, select the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. For Windows Vista/7,
select the Device Manager in the Tasks Panel on the left column of the window. For Windows
10, click on the search icon on the taskbar, enter Device Manager, and then click on it.
3. Proceed to Step 7 if the FT232R USB UART Driver is installed on the PC. If the UART driver is
not installed on the PC, a Found New Hardware message for FT232R USB UART will appear.
NOTE
Click the following link to download the FT232R USB UART Driver and extract it into the
folder for later use:
32-bit version:https://www.usb-drivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CDM-
v2.12.36.4-WHQL-Certified-1.zip
64-bit version: https://www.usb-drivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CDM-
v2.12.36.4-WHQL-Certified.zip
4. Right-click FT232R USB UART under Device Manager and click Update Driver. Select Install
from a list or specific location (Advanced) in the Found New Hardware Wizard and click
Next.
5. Select Browse my computer for drivers and browse to
C:\Users\<Username>\Downloads\CDM-v2.12.36.4-WHQL-Certified folder. Once the file path
has been entered in the box, click Next to proceed.
6. Windows should display a message indicating the installation was successful. Click Finish to
complete the installation for the first port of the device.
7. Under Ports (COM & LPT), right-click USB Serial Port (this will only appear if the FT232R USB
UART Driver is successfully installed) and select Properties as shown below.

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8. Select the Port Settings tab and click Advanced… as shown below.
9. Select the desired COM Port Number as shown in the figure below (in this example, the COM7
port is selected).

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2.1.3. Verification and Test
1. Open the RadPat software. The main interface appears as shown below.
Figure –RadPat v4 Main Interface
2. Click the button on the menu panel. The System Configuration dialog box should appear in
the figure below.
Figure –System Configuration Dialog Box

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3. Click Connect to establish a connection to the training kit. Please check the connection
between the ME1310 RX unit and PC if the COM Port number does not appear.
NOTE: If the COM port number does not appear and it fails to make the connection, do
the following:
a. Ensure the correct version of the RadPat was installed
Starting from RadPat v4.20 onwards, there are two variants of the software. RadPat
v4.xxaand v4.xxb. Please refer to Appendix G for more details.
b. If you did not run the RadPat installer as administrator, uninstall RadPat and re-run
the "setup.exe" as administrator.
c. If the problem persists, refer to Appendix J to verify the installed NI-VISA.
4. Enable "Use Built-In RF Detector," then click Save & Exit after configuring all instrument
settings. This will bring the rotator back to its home position and configure the Keysight
FieldFox/VNA settings.
Figure –System Configuration Box

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5. Click the 2D Radiation Pattern button to enable the Rotator Control panel. The Rotator
Control panel lets you change the measurement parameters in the figure below.
6. Set the desired Step Size value to 10 Deg/Step; you could select minimum and maximum
values as 1 degree and 30 degrees, respectively.
7. Click on the menu panel to let ME1310 perform Homing Rotation and run 360-degree rotation
with 10Deg/Step. After 360-degree rotation, the ME1310 RX Unit will perform another
Homing Rotation to return to its original position. This will verify the ME1310 COM Port and
Motor Rotator Unit inside the ME1310 Training Kit.

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2.2 Setup and Verification with Network Analyzer
NOTE
1. This setup procedure applies to setting up Keysight FieldFox and Vector Network
Analyzer (VNA) with LAN interfaces.
2. For USB instrument setup, go to Section 2.2.3b USB Device Setup..
3. If an RF signal generator is used with an ME1310 built-in RF detector, go to Section 3,
Quick Setup and Verification with Signal Generator.
2.2.1 Setup of Network Analyzer
IMPORTANT
●Excessive power levels from instruments can damage the training kit. Please adhere
strictly to the power levels recommended in the instructions.
●Turn off the training kit when not in use.
1. Continue the setup from
Section 2.1.
2. Connect the RF IN
connector of the
transmitter module (TX) to
the RF OUT connector of
Keysight FieldFox/VNA
with a coaxial cable.
Connect the RF OUT
connector on the receiver
module (RX) to the RF IN
connector of the Keysight
FieldFox/VNA using a
coaxial cable.
3. Connect the Keysight
FieldFox/VNA to the PC
with a LAN(RJ-45) or USB
(if applicable) cable.
P1 P2
Vector
Netwotk
Analyzer

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Mounting the antennas:
4. Connect the S Connect the
SMA(m) to the SMA(m)
straight connector on the
top connector of the fixed
antenna holder on the
transmitter module (TX).
Connect the SMA(m) to the
SMA(f) right-angle connector
on the top connector of the
fixed antenna holder on the
receiver module (RX).
Then, mount the 915 MHz
dipole antennas at the top
of the transmitter and
receiver modules. By
default, the dipole
antennas will be used for
testing.
5. You can orientate the two
antennas in different
directions, but ensure they
are the same height.
6. The distance between both
antennas must be at least
0.5 m to achieve the
measurements in the far-
field region.
7. Turn on the Keysight
FieldFox/VNA
2.2.2a Configuring the Network Analyzer (Keysight FieldFox RF Analyzer)
NOTE
Please refer to Section 2.2.2b if you use VNA (e.g., model: E5062A/E5061B ENA Network
Analyzer) for setup and verification.
1. Power on the Keysight FieldFox and wait for system loading to complete.

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2. On the Keysight FieldFox front panel, press Meas Setup (button #4); select HIGH for the
Output Power by pressing the corresponding softkey.
3. Press System (button #7) on the front panel, then press the corresponding softkey to select
System Configuration > LAN.
4. Select Obtain IP using the knob and press the corresponding softkey Edit, followed by
Obtain IP Static DHCP. Select Static and press the Done Edit softkey.
5. Select Static IP Address and press the corresponding soft key Edit. Set the IP address of
the Keysight Fieldfox (192.168.0.1 by default). Press the Done softkey to complete this step.
6. Select Static Subnet Mask using the knob and press the corresponding soft key Edit. Set
the static subnet mask value of the Keysight Fieldfox (255.255.248.0 by default). Press the
Done softkey to complete this step.
7. Select Apply Settings using the knob and press the corresponding softkey Edit followed by
Apply Settings Now PowerUp. Select PowerUp and press the Done Edit softkey. The
configuration for Keysight FieldFox is shown below.
Setting
Value
Current IP Address
192.168.0.1
Current Subnet Mask
255.255.248.0
Current Gateway
0.0.0.0
Hostname
A-N9912A-00000
Obtain IP
Static
Static IP
192.168.0.1
Static Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
Static Gateway
0.0.0.0
Apply Settings
PowerUp
NOTE
The IP address is variable. If you cannot configure the IP address of your Keysight FieldFox to
192.168.0.1, you may configure it to another value, such as 192.168.0.7. Do not use
192.168.0.2 as your IP address, as it will be used for your PC LAN configuration.
8. Press the Done soft key to exit.
9. Restart the Keysight Fieldfox. After restarting, return to the LAN settings and confirm that the
Current IP Address and Subnet Mask match what you defined earlier.

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2.2.2b. Configuring VNA (E5062A/E5061B ENA Network Analyzer)
1. Power on the VNA and wait for system loading to complete.
2. On the E5062A/E5061B front panel, press Sweep Setup; select Power on the VNA display
and adjust the power level to +5 dBm.
3. Press System on the front panel, then click the corresponding softkey to select Misc Setup >
Network Setup > Network Configuration.
4. A Network and Dial-up Connections window will appear. Right-click the Local Area
Connection icon and select Properties.
5. Double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and enter the IP address and Subnet Mask as
shown below:
Figure - E5062A/E5061B Local Area Connection Internet Protocol Configuration
NOTE
The IP address is variable. If you cannot configure the IP address of your VNA to 192.168.0.1,
you may configure it to another value, such as 192.168.0.7. Do not use 192.168.0.2 as your IP
address, as it will be used for your PC LAN configuration.
6. Click OK to exit.

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2.2.3 Configuring PC
NOTE
⚫If you are connecting the Network Analyzer using RJ45(LAN) cable, please start from
section 2.2.3a Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Configuration
⚫If you connect the Network Analyzer using a USB cable, skip this section and proceed to
section 2.2.4, Configuring the RadPat Software.
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Configuration
1. For Windows XP, select Network Connections in the Control Panel. For Windows Vista/7,
select Network and Sharing Center, then Manage network connections in Windows Vista
or Change adapter settings in Windows 7/10.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection or Ethernet in Windows 7/10 and select Properties.
3. Go to the Networking tab, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then click
Properties as shown below.

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4. Select the Use the following IP address option and enter the values for the IP address and
subnet mask as shown below. (By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.2 while the subnet
mask is 255.255.255.0). It ensures the PC has the same network as the Keysight
FieldFox/VNA.

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2.2.3a TCP Network Setup
On your PC Search Bar, type "NI MAX" and open it.