Giga-tronics 8502A Operating manual

Manual Part Number: 20790
RevisionLevel: C
Configuration Code: 27
Print Date: November 1998
Operation & Maintenance Manual
Series 8500A
Peak Power Meters
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Certified Product
ISO 9001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Certified Process
Registra: BSI, Certification No. FM 34226, Registered 04 June 1996
Giga-tronics Incorporated ❖4650 Norris Canyon Road ❖San Ramon, California 94583
Telephone [phone] or [phone] ❖Telefax [phone]
Customer Service: Telephone [phone] ❖Telefax [phone]
Web Site: www.gigatronics.com

All technical data and specifications is this manual are subject to change without prior notice and
do not represent a commitment on the part of Giga-tronics Incorporated.
©Copyright Giga-tronics Incorporated 1998. All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.
WARRANTY
Giga-tronics Series 8500A instruments are warranted against defective
materials and workmanship for one year from date of shipment.
Giga-tronics will at its option repair or replace products that are proven
defective during the warranty period. This warranty DOES NOT cover
damage resulting from improper use, nor workmanship other than
Giga-tronics service. There is no implied warranty of fitness for a
particular purpose, nor is Giga-tronics liable for any consequential
damages. Specification and price change privileges are reserved by
Giga-tronics.
Model Numbers
The Series 8500A includes two models: The single-channel Model 8501A and the dual-channel
Model 8502A. Apart from the number of sensors they support, the two models are identical. Both
models are referred to in this manual by the general term 8500A, except where it is necessary to
make a distinction between the models.

Table of Contents
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Record of Manual Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Special Configurations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
1 •Introduction_______________________________________________________
1.1 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
1.1.1 Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.2 Items Furnished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.3 Items Required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.4 Tools and Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.5 Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.6 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.7 Receiving Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.1.8 Returning an Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
1.2 System Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.3 Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
2 •Operation _________________________________________________________
2.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.2.1 PCB-Oriented Voltage Selector and Fuse Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.2.2 VDE Type Voltage and Fuse Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3 Rear Panel Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4 Front Panel Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
2.5 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
2.5.1 Power On Self-Test (POST) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
2.5.2 Warm Up Time and Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
2.6 Mode Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
2.6.1 CW Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
2.6.2 Peak Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
2.6.3 Graph Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
2.7 Self-Calibration and Auto-Zeroing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
2.7.1 Self-Calibration Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
2.7.2 Self-Calibration Failures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
2.7.3 Auto-Zero Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
2.8 Measurement Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
2.8.1 Frequency Correction, Cal Factor, and dB Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
2.8.2 PROM Frequency Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
2.8.3 User-Supplied Cal Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
2.8.4 CW Power Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
2.8.5 Peak Power Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
2.8.6 Peak Power Measurements Using the Graph Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
2.8.7 Pulse, Cursor, and Marker Readouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
2.8.8 Cursor Sub-Mode Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
2.8.9 Pulse Parameters Sub-Mode Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 i

2.8.10 Marker Sub-Mode Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
2.9 Digital Plotting of Graphic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
2.9.1 Plotters Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
2.9.2 Procedure for Making Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
2.10 Dual Channel Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
2.10.1 CW, CW Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
2.10.2 Peak, Peak Measurements: Method 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
2.10.3 Peak, Peak Measurements: Method 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
2.10.4 Peak, CW Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
2.10.5 Power Ratio Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
2.11 High Power Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
2.11.1 Power Warning - Max/Min Power Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
2.12 High Power Measurement Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
2.12.1 High Power Relative Measurements (8502A only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
2.13 Special Capabilities of the PPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.13.1 Reference Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.13.2 Single Pulse Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.13.3 Single Pulse Measurement Using Internal Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
2.13.4 Single Pulse Measurement With an External Trigger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
2.14 Swept Peak Power Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
2.15 Self-Testing the 8500A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-44
2.16 Frequency Display Disable/Enable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
2.17 Non-Volatile Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
2.17.1 Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
2.18 1018B Peak Power Meter Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
2.18.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
2.18.2 Initiating the 1018B Emulation Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
3 •Remote Operation __________________________________________________
3.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.2 Remote Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.1 PPM IEEE Bus Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.2 Front Panel Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
3.2.3 Power-On Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
3.2.4 Remote and Local Lockout Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2.5 Output Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2.6 Command String Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
3.2.7 Power Measurement Data Output Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
3.3 GPIB Command Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
3.3.1 Common Mode Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
3.3.2 Measurement Data Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
3.3.3 Mode Selection and Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
3.3.4 Commands for Retrieving Data From the PPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
3.3.5 Graph Mode GPIB Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
3.3.6 Marker Timing Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
3.3.7 Manual Marker Placement/Timing Measurement Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
3.3.8 Window and Cursor Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
3.3.9 Commands to Output Graphic Data to a Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
3.3.10 Plotting Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
3.3.11 Programming Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
3.4 Service Requests and Serial Poll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
3.4.1 Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
3.5 1018B Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
ii Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

3.6 Status Code Decimal Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
3.7 Summary of Bus Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
3.7.1 Normal PPM Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
3.7.2 PPM Stand Alone Plot Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
3.8 GPIB Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
3.9 1018B Emulation Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
3.10 Data Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
4 •Theory of Operation________________________________________________
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.2 System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.2.1 Power Supply PC Assembly (A2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.2.2 GPIB/CAL Control PC board (A3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
4.2.3 CPU PC Assembly (A4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
4.2.4 Digital Delay PC Assembly (A5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.2.5 Analog PC Assembly (A6/A7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
4.2.6 Front Panel Interface PC Assembly (A8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
4.2.7 Calibrator PC Assembly (A12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
5 •Testing and Calibration_____________________________________________
5.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
5.2 Performance Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
5.2.1 Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
5.2.2 Calibrator Return Loss Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
5.2.3 Calibrator Output Level Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
5.2.4 Instrument Plus Power Detector Linearity Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
5.2.5 Power Linearity Test Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
5.2.6 Delay Accuracy Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
5.2.7 Analog Output Accuracy Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
5.2.8 Voltage Proportional to Frequency Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
5.2.9 Detector Return Loss Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
5.2.10 Plotter Output/IEEE-488 Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
5.3 Calibration Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
5.3.1 Calibration Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
5.3.2 Preset Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
5.3.3 A2 Regulator Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
5.3.4 Initialization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
5.3.5 A8 Front Panel Interface Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
5.3.6 A6/A7 Analog Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
5.3.7 A3 GPIB/CAL Control Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
5.3.8 A4 CPU Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
5.3.9 A5 Digital Delay Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
5.3.10 External Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
5.3.11 Volume Adjust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Preface
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 iii

6 •Maintenance_______________________________________________________
6.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
6.2 Periodic Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
6.2.1 Required Test Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
6.3 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
6.3.1 Equipment Required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
6.3.2 Power-On Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
7 •Parts Lists ________________________________________________________
7.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
7.2 Parts Lists for Series 8500A Peak Power Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
8501A PEAK POWER METER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
8502A DUAL INPUT PEAK POWER METER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
20512-A00 8501A CHASSIS ASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
20513-A00 8502A CHASSIS ASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
21145 FRONT SUB PANEL ASSY 8501A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
21147 FRONT SUB PANEL ASSY 8502A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
21146 REAR PANEL ASSY 8501A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
21148 REAR PANEL ASSY 8502A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
20879 EL DISPLAY MODULE ASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
20879-A00 EL DISPLAY MODULE SUB ASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
16869 DELAY LINE ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
16932-001 INTERCONNECT PCB ASSY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
16932-A01 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE,INTERCONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
16995 PCB ASSY, POWER SUPPLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
16995-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE, PWR SUPPLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
21014 PCB ASSY GPIB/CAL CONTROL 8500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
21014-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE,GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
16878 PCB ASSY., CPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
16878-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE, CPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
16685 P.C. ASSY, DIGITAL DELAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
16685-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE, DIG. DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
20741 ANALOG PCB ASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
20741-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE, ANALOG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
20195 PCB ASSY, FR PNL INTERFACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
20195-A00 PCB ASSY PRE-WAVE,FRT PNL INT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
20526-001 PC BOARD ASSY, FRONT PANEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
20055-001 ASSY, 1GHZ CALIBRATOR TYPE N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
20055-A01 CALIBRATOR SUB ASSY, TYPE N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
7.3 List of Manufacturers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
8 •Diagrams__________________________________________________________
8.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
8.2 Applicability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Model 8501A/8502A Peak Power Meter, DWG# 20522. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Interconnect PC Assy (A1), DWG# 16932-001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Interconnect Circuit Schematic (A1), DWG# 21088 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Power Supply PC Assy (A2), DWG# 16995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Power Supply Circuit Schematic (A2), DWG# 16996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
GPIB/Cal Control PC Assy (A3), DWG# 21014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
GPIB/Cal Control Circuit Schematic (A3), DWG# 21015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
CPU PC Assy (A4), DWG# 16878 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15
Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
iv Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

CPU Circuit Schematic (A4), DWG# 16879. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Digital Delay PC Assy (A5), DWG# 16685 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18
Digital Delay Circuit Schematic (A5), DWG# 16686 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Analog PC Assy (A6/A7), DWG# 20741 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-22
Analog Circuit Schematic (A6/A7), DWG# 20742 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-23
Front Panel Interface PC Assy (A8), DWG# 20195. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-26
Front Panel Interface Circuit Schematic (A8), DWG# 20196 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-27
Front Panel Interface PC Assy (A9), DWG# 20526-001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
Front Panel Interface Circuit Schematic (A9), DWG# 20527 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-31
1 GHz Calibrator Assy, DWG# 20055-001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32
1GHz Calibrator Schematic (A12), DWG# 17097 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
A •Summary of Commands____________________________________________
A.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
A.2 Commands Applicable to All Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
A.3 CW Mode Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
A.4 Peak Mode Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
A.5 Graph Mode Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
A.5.1 Change Between Cursor, Marker, and Pulse Sub-Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
A.5.2 Cursor Sub-Mode Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
A.5.3 Pulse Sub-Mode Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
A.5.4 Marker Sub-Mode Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
A.6 Dual Channel Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
A.6.1 CW Mode Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
A.6.2 Peak Mode Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
A.6.3 Other Dual Channel Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
A.6.4 IEEE & 1018B Emulation Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
B •Menu and Memory Keys ____________________________________________
B.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
B.2 MENU Key Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
B.2.1 Normal 8500A Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
B.2.2 1018B Emulation Mode Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
B.3 MEMory Key Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
C •Display Formats___________________________________________________
C.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
C.2 Data Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
D •RF Detectors______________________________________________________
D.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
D.2 Detector Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2
D.3 Electrical Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4
D.3.1 Preamplifier PC Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4
D.3.2 PROM PC Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6
D.4 Detector Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7
D.5 Detector Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7
D.5.1 Disassembly of Detectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8
D.5.2 Replacement of Detector Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8
D.5.3 Reassembly of Detectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-9
Preface
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 v

E •Options___________________________________________________________
E.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
E.2 Option 01: Rack Mount Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
E.3 Option 03: Rear Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2
1 •Index _____________________________________________________________
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Index-1
Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
vi Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Power Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Figure 2-2 PCB Voltage Selector and Fuse Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Figure 2-3 VDE Voltage Selector and Fuse Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 2-4 Model 8502A Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Figure 2-5 Model 8502A Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Figure 2-6 Typical Single Channel Peak Power Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Figure 2-7 Typical Initial Graph Mode Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Figure 2-8 Typical Cursor Sub-Mode Digital Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Figure 2-9 Typical Pulse Sub-Mode Digital Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Figure 2-10 Typical Marker Sub-Mode Digital Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Figure 2-11 Typical Signal Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Figure 2-12 Typical Peak Power Ratio Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
Figure 2-13 Typical Good & Bad Cursor Delay Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Figure 2-14 Detector to a High-Power Coupler Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Figure 2-15 Detector to High Power Attenuator Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Figure 2-16 Typical Pulse with -10 dBm Trigger Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Figure 2-17 Typical Pulsed Swept Measurement System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Figure 4-1 Series 8500A System Block Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Figure 4-2 GPIB/Cal Control (A3) Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Figure 4-3 Voltage to Current Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Figure 4-4 CPU (A4) Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Figure 4-5 Digital Delay (A5) Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Figure 4-6 Timing Diagram - Delay Board Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Figure 4-7 Analog PC (A6/A7) Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Figure 4-8 Front Panel Interface (A8) Block Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Figure 4-9 Detector Calibrator (A12) Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Figure 5-1 Power Linearity Test Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Figure 5-2 Delay Accuracy Test Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Figure 5-3 Model 8501A/8502A Calibration Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Figure 5-4 Typical PPM Digital Delay Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Figure 5-5 Typical PPM Display with A5R30 at Max cw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Figure 5-6 Typical PPM Display w/Smooth Rise Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Figure 5-7 Typical PPM Sync Output Scope Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Figure D-1 Op-Amp Equivalent of Pre-Amp Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4
Figure D-2 Pre-Amplifier/Line Driver Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5
Figure D-3 PROM PC Assembly Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6
Figure D-4 Detector Disassembly and Assembly Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-10
Preface
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 vii

List of Tables _________________________________________________________
Table 2-1 Self-Test Error Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-44
Table 3-1 Status Code Values and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Table 3-2 Summary of Bus Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Table 3-3 GPIB Commands Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Table 3-4 1018B Emulation Commands Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Table 4-1 A2 Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Table 4-2 A3 Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Table 4-3 A4 Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Table 4-4 A5 Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Table 4-5 A6/A7 Analog Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23
Table 4-6 A8 Interface Assembly Test Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Table 5-1 Required Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Table 5-2 Required Calibration Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Table 5-3 Multiples of 25.6 ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Table 6-1 Required Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Table 8-1 Series 8500A Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
viii Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

About This Manual
This manual contains the following chapters and appendices to describe the operation and
maintenance of Series 8500A Peak Power Meters:
Preface: In addition to a comprehensive Table of Contents and general information about the
manual, the Preface also contains a record of changes made to the manual since its publication, and
a description of Special Configurations. If you have ordered a user-specific manual, please refer to
page xv for a description of the special configuration.
Chapter 1: Introduction: This is an introduction to the instrument and performance parameters.
Chapter 2: Operation: This is a guide to the instrument front panel keys, display and
configuration menus.
Chapter 3: Remote Operation: This is a guide to the GPIB remote control interface.
Chapter 4: Theory of Operation: This chapter a block diagram level description of the instrument
and its circuits for maintenance and applications.
Chapter 5: Calibration and Testing: procedures for inspection, calibration, and performance
testing are outlined in this chapter.
Chapter 6: Maintenance: This chapter contains procedures for maintenance and troubleshooting.
Chapter 7: Parts Lists: This chapter lists all components and parts and their sources.
Chapter 8: Diagrams: This chapter contains schematics and parts placement diagrams for all
circuits.
Appendix A: Summary of Commands: A summary of the commands used to operate the Series
8500A front the front panel.
Appendix B: Menu and Memory Keys: A summary of the menus and functions that can be
accessed with the MENU and MEMory keys.
Appendix C: Data Display Formats: A summary of the data display formats with the
corresponding mode and detector selection switches.
Appendix D: RF Detectors: Selection data for power detectors, specifications, and calibration
procedures.
Appendix E: Options: This appendix will be included only when necessary to describe options
that are available for the Series 8500A power meters.
Changes that occur after publication of the manual, and special configuration data will be inserted
as loose pages in the manual binder. Please insert and/or replace the indicated pages as detailed in
the Technical Publication Change Instructions included with new and replacement pages.
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 ix

Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
xManual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

Conventions
The following conventions are used in this product manual. Additional conventions not included
here will be defined at the time of usage.
Warning
WARNING
The WARNING statement is enclosed in double lines and centered in
the page. This calls attention to a situation, or an operating or
maintenance procedure, or practice, which if not strictly corrected or
observed, could result in injury or death of personnel. An example is
the proximity of high voltage.
Caution
CAUTION
The CAUTION statement is enclosed within a single heavy line and
centered in the page. This calls attention to a situation, or an operating
or maintenance procedure, or practice, which if not strictly corrected
or observed, could result in temporary or permanent damage to the
equipment, or loss of effectiveness.
Notes
☛NOTE: A NOTE highlights or amplifies an essential operating or
maintenance procedure, practice, condition or statement.
Keys
Front panel keys intended to be pressed are contained within brackets, such as [MENU], which
means to press the MENU key. The Menu and Memory keys may be followed by a number in
parenthesis. This means to press the key that number of times to reach a specific level.
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 xi

Symbols
Block diagram symbols frequently used in the manual are illustrated below.
DIV
N
Frequency
Divider
Pulse
Modulator
MOD
Course
Fine
YIG-Tuned
Oscillator
YIG STEP
ATTEN
Step
Attenuator
RF Level
Detector Coupler Voltage-
Controlled
Oscillator
Mixer
Fixed
Reference
Oscillator
Switch PIN-Diode
Leveler
LVL
Filter
Step-Recovery
Diode Multiplier
Digital
Data
Digital to
Analog
Converter
DAC
Phase Lock
Loop Isolator Amplifier
LOW
PASS
V
R
Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
xii Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

Record of Manual Changes
This table is provided for your convenience to maintain a permanent record of manual change data.
Corrected replacement pages will be issued as Technical Publication Change Instructions, and will
be inserted at the front of the binder. Remove the corresponding old pages, insert the new pages,
and record the changes here.
Change Instruction
Number Change Instruction Date Date Entered Comments
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 xiii

Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
xiv Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

Special Configurations
When the accompanying product has been configured for user-specific application(s), supplemental
pages will be inserted at the front of the manual binder. Remove this page and replace it with the
furnished Special Configuration supplemental page(s).
Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998 xv

Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
xvi Manual No. 20790, Rev C, November 1998

Manual 20790, Rev. C, November 1998 1-1
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1.1 Description
The Giga-tronics 8500A Series Peak Power Meters (PPM) are designed for the analysis and power
measurement of pulsed RF and microwave signals produced by microwave component devices.
The PPM converts RF energy to dc voltage by using balanced (dual Schottky diode), zero-biased,
detectors with very fast rise times. The dc voltage is measured with an autoranging dc amplifier, and an
A/D converter provides the digitized voltage to a MC68000 microprocessor. The microprocessor
accomplishes the required log functions, diode linearization, frequency response, and other
mathematical functions.
The PPM can measure the power in both single and repetitive pulses as well as the power in a CW
signal. Power measurements are presented on an Electro Luminescent (EL) screen to display both
alphanumeric and graphic information. Modes of operation are indicated both by information on the
display and by LED lights on the front panel. Changes in mode or test parameters can be accomplished
with the front panel keypad or, for some operations, the large spin knob on the front panel, which can
be used as an analog adjustment for certain parameters.
GPIB (IEEE Bus) setup and measurement operation are standard in the 8500A power meters. It enables
various other functions, such as reporting of errors, malfunctions, operational status, and self test
diagnostics.
The Model 8501A has a single detector input; Model 8502A has dual detector inputs for making ratio
measurements. All technical and operation descriptions in this manual apply equally to both models
unless otherwise stated.
Performance specifications forthe Series 8500A are inSection1.2.Detector specifications are
contained in Appendix D. Options, if any will be detailed in Appendix E.
Power requirements are 100/120/220/240 Vac ±10%, 48-400 Hz. See Section 2.2 for Safety Precautions
and details to set the voltage and install the correct fuse for the area in which the instrument will be
used.

Series 8500A Peak Power Meters
1-2 Manual 20790, Rev. C, November 1998
1.1.1 Environmental Requirements
Series 8500A power meters are type tested to MIL-T-28800E, Type III, Class 5, Style E for Navy
shipboard, submarine, and shore applications except as follows:
• Operating temperature range is 0 °C to 50 °C (calibrator operating temperature range is 5 °C to
35 °C).
• Non-operating (storage) temperature range is -4 0°C to +7 0°C.
• Relative humidity is limited to 95% non-condensing.
• Altitude and EMI requirements are not specified.
1.1.2 Items Furnished
In addition to options and/or accessories specifically ordered, items furnished with the instrument are:
1 ea. - Power Cord
1 ea. - Detachable Detector Cable (for Model 8501A), or
2 ea. - Detachable Detector Cables (for Model 8502A)
1 ea. - Operation and Maintenance Manual
1.1.3 Items Required
The 8500A requires an external power detector; see Appendix D for power detector specifications.
1.1.4 Tools and Test Equipment
No special tools are required to operate the Series 8500A. Test equipment required for calibration or
performance verification is described in Chapter 4.
1.1.5 Cooling
No cooling is required if the instrument is operated within its specified operating temperature range
(0 to 50 °C).
1.1.6 Cleaning
The front panel can be cleaned using a cloth dampened with a mild detergent; wipe off the detergent
residue with a damp cloth and dry with a dry cloth. Solvents and abrasive cleaners should not be used.
1.1.7 Receiving Inspection
Use care in removing the instrument from the carton and check immediately for physical damage, such
as bent or broken connectors on the front and rear panels, dents or scratches on the panels, broken
extractor handles, etc. Check the shipping carton for evidence of physical damage and immediately
report any damage to the shipping carrier.
Each Giga-tronics instrument must pass rigorous inspections and tests prior to shipment. Upon receipt,
its performance should be verified to ensure that operation has not been impaired during shipment. The
performance verification procedure is described in Chapter 5 of this manual.