HP 54750A User manual

Quick Start Guide
HP 83480A Digital Communications
Analyzer
HP 54750A Digitizing Oscilloscope
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ii
© Copyright Hewlett-Packard
Company 1997
All Rights Reserved. Repro-
duction, adaptation, or trans-
lation without prior written
permission is prohibited,
except as allowed under copy-
right laws.
HP Part No. 83480-90021
Printed in USA
July 1997
Hewlett-Packard Company
Lightwave Operations
1400 Fountaingrove Parkway
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1799,
USA
[phone]
Notice.
The information contained in
this document is subject to
change without notice. Com-
panies, names, and data used
in examples herein are ficti-
tious unless otherwise noted.
Hewlett-Packard makes no
warranty of any kind with
regard to this material, includ-
ing but not limited to, the
implied warranties of mer-
chantability and fitness for a
particular purpose. Hewlett-
Packard shall not be liable for
errors contained herein or for
incidental or consequential
damages in connection with
the furnishing, performance,
or use of this material.
Restricted Rights Legend.
Use, duplication, or disclo-
sure by the U.S. Government
is subject to restrictions as set
forth in subparagraph (c) (1)
(ii) of the Rights in Technical
Data and Computer Software
clause at DFARS 252.227-7013
for DOD agencies, and sub-
paragraphs (c) (1) and (c) (2)
of the Commercial Computer
Software Restricted Rights
clause at FAR 52.227-19 for
other agencies.
Warranty.
This Hewlett-Packard instru-
ment product is warranted
against defects in material and
workmanship for a period of
one year from date of ship-
ment. During the warranty
period, Hewlett-Packard Com-
pany will, at its option, either
repair or replace products
which prove to be defective.
For warranty service or repair,
this product must be
returned to a service facility
designated by Hewlett-Pack-
ard. Buyer shall prepay ship-
ping charges to Hewlett-
Packard and Hewlett-Packard
shall pay shipping charges to
return the product to Buyer.
However, Buyer shall pay all
shipping charges, duties, and
taxes for products returned to
Hewlett-Packard from another
country.
Hewlett-Packard warrants
that its software and firmware
designated by Hewlett-Pack-
ard for use with an instrument
will execute its programming
instructions when properly
installed on that instrument.
Hewlett-Packard does not
warrant that the operation of
the instrument, or software,
or firmware will be uninter-
rupted or error-free.
Limitation of Warranty.
The foregoing warranty shall
not apply to defects resulting
from improper or inadequate
maintenance by Buyer, Buyer-
supplied software or interfac-
ing, unauthorized modifica-
tion or misuse, operation
outside of the environmental
specifications for the product,
or improper site preparation
or maintenance.
No other warranty is
expressed or implied.
Hewlett-Packard specifically
disclaims the implied warran-
ties of merchantability and fit-
ness for a particular purpose.
Exclusive Remedies.
The remedies provided
herein are buyer's sole and
exclusive remedies. Hewlett-
Packard shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, special,
incidental, or consequential
damages, whether based on
contract, tort, or any other
legal theory.
Safety Symbols.
CAUTION
The caution sign denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to a
procedure which, if not cor-
rectly performed or adhered
to, could result in damage to
or destruction of the product.
Do not proceed beyond a cau-
tion sign until the indicated
conditions are fully under-
stood and met.
WARNING
The warning sign denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to a
procedure which, if not cor-
rectly performed or adhered
to, could result in injury or
loss of life. Do not proceed
beyond a warning sign until
the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.
The instruction man-
ual symbol. The prod-
uct is marked with this
warning symbol when
it is necessary for the
user to refer to the
instructions in the
manual.
The laser radiation
symbol. This warning
symbol is marked on
products which have a
laser output.
The AC symbol is used
to indicate the
required nature of the
line module input
power.
|The ON symbols are
used to mark the posi-
tions of the instrument
power line switch.
❍The OFF symbols
are used to mark the
positions of the instru-
ment power line
switch.
The CE mark is a reg-
istered trademark of
the European Commu-
nity.
The CSA mark is a reg-
istered trademark of
the Canadian Stan-
dards Association.
This text denotes the
instrument is an
Industrial Scientific
and Medical Group 1
Class A product.
Typographical Conven-
tions.
The following conventions are
used in this book:
Key type for keys or text
located on the keyboard or
instrument.
Softkey type for key names that
are displayed on the instru-
ment’s screen.
Display type for words or
characters displayed on the
computer’s screen or instru-
ment’s display.
User type for words or charac-
ters that you type or enter.
Emphasis type for words or
characters that emphasize
some point or that are used as
place holders for text that you
type.
ISM1-A
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iii
What You’ll Find in This Book
What You’ll Find in This Book
This book gives you a quick introduction to the instrument. It is not intended
as a comprehensive guide, but rather as a starting point to start using the
instrument quickly. This book is divided into three sections:
Chapter 1 provides a description of the instrument and a quick tour of
the front panel in a descriptive format, with examples that
help to illustrate the text.
Chapter 2 provides several tutorials that show how to get up and
running, how to scale a waveform vertically or horizontally,
and how to use the Help menu.
Chapter 3 provides a few simple hints in case you are experiencing
difficulty in either getting the mainframe or plug-in module
to perform properly.
To best meet your learning needs, you can use this book in one of two ways:
1Read “A Quick Tour of the Front Panel” on page 1-4 before performing the
exercises.
2Go straight to the exercises. This method is for users who prefer to learn how
to use the front panel by experimenting with the front-panel controls.
If you are already familiar with the information in this book, you can refer to
the HP 83480A, HP 54750A User’s Guide, which shows you how to use the
instrument to make many common measurements. It assumes you have
already learned how to use the front panel of the instrument, by first reading
this quick start guide.
All calibration and repair information is contained in the optional HP 83480A,
HP 54750A Service Guide, while all programming information is contained in
the HP 83480A, HP 54750A Programmer’s Guide.
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iv
General Safety Considerations
General Safety Considerations
This product has been designed and tested in accordance with IEC Publica-
tion 1010, Safety Requirements for Electronic Measuring Apparatus, and has
been supplied in a safe condition. The instruction documentation contains
information and warnings which must be followed by the user to ensure safe
operation and to maintain the product in a safe condition.
WARNING There are many points in the instrument which can, if contacted, cause
personal injury. Be extremely careful. Any adjustments or service
procedures that require operation of the instrument with protective
covers removed should be performed only by trained service
personnel.
WARNING If this instrument is not used as specified, the protection provided by
the equipment could be impaired. This instrument must be used in a
normal condition (in which all means for protection are intact) only.
WARNING There are many points in the system which can, if contacted, cause
personal injury. Be extremely careful. Any adjustments or service
procedures that require operation of the system with protective
covers removed should be performed only by Hewlett-Packard
personnel.
WARNING NO OPERATOR SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. Refer servicing to
qualified Hewlett-Packard personnel. To prevent electrical shock, do
not remove covers.
CAUTION Before this instrument is switched on, make sure its primary power circuitry
has been adapted to the voltage of the ac power source. Failure to set the ac
power input to the correct voltage could cause damage to the instrument when
the ac power cable is plugged in.
CAUTION Electrostatic discharge (ESD) on or near input connectors can damage circuits
inside the instrument. Repair of damage due to misuse is not covered under
warranty. Before connecting any cable to the electrical input, momentarily
short the center and outer conductors of the cable together. Personnel should
be properly grounded, and should touch the frame of the instrument before
touching any connector.
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Contents
Contents-1
1 Introducing the Instrument
The HP 83480A, HP 54750A—At a Glance 1-2
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel 1-4
2 Operating the Instrument
Operating the Instrument 2-2
Equipment Used in These Exercises 2-4
Exercise 1. Installing a Plug-in Module 2-5
Exercise 2. Turning On the Instrument 2-6
Exercise 3. Connecting a Signal 2-7
Exercise 4. Finding the Signal 2-8
Exercise 5. Modifying the Setup 2-9
Exercise 6. Making Measurements on the Signal 2-14
Exercise 7. Using the Help Menu 2-18
3 In Case of Difficulty
In Case of Difficulty 3-2
If the Mainframe Does Not Operate 3-4
If the Plug-in Does Not Operate 3-5
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Contents-2
Contents
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1
Introducing the Instrument
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1-2
Introducing the Instrument
The HP 83480A, HP 54750A—At a Glance
The HP 83480A, HP 54750A—At a Glance
The HP 83480A-series digital communications analyzers or HP 54750A-series
digitizing oscilloscopes are modular, high-performance mainframes that con-
tain digitizers, timebases, and display circuitry behind vertical channel plug-in
modules containing samplers, IF amplifiers, power monitoring circuitry and
O/E converter (HP 83485A).
The HP 83480A-series digital communications analyzers include these unique
capabilities:
• A full range of custom and standard telecom and datacom masks and tem-
plates with automated conformance and margin testing.
• Automated extinction-ratio and q-factor measurements.
• The ability to set the timebase display to bit period, select the appropriate
telecom bit rate, and enter the number of bits to be displayed.
If you wish to add these capabilities to an HP 54750A-series digitizing oscillo-
scope, or use the HP 83485A optical plug-in module, a firmware upgrade must
first be installed. Order the HP 83480K communications firmware kit and fol-
low the installation instructions.
The instrument also has software modularity by having a 3-1/2 inch disk drive
and flash ROMs to allow for simple firmware upgrades of the firmware fea-
tures.
The plug-in modules provide optical and electrical signal conditioning for the
A/D converters that are inside the mainframe.
NOTE
The HP 83480A and HP 54750A mainframes do not accept plug-in modules designed for
use with the HP 54710A and HP 54720A.
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1-3
Introducing the Instrument
The HP 83480A, HP 54750A—At a Glance
What you’ll find in this chapter
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel 1-4
Entry devices 1-4
Disk drive 1-4
CAL signal 1-4
Hardkeys 1-5
Display 1-5
Softkeys 1-6
Certification
Hewlett-Packard Company certifies that this product met its published speci-
fications at the time of shipment from the factory. Hewlett-Packard further
certifies that its calibration measurements are traceable to the United States
National Institute of Standards and Technology, to the extent allowed by the
Institute’s calibration facility, and to the calibration facilities of other Interna-
tional Standards Organization members.
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1-4
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
This section describes how to use the front panel. This information will help
you gain the full use of your instrument in the shortest possible time. This sec-
tion divides the front panel into the following areas:
•Entrydevices
• Disk drive
•CALsignal
• Hardkeys
•Display
•Softkeys
Entry devices The entry devices include the knob, arrow keys, and keypad. The knob pro-
vides continuous control, while the arrow keys are step controls. The keypad
allows you to enter specific values.
Disk drive The disk drive is a 3-1/2 inch, high-density, MS-DOS®compatible drive. You
can use the disk drive for loading applications, storing and loading waveforms,
storing and loading instrument setups, printing waveforms to a file, or loading
new system firmware.
MS-DOSis a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
CAL signal The CAL signal is a dc voltage level used during the calibration routines. It is
internally generated and only activated during calibration routines. It can be
controlled by the user by pressing:
Utility, Calibrate
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1-5
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
Hardkeys The two types of hardkeys are instant action and menu. Clear display and Run
are examples of instant action keys because as soon as you press them, the
instrument changes operating states. Time base and Trigger are examples of
menu keys. Pressing them causes softkey menus to come up on the right side
of the display.
Figure 1-1. The front panel of the instrument
Display Figure 1-2 shows the main areas of the display, and how you can interpret
some of the instrument’s settings from the display.
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1-6
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
Figure 1-2. The instrument display
Softkeys The softkeys are to the right of the display, and instead of placing a label on
the softkey itself, the label is actually located on the display next to the soft-
key. These labels on the display are called menus, and the menu being dis-
played depends on which key has been pressed. For example, pressing Time
base brings up the Time Base menu, while pressing Trigger brings up the Trigger
menu.
There are five types of softkeys, and there are some differences on how each
type of softkey operates. The five types of softkeys are toggle, menu, continu-
ous, list, and single choice. Because the Trigger menu contains all five types of
softkeys, it is used over the next few pages to demonstrate the differences
among the softkeys.
When you press the Trigger key, the Trigger softkey menu comes up on the
right side of the display as shown in Figure 1-3.
Toggle softkeys
A typical example of the toggle softkeys is Sweep. A toggle softkey allows you
to choose between two or more selections, and you change selections by
pressing that same softkey. Sweep has choices of either triggered or freerun.
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1-7
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
The highlighted choice is the selection that is currently active. In Figure 1-3,
triggered is highlighted, which indicates that the instrument is set to triggered
sweep.
Figure 1-3. Toggle softkey selection
Menu softkeys
A typical example of the menu softkeys is External Scale... (refer to Figure 1-3
on page 1-7). The ellipses after the word "scale" indicate that when you press
this softkey, a new softkey menu comes up on the display that allows you to
make several additional choices (refer to Figure 1-4). To exit this menu, sim-
ply press the Done softkey. The display returns to the previous menu.
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1-8
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
Figure 1-4. Menu softkey selection
Continuous softkeys
A typical example of the continuous softkeys is Level. It has a range of values
that can be changed with the keypad, arrow keys, or knob.
Figure 1-5. Continuous softkey selection
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1-9
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
Because the Trigger menu only has one of this type of softkey, it is active when
the menu comes up on the display. You do not need to press the Level softkey
when you want to change the trigger level. However, the Time base menu has
at least two of this type of softkey, Bit Rate (HP 83480A only) and Scale and
Position. In this case, only one of the softkeys is active at a time. To make the
other softkey active, you must press the corresponding softkey. You can tell
which softkey is currently active because it has a different colored background
from the rest of the softkeys.
When using time base scale or channel scale, the knob and arrow keys operate
in two modes. One mode is a 1-2-5 sequence, while the other mode is a fine
mode that allows you to make smaller incremental changes. You activate the
fine mode by pressing Shift on the keypad, followed by pressing the arrow key
with the word Fine written in blue above that key. When the fine mode is
active, you will see the word Fine at the top-right corner of the graticule area.
You get out of the Fine mode by simply pressing Shift on the keypad, followed
by pressing the arrow key with the word Fine written above it.
List softkeys
A typical example of the list softkeys is Hysteresis. It has several stacked rect-
angles that represents a list of choices you can choose from. The top rectangle
shows the selection that is currently active. In the example below, normal is
the current selection.
Figure 1-6. List softkey selection
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1-10
Introducing the Instrument
A Quick Tour of the Front Panel
You change selections by pressing the Hysteresis softkey, which brings up a sec-
ond level softkey menu on the display. Then, you use the softkeys, arrow keys,
or knob to change selections. To activate that selection, press the Enter softkey,
then the display returns to the previous softkey menu. If you press the Cancel
softkey, the instrument returns to the previous selection.
Single choice softkeys
A typical example of the single choice softkeys is Enter. There are several varia-
tions of this type of softkey throughout the many softkey menus. When you
press the softkey, the instrument executes that softkey command.
Figure 1-7. Single choice softkey selection
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2
Operating the Instrument
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2-2
Operating the Instrument
Operating the Instrument
Operating the Instrument
This chapter contains several exercises that will familiarize you with the oper-
ation of the instrument.
Exercises 1–3 show how to get the instrument up and running.
Exercises 4 and 5 demonstrate the vertical, horizontal, and trigger menus by
having you display a signal and then use the channel and
time base menus to expand the signal.
Exercise 6 shows you how to use the markers and automatic
measurement features to make a pulse width and voltage
amplitude measurement.
Exercise 7 introduces you to the Help menu.
You will find it easier to perform these exercises if you are at least a little
familiar with how to use the front panel. The best way to learn how to use the
front panel is to read Chapter 1, “Introducing the Instrument”.
NOTE
Clean the cabinet using a damp cloth only.
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2-3
Operating the Instrument
Operating the Instrument
What you’ll find in this chapter
Equipment Used in These Exercises 2-4
Exercise 1. Installing a Plug-in Module 2-5
Exercise 2. Turning On the Instrument 2-6
Exercise 3. Connecting a Signal 2-7
Exercise 4. Finding the Signal 2-8
Exercise 5. Modifying the Setup 2-9
Exercise 6. Making Measurements on the Signal 2-14
Exercise 7. Using the Help Menu 2-18
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2-4
Operating the Instrument
Equipment Used in These Exercises
Equipment Used in These Exercises
All of the pictures of the display in this book were generated using an
HP 83480A with an HP 83483A, 54751A electrical plug-in module, and the sig-
nal from the HP 8133A pulse generator. If you are using a different plug-in
module or signal source, your display and instrument settings may vary from
the pictures in this book.
With the HP 83480A, the HP 83485A optical/electrical plug-in module could
also have been used. In this case, we would connect the signal to the electrical
input of the HP 83485A.
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