HP ESA-L1500A Use and care manual

About this Manual
We’ve added this manual to the Agilent website in an effort to help you support
your product. This manual is the best copy we could find; it may be incomplete
or contain dated information. If we find a more recent copy in the future, we will
add it to the Agilent website.
Support for Your Product
Agilent no longer sells or supports this product. Our service centers may be able
to perform calibration if no repair parts are needed, but no other support from
Agilent is available. You will find any other available product information on the
Agilent Test & Measurement website, www.tm.agilent.com.
HP References in this Manual
This manual may contain references to HP or Hewlett-Packard. Please note that
Hewlett-Packard's former test and measurement, semiconductor products and
chemical analysis businesses are now part of Agilent Technologies. We have
made no changes to this manual copy. In other documentation, to reduce
potential confusion, the only change to product numbers and names has been in
the company name prefix: where a product number/name was HP XXXX the
current name/number is now Agilent XXXX. For example, model number
HP8648A is now model number Agilent 8648A.

User’s and Calibration Guide
HP ESA-L1500A Spectrum Analyzer
HP Part No. E4411-90056 Supersedes E4411-90054
Printed in USA
April 1999
© Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999 Hewlett-Packard Company

2
The information contained in this document is subject to change
without notice.
Hewlett-Packard makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this
material, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. 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.
The following safety symbols are used throughout this manual.
Familiarize yourself with the symbols and their meaning before
operating this instrument.
WARNING Warning denotes a hazard. It calls attention to a procedure
which, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in
injury or loss of life. Do not proceed beyond a warning note
until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
WARNING This is a Safety Class 1 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
protected earth contact. Any interruption of the protective
conductor inside or outside of the product is likely to make the
product dangerous. Intentional interruption is prohibited.
WARNING 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 for protection are
intact) only.

3
CAUTION Caution denotes a hazard. It calls attention to a procedure that, if not
correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage to or
destruction of the instrument. Do not proceed beyond a caution sign
until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
Warranty
This Hewlett-Packard instrument product is warranted against defects
in material and workmanship for a period of one year from date of
shipment. During the warranty period, Hewlett-Packard Company 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-Packard. Buyer shall prepay
shipping 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-Packard 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 uninterrupted or
error-free.
The instruction documentation symbol. The product is marked
with this symbol when it is necessary for the user to refer to the
instructions in the documentation.
This symbol is used to mark the on position of the power line
switch.
This symbol is used to mark the standby position of the power line
switch.
This symbol indicates that the input power required is AC.

4
LIMITATION OF WARRANTY
The foregoing warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from
improper or inadequate maintenance by Buyer, Buyer-supplied
software or interfacing, unauthorized modification or misuse, operation
outside of the environmental specifications for the product, or improper
site preparation or maintenance.
NO OTHER WARRANTY IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.
HEWLETT-PACKARD SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS 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.

Contents
5
1. Preparing for Use and Printing
Initial Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Checking the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Power Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Turning on the Analyzer for the First Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Printing with HP-IB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Printing Using an HP-IB Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Interconnection and Printing Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Printing with RS-232. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Printing Using an RS-232 Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Interconnection and Printing Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Printing With a Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Interconnection and Printing Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Selecting a Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
How to Select a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Defining a Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2. Getting Started
What You’ll Find in this Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Front Panel Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Data Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Numeric Keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Step Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rear Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Screen Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Key Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Making a Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Measurement Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Analyzer Accuracy and the Internal Alignment Process. . . . . . . . . . . 44
Warm-Up Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Analyzer Battery Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3. Troubleshooting
What You’ll Find in This Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Before You Call Hewlett-Packard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Check the Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Read the Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Service Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Call Hewlett-Packard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Return Your Analyzer for Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Service Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Original Packaging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Other Packaging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

6
Contents
4. Front-Panel Key Reference
Amplitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Auto Couple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
BW/Avg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Det/Demod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Enter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Esc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Freq Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Peak Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Single Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Source Amptd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Standby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
System (Local) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Trace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Trig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5. Menu Maps
6. Options and Accessories
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Operating and Carrying Case (Option AYT and
Option AYU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Transit Case (Option AXT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
12 Vdc Power Cable (Option A5D). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
75 ΩInput Impedance (Option 1DP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Tracking Generator (Option 1DN and
Option 1DQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
IF, Sweep, and Video Inputs and Outputs
(Option A4J) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
HP-IB and Parallel Interface (Option A4H) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
RS-232 and Parallel Interface (Option 1AX). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Front Panel Protective Cover (Option UK9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
50 Ωto 75 ΩMatching Pad (Option 1D7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rack Mount Kit With Handles (Option 1CP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
User’s Guide and Calibration Guide (Option 0B1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Service Documentation (Option 0BX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Contents
7
Commercial Calibration with Test Data
(Option UK6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Benchlink Spectrum Analyzer Screen Capture Software (Option B70)
140
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
RF and Transient Limiters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
50 Ω/75 ΩMinimum Loss Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
75 ΩMatching Transformer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
RF Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
AC Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Snap on Rechargeable Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
AC Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Broadband Preamplifiers and Power Amplifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Carrying Strap (HP part number E4411-60028) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
External Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
HP-IB Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Parallel Interface Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
RS-232 Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
7. Specifications
About This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Amplitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Tracking Generator Specifications (Option 1DN or 1DQ) . . . . . . . 161
General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Internal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Rear Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Regulatory Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
8. Required Equipment
Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Periodically verifying operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
9. Performance Verification Tests
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
1. 10 MHz Reference Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
2. Resolution Bandwidth Switching Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
3. Noise Sidebands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

8
Contents
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Part 1: Noise Sideband Suppression at 10 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Part 2: Noise Sideband Suppression at 20 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Part 3: Noise Sideband Suppression at 30 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Part 4: Noise Sideband Suppression at 100 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
4. System Related Sidebands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
5. Residual FM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Part 1: Residual FM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Determining the IF Filter Slope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Measuring the Residual FM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
6. Frequency Span Readout Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Full Span Frequency Span Readout Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
100 kHz and 100 MHz Frequency Span Readout Accuracy. . . . . . 210
7. Reference Level Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Log Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Linear Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
8. Scale Fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Calculate Actual Attenuation Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Log Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Setup for Log Scale Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Measure Cumulative Log Fidelity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Calculate Incremental Log Fidelity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Linear Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Setup for Linear Scale Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Calculate Ideal Marker Amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Measure Linear Fidelity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
9. Input Attenuation Switching Uncertainty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Calculate Actual Attenuation Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Setup for Switching Uncertainty Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Measure Switching Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
10. Resolution Bandwidth Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Contents
9
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
3 dB Bandwidths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
11. Frequency Readout and Marker Count Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Part 1: Frequency Readout Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Part 2: Marker Count Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
12. Absolute Amplitude Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Absolute Amplitude Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Procedure: Absolute Amplitude Accuracy Measurement. . . . . . . . 240
13. Frequency Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Procedure, Part 1, System Characterization for
75 ΩInput. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Procedure, Part 2, Frequency Response, ≥100 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Frequency Response, < 100 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Test Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
14. Spurious Responses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Part 1: Second Harmonic Distortion, 40 MHz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Part 2: Third Order Intermodulation Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
15. Gain Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
16. Other Input Related Spurious Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
17. Sweep Time Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
18. Displayed Average Noise Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
400 kHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
1 MHz to 10 MHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
10 MHz to 500 MHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
500 MHz to 1.2 GHz (75ΩInputs: 500 MHz to

10
Contents
1.0 GHz). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
1.2 GHz to 1.5 GHz (75ΩInputs: 1.0 GHz to
1.5 GHz). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .278
19. Residual Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Additional Equipment for 75 ΩInput . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
150 kHz to 1 MHz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
1 MHz to 1.5 GHz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
20. Tracking Generator Feedthrough Options IDN and IDQ . . . . . . 283
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Additional Equipment Required For 75 ΩRF Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
21. Absolute Amplitude, Vernier, and Power Sweep Accuracy, Options
1DN and 1DQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Additional Equipment Required for 75 ΩRF Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
22. Tracking Generator Level Flatness, Options 1DN and 1DQ. . . . 292
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Additional Equipment Required for 75 ΩRF Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
23. Harmonic Spurious Outputs,
Options 1DN and 1DQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Additional Equipment Required for 75 ΩRF Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
24. Non-Harmonic Spurious Outputs, Options 1DN and 1DQ . . . . . 302
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Additional Equipment Required for 75 ΩRF Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Measuring Fundamental Amplitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Measuring Non-Harmonic Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
10. Performance Verification Test Record
HP ESA-L1500A Performance Verification Test Record . . . . . . . . . . 308

11
1 Preparing for Use and Printing

12 Chapter1
Preparing for Use and Printing
Initial Inspection
Initial Inspection
Inspect the shipping container and verify that the contents are
complete. Keep the container and cushioning material until you have
inspected the spectrum analyzer.
Table 1-1 contains the accessories shipped with the analyzer. If the
contents are incomplete, or the spectrum analyzer does not pass the
performance tests, notify the nearest Hewlett-Packard office. If the
shipping container is damaged or the cushioning material shows signs
of stress, also notify the carrier. Keep the shipping materials for the
carrier’s inspection. The HP office will arrange for repair or
replacement without waiting for a claim settlement.
If the shipping materials are in good condition, retain them for possible
future use. You may wish to ship the spectrum analyzer to another
location or to return it to Hewlett-Packard for service. See “How to
Return Your Analyzer for Service” on page 52 for more information
about shipping materials.
If cleaning is necessary, use a damp cloth only.
WARNING To prevent electrical shock, disconnect the HP ESA-L1500A
mains before cleaning. Use a dry cloth or one slightly
dampened with water to clean the external case parts. Do not
attempt to clean internally.
Table 1-1 Accessories Supplied with the Spectrum Analyzer
Description HP Part
Number Comments
Adapter, Type N (m) to
BNC (f) 1250-0780 Not shipped with Option 1DP. Two adapters are shipped with Option 1DN.
Power cable See Table 1-4 Shipped with analyzer.

Chapter 1 13
Preparing for Use and Printing
Power Requirements
Power Requirements
The spectrum analyzer is a portable instrument and requires no
physical installation other than connection to a power source. There is
no need to select a line voltage.
Table 1-2 AC Power Requirements
Table 1-3 DC Power Requirements
a. 15 to 20 Vdc for serial prefix <US3745
Checking the Fuse
Where IEC regulations apply, use a 5 by 20 mm, rated F5A, 250 V IEC
approved fuse. This fuse may be used with input line voltages of 115 V
or 230 V. Its HP part number is 2110-0709.
Where UL/CSA regulations apply, use a 5 by 20 mm rated fast blow, 5
A, 125 V UL/CSA approved fuse. This fuse may only be used with an
input line voltage of 115 V. Its HP part number is 2110-0756.
The line fuse is housed in a small container in the upper left hand
corner of the rear panel.
To remove the fuse, first disconnect the power cord from the instrument.
Then insert the tip of a screwdriver into the slot at the middle of the
container, and turn counterclockwise to extend the container.
Voltage 90 to 250 Vrms
Frequency 47 to 440 Hz
Power Consumption, On less than 200 W
Power Consumption,
Standby less than 5 W
Voltage 12 to 22 Vdca
Power Consumption less than 175 W

14 Chapter1
Preparing for Use and Printing
Power Requirements
WARNING For continued protection against fire hazard, replace the line
fuse only with the same type and rating. The use of other fuses
or material is prohibited.
Power Cable
The spectrum analyzer is equipped with a three-wire power cable, in
accordance with international safety standards. When connected to an
appropriate power line outlet, this cable grounds the instrument
cabinet.
WARNING Failure to ground the spectrum analyzer properly can result in
personal injury. Before turning on the spectrum analyzer, you
must connect its protective earth terminals to the protective
conductor of the main power cable. Insert the main power cable
plug only into a socket outlet that has a protective earth
contact. DO NOT defeat the earth-grounding protection by
using an extension cable, power cable, or autotransformer
without a protective ground conductor.
If you are using an autotransformer, make sure its common
terminal is connected to the protective earth contact of the
power source outlet socket.
Various power cables are available to connect the spectrum analyzer to
the types of ac power outlets unique to specific geographic areas. The
cable appropriate for the area to which the spectrum analyzer is
originally shipped is included with the unit. You can order additional ac
power cables for use in different areas. The following table lists the
available ac power cables, illustrates the plug configurations, and
identifies the geographic area in which each cable is appropriate.

Chapter 1 15
Preparing for Use and Printing
Power Requirements
Table 1-4 Power Cables
Plug Type a
HP
Cable
Part
Number
Plug b
Description Length cm (in.) Cable Color For Use in Country
8120-1351
8120-1703
Straight
BS 1363A
90˚
229 (90)
229 (90)
Mint
Gray
Mint
Gray
Option 900
United Kingdom, Hong
Kong, Cyprus, Nigeria,
Singapore, Zimbabwe
8120-1369
8120-0696
Straight
AS 3112
90˚
210 (79)
200 (78)
Gray
Gray
Option 901
Argentina,Australia,New
Zealand, Mainland China
8120-1378
8120-1521
Straight
NEMA 5-15P
90˚
203 (80)
203 (80)
Jade
Gray
Jade
Gray
Option 903
United States, Canada,
Brazil, Colombia, Mexico,
Philippines, Saudi
Arabia, Taiwan
8120-4753
8120-4754
Straight
NEMA 5-15P
90˚
229 (90)
229 (90)
Gray
Gray
Option 918
Japan
8120-1689
8120-1692
Straight
CEE 7/VII
90˚
200 (78)
200 (78)
Mint
Gray
Mint
Gray
Option 902
Continental Europe,
Central African Republic,
United Arab Republic
8120-2104
8120-2296
Straight
SEV Type 12
90˚
200 (78)
200 (78)
Gray
Gray
Option 906
Switzerland

16 Chapter1
Preparing for Use and Printing
Power Requirements
a. E = earth ground, L = line, and N = neutral.
b. Plug identifier numbers describe the plug only. The HP part number is for the com-
plete cable assembly.
8120-2956
8120-2957
Straight
SR 107-2-D
90˚
200 (78)
200 (78)
Gray
Gray
Option 912
Denmark
8120-4211
8120-4600
Straight
IEC 83-B1
90˚
200 (78)
200 (78)
Mint
Gray
Mint
Gray
Option 917
South Africa, India
8120-5182
8120-5181
Straight
SI 32
90˚
200 (78)
200 (78)
Jade
Gray
Jade
Gray
Option 919
Israel
Plug Type a
HP
Cable
Part
Number
Plug b
Description Length cm (in.) Cable Color For Use in Country

Chapter 1 17
Preparing for Use and Printing
Preparation
Preparation
WARNING If this product is to be energized via an external
autotransformer for voltage reduction, make sure that its
common terminal is connected to a neutral (earthed pole) of the
power supply.
CAUTION This instrument has autoranging line voltage input. Be sure the supply
voltage is within the specified range.
CAUTION Ventilation Requirements: When installing the product in a cabinet, the
convection into and out of the product must not be restricted. The
ambient temperature (outside the cabinet) must be less than the
maximum operating temperature of the product by 4 °C for every 100
watts dissipated in the cabinet. If the total power dissipated in the
cabinet is greater than 800 watts, then forced convection must be used.
NOTE Install the instrument so that the detachable power cord is readily
identifiable and is easily reached by the operator. The detachable power
cord is the instrument disconnecting device. It disconnects the mains
circuits from the mains supply before other parts of the instrument.
The front panel switch is only a standby switch and is not a LINE
switch. Alternatively, an externally installed switch or circuit breaker
(which is readily identifiable and is easily reached by the operator) may
be used as a disconnecting device.

18 Chapter1
Preparing for Use and Printing
Turning on the Analyzer for the First Time
Turning on the Analyzer for the First Time
When you turn on the spectrum analyzer, you will see the message
“Doing Initial Alignment” on the display. This tells you that the
instrument is performing a portion of its automatic alignment.
To make sure your spectrum analyzer meets specifications, allow a 5
minute warm-up before making calibrated measurements.
NOTE It is normal to hear clicking when the Auto Alignment function is on.
During the interval between sweeps portions of the spectrum analyzer’s
circuitry are realigned. Some of the circuitry is controlled by relays. It is
the rapid switching of these relays between sweeps which causes the
clicking sound. Under normal operation, these relays will last over 50
years.
To eliminate the clicking sound, turn off the automatic alignment. (See
the Alignments key description in Chapter 4.) The Align Now All
function should, however, be performed periodically. For more
information on how often to perform Align Now All when the Auto
Alignment function is off, refer to Chapter 7, “Specifications.”
If you wish to use an external 10 MHz source as the reference
frequency, connect an external reference source to the 10 MHz REF IN
connector on the rear panel. The signal level should be greater than –15
dBm.
Perform the following steps:
1. Before using your spectrum analyzer, make sure it meets operating
temperature conditions.
2. Plug the power cord into the spectrum analyzer.
3. Press I (the On key).
After a few seconds, the screen will display the firmware revision
date in the YYYYMMDD format. For example, Rev 19970522
indicates revision May 22, 1997.
NOTE Record the firmware date and keep it for reference. If you should ever
need to call Hewlett- Packard for service or with any questions
regarding your spectrum analyzer, it will be helpful to have the
firmware date readily available.
If your spectrum analyzer is equipped with Option A4H (HP-IB and
Parallel interface), the interface address (HP-IB ADRS: XX) also
appears on the screen.
If your spectrum analyzer is equipped with Option 1AX (RS-232 and
Parallel interface), the baud rate (RS232: XXXX) is displayed.

Chapter 1 19
Preparing for Use and Printing
Turning on the Analyzer for the First Time
4. To meet spectrum analyzer specifications, allow a 5 minute warm-up
before attempting to make any calibrated measurements.
5. Refer to Chapter 7, “Specifications,” for information on when you
should perform automatic alignment functions.