Keysight Technologies N9310A User manual

Keysight N9310A
Signal Generator
Notice: This document contains references to
Agilent. Please note that Agilent’s Test and
Measurement business has become Keysight
Technologies. For more information, go to
www.keysight.com.
Quick Start Guide

Notices
© Keysight Technologies, Inc.
2006-2014
No part of this manual may be
reproduced in any form or by any
means (including electronic storage
and retrieval or translation into a
foreign language) without prior
agreement and written consent from
Keysight Technologies, Inc. as
governed by United States and
international copyright laws.
Trademark Acknowledgments
Manual Part Number
N9310-90003
Edition
Edition 3, June 2014
Printed in China
Published by:
Keysight Technologies
No 116 Tianfu 4th street
Chengdu, 610041, China
Warranty
THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS
DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS,”
AND IS SUBJECT TO BEING
CHANGED, WITHOUT NOTICE, IN
FUTURE EDITIONS. FURTHER, TO
THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED
BY APPLICABLE LAW, KEYSIGHT
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WITH
REGARD TO THIS MANUAL AND
ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
KEYSIGHT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE
FOR ERRORS OR FOR INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN
CONNECTION WITH THE
FURNISHING, USE, OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS
DOCUMENT OR ANY INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN. SHOULD
KEYSIGHT AND THE USER HAVE A
SEPARATE WRITTEN AGREEMENT
WITH WARRANTY TERMS
COVERING THE MATERIAL IN THIS
DOCUMENT THAT CONFLICT WITH
THESE TERMS, THE WARRANTY
TERMS IN THE SEPARATE
AGREEMENT WILL CONTROL.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and/or software
described in this document are
furnished under a license and may be
used or copied only in accordance
with the terms of such license.
U.S. Government Rights
The Software is “commercial
computer software,” as defined
by Federal Acquisition Regulation
(“FAR”) 2.101. Pursuant to FAR
12.212 and 27.405-3 and
Department of Defense FAR
Supplement (“DFARS”) 227.7202,
the U.S. government acquires
commercial computer software
under the same terms by which
the software is customarily
provided to the public.
Accordingly, Keysight provides
the Software to U.S. government
customers under its standard
commercial license, which is
embodied in its End User License
Agreement (EULA), a copy of
which can be found at
http://www.keysight.com/find/sweula
The license set forth in the EULA
represents the exclusive authority
by which the U.S. government
may use, modify, distribute, or
disclose the Software. The EULA
and the license set forth therein,
does not require or permit,
among other things, that
Keysight: (1) Furnish technical
information related to
commercial computer software
or commercial computer
software documentation that is
not customarily provided to the
public; or (2) Relinquish to, or
otherwise provide, the
government rights in excess of
these rights customarily provided
to the public to use, modify,
reproduce, release, perform,
display, or disclose commercial
computer software or
commercial computer software
documentation. No additional
government requirements
beyond those set forth in the
EULA shall apply, except to the
extent that those terms, rights, or
licenses are explicitly required
from all providers of commercial
computer software pursuant to
the FAR and the DFARS and are
set forth specifically in writing
elsewhere in the EULA. Keysight
shall be under no obligation to
update, revise or otherwise
modify the Software. With
respect to any technical data as
defined by FAR 2.101, pursuant
to FAR 12.211 and 27.404.2 and
DFARS 227.7102, the U.S.
government acquires no greater
than Limited Rights as defined in
FAR 27.401 or DFAR 227.7103-5
(c), as applicable in any technical
data.
Safety Notices
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that,
if not correctly performed or adhered
to, could result in damage to the
product or loss of important data. Do
not proceed beyond a CAUTION
notice until the indicated conditions
are fully understood and met.
A WARNING notice denotes a hazard.
It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that,
if not correctly performed or adhered
to, could result in personal injury or
death. Do not proceed beyond a
WARNING notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.

Quick Start Guide
1
Quick Start Guide
Check the Shipment 2
Safety Notice 3
N9310A Overview 4
Preparation for Use 7
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal 9
Generating a Sweep Signal 11
Generating a Modulated Signal 13
Some Help Hints 15
Remote Control 16
Contact Keysight Technologies 22
Factory Default Settings 23
This Quick Start Guide helps you in preparing the signal generator for
use. With this guide, you will become familiar with its basic operation
and programming information. For more information, please refer to
User’s Guide from:
www.keysight.com/find/n9310a

Quick Start Guide
Check the Shipment
2
Check the Shipment
After receiving the shipment, you should first check the
shipment and your order list refer to the procedures below.
•Inspect the shipping container for damage.
Signs of damage may include a dented or torn shipping
container or cushioning material that indicates signs of
unusual stress or compacting.
•Carefully remove the contents from the shipping container
and verify that your order is complete. Each signal
generator includes the following items as standard:
•Verify if the ordered options are included in the shipment
by checking the serial number on the rear panel of the
signal generator:
Any question about your shipment, please contact Keysight
Technologies Customer Contact Center for consulting and
service.
Item Quantity Part Number
N9310A signal generator 1 N9310A
USB cable 1 8121-1482
Three-pin power cord 1 Specific to location
Quick Start Guide 1 N9310-90003
Help kit CD-ROM 1 N9310-84500
Calibration certificate 1 5962-0476
Option Name Part number
001 I/Q modulator N9310A-001
1CM Rackmount flange kit N9310A-1CM
1TC Hard transit case N9310A-1TC

3
Quick Start Guide
Safety Notice
Safety Notice
Please read the following warnings and cautions carefully
before you power on the signal generator to ensure your
personal and instrumental safety.
WARNING Always use a well-grounded, three-pin AC plug and power cord to
connect to a power source. Personal injury may occur if there is any
interruption of the AC power cord of the signal generator. Intentional
interruption is prohibited.
WARNING Personal injury may result if the signal generator covers are removed.
There are no operator serviceable parts inside. To avoid electrical
shock, refer servicing to qualified personnel.
WARNING Electrical shock may result if the signal generator is connected from
the power supply while cleaning. Do not attempt to clean
internally.
CAUTION To install the signal generators in other racks, note that they may
promote shock hazards, overheating, dusting contamination, and
inferior system performance. Consult your Keysight customer engineer
about installation, warranty, and support details.
CAUTION Damage to the signal generator may result when the total power
dissipated in the cabinet is greater than 800 watts. When this
condition exists, forced convection must be applied.
CAUTION The RF OUT connector is for signal output only. Avoid manually adding
any external signal into the signal generator via this connector. This
connector endures maximum +36 dBm RF power or 30 V DC input
(1 minute lasting). Or it may result in instrument damages.

Quick Start Guide
N9310A Overview
4
N9310A Overview
An Keysight N9310A RF Signal Generator finds general
purpose test application between 9 kHz to 3 GHz. It is
capable to generate variables of signals as shown below,
which could be applied in the field of manufacture, service
and repair, development and education:
•Continuous wave (CW) signal
•Low frequency (LF) signal
•RF/LF/Amplitude step sweep
•Amplitude modulation (AM) signal
•Frequency modulation (FM) signal
•Phase modulation (FM) signal
•Pulse modulation signal
The signal generator comprises an optional broadband I/Q
modulator (option 001). With this option, N9310A is capable
of generating complicated digital signal widely used in
modern digital communication system in conjunction with an
external I/Q signal generator.
The N9310A RF Signal Generator has USB connectors for
yourremote control and fast file transferring.

5
Quick Start Guide
N9310A Overview
Front Panel at a Glance
FUN CT IO N S
LF OU T RF OU T 50
Rem ot e
Standby
On
N9310A RF Signal Generat or 9 kHz - 3.0 GHz
Frequency
Amplitude
Enter
7
4
1
8
9
56
23
0
MOD
On/Off
On/Off
RF
I/Q
FM
Preset
AM
FMPulse
Utility
Sweep
Trigger
LocalFile
LF Out
1
.
8
9
10
11
12
13
18
17
16
15
14
7
56
4
3
2
REVERSE PWR
4W MAX 30VD C
1 Screen 10 RF On/Off hardkey
2 Softkeys 11 RF OUT connector
3 Enter key 12 LF OUT connector
4 Amplitude hardkey 13 Numeric keypad
5 Frequency hardkey 14 Standby switch
6 Function hardkeys 15 Switch On LED
7 Mod On/Off hardkey 16 Standby LED
8 Knob 17 Remote LED
9 Arrow hardkeys 18 USB Device connector

Quick Start Guide
N9310A Overview
6
Rear Panel at a Glance
The signal generator rear panel provides input, output, and
remote interface connections. Refer to “Rear Panel Overview”
on User’s Guide for more information.
VGA OUTPUT
DEV
TRIG IN
HOST
MOD IN
PU LSE MO D IN
REF IN
REF OU T
I IN 1V RMS
MAX
Q IN
LINE:
100-240V
50-60Hz
100W MAX
MadeinChina
HIPO T PASS
N9310A N9310A-CFG002
SER:CN*********
1
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11 12
2
5
1 AC power switch 7 Pulse input connector
2 AC power connector 8 Modulation source input connector
3 USB host connector 9 Q input connector
4 Trigger input connector 10 I input connector
5 Reference output connector 11 VGA connector
6 Reference input connector 12 USB device connectors

7
Quick Start Guide
Preparation for Use
Preparation for Use
1Connect the power cord. Insert the plug into a power socket
provided with a protective earth. Set the tilt adjustor for
your preference.
Figure 1 Plug in and angle adjustment
2Connect an RF cable to the output connector of the signal
generator and then connect the cable to your DUT (device
under test) or other instrument.
Figure 2 Setup for DUT test with ESA
DUT

Quick Start Guide
Preparation for Use
8
Turn On the Signal Generator
Follow this procedure to power on the signal generator:
1Press the power switch on the rear panel. The orange
LED will light and the signal generator is in standby mode.
2Press the standby switch on the front panel. The green
LED will light.
Self- initialization takes about 30 seconds; the signal
generator then defaults to the menu mode with the
maximum frequency of 3 GHz and minimum amplitude of
–127 dBm, then the signal generator is ready for your
current use. After power on, let the signal generator warm
up for 45 minutes for stabilization.
NOTE The front panel switch is a standby switch only; it is not a power
switch. To disconnect the signal generator from the line power, shut
off the power switch on the rear panel.

9
Quick Start Guide
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate a
continuous wave (CW) signal with a:
•Frequency of 1 GHz
•Power level of –20.0 dBm
Setting up Frequency
Setting up Amplitude
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press hardkey Frequency becomes the active function in
the data entry area. This area displays the
factory preset frequency.
3. Enter 1 using the
numeric keypad and
press GHz softkey
The FREQUENCY area and the active entry
area both display the new carrier frequency
(1.0000000000 GHz).
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Frequency becomes the active function in
the data entry area. This area displays the
factory preset frequency.
2. Enter –20 using the
numeric keypad and
press dBm softkey
The AMPLITUDE area and the active entry
area display the new level (–20.0 dBm).
Preset
Frequency
Amplitude

Quick Start Guide
Generating a Continuous Wave Signal
10
Enable RF Output
Figure 3 CW output Screenshot
Operation Notes
Press hardkey Notice that the display annunciator
changes from to . The CW
signal is now available at the RF OUT
connector.
RF
On/Off

11
Quick Start Guide
Generating a Sweep Signal
Generating a Sweep Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate a RF
sweep signal with the characteristics of:
•Frequency range from 1 to 2 GHz
•Step sweep of 10 points
•Dwell time of 500 ms for each step
Setting up a Step Sweep
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press hardkey Enables the submenu of sweep
softkeys.
3. Press Step Sweep softkey Enables the submenu of sweep
settings.
4. Press RF Start > 1 > GHz Sets the step sweep start
frequency to 1 GHz.
5. Press RF Stop > 2 > GHz Sets the step sweep stop
frequency to 2 GHz.
6. Press #Points > 10 > Enter Sets the step point to 10 in the step
sweep.
7. Press
More>Step Dwell>500>ms
Sets the dwell time to 500 ms for
each point in the step sweep.
Preset
Sweep

Quick Start Guide
Generating a Sweep Signal
12
Enable RF Sweep
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey Turn on the RF OUT connector. Notice
that the display annunciator changes
from to .
2. Press Return>Sweep Mode Displays another menu allowing you to
choose the sweep mode
3. Press RF softkey The indicates sweep on,
signifying that the sweep mode is
enabled. The sweep signal is now
available at the RF OUT connector.
RF
On/Off

13
Quick Start Guide
Generating a Modulated Signal
Generating a Modulated Signal
To simplify the example, assume you wish to generate an
amplitude modulated (AM) signal with a:
•Carrier frequency of 900 MHz
•Carrier power level of –20.0 dBm
•AM depth of 60%
Setting up carrier frequency and amplitude
Setting up Amplitude Modulation
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey. Sets the signal generator to its
factory-defined instrument state.
2. Press > 900 >
MHz
Sets the carrier frequency to 900 MHz
for amplitude modulation.
3. Press >–20 > dBm Sets the carrier amplitude to –20 dBm
for amplitude modulation.
Operation Notes
1. Press hardkey. Displays the AM first level menu.
2. Press AM Depth > 60 >
%
Set the AM depth to 60%.
3. Press AM On Off
softkey.
AM toggles from Off to On. The
indicates “On” signifying that you
have enabled amplitude modulation.
Preset
Frequency
Amplitude
AM

Quick Start Guide
Generating a Modulated Signal
14
Enable Amplitude Modulation
Figure 4 Amplitude Modulation on
Refer to User’s Guide for more information.
Operation Notes
Press hardkey. The display annunciator changes from
to . The AM signal is now
available at RF OUT connector.
RF
On/Off
NOTE After pressing hardkey, will display on the screen which
indicates the modulation is active. If you ignore this procedure, you
need to press hardkey to enable the modulator.
Preset
Mod
On/Off

15
Quick Start Guide
Some Help Hints
Some Help Hints
Refer to the following hints to set the signal generator to
your required setting:
•Set the screen saver on by pressing
> Screen Saver> On
•Select a display style by pressing
> Display Style
•Toggle the phase noise mode by pressing
> Opti. FNoise> Normal/ResFM Opt.
•Save the current configures for your frequent use to
either local memory or an external USB memory by
pressing > Save
•Connect and set an external reference by pressing
> Ref Setups
•Connect an external display monitor to the VGA
connector for the education projects or other needs.
Utility
Utility
Utility
File
Utility
NOTE The calibration cycle of N9310A RF Signal Generator is one year.
NOTE A button cell provides power to the real time clock of the signal
generator. It is not rechargeable. If you find your N9310A encounters a
clock defect, please contact your nearest Keysight Customer Contact
Center (CCC) for service.

Quick Start Guide
Remote Control
16
Remote Control
The N9310A signal generator provides USB connection to
your PC, allowing you run your N9310A in remote mode.
Before remotely control your N9310A, Make sure your PC
meets the following minimum requirements:
•450 MHz processor
•128 MB RAM
•175 MB available disk space
•Microsoft®Windows XP or Windows 7
•Display resolution: 800*600
Frequency
Enter
7MOD
On/Off
RF
4
1
0
2
9
6
3
On/ Off
Amplitude FM
Utility
LFOut
Preset
Local
AM I/Q
File
TriggerPulseM
·
Sweep
8
5
Remot e
Standby
On
N9310A RF Signal Generator 9kHz - 3.0 GHz
REVERSEPWR
4WMAX 30V DC
LFOU T RF O UT 50
FUN CTI ON S
USB
cable
NOTE Pressing hardkey returns the signal generator from remote mode to
local mode.
Local

17
Quick Start Guide
Remote Control
Installing Keysight IO Libraries suite
Before trying to remotely control your N9310A, you need to
install Keysight IO Libraries suite on your PC. The Keysight IO
Libraries Suite is a general purpose instrument driver for all
Keysight test and measurement instruments. This software is
in the documentation CD with the shipment, or download a
latest version from
http://www.keysight.com/find/iolib
Follow the windows wizard to finish the installation. Then,
you have successfully set up an environment for remotely
control your N9310A.
Connecting your N9310A to a Controller
1Switch on your N9310A. The orange standby LED on the
front panel is turned off and the green LED is turned on.
2Refer to the following Figure for your PC to instrument
connection.
Figure 5 USB cable connection for remote control
Then the signal generator is available for your remotely
control. Any further information on programming please
refer to User’s Guide.
Connecting
PC
Connecting
Device

Quick Start Guide
SCPI Command List
18
SCPI Command List
SCPI Command Utility
Frequency
SCPI command
:FREQuency:CW <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:CW?
Set CW frequency
:FREQuency:RF:STARt <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:RF:STARt?
Set RF start frequency
:FREQuency:LF:STARt <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:LF:STARt?
Set LF start frequency
:FREQuency:RF:STOP <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:RF:STOP?
Set RF stop frequency
:FREQuency:LF:STOP <val> <unit>
:FREQuency:LF:STOP?
Set LF stop frequency
:FREQuency:RF:SCALe LOG|LIN
:FREQuency:RF:SCALe?
Set Sweep Scaling
Amplitude
SCPI command
:AMPLitude:CW <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:CW?
Set CW frequency
:AMPLitude:STARt <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:STARt?
Set Start Amplitude
:AMPLitude:STOP <val> <unit>
:AMPLitude:STOP?
Set Stop Amplitude
Trigger
SCPI command
:TRIGger:IMMediate Sweep immediately
:TRIGger:SSWP Trigger a single sweep
Sweep
SCPI command
:SWEep:RF:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:RF:STATe?
Turn On/Off RF Sweep
:SWEep:LF:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:LF:STATe?
Turn On/Off LF Sweep
:SWEep:AMPLitude:STATe ON|OFF|1|0
:SWEep:AMPLitude:STATe?
Turn On/Off Ampl Sweep