Keysight Technologies X-Series Operating instructions

Programming
Guide
Keysight
N5166B CXG
N5171B/72B/73B EXG
N5181B/82B/83B MXG
X-Series Signal Generators

Notices
© Keysight Technologies, Inc.
2012-2019
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
N5180-90074
Edition
Edition 1, July 2019
Supersedes: February 2019
Printed in USA/Malaysia
Published by:
Keysight Technologies
1400 Fountaingrove Parkway
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
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
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and the license set forth therein,
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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
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extent that those terms, rights, or
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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.

3
Where to Find the Latest Information
Documentation is updated periodically. For the latest information about these products, including instrument software
upgrades, application information, and product information, browse to one of the following URLs, according to the name
of your product:
http://www.keysight.com/find/mxg
To receive the latest updates by email, subscribe to Keysight Email Updates at the following URL:
http://www.keysight.com/find/MyKeysight
Information on preventing instrument damage can be found at:
www.keysight.com/find/PreventingInstrumentRepair
Is your product software up-to-date?
Periodically, Keysight releases software updates to fix known defects and incorporate product enhancements. To search
for software updates for your product, go to the Keysight Technical Support website at:
http://www.keysight.com/find/techsupport

4

Contents
5
Table of Contents
1. Getting Started with Remote Operation
Programming and Software/Hardware Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
IO Libraries and Programming Languages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Keysight IO Libraries Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Windows XP, 2000 Professional and Vista Business Keysight IO Libraries 15.0 (and Newer). . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Windows NT and Keysight IO Libraries M (and Earlier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Selecting IO Libraries for GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Selecting IO Libraries for LAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Programming Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Using the Web Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Modifying the Signal Generator Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Enabling the Signal Generator Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
LAN Configuration System Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Displaying the LAN Configuration Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Configuring the Display for Remote Command Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Getting Key Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Error Message File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Error Message Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
2. Using IO Interfaces
Using GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Installing the GPIB Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Set Up the GPIB Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Verify GPIB Functionality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
GPIB Interface Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
GPIB Programming Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Before Using the GPIB Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Interface Check using HP Basic and GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Interface Check Using NI–488.2 and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
Using LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Setting Up the LAN Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Setting up Private LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Verifying LAN Functionality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46
Using VXI–11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-50
Using Sockets LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Using Telnet LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-52
Using FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-56
Using USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-58
Selecting I/O Libraries for USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59
Setting Up the USB Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59

6
Contents
3. Programming Examples
Using the Programming Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Programming Examples Development Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Running C++ Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Running C# Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Running Basic Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Running Java Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-65
Running MATLAB Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-66
Running Perl Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-66
Using GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67
Installing the GPIB Interface Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67
GPIB Programming Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
Before Using the GPIB Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
GPIB Function Statements (Command Messages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
Interface Check using HP Basic and GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-72
Interface Check Using NI-488.2 and C++. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-73
Interface Check for GPIB Using VISA and C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Local Lockout Using HP Basic and GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76
Local Lockout Using NI-488.2 and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-78
Queries Using HP Basic and GPIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Queries Using NI-488.2 and Visual C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Queries for GPIB Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-85
Generating a CW Signal Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-88
Generating an Externally Applied AC-Coupled FM Signal Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-91
Generating an Internal FM Signal Using VISA and C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93
Generating a Step-Swept Signal Using VISA and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-96
Generating a Swept Signal Using VISA and Visual C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Saving and Recalling States Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-101
Reading the Data Questionable Status Register Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-104
Reading the Service Request Interrupt (SRQ) Using VISA and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-110
LAN Programming Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-115
VXI-11 Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-115
VXI-11 Programming Using SICL and C++. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-116
VXI-11 Programming Using VISA and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-118
Sockets LAN Programming and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-120
Queries for Lan Using Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-124
Sockets LAN Programming Using Java . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-150
Sockets LAN Programming Using Perl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-153
TCP-IP (LAN) Programming Using Matlab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-154
4. Programming the Status Register System
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-168
Overall Status Byte Register Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-170
Status Register Bit Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-172
Example: Enable a Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-172
Example: Query a Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-172
Accessing Status Register Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-173

Contents
7
Determining What to Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-173
Deciding How to Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-173
Status Register SCPI Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-176
Status Byte Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-179
Status Byte Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-180
Service Request Enable Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-180
Status Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-181
Standard Event Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-182
Standard Operation Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-184
Data Questionable Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-187
Data Questionable Power Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-190
Data Questionable Frequency Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-193
Data Questionable Calibration Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-196
Data Questionable BERT Status Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-199
5. Creating and Downloading Waveform Files
Overview of Downloading and Extracting Waveform Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-204
Waveform Data Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-205
Understanding Waveform Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-206
Bits and Bytes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-206
LSB and MSB (Bit Order). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-207
Little Endian and Big Endian (Byte Order) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-207
Byte Swapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-208
DAC Input Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-209
2’s Complement Data Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-211
I and Q Interleaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-212
Waveform Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-214
File Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-214
Marker File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-214
I/Q File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-216
Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-216
Waveform Phase Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-217
Phase Discontinuity, Distortion, and Spectral Regrowth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-217
Avoiding Phase Discontinuities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-218
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-220
Memory Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-222
Memory Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-224
Commands for Downloading and Extracting Waveform Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-225
Waveform Data Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-225
File Transfer Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-226
SCPI Command Line Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-227
Commands and File Paths for Downloading and Extracting Waveform Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-227
FTP Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-231
Creating Waveform Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-235
Code Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-235
Downloading Waveform Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-241
Using Simulation Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-241

8
Contents
Using Advanced Programming Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-243
Loading, Playing, and Verifying a Downloaded Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-247
Loading a File from Non–Volatile Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-247
Playing the Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-247
Verifying the Waveform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-248
Building and Playing Waveform Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-248
Using the Download Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-250
Downloading E443xB Signal Generator Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-251
E443xB Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-252
SCPI Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-252
Programming Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-253
C++ Programming Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-254
MATLAB Programming Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-284
Visual Basic Programming Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-301
HP Basic Programming Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-308
Troubleshooting Waveform Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-317
Configuring the Pulse/RF Blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-318
6. Creating and Downloading User–Data Files
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-320
Signal Generator Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-321
Memory Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-323
Memory Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-324
Checking Available Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-325
User File Data (Bit/Binary) Downloads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-327
User File Bit Order (LSB and MSB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-328
Bit File Type Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-328
Binary File Type Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-331
User File Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-332
Determining Memory Usage for Custom User File Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-333
Downloading User Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-334
Commands for Bit File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-338
Commands for Binary File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-339
Selecting a Downloaded User File as the Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-341
Modulating and Activating the Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-341
Modifying User File Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-341
Real–Time Custom High Data Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-344
Pattern RAM (PRAM) Data Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-346
Understanding PRAM Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-346
PRAM File Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-349
SCPI Command for a List Format Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-351
SCPI Command for a Block Data Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-351
Selecting a Downloaded PRAM File as the Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-354
Modulating and Activating the Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-356
Storing a PRAM File to Non–Volatile Memory and Restoring to Volatile Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-356
Extracting a PRAM File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-356
Modifying PRAM Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-358

Contents
9
FIR Filter Coefficient Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-360
Data Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-360
Data Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-360
Downloading FIR Filter Coefficient Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-361
Selecting a Downloaded User FIR Filter as the Active Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-362
Using the Equalization Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-364
Save and Recall Instrument State Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-365
Save and Recall SCPI Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-365
Save and Recall Programming Example Using VISA and C# . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-366
User Flatness Correction Downloads Using C++ and VISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-379
Data Transfer Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-384
User File Download Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-384
PRAM Download Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-385
User FIR Filter Coefficient File Download Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-387

10
Contents

11
Documentation Overview
Getting Started Guide — Safety Information
— Receiving the Instrument
— Environmental & Electrical Requirements
—BasicSetup
— Accessories
— Operation Verification
— Regulatory Information
User’s Guide — Signal Generator Overview
— Preferences & Enabling Options
— Basic Operation
—OptimizePerformance
— Avionics VOR/ILS (Option N5180302B)
— Analog Modulation (Option UNT)
— Pulse Modulation (Options UNW or N5180320B)
— Basic Digital Operation—No BBG Option
— Basic Digital Operation (Options 653/655/656/657)
— Digital Signal Interface Module (Option 003 /004)
— Baseband Operating Mode—Primary, BERT, or N5102A
—BERT(Option N5180UN7B)
— Real–Time Noise—AWGN (Option N5180403B)
— Real–Time Phase Noise Impairments (Option N5180432B)
— Real-Time Fading (Option 660)
—Custom Digital Modulation (Option N5180431B)
— Multitone and Two-Tone Waveforms (Option N5180430B)
— Troubleshooting
— Working in a Secure Environment
Programming Guide — Getting Started with Remote Operation
— Using IO Interfaces
— Programming Examples
— Programming the Status Register System
— Creating and Downloading Files
— Creating and Downloading User–Data Files
SCPI Reference —SCPI Basics
—Basic Function Commands
—System Commands
—Analog Modulation Commands
—Arb Commands
—Avionics VOR/ILS Commands
—Bit Error Rate Test (BERT) Commands
—Digital Signal Interface Module Commands
—Real-Time Commands

12
Programming
Compatibility Guide
— Provides a listing of SCPI commands and programming codes for
signal generator models that are supported by the Keysight EXG
and MXG X- Series signal generators.
Service Guide — Troubleshooting
— Replaceable Parts
— Assembly Replacement
— Post–Repair Procedures
— Safety and Regulatory Information
— Instrument History
Error Messages Guide — Error Messages
— Error Message Format
— Error Message Type
— List of Error Messages
Key Helpa— Key function description
— Related SCPI commands
a. Press the Help key, and then the key for which you wish help.

13
Keysight Technologies
X-Series Signal Generators
Programming Guide
1 Getting Started with Remote Operation
—Programming and Software/Hardware Layers on page 14
—Interfaces on page 15
—IO Libraries and Programming Languages on page 16
—Using the Web Browser on page 23
—Preferences on page 30
—Error Messages on page 32
Keysight does not recommend going backwards in firmware versions
(loading older firmware versions into newer instruments) as
hardware/firmware conflicts can result.

14 Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide
Getting Started with Remote Operation
Programming and Software/Hardware Layers
Programming and Software/Hardware Layers
Keysight X-Series signal generators support the following interfaces:
Use these interfaces, in combination with IO libraries and programming
languages, to remotely control a signal generator. Figure 1-1 uses GPIB as an
example of the relationships between the interface, IO libraries, programming
language, and signal generator.
Figure 1-1 Software/Hardware Layers
Table 1-1
Instrument Interfaces Supported
Keysight N51xxB
EXG/MXG
GPIB, LAN, and USB 2.0

Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide 15
Getting Started with Remote Operation
Interfaces
Interfaces
Table 1-2
GPIB GPIB is used extensively when a dedicated computer is available for remote control of
each instrument or system. Data transfer is fast because GPIB handles information in bytes
with data transfer rates of up to 8 MBps. GPIB is physically restricted by the location and
distance between the instrument/system and the computer; cables are limited to an
average length of two meters per device with a total length of 20 meters.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the GPIB,
refer to “Using GPIB” on page 36.
LAN Data transfer using the LAN is fast as the LAN handles packets of data. The single cable
distance between a computer and the signal generator is limited to 100 meters
(100Base-T and 10Base-T).
The following protocols can be used to communicate with the signal generator over the
LAN:
— VXI-11 (recommended)
—Sockets
—TELNET
—FTP
The Keysight N51xxB EXG/MXG supports LXI Class C functionality. For more information
on the LXI standards, refer to http://www.lxistandard.org/home.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the LAN,
refer to “Using LAN” on page 42.
USB — The rear panel Type-B or Mini-B 5-pin connector is a device USB and can
be used to connect a controller for remote operation.
— The Type-A front panel connector is a host USB and can be used to
connect a mouse, a keyboard, or a USB 1.1/2.0 flash drive.
USB 2.0’s 64 MBps communication speed is faster than GPIB for data transfers >1 KB;
however, longer latency makes small USB transfers slower and less efficient than GPIB.
For additional information, refer to the Keysight SICL or VISA User’s Guide.)
For more information on connecting the signal generator to the USB, refer to the
“Keysight IO Libraries Suite” on page 16 and the Keysight Connection Expert in the
Keysight IO Libraries Help.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the USB,
refer to “Using USB” on page 58.

16 Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide
Getting Started with Remote Operation
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
The IO libraries is a collection of functions used by a programming language to
send instrument commands and receive instrument data. Before you can
communicate and control the signal generator, you must have an IO library
installed on your computer. The Keysight IO libraries are included on an
Automation-Ready CD with your signal generator and Keysight GPIB interface
board, or they can be downloaded from the Keysight website:
http://www.keysight.com.
Keysight IO Libraries Suite
The Keysight IO Libraries Suite replaces earlier versions of the Keysight IO
Libraries. Keysight IO Libraries Suite does not support Windows NT. If you are
using the Windows NT platform, you must use Keysight IO Libraries version M
or earlier.
Once the libraries are loaded, you can use the Keysight Connection Expert,
Interactive IO, or VISA Assistant to configure and communicate with the signal
generator over different IO interfaces. Follow instructions in the setup wizard to
install the libraries.
Refer to the Keysight IO Libraries Suite Help documentation for details about
this software.
To learn about using IO libraries with Windows XP or newer operating
systems, refer to the Keysight IO Libraries Suite’s help located on the
Automation-Ready CD that ships with your signal generator. Other sources
of this information, can be found with the Keysight GPIB interface board’s
CD, or downloaded from the Keysight website: http://www.keysight.com.
To better understand setting up Windows XP operating systems and
newer, using PC LAN port settings, refer to Chapter 2.
The USB interface requires Keysight IO Libraries Suite 14.1 or newer. For
more information on connecting instruments using USB, refer to the
Keysight Connection Expert in the Keysight IO Libraries Help.
The signal generator ships with an Automation-Ready CD that contains the
Keysight IO Libraries Suite 14.0 for users who use Windows 98 and
Windows ME. These older systems are no longer supported in Keysight IO
Libraries Suite version 14.1 and higher.
Before setting the LAN interface, the signal generator must be configured
for VXI-11 SCPI. Refer to “Configuring the VXI–11 Service” on page 43.

Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide 17
Getting Started with Remote Operation
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
Windows XP, 2000 Professional and Vista Business Keysight IO
Libraries 15.0 (and Newer)
VISA Assistant
VISA is an industry standard IO library API. It allows the user to send SCPI
commands to instruments and to read instrument data in a variety of formats.
Refer to the VISA Assistant Help menu and the Keysight VISA User’s Manual
(available on Keysight’s website) for more information.
VISA Configuration (Automatic)
1. Run the VISA Assistant program:
Start > All Programs > Keysight IO Libraries Suite > Keysight Connection
Expert > Tools > Visa Assistant >.
2. Click on the interface you want to use for sending commands to the signal
generator.
3. Click the Formatted I/O tab.
4. Select SCPI in the Instr. Lang. section.
You can enter SCPI commands in the text box and send the command using
the viPrintf button.
Windows NT is not supported on Keysight IO Libraries 14.0 and newer.
For additional information on older versions of Keysight IO libraries, refer
to the Keysight Connection Expert in the Keysight IO Libraries Help. The
Keysight IO libraries are included with your signal generator or Keysight
GPIB interface board, or they can be downloaded from the Keysight
website: http://www.keysight.com.

18 Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide
Getting Started with Remote Operation
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
Using VISA Configuration (Manual)
Use the Keysight IO Libraries Suite 15.0 to perform the following steps to use
the Connection Expert and VISA to manually configure an interface.
1. Run the Keysight Connection Expert program: Start > All Programs >
Keysight IO Libraries Suite > Keysight Connection Expert >.
2. On the tool bar select the Add Interface button.
3. Click LAN Interface in the Available interface types text box.
4. Click the ADD button.
5. Verify that the Auto (automatically detect protocol) bubble is checked.
Click O.K. to use the default settings.
6. Click LAN(TCPIPO) in the Instrument I/O on this PC text box.
7. On the tool bar select the Add Instrument button.
8. Click the Add Address button in the Add LAN Instruments window.
9. Enter the hostname of the instrument or select the Use IP Address check
box and enter the IP address.
10.Click OK.

Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide 19
Getting Started with Remote Operation
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
Windows NT and Keysight IO Libraries M (and Earlier)
Using IO Config for Computer-to-Instrument Communication with VISA
(Automatic or Manually)
After installing the Keysight IO Libraries version M or earlier, you can configure
the interfaces available on your computer by using the IO Config program. This
program can setup the interfaces that you want to use to control the signal
generator. The following steps set up the interfaces.
1. Install GPIB interface boards before running IO Config.
2. Run the IO Config program. The program automatically identifies available
interfaces.
3. Click on the interface type you want to configure, such as GPIB, in the
Available Interface Types text box.
4. Click the Configure button. Set the Default Protocol to AUTO.
5. Click OK to use the default settings.
6. Click OK to exit the IO Config program.
VISA Assistant
VISA is an industry standard IO library API. It allows the user to send SCPI
commands to instruments and to read instrument data in a variety of formats.
You can use the VISA Assistant, available with the Keysight IO Libraries
versions M and earlier, to send commands to the signal generator. If the
interface you want to use does not appear in the VISA Assistant then you must
manually configure the interface. See the Manual VISA Configuration section
below. Refer to the VISA Assistant Help menu and the Keysight VISA User’s
Manual (available on Keysight’s website) for more information.
Windows NT is not supported on Keysight IO Libraries 14.0 and newer.
The following sections are specific to Keysight IO Libraries versions M and
earlier and apply only to the Windows NT platform.
For additional information on older versions of Keysight IO libraries, refer
to the Keysight Connection Expert in the Keysight IO Libraries Help. The
Keysight IO libraries are included with your signal generator or Keysight
GPIB interface board, or they can be downloaded from the Keysight
website: http://www.keysight.com.
You can also connect GPIB instruments using the Keysight 82357A
USB/GPIB Interface Converter, which eliminates the need for a GPIB card.
For more information, go to http://www.keysight.com/find/gpib.

20 Keysight CXG, EXG, and MXG X-Series Signal Generators Programming Guide
Getting Started with Remote Operation
IO Libraries and Programming Languages
VISA Configuration (Automatic)
1. Run the VISA Assistant program.
2. Click on the interface you want to use for sending commands to the signal
generator.
3. Click the Formatted I/O tab.
4. Select SCPI in the Instr. Lang. section.
You can enter SCPI commands in the text box and send the command using
the viPrintf button.
VISA Configuration (Manual)
Perform the following steps to use IO Config and VISA to manually configure an
interface.
1. Run the IO Config Program.
2. Click on GPIB in the Available Interface Types text box.
3. Click the Configure button. Set the Default Protocol to AUTO and then
click OK to use the default settings.
4. Click on GPIB0 in the Configured Interfaces text box.
5. Click Edit...
6. Click the Edit VISA Config... button.
7. Click the Add device button.
8. Enter the GPIB address of the signal generator.
9. Click the OK button in this form and all other forms to exit the IO Config
program.