Keysight Technologies N8921A User manual

1
DC Power Supply, SAS
This manual provides the documentation
for the following instruments:
N8920A, N8921A, N8923A, N8924A
N8925A, N8926A, N8928A, N8929A, N8930A
N8931A, N8932A, N8934A, N8935A, N8937A, N8937APV
N8940A, N8941A, N8943A, N8944A
N8945A, N8946A, N8948A, N8949A, N8950A
N8951A, N8952A, N8954A, N8955A, N8957A, N8957APV
Declassification and
Security Document

2
Notices
© Keysight Technologies, Inc.
2018
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
Acknowledgements
N/A
Manual Part Number
5991-3418
Print Date
October 2018
Published in USA
Keysight Technologies Inc.
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
inaccordance with the terms of
such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
If software is for use in the
performance of a U.S. Government
prime contract or subcontract,
Software is delivered and licensed
as “Commercial computer
software” as defined in DFAR
252.227-7014 (June 1995), or as
a “commercial item” as defined in
FAR 2.101(a) or as “Restricted
computer software” as defined in
FAR 52.227-19 (June 1987) or any
equivalent agency regulation or
contract clause. Use, duplication
or disclosure of Software is
subject to Keysight Technologies’
standard commercial license
terms, and non-DOD Departments
and Agencies of the U.S.
Government will receive no
greater than Restricted Rights as
defined in FAR 52.227-19(c)(1-2)
(June 1987). U.S. Government
users will receive no greater than
Limited Rights as defined in FAR
52.227-14 (June 1987) or DFAR
252.227-7015 (b)(2) (November
1995), 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.

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Warranty
This Keysight technologies instrument product is warranted against defects in material and
workmanship for a period of three year from the date of shipment. During the warranty period,
Keysight Technologies will, at its option, either repair or replace products that prove to be
defective. For warranty service or repair, this product must be returned to a service facility
designated by Keysight Technologies. Buyer shall prepay shipping charges to Keysight
Technologies, and Keysight Technologies shall pay shipping charges to return the product to
Buyer. For products returned to Keysight Technologies from another country, Buyer shall pay all
shipping charges, duties, and taxes.
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, use the following
URL:
http://www.keysight.com/
Then type in the model number to search for.
To receive the latest updates by email, subscribe to Keysight Email Updates:
http://www.keysight.com/find/MyKeysight
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

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Table of Contents
Contacting Keysight Sales and Service Offices................................................................... 5
Products Covered by this Document ................................................................................... 6
Security Terms and Definitions............................................................................................. 7
Instrument Memory............................................................................................................... 8
Summary of Memory Declassification Procedures ........................................................... 10
User and Remote Interface Security Measures................................................................. 11
Memory Sanitization Procedures For Declassifying a Faulty Instrument........................ 13
References ........................................................................................................................... 14

5
Contacting Keysight Sales and Service Offices
Assistance with test and measurement needs, and information on finding a local Keysight office,
is available on the Internet at:
http://www.keysight.com/find/assist
If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact your field engineer.
In any correspondence or telephone conversation, refer to the instrument by its model
number and full serial number. With this information, the Keysight representative can
determine whether your unit is still within its warranty period.

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Products Covered by this Document
Product Family
Name
Product Names
Model Numbers
DC Power Supply DC Power 5KW
N8920A, N8940A
N8921A, N8941A
N8923A, N8943A
N8924A, N8944A
DC Power Supply DC Power 10KW
N8925A, N8945A
N8926A, N8946A
N8928A, N8948A
N8929A, N8949A
N8930A, N8950A
DC Power Supply DC Power 15KW
N8931A, N8951A
N8932A, N8952A
N8934A, N8954A
N8935A, N8955A
N8937A, N8957A
Photovoltaic Array
Simulator SAS 1500VDC, 15KW N8937APV
N8957APV
This document describes instrument security features and the steps to declassify an instrument
through memory clearing, sanitization or removal.
For additional information, go to:
http://www.keysight.com/find/security
Be sure that all information stored by the user in the instrument that needs to be saved is
properly backed up before attempting to clear any of the instrument memory. Keysight
Technologies cannot be held responsible for any lost files or data resulting from the
clearing of memory. Be sure to read this document entirely before proceeding with any file
deletion or memory clearing.

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Security Terms and Definitions
Term Definition
Clearing As defined in Section 8-301a of DoD 5220.22-M, clearing is the process of eradicating the data
on media before reusing the media so that the data can no longer be retrieved using the standard
interfaces on the instrument. Clearing is typically used when the instrument is to remain in an
environment with an acceptable level of protection.
Instrument
Declassification
A term that refers to procedures that must be undertaken before an instrument can be removed
from a secure environment, such as is the case when the instrument is returned for calibration.
Declassification procedures include memory sanitization or memory removal, or both. Keysight
declassification procedures are designed to meet the requirements specified in DoD 5220.22-
M, Chapter 8.
Sanitization
As defined in Section 8-301b of DoD 5220.22-M, sanitization is the process of removing or
eradicating stored data so that the data cannot be recovered using any known technology.
Instrument sanitization is typically required when an instrument is moved from a secure to a non-
secure environment, such as when it is returned to the factory for calibration.
Keysight memory sanitization procedures are designed for customers who need to meet the
requirements specified by the US Defense Security Service (DSS). These requirements are
specified in the “Clearing and Sanitization Matrix” in Section 5.2.5.5.5 of the ISFO Process
Manual.
Secure Erase
Secure Erase is a term that is used to refer to either the clearing or sanitization features of
Keysight instruments.

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Instrument Memory
This section contains information on the types of memory available in your instrument. It explains
the size of memory, how it is used, its location, volatility, and the sanitization procedure.
This instrument uses a NAND Flash memory chip to retain the needed system information and
the user memory partition. The User memory partition is separate and independent so that the
sanitization procedures may be applied to only this partition on a sector by sector basis.
Summary of instrument memory – All Models
Memory Type
and Size
Is Memory user
accessible as a mass
storage device?
Writable During
Normal Operation?
Data Retained When
Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
System Flash
(NAND Flash)
42 MB
No
Yes
Yes
Contains the
operating system
and instrument
firwmare
Factory
Install /
Firmware
Upgrade
IO board
No method, not
user accessible, and
contains no
application-specific
information.
User Flash
(NAND Flash)
(Agilent Flash)
79 MB
Yes
Yes
Yes
saved instrument
states, calibration
and web password
User-saved
data
IO board (same
chip as firmware
memory, but
managed
separately.
See Table 1
NAND Flash
(Agilent
Flash2)
1 MB
No
Yes
Yes
Not Used
Factory or
Service
Only
IO board (same
chip as firmware
memory, but
managed
separately
No method, not
user accessible, and
contains no
application-specific
information.
Flash
4 Mb
No
Yes
Yes
Bootloader
components that
load the operating
firmware from the
NAND flash
memory
Factory
Install
IO board (same
chip as firmware
memory, but
managed
separately
No method, not
user accessible, and
contains no
application-specific
information.

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Memory Type
and Size
Is Memory user
accessible as a mass
storage device?
Writable During
Normal Operation?
Data Retained When
Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
PROM
M25P40
FLASH
Memory
2 Kb
No
Yes
Yes
FPGA program
code. No user
stored data.
Factory
Service
Only
IO board
No method, not
user accessible
Memory Type
and Size
Is Memory user
accessible as a mass
storage device?
Writable During
Normal Operation?
Data Retained When
Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
4kB
EEPROM
No
Yes
Yes
Analog interface
calibration,
Model number,
serial number,
nominal values,
firmware and
hardware version.
Factory
Service
Only
KE board
No method, not
user accessible
2kB
EEPROM
No
Yes
Yes
Calibration
parameters.
Factory
Service
Only
LT board
No method, not
user accessible

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Summary of Memory Declassification Procedures
This section explains how to clear, sanitize, and remove memory from your instrument, for all
classes of memory that are writeable during normal operation.
Be sure that all information stored by the user in the instrument that needs to be
saved is properly backed up before attempting to clear any of the instrument
memory. Keysight Technologies cannot be held responsible for any lost files or data
resulting from the clearing of memory. Be sure to read this document entirely before
proceeding with any file deletion or memory clearing
Table 1
Description and
purpose
User preferences and instrument states
Size
79 MB
Memory clearing
See Memory Sanitization
Memory sanitization
On the remote interface send: SYSTem:SECurity:IMMediate
This procedure clears all instrument memory except for the instrument’s firmware, MAC
address and serial number and calibration data, and then reboots the instrument to the
new memory state. This routine writes all zeros to memory and then performs a full chip
erase as per manufacturer’s data sheet. This procedure is not recommended for use in
routine applications because of the possibility of unintended loss of data.
Memory removal
Remove the IO board per the N8900 Series Service Guide disassembly instructions.
Write protecting
N/A
Remarks
N/A
The following Error is normal after NVRAM is sanitized.
Error 210 Frame NVRAM error,
A non-volatile RAM error has occurred in the instrument.

11
User and Remote Interface Security Measures
Administrative Password
To reset an instrument’s administrative password, follow the procedure in the N8900
Operating and Service Guide . This involves removing power and other connections to
the instrument, removing the instrument cover (requires tools), changing a switch
position, and cycling power. The calibration count will increment when the password is
reset using this method.
The password never expires.
This instrument does not track or report invalid password attempts, nor does it lock-out
password entry following a number of invalid password entries.
Remote Access Interfaces
The user is responsible for providing security for the I/O ports for remote access by
controlling physical access to the I/O ports. The I/O ports must be controlled because
they provide access to all user settings, user states and the display image. The I/O ports
include USB, GPIB, and LAN.
The LAN port provides the following services, which can be selectively disabled:
a) VXI-11
b) Sockets
c) Telnet
d) Web instrument control
e) mDNS
To disable LAN services:
On the front panel press the Menu key, then System\IO\LAN\Modify\Services
To disable USB or GPIB:
On the front panel press the Menu key, then System\Admin\ IO
Controlling the front panel display
The front panel display can be turned off from the remote interface by sending the
command:
DISPlay off
The display is enabled when power is cycled.
Calibration regulation
The instrument requires a password to allow calibration. The instrument’s calibration
count will increment each time calibration is saved.
Firmware update regulation
The instrument may be configured to require a password to allow updating the firmware.
On the front panel press the Menu key, then System\Admin\Login

12
Login with the administrative password
Navigate to System\Admin\Update and check the box:
"Must log in as admin to allow firmware update"
The instrument’s calibration count will increment with each successful update.

13
Memory Sanitization Procedures For Declassifying a Faulty
Instrument.
If the instrument is not functioning and you are unable to use the security functions, you must
physically remove the IO board from the power supply. Refer to the operating and service guide
for disassembly instructions.
Once this assembly is removed, destroy the IO board and send the instrument to a repair facility. If
the repair facility determines that a new IO board fixes the problem and the instrument is still
under warranty, you will not be charged for the new board. If they determine that the failure was
caused by something other than the IO board, you will be charged for the new board even though
the instrument is still under warranty.

14
References
1. DoD 5220.22-M, “National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM)”
United States Department of Defense. Revised May 18, 2016.
May be downloaded in Acrobat (PDF) format from:
http://www.dss.mil/isp/fac_clear/download_nispom.html
2.
ISFO Process Manual for the Certification and Accreditation of Classified Systems under the NISPOM
Defense Security Service.
http://www.dss.mil/documents/