Keysight MXG A Series User manual

Security
Features and
Document of
Volatility
Keysight Signal Generators
This manual provides documentation for the
following instruments:
MXG Signal Generator (Series A)
ESG Signal Generator

2
Notices
Copyright Notice
© Keysight Technologies 2004-2017
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.
Manual Part Number
E4400-90621
Edition
Edition 3, October 2017
Supersedes: May 2017
Published by:
Keysight Technologies Inc.
1400 Fountaingrove Parkway
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
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.
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 APARTICULAR 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 OF ANY INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN. SHOULD KEYSIGHT AND
THE USER HAVE ASEPARATE WRITTEN
AGREEMENT WITH WARRANTY TERMS
COVERING THE MATERIAL IN THIS DOCUMENT
THAT CONFLICT WITH THESE TERMS, THE
WARRANTY TERMS IN THE SEPARATE
AGREEMENT SHALL CONTROL.
Safety Information
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.

Instrument Messages 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, see one of the following URLs, depending on the model number
of your instrument:
http://www.keysight.com/find/mxg
http://www.keysight.com/find/esg
To receive the latest updates by email, subscribe to Keysight Email Updates:
http://www.keysight.com/find/emailupdates
Information on preventing instrument damage can be found at:
http://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

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Contents
4
Table of Contents
1 Contacting Keysight Sales and Service Offices 5
2 Products Covered by this Document 6
Document Purpose 6
Recommended Software Upgrades 7
3 Security Terms and Definitions 8
4 Instrument Memory & Volatility 9
MXG (Series A) Memory 10
ESG Memory 14
5 Memory Clearing, Sanitization and Removal Procedures 19
Erase All (Option 006 Only) 20
Erase and Overwrite All 21
Erase and Sanitize All (Option 006 Only) 22
Clear Persistent State Information 23
Instrument Setup 23
LAN Setup (MXG Only) 23
User IQ Cal File (Vector Models Only) 23
6UsingSecureMode 24
7 Using Secure Display 25
8 Security Issues for Certain Firmware Revisions 26
Firmware Update Procedure 26
Error Messages and Secure Environments 27
Recovering Erased System Files 28
9 Procedure for Declassifying a Faulty Instrument 29
Appendix A References 30

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Contacting Keysight Sales and Service Offices
5
1 Contacting Keysight Sales and Service Offices
Assistance with test and measurement needs, and information to help you find
a local Keysight office, is available via the internet at,
http://www.keysight.com/find/assist. If you do not have internet access,
please contact your designated Keysight representative.
NOTE 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.

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Products Covered by this Document
6
2 Products Covered by this Document
Document Purpose
This document describes instrument memory types and security features. It
provides a statement regarding the volatility of all memory types, and specifies
the steps required to declassify an instrument through memory clearing,
sanitization, or removal.
For additional information, go to:
http://www.keysight.com/find/security
IMPORTANT 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.
Product Family
Name
Product Name Model Number Firmware Revision
X-Series Signal
Generators
MXG Signal Generator (Series A) N5183A
N5182A
N5181A
N5162Aa
N5161Aa
a. For the N5161A/62A Signal Generators, the softkey menus and features described in this guide are only
available through the web-enabled interface or via SCPI commands. Refer to the instrument Installation
Guide, Programming Guide and SCPI Programmers Reference for more information.
All
Keysight Signal
Generators
ESG Signal Generator E4438Cb
b. See “Recommended Software Upgrades” on page 7 for important firmware version information.
C.03.40 or higher
E4428CbAll

Security Features & Document of Volatility 7
Products Covered by this Document
Recommended Software Upgrades
Recommended Software Upgrades
The information in this section applies only to PSG and ESG Signal Generators.
CAUTION Do not use the Erase All, Erase and Overwrite All, Erase and Sanitize All,
Erase, Overwrite, or Sanitize procedures with any of the firmware revisions
listed in Table 2-1 below.
If your instrument’s current firmware revision is among those listed, please
upgrade immediately to newer firmware. For details, see “Firmware Update
Procedure” on page 26.
Table 2-1 Firmware revisions that require upgrades
Instrument model number Current firmware revision Upgrade to firmware revision
E44x8C C.04.84, C.04.86, C.04.95 C.04.96 or later

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Security Terms and Definitions
8
3 Security Terms and Definitions
Term Definition
Clearing As defined in Section 8-301a of DoD 5220.22-M, “National Industrial Security Program Operating
Manual (NISPOM)”, clearing is the process of eradicating the data on media before reusing the
media in an environment that provides an acceptable level of protection for the data that was on the
media before clearing. Hence, 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,
“National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM)”, Chapter 8.
Sanitization As defined in Section 8-301b of DoD 5220.22-M, “National Industrial Security Program Operating
Manual (NISPOM)”, sanitization is the process of removing the data from media before reusing the
media in an environment that does not provide an acceptable level of protection for the data that
was in the media before sanitizing. Hence, 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 for the
Certification and Accreditation of Classified Systems under the NISPOM.
Secure Erase Secure Erase is a term that is used to refer to either the clearing or sanitization features of Keysight
instruments.

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Instrument Memory & Volatility
9
4 Instrument Memory & Volatility
This chapter contains information on the memory components in your
instrument.
The tables provide details of the size of each memory component, its type, how
it is used, its location, volatility, and the sanitization procedure.
The descriptions are divided by product type, as follows:
—“MXG (Series A) Memory” on page 10
—“ESG Memory” on page 14

Security Features & Document of Volatility 10
Instrument Memory & Volatility
MXG (Series A) Memory
MXG (Series A) Memory
The following tables describe each memory type used in the base instrument
and optional baseband generator.
Table 4-1 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
1. Main Memory
(DRAM)
32 MByte
Yes No Firmware operating
memory
Operating
system
CPU board, not
battery backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
2. Main Memory
(Flash)
8 MByte
Yes Yes Factory calibration/
configuration data
User file systema, which
includes flatness
calibration, instrument
states, and sweep lists
Firmware
upgrades and
user-saved
dataa
CPU board
(same chip as
firmware
memory, but
managed
separately)
Because this
memory chip
contains 8 MB of
user data
(described here)
and 8 MB of
firmware memory,
a full-chip erase is
not desirable.
User data areas
are selectively and
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.

Security Features & Document of Volatility 11
Instrument Memory & Volatility
MXG (Series A) Memory
3. Firmware
Memory
(Flash)
8 MByte
No Yes Main firmware image Factory
installed or
firmware
upgrade
During normal
operation, this
memory
cannot be
overwritten.
CPU board
(same chip as
main flash
memory, but
managed
separately)
Because this
memory chip
contains 8 MB of
user data and
8 MB of firmware
memory
(described here), a
full-chip erase is
not desirable.
User data areas
are selectively and
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
4. Bootrom
Memory
(EEPROM)
8 KByte
No Yes CPU bootup parameters Factory
programmed
CPU board None required (no
user data)
Yes Yes LAN configuration Front panel
entry or
remotely
During normal
operation, this
memory cannot
be overwritten
or erased except
for LAN
configuration.
This read-only
data is
programmed at
the factory.
5. Calibration
Data
(Flash)
256 KByte
No Yes Factory calibration and
configuration data
backup
Factory or
service only
RF Board None required (no
user data)
Table 4-1 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 12
Instrument Memory & Volatility
MXG (Series A) Memory
6. LCD Display
Memory
(DRAM)
160 KByte
No No Display buffer Operating
system
CPU board, not
battery backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
7. Front Panel
Memory
(Flash)
32 KByte
No Yes Front panel keyboard
controller firmware
Operating
system
Front Panel
board
None required (no
user data)
a. Analog instruments only
Table 4-2 Vector Models with Baseband Generator (N5162A/N5182A with Options 651, 652, or
654)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
1. Waveform
Memory
(DRAM)
320 MByte
Yes No Waveforms (including
header and marker data)
Normal user
operation
Not battery
backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
2. Extended
Persistent
Memory
(Flash)a
4 GByte
Yes Yes All user data Normal user
operation
User data is
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
Table 4-1 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 13
Instrument Memory & Volatility
MXG (Series A) Memory
3. Calibration
Data Memory
(Flash)
128 KByte
No Yes No user data Factory or
service only
None required (no
user data)
a. For serial numbers lower than MY/US/SG4818xxxx, the persistent memory value is 512 MByte.
Table 4-2 Vector Models with Baseband Generator (N5162A/N5182A with Options 651, 652, or
654)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 14
Instrument Memory & Volatility
ESG Memory
ESG Memory
The following tables describe each memory type used in the base instrument,
optional baseband generator, optional hard disk and option flash drive.
Table 4-3 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
1. Main Memory
(SDRAM)
64 MByte
Yes No Firmware operating
memory
Operating
system (not
user)
CPU board.
Not battery
backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
2. Main Memory
(Flash)
20 MByte
Yes Yes Factory calibration/
configuration data
User file system, which
includes instrument
status backup, flatness
calibration, IQcalibration,
instrument states,
waveforms (including
header and marker data),
modulation definitions,
and sweep lists
Firmware
upgrades and
user-saved
data
CPU board
(same chip as
firmware
memory, but
managed
separately)
User data is not
stored in this
memory if hard
disk (Option
005) or flash
drive (Option
008/009) is
installed.
Because this
32 MB memory
chip contains 20
MB of user data
(described here)
and 12 MB of
firmware memory,
a selective chip
erase is
performed.
User data areas
are selectively and
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.

Security Features & Document of Volatility 15
Instrument Memory & Volatility
ESG Memory
3. Firmware
Memory
(Flash)
12 MByte
No Yes Main firmware image Factory
installed or
firmware
upgrade
CPU board
(same chip as
main flash
memory, but
managed
separately)
During normal
operation, this
memory cannot
be overwritten
except for LAN
configuration.
Because this
32 MB memory
chip contains
20 MB of user
data and 12 MB of
firmware memory
(described here), a
selective chip
erase is
performed.
User data areas
are selectively and
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
Yes Yes LAN configuration Front panel
entry or
remotely
4. Battery Backed
Memory
(SRAM)
512 KByte
Yes Yes User-editable data (table
editors)
Last instrument state,
last instrument state
backup, and persistent
instrument state and
instrument status
Firmware
operations
CPU board
The battery is
located on the
motherboard.
Sanitized by the
procedure
described in
“Erase and
Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
5. Bootrom
Memory
(Flash)
128 KByte
No Yes CPU bootup program and
firmware loader/updater
Factory
programmed
CPU board
During normal
operation, this
memory cannot
be overwritten
or erased.
None required (no
user data)
6. Calibration
Backup Memory
(Flash)
512 KByte
No Yes Factory calibration/
configuration data
backup
Factory or
service only
Motherboard None required (no
user data)
Table 4-3 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 16
Instrument Memory & Volatility
ESG Memory
7. Boards
Memory
(Flash)
512 Bytes
No Yes Factory calibration and
information files, code
images, and self-test
limits
Factory or
service only
All RF boards,
baseband
generator, and
motherboard
None required (no
user data)
8. Micro-
processor Cache
(SRAM)
3 KByte
Yes No CPU data and instruction
cache
Memory is
managed by
CPU, not user
CPU board, not
battery backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
Table 4-4 Vector Models with Baseband Generator (E4438C with Options 601 or 602)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
1. Waveform
Memory
(SDRAM)
40 MByte
320 MByte
Yes No Waveforms (including
header and marker data)
and PRAM
Normal user
operation
Not battery
backed.
User data is
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
2. BBG Firmware
Memory
(Flash)
32 MByte
No Yes Firmware image for
baseband generator
Firmware
upgrade
None required (no
user data)
Table 4-3 Base Instrument (All models and options)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 17
Instrument Memory & Volatility
ESG Memory
3. Coprocessor
Memory
(SRAM)
32 MByte
Yes No Operating memory of
baseband coprocessor
CPU
During normal
operation,
some user
information,
such as
payload data,
can remain in
the memory.
This memory is
used during
normal
baseband
generator
operation. It is
not directly
accessible by
the user.
Not battery
backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
4. Buffer Memory
(SRAM)
5 x 512 KByte
No No Support buffer memory
for ARB and real-time
applications
Normal user
operation
This memory is
used during
normal
baseband
generator
operation. It is
not directly
accessible by
the user.
Not battery
backed.
Turn off
instrument power.
Table 4-4 Vector Models with Baseband Generator (E4438C with Options 601 or 602)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure

Security Features & Document of Volatility 18
Instrument Memory & Volatility
ESG Memory
Table 4-5 Hard Disk (E4438C with Option 005)
Memory
Component,
Type and Size
Writable During Normal Operation? Data Retained When Powered Off?
Purpose/Contents Data Input
Method
Location in
Instrument and
Remarks
Sanitization
Procedure
1. Media Storage
(Built-in Hard
Disk)
6 GByte or
10 GByte
(4 GByte usable
in both cases)
Yes Yes User files, including
flatness calibrations, IQ
calibration, instrument
states, waveforms
(including header and
marker data), modulation
definitions, and sweep
lists
User-saved
data
The hard disk is
an option for
vector
instruments
(E4438C Option
005) and is
therefore not
installed in
some
instruments. If it
is installed,
these files are
stored on the
hard disk
instead of in
flash memory.
The magnetic
residue requires
several rewrite
cycles or drive
removal and
destruction.
User data is
completely
sanitized by the
procedure “Erase
and Sanitize All
(Option 006 Only)”
on page 22.
2. Buffer Memory
(DRAM)
512 KByte
No No Buffer (cache) memory Normal
operation, via
hard disk
Turn off
instrument power.

Security Features and Document of Volatility
Memory Clearing, Sanitization and Removal Procedures
19
5 Memory Clearing, Sanitization and Removal Procedures
This chapter describes several security functions you can use to remove
sensitive data stored in the instrument before moving it from a secure
development environment. The functions described are:
—“Erase All (Option 006 Only)” on page 20
—“Erase and Overwrite All” on page 21
—“Erase and Sanitize All (Option 006 Only)” on page 22
—“Clear Persistent State Information” on page 23
CAUTION These functions do not erase or sanitize external media connected to the
instrument’s USB port.
CAUTION Do not use the Erase All, Erase and Overwrite All, Erase and Sanitize All,
Erase, Overwrite, or Sanitize procedure with any of these firmware revisions:
E44x8C: C.04.84, C.04.86, C.04.95
If your instrument’s current firmware revision is among those listed above,
please upgrade immediately to newer firmware. For details, see “Firmware
Update Procedure” on page 26.

Security Features & Document of Volatility 20
Memory Clearing, Sanitization and Removal Procedures
Erase All (Option 006 Only)
Erase All (Option 006 Only)
This function removes all user files, user flatness calibrations, user I/Q
calibrations, and resets all table editors with original factory values, ensuring
that user data and configurations are not accessible or viewable. The
instrument appears as if it is in its original factory state, however, the memory
is not sanitized. This action is relatively quick, typically taking less than one
minute (the exact time depends on the number of files).
Note that there is a similar but distinct function, as described below, that
deletes all user files but does not reset the table editors:
Model Key Sequence
MXG (Series A) File > More > Security > Erase All > Confirm Erase
ESG Utility > Memory Catalog > More > Security > Erase All > Confirm Erase
Model Key Sequence
MXG (Series A) File > Delete All Files
ESG Utility > Memory Catalog > More > Delete All Files