Racal Instruments 3162A/B User manual

User Manual
3162A/B
500 MS/s
(SINGLE OR DUAL CHANNEL)
WAVEFORM SYNTHESIZER
Publication No. 980818
RACAL INSTRUMENTS
Racal Instruments, Inc.
4 Goodyear St., Irvine, CA 92618-2002
Tel: (800) RACAL-ATE, [phone], [phone]; FAX: [phone]
Racal Instruments, Ltd.
480 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 6BE, United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]; FAX: [phone]
Racal Systems Electronique S.A.
18 Avenue Dutartre, 78150 LeChesnay, France
Tel: [phone]; FAX: [phone]
Racal Systems Elettronica s.r.l.
Strada 2-Palazzo C4, 20090 Milanofiori Assago, Milan, Italy
Tel: [phone]; FAX [phone]
Racal Elektronik System GmbH.
Technologiepark Bergisch Gladbach, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse, D-51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Tel.: [phone]; FAX: [phone]
Racal Australia Pty. Ltd.
3 Powells Road, Brookvale, NSW 2100, Australia
Tel: [phone], FAX: [phone]
Racal Electronics Pte. Ltd.
26 Ayer Rajah Crescent, 04-06/07 Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate, Singapore 0513.
Tel: [phone], FAX: [phone]
Racal Instruments, Ltd.
Unit 5, 25F., Mega Trade Center, No 1, Mei Wan Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, PRC
Tel: [phone], FAX: [phone]
http://www.racalinstruments.com
PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2001
Copyright 2001 by Racal Instruments, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

WARRANTY STATEMENT
All Racal Instruments, Inc. products are designed and manufactured to exacting standards and in full conformance
to Racal’s ISO 9001 procedures.
For the specific terms of your standard warranty, or optional extended warranty or service agreement, contact your
Racal customer service advisor. Please have the following information available to facilitate service.
1. Product serial number
2. Product model number
3. Your company and contact information
You may contact your customer service advisor by:
E-Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone] (USA)
[phone] (UK)
[phone] (Hong Kong)
Fax: [phone] (USA)
[phone] (UK)
[phone] (Hong Kong)
RETURN of PRODUCT
Authorization is required from Racal Instruments before you send us your product for service or calibration. Call your
nearest Racal Instruments support facility. A list is located on the last page of this manual. If you are unsure where
to call, contact Racal Instruments, Inc. Customer Support Department in Irvine, California, USA at 1-800-722-3262
or 1-949-859-8999 or via fax at 1-949-859-7139. We can be reached at:
[email protected].
PROPRIETARY NOTICE
This document and the technical data herein disclosed, are proprietary to Racal Instruments, and shall not, without
express written permission of Racal Instruments, be used, in whole or in part to solicit quotations from a competitive
source or used for manufacture by anyone other than Racal Instruments. The information herein has been developed
at private expense, and may only be used for operation and maintenance reference purposes or for purposes of
engineering evaluation and incorporation into technical specifications and other documents which specify
procurement of products from Racal Instruments.

FOR YOUR SAFETY
Before undertaking any troubleshooting, maintenance or exploratory procedure, read carefully the WARNINGS
and CAUTION notices.
This equipment contains voltage hazardous to human life and safety, and is capable of inflicting personal injury.
If this instrument is to be powered from the AC line (mains) through an autotransformer, ensure the common
connector is connected to the neutral (earth pole) of the power supply.
Before operating the unit, ensure the conductor (green wire) is connected to the ground (earth) conductor of the
power outlet. Do not use a two-conductor extension cord or a three-prong/two-prong adapter. This will defeat the
protective feature of the third conductor in the power cord.
Maintenance and calibration procedures sometimes call for operation of the unit with power applied and protective
covers removed. Read the procedures and heed warnings to avoid “live” circuit points.
Before operating this instrument:
1. Ensure the instrument is configured to operate on the voltage at the power source. See Installation Section.
2. Ensure the proper fuse is in place for the power source to operate.
3. Ensure all other devices connected to or in proximity to this instrument are properly grounded or connected
to the protective third-wire earth ground.
If the instrument:
-fails to operate satisfactorily
-shows visible damage
-has been stored under unfavorable conditions
-has sustained stress
Do not operate until performance is checked by qualified personnel.

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User Manual 3162A/B
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
GETTING STARTED...............................................................................................................................1-1
What’s In This Chapter........................................................................................................................1-1
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1-1
Options ......................................................................................................................................1-3
Manual Changes .............................................................................................................................1-4
Safety Considerations......................................................................................................................1-4
Supplied Accessories......................................................................................................................1-4
Specifications .................................................................................................................................1-4
Functional Description.........................................................................................................................1-4
Input and Output Connectors............................................................................................................1-4
Main Output - Channel A..............................................................................................................1-6
Main Output -Channel B...............................................................................................................1-6
SYNC Output..............................................................................................................................1-6
Trigger/PLL/FSK Input..................................................................................................................1-6
AM/PM Input -Channel A..............................................................................................................1-6
AM Input - Channel B...................................................................................................................1-7
Reference Clock Input..................................................................................................................1-7
Frequency/ Segment Control Input .......................................................................................................1-7
Operating Modes.............................................................................................................................1-7
Continuous Mode ........................................................................................................................1-7
Triggered Mode ...........................................................................................................................1-7
Burst Mode.................................................................................................................................1-8
Gated Mode................................................................................................................................1-8
Output Type....................................................................................................................................1-8
Standard (Fixed) Waveforms.........................................................................................................1-8
Arbitrary (User) Waveforms...........................................................................................................1-8
Sequenced Waveforms ................................................................................................................1-9
Synthesizer Agility ....................................................................................................................1-12
Output State.............................................................................................................................1-12
Amplitude Modulation ................................................................................................................1-12
Front-Panel / VXIbus PLL...............................................................................................................1-12
Frequency Counter....................................................................................................................1-13
Phase Modulation......................................................................................................................1-13

3162A/B User Manual
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Filters.......................................................................................................................................1-13
Front Panel Indicators................................................................................................................1-14
Programming The Model 3162B......................................................................................................1-14
Chapter 2
CONFIGURING The INSTRUMENT...........................................................................................................2-1
Installation Overview............................................................................................................................2-1
Unpacking and Initial Inspection...........................................................................................................2-1
Safety Precautions..........................................................................................................................2-1
Performance Checks...........................................................................................................................2-2
Grounding Requirements..................................................................................................................2-2
Long Term Storage or Repackaging For Shipment ..........................................................................2-2
Preparation For Use.....................................................................................................................2-3
Logical Address Selection............................................................................................................2-3
Installation......................................................................................................................................2-4
Chapter 3
USING THE INSTRUMENT......................................................................................................................3-1
Overview ............................................................................................................................................3-1
Inter-Channel Dependency ...............................................................................................................3-1
Output Termination..........................................................................................................................3-1
Input/Output Protection................................................................................................................3-1
Power On/Reset Defaults.............................................................................................................3-2
What To Do Now ................................................................................................................................3-3
Using the APPLy Command.............................................................................................................3-4
Selecting the Active Channel ........................................................................................................3-7
Output Configuration Commands...................................................................................................3-8
Selecting an Output Function Type ...............................................................................................3-8
Selecting a Standard Function Shape............................................................................................3-9
Changing the Frequency and Sample Clock.................................................................................3-10
Controlling Synthesizer Agility....................................................................................................3-10
FSK Mode................................................................................................................................3-11
HOP Mode................................................................................................................................3-12
Selecting the Reference Oscillator ..............................................................................................3-13
Programming the Output Amplitude and Offset.............................................................................3-14
Selecting the Filter ....................................................................................................................3-14
Activating the Backplane ECLTRG and TTLTRG Lines ..................................................................3-15
Enabling the Main Output...........................................................................................................3-16
Enabling the SYNC Output.........................................................................................................3-16

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Assigning the Source For The SYNC Output................................................................................3-17
Selecting the SYNC Position......................................................................................................3-17
Using the Built-In Standard Waveforms........................................................................................3-18
Selecting an Operating Mode......................................................................................................3-20
Triggered Mode .........................................................................................................................3-21
Gated Mode..............................................................................................................................3-21
Burst Mode...............................................................................................................................3-22
Selecting the Trigger Source.......................................................................................................3-23
Using the Internal Trigger Generator ............................................................................................3-23
Selecting the Trigger Slope.........................................................................................................3-24
Selecting the Trigger Level..........................................................................................................3-24
Using the Soft Trigger ................................................................................................................3-24
Generating Arbitrary Waveforms..................................................................................................3-25
What Are Arbitrary Waveforms?..................................................................................................3-25
Arbitrary Memory Management...................................................................................................3-27
Memory Management Commands...............................................................................................3-27
Loading Arbitrary Waveforms ......................................................................................................3-29
Reversing Byte Order.................................................................................................................3-33
Using Shared Memory ...............................................................................................................3-33
Generating Sequenced Waveforms .................................................................................................3-35
What Are Sequenced Waveforms?..............................................................................................3-35
Sequence Commands................................................................................................................3-35
Sequence Advance Commands ..................................................................................................3-36
Sequence Advance Source Commands .......................................................................................3-37
Front-Panel / VXIbus Phase Synchronization ...............................................................................3-38
PLL Commands ........................................................................................................................3-39
Using the Frequency Counter .....................................................................................................3-40
Using the Phase Modulation Input...............................................................................................3-40
Inter-Channel Phase Control .......................................................................................................3-41
Amplitude Modulation Commands...............................................................................................3-41
System-Related Commands.......................................................................................................3-42
Chapter 4
SCPI COMMAND REFERENCE ..............................................................................................................4-1
What’s In This Chapter........................................................................................................................4-1
Introduction To SCPI Language............................................................................................................4-1
Command Format ...........................................................................................................................4-2
Command Separator....................................................................................................................4-2
The MIN and MAX Parameters......................................................................................................4-3
Querying Parameter Setting .........................................................................................................4-3

3162A/B User Manual
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Query Response Format ..............................................................................................................4-3
SCPI Command Terminator..........................................................................................................4-3
IEEE-STD-488.2 Common Commands ..........................................................................................4-4
SCPI Parameter Type..................................................................................................................4-4
Numeric Parameters....................................................................................................................4-4
Discrete Parameters....................................................................................................................4-4
Boolean Parameters ....................................................................................................................4-4
Arbitrary Block Parameters ..........................................................................................................4-5
SCPI Command Summary ...............................................................................................................4-5
Output Configuration Command Summary .......................................................................................4-10
Standard Waveform Command Summary ........................................................................................4-12
Arbitrary Waveform, Sequence, and Shared Memory Command Summary .........................................4-13
Modulation Command Summary.....................................................................................................4-14
Trigger Command Summary...........................................................................................................4-14
PLL Command Summary...............................................................................................................4-14
System-Related Command Summary .............................................................................................4-15
IEEE-STD-488.2 Common Commands and Queries..........................................................................4-15
The SCPI Status Registers.........................................................................................................4-17
The Status Byte Register (STB)..................................................................................................4-18
Reading the Status Byte Register ..............................................................................................4-20
Clearing the Status Byte Register ..............................................................................................4-20
Service Request Enable Register (SRE) .....................................................................................4-20
Standard Event Status Register (ESR) ........................................................................................4-20
Standard Event Status Enable Register (ESE) .............................................................................4-21
Error Messages.........................................................................................................................4-22
Device-Specific Commands ........................................................................................................4-24
Chapter 5
MAINTENANCE AND PERFORMANCE CHECKS.....................................................................................5-1
What’s in This Chapter........................................................................................................................5-1
Disassembly Instructions ....................................................................................................................5-1
Special Handling of Static Sensitive Devices......................................................................................5-2
Cleaning.........................................................................................................................................5-2
Repair and Replacement..................................................................................................................5-3
Performance Checks.......................................................................................................................5-3
Environmental Conditions.................................................................................................................5-3
Warm-up Period..........................................................................................................................5-3
Initial Instrument Setting...............................................................................................................5-4
Recommended Test Equipment ....................................................................................................5-4

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Performance Check Procedures....................................................................................................5-4
Frequency Accuracy....................................................................................................................5-5
Amplitude Accuracy ....................................................................................................................5-6
DC Offset Characteristics.............................................................................................................5-7
Square Wave Characteristics........................................................................................................5-9
Sine Characteristics ..................................................................................................................5-10
Sine Flatness............................................................................................................................5-12
Trigger Gate & Burst Characteristics...........................................................................................5-13
Synthesizer Agility Characteristics..............................................................................................5-14
PLL Characteristics...................................................................................................................5-16
Adjustments.................................................................................................................................5-17
Environmental Conditions ...........................................................................................................5-17
Warm-up Period........................................................................................................................5-17
Recommended Test Equipment ..................................................................................................5-17
Adjustment Procedures..............................................................................................................5-17
Sample Clock Duty Cycle Adjustment.........................................................................................5-18
Pulse Response Adjustment ......................................................................................................5-18
Amplitude Adjustment................................................................................................................5-20
Offset Adjustment......................................................................................................................5-21
PLL Adjustment ........................................................................................................................5-22
Troubleshooting................................................................................................................................5-22
Recommended Test Equipment......................................................................................................5-22
Power-up Tests.............................................................................................................................5-22
Self-Test...................................................................................................................................5-23
Main Board Circuits Checkout ....................................................................................................5-23
Power Supply Checks................................................................................................................5-24
CPU and VXI ASIC Checks ........................................................................................................5-24
Output Amplifier and Amplitude Control Checks ...........................................................................5-25
Clock Synthesizer Checks.........................................................................................................5-26
Engine Board A/B Circuit Checkout ................................................................................................5-27
Engine Board A/B Checks..........................................................................................................5-27
Continuous Operation Checks ....................................................................................................5-27
Triggered Operation Checks .......................................................................................................5-29
D/A, Preamplifier & Amplitude Control Checks.............................................................................5-29
Sequence Generator Checks......................................................................................................5-30
Chapter 6
PRODUCT SUPPORT.............................................................................................................................6-1
Product Support .................................................................................................................................6-1
Reshipment Instructions......................................................................................................................6-1

3162A/B User Manual
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Support Offices...................................................................................................................................6-2