RF Standard RS-232 User manual

RFStandard RF Power Measurement Solutions
Doc# 6001601 Rev1.86 Page 1
RF Power Meter
USER MANUAL
for Instruments with Firmware 0.08 or higher
 [e-mail] www.rfstandard.com

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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
RF Power Meter Description............................................................................ 3
Items Supplied ................................................................................................. 3
Optional Accessories ....................................................................................... 3
Applicability of this User Manual ...................................................................... 3
Specifications .................................................................................................. 4
Installation ........................................................................................................... 6
RF Line Connection ......................................................................................... 6
AC Line Connection .........................................................................................
Chapter Two ......................................................................................................... 8
Operating Instructions ......................................................................................... 8
Front Panel ...................................................................................................... 8
Charging the battery ...................................................................................... 10
Performing a High Accuracy Power measurement ........................................ 11
Averaging and Pulsing Signals Operation ..................................................... 12
Serial Interface .................................................................................................. 13
Serial Communication Flow Control .............................................................. 13
Serial Cable Connector ................................................................................. 14
Command Syntax .......................................................................................... 15
USB Interface .................................................................................................... 28
Virtual COM Port Driver Installation Windows 2000 / XP ............................... 29
Virtual COM Port Driver Installation Windows / 8 / 8.1 ............................... 30
Virtual COM Port Driver Installation Windows 10 .......................................... 31
Virtual COM Port Driver Installation Macintosh.............................................. 31
Virtual COM Port Driver Installation Linux 2.40 ............................................. 31
Maintenance ..................................................................................................... 32
Calibration ..................................................................................................... 32
Battery Maintenance ...................................................................................... 32
Cleaning ........................................................................................................ 33
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 34
Warranty ........................................................................................................... 36
Limited Warranty ........................................................................................... 36
Chapter Seven .................................................................................................... 3
Revision History ................................................................................................ 3

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Introduction
RF Power Meter escription
The RF sensor and entire processing unit are packed on a single, small
enclosure. It offers the convenience of a display (no computer required) - for bench
measurements- and RS-232 or USB connection for automated measurement systems.
The technology is patent pending and covered by intellectual property legislation.
All readings are displayed on the front panel and are also available through a
serial communication.
The RF Standard Power Meter can be powered by a wall power plug adapter,
USB interface, or internal rechargeable battery.
Items Supplied
• RF Power Meter
• 90VAC-264VAC wall plug adapter
• USB cable
• Installation USB media containing
o User Manual (this manual)
o USB software drivers
o Virtual Front Panel
o LabVIEW
®
serial drivers
• Pelican Case
®
with the manufacturer life-time warranty
Optional Accessories
- Region specific wall plug adapter
- 3-1/8EIA to 1-5/8EIA adapter (for 50kW option)
Applicability of this User Manual
- Region specific wall plug adapter

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Specifications
Nominal Impedance
50Ω
Nominal Power
See the instrument front panel*
Nominal Frequency
See the instrument front panel*
MAX Power Allowable
120% of Nominal Power
LCD will display a message “Power Overload” if RF
power is in excess of 120% of Nominal Power
Max. Allowable Terminating
VSWR
Continuous use: VSWR 3:1
Calibration Technique
Frequency/Power/Temperature/Directivity calibration
factors stored in nonvolatile memory
Calibration Cycle, Nominal
12 months
Forward Power Accuracy at
nominal frequency into 50Ω
Depends on Calibration Method and Max Power.
Refer to your specifications.
a) Standard Calibration: 1% of the reading or
0.1% of Max Power whichever is higher.
Generator Calibration Plane
b) Calorimeter Calibration: 0.5% of the reading
or 0.5W, whichever is higher
Load Calibration Plane
Power and Temperature must be within specification
limits. Frequency must be within specification limits
and set to the carrier value
Insertion loss
< 0.05dB
irectivity
> 30dB
Frequency Range
See the instrument front panel*
Harmonic rejection
> 20dB **
Pulsing capability
10Hz – x10KHz range***
Gamma
Calculated from P
r
– Reflected power and P
f
-
Forward power
f
r
P
P
Gamma =
VSWR
Calculated from Gamma

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Gamma
Gamma
VSWR
−
+
=
1
1
Operating Power
USB power (wall plug or computer) or battery
Connectors
Depends on the max power specification ****
Batteries
Li-Ion
Battery Life
12 Hours minimum
Battery Charge Time
6 hours maximum
Battery Charger
Built in. Power supplied by wall plug adapter or USB
port
isplay
LCD 4 lines of 16 characters
Interfaces
RS-232 standard, USB 2.0
Output ata Rate, Nominal
15 readings/second
Operating Environmental conditions
Humidity, Max.
85% (non condensing)
Operating Temperature
range
+68° to +95°F (20° to 35°C)
Altitude
8.8kPa to 106kPa (6,562 feet (2,000 m) to -1640ft
(-500m)
Case Temperature
(imposed from exterior)
<35°C (95°F)
Storage/Transportation Environmental conditions
Storage Relative Humidity,
Max
95% (non condensing)
Altitude
10,000 feet (3,000 m)
Storage Temperature range
-20° to + 0°C (-4° to +158°F)
* Max Power levels for Forward and Reflected channels and frequency range can
be customized (up to 50kW). The instrument displays the maximum power and
frequency range upon power up.
** Characteristic for narrow band instruments (with max ±5% frequency range)
*** The instrument performs hardware and software averaging for pulse
(modulated) signals. Please read the Averaging and Pulsing Signals Operation
chapter
**** N female for powers up to 1.5kW, HN female for powers up to 5kW, /16EIA and
LC female for powers up to 12kW, 3-1/8EIA flange for powers up to 50kW

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Installation
This chapter provides information about preparing the RF Standard Power Meter
for use.
RF Line Connection
WARNING
Never attempt to connect or disconnect RF equipment from the
transmission line while RF power is ON!
CAUTION
Do not exceed the specified Maximum Power Allowable for the device.
Damage to the Power Meter may occur.
 NOTE: FLOATING RF SYSTEMS WARNING: The RF line ground is
connected to the USB and serial communication ground. The meter can be used on
floating RF systems (where the RF ground is at a different potential then the USB or
serial communication ground) only if a proper isolator is used (ex: an optical isolator).
Using the meter without regarding this note can cause permanent damage to the
meter and life hazard.
Observe the arrow on the front panel of the Power Meter. The arrow is indicating
the direction of the RF power.
No damage will occur if the sensor will be connected in reverse direction but the
values for the FWD and REW Power on the LCD display and on the serial
communication will be also reversed.
Connect the end of the Power Sensor labeled “RF IN” to the RF source. Connect
the end labeled “RF OUT” to the load or antenna.
WARNING
DO NOT USE MECHANICALLY OR ELECTRICALLY DAMAGED RF
CONNECTORS. ANY TRACE OF RESIDUE MUST BE CLEANED
BEFORE USING RF CONNECTORS. ENGAGE THE RF
CONNECTORS ALL THE WAY IN. FAILING TO DO SO WILL RESULT
INTO UNCONSISTENT READINGS AND/OR BURNED
CONNECTORS

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Inspect the RF connectors and cables before use for:
- Burned, bent, pushed in or missing central connector. Do not use such cables!
- Residue on the insulators. Try and clean the insulator using Isopropyl alcohol.
Dry the insulator before use!
Torque the RF connectors to the manufacturer specifications. Failure to do so will
result in unstable readings, damage of the connector and fire hazard.
 NOTE: SERIAL COMMUNICATION WARNING: Typical RF systems are
controlled by a CPU thru a serial connection (RS232/Devicenet/Profibus). At the same
time the RF output is at ground connection. If the instrument is connected to the same
CPU a ground loop is created. Depending on the ground leak current this configuration
may or may not work.
The instrument may “freeze” if the ground leak current is too high. As a solution
use either a serial isolator or use a separate CPU (other than the one used to
communicate with the RF generator) to communicate with the instrument. If
necessary, use ON/OFF button to reset the instrument.
AC Line Connection
RF Power Meter is supplied with a universal (90VAC to 264VAC) wall plug
adapter. Let us know if you are going to use the RF Power Meter outside U.S. so we
can supply the proper wall plug.
 NOTE: Notify RF Standard if you are going to use the device with non-U.S.
voltages. A proper wall plug adapter will be provided.

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Chapter Two
Operating Instructions
This chapter describes operator controls and indicators on the RF Power Meter.
For remote operation using a USB or RS-232 interface, refer to the instructions in
following two chapters
Front Panel
Charging indicator
Figure 2-1
Load RF Plane Generator RF Plane

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Push Button
esc
ription



Navigational button. Press to increase the
set value or to move UP.



Navigational button. Press to decrease the
set value or to move DOWN.
SET
Press to indicate the value that you want to
set. It will change the cursor position
between line 3 and 4 on display.
If you want to change the frequency, position
the cursor on line 3 (where the frequency is
displayed) then increase/decrease the
frequency value using the arrows.
The frequency will increment/decrement in
x10kHz steps
For additional information displayed (VSWR,
Gamma, Temperature, #Averages), position
the cursor on line 4 and use the arrows to
navigate among options.
ON/OFF
Press to turn the Power Meter On or Off.
Keep the button pressed for at least 1
second for the command to take effect.

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Charging the battery
The charging LED is going to be ON if the Li-Ion battery is charging (from the USB
connection or from the wall plug adapter). The LED will turn OFF when the battery is
fully charged (4.2V)
Battery charge is performed either the instrument is ON or OFF.
Charging time to full capacity depends on how much the battery is discharged
and the power source. Some computer USB ports are limiting the charging current. A
full charge may take up to 6 hours.
Run time on battery is at least 12 hours (typically 16 hours) and decays with the
age of the battery. Standard Li-Ion battery has a life of about 500 charging cycles.
Before a complete discharge (below 3.6V) the instrument will display a message
to recharge and it shuts down automatically to protect the battery. Upon re-power, the
instrument will re-start but if the low battery condition is detected it will shut down.
The instrument has full functionality during re-charging.
 NOTE: Battery is not user accessible. User cannot replace the battery!

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Performing a High Accuracy Power measurement
There are several simple rules that will help the user perform accurate
measurements:
- Use only good cables and connectors. Any sign of heating is a result of RF
losses; therefore some of your RF power is lost as heat instead of being delivered to
your application.
- Careful grounding. Ground loops (or lack of proper grounding) will affect the RF
propagation, therefore is going to affect your application and the instrument readings.
- Allow the instrument to stabilize with the temperature. The instrument
compensates for temperature and keeps the accuracy within specifications but during
temperature transitions there are gradients that will affect the accuracy. The instrument
will be within specifications during temperature changes when operating within specified
temperature range.
- Observe the calibration plane: Generator or oad. Take into consideration and
compensate (if is the case) for the insertion loss of the instrument. The calibration plane
is marked on the calibration label.
- Accuracy degrades with VSWR. The instrument is guaranteed to be accurate in
50Ω applications but it works also (with some limitations) into complex loads. Contact us
if you need to perform 1% measurements into complex loads.
- Select the frequency. The instrument needs to be set to the actual frequency so it
can perform adequate compensations.

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Averaging and Pulsing Signals Operation
The standard instrument works in two modes, depending on the number of
averages (higher or lower than 32).
Up to 31 averages the firmware will perform an adaptive averaging: if the power
level is increasing (or decreasing) with more than 10% the previous value, the
averaging is reset and starts with the new power value. This feature is helpful for fast
transition signals but it is a drawback when we are measuring pulsing signals. The
adaptive averaging is disabled for averages higher than 32.
As a general rule, for pulsing/modulated signals higher averaging will give higher
accuracy.
The RF Power Meter contains an internal low pass filter with a cut off frequency
of 2 kHz, therefore this filter will average all signals (pulsed or modulated) with a
higher frequency then 2 kHz.
For pulsing or modulated frequencies lower than 2 kHz we recommend to
increase the number of averages (see serial commands chapter; format of command
rR).
For very low frequencies (Hz-x10Hz) the averaging must be carefully selected
and it must be correlated with the duty factor. Standard instrument takes about 65mS to
do a measurement.
Maximum number of averaging elements is limited to 254.
From the front panel display press the set button until the 4
th
line is underlined.
After that press either arrow button until the #Averages line is displayed. During
normal operation the display will look like Fig 2-1.
Figure 2-2

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Chapter Three
Serial Interface
USB communication has a MASTER function over RS232. If both cables (USB
and RS232) are connected, the instrument will communicate thru USB. If the USB
cable is disconnected from the computer the serial communication is defaulted to
RS232.
Refer to USB interface chapter for further details.
 NOTE: SERIAL COMMUNICATION WARNING: Typical RF systems are
controlled by a CPU thru a serial connection (RS232/Devicenet/Profibus). At the same
time the RF output is at ground connection. If the instrument is connected to the same
CPU a ground loop is created. Depending on the ground leak current this configuration
may or may not work.
The instrument may “freeze” if the ground leak current is too high. As a solution
use either a serial isolator or use a separate CPU (other than the one used to
communicate with the RF generator) to communicate with the instrument. If
necessary, use ON/OFF button to reset the instrument.
Serial Communication Flow Control
Operators should understand EIA Standard RS-232-C and have basic computer
programming skills before attempting serial communication with the device.
The RF Standard RS-232 interface has the communication parameters fixed
(factory set) and the user cannot change them.
Baud rate 19200
ata bits 8
Parity None
Stop bits 1
Flow Control None
 NOTE: There is a delay of 65mSec between sending the command and
reading or implementing the result. When programming, a delay of at least 65mSec
should be implemented between serial write and read commands.
 NOTE: All the data sent by the device is followed by <CR> (carriage
return) character.

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 NOTE: No termination has to be sent to the device. Sending a termination
will either make the instrument to ignore or delay the command.
The device can stream data at a rate of 15 readings/second. This speed can be
sustained if all parameters are within specifications (power, frequency) and no key is
pressed. Key activation has a higher priority and may delay the serial communication.
We recommend sending a Key Lock command (to lock the keyboard) in order to
preserve the communication rate.
Serial Cable Connector
The serial RS-232 host port connector is a 9-pin, female, shielded subminiature-
D connector. A standard 9-pin serial cable can be used for serial communication.
Figure 3-1

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Command Syntax
 NOTE: All commands are case sensitive.
There are two types of commands: Read and Set.
Read commands are executed by sending 2 characters. No termination has to
be sent. Sending a termination will either make the instrument to ignore or delay the
command.
Set commands are executed by sending 2 characters and <CR> followed by a
delay of at least 65mSec followed by 3 or 4 decimal digits.
Read/Write
Command
escription
RS
Resets the device. It takes 10 seconds for a full RESET
and auto-calibration. Do NOT send any serial commands
during this period of time.
PM Reports the Maximum Power of the FWD Channel
Pm Reports the Maximum Power of the RFL Channel
FM Reports the Nominal Maximum Frequency of the device
Fm Reports the Nominal Minimum Frequency of the device
FS XXXX Set the current frequency
FR Reports the current frequency
FV Reports the Firmware version
CD Reports the calibration date
SN Reports the Serial Number

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SW Reports the VSWR
GA Reports the Gamma
PC Reports the Forward and Reflected Power
FC Reports the Forward Power
RC Reports the Reflected Power
ER Reports the number of Errors
BT Reports the voltage of the internal bus
TE Reports the temperature of the RF sensor
KL Locks/Unlocks the device keyboard
K? Reports the status of the keyboard (locked=1,unlocked=0)
rR<CR>xxx Set the number of averages
A? Reports the number of averages
Table 3.1

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Re Set Format RS
FUNCTION – will reset the device
 NOTE: Reset takes 10 seconds. Do NOT send any serial commands
during this period of time!
IMPLEMENTATION – RS
The device will reset. All the settings will go to default values. The LCD will
display the device information (serial number, firmware version, power and frequency
specifications, last calibration date).
Power Max Format PM
FUNCTION – will return the nominal maximum power supported by the FWD
channel of the device
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – PM
The device can measure above the nominal maximum power but the accuracy is
not guaranteed by the manufacturer
The answer has the following format:
PFW Max=xxxxxW
The answer has a variable length depending on the number of digits to be
displayed
Power m Format Pm
FUNCTION – will return the nominal maximum power supported by the RFL
channel of the device
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.

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IMPLEMENTATION – Pm
The device can measure below the minimum power but the accuracy is not
guaranteed by the manufacturer
The answer has the following format:
PRFLMax=yyyyyW
The answer has a variable length depending on the number of digits of the min
power.
Frequency Max Format FM
FUNCTION – will return the nominal maximum frequency of the RF signal
supported by the instrument
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – FM
The device will do measurements outside the frequency range but they may not
be within the manufacturer accuracy specifications.
The answer has the following format:
FMax=cccccccHz<CR>
The answer has a variable length depending on the number of digits of the
frequency.
Frequency min Format Fm
FUNCTION – will return the nominal minimum frequency
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – Fm

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The device will do measurements outside the frequency range but they will not
be within the manufacturer accuracy specifications.
The answer has the following format:
FMin=cccccccHz<CR>
The answer has a variable length depending on the number of digits of the
frequency.
Frequency Read Format FR
FUNCTION – will return the frequency of the device
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
 NOTE: The device cannot measure the frequency. Setting the right
frequency is mandatory for accurate power measurement.
IMPLEMENTATION – FR
The device will report the value of the frequency set by the user. Nominal
frequency is the default frequency. Upon power up or reset the device will start with
the nominal frequency.
The answer has the following format:
Freq=ccccccccHz<CR>
The answer has a variable length depending on the number of digits of the
frequency.
Firmware Version Format FV
FUNCTION – will return the firmware version
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – FV
The answer has the following fixed format:

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FV=cc.cc<CR>
The answer has a fixed length of 9 bytes (including the Carriage Return).
Calibration ate Format CD
FUNCTION – will return the date of the last calibration
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – C
The answer has the following fixed format:
C = MMYY<CR>
The answer has a fixed length of 10 bytes (including the Carriage Return).
The format is DDMMYY
Serial Number Format SN
FUNCTION – will return the serial number of the device
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.
IMPLEMENTATION – SN
The answer has the following fixed format:
SN=cccccc<CR>
The answer has a fixed length of 10 bytes (including the Carriage Return).
Standing Wave Format SW
FUNCTION – will return the VSWR
 NOTE: Allow 65mSec between the write and the read commands.