SteppIR SY3 User manual

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SY3 System
Users Manual
REV 1.1 12/27/2020

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Please review the following safety precautions carefully before putting the system into operation, so as to
avoid any personal injury or damage to the instrument and any product connected to it. To prevent potential
hazards, please use the instrument only as specified in this manual.
Use the Proper Power Cord
Use only the power cord designed for the instrument and authorized by your local country.
Ground the Instrument
The instrument is grounded through the Protective Earth lead of the power cord. To avoid electric shock, it is
essential to connect the earth terminal of the power cord to the Protective Earth terminal before connecting
any inputs or outputs.
Connect the Antenna Correctly
When connecting the Antenna to the Analytics Tower, ensure that all connections are fastened securely.
Utilize both screws on the DB-25 connecter to prevent accidental disconnection of the cable during use.
Observe All Terminal Ratings
To avoid fire or shock hazard, observe all ratings and markers on the system and check your manual for more
information about ratings before connecting the instrument.
Do Not Operate Without Covers
Do not operate the system with covers or panels removed.
Do Not Insert Anything into Vent Holes
Do not insert anything into the vent holes on the system to avoid damaging components.
Avoid Circuit or Wire Exposure
Do not touch exposed junctions and components when the unit is powered.
Keep Well Ventilated
Inadequate ventilation may cause an increase of temperature or damage to the system. Please keep the sys-
tem well ventilated and inspect the intake and vent holes regularly
Do Not Operate with Suspected Failures
If you suspect damage to the system has occurred, have it inspected by qualified service personnel before
further operation. Any maintenance, adjustment, or replacement, especially to circuits or accessories, must
be performed by SteppIR authorized personnel.
Keep Product Surfaces Clean and Dry
To avoid the influence of dust and/or moisture in the air, please keep the surface of the device clean and dry.
Electrostatic Prevention
Operate the instrument in an electrostatic discharge protective environment to avoid damage induced by
static discharges. Always ground both the internal and external conductors of cables to release static before
making connections.
GENERAL SAFETY SUMMARY

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Operate Only Within an EMC Chamber
Under normal operations, this system emits high levels of RF radiation. The system is intended to be used in
an EMC chamber only to prevent personal injury or damage to instruments.
Maintain a Proper Distance Between Antenna Elements and Conductive Surfaces
High voltages on the elements can occur when operating the antenna with an amplifier. All conductive
surfaces, such as the walls, ceiling, or floor of the EMC chamber, should be kept at least 15” (38 cm) from the
antenna elements to avoid arcing.
Observe Antenna Power Ratings
The SY3 antenna is rated to 2500 Watts at 2.5:1 VSWR. Operating at higher wattage or higher VSWR values
can result in damage to the system.
Burn Prevention
The SY3 Antenna enclosure underside surface may be hot during and immediately after transmitting. Use
caution when handling the device to avoid burns.
Trip Hazard
The system components are connected via long lengths of cable. Use caution when moving between
components to avoid tripping and causing personal injury or damage to the equipment.
Handling Safety
Please handle with care during transportation to avoid tipping or dropping the system components to avoid
personal injury or damage to the equipment.
This product is intended to be used and operated exclusively within an EMC chamber by
trained professionals. If the product is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer
the protection may be impaired.
GENERAL SAFETY SUMMARY

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SY3 System Assembly
SY3 Stand 3
SY3 Antenna 5
Receive Antenna and Stand 9
SY3 System User Guide
Theory of Operation 11
Setup For Tuning 12
Setup For Testing 16
TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Section 1:
The SY3 Stand allows for quick levelling and adjustments of the SY3 Antenna. It uses a PanaVise head to tilt
the SY3 Antenna between horizontal and vertical polarizations, as well as four levelling feet for fine tuned
control.
Figure 1 demonstrates how the four legs are inserted into the base of the antenna
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 STAND
Figure 1

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Section 2:
Using a 3/16” hex key, secure the four legs by tightening the set screws as shown in Figure 2.
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 STAND
Figure 2

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Section 1:
The SY3 Antenna boom is attached to the PanaVise mount using four Phillips head screws. These screws
are fastened into the SY3 Antenna boom during shipping.
Remove the four mounting screws from the bottom of the antenna boom, as shown in Figure 3.
Place the antenna boom on top of the PanaVise Mount, and secure it in place using the four mounting
screws, as shown in Figure 4.
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 ANTENNA
Figure 3
4 x Mounting Screws
Figure 4

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Section 2:
Remove the two black plastic thumbscrews on the center element, and insert a straight element fiberglass
support into each side of the center element, as shown in Figure 5.
Make sure each fiberglass support is fully seated within the element
Reinstall each plastic thumbscrew, fastening them against the fiberglass support tube .
Do not overtighten! Doing so may crush or otherwise damage the fiberglass support tube
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 ANTENNA
Figure 5

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Section 3:
Remove the two black plastic thumbscrews on the front and rear element, and insert a folded element fiber-
glass support into each side of the elements, as shown in Figure 6. The folded element fiberglass supports
are not symmetrical, please refer to Figure 7 for the correct orientation.
Make sure each fiberglass support is fully seated within the element
Reinstall each plastic thumbscrew, fastening them against the fiberglass support tube.
Do not overtighten! Doing so may crush or otherwise damage the fiberglass support tube
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 ANTENNA
Figure 6

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SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: SY3 ANTENNA
Figure 7
Folded Element Short SideFolded Element Long Side

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Section 1:
The SY3 System uses a 0.03—1 GHz Biconical Antenna and non-conducting stand to measure and optimize
for signal strength while tuning.
Figure 8 demonstrates how the non-conducting stand is assembled
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: RECEIVE ANTENNA AND STAND
Figure 8

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Section 2:
Fasten the Receive Antenna to the stand’s horizontal arm using the black plastic thumbscrew, as shown in
Figure 9
Adjust the Receive Antenna position and counterweight as needed.
SY3 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY: RECEIVE ANTENNA AND STAND
Figure 9

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The SY3 System uses a mechanically adjustable antenna and analytics tower to
determine optimal antenna lengths for a given frequency in a given environment.
Before use, the SY3 system is calibrated to the room that it is in, essentially "auto
tuning" the antenna. This process takes approximately 2.5 hours, and needs to be re-
peated for both horizontal and vertical polarization.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: THEORY OF OPERATION

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When tuning, the SY3 System uses 3 separate components:
1. The SY3 Antenna
2. The Mini-Bicon Receive Antenna
3. The analytics tower and cables
The SY3 Antenna
The SY3 Antenna should be placed 1 meter from the EUT, as described in MIL-STD 461-G.
This measurement should be taken from the center of the front element tube.
In the Horizontal Polarization, the center of the front element tube should be 57" from the ground of the cham-
ber. This height adjustement can be made using the handwheel on the stand. The antenna can then be lev-
elled side to side using the handwheel on the PanaVise attachment. The antenna can be levelled front to
back using the adjustable feet on the stand.
In the Vertical Polarization, the center of the front element tube should ideally be at least 17" from the floor
and ceiling of the chamber, and must be at least 10" from the floor and ceiling of the chamber to avoid perfor-
mance loss.
The Receive Antenna
The Mini-Bicon Receive Antenna should be placed 12" above the EUT, as measured from the center body of
the Biconical antenna, in horizontal and vertical polarization.
The polarization of the Receive Antenna should match the polarization of the SY3 Antenna
We recommend that the Receive antenna should also be positioned 24" to the right of the SY3 Antenna.
After extensive testing, we found that this placement yielded best results in our test chambers
The Analytics Tower
The Analytics Tower connects to the SY3 antenna using the N-Type to N-Type LMR-400 low loss coaxial ca-
ble and the DB-25 Control Cable. The Analytics Tower connects to the Receive Antenna using the BNC to N-
Type LMR-400 low loss coaxial cable.
The Receive Antenna must be connected to the “PROBE” connection on the OptimizIR EMC, and
the SY3 Antenna must be connected to the “ANTENNA” connection on the OptimizIR EMC. Double
check these connections!
If the SY3 is being used in a new location, it is necessary to create an Antenna Configuration for
both the Horizontal and Vertical Polarization.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TUNING

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Section 2:
Creating, selecting, and modifying an antenna configuration is done using the OptimizIR EMC on the
Analytics Tower. After the device is powered on, you will see the interface shown in Figure 10
1. Status Menu. Shows current device state, frequency, and configuration.
2. Connection Status.
3. Configuration Control. Select, create, and delete configurations.
4. Antenna Control. Go to a specific frequency, retract or recalibrate elements, or fine tune element lengths.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TUNING
12
3
4
Figure 10

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Section 3:
Create a new tune by selecting the “CREATE NEW CONFIGURATION” button, as shown in Figure 11. Enter
a descriptive name and select the proper tuning preset, according to the polarization of the antenna.
Horizontal and Vertical Presets use different parameters when tuning the SY3 System. Selecting
an incorrect preset for your antenna’s polarization can lead to poor antenna performance!
Press the “TUNE NEW” button to begin the tuning process. The OptimizIR EMC will update to show the time
and percentage remaining (Figure 12). The tune can also be canceled from this screen.
This cancellation requires confirmation, to avoid accidental interruptions (Figure 13).
Once the tune progress has completed, the OptimizIR EMC will automatically return to the screen shown on
Figure 10. It is now possible to select the newly created tune and begin testing.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TUNING
Figure 11

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SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TUNING
Figure 12
Figure 13

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When tuning, the SY3 System uses 3 separate components:
1. The SY3 Antenna
2. The Analytics Tower and cables
3. EMC Field Probes
The SY3 Antenna
The SY3 antenna should be in the same location and polarization as the antenna configuration that it is using.
Moving the antenna to another location and polarization may cause an increase in VSWR and
antenna performance.
The Analytics Tower
The Analytics tower should only have the DB-25 control connected during testing. This cable is necessary for
controlling the SY3 Antenna element lengths.
To prevent damage while testing, disconnect all coaxial cables from the OptimizIR EMC while
testing
EMC Field Probes
Optimal placement of field probes will vary depending on the frequency and polarization of the SY3 Antenna.
We recommend the use of multiple field probes to accurately map the field generated by the SY3 Antenna, if
possible.
In Horizontal Polarization:
We recommend positioning the field probe(s) up to 48” to the right or left of the SY3 Antenna from 30
MHz—75 MHz.
We recommend positioning the field probe(s) 18” to the right or left of the SY3 Antenna from 75
MHz—200 Mhz.
In Vertical Polarization:
We recommend positioning the field probe(s) 6” to the right or left of the SY3 Antenna from 30 MHz —
200 MHz.
Optimal field probe position will depend on the chamber geometry and resulting SY3 antenna configura-
tions. Your experience may vary.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TESTING

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Section 2:
Select the appropriate configuration using the dropdown shown in Figure 14.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TESTING
Figure 14

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Section 3:
Select the appropriate frequency using the dropdown shown in Figure 15. You can also change frequencies
by clicking the “<<“ or “>>“ buttons shown below.
SY3 SYSTEM USER GUIDE: SETUP FOR TESTING
Figure 15
Move down one frequency Move up one frequency