User`s guide

3 Using P-Series Power Sensor
116 N1911A/1912A P-Series Power Meters User’s Guide
Introduction
The P- Series wideband power sensor’s mode of operation is optimized to
measure the peak and average power of pulsed or modulated signals with
a wide bandwidth.
The power meter automatically recognizes a P- Series wideband power
sensor when it is connected. The sensor’s calibration data, characterizing
the sensor output versus input power, frequency and temperature, is
automatically read by the power meter. After the sensor’s data is read, the
power meter automatically performs a zero and calibration, this process is
described in “Zeroing and Calibrating the P- Series Sensor” on page 107.
The power meter and P- Series wideband power sensor continuously
sample the RF signal at a 100 mega- samples per second. Similarly, the
dual channel meter samples both channels at the same rate.
The instantaneous power of an RF signal can be detected with up to
30 MHz of video
[1]
bandwidth (modulation bandwidth).
The triggering methods used by the system (power meter and sensor)
enable the continuous measurement of modulated signals or single events.
A trigger can be taken from a rising or falling edge of an RF signal pulse
or controlled externally.
[1]The term video is applied to a signal that has been amplitude
demodulated from an RF carrier, but contains components in the RF
part of the spectrum. For a power meter it refers to the output of
the sensor diodes.
NOTE
Maximum dynamic range is related to the maximum sensor bandwidth. Refer to the
documentation supplied with your P-Series wideband power sensor for specification
information.