Specifications

System Instrument Configuration 43Chapter 2
Agilent E6171B
Measurement
Control Module
The Agilent E6171A/B Measurement Control Module (MCM, also known
as the VI card in the Agilent TS-5400 Action documentation) provides four
primary functions:
1. It provides a 16x5 matrix used to expand the four columns from the
32-Pin Matrix Module(s) and UUT Common to access up to 16
external instruments.
2. It provides an isolated V/I
1
programmable voltage and current source
with internal wiring that allows the external Agilent E1411B DMM to
measure the sourced voltage or current. The isolated V/I amplifier
may also be used to amplify signals from the Arbitrary Function
Generator (ARB) and attenuate signals for digitizing.
3. It routes triggers bi-directionally between the UUT and external
instruments.
4. It provides a step-up transformer to amplify the ARB's signal on
VISrcHi to ± 80 volts-peak to simulate VRS signals.
2
16x5 Matrix The instrument matrix provides 16 external connections which can be
connected to the four analog buses or to the UUT common ground bus. The
UUT common ground bus may be an isolated ground return or switched
through separate relays to V/I ground. It can be connected to system ground
for diagnostic purposes.
The inputs for isolated instruments, such as the Agilent E1411B Multimeter,
occupy two instrument channels. Single-ended instruments, like the Agilent
E1333A Counter, occupy one instrument channel and are referenced to earth
ground. Rows one through ten are assigned to specific instruments. The
Agilent E1411B DMM must always be attached to rows one through four
(DvmHi, DvmLo, DVMISrcHi, DVMISrcLo). If an ARB is used with the
system to source current or voltage, it must be connected to inputs five and
six. If a Digitizer (Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)) is used with the
system, it must be connected to rows seven and eight for port 3 differential
input, if the attenuator (Attn) is used. The factory default is to use rows nine
and ten for the Digitizer port 4 differential input. Ports 1 and 2 on the
digitizer are the single-ended inputs. The counter channel one goes to row
eleven and channel two to row twelve. Rows thirteen through sixteen can be
used for additional instrumentation. The Debug Panel ports are connected
directly to interconnect columns one through four and are referenced to
system ground. If any of the above instruments are not used in a specific
system, a recommended factory-default configuration is used for each row
on instrument MUX connector J1.
1. V/I is an abbreviation for the concept of sourcing a voltage and measuring the resulting current, or conversely,
sourcing a current and measuring the resulting voltage. It sometimes generically refers to the Agilent E6171
Measurement Control Module.
2. A Variable Reluctance Sensor (VRS) is an automotive sensor whose output is proportional to speed. It
generates an ac signal whose frequency and amplitude vary with speed.
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