Installation guide

ParBERT Overview Getting Started
Agilent 81250 ParBERT Installation Guide, February 2002 13
Mainframes
The standard mainframe is the E8403A or E8404A VXI mainframe with 13
VXI slots.
Figure 2 E8403A VXI Mainframe with Embedded Controller and Modules
The figure above shows a mainframe with embedded controller (which
occupies the leftmost slots), one clock module (the first module at the
right-hand side of the controller), and eight data generator/analyzer
modules. This is a self-enclosed, single ParBERT system. One or two
expander frames can be added.
ParBERT systems It is also possible that one mainframe holds more than one ParBERT
system. One controller can operate several systems. A ParBERT system
consists of an independent clock module (which generates the system
master clock) and associated data generator/analyzer modules.
Controller Options
A ParBERT controller is the computer on which the ParBERT firmware
server runs. All interfaces—graphical user interface, LAN, GPIB,
programming interfaces—communicate through the firmware server
with the hardware.
The ParBERT controller can be a VXI module plugged into the
mainframe (as shown in Figure 2), or an external PC located nearby the
mainframe.
User interfaces as well as user-written programs can be run on the
ParBERT controller. This is called local operating mode.
But if the ParBERT controller is connected to the local area network,
user interfaces and user-written programs can also be run on any other
suitable user PC. In this case, the software on the user PC is operated in
remote mode, and the ParBERT controller in controlled mode.