INSTRUCTION MANUAL 4240 SERIES RF POWER METER REV DATE 01/19/2011 MANUAL P/N 98406700A CD P/N 98406799A Wireless Telecom Group 25 EASTMANS ROAD, PARSIPPANY, NJ 07054 Telephone: 973-386-9696 Fax: 973-386-9191 Email: boonton@boonton.com Web: www.wtcom.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter INSTRUCTION MANUAL, 4240 SERIES RF POWER METER Revision date 01/19/2011 © Copyright in 2005-2011, by BOONTON Electronics, a subsidiary of the Wireless Telecom Group, Inc. Parsippany, NJ, USA. All rights reserved. P/N 98406700A This manual covers instrument serial numbers: 11001 and higher. K-Connector® is a registered trademark of Anritsu Corporation.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SAFETY SUMMARY The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation and maintenance of this instrument. Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of the instrument. Boonton Electronics assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SAFETY SYMBOLS This safety requirement symbol (located on the rear panel) has been adopted by the International Electro-technical Commission, Document 66 (Central Office) 3, Paragraph 5.3, which directs that an instrument be so labeled if, for the correct use of the instrument, it is necessary to refer to the instruction manual. In this case it is recommended that reference be made to the instruction manual when connecting the instrument to the proper power source.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 1. General Information.............................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Organization.......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Description............................................................................................................ 1-2 1.3 Features........................................................................................
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 4.3 Dynamic Range..................................................................................................... 4-4 4.4 Filtering................................................................................................................. 4-5 4.5 Noise ..................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.6 Measurement Time ......................................................................
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:LIMit:LOWer[:POWer] ................................................................. 5-10 CALCulate:LIMit:UPPer[:POWer] ................................................................... 5-11 CALCulate:LIMit:LOWer:STATe .................................................................... 5-11 CALCulate:LIMit:UPPer:STATe ...................................................................... 5-11 CALCulate:LIMit[:BOTH]:STATe.......................................
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter OUTPut:LEVel[:POWer] .................................................................................. 5-21 OUTPut:SIGNal................................................................................................. 5-21 OUTPut:RECorder:FORCe ............................................................................... 5-21 OUTPut:RECorder:MAX .................................................................................. 5-21 OUTPut:RECorder:MIN..................
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SYSTem:COMMunicate:SERial:PARity .......................................................... 5-34 SYSTem:COMMunicate:SERial:SBITs............................................................ 5-34 SYSTem:ERRor[:NEXT]? ................................................................................ 5-35 SYSTem:ERRor:CODE?................................................................................... 5-35 SYSTem:ERRor:COUNt? .................................................
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter This page intentionally left blank.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 1. General Information This instruction manual provides you with the information you need to install, operate and maintain the Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter. Section 1 is an introduction to the manual and the instrument. Throughout this manual, the designation “4240” will be used to mean the 4240 Series RF Power Meter, which includes both the single-channel Model 4241 and the dual-channel Model 4242. 1.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 1.2 Description The Model 4240 is a digital signal processor based, single or dual channel, solid state RF power meter. It is capable of measuring RF power levels from -70 dBm to +44 dBm. The frequency range and power level are sensor dependent. Boonton 51000 series sensors provide measurement capabilities for frequencies from 10 kHz to 100 GHz. The 4240 is available as the single-channel Model 4241 or the dual-channel Model 4242. 1.3 Features • Software.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter • Dual Independent Channels. When equipped with the optional second measurement channel, the instrument can display two CW signals simultaneously. Each channel is calibrated and all channel parameters are channel-independent. • Selectable Ranging. Any of seven measurement ranges, or autoranging, can be selected during instrument setup. The selection will be held until it is changed, or until the instrument is turned off.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter • Simple Instrument Setup and Operation. In the operating mode the functions: Averaging Time, and Frequency menus are selected with a single keystroke. Values for these parameters are displayed and can be adjusted by using the arrow and enter keys. Additional operating parameters can be modified through the menu driven structure accessible via the
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 1.4 Accessories Optional 4240 accessories that can be ordered from Boonton Electronics. A data sensor adapter for each channel installed along with the AC power cord is supplied with the instrument. One or more Boonton 51000 series power sensors are required. The power sensors are not supplied as part of the instrument, but must be ordered separately. Additional available accessories include the following: a.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Option designations are appended to the instrument’s base model number. For example, Model 4242-0102 would be a two-channel instrument with sensor and calibrator connectors all on the rear panel. Specials. Custom configurations have –S/n appended to the model number, where n is a unique number. 1.6 Specifications Performance specifications for the 4240 Series are listed in Table 1-2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 1-2 4240 Series Performance Specifications (continued) (Specifications are subject to change without notice) UNCERTAINTIES Measurement Accuracy Instrument Uncertainty Noise/signal Percentage Power Reference Uncertainty Sensor Shaping Temperature Drift Sum of following uncertainties (errors are + worst case): instrument uncertainty, noise/signal percentage, power reference uncertainty, sensor shaping, temperature drift, mismatch, and frequency calibration factors
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 1-2 4240 Series Performance Specifications (continued) (Specifications are subject to change without notice) EXTERNAL INTERFACES Remote Control: GPIB: RS232: Complies with IEEE-488.1 and SCPI version 1993. Implements AH1, SH1, T6, LE0, SR1, RL1, PP0, DC1, DT1, C0, and E1. Type-D connector, 9 pins. Inputs: Front or Rear panel sensor connector; rear panel IEEE-488 connector and RS-232 connector.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 1-2 4240 Series Performance Specifications (continued) (Specifications are subject to change without notice) OTHER CHARACTERISTICS Display: Dot matrix 80 character LCD module (4 lines by 20 characters) Keyboard: 11 Key conductive rubber Processor: 32-bit Digital Signal Processor Panel setup storage: Can save and recall 10 complete “user” setups.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter This page intentionally left blank.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 2. Installation This section contains unpacking and repacking instructions, power requirements, connection descriptions and preliminary checkout procedures. 2.1 Unpacking & Repacking The 4240 Series is shipped complete and is ready to use upon receipt. Figure 2-1 shows you the various pieces included in the packaging and the order in which they are loaded into the container. Actual details may vary from the illustration.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 2-1 4240 Series Packing List INSTRUMENT (See also Table 1-1) 4240 Series RF Power Meter Line Cord Boonton Instruction Manual CD SENSOR(S) (packaged separately) Sensor(s) Sensor Cable(s) Type N to SMA Adapter (if required) BOONTON Sensor Manual CD For bench-top use, choose a clear, uncluttered area. Ensure that there is at least 2" of clearance at the exhaust vents on the side panels. Pull-down feet are located on the bottom of the instrument.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Recorder If a recorder is to be used to record measurement data, connect the recorder to the recorder BEC connector on the rear panel. Output impedance is 9.06 kilohms, and the output voltage range is 0 to 10 volts dc. Remote If the instrument is to be operated remotely using the GPIB (IEEE-488) bus, connect the instrument to the bus using the rear panel GPIB connector and appropriate cable. For RS-232 control, the rear panel 9 pin RS-232 connector should be used.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 6. Press the
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 3. Getting Started This chapter will introduce the user to the 4240 Series. The chapter will identify objects on the front and rear panels, identify display organization, list the initial configuration of the instrument after reset, demonstrate how to calibrate the sensors, and provide practice exercises for front panel operation. For additional information you should see Chapter 4 "Operation." 3.1 Organization Subsection 3.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 3-1. Standard 4240 Series RF Power Meter - Front Panel Table 3-1 Operating Controls, Indicators and Connections Reference # Front Rear Nomenclature Function 1 1 Internal Calibrator The output of the built-in 50MHz programmable calibrator is available from a Type-N connector located on the front, or optionally on the rear panel of the instrument.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-1 Operating Controls, Indicators and Connections (continued) Reference # Front Rear Nomenclature Function 4 ◄ and ► Keys In entry mode, pressing ◄advances the cursor to the left. In the measurement mode of operation pressing the ◄ key sets the Active channel to Linear measurement units (Watts, %). In entry mode, pressing ►advances the cursor to the right.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-1 Operating Controls, Indicators and Connections (continued) Reference # Front Rear Nomenclature 13 [ Key Function Often relative measurements are required especially when measuring system gains and losses. One key press of the Ref/Level key makes this easier and faster to perform. Simply connect the active channel’s sensor to the input signal of the system under test.]
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 3-2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 3.3 Operation The Model 4240 can be configured for operation via the six switches on the front panel;
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter DUAL CHANNEL A A C C M M M M M M M M L ± ( B A R M M L ± ( B A R D D D D D D D U G R A P H ) D D D D D U G R A P H ) U U U P K ∆ U U U P K ∆ U U U P K ∆ SINGLE CHANNEL A C M KEY: M M M M L ± ( B A D D D D D U R G R A P H ) D "=" 0 through 9 or a decimal point L "=" M M M M U U U U A M C D ∧,∨ (alarm mode) "=" CH1, CH2, CH1+2, CH1/2 "=" V, mV, nW, uW, mW, kW, MW,dB
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 3-5. Model 4240, Command Set Last Menu Operation. In keeping with minimum key stokes to perform a function repeatedly, the control program can remember the last menu the user was at prior to returning to the measurement display. In doing this submenu functions can be quickly selected and parameters changed getting the user back to the measurement display faster. For example, suppose the user wants to check the sensors linearity using the internal calibrator.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 3.3.1 Menu Key. The instrument's, CHANNELS, CALIBRATOR, SETUP, REPORT and DIAGNOSTIC functions are accessed when the
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-2 CHANNEL MENU Functions Function Description Parameters RTN Returns the instrument to the previous menu. n/a UNITS Units used for measurement display. dBm, WATTS dBm RES Display resolution X.X, X.XX, X.XXX dBm or/ XXX, XXXX, XXXXX Watts X.XX DUTY Duty cycle for pulse power applications; a value less than 100.00 enables pulse power mode. 0.01 to 100.00% 100.00 BAR Enables the bar graph on the measurement display.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter R T N L E V E L S I G N A > L - 6 0 O F F . 0 Figure 3-8. Calibrator Menu Display Table 3-3 CALIBRATOR MENU Functions Function Description Parameters RTN Returns the instrument to the previous menu. n/a LEVEL The calibrator output level in dBm. -60.0 to +20.0 -60.0 SIGNAL Sets the calibrator output on or off.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-4 SETUP MENU Functions (continued) Function Description Parameters Defaults SAVE Saves the current instrument configuration to one of ten non-volatile memory locations. 1-10 1 POWER-UP Instructs the instrument to power-up DEFAULT, 1-10 to the specified configuration. DEFAULT KEY BEEP Turns on/off the key beep. ON, OFF OFF IEEE Brings the instrument to the IEEE menu. see table 3-5 n/a RS232 Brings the instrument to the RS-232 menu.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-5 IEEE MENU Functions (continued) Function Description Parameters Defaults EOS LSTN End of string indicator for received messages. LF, CR, CRLF, NONE Where: LF = Line Feed CR = Carriage Return CRLF = Carriage Return and Line Feed LF EOS TALKER End of string character sent with transmitted messages. LF, CR, CRLF, NONE LF EOI Enables/disables the end or identify hardware control line. ON, OFF OFF SRQ MASK Service request interrupt mask.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-6 RS232 MENU Functions (continued) Function Description Parameters Defaults PARITY Parity bit mode in a message. ODD, EVEN, NONE NONE EOS LSTN End of string indicator for received messages. LF, CR, CRLF, NONE Where: LF = Line Feed CR = Carriage Return CRLF = Carriage Return and Line Feed LF EOS TALKER End of string character sent with transmitted messages. LF, CR, CRLF, NONE CRLF SRQ MASK Service request interrupt mask. See Section 5.5.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-7 DIAGNOSTICS MENU Functions (continued) Function Description Parameters Defaults SELF TEST Instructs the instrument to perform internal diagnostics and the display test. n/a n/a SWITCHES Interactive test to verify proper operation of the front panel switches. n/a n/a RECORDER The recorder output DAC is exercised through its full range from 0 to 10 V.D.C. in 1V steps continuously until the
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter The access code to enter the Edit Data menu is as follows: Press the front panel switches in the following order: Figure 3-15. Access Code R T N M O D E L S E R I A D A T E U P S C A L E D O W N S C A L E F R E Q C . F .
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Function Description Parameters Defaults DATE Calibration date MM/DD/YY Where: MM = 01 to 12 DD = 01 to 31 YY = 00 to 99 01/01/01 UPSCALE Upscale linearity factors Range : Factor [0 to 6] : [0 to 9999] 5000 DOWNSCALE Downscale linearity factors Range : Factor [0 to 6] : [-999 to 999] 0 FREQ C.F. Brings the instrument to the calibration factor menu n/a n/a MAX FREQ Power sensor's maximum frequency 0, 100.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-9 FREQ Menu Functions Function Description Parameters Defaults FREQ Frequency 0.01 to 100.00 GHz 0.05 CAL High frequency calibration factor -3.00 to 3.00 dB 0.00 The up/down arrow keys are used to scroll through the calibration factor table. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired field and press the key to change a value. The up/down arrow keys increment/decrement the value and the left/right arrows keys select the digits.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 3.3.3 FREQ Key. The frequency of the signal being measured must be entered in order to use the stored high frequency calibration factors. The instrument will then compute, display and apply the required correction factor to subsequent measurements. The operating frequency may be set by first pressing the key. The instrument will advance to the Frequency menu as shown in Figure 3-20.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter The user may also perform a 0 dBm calibration by one key stroke of the Zero/Cal key. Simply connect the sensor to a 0 dBm source (either by setting the internal 50MHz calibrator to 0 dBm or connecting to an external 0 dBm source) and press the key. The instrument detects that a 0 dBm signal is present and sets a calibration factor accordingly to indicate 0.00 dBm. The Zero/Cal menu is displayed by first pressing the
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-10 Reference Level Menu Functions Function Description Parameters Defaults dBm Reference level value in Preset mode. -99.99 to 99.99 dBm 0 MODE Reference level mode. "LOAD" LOAD, SET, OFF makes the current channel measurement as the reference level. The Set mode is used to select the entered reference level. The Off mode disables the reference level adjustment. OFF To set a reference level, depress the [ key to display the REFERENCE LEVEL menu.]
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter This page intentionally left blank.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 4. Operation This section provides detailed background information on various aspects of operation of the Model 4240. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the basic operating procedures covered in Section 3. This section covers the following topics: Sensor calibration, Zeroing, Filtering, Noise, Dynamic range, Measurement time, High frequency accuracy, Chart recorder operation and Waveform sensitivity. 4.1 Sensor Calibration General.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter these figures show the decay of measured power after a large signal has been applied. The typical error that can be expected by zeroing too quickly after application of a large signal is equal to the offset power at the time of zeroing. The Model 4240 initiates zeroing when the ZERO command is invoked. The user must delay zeroing according to system requirements when the sensors are used over a wide dynamic range.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-2 Diode Sensor Decay Operation 4-3
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-3 Thermal Sensor Decay 4.3 Dynamic Range The hold range mode is useful when it is known that the signal will vary over a certain limited range. (The hold range mode is active when a specific instrument range, other than autorange, has been selected.) The dynamic range of this mode is limited by the zero offset and the resolution, as shown in Figure 4-4. It can be seen from this figure that the useful dynamic range is 20 dB if the error is to be kept below 0.1 dB.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 4.4 Filtering The Model 4240 employs digital filtering (averaging of measurements) to reduce the noise floor of the instrument and to stabilize measurements. The default values are optimized for speed and low noise under general conditions. Default values for normal and fast modes are as follows: Range 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Normal (sec.) 2.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 Fast (sec.) 2.8 0.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 4-6 Operation
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-5. Noise Reduction Figure 4-6. Typical Error Band Specifications Figure 4-7.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-8. Confidence Curves, 51013 Sensor with 2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-9.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Noise Error Examples. Figures 4-8 and 4-9 show the computed error for the 51013 diode sensor at different power levels, for 2.8 and 10 second filters. To attain these results, the sensor must be at a stable temperature, and zeroing must be done immediately before the measurement is taken. Integration of Power. With long filtering, instrument readings may seem erroneous because the filter has not been cleared.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Continuous Response. Regardless of the overhead time or the digital filter length, the Model 4240 will output readings at a maximum rate of about 200/second with the display operating. As the sensor and the digital filter settle, readings will ramp up or down at that rate. Overhead Time. Overhead time is <350 milliseconds for diode sensors and <450 milliseconds for thermal sensors under the following conditions: a. Settling to 99% or 0.04 dB of final power b.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 4-11. Mismatch Uncertainties Chart 4.8 Waveform Sensitivity Thermal sensors are insensitive to the waveform because they average RF power over many tens of milliseconds. Modulated signals, non-sinusoidal waveforms, and even pulses can be detected without distortion of the measurement. Thermal sensors are referred to as RMS responding.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Diode sensors are also RMS responding below about -20 dBm (-10 dBm and 0 dBm for attenuated models 51015 and 51033). This response characteristic is obtained because the sensors are dual diode types, and diodes respond in square-law fashion at low and medium levels. This is not an approximation, but rather an inherent effect. This effect results from the fact that the diodes do not turn on and off as switches, but behave as signal dependent resistors instead.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Only the display is affected by the duty cycle calculation. The measurement process is subject to the same criteria discussed above. For thermal sensor no correction is needed for level. However, pulse periods on the order of tens of milliseconds may result in unstable readings because of inadequate averaging. If the filter time constant is too short, it can be increased by use of the AVG function.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5. Remote Operation 5.1 GPIB Configuration The 4240 GPIB interface is configured using the Menu > SETUP > IEEE menu. The primary listen/talk address (MLTA) can be set to any value from 1 to 30 inclusive. The value assigned must be unique to each GPIB device. Secondary address is not implemented. To inform the instrument that a message has been completed, the bus controller must end all messages with a terminating character and/or EOI control signal.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Additionally, the ASCII "DC2" character (hexadecimal 12/CTRL R) will cause the instrument to immediately transmit data based on the current talk mode. Continuing the above example: Terminal Sends TM0 Model 4240 Response Set the talk mode to send Floating Point Measurements. R (CTRL R/hexadecimal 12) Talk the error flag and the measurement in floating point notation. Data returned: “0,-3.00” - indicating no error and the power is -3 dBm.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter suffix is not present, the default channel is assumed. For example, SENSe or SENSe1 defines operation affecting the instrument’s “Channel 1” measurement path, while SENSe2 commands will apply to channel 2. 5.3.4 Colon Keyword Separators The colon (“:”) character is used similar to the way a slash or backslash is used in a filesystem. Prefixing a command string with a colon resets parsing at the root command level, and a colon must separate each keyword in the command.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Examples: :CALCulate:STATe ON Turn on measurement channel 1 (default channel number) :CALCulate1:STATe ON Turn on measurement channel 1 (specified channel number) :CALC:STAT ON Turn on measurement channel 1 (short form, default chan #) :CALC1:STAT ON Turn on measurement channel 1 (short form, specified chan #) :CALCulate:STATe? Query the state of measurement channel 1 (default chan #) :CALC:STAT? Query the state of channel 1 (short form, default chan #) :CALCul
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.4 Basic Measurement Information The easiest way to obtain a reading is by use of the MEASure command. This command initiates one complete measurement sequence which includes a default configuration. Examples are: MEAS1:POWER? To return the average power of channel 1, or MEAS1:VOLTAGE? To return the average voltage of channel 1. For finer control over the measurement, individual configuration and function commands should be used.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5 SCPI Command Reference This section contains a list of all SCPI remote commands accepted by the 4240 Series. The list is grouped by SCPI subsystem or IEEE488.2 function, and includes a detailed description of each command. 5.5.1 IEEE 488.2 Commands The purpose of IEEE488.2 commands is to provide management and data communication instructions for the system by defining a set of “*” commands (an asterisk followed by a three character code).
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter *ESR? Description: Return the current value of the Standard Event Status Register, then clear the register. This register has bits assigned to a number of possible events or conditions of the instrument. When the event occurs, the corresponding bit is latched. The register value is read using this command. Individual bits may be enabled or disabled for SRQ generation using the ESE mask (see *ESE command).
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter *OPT? Description: Return the status of Channel 1 and Channel 2 followed by a list of installed options. Syntax: *OPT? Returns: : f1 – Chan 1 installed?, f2 – Chan1 sensor present?, f3 – Chan 2 installed?, f4 – Chan 2 sensor present?, opt1, opt2, etc. (option list may be empty). Description: Set the instrument to a known “default” configuration. Set measurements to STOP.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter *STB? Description: Return the current value of the Status Byte register. This register has bits assigned to a number of possible events or conditions of the instrument. The register value may be read using this command, or may be used to generate a service request (SRQ) over the GPIB when certain conditions exist. Individual bits may be enabled or disabled for SRQ generation using the SRE mask (see *SRE command).
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.2 CALCulate Subsystem The CALCulate group of the command subsystem is used to configure post acquisition data processing. Functions in the CALCulate subsystem are used to configure the measurement mode and control which portions of the acquired measurement data is used and how it is processed to yield a finished measurement. In addition to measurement mode, CALCulate is used to define mathematical operations, measurement units, and limit monitoring.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:LIMit:UPPer[:POWer] Description: Set or return the upper limit power level for the selected channel. This limit is used for level alarms. When the measured average power is above the upper limit, an up arrow ▲ will appear on the display to the left of the measured value and flag bits are set in the alarm register which may be accessed using CALCulate:LIMit:FAIL? query and CALCulate:LIMit:CLEAR commands.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:MATH:ARGA Description: Set or return the first argument to be used for channel math operations. Syntax: CALCulate:MATH:ARGA Argument: = { CH1, CH2 } CALCulate:MATH:ARGB Description: Set or return the second argument to be used for channel math operations. Syntax: CALCulate:MATH:ARGB Argument: = { CH1, CH2 } CALCulate:MATH:DATA? Description: Returns the channel math result.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:REFerence:COLLect Description: For the selected channel, make the current power the reference level for ratiometric measurements, replacing the previous reference level. Syntax: CALCulate[1|2]:REFerence:COLLect Argument: None CALCulate:REFerence:DATA Description: For the selected channel, set the power level specified by the argument as the reference level for ratiometric measurements, replacing the previous reference level.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.3 CALibration Subsystem The CALibration group of commands is used to control automatic zero offset and linearity adjustments to the RF power sensor and the channel to which it is connected. Zero offset adjustment can be performed at any time if no RF signal is applied to the sensor. Linearity calibration requires that the sensor be connected to the instrument’s built-in RF calibrator.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.4 DISPlay Subsystem The DISPlay group of commands is used to control the selection and presentation of measurements. DISPlay:ACTive[?] Description: Set or return the active channel for talk commands. Syntax: DISPlay:ACTive Argument: = 1 to 2 DISPlay:CLEar Description: Clear all data buffers for CH1 and CH2. Clears averaging filters to empty. Does NOT clear errors.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter DISPlay:LABel:TEXTA Description: Displays a text message of up to 20 characters in the first label field when Display Label Mode is enabled. Syntax: DISPlay:LABel:TEXTA Argument: = A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9, ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = { } [ ] ? / < > : . DISPlay:LABel:TEXTB Description: Displays a text message of up to 20 characters in the second label field when Display Label Mode is enabled.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.5 FETCh Queries The FETCh? group of queries is used to return specific measurement data from a measurement cycle that has been INITiated and is complete or free-running. FETCh? performs the data output portion of the measurement. FETCh? does not start a new measurement, so a series of FETCh? queries may be used to return more than one set of processed measurements from a complete set of acquired data.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.6 INITiate and ABORt Commands The purpose of the INITiate group of commands is to start and control the process of data acquisition once a measurement has been configured. Depending on settings, the 4240 RF Power Meter may be commanded to begin either a single measurement (INITiate:CONTinuous OFF) which stops when complete, or enter a “free-run” mode where data acquisition occurs continuously (INITiate:CONTinuous ON).
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.7 MEASure Queries The MEASure group of commands is used to acquire data using a set of high level instructions. They are structured to allow the user to trade off fine control of the measurement process for easy operability. MEASure? provides a complete capability where the power meter is configured, a measurement taken, and results returned in one operation.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.8 MEMory Subsystem The MEMory group of commands is used to save and recall instrument operating configurations, and to edit and review usersupplied frequency dependent offset (FDOF) tables for external devices in the signal path. Up to ten configurations may be saved, and two frequency dependent offset tables. Note, however that assigning a stored FDOF table to a particular measurement channel is not a MEMory command; it is handled through the SENSe subsystem.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.9 OUTPut Subsystem The OUTPut group of commands is used to control various outputs of the 4240. These outputs include the internal 50 MHz calibrator and the Recorder Output. The internal 50 MHz calibrator is primarily used for automatic calibration of power sensors. Precise level continuous wave (CW) signals can also be sourced by the internal calibrator.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter OUTPut:RECorder:SOURce Description: Set or return the source channel for the Recorder Output.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.10 READ Queries The purpose of the READ? group of queries is to initiate a measurement cycle, acquire data, and return specific measurement data. READ? performs the initiation, data acquisition, postprocessing, and data output portions of the measurement. READ? is equivalent to ABORting any operation in progress, INITiating a new measurement, then FETChing the data when it is ready. READ? generally does not return data unless acquisition is complete.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.11 SENSe Subsystem The purpose of the SENSe command subsystem is to directly configure device specific settings used to make measurements, generally parameters related to the RF power sensor and signal processing. The SENSe commands are used to configure the power meter for acquiring data. SENSe enables you to change measurement parameters such as filtering or averaging, operating frequency and calfactors, and measurement gain or offset.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:FILTer:STATe Description: Set or return the current setting of the integration filter on the selected channel. OFF provides no filtering, and can be used at high signal levels when absolute minimum settling time is required. ON allows a user-specified integration time, from 50 milliseconds to 20 seconds (see SENSe:FILTer:TIMe command). Note that setting the filter time will force the state to ON.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.12 STATus Commands The STATus command subsystem enables you to control the SCPI defined status reporting structures. The user may examine the status or control status reporting of the power meter by accessing the Device, Operation and Questionable status groups. STATus:DEVice:CONDition? Description: Return the current value of the Device Condition register. The following table shows the bit assignments in the register.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:DEVice:EVENt? Description: Returns the current contents of the Device Event register then resets the register value to 0. The Device Event register contains the latched events from the Device Condition register as specified by the Device status group’s positive and negative transition filters.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:OPERation:CONDition? Description: Return the current value of the Operation Condition register. The following table shows the bit assignments in the register. These bits are updated by the instrument in real time, and can change in response to changes in the instrument’s operating condition.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:OPERation:NTRansition Description: Set or return the value of the negative transition filter bitmask for the Operation status group. Setting a bit in the negative transition filter causes a 1 to 0 (negative) transition in the corresponding bit of the Operation Condition register to cause a 1 to be written in the associated bit of the Operation Event register.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:QUEStionable:CONDition? Description: Return the current value of the Questionable Condition register. The following table shows the bit assignments in the register. These bits are updated by the instrument in real time, and can change in response to changes in the instrument’s operating condition.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:QUEStionable:NTRansition Description: Set or return the value of the negative transition filter bit mask for the Questionable status group. Setting a bit in the negative transition filter causes a 1 to 0 (negative) transition in the corresponding bit of the Questionable Condition register to cause a 1 to be written in the associated bit of the Questionable Event register.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter STATus:QUEStionable:CALibration:ENABle Description: Sets or returns the Questionable Calibration Enable register, which contains the bit mask that defines which true conditions in the Questionable Calibration Event register will be reported in the Questionable Calibration Summary bit of the Questionable Condition register.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.13 SYSTem Subsystem The SYSTem group of commands is used to control system-level functions not directly related to instrument measurement performance. SYSTem commands are used to return error codes or messages from the power meter error queue, control hardware features and configure communication parameters for the GPIB. SYSTem:BEEP[:ENABle] Description: Set or return the status of the audible keyboard beeper.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:TALK Description: Set or return the GPIB Talk end-of-string terminator . Syntax: SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:TALK Argument: = {LF, CR, CRLF, EOIONLY} SYSTem:COMMunicate:SERial:BAUD Description: Set or return the RS232 baud rate.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter SYSTem:ERRor[:NEXT]? Description: Returns the next queued error code number followed by a quoted ASCII text string describing the error. Note that errors are stored in a “first-in-first-out” queue, so if more than one error has occurred, repeating this command will report the errors in the sequence they happened.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.14 INSTrument:VERSion Commands INSTrument:VERSion group of commands is used to query the firmware and FPGA revision codes. The firmware code follows a “YYYYMMDD” format. The FPGA revision format has a major and minor representation in the form of “MM.mm” where “MM” is the major revision number and “mm” in the minor revision number. INSTrument:VERSion:FIRMware? Description: Returns the firmware revision code.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.15 SCPI Command Summary Table 5-1.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-1. SCPI COMMAND SUMMARY (continued) CALCulate:MATH:ARGB Set or return the second argument to be used for channel math operations. CALCulate:MATH:DATA? Returns the channel math result. CALCulate:MATH:OPERator Set or return the channel math operator. CALCulate:MODE Set/return remote measurement mode = NORMal, FAST, FILTered CALCulate[1|2]:REFerence:COLLect Set the current reading to be the ratiometric measurement reference level.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-1. SCPI COMMAND SUMMARY (continued) DISPlay:Label:TEXTC Displays a text message in the third label field. = A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9 ! @ # $ % ^ & * ()_-+={}[]?/<>:. DISPlay:Label:TEXTD Displays a text message in the fourth label field. = A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9 ! @ # $ % ^ & * ()_-+={}[]?/<>:.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5-1. SCPI COMMAND SUMMARY (continued) SENSe[1|2]:CORRection:CALFactor Set correction factor in dB. = -3.00 to 3.00 SENSe[1|2]:CORRection:DCYCle Set/return duty cycle correction factor in percent. = 0.0 to 100.0% SENSe[1|2]:CORRection:FREQuency Set channel frequency. = 0.01e9 to 110.00e9 Hz SENSe[1|2]:CORRection:OFFSet Set/return sensor offset value in dB. = -99.99 to 99.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-1. SCPI COMMAND SUMMARY (continued) STATus:QUEStionable:CALibration:EVENt? Return value of the questionable calibration event register STATus:QUEStionable:CALibration:NTRansition Set/return the negative transition filter STATus:QUEStionable:CALibration:PTRansition Set/return the positive transition filter SYSTem:BEEP[:ENABle] Set/return keypad audible beeper status. = 0, 1, OFF, ON SYSTem:BEEP:IMMediate Causes a beep to be emitted. No argument.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.16 4230 Emulation GPIB Commands Table 5-2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.17 HP 437B Emulation GPIB Commands Table 5-3.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-3.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Table 5-3.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 5.5.18 HP 438A Emulation GPIB Commands Table 5-4.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter LP1 Set learn mode #1 NOT SUPPORTED Table 5-4.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 6. Application Notes This section provides supplementary material to enhance your knowledge of the 4240 Series' advanced features and measurement accuracy. Topics covered in this section include pulse measurement fundamentals, automatic measurement principles, and an analysis of measurement accuracy. 6.1 Pulse Measurements 6.1.1 Measurements Fundamentals The following is a brief review of power measurement fundamentals. Unmodulated Carrier Power.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Figure 6-1. Pulsed RF Signal Figure 6-2.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 6.1.2 Diode Detection Wideband diode detectors are the dominant power sensing device used to measure pulsed RF signals. However, several diode characteristics must be compensated to make meaningful measurements. These include the detector’s nonlinear amplitude response, temperature sensitivity, and frequency response characteristic. Additional potential error sources include detector mismatch, signal harmonics and noise. Detector Response.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Frequency Response. The carrier frequency response of a diode detector is determined mostly by the diode junction capacitance and the device lead inductances. Accordingly, the frequency response will vary from detector to detector and cannot be compensated readily. Power measurements must be corrected by constructing a frequency response calibration table for each detector. Mismatch.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 6.2 Measurement Accuracy The 4240 Series includes a precision, internal, 50 MHz RF reference calibrator that is traceable to the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). When the instrument is maintained according to the factory recommended one year calibration cycle, the calibrator enables you to make highly precise measurements of CW signals.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter The worst case approach is a very conservative method in which the extreme conditions of each of the individual uncertainties are added together. If the individual uncertainties are all independent of one another, the probability of all being at their worst-case conditions simultaneously is extremely small. For this reason, the uncertainties are more commonly combined using the RSS method.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter The value to use for calibration level uncertainty depends upon the sensor calibration technique used. If AutoCal was performed, the calibrator’s uncertainty at the measurement power level should be used. For sensors calibrated with FixedCal, the calibrator is only used as a single-level source, and you should use the calibrator’s uncertainty at the FixedCal level, (0dBm, for most sensors).
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Sensor Temperature Coefficient. This term is the error which occurs when the sensor’s temperature has changed significantly from the temperature at which the sensor was AutoCal’d. Refer to the Boonton Electronics Power Sensor Manual for the Temperature Coefficient for the sensor being used. Sensor Noise. For CW measurements it depends on the integration time of the measurement, which is set by the “AVG” menu setting.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 6.2.3 Sample Uncertainty Calculations. The following example shows calculations for a CW power sensors. The figures used in these examples are meant to show the general technique, and do not apply to every application. Some “common sense” assumptions have been made to illustrate the fact that uncertainty calculation is not an exact science, and requires some understanding of your specific measurement conditions.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Step 6: The Sensor Temperature Drift Error depends on how far the temperature has drifted from the sensor calibration temperature, and the temperature coefficient of the sensor. In this example, an AutoCal has just been performed on the sensor, and the temperature has not drifted at all, so we can assume a value of zero for sensor temperature drift uncertainty. USnsrTempDrift = ± 0.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter Step 10: Now that each of the individual uncertainty terms has been determined, we can combine them to calculate the worstcase and RSS uncertainty values: U (±%) K (U×K)2 ( %2 ) 1. instrument uncertainty 0.115 0.500 0.0033 2. calibrator level uncertainty 2.45 0.577 1.9984 3. calibrator mismatch uncertainty 0.34 0.707 0.0578 4. source mismatch uncertainty 6.68 0.707 22.305 5. sensor shaping error uncertainty 1.00 0.577 0.3333 6. sensor temperature drift uncertainty 0.00 0.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter This page intentionally left blank.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 7. Maintenance This section presents procedures for maintaining the 4240 Series. 7.1 Safety Although the 4240 Series has been designed in accordance with international safety standards, general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation and maintenance. Failure to comply with the precautions listed in the Safety Summary located in the front of this manual could result in serious injury or death.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 7.5 Firmware Upgrade Instructions Requirements The Firmware Update file is a text file in S-record format. Any utility that can send a text file over the GPIB interface could be used, however, it is recommended that National Instruments VISA Interactive Controller (VIC) utility that is available with installation of their VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) product be used as this has been tried and tested.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 7. During this time the 4240 will display "FIRMWARE DOWNLOAD". The download takes approximate 45 seconds to completely transfer. 8. When the End-Of-File is reached the message “PROGRAMMING FLASH” will be displayed on the 4240. Flash programming takes approximately 5 seconds to complete. 9. When programming is complete the instrument returns to the measurement display. 10. At this time cycle the power to the instrument to run the new firmware. 11. Note the ‘Rev.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter This page intentionally left blank.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 8. Appendix A SCPI Error Messages 8.1 SCPI Error Messages NO.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter NO. MESSAGE DESCRIPTION -245 "Sensor Disconnected." -246 “Sensor voltage error” -247 "No Calibrator" -248 "Keyboard error" -249 "FPGA download err" -263 “MFS Init” -264 “Flash init” -266 “Mem restore” -280 “Program error” -295 "Command not in language." -296 "Data out of range, set to limit." -297 "Command not supported.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter 9. Appendix B Warranty & Repair Repair Policy 4240 Series Instrument. If the Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter is not operating correctly and requires service, contact the Boonton Electronics Service Department for return authorization. You will be provided with an RMA number and shipping instructions. Customers outside the USA should contact the authorized Boonton distributor for your area. The entire instrument must be returned in its original packing container.
Boonton 4240 Series RF Power Meter THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUD-ING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PAR-TICULAR PURPOSE. Boonton will not be liable for any incidental damages or for any consequential damages, as defined in Section 2-715 of the Uniform Commercial Code, in connection with products covered by the foregoing warranties.
