4530 SERIES RF POWER METER INSTRUCTION MANUAL This manual is applicable to: Instrument serial numbers: ALL* Operating Firmware Versions: ersions: 20021119 and later* *earlier firmware may not contain all capabilities listed herein Revision date: 07/08/2003 Manual P/N: 98404800C CD P/N: 98404899C % BOONTON ELECTRONICS A subsidiary of Noise/Com -- A Wireless Telecom Group Company 25 Eastmans Road Parsippany, NJ 07054-0465 Web Site: www.boonton.com Email: boonton@boonton.
& 1998-2002, 2003 Boonton Electronics. All rights reserved. % is a registered trademark of Boonton Electronics, a subidiary of Noise/Com, a Wireless Telecom Group Company Boonton Electronics 25 Eastmans Road Parsippany, NJ 07054-0465 Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice. Boonton Electronics makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warraties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents Contents CHAPTER/SECTION List of Tables PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Safety Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Repair Policy and Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents (Cont) CHAPTER/SECTION PAGE 3.3 Display Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.1 Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.2 Measurement Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.3 Status Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.4 Channel Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents Contents (Cont) CHAPTER/SECTION 3.9 PAGE Display Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 3.9.1 Channel Selection and Paging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 3.9.2 Mixed Mode Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15 3.10 Sensor Connection and Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.10.1 Sensor Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents (Cont) CHAPTER/SECTION 4.4 PAGE Basic Measurement Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3 4.5 Command Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.1 MEASure Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.2 INITiate and ABORt Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.3 FETCh Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents Contents (Cont) CHAPTER/SECTION PAGE 5. MAKING MEASUREMENTS 5.1 Sensor Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.1 Thermal RF Power Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.2 CW Dual-Diode RF Power Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.3 RF Voltage Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.4 Peak Power Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents (Cont) CHAPTER/SECTION PAGE APPENDIX A Available Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 APPENDIX B Model 2530 1 GHz Calibrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1 Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents List of Tables TABLE PAGE 3-1 Keyboard Controls, Indicators and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 3-2 4530 Graph and Text Mode Edit Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13 3-3 Measurement Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 3-4 Zero/Cal Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 3-5 Main Menu Summary . . . . . . . .
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter List of Illustrations ILLUSTRATION PAGE C-1 4530 Series RF Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x 2-1 Unpacking and Packing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 3-1 4530 Series, Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 3-2 4530 Series, Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents 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 instrumenmts. Boonton Electronics Corporation assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Figure C-1 4530 Series RF Power Meter x
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Contents Repair Policy Model 4531 / 4532 Instrument. If the Boonton Model 4531/4532 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.
Contents Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter xii
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 1. Chapter 1 General Information GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 DESCRIPTION The 4530 Series RF Power Meter is a new generation of instruments. It allows high-resolution power measurement of a wide range of CW and modulated RF signals over a dynamic range of up to 90dB depending on sensor. The power meter is available configured as the single-channel Model 4531, or as the dual-channel Model 4532.
Chapter 1 General Information Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 1.2 FEATURES Multi-mode capability Utilizes CW sensors, Peak Power sensors and Voltage probes with automatic sensing and setup for each type. Measures conventional CW power and voltage, power versus time for pulse analysis, and statistical power distributions for spread spectrum signals. Text and Graphics The backlit LCD display shows numerical results as well as graphical results for all measurements.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 1 General Information 1.4.2 Calibration Sources Internal Calibrator Output Frequency: 50 MHz ± 0.005% Level: -60 to +20 dBm Resolution: 0.1 dB steps Source SWR: 1.05 (reflection coefficient = 0.024) Accuracy, 0° to 20°C, NIST traceable: At 0 dBm: ±0.055 dB (1.27%) +20 to -39 dBm: ±0.075 dB (1.74%) -40 to -60 dBm: ±0.105 dB (2.
Chapter 1 General Information Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 1.4.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 1 General Information 1.4.7 Interface Video Output: Compressed representation of detected RF envelope of peak channel(s) envelope for external oscilloscope monitor or external device synchronization. This output is roughly logarithmic with input power, is not calibrated, and can not be used for making any measurements.
Chapter 1 General Information Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 1.4.9 Physical Specifications Dimensions: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) high, 8.4 inches (21.3 cm) wide, 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) deep, All dimensions are approximate, and exclude clearance for feet and connectors. Feet may be removed for rack mounting. Weight: 7 lbs. (3.2kg) Connector location option: Sensor input(s) and calibrator connector: Front or rear panel.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 2. Chapter 2 Installation INSTALLATION 2.1 UNPACKING & REPACKING The 4530 Series RF Power Meter is shipped complete and ready to use upon receipt. Figure 2-1 shows the packaging material. Save the packing material and container to ship the instrument if necessary. If the original materials are not available, contact Boonton Electronics to purchase replacements. Store materials in a dry environment. 2.
Chapter 2 Installation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 6. The sensors supplied with the instrument may vary widely in model number and type. Refer to Section 3-9 for information on connecting and calibrating sensors. 7. Upon successful calibration of the supplied sensors, the instrument is ready for use. Figure 2-1.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3. OPERATION 3.1 OPERATING CONTROLS, INDICATORS AND CONNECTIONS Controls, indicators and connectors for the 4530 Series RF Power Meter are shown in figures 3-1 and 3-2. The front panel is illustrated in figure 3-1 and the rear panel in figure 3-2. 1 2 12 11 3 10 9 8 7 Figure 3-1. 4530 Series, Front Panel 18 12 13 17 16 1 15 14 19 Figure 3-2.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.2 KEY FUNCTION SUMMARY Table 3-1 references each operating key or connector to a callout in Figure 3-1or 3-2 and briefly describes the key function Table 3-1. Keyboard Controls and Connectors Item Figure 3-1 Function 50 MHz Calibrator 1 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 Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Table 3-1. Keyboard Controls and Connectors (Cont) Item Figure 3-1 Function ESC/Stop Key 7 Aborts any operation in progress when in Menu Mode or Zero/Cal Mode. Pressing ESC/Stop while running in Text Mode or Graph Mode first causes the measurement process to stop. Pressing it when already stopped will clear the screen and reset all measurement values.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-1. Keyboard Controls and Connectors (Cont) Item Figure 3-1 EXT CAL CONTROL 14 Function An RJ-11 type modular telephone jack is used to connect the instrument to a Boonton Model 2530 1GHz Programmable Calibrator. This feature must be used to calibrate peak power sensors that cannot be calibrated at 50MHz, the operating frequency of the built-in calibrator.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.3 DISPLAY FUNCTIONS The screen display of the 4530 is divided into three sections: the header, the measurement window and the status window. Because these functions apply to all modes of operation, it is very important to understand them thoroughly. Note that the display contrast may be adjusted by holding down the ESC key while pressing the ∧ or ∨ keys. Header Status Window Measurement Window Figure 3-3. Display Functions 3.3.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.4 OPERATING MODE SUMMARY The 4530 can operate in several modes. It is possible to move between these modes without interrupting the measurements currently being performed, even though the measurement display may not always be present. 3.4.1 Menu Mode. The Menu Mode and is used to set operating parameters and start or stop measurements.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.4.3 Chapter 3 Operation Graph Mode. The Graph Mode can present an oscilloscope style trace of power versus time or power versus percent probability in statistical mode. Each channel may be viewed individually, or both can be overlaid to make channel-to-channel comparisons. User programmable cursors can be moved back and forth or up and down on the trace to define measurement regions of interest. Figure 3-6. Graph Mode (Example) 3.4.4 Edit Mode.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Figure 3-8. Zero/Cal Mode (Example) 3.5 MENU MODE OPERATION 3.5.1 Entry. When the Menu key is pressed, the instrument enters Menu Mode (See Figure 3-9). The first time the Menu key is pressed after power-up, the instrument will always enter Menu Mode displaying the Main Menu. Subsequent entries into Menu Mode will return the user to the same position in the menu tree that was last used. Figure 3-9. Main Menu Screen 3.5.2 Navigation.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation If a precise value is required, a special digit editing mode (Figure 3-10) may be selected. This mode is entered from increment/decrement mode by pressing the > key. When > is pressed, a digit pointer will be displayed below the leftmost digit field, and the ∧ and ∨ keys will change that digit of the parameter by one count. Pressing > or < will move the digit pointer right or left so any digit of the numeric parameter may be selected.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter a. Header. The header displays a title line and a line of text describing the currently highlighted item (sensor or measurement status, or auxiliary measurement values). A short description of a selected submenu, or action item, is listed or the value of a selected parameter is displayed. b. Path. The path appears on the left side of the screen, and is a list of each branch of the menu tree used to get to the current position.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.6.1 Entry. When the Text key is pressed, the 4530 enters Text Mode. 3.6.2 Measurement Page Selection. Pressing the ∧ or ∨ keys while in Text Mode pages up or down through a series of pages that contain all the measurements being performed in the current mode. See paragraph 3.9 (Display Formats) for a list of what measurements are displayed in each format. 3.6.3 Channel Selection.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.7.1 Entry. When the Graph key is pressed, the 4530 enters Graph Mode. 3.7.2 Measurement Page Selection. Pressing the ∧ or ∨ keys while in Graph Mode pages the header display up or down through several commonly used measurements or parameters. See paragraph 3.9 (Display Formats) for a list of what measurements are displayed in each format. 3.7.3 Channel Selection.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.8.4 Chapter 3 Operation Parameter Editing. The ∧ and ∨ keys are used to increment or decrement the value of the currently selected edit parameter. The increment and decrement intervals are preset, although their values may change depending on current settings. Note that key repeat is active, and holding the key will cause the parameter to continue to advance. See the “Key Repeat” section above for tips on most effective use of the auto-repeat feature.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.9 DISPLAY FORMATS 3.9.1 Channel Selection and Paging. Pressing the ∧ or ∨ keys while in Graph Mode or Text Mode pages the measurement window and header display up or down through a series of up to three measurement “pages”, each showing one or more common measurements or parameters. Pressing the < or > keys switches the display between channels in a “CH1 < > BOTH < > CH2” format.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.9.2 Chapter 3 Operation Mixed Mode Operation. All of the measurement functions of the 4532 series can be performed in two independent channels. The trigger system is common to both channels, but either can be selected as the trigger source. There are some restrictions imposed on two-channel operation when both channels are not in the same measurement mode. This situation is referred to as “mixed mode”.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Channel 1 CW Sensor Both Channels Channel 2 Peak Sensor (Pulse Mode) Figure 3-17. Text Mixed Mode Measurement Displays Channel 1 CW Sensor Both Channels Channel 2 Peak Sensor (Pulse Mode) Figure 3-18. Text Mixed Mode Edit Displays 3.10 SENSOR CONNECTION AND CALIBRATION RF Power Sensors or Voltage Probes are used to sense the high-frequency RF signal and convert it to a voltage that is proportional to the input amplitude.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Since each sensor is different, the power meter must know the precise relationship between RF input amplitude and the sensor’s detected output. Information about this relationship can be characterized at the factory, and stored in the sensor’s EEPROM, then used by the power meter to calculate the input power from the sensor’s output.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.10.2 Zero Offset Adjustment. After a CW sensor is connected, and anytime a low-level measurement is about to be taken, the sensor should be zeroed. To zero a sensor, press the Zero/CAL button to display the Zero/ Calibration menu. Peak sensors may also be zeroed once they have been autocaled, but this is not necessary immediately following an autocal, since zeroing is performed as part of any autocal process.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation BOONTON ELECTRONICS MODEL 4530 RF POWER METER BOONTON ELECTRONICS MODEL 2530 1GHZ RF CALIBRATOR EXT CAL CONTROL EXT CAL CONTROL RJ-11 Telephone Cable Figure 3-20. External Calibrator Connection Once proper connection has been verified, the 2530 may be used to automatically calibrate sensors. To select it as the calibration source, press the Zero/Cal key.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-4. Zero/Cal Menu Zero Chan (ALL SENSOR TYPES) Zero the sensor to remove the low-level power offsets of the sensor without doing a complete AutoCal. This procedure is used to remove the effects of thermal drift. On nontemperature compensated peak sensors, an advisory message will appear in the graphical and text headers when the sensor's temperature changes more than 4 degrees Celsius from the calibration temperature.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Table 3-4. Zero/Cal Menu - (Cont) CalSource Selects the calibrator to be used for calibration. Two calibration sources are possible for FixedCal and AutoCal procedures, and the Zero command also allows a calibrator to be specified. In the case of the zero, it does not actually use the selected calibrator, but the CalSource is used to determine which calibrator’s RF output will be turned off during sensor zeroing.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.11.1 Measure Menu. The Measure menu contains items that control the taking of measurements. Main Menu>Measure> Stop Select Run/Stop Capture Stop data capture. INITiate:CONTinuous OFF Run Restart Data Capture. INITiate[:IMMediate[:ALL] or INITiate:CONTinuous ON SnglSweep Perform Single Sweep. For time span (TSPAN) settings from 2 µsec to 50µsec, the single trace will be made up of 125 pixels at 1 sample/pixel.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.11.2 Channel Menu. The Channel menu contains items that affect a single measurement channel. The “channel” is a full measurement path, starting at (and sometimes before) the sensor, and including data acquisition, processing of measurements, and display of the processed information. The Model 4531 single channel power meter has only a Channel 1 menu, while the dual-channel Model 4532 has separate menus for Channel 1 and Channel 2.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Params > Filter Set the integration time of the digital filter to reduce noise in Modulated and CW modes. Longer filter times reduce noise, but increase the settling time of the measurement. The AUTO setting will adaptively set the filter time for a good tradeoff between noise and settling time based on the signal’s current power level.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Params > DutyCycle Sets the duty-cycle in percent for calculated CW pulse power measurements. Valid only for thermal sensors and CW sensors in the square-law region and subject to the accuracy of the duty-cycle value. Setting the duty-cycle to 100% is equivalent to a CW measurement. Note that this method of measuring pulse power should be used only if a peak power measurement cannot be used. Range: 0.01 to 100.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Params > Def Pulse > [ StartGate, EndGate ] The average power of a pulse can be measured with “automatic gating” rather than by “time specified gating with markers”. This is useful in GSM and TDMA applications to exclude the rising and falling transition intervals.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Params > Impedance Characteristic impedance is used only for voltage to power conversions. This is useful for calculating and displaying power from a voltage measured across a load impedance using a voltage probe. Range: 10.0 to 2500.0 ohms Default: 50.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Display > Resolutn Select the display resolution for the main readings. Note display resolution has no effect on internal measurement accuracy or the resolution of readings returned over the remote interface. Measurements are always made with full, internal resolution. Log resolution specifies a radix point following one leading digit with the number of remaining places selected.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > FrDepOfst > Ofst Src Select which, if either, of the two frequency dependent offset tables is to be used. Off Disable the frequency dependent offset feature. (Default) Table-A Enable the frequency dependent offset feature using “Table A” offset data. Table-B Enable the frequency dependent offset feature using “Table B” offset data.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Channel 1 | 2 > Snsr Data > GainConst Displays a sensor information screen showing the linearity calibration table that is stored in the EEPROM of the currently installed sensor (CW sensors only). The list shows each “range” (measurement segment), along with an Upscale and Downscale coefficient for that range. CW sensors have 7 ranges, for a total of 14 coefficients.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Horizontal Horizontal markers appear as horizontal bars, and measure the percent at a particular power level in Statistical mode. Horizontal markers may also be used in Pulse mode graph display as “reference lines”, to indicate certain power levels. In this case they are strictly visual tools, and no marker measurements can be performed.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Trig/Time > Trig Pos Selects the position of the trigger event on displayed sweep. The following descriptions assume zero trigger delay. If trigger delay is positive, the trigger position will move further to the left (less pre-trigger and more post-trigger information is shown. Negative trigger delay has the opposite effect.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Trig/Time > HoldOff Sets the trigger holdoff time. Trigger holdoff is used to disable the trigger for a specified amount of time after each trigger event. The holdoff time starts immediately after each valid trigger edge, and will not permit any new triggers until the time has expired. When the holdoff time is up, the trigger re-arms, and the next valid trigger event (edge) will cause a new sweep.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.11.5 Statisticl Menu. The Statisticl menu is used to configure data acquisition and measurement parameters for statistical mode operation. Statistical mode is a special operating mode that acquires a very large sample population, and analyzes the distribution of power levels rather than the measuring power in the time domain as is done in conventional power meters.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Statisticl > TrmCount Sets the terminal count (sample population size) for statistical mode acquisition. When the terminal count is reached, the CDF is considered “complete”, and the instrument will halt acquisition if INITiate:CONTinuous is set to OFF. If INITiate:CONTinuous is ON, sample acquisition will continue in the manner specified by the TRIGger:CDF:DECImate setting.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Calibratr > [ Int Signal, Ext Signal ] Control the on/off state of the selected calibrator, and modulation source for the External Calibrator. Off Disable the selected calibrator’s RF output. (Power-on default) On CW Enable selected calibrator’s RF output. Output signal will be unmodulated (CW). Int/Pulse Enable external calibrator’s RF output, modulated by its internal pulse generator.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.11.7 Save/Recl Menu. The Calibratr Menu is used to control both the internal, 50 MHz RF calibrator, and an optional, external 1 GHz accessory calibrator (Model 2530). Both calibrators may be used as precision RF reference levels for testing or measurements. The internal calibrator is CW only, while the external calibrator may be pulse modulated using either a built-in pulse generator, or via a rear-panel BNC pulse input.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Utilities > Display > Backlight Selects the operating mode of the LCD backlight. Turning the backlight off reduces power consumption of the power meter, and extends the life of the display. On Backlight is always on (Default). On/5 min Backlight turns on with any user input, off after 5 minutes of inactivity. On/1 min Backlight turns on with any user input, off after 1 minute of inactivity.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Utilities > IEEE-488 > SRQ Mask Set the GPIB Service Request Enable mask value. This value is used to enable particular bits for generating a service request (SRQ) over the GPIB when certain conditions exist in the Status Byte register. When a mask bit is set, and the corresponding STB bit goes true, an SRQ will be generated. No SRQ can be generated for that condition if the mask bit is clear.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Utilities > Serial > ParityBit Select whether the serial port will transmit a parity bit, and if so, its polarity. This parameter must be set setting instrument defaults has no effect. None Don’t transmit any parity bit. Odd Transmit an odd parity bit: sends a 1 if the number of 1’s in the data bits is odd, otherwise sends a 0.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Manual The recorder output will generate a manually ranged signal that follows the primary reading of the selected channel. The output voltage is scaled using the preset minimum and maximum signal levels to correspond to minimum and maximum output voltages. The voltage will be proportional to power when linear units are in use, and proportional to the log of power when logarithmic units are in use.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Main Menu > Utilities > Recorder > Calibrate > Slope Adj Adjusts the slope, or gain of the recorder output. This command is typically used with a recorder Zero Adj command to calibrate the recorder output for maximum absolute accuracy. The setting represents the deviation in percent from the factory default slope value, and may be adjusted in 0.01% increments, corresponding to 1mV at fullscale, although actual output resolution is 5mV.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Main Menu > Utilities > Sys-Tests > Recorder Perform a diagnostic test of the recorder output. While the test is running, the recorder output should generate a repeating ramp waveform that spans the full output range of the recorder output from -10.0V to +10.0 volts. The signal may be monitored with an external oscilloscope, and it is normal for the waveform to have a “stair-step” appearance. Pressing any key terminates the test.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3.11.11 Menu Summary. The following table is a compressed summary the entire menu structure of the Model 4530. Each level of indent indicates a new submenu Table 3-5. Main Menu Summary Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Measurement Control Menu Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stop data capture Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restart data capture SnglSweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation Table 3-5. Main Menu Summary - (Cont) FrDepOfst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freq Dependent Offset Submenu Ofst Src . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Select Offset Table Modify-A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View/edit Freq Dep Offset Table A Modify-B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View/edit Freq Dep Offset Table B Snsr Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-5. Main Menu Summary - (Cont) Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Instrument Utilities Menu InstrStat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View configuration status Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjust display settings Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjust LCD display contrast Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.12 ERROR MESSAGES AND STATUS CODES The following tables show the various error, warning or status messages that may appear from time to time, along with an explanation of the meaning of the message. In some cases, the messages may be ignored, while other messages indicate a major malfunction or error that prevents the power meter from performing measurements. Table 3-6.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 3-8.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation 3.13 RECORDER OUTPUT CALIBRATION The recorder output may be user calibrated for maximum in-system accuracy when used as a measurement monitor. The output span of the hardware is -10.0 to +10.0 volts. This span is covered by a 12-bit D/A converter, which generates 4096 voltage steps to cover the 20 volt span, or about 5 millivolts per step.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 6. The slope adjustment has no effect on the output voltage when the force setting is 0.000 volts. If a voltage other than zero volts was chosen for setting the offset in step 2, it will be necessary to iteratively repeat steps 2 through 5 to achieve convergence upon the desired transfer line.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 3 Operation main software version, and a DSP software version. They may not be the same, but the more recent of these dates should match the datecode of the update file just downloaded. If the updated versions do not appear, the download failed and the old software is still installed. TROUBLESHOOTING: If serial communication cannot be established, the update program will respond: "Unable to determine baud rate", or “No response on COM1”.
Chapter 3 Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 3-52
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4. Chapter 4 Remote Operation REMOTE OPERATION 4.1 GPIB CONFIGURATION. The 4530 Series GPIB interface is configured using the main menu key at menu level Main Menu>Utilities>IEEE488>BusSetup. The primary listen/talk address (MLTA) under menu item >Address can be set to any value from 0 to 30. The value assigned must be unique to each GPIB device. Secondary address is not implemented.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter code. Upon receiving this code, the instrument immediately transmits the string currently in its talk buffer. If the buffer is empty, the response will be delayed until a string is available. Once a single string and its terminator has been sent, the instrument will not send any further data until another DC2 has been received.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation Command which takes numeric argument: SENSe1:AVERage Command with literal text argument: TRIGger:SOURce Command to set a parameter: CALCulate[1|2]:LIMit:UPPer Same command; query that parameter: CALCulate[1|2]:LIMit:UPPer? Command with no query form: *CLS Command with query form only: SENSe[1|2]:TEMPerature? NOTES A literal argument denoted by indicates a text string, which must exactly match one of t
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4.5 COMMAND REFERENCE. This section contains a list of all remote commands accepted by the 4530. The list is grouped by SCPI or IEEE488 function, and detailed descriptions of each commands may be located by section. The final section contains a summary list of commands.: Command Group Section Page MEASure Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INITiate and ABORt Commands . . . . . . . . .
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation MEASure:VOLTage Description: Return average voltage using a default instrument configuration. Syntax: MEASure[1|2]:VOLTage? Returns: Average voltage in linear volts Valid Modes: Automatically sets to Modulated or CW voltage mode before measurement. 4.5.2 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.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter ABORt Description: Terminates any measurement in progress and resets the state of the trigger system. Note that ABORt will leave the measurement in a stopped condition, and forces INITiate:CONTinuous to OFF. Syntax: ABORt Argument: None Valid Modes: Any 4.5.3 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.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation FETCh:ARRay:MARKer:POWer Description: Returns the current power readings at both markers on the specified channel. Syntax: FETCh[1|2]:ARRay:MARKer:POWer? Returns: Pwr@Marker1, Pwr@Marker2 in active units Valid Modes: Pulse and Statistical modes Restrictions: MARKer:MODe must be set to VERT FETCh:ARRay:MARKer:PERcent Description: Returns the current statistical percent readings at both markers on the specified channel.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter FETCh:ARRay:PULse:POWer Description: Returns an array of the current marker measurements for the specified channel. The array consists of the average, maximum, and minimum power and peak-to-average ratio between the two markers, powers at both markers, and the ratio of the two markers. Note the peakto-average ratio and marker ratio are returned in dB for log units, and percent for linear units.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation FETCh:ARRay:AMEAsure:POWer Description: Returns an array of the current automatic statistical measurements performed on a sample population. Measurements performed are: long term average, peak and minimum powers, peak-to-average ratio, power at each marker, statistical percent at each marker, and the sample population size in megasamples. Note the peak-to-average ratio is returned in dB for log units, and percent for linear units.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter READ:MARKer:POWer Description: Performs a single measurement and returns the power reading at the specified marker on the specified channel.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation READ:ARRay:CW:VOLTage Description: Performs a single measurement and returns the average, maximum, minimum voltage and peak-to-average ratio in dB (peak sensor) or pulse voltage (CW sensor) for the specified channel. Note that the values for maximum and minimum voltage will depend on the peak hold mode; see the description of the CALCulate:PKHLD command for details.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter READ:ARRay:AMEAsure:POWer Description: Performs a single measurement and returns an array of automatic power measurements performed on a sample population. Measurements performed are: peak power during the pulse, average power over a full cycle of the pulse waveform, average power during the pulse, IEEE top amplitude, IEEE bottom amplitude, and overshoot.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation CH1 Description: Configures native mode talk instructions to return Channel 1 measurement data Syntax: CH1 Argument: None Valid Modes: All Restrictions: SYSTem:LANGuage must be set to BOON to use native mode instructions Description: Configures native mode talk instructions to return Channel 2 measurement data Syntax: CH2 Argument: None Valid Modes: All Restrictions: SYSTem:LANGuage must be set to BOON to use nati
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter TKSDATA Description: Returns the sensor data table from sensor’s EEPROM. Note that year codes are excess1990, that is 5 means 1995, and 11 means 2001. Power and attenuation levels are coded as dBm x 100; that is, -3500 means -35.00 dBm. All other values are in fundamental units. Model numbers are only shown as the base number - any special “S” version number will not appear.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation TKSCWRG Description: Returns the CW sensor linearity calibration table from sensor’s EEPROM. CW power sensors have 7 pairs of upscale / downscale gain factors, and voltage probes have eight pairs of upscale / midscale / downscale gain factors. Upscale factors have a nominal value of 5000, and midscale and downscale factors have a nominal value of 0.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter TKPWR Description: Sets the talkmode to return the average, maximum and minimum power and peak-to-average ratio (or pulse power, for CW sensors) for the selected channel each time the 4530 is addressed to talk. This is a “permanent” talkmode, and will remain in effect until a new talkmode is set. Power is returned in current units, and peak-to-average ratio is in dB for log units, and percent for linear units.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation TKMK2 Description: Sets the talkmode to return the reading at marker 2 for the active channel each time the 4530 is addressed to talk. This is a “permanent” talkmode, and will remain in effect until a new talkmode is set. Power is returned in current units. Syntax: TKMK2 Returns: Pwr@Marker2 Valid Modes: Pulse and Statistical modes Restrictions: MARKer:MODe must be set to VERT.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter TKPLSPWR Description: Sets the talkmode to return an array of automatic power measurements performed on a periodic pulse waveform each time the 4530 is addressed to talk. Measurements performed are: peak power during the pulse, average power over a full cycle of the pulse waveform, average power during the pulse, IEEE top amplitude, IEEE bottom amplitude, and overshoot.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.5.6 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.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:FILTer:TIMe Description: Set or return the current length of the integration filter on the selected channel. If the filter state is set to AUTO, querying the time will return -0.01, and if set to OFF, a time query will return 0.00. Note that setting the filter time will force the state to ON. Syntax: SENSe[1|2]:FILTer:TIMe Argument: = 0.01 to 15.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation SENSe:CORRection:FDOFfset Description: Set or return the name of the current frequency dependent offset table in use on the selected channel. Two tables (TableA and TableB) are available, and each holds a list of up to 64 frequencies and corresponding offset values. See the MEMory:FDOFfset commands for entering these tables.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:PULSe:UNITs Description: Set the units for entering the pulse distal, mesial and proximal levels. If units is set to VOLTS, the pulse transition levels will be defined as the specified percentage in voltage. If set to WATTS, the levels are defined in percent power.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation SENSe:PULSe:STARTGT Description: Set or return the point on a pulse, which is used to define the beginning of the pulse’s “active” interval. This point is defined in percent of the total pulse duration, with 0% corresponding to the midpoint of the rising edge, and 100% corresponding to the midpoint of the falling edge, as defined by the mesial setting.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4.5.7 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.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation CALCulate:DCYC Description: Set or return the pulse duty cycle in percent of the input waveform of the selected channel. This value is used to calculate the theoretical pulse power based on an average power measurement of a periodic pulse waveform.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:UNITs Description: Set or return default programming/display units for the selected channel. For power sensors, voltage is calculated with reference to the sensor input impedance. For voltage sensors, power is calculated using the user supplied impedance parameter.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation CALCulate:LIMit:UPPer 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 above the units on the main text screen, and flag bits are set in the alarm register which may be accessed using CALCulate:LIMit commands.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter CALCulate:LIMit:CLEar Description: Reset (clear to zero) the selected channel’s latched alarm limit status flags. Note that the “current status” limit flags will continue to indicate the current alarm state. Syntax: CALCulate[1|2]:LIMit:CLEar[:IMMediate] Argument: none Valid Modes: CW and Modulated modes 4.5.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation MARKer:POSition:TIMe Description: Set or return the time (position) of the selected vertical marker relative to the trigger. Note that time markers must be positioned within the time limits of the trace window in the graph display. If any attempt is made to position them outside these limits, they will be forced back into the range of the trace window.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter DISPlay:%OFST Description: Set or return the horizontal trace offset in statistical percent. Syntax: DISPlay:%OFST Argument: = 0 to 99 % (see restrictions) Valid Modes: Statistical mode only Restrictions: The sum of %SPAN and %OFST must not be greater than 100%. DISPlay:TSPAN Description: Set or return the horizontal time span of the display.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation DISPlay:TXT Description: Set the display to single channel text mode showing measurements for only the selected channel, and set the header and measurement page to the value specified by the command argument.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter DISPlay:TRACe:PCTSPAN Description: Set or return the vertical span (sensitivity) of the selected channel’s graph display when using linear units in ratiometric (reference) mode. The 4530 has fixed vertical span settings in a 1-2-5 sequence, and if the argument does not match one of these settings, it will be forced to the next highest entry. Syntax: DISPlay:TRACe[1|2]:PCTSPAN Argument: = 0.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation DISPlay:TEXT:RESolution Description: Set or return the display resolution for the selected channel’s reading in the main text display. When logarithmic units are in use, the argument sets the number of digits displayed after the decimal point. For linear units, the number of significant digits displayed is approximately equal to the argument plus two.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter TRIGger:HOLDoff Description: Set or return the trigger holdoff time. Trigger holdoff is used to disable the trigger for a specified amount of time after each trigger event. The holdoff time starts immediately after each valid trigger edge, and will not permit any new triggers until the time has expired. When the holdoff time is up, the trigger re-arms, and the next valid trigger event (edge) will cause a new sweep.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation TRIGger:SLOPe Description: Set or return the trigger slope or polarity. When set to POS, triggers will be generated when a signal’s rising edge crosses the trigger level threshold. When NEG, triggers are generated on the falling edge of the pulse. Syntax: TRIGger:SLOPe Argument: = NEG, POS Valid Modes: Pulse mode only.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4.5.11 TRACe Data Array Commands The TRACe group of commands is used to control the output of acquired measurement arrays, which appear as a display trace when the power meter is in Graph mode. The TRACe commands allow outputting a channel’s entire trace (126 measurement points) as one large array, or selecting and returning the array in smaller portions.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.5.12 SENSe:MBUF Data Array Commands The MBUF commands (which are grouped under the SENSe subsystem) are used to control buffered data capture and output of a long array of sequential readings (the “Measurement BUFfer”). This capability is useful for capturing readings at a rate higher than the host system can read back in real time.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:MBUF:POSition Description: Return the current acquisition position into the measurement buffer, which is the index of the next buffer point which will be written to. This command is useful for determining whether the measurement buffer is full. A value of zero indicates that no points have been buffered yet, and a value of RATE indicates that the buffer is full.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.5.13 SENSe:SBUF Data Array Commands The SBUF commands (which are grouped under the SENSe subsystem) are used to control data capture and output of a long array of sequential measurement samples (the “Sample BUFfer”). This capability is useful for capturing very long, single, triggered events in the time domain. These commands are used in PULSE mode, and allow control of data sampling and array output.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:SBUF:COUNt Description: Set or return the number of samples (power readings), which will be returned each time the SENSe:SBUF:DATA? query is issued in “user” sampling mode. At the completion of each read, INDEX is automatically incremented by COUNT. If COUNT is set to a number greater than the number of points remaining in the sample array, the array will be truncated.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation SENSe:HIST:COUNt Description: Set or return the number of histogram elements (bins), which will be returned each time the SENSe:HIST:DATA? query is issued. At the completion of each read, INDEX is automatically incremented by COUNT. If COUNT is set to a number greater than the number of points remaining in the histogram, the array will be truncated.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SENSe:CALTAB:INDEX Description: Set or return the array index for the first caltable element to be returned next time the SENSe:CALTAB:DATA? query is issued. Index 0 is the first element in the caltable, and will contain the lowest power level in the sensor’s calibration. Index 4095 is the last element, and contains the highest power level.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation CALibration:{INTernal|EXTernal}:FIXedcal Description: Performs a single point sensor gain calibration of the selected sensor with selected calibrator. This procedure calibrates the sensor’s gain at a single point. At other levels, that gain setting is combined with stored linearity factors to compute the actual power.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter MEMory:SYS:STORe Description: Saves the current instrument setup to internal memory location 1 thru 4. Syntax: MEMory:SYS{1|2|3|4}:STORe Argument: None Valid Modes: Any MEMory:FDOFfset:DATA Description: Set or read back the data array for frequency dependent offset table A or B.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation OUTPut:EXTernal:MODulation Description: Set or return the output modulation state for the 2530 external calibrator. If set to CW, a calibrated CW signal will be generated. If set to PULSE, the output will be pulse modulated as specified by the OUTPut:EXTernal:PULse:PERiod, :DCYC, and :SOURce settings.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter OUTPut:RECOrder:MEAS Description: Set or return the recorder output’s measurement mode. If set to AUTO, the output level is automatically scaled to match the display, and generally will “downscale” every decade as power increases. In MANUAL mode, the output level is scaled using the minimum and maximum powers set with OUTPut:RECOrder:MIN and :MAX as the downscale and fullscale values.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation OUTPut:RECOrder:FAST Description: Set or return the state of the recorder “fast mode” setting. OFF is the instrument’s poweron default setting, and uses standard recorder output speed (about 50ms). Display and other functions including bus operation have priority over recorder output update. ON enables a special, high-speed recorder output mode.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4.5.18 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 (backlight and keybeep), set the command language, and configure communication parameters for the GPIB and serial interfaces.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation SYSTem:LIGHT Description: Set or return the display backlight status. OFF = always off, ON = always on, ON_1 and ON_5 = on at any key press, off after 1 or 5 minutes of keyboard inactivity, Syntax: SYSTem:LIGHT Argument: = ON, OFF, ON_1, ON_5 Valid Modes: Any SYSTem:COMMunicate:SERial:BAUD Description: Set or return the serial port baud rate.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:ADDRess Description: Set or return the instrument’s primary GPIB address. Use this command with caution, as GPIB communication could become locked up if proper addressing does not occur. Syntax: SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:ADDRess Argument: = 0 to 30 Valid Modes: Any SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:LISTen Description: Set or return the LISTENER line termination (EOS) character.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation STATus:OPERation:EVENt Description: Return the SCPI Operation Status Event register, which contains the latched bits of the Operation Status register. If any of the bits in the status register have gone high, the corresponding bit in the event register will be set, indicating that the event of interest is present or has occurred. The event register bits are cleared after reading.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter STATus:QUEStionable:CONDition Description: Return the current value (condition) of the SCPI Questionable Status register. The following table shows the bit assignments in the register: Bit Value Definition 0 1-2 3 4 5-7 8 9 - 12 13 14 15 1 -8 16 -256 -8192 16384 -- Voltage Not used Power Temperature Not used Calibration Not used Instrument Summary Command Warning Not used 1 = an internal power supply voltage is out of spec.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation *ESE Description: Set or return the Standard Event Status Enable Register. The mask value in this register is used to enable particular bits for generating a service request (SRQ) over the GPIB when certain conditions exist in the Event Status Register. When a mask bit is set, and the corresponding ESR bit goes true, an SRQ will be generated, provided the Event Status Summary bit (ESB, bit 5) is enabled in the SRE register.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter *OPC Description: Clear or read the OPC (OPeration Complete) status flag. Issuing this command with no arguments clears the flag (resets it to zero), and the query form of the command returns the flag’s current value. The flag is bit 0 (the LSB) of the Standard Event Status Register (ESR), and is set to one when all pending operations have completed.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation *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).
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter *TRG Description: Trigger a measurement. This command is equivalent to receiving a GET command from the GPIB bus controller. If the trigger is armed (usually by an INITiate command) and trigger source is set to BUS, a new measurement will begin when *TRG is received. Syntax: *TRG Argument: None Valid Modes: Any 4.5.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation Table 4-1 Remote Command Summary (Cont) CALibration[1 | 2]:{INTernal | EXTernal}:ZERO[?] Performs sensor zero offset null adjustment,[return err flag] CALibration[1 | 2]:{INTernal | EXTernal}:FIXEDcal[?] Performs single-point sensor gain calibration, [return err flag] CALibration[1 | 2]:{INTernal | EXTernal}:AUTOcal[?] Performs multi-point sensor gain “step” calibration, [return err flag] CALibration[1 | 2]:USER:FREQcal[?] Pe
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 4-1 Remote Command Summary (Cont) MEMory:SYS[1 | 2 | 3 | 4]:LOAD recall stored instrument setup from setup memory location 1 thru 4. MEMory:SYS[1 | 2 | 3 | 4]:STORe store instrument setup in setup memory location 1 thru 4.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation Table 4-1 Remote Command Summary (Cont) SENSe[1 | 2]:PULse:DISTal set/return pulse distal level in percent of top power, = 0 to 100% SENSe[1 | 2]:PULse:MESIal set/return pulse mesial level in percent of top power, = 0 to 100% SENSe[1 | 2]:PULse:PROXimal set/return pulse proximal level in % of top power, = 0 to 100% SENSe[1 | 2]:PULse:UNITs set/return power units used for DIST, MESI and PROX argum
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Table 4-1 Remote Command Summary (Cont) SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:ADDRess set/return instrument’s own GPIB primary address, = 0 to 30 SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:LISTen set/return LISTENER line termination, = CR, LF SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB:TALK set/return TALKER line termination, = NONE, CR, LF, CRLF SYSTem:LANGuage set/return language selection, = SCPI, BOON SYSTem:LIGHT set/retu
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.6 REMOTE SENSOR CALIBRATION 4.6.1 AutoCal (Peak or CW Sensors) - When maximum accuracy is required, an automatic sensor calibration (AutoCal) should be used. This steps the sensor through a series of calibrated power levels and builds the sensor’s linearity calibration table for its entire dynamic range. AutoCal is performed using the internal 50 MHz step calibrator or the optional external 1 GHz step calibrator.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter This method is simple but has a disadvantage. You must anticipate the time required. An incorrect estimate will waste time or cause an error. A better but more complicated method makes use of the service request capability of the GPIB. Apply the alternate method shown in paragraph 4.6.1 for the ZERO and FIXEDCAL functions. 4.7 NATIVE MODE PROGRAMMING.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.8 SCPI EXAMPLE PROGRAM FRAGMENTS. 4.8.1 Pulse Mode Example - Signal in: 100 microsecond wide periodic pulse waveform, modulating a 1 GHz carrier. Peak sensor in use, trigger level is valid and results in synchronized trace when viewed in GRAPH mode. NOTE When the trigger source is set to Bus or to Bus in combination with a signal source, the READ command cannot be used. If it is, a trigger deadlock error code is generated.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter d. Use an internal signal trigger to initiate successive measurements. CALC1:MODE pulse Set for pulse measurement mode TRIG:SOUR sensor1 Set trigger source for sensor1 input signal ABORT Measurements STOP and triggers go to idle. INIT:CONT on Continuous measurements subject to signal trigger conditions. ( INIT:IMMEDIATE ) Error if used. FETCH1:ARRAY:MARKER:POWER? Returns marker-related power reading array. e.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.8.2 Modulated Mode Example - Signal in: 100 microsecond wide periodic pulse waveform, modulating a 1 GHz carrier. Peak sensor in use. NOTE When the trigger source is set to Bus or to Bus in combination with a signal source, the READ command cannot be used. If it is, a trigger deadlock error code is generated. READ is a macro command which is equivalent to the sequence ABORt;INITiate;FETCh[:]?. a.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter b. Making successive measurements. CALC1:MODE cw Set for CW measurement mode TRIG:SOUR bus Set trigger source for bus ABORT Measurements STOP and triggers go to idle. {send GET} or *TRG One random trace appears in graph mode FETCH1:CW:POWER? Returns CW power reading. Sending GET again has no effect; the measurement is complete.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 4 Remote Operation 4.9 ERROR AND STATUS CODES. The following table shows codes that will be returned in response to any command that is unrecognized, invalid, or not applicable in the current state. A list of these errors may be read in the sequence they occurred using the SCPI command SYSTem:ERRor. This command will report each error by code and a short, quoted text description. An error code of zero corresponds to “No Error”. Table 4-2.
Chapter 4 Remote Operation Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 4-68
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 5. Chapter 5 Making Measurements MAKING MEASUREMENTS 5.1 SENSOR TYPES The 4530 Series RF Power Meter can operate with any type of Boonton sensor to measure CW or modulated RF power or voltage over a wide range of operating frequencies. Refer to Appendix A for a description of the most popular sensors. Those sensors listed cover the great majority of applications used.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Frequency and linearity correction factors for Boonton CW Power Sensors are stored in the sensor adapter, and power measurements can be taken immediately upon inserting the sensor. For best performance, zero the sensor before taking any low-level measurements. A single- or multi-point calibration can be performed if desired to enhance the absolute accuracy of the measurement.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements less operation allows continuous measurement of signals without the loss of data that would be incurred whenever the signal crosses a power range threshold (typically every 10dB). The top and bottom of pulse transitions can be measured without worrying about artifacts introduced by input amplifier saturation, and a single-shot burst of samples can be acquired without the need to set the correct range in advance.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter CW mode measures the average power of CW signals (and modulated signals if using a thermal sensor or diode sensor within the square-law region), and displays a high-resolution measurement. The power is automatically corrected for sensor frequency response, and filtered using user-selectable parameters, then displayed on the front panel readout.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements Although the sample rate in statistical mode is high enough to gather a large sample population in a very short time (over one million power samples are recorded each second), the strength of this mode is that it can be allowed to run for a long period of time to capture very infrequent events. The sample counters are 32 bits, so the runtime for a single CDF can be programmed to be more than an hour.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 5.4 SELECTING THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT MODE Since the 4530 Series RF Power Meter can accept any type of Boonton power or voltage sensor, and each sensor type can operate in one or more measurement modes. 5.4.1 CW Mode. CW diode sensors, thermal sensors and voltage probes all operate in CW Mode, and CW Mode is only available for these types of sensors.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 5.4.4 Chapter 5 Making Measurements Statistical Mode. Statistical Mode is only available when using a peak power sensor, and is best choice for analyzing “noise-like” signals that are modulated in a random, nonperiodic fashion. Statistical mode yields information about the probability of occurance of various power levels without regard for when those power levels occured.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Averaging (Optional setting for Pulse Mode) - Sets the trace averaging for reducing noise on the trace display, marker measurements, and automatic pulse measurements. The default setting is 4, but setting to 32 or higher can significantly reduce noise for low-level pulse waveforms.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements 5.6 SETTINGS FOR SOME COMMON SIGNAL TYPES The following list discusses some of the common telecommunication formats that are frequently measured. While this list should give enough setup information to read back the most used measurements, some of the advanced features of the 4530 Series can return other data as well.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Meas Mode: Frequency: Averaging: TimeSpan: Trig Source: Trig Slope: Trig Mode: Trig Position: Trig Delay: Trig Holdoff: Marker Mode: Marker1 Pos: Marker2 Pos: Query Cmnd: Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Pulse 850 MHz (or whatever operating frequency is in use) 4 (use less for faster response time, more for better noise rejection) 10 ms (shows the full 6.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Meas Mode: Frequency: Averaging: TimeSpan: Trig Source: Trig Slope: Trig Mode: Trig Position: Trig Delay: Trig Holdoff: Marker Mode: Marker1 Pos: Marker2 Pos: Query Cmnd: Chapter 5 Making Measurements Pulse 0.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Meas Mode: Frequency: Averaging: TimeSpan: Trig Source: Trig Slope: Trig Mode: Trig Position: Trig Delay: Trig Holdoff: Marker Mode: Marker1 Pos: Marker2 Pos: Query Cmnd: Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Pulse 2.44 GHz (center frequency of Bluetooth band) 4 (use less for faster response time, more for better noise rejection) 0.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 5.6.6 Chapter 5 Making Measurements Measuring HDTV. Both of the common HDTV formats (8-VSB and COFDM) are very similar to CDMA in many respects. They are both spread-spectrum formats, usually occupying a 6MHz television channel. The modulated signal appears very much like random noise in the time domain, with a fairly high peak-to-average ratio (sometimes called “crest factor”).
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter It should be noted that measurement uncertainty calculation is a very complex process, and the techniques shown here are somewhat simplified to allow easier calculation. For a more complete information, the following publications may be consulted: 5.7.1 1. “ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement” (1995) International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland ISBN 92-67-10188-9 2. “U.S.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements The formula for calculating RSS measurement uncertainty from worst-case values and scale factors is: ___________________________________________ URSS = F (U1K1)2 + (U2K2)2 + (U3K3)2 + (U4K4)2 + ... (UNKN)2 where U1 through UN represent each of the worst-case uncertainty terms, and K1 through KN represent the normalizing multipliers for each term based on its distribution shape.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Source Mismatch Uncertainty. This term is the mismatch error caused by impedance differences between the measurement source output and the sensor’s termination.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements Sensor Noise. The noise contribution to pulse measurements depends on the number of samples averaged to produce the power reading, which is set by the “averaging” menu setting. For continuous measurements with CW sensors, or peak sensors in modulated mode, it depends on the integration time of the measurement, which is set by the “filter” menu setting. In general, increasing filtering or averaging reduces measurement noise.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements 5.7.3 Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Sample Uncertainty Calculations. The following examples show calculations for two measurement applications - one using a CW sensor (Model 51075), and the other with a peak power sensor (Model 57518). The figures used in these examples are meant to show the general techniques, and do not apply to all applications.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements sensor, and the temperature has not drifted at all, so we can assume a value of zero for sensor temperature drift uncertainty. USnsrTempDrift = ±0.0 % Step 7: This is a relatively low-level measurement, so the noise contribution of the sensor must be included in the uncertainty calculations. We’ll assume default filtering. The signal level is -55dBm, or 3.16nW.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Typical Example #2: Model 57518 Peak Power Sensor Measurement conditions: Source Frequency: 900 MHz Source Power: 13 dBm (20mW) Source SWR : 1.12 (reflection coefficient = 0.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Chapter 5 Making Measurements 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 our case, we are using a temperature compensated sensor, and the temperature has drifted by 11 degrees C (49C - 38C) from the AutoCal temperature. We will use the equation in the previous section to calculate sensor temperature drift uncertainty.
Chapter 5 Making Measurements Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter 5-22
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Appendix A Appendix A Sensors Sensors SENSORS This appendix lists the characteristics of most common Boonton Electronics sensors used with the 4530 Series RF Power Meter. Those sensors listed generally are suitable for the great majority of standard measurements. Additional sensor types are available for special requirements. Contact Boonton Electronics for assistance in selecting a special sensor to meet your specific requirements.
Appendix A Sensors Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Peak Power Sensors Model Frequency Range Impedance RF Conn High BW (Low BW) Dynamic Range Overload Rating Peak Pwr Range CW Pwr Range Pulse / Int. Trig Range Continuous Sensor Risetime Video Bandwidth Maximum SWR Hi BW Setting Frequency Low BW Setting SWR For use with the 4530 Series RF Power Meter plus optional Model 2530 1 GHz Calibrator accessory only 56218 50Ω N(M) 0.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Appendix A Sensors CW Power Sensors Model Frequency Range Dynamic Range Impdance RF Conn Overload Rating Pulse / Continuous Maximum SWR Frequency SWR Wide Dynamic Range Dual Diode Sensors 51075 50Ω N(M) 500 kHz to 18 GHz -70 to +20 dBm 1 W for 1µs 300 mW 500 kHz to 2 GHz 2 GHz to 6 GHz 6 GHz to 8 GHz 1.15 1.20 1.40 51077 50Ω N(M) 500 kHz to 18 GHz -60 to +30 dBm 10 W for 1µs 3W 500 kHz to 2 GHz 2 GHz to 6 GHz 6 GHz to 18 GHz 1.15 1.20 1.
Appendix A Sensors Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter CW Power Sensors (Cont) Model Frequency Range Dynamic Range Impdance RF Conn Overload Rating Pulse / Continuous Maximum SWR Frequency SWR Thermocouple Sensors - Continued 51300 50Ω N(M) 10 MHz to 18 GHz 0 to +44 dBm 150 W for 1µs 50 W 10 MHz to 2 GHz 2 GHz to 12.4 GHz 12.4 GHz to 18 GHz 1.10 1.18 1.28 51301 50Ω N(M) 100 kHz to 4.2 GHz 0 to +44 dBm 150 W for 1µs 50 W 100 kHz to 2 GHz 2 GHz to 4.2 GHz 1.10 1.
Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Appendix B Appendix B 2530 1GHz Calibrator Model 2530 1GHz Calibrator MODEL 2530 1 GHz CALIBRATOR The Model 2530 operates as an optional accessory of the Model 4531 and 4532 RF Power Meters to provide calibration and test signals at an output frequency of 1.024 GHz. The Model 2530 is controlled by the power meter through its manual and remote programming systems and GPIB commands are defined for it. The 1.
Appendix B 2530 1GHz Calibrator Boonton Electronics 4530 Series RF Power Meter Miscellaneous Power requirements: 90 to 260 VAC, 47 to 63 Hz, < 50 VA, < 30 watts No voltage switching required. Cooling: Internal fan. Dimensions: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) high, 8.4 inches wide (21.3 cm), approx. 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) length , not including removable feet and connector clearances.
