Datasheet

Page 7
Find us at www.keysight.com
Innovative measurement functions enable both novice and experienced users
to utilize all of the B2980A series’ powerful measurement capabilities
How does the Navigation
feature work?
The B2980A series possesses an
innovative measurement navigation
capability that helps users optimize
both aperture time and measure-
ment range. As shown below, it has
three pre-programmed range vs.
aperture curves that cover most
logical combinations. By default
measurements start using the
“Normal” curve and an appropriate
measurement range. However, if the
measured data seems noisy then
pressing the “Fine Res” key switches
the settings over to the “Stable”
curve. This will automatically adjust
the settings to a longer aperture
time and reduce the noise. In
addition, if you need to make a
rough measurement quickly then
switching over to the “Quick” curve
will save measurement time.
The Navigation feature’s pre-defined
curves enable even novice engineers
and researchers to make low-level
measurements quickly without any
need to struggle over selecting the
appropriate aperture time and range
settings. Of course, experienced
users can override these curves and
use the instrument in purely manual
mode if a particular measurement
requires customized settings.
Aperture time (Integration time)
Long 
Measurement range
High 
Normal
Stable
Quick
+
−
Pressing the
Home key
automatically
sets the most
appropriate
range and speed
at any time
20 mA
2 mA
200 μA
20 μA
2 μA
200 nA
20 nA
2 nA
200 pA
20 pA
2 pA
20 V
2 V
1 PΩ
100 TΩ
10 TΩ
1 TΩ
100 GΩ
10 GΩ
10 GΩ
100 MΩ
10 MΩ
1 MΩ
2 μC
200 nC
20 nC
2 nC
Current
measurement
Voltage
measurement
Resistance
measurement
Charge
measurement
Normal
Stable
Quick
Coarse
Coarse
Fine
Fine
Aperture time (Integration time)
Long 
Measurement range
High 
Measured
value
Noise level
Current aperture time =
1 PLC (20 ms @ 50 Hz)
Measurement assist functions reduce low-level measurement
challenges
Selecting the appropriate range and aperture time for low-level measurements is
not always straightforward, since these settings are affected by both target device
or sample characteristics and measurement conditions (noise, temperature, humidity,
etc.). For these reasons, selecting the optimal test settings can be challenging for even
experienced users. However, the B2980A series has a variety of assist functions to
improve your measurement productivity.
The navigation keys enable you to easily find the optimal measurement range and
aperture time (speed) parameters. The column at the right shows how the navigation
keys work.
The “Real-time Noise Monitor” helps you to select the appropriate measurement
settings by showing you the level of noise in your measurement. With this information
you immediately know whether or not your measurement result is above or below the
noise level. In addition, you can use this feature to select the appropriate aperture time
(integration time) for your measurement environment.