OPERATION MANUAL MODEL MS1300 SCANNING/LOGGING SIGNAL LEVEL METER This document contains information proprietary to Wavetek. The information in this document is not to be used or duplicated in any manner without the prior approval, in writing, of Wavetek. Wavetek CATV Division 5808 Churchman Bypass Indianapolis, IN 46203-6109 (800)851-1198 (317)788-5960 Fax: (317)782-4607 E-Mail: catvsupport@wavetek.com Internet: http://www.wavetek.com 3/96 Manual Part No.
WARRANTY Wavetek warrants that all Products manufactured or procured by Wavetek conform to Wavetek’s published specifications and are free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery to the original Buyer, when used under normal operating conditions and within the service conditions for which they were designed. This warranty is not transferrable and does not apply to used or demonstration products.
Contents Introducing microStealth ................................................................ 7 Introduction................................................................................ 7 Measurement Logging .............................................................. 8 Auto Tests .................................................................................. 8 Multiple Channel Plans ............................................................ 10 Getting Acquinted with the Keypad ..............
Checking Limits on an Individual Channel .................... 42 Measurement Hold ............................................................ 43 Printing the Screen ............................................................ 43 Storing a Scan File ............................................................. 43 Warning Indicators ............................................................. 44 Tilt ..............................................................................................
Appendices Appendix A: Specifications....................................................... 65 Appendix B: Power Management and Battery ....................... 67 Battery Pack Location and Installation ............................ 67 Charging the Battery Pack ................................................ 67 Battery Tips ........................................................................ 67 Appendix C: Interface Port ...................................................... 69 Connector ...............
MODEL MS1300 1 Introducing microSTEALTH INTRODUCTION The MS1300 Signal Level Meter is a high performance instrument designed for cable television technicians. The durable, water resistant MS1300 makes innovative use of a graphics LCD to simplify operation. The LCD backlight makes measurements easier in crawl spaces and behind TVs. The display is easy to see in bright sunlight. A scan mode allows you to see the levels of all carriers in a spectral display.
For documentation purposes, you can print any measurement screen to a serial printer (Wavetek P-Stealth Printer). Following an installation check, you can print an installation report that can be filed with the work order. You can also print a report that lists all configuration settings including the channel plan. The MS1300 tunes from 45 to 550 MHz with an option to extend the range to 5 to 890 MHz.
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MULTIPLE CHANNEL PLANS The MS1300 stores channel plans that you have built and edited. This is convenient if you use your MicroStealth for more than one plant. You can quickly select the correct channel plan for the plant at which you are working. GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE KEYPAD The keypad consists of the following: • three Soft keys • a Power key • four Mode Selection keys • an Enter key • eleven Alphanumeric keys • a Shift key 1.
FULL SCAN MODE View a spectrum graph of all carrier levels in your channel plan. NAVIGATOR Instantly "travel" to any mode using the NAVIGATOR. 4. ENTER KEY Press this key to terminate your entry or selection. 5. ALPHANUMERIC KEYS You use the alphanumeric keys to enter data while operating your microStealth. Notice that these keys have a numeral and up to three alphabetic characters labeled on them. You can only access the characters when alphanumeric entry is allowed.
SNAP SHOT Hold the measurement. The measurement is retained even if the cable is disconnected from the input. CLEAR Clear-out your entry and start over again. BACKLIGHT ON/OFF Quickly turn the backlight on when it is too dark to see the display. POSITIVE/NEGATIVE Enter positive and negative values (when allowed). HELP View a description of each icon found in the current soft key menu. PRINT Print a measurement screen, installation report, auto test report, or configuration report to a serial printer.
Title Bar Indicators You may see indicators appear above the title bar from time to time. This is what they represent: This indicator appears in the top right-hand corner of the screen when you press the SHIFT key. This means that microStealth interprets the next key that you press to be a secondary function. This indicator is displayed to warn you that the battery is low. When you see this, recharge the battery or change to a fresh one as soon as possible.
Note If the soft key function is not currently available, the icon appears "grayed" or "dimmed". Lists Lists present several items for viewing and/or selecting. Notice that the currently chosen item is highlighted. You can scroll through the list using the up and down arrows. A list can be either "active" or "inactive". You can tell by looking at the border. If the border is solid, the list is active and any keys that you press are directed toward it.
An edit box can be either “active” or “inactive”. You can tell by looking at the border. If the border is solid, the edit box is active and any keys that you press are directed toward it. If the border is dim, the edit box is inactive and is not be affected by key presses. Usually, you can make the edit box become active by pressing the key. Be sure to press the again when you have finished making you entry. THE NAVIGATOR You can easily travel to any mode using the NAVIGATOR.
CONFIGURING microSTEALTH Before using your microStealth, you may want to configure it for your specific needs. The CONFIGURE mode allows you to select global and measurement related preferences and to build and edit a channel plan that matches your cable plant. To configure your microStealth, press the SHIFT + keys or choose the icon from the NAVIGATOR. The following screen appears: Configuration settings are divided into three categories; GLOBAL, MEASUREMENTS, and CHANNEL PLAN.
Global Configuration OPERATOR NAME You can personalize your microStealth by entering your name here. Your name will then appear on report printouts. CONTRAST LEVEL Adjusts the contrast level of the LCD for optimum viewing. SHUTOFF TIME-OUT Sets the amount of inactive time allowed before your microStealth turns off automatically. This feature is useful for conserving battery life by preventing the microStealth from being left on accidentally when it is not in use.
Tip You can tell when the backlight is on even in bright sunlight by looking for the backlight indicator at the left-hand edge of the Title Bar. The indicator means that the backlight is currently on and will turn off automatically. The indicator means that the backlight is on and will remain on continuously. If you see no indicator, the backlight is off. TIME Sets the time for the internal real-time clock. The time is set, displayed and printed in 24 hour format only (HH:MM:SS).
Tip A serial to parallel converter (such as the on manufactured by Black Box Corp.) can be used for printing to a parallel printer. LINES/PAGE For text reports, you can specify the number of lines that will be printed on each page before a form feed command is sent. Enter 0 if you do not want any form feeds to be sent. BAUD RATE This is the baud rate that is used when your microStealth communicates with another device through the serial port. Generally, you will want to use the highest rate supported.
Test Display Exercises all pixels on the LCD for test purposes. Repeated pressing of the key sequences the display between all pixels "on", all pixels "off", and the display test screen. Measurements Configuration TEMPERATURE UNITS Selects the units that will be used for the ambient temperature during Auto tests. You can select between; °C and °F. SIGNAL LEVEL UNITS Selects the units that will be used for all signal level measurements. You can select between; dBmV, dBµV and dBm.
SCAN SCRAMBLED CHANNELS Scrambled channels require more time to measure. You can achieve a faster scan by omitting scrambled channels. Select YES if you want to see scrambled channels in the full scan screen. EDIT TEST POINTS Your microStealth is capable of performing tests at various locations including; SUBSCRIBER DROP, GROUND BLOCK, TAP, and USER DEFINED (or CUSTOM). Each test point has its own set of limits that you can edit. Press the key to edit the test points.
You can edit the limits for the highlighted test point by pressing the soft key. The limits appear on the screen. You can selectively enable or disable each individual limit. When a limit is disabled, your microStealth excludes it when checking limits. If the highlighted limit is disabled, you can enable it by pressing the soft key. A check mark appears in the left-hand column to indicate when a limit is enabled. If the limit is already enabled, pressing the soft key disables it.
Channel Plan Configuration SELECT CHANNEL PLAN Channel plans are stored automatically when they are created. Use this option to select from a list of available plans. A small arrow appears in the list to the left of the name of the currently active plan. To load a different plan, use the up and down arrows to highlight the desired plan and then press the the . Press soft key to delete the highlighted plan. Note The currently active plan cannot be deleted.
CHANNEL SEQUENCE You can specify whether channels are listed in numeric or frequency order. This setting also affects the sequence in which channels are tuned in the LEVEL screen when using the left and right arrows. Note The SCAN screen always displays channels in order of frequency regardless of the CHANNEL SEQUENCE setting. BUILD CHANNEL PLAN Your microStealth is capable of identifying which channels are on your cable plant. This allows you to quickly and easily generate a customized channel plan.
Step 3 You can tell microStealth what frequency to stop searching for channels. This will save time when building the plan. The frequency you enter should be just above the highest channel on your system. If you are not sure what the frequency of your highest channel is, just use the default value that appears in the edit box. If you have entered a value, be sure to terminate your entry with the key. Press the soft key to begin building the plan.
Important You must enable a channel in order to perform measurements on it. There are several parameters that you can specify for each channel. To do this, highlight the desired channel using the up or down arrow and press the soft key or the for that channel appear. key. The parameters Use the up or down arrow to highlight the desired parameter. Press the key to edit the selected parameter. After completing your entry, be sure to press the key again.
Channel Number The channel number can range from 1 to 999. Label You can enter a label up to four characters in length for each channel. This label appears next to the channel number on most screens to help you to remember what programming is on that channel. Package You can organize channels into packages. In the edit box, you can select any package that is enabled (see the section on CHANNEL PACKAGES).
Tip Notice that the selected channel number is displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the parameter list. When the list is active, you can use the left or right arrows to select the previous or next channel in the plan. You can also use the numeric keys to directly enter a specific channel number. SELECT TILT CHANNELS Press the key to specify which carriers to measure on the TILT screen. A list of all enabled channels in the current plan appears. Up to six channels can be selected.
CHANNEL PACKAGES Channel packages allow you to organize channels into groups or tiers. You can specify which channels you have installed for a subscriber when checking an installation. Your microStealth can then determine if the channels are installed properly. Press the key to display a list of channel packages. These are the packages that will be available to you when you edit a channel. You will be able to select from one of these packages for each channel in the plan.
Tip There is no minimum on the number of channels that a package can contain. If you want, you can create a package for only one channel. COPY REMOTE PLAN You can easily copy a channel plan from one microStealth unit to another. This saves you time when configuring multiple units. First, connect a cable between the two microStealth units. Select COPY REMOTE PLAN only on the unit that you want to copy the channel plan to. A list of all available channel plans found on the remote unit appears.
MODEL MS1300 2 Using microSTEALTH INTRODUCTION The best way to learn about microStealth is to use it. Section 2 discusses the individual measurements available with the MS1300. Each measurement mode discussion includes detailed descriptions on how to perform the measurement as well as operating controls and indicators. INSTALLATION The INSTALLATION mode allows you to easily check the channels that you have just installed and verify that they are within limits.
SELECTING CHANNEL PACKAGES If you have configured channel packages, a list of available packages will appear. From this list, you can select the packages that the subscriber has ordered. The number to the right of the package name tells you how many channels are included in each package. Use the up or down arrows to highlight a package and then press the soft key to select it. A check mark appears in the left-hand column of the list indicating that the package is selected.
Note Be sure that you have enabled all of the test points that you are interested in using. The soft key is only available if there is more than one enabled test point. (see EDIT TEST POINTS). Important Only the limits that are enabled in the selected test point are checked (see EDIT TEST POINTS). INSTALLATION RESULTS SUMMARY This is the overall limit check summary for all channels in the packages that you have selected.
THE CHANNEL LIST Press the screen. soft key or to sequence to the channel list Tip In addition to using the and keys, you can also use the left and right arrows to sequence through the results screens. The channel list provides essential information about each channel. In the list you will find the channel number in the first column followed by the label. The level of the video carrier is in the next column. The package in which the channel is contained is displayed in the fourth column.
Adjacent Channel Failures lower adjacent channel level upper adjacent channel level both upper and lower adjacent channel levels Video Level Failures video level too high video level too low DVA Failures DVA too high DVA too low CHANNEL MEASUREMENT Press the soft key or ment screen. to sequence to the channel measure- This screen displays video and audio carrier level measurements along with the DVA for the selected channel. Use the up or down arrows to select the previous or next channel in the list.
PRINTING AN INSTALLATION REPORT Press the SHIFT + keys to print a comprehensive report of the installation results. A bar graph appears indicating the status of the printout. The report lists level measurements for all the channels that you installed and indicates out-of-limit conditions with an overall PASS/FAIL conclusion. Space is provided for you to fill in subscriber information. You can attach the report to your work order or file it for future reference.
ADJUSTING THE REFERENCE LEVEL You can adjust the reference level setting of the analog bar meter using the up and down arrows. When you press the SHIFT + keys, your microStealth automatically sets the optimum reference level for you. TUNING BY CHANNEL When you are tuned to a channel, both the video and audio carriers of the channel are measured and displayed simultaneously. The difference between the video and audio carriers (DVA) is also shown.
Use the left and right arrows to tune your microStealth. The frequency increments or decrements by the step size that you have specified in the Measurement configuration (see FREQUENCY TUNING STEP SIZE). You can also use the numeric entry keys to tune directly to the frequency desired. MEASUREMENT HOLD You can freeze the level measurement at any time by pressing the SHIFT + keys. The measurement is retained even if the cable is disconnected from the input port.
WARNING INDICATORS If the current measurement is inaccurate due to an out-of-range condition or hardware failure, microStealth warns you by dimming the numeric measurement value and displaying one of the following warning indicators. Over-range The signal level is above the measurement range of the instrument. Under-range The signal level is below the measurement range of the instrument. Error A hardware problem exists. If this condition persists, the unit may need repair.
MOVING THE MARKER A vertical marker appears over the currently selected channel. The channel number, type and label appear in the upper right-hand portion of the screen. The frequency and level of the video and audio carriers for the selected channel can be seen directly beneath the graph. You can use the left or right arrows to select the previous or next channel. You can also use the numeric entry keys to tune directly to the desired channel.
ZOOMING IN AND OUT To zoom in on or out from the channel selected by the marker, press the soft key. A new set of soft keys appear. Use the soft key to zoom in and the soft key zoom out. The magnifica- tion factor is displayed above the graph. Press the when you have finished. soft key CHECKING LIMITS You can verify that the carrier levels are within limits. First, you need to tell microStealth which test point you are at. This determines which set of limits are used.
Note Be sure that you have enabled all of the test points that you are interested in using. The soft key is only available if there is more than one enabled test point. (see EDIT TEST POINTS). When you have selected the limits submenu, the marker information below the graph is replaced by the overall limit check summary for channels currently being displayed on the graph. For each limit, the worst case actual value is displayed along with a pass/fail status.
Up or down arrows to the left of the video level and DVA numeric measurement tell you when the limits have been exceeded. measurement too high measurement too low When an adjacent channel error occurs, one of the following indicators will appear in the lower left-hand area of the marker information area: lower adjacent channel level upper adjacent channel level both upper and lower adjacent channel levels MEASUREMENT HOLD You can freeze the scan measurement at any time by pressing the SHIFT + keys.
WARNING INDICATORS If the current measurement is inaccurate due to an out-of-range condition or a hardware failure, MicroStealth warns you by displaying one of the following warning indicators to the left of the numeric level measurement in the marker information area: Over-range The signal level is above the measurement range of the instrument. Under-range The signal level is below the measurement range of the instrument. Error A hardware problem exists.
Important You can choose which carriers appear on this screen when you configure your channel plan (see SELECT TILT CHANNELS). MOVING THE MARKER You can view up to six carriers. A vertical marker appears over the currently selected carrier. The channel number, type and label appear in the upper right-hand portion of the screen. The frequency and level of the selected carrier can be seen directly beneath the graph. You can use the left or right arrows to select the previous or next carrier.
MEASUREMENT HOLD You can freeze the tilt measurement at any time by pressing the SHIFT + keys. The measurement is retained even if the cable is disconnected from the input port. Notice that the mode icon in the upper left-hand portion of the screen flashes when the measurement is on hold. Press the SHIFT + keys again to release the hold. The measurement is not retained when another mode is selected or the microStealth is shut off.
Note The channels that appear on this screen are the same ones that you selected when you configured your tilt channels. (see SELECT TILT CHANNELS). MOVING THE MARKER A vertical marker appears over the currently selected carrier. The channel number, type and label appear in the upper right-hand portion of the screen. The frequency and level of the selected carrier can be seen directly beneath the graph. You can use the left or right arrows to select the previous or next carrier.
Note Be sure that you have enabled all of the test points that you are interested in using. The soft key is only available if there is more than one enabled test point. (see EDIT TEST POINTS). When you have selected the proper test point, microStealth shows the minimum and maximum carrier level limits for that test point on the graph. The out-of-limit portions appears as diagonal “hash” areas. You can toggle the hash lines on and off by pressing the key.
STORING A SCAN FILE Press the SHIFT + keys to store the current scan measurement into a file. A screen will appear asking you to enter a name for the file. Once stored, you will be able to recall the file at a later time and view it on the Scan screen. You will be able to adjust the screen settings the same as when you are viewing a “live” measurement. See the section on VIEW mode to find out how to access files that you have stored.
Tip If you are not interested in logging the information, select NONE from the list. Your MicroStealth will present you with only the steps required to configure the test. Tip You can rename the location highlighted in the directory by pressing the SHIFT + keys. A screen will appear asking you to enter a new name. New/Edit Location This screen is where you enter the information for a new or existing location. Use the up and down arrows to select the item to be edited.
Compensation Compensation is added directly to the signal level measurements. You can use this to compensate for losses associated with probe points found on certain amplifiers. The default is the Probe Compensation value specified in Configure. Enter a different value if necessary. Press the soft key to continue. Results File Name Enter the name you want to use for the results file that is created. Your MicroStealth will let you know if there is already a results file with the name that you enter.
Important For scheduled tests, the manual temperature entry is used for the first interval only. Subsequent intervals will record the temperature as measured by the internal sensor. For accurate measurements, MicroStealth reads the internal temperature sensor immediately upon power-up. When you are ready to begin the test, press the key.
Important To conserve battery life, your MicroStealth will automatically shut itself off between scheduled intervals. When the auto test is complete, MicroStealth will display a list of Auto Test files that are available for viewing and printing. Note See the section on VIEW mode to find out how to access files from Auto Tests that you have performed. CANCELING AN AUTO TEST While performing an Auto Test, you will not be able to select other modes without first canceling the test in progress.
Use the up and down arrows to select the type of file that you want to view from the main menu and then press the key. THE FILE DIRECTORY Upon selecting the file category from the VIEW main menu, you are presented with a directory of existing files. For example, below is the directory of Scan files: To view a file, use the up and down arrows to highlight the name of the file that you want to view and then press either the key or the 54 key.
To delete the highlighted file, press the soft key. You can delete more than one file at a time by selecting multiple files using the soft key. Each press of this soft key alternately selects and deselects the file that you have highlighted. An indicator appears in the left-hand column to show that you have selected the file. Select all the files that you want to delete before pressing the key. soft Tip You can print Installation and Auto Test files from the directory.
VIEWING SCAN FILES There are three types of scans that you can store and view — full scans, six-channel scans and tilt measurements. The type of scan depends on which screen you are in when you store the file. Once the scan is stored, you cannot change its type. Tip You can tell what type of scan you have selected in the directory without having to view it.
Note You can print the entire screen at any time by pressing the SHIFT + keys. A bar graph appears indicating the status of the printout. Note When viewing a Scan file, the date and time that the file was stored appears in the status bar and the file name appears at the top of the screen above the title bar. Tip You can resave a Scan file by pressing the SHIFT + keys. This allows you to change the name of the file and/or save any changes you have made to the screen settings.
Note To print a 24-hour format report, use the up and down arrows to highlight the first interval that you want included in the report and then press SHIFT + . The report will include the highlighted interval plus the following three for a total of (up to) four intervals. To view the measurement data from an interval, use the up and down arrows to highlight the desired interval then press either the soft key or the data is presented: key.
Indicators appear within the list to flag out-of-limit conditions. The following table relates each indicator with its meaning: * ↑ ↓ > < E adjacent channel limit violation over limit violation under limit violation over range measurement error under range measurement error unlocked measurement error To view the data for the channel highlighted in the list press the soft key or the key. Use the PASS/FAIL indicator to quickly determine whether the channel has passed the limits check.
Only the limits that are enabled in the selected test point will be checked. Note When viewing the data from an interval, you can print a comprehensive report by pressing SHIFT + .
MODEL MS1300 3 Reference USING THE REFERENCE SECTION This section provides additional information concerning the use of the MS1300. Items to be discussed include; Help, Information, and Technical Support. HELP The HELP mode provides on-line user assistance by means of context-sensitive help screens. During normal operations, soft key icons appear at the bottom of the display. Each help screen describes the condition of the soft key icons at the time HELP was pressed.
Next to the icon is a brief description of the function that the soft key performs. If an icon is currently inactive "feature not available" is displayed. INFORMATION Choose the icon from the NAVIGATOR. Here you can view information concerning your MS1300. The type of information includes; model, frequency range, serial #, firmware version, calibration date, and channel plan.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT We've worked hard to make the MS1300 as easy-to-use as possible. However, if you have a problem using your unit you can contact Wavetek's Technical Support for help. You can reach Wavetek's Technical Support, Monday through Friday between 8 am and 5 pm at (317) 788-5960. Wavetek also maintains a support forum on the Internet. You can leave messages and a Technical Support Specialist will get back to you at Internet address: CATVSUPPORT@wavetek.com.
MODEL MS1300 A Appendix A: Specifications SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Range: Accuracy: Tuning Resolution: 45 to 550 MHz; 45 to 890 MHz (optional); sub band option (5 to 45 MHz) +10kHz @ 25°C; (+20 kHz over temp.) 25 kHz Level Measurement Range: Resolution: Accuracy: -20 to +50 dBmV 0.1 dB +0.75 dB Flatness; +0.75 dB Linearity Scan Mode Number of Channels: Scan Rate: 120 Approximately 6 carriers / second General Dimensions: 4.25" (W) x 10" (H) x 2.5" (D) Weight: 0.8 kg (1.75 lb.) Operating Temp.
Powering Battery Life: Charge Time: 3 hours continuous (backlight off), replaceable battery cartridge 16 hours with unit off; 30 hours slow charge (with unit operating) Standard Accessories 4010-00-0114: microStealth AC/DC charger/adapter 1219-00-1223: Battery cartridge for microStealth Options MSUHF: Frequency extension to cover range: 45 to 890 MHz MSSUB: Frequency extension to include 5 to 45 MHz 1019-00-0476: microStealth Soft Carrying Case 1019-00-0470: Cloning Cable 1019-00-0480: Multiple battery ca
MODEL MS1300 B Appendix B: Power Management and Battery Battery Pack Location and Installation The MS1300 battery pack is located on the back of the unit. To remove or replace the battery pack, pull the notched tab downward, and lift up the battery pack. To install the battery pack, insert the bottom of the pack into the groove and press down on the battery pack until it clicks into place. Charging the Battery Pack To recharge the battery pack, plug the AC adapter into the unit.
MODEL MS1300 C Appendix C: Interface Port CONNECTOR The MS1300 has a serial interface with RS232 drive, using a 3-pin stereo connector. The serial interface has a driver built in for RS232 serial binary data interchange. The connector is located on the bottom of the unit behind a waterproof cover.
CABLE SPECIFICATIONS MICROSTEALTH TO PC (1019-00-0469) MICROSTEALTH TO PRINTER(STANDARD) (1019-00-0467) 70
MICROSTEALTH TO MICROSTEALTH (1019-00-0470) MICROSTEALTH TO PRINTER(CITIZEN) (1019-00-0467) 71
