background image

 

VVM (Vector Voltmeter) Mode - Option 308 

173 

A/B and B/A Measurements 

These measurements allow you to use the FieldFox A and B receivers, along with 
an external source, to make ratioed measurements.  

NOTE  

These measurements require the “Full 2-port S-parameters” option. 

The image below shows a typical configuration for a 

B/A

 magnitude and phase 

measurement of a 2-port DUT. This DUT can be an antenna / probe setup. Using 
network analyzer terms, the image shows the A receiver as the reference receiver 
which measures the signal that is applied to the DUT. The B receiver is the test 
port receiver which measures the DUT response.  

 

B/A Transmission measurement with external source 

Procedure  

1.  Connect the external source’s frequency reference output to the FieldFox 

Freq Ref IN

 on the top panel.  If you are unable to use a common frequency 

reference, then increase the IFBW to ensure you are measuring the peak of 
the correct signal. After locating and tuning to the signal, you may be able to 
lower the IFBW to reduce noise. 

2.  On the FieldFox, select 

System

, then 

System Configuration

, then 

Frequency Ref

, then 

Ext

3.  Press 

Mode

, then 

VVM

 , then 

B/A

 or 

A/B

 

4.  The FieldFox internal source is NOT used, so the output power setting is not 

relevant.  

5.  To calibrate, replace the DUT with a THRU connection, preferably by 

connecting together the two Power Splitters (shown in green). For low 
frequency measurements, TEEs can be used.   

6.  Press 

Meas Setup  4

, then 

Zero

7.  Connect the DUT and measure. 

 

Summary of Contents for FieldFox N9913A

Page 1: ...rs N9913A N9914A N9915A N9916A N9917A N9918A N9925A N9926A N9927A N9928A N9935A N9936A N9937A N9938A User s Guide Manufacturing Part Number N9927 90001 Print Date May 23 2014 Supersedes November 1 2013 Agilent Technologies Inc ...

Page 2: ...ments and Agencies of the U S Government will receive no greater than Restricted Rights as defined in FAR 52 227 19 c 1 2 June 1987 U S Government users will receive no greater than Limited Rights as defined in FAR 52 227 14 June 1987 or DFAR 252 227 7015 b 2 November 1995 as applicable in any technical data Technology Licenses The hardware and or software described in this document are furnished ...

Page 3: ...exception to your version of the library but you are not obligated to do so If you do not wish to do so delete this exception statement from your version ____________________________________________________________________________ Elements of this product s software use ANTLR Copyright c 2005 2008 Terence Parr All rights reserved Conversion to C Copyright c 2008 2009 Sam Harwell Pixel Mine Inc All...

Page 4: ...High Temperature Protection 12 Avoid Overpowering the FieldFox 13 Take the FieldFox Tour 14 Front Panel 15 Top Panel 16 Right Side Panel 17 Left Side Panel 17 Screen Tour 18 How to Enter Numeric Values 19 CAT Cable and Antenna Test Mode 20 CAT Mode Settings 21 Return Loss Measurements 27 1 Port Cable Loss Measurements 28 2 Port Insertion Loss Measurements 29 DTF Distance to Fault Measurements 30 D...

Page 5: ...136 Reflection Mode Settings 137 Built in Power Meter Mode Option 310 139 Built in Power Meter Settings 139 Power Meter USB Mode 142 USB Power Meter Settings 143 Frequency Offset using Power Sensor FOPS Option 208 149 FOPS Settings 150 Pulse Measurements Mode Option 330 155 Pulse Measurement Settings 156 VVM Vector Voltmeter Mode Option 308 166 Overview 167 VVM Mode Settings 167 1 Port Cable Trimm...

Page 6: ...onfiguration 206 Service Diagnostics 214 Working with the Lithium Ion Battery 216 Viewing Battery Charge Status 216 Charging the Battery 217 Reconditioning the Battery 219 Battery Care 220 Maximizing Battery Life 220 Lithium Ion Battery Disposal 221 Safety Considerations 222 Certification and Compliance Statements 230 Appendix A Connector Care Review 231 Appendix B Specifications Data Sheet 232 Ap...

Page 7: ... NA CAT Calibrations 1 port Response Calibrations 75 Waveguide Effective Velocity Factor 76 SA Mode Long Sweep Time Alert 99 USB Power Meter Mode Frequency Offset Opt 208 149 Ext Zero for U8480 series 143 Support for U8488A 67 GHz 142 Pulse Measurements Opt 330 Trace Memory 165 Built in Power Meter Mode SCPI commands added Radio Standard 140 All Modes System USB Keyboard Support 8 USB Printer Supp...

Page 8: ...9936A 14 Spectrum Analyzer N9937A 18 Spectrum Analyzer N9938A 26 5 Spectrum Analyzer Minimum Frequency 30 kHz for all models FieldFox Options For a comprehensive list view the FieldFox Configuration Guide at http cp literature agilent com litweb pdf 5990 9836EN pdf Accessories The following accessories are included with every FieldFox Spare accessories can be ordered at any time Accessory Part Num...

Page 9: ...ns Softkey Blue indicates an available setting Softkey Green indicates a change in menu level when selected Softkey Black indicates the default or selected setting Softkey Yellow indicates an active entry in process Softkey Grey indicates a key that is NOT available Safety Notes The following safety notes are used throughout this manual Familiarize yourself with each of the notes and its meaning b...

Page 10: ...ptions are included in the shipment according to the Box Contents List 3 For any question or problems refer to Contacting Agilent on page 2 Meeting Power Requirements for the AC DC Adapter Voltage 100 VAC to 250 VAC Frequency 50 Hz to 60 Hz Current 1 25 0 56 A The AC DC adapter supplied with the analyzer is equipped with a three wire power cord in accordance with international safety standards The...

Page 11: ... should fully charge the battery NOTE The FieldFox will shut down to prevent the battery from discharging to a level that is damaging If this occurs charge the battery either internally or externally Learn more about the lithium ion battery on page 216 Battery charge status is viewable In the upper right corner of the screen On the Battery screen To access the screen select System Service Diagnost...

Page 12: ...he power button Power and settings are restored instantly See the Note above concerning Stand By mode To turn Power OFF very low battery drain press and hold the power button until power is OFF about 4 seconds Data and instrument state are NOT automatically saved when the FieldFox is powered OFF Learn how to save data and instrument state on page 190 You can make a setting to automatically Power O...

Page 13: ...ng settings are restored NOTE Measurement speed specifications do NOT apply in Temperature Control Mode High Temp Shutdown In extreme situations Temperature Control mode may not stop an increase in the FieldFox internal temperature At approximately 75 C High Temperature Shutdown will engage and turn OFF the FieldFox Just prior to shutdown the FieldFox will display a warning of imminent shut down A...

Page 14: ...14 FieldFox User s Guide Take the FieldFox Tour Front Panel ...

Page 15: ... trace or recalls saved data from memory 190 11 Limit Sets limit lines for quick Pass Fail judgment 184 12 Run Hold Toggles between free Run and Hold Single operation 198 13 Cal Displays a submenu for calibration functions 55 14 Arrow keys Increases or decreases a value or setting 15 Back Returns to the previous menu selection 16 Rotary knob Highlights an item for selection or enables incremental ...

Page 16: ...easurements For CAT NA and VVM mode use to make Port 2 transmission measurements Maximum 50 VDC 27 dBm RF SA Mode on page 81 GPS Ant For use with built in GPS Produces a 3 3 VDC bias voltage for the antenna pre amplifier Use with a GPS antenna such as N9910X 825 Other GPS antennas can also be used GPS on page 206 Ref In Trig In Frequency Reference Source and External Trigger Input signal Maximum 5...

Page 17: ...er Output reserved for future development On page 209 Secure Digital slot Use to extend the memory of the FieldFox File locations on page 190 Reserved for future use Two standard USB connectors used to connect a power sensor for Power Meter Mode Also used to save files to a USB flash drive Use of Keyboard and Mouse is NOT supported File locations on page 190 Left Side Panel Caption Description Lea...

Page 18: ...ent 9 Data Mem Display CAT and NA Step FFT SA 187 Trace Math 92 Res BW 10 Resolution Setting Mode dependent 11 Measurement Start Freq or Distance Mode dependent 12 Bandpass Lowpass setting Fault Meas IF BW in NA Mode 33 13 Output Power Level CAT and NA 25 14 Measurement Stop Freq or Distance Mode dependent 15 Actual Sweep Time Mode dependent 16 Limit Line Status 184 17 Time and Date 212 18 Marker ...

Page 19: ...eviously entered values Esc exits data entry without accepting the new value To complete the setting Press Enter or a different softkey or hardkey Multiplier Abbreviations Many times after entering numeric values a set of multiplier or suffix softkeys are presented The following explains the meaning of these abbreviations Select Frequency multipliers as follows GHz Gigahertz 1e9 Hertz MHz Megahert...

Page 20: ...are discussed on page 30 In this Chapter Measurement Selection 21 Quick Settings 22 Frequency Range 22 Scale Settings 23 Averaging 24 Single Continuous 24 Resolution 25 Sweep Time 25 Output Power 25 Interference Rejection 26 Coupled Frequency 27 Procedures Return Loss Measurement 27 1 Port Cable Loss Measurement 28 2 Port Insertion Loss Measurement 29 Distance to Fault Measurements 30 See Also All...

Page 21: ...DTF measurement Use this format to display the frequency settings that are used to make the DTF measurement The frequency range settings for these two measurements can be coupled or uncoupled Learn more on page 27 o Calibrations are applied to both traces o When in Hold mode and Single sweep is performed only the active trace is triggered Use the arrows to activate a trace o Return Loss 1 port ref...

Page 22: ... If these softkeys are NOT available then all available settings fit on one page To change a setting o Use the arrows to highlight a setting o Then press Edit The current setting changes to yellow o Some settings require you to press a softkey to change the value Otherwise use the numeric keypad arrows or rotary knob to change the value o When finished changing a value press Done Edit Press Dock W...

Page 23: ...ion accuracy How to set Scale Press Scale Amptd Then choose from the following three methods 1 Autoscale Automatically adjusts the Y axis to comfortably fit the Min and Max amplitude of the trace on the screen 2 Set Scale Reference Level and Reference Position o Scale Manually enter a scale per division to view specific areas of the trace o Ref Level Manually set the value of the reference line En...

Page 24: ...setting Learn more about dynamic range on page 54 How to set Trace Averaging Press BW 2 Then Average N where N is the current count setting Enter a value using the numeric keypad Enter 1 for NO averaging Press Enter While Trace Averaging is in process press Sweep 3 then Restart to restart the averaging at 1 Single or Continuous Measure This setting determines whether the FieldFox sweeps continuous...

Page 25: ...gilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm The actual sweep time is shown on the FieldFox screen See the Screen Tour on page 18 To increase the sweep time enter a value that is higher than the actual sweep time The increase will not be exactly the amount that you enter as the actual sweep time is the composite of many factors NOTE Measurement speed specifications do NOT apply in Temperature Control Mod...

Page 26: ...r Level o Then enter a value using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob o Press Enter Interference Rejection Use this setting when you suspect that other signals in the area are interfering with a measurement Interference may look like a spike or lack of stability in the measurement trace While monitoring a measurement at a specific frequency toggle this setting between ON and OFF If t...

Page 27: ...on page 32 Return Loss Measurements Return loss can be thought of as the absolute value of the reflected power as compared to the incident power When measuring an OPEN or SHORT all incident power is reflected and approximately 0 dB return loss is displayed When measuring a LOAD very little power is reflected and values of 40 dB to 60 dB are displayed The minus sign is usually ignored when conveyin...

Page 28: ...art and Stop frequency values of the measurement 5 Press Sweep 3 then Min Swp Time Increase the Sweep Time until a stable trace is visible on the screen The amount of time that is required increases with longer cable lengths Learn more in the Supplemental Online Help http na tm agilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm 6 Remove the cable to be tested 7 Press Cal 5 then QuickCal or Mechanical Cal 8 Fo...

Page 29: ...onnected to the FieldFox either directly or indirectly using the cable used in the normalization cal Insertion loss simply means loss through a device usually expressed in dB It is exactly the same measurement as S21 Transmission in NA Mode 2 port Insertion Loss measurements are generally more accurate than 1 port Cable Loss measurements How to make a 2 port Insertion Loss Measurement 1 Press Mode...

Page 30: ...age 20 In this Chapter How to make DTF Measurements 30 DTF Settings Table 31 DTF Measurement Format 31 DTF Start and Stop Distance 31 Frequency Mode 32 Coupled Frequency 33 Cable Correction Specifications 33 Window Settings 36 DTF Units 37 Calculated DTF Values 37 About Alias Faults 37 Optional settings Markers 174 Limit Lines 184 Save Measurement Settings and Results 190 Trace Math is NOT availab...

Page 31: ...city Factor and Cable Loss of the DUT 10 Connect the start end of the DUT to the FieldFox 11 Press Meas Setup 4 then Settings then Next Page If the Alias free Range setting is False then you may see Alias faults on the screen Learn more on page 37 DTF Measurement Settings DTF Settings Table You can set and view all of the DTF settings including some calculated values on the DTF Settings table Lear...

Page 32: ...sted The FieldFox calculates the frequency range of the measurement from this distance The longer the cable to be tested the lower the frequencies that are used You can also set the frequencies manually using the Frequency Mode Bandpass setting How to set Start and Stop Distance With a DTF measurement present press Freq Dist Then choose from the following o Start Distance Enter a value using the n...

Page 33: ... How to manually set Frequencies in Bandpass Mode Press Freq Dist Then Min Start Freq and type the start frequency to use for the DTF measurement Then Max Stop Freq and type the stop frequency to use for the DTF measurement OR Press More Then Max Freq Span and type the frequency range to use for the DTF measurement Then Center Frequency and type the center frequency of the range to use for the DTF...

Page 34: ...nal Without compensation for the loss of the cable a 20 dB response would be visible at 100 meters which is the OPEN at the end of the DUT This is from 10 dB of loss through the cable in each direction With compensation for the loss using the manufacturer s specification the FieldFox compensates the trace as though the signal traveling through 100 meters was increased by 20 dB Therefore the respon...

Page 35: ...Freq Loss pairs are applied below Optionally choose from the following o Previous Next Page Quickly scrolls through pages of Freq Loss data o Add Data Add a blank Freq Loss pair to the table o Delete Clear then o Delete Line Remove the selected Freq Loss pair from the table o Clear All then Yes Remove all Freq Loss pairs from the table and resets header information to default settings Press Done t...

Page 36: ...0 GHz The Loss value for the measurement is interpolated from the Freq Loss pairs at the Center Freq 1 GHz 0 1 dB m 1 8 GHz 0 18 dB m 2 GHz 0 2 dB m The correction for loss at 5 meters in one direction 0 18 dB m 5m 0 9 dB All DTF measurements correct for loss for travel down the DUT and back so double the correction 0 9 dB 2 1 8 dB Window Settings Window settings provide the ability to choose betw...

Page 37: ...ts Response Resolution not displayed indicates the distance that could be between two faults and still show as separate faults Learn more in Window Settings on page 36 Maximum Distance The distance that could be viewed with the current settings Defined by Vf c Points 2 Bandwidth where o Vf velocity factor o c speed of light o Points resolution o Bandwidth frequency range Alias free Range On Off o ...

Page 38: ...erminated cable with NO perfect load at the end will show faults that appear to be beyond the end of the cable These are NOT alias faults These faults appear as the signal reflects off the open at the end of the cable and travels back down the cable toward the connection at the FieldFox Re reflections are measured at the FieldFox as mirror images of the original faults The largest fault is the ope...

Page 39: ...ency Range 46 Scale Settings 46 Electrical Delay 47 Phase Offset 47 Averaging 48 IF Bandwidth 48 Smoothing 49 Single Continuous 48 Resolution number of points 50 Sweep Time 50 Output Power 50 System Impedance 52 Port Extensions 52 Velocity Factor 53 Increase Dynamic Range 54 See Also All about Calibration 64 Set Markers 174 Use Limit Lines 184 Use Trace Math 187 Learn how to make 75Ω ohm Measureme...

Page 40: ...e the amount of reflections off the corresponding DUT port Low reflections means there is a good impedance match between the source and DUT S21 and S12 transmission measurements are used to measure the loss or gain through a DUT over a specified frequency range Both ends of the DUT must be connected to the FieldFox The FieldFox signal source is transmitted out one of the test port connectors throu...

Page 41: ...ttings and features are supported except Parameter Conversion with mixed mode S parameters NOTE Learn more about Balanced Measurements with the FieldFox in the FieldFox Supplemental Online Help http na tm agilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm How to make mixed mode S parameter measurements Press Measure 1 Then More Then choose from the following o Scc11 Common reflect common incident for logical ...

Page 42: ...diagnostic tools for service personnel NOTE Receiver measurements are NOT corrected for absolute power They are only useful for making relative measurements The Y Axis and markers are labeled in dB NOT dBm Specifically R1 and R2 do NOT indicate the actual power levels out of the source ports How to make receiver measurements Press Measure 1 Then Advanced Then choose from the following A Port 1 tes...

Page 43: ...s present By default a marker is created on ALL traces as shown in the above image However they can be created individually by disabling Coupled Markers Learn more on page 177 How to select a multi trace configuration Press Trace 6 Then Num Traces Then choose from the following The default measurements depend on the options that are installed x1 1 trace standard configuration x2 2 traces overlayed...

Page 44: ... o Use the arrows to highlight a setting o Then press Edit The current setting changes to yellow o Some settings require you to press a softkey to change the value Otherwise use the numeric keypad arrows or rotary knob to change the value o When finished changing a value press Done Edit Press Dock Window to relocate the Settings table to a position relative to the trace window The Dock Window sett...

Page 45: ...agnitude in dB o Linear Displays positive values only Y axis Unitless U for ratioed measurements Watts W for unratioed measurements o VSWR Used mainly for S11 and S22 Displays unitless reflection data o Phase Displays phase in degrees The trace wraps every 360 degrees from 180 to 180 for easy scaling o Smith Used mainly for S11 and S22 Displays series resistance and reactance o More then o Polar U...

Page 46: ...the center frequency and span of frequencies half on either side of center Follow each by entering a value using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob After using the arrows or the rotary knob press Enter The increment setting of the arrows is based on the current span and can NOT be changed in NA Mode After using the keypad select a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations o...

Page 47: ...Then More Then Electrical Delay Enter a time value using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Press a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations on page 19 Electrical Delay can also be set using the Mkr Delay feature Learn how on page 183 Phase Offset Phase offset mathematically adjusts the phase measurement by a specified amount up to 360 Use this feature in the following way...

Page 48: ...nter Then Average Mode Choose from the following o Sweep Each data point is based on the average of the same data point being measured over n consecutive sweeps The average counter shows the number of previous sweeps that have been averaged together to form the current trace When the counter reaches the specified count then a running average of the last n sweeps is displayed o Point Each data poin...

Page 49: ...oothing Press BW 2 Then Smoothing ON OFF Then Sm Aperture and enter a value between 0 and 25 percent using the numeric keypad Press Enter Single or Continuous Measure This setting determines whether the FieldFox sweeps continuously or only once each time the Single button is pressed Use Single to conserve battery power or to allow you to save or analyze a specific measurement trace This setting ca...

Page 50: ...p time when measuring long lengths of cable Learn more at the FieldFox Supplemental Online Help http na tm agilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm The actual sweep time is shown on the FieldFox screen See the Screen Tour on page 18 To increase the sweep time enter a value that is higher than the actual sweep time The increase will not be exactly the amount that you enter as the actual sweep time is...

Page 51: ...t Power Set the power level out of the FieldFox to High Low or manually set power level to a value between High and Low Generally the high power setting is used when measuring passive high loss devices to place the signal farther from the noise floor However for devices that are sensitive to high power levels such as amplifiers use the Low power setting For best measurement accuracy use the Manual...

Page 52: ...formed a calibration NOTE FieldFox analyzers do NOT support port extensions for waveguide component measurements Why use Port Extensions Use port extensions if you are unable to perform a calibration directly at your device because the location is not accessible Perform a calibration at a convenient place then use port extensions to compensate for the time delay phase shift to the desired referenc...

Page 53: ...rent Velocity Factor setting is visible to the right red box in above image Velocity Factor The electrical delay or port extension value is entered as delay or electrical length in units of time Entering the velocity factor causes the FieldFox to accurately display the equivalent physical length in meters NOT available in feet that corresponds to the entered electrical delay Velocity factor is the...

Page 54: ...or a measurement to be valid input signals must be within these boundaries The following settings will increase the dynamic range of your NA mode measurement Increase Power Level Press Meas 4 then Output Power High Lower the IFBW Press BW 2 then IF BW Increase Averaging Press BW 2 then Average The following procedure MAY increase the dynamic range of your NA mode measurement The results you see wi...

Page 55: ... Window Layout 58 Transform Window 58 Line Loss and Velocity Factor 59 Data Chain 60 Trace Settings Transform Enable 60 Gating Enable 60 Gating Settings Start Stop Center and Span Gate Times 62 Gating Type 62 Overview In normal NA Mode operation the FieldFox measures the characteristics of a test device as a function of frequency With Time Domain opt 010 frequency information is used to calculate ...

Page 56: ...t of the Time Domain settings on the Transform Settings table Transform Settings Table The following settings are listed in the order they appear on the Transform Settings menu selection How to make settings on the Transform settings table Press Meas Setup 4 Then Transform Then Transform Settings Press Next Page and Previous Page to view all settings To change a setting o Use the arrows or rotary ...

Page 57: ...C and negative frequencies are extrapolated Therefore when either Lowpass mode is selected Set Freq Low Pass is automatically applied to adjust the start frequency Learn more about Set Frequency Lowpass below When the Start Frequency or resolution is changed AFTER selecting a Lowpass mode then Stimulus mode is set to Band Pass and Transform is disabled Band pass Easiest method can be used with any...

Page 58: ...distance data is presented Distance Units are also used when setting Time Domain Line Loss Learn more on page 59 Choose from m meters or Feet Window Layout This setting is used to create additional traces or select a new layout for traces that are already created Choose from x1 x2 x2H x3H x4 Learn more about multi trace configurations on page 42 Transform Window There are abrupt transitions in a f...

Page 59: ...the physical material of a cable A VF of 1 0 corresponds to the speed of light in a vacuum or the fastest VF possible A polyethylene dielectric cable has VF 0 66 and a cable with PTFE dielectric has VF 0 7 o Line Loss is specified in dB m or ft In addition to the length of the cable loss is also directly proportional to the frequency of the signal that passes through the cable The following is an ...

Page 60: ...8510 The data processing chain used by the Agilent 8510 network analyzer Transform calculations are performed BEFORE error correction and trace math Learn more at the FieldFox Supplemental Online Help website http na tm agilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm Trace Settings The following two settings apply to specific traces Transform Enable Enable Time Domain transform for the specific trace Selec...

Page 61: ...e gated effects removed NOTE When a discontinuity in a test device reflects energy that energy will not reach subsequent discontinuities This can MASK or hide the true response which would have occurred if the previous discontinuity were not present The Gating feature does NOT compensate for this The following image shows how gating can affect measurement results All 4 traces show the same S11 mea...

Page 62: ...n the Gating Start and Stop times o Notch REMOVES the responses within the Gating Start and Stop times Gating Shape This setting defines the filter characteristics of the gate function Choose from Minimum Normal Wide Maximum Time domain Gate Shape setting Gate Shape Passband Ripple Sidelobe Levels Cutoff Time Minimum Gate Span Minimum 0 1 dB 48 dB 1 4 Freq Span 2 8 Freq Span Normal 0 1 dB 68 dB 2 ...

Page 63: ...gate shape has a minimum recommended gate span for proper operation This is a consequence of the finite cutoff rate of the gate If you specify a gate span that is smaller than the minimum span the response will show the following effects distorted gate shape that has no passband distorted shape incorrect indications of start and stop times may have increased sidelobe levels ...

Page 64: ...y and When to Calibrate There are well defined and understood systematic errors that are measured and calculated during the calibration process These errors are caused by leakage signals inside the FieldFox by the frequency response of the FieldFox receivers and by reflections inside the FieldFox that interact with the DUT After calibration these errors are removed from subsequent measurements To ...

Page 65: ...les that connect with the DUT can mate with each other Learn more on page 73 Otherwise any reasonably short cable can be used as a THRU standard Calibration Reference Plane is the point or points at which the DUT and cal standards are connected during a calibration This can be at the FieldFox test port connectors or at the end of jumper cables or adapters CalReady Every FieldFox contains a factory...

Page 66: ...ailable with FieldFox Learn more on page 68 User Cal OFF ON Turns ON and OFF the effects of the user calibration that you performed The OFF state reverts to CalReady which can never be turned OFF View Cal Shows the properties of the current calibration Learn more on page 73 More Learn about Cal Ready Properties on page 78 NOTE Source Unleveled errors During calibration the frequency range of the m...

Page 67: ...T Connectors to select the correct connector types that are on your DUT Although there is no Cal Kit required selecting the connector type limited to Type N and 7 16 and gender from the list provides an accurate OPEN model which means a more accurate calibration If the DUT connector type is not listed select Unknown Other o The connector choices that are offered depend on the frequency range For e...

Page 68: ... 1 port cals Connect port 1 to port 2 either by mating the connectors that attach to the DUT Flush THRU or by using a short jumper cable Learn more about Flush THRU on page 73 Then press Measure Press Finish CAL ON Q is shown on the screen for all displayed measurements that are corrected with QuickCal Using QuickCal with a Long Jumper Cable QuickCal requires a sufficient frequency span to adequat...

Page 69: ... changes For best results review the screen and make changes in the following order 1 S parameters Verify that these are all of the S parameters that you want calibrated If not press Esc to terminate the calibration process then return to the Trace menu to display all of the traces to be calibrated Learn how on page 42 2 DUT Connectors For each DUT port that is shown verify the correct type and ge...

Page 70: ...t at www agilent com find fieldfoxsupport Click Cal Kits Follow the Cal Wizard prompts Connect the specified standard at the point where the DUT will be connected then press Measure At any time press Back to re measure a standard if you feel it was not properly connected Press Finish to complete the calibration CAL ON U is shown on the screen for all displayed measurements that are corrected with ...

Page 71: ... ECal Press Change DUT Connectors For each test port to be calibrated select the Connector Type and Gender of the DUT ECal module The connected ECal module and relevant User Characterizations will appear as the default Cal Kit Optionally press Advanced then ECal Auto Orient o ON default The FieldFox automatically senses the direction in which the ECal module ports are connected to the FieldFox por...

Page 72: ...ference plane 1 port response cals are also available from the Mechanical Cal menu Learn more on page 75 Normalize uses a THRU standard or cable between port 1 and port 2 to cal an S21 and S12 Transmission measurement NA Mode and a 2 port Insertion Loss measurement CAT Mode In VVM Mode this is performed using Zero How to perform a Simple Response Cal Select the measurements to be calibrated See th...

Page 73: ...ox simplifies the calibration process by recommending the most accurate and efficient calibration type based on the displayed S parameters However there may be times when you may want a little more accuracy or a little faster sweep time The following information can help you learn about the various calibration choices Definitions Non insertable DUT A device whose connectors could NOT mate together...

Page 74: ...ps in ONE direction FULL 2 Port May require an option Most comprehensive calibration Corrects all S parameters DUT Non Insertable or Insertable Standards OPEN SHORT LOAD on BOTH ports Any THRU between ports Based on the SOLR Unknown THRU calibration For more information on the Unknown THRU process see the FieldFox Supplemental Online Help http na tm agilent com fieldfox help FieldFox htm Sweeps in...

Page 75: ...en the test ports The additional Isolation step measures Load standards that are connected to one or both FieldFox test ports Perform an isolation calibration when you are testing a device with high insertion loss such as the stop band of a filter or a switch in the open position The isolation step can add noise to the error model when the measurement is very close to the noise floor of the analyz...

Page 76: ...waveguide the velocity factor changes with frequency FieldFox calculates this effective velocity factor automatically However the settings are different for CAT mode and NA mode CAT Mode How to make Waveguide settings These settings are necessary ONLY when making DTF measurements Press Measure 1 then select a DTF measurement Press Meas Setup 4 Then Settings Learn how to use the Quick Settings tabl...

Page 77: ...ection for non reciprocal devices and reasonable correction for reciprocal devices o Reciprocal A reciprocal DUT is a device in which the insertion loss through the device is similar in both the forward S21 and reverse S12 directions A cable is a reciprocal device This choice provides the best correction for reciprocal devices However S11 measurements on non reciprocal devices will appear to have ...

Page 78: ...th the calibration into a STATE sta file These settings and calibration can then be recalled as necessary To learn how see Saving and Recalling Files on page 190 CalReady Properties There are several factory CalReady calibrations on every FieldFox These can be selected based on the type of DUT that you measure most often and the compromise that you prefer to make between measurement speed versus m...

Page 79: ...n Loss In NA Mode select S11 with Log Mag format For frequencies lower than 9 GHz observe the trace on the FieldFox screen o Lower than 35 dB indicates a GOOD calibration o Higher than 0 dB indicates that you should recalibrate Verifying Phase Accuracy Connect a LOAD standard at the calibration reference plane where calibration standards were connected In NA Mode select a S11 Reflection with Polar...

Page 80: ...n using a jumper cable or adapter o QuickCal is NOT recommended when the DUT has 3 5 mm female or SMA female connectors o Even with the optional Load phase accuracy begins to degrade when the return loss is greater than about 20dB CalReady is accurate ONLY when the DUT is connected at the test ports and most accurate at room temperature For highest accuracy a new QuickCal or Mechanical Cal should ...

Page 81: ...df 5952 0292 pdf SA display with markers Carrier with 5 kHz frequency modulation and deviation of 1 kHz In this Chapter Frequency Range 83 Radio Standard 84 Channel Selection 85 Scale and Units 86 External Gain 87 Attenuation and Preamp Control 87 Check for Compressed Measurements 89 Field Strength Measurements 89 Tune and Listen 92 Independent Source 92 Resolution Bandwidth 92 Video Bandwidth 96 ...

Page 82: ... 111 Frequency Counter at Marker 112 Audio Beep at Marker Power 112 Channel Measurements 114 o Channel Power o Occupied Bandwidth o Adjacent Channel Power Ratio See Also Interference Analyzer Spectrogram Display 123 Waterfall Display 126 Record Playback 127 Optional settings Markers 174 Limit Lines 184 Save Measurement Settings and Results 190 SA Mode Settings Select SA Mode before making any sett...

Page 83: ... of entering frequency range Enter the frequency of interest The Center frequency is at the exact center of the X axis The Frequency Span places half of the frequency range on either side of center When the Center and Frequency Span values are entered then the X axis annotation on the screen shows the Center and Span frequencies o Start and Stop frequencies Start is the beginning of the X axis and...

Page 84: ...e middle of the screen and sets the frequency span to cover all of the Uplink and Downlink frequencies The selected Radio Standard name appears in the center of the screen below the X axis After a Radio Standard has been selected the frequency range can be changed by selecting channel numbers rather than frequency Learn how on page 85 When a Channel Measurement is selected such as ACPR other relev...

Page 85: ... be deleted from the FieldFox Channel Selection After a Radio Standard has been selected the frequency range can be changed by selecting channel numbers rather than frequency Once enabled the channel number is appended to the X axis frequency range How to enable Channel selection Press Freq Dist Then More Then Unit Freq Chan How to change the Channel Number of the measurement With Unit Chan the Fi...

Page 86: ...dge of the screen When Center Channel or Freq Span is specified the X axis shows the Center Freq Channel and Frequency Span When Start or Stop Channel is specified the X axis shows the Start Freq Channel and Stop Freq Channel Change Channel Step Size Optional This setting allows you to use the arrows to increment the channel number by the specified value Press Channel Step Enter a step value using...

Page 87: ...to comfortably fit the Min and Max amplitude of the trace on the screen How to set Y axis Units The Unit setting appears for the reference line marker readouts and trigger level All Unit choices are available in both Log and Linear Scale Types The UNIT setting survives Mode Preset but NOT Preset Press Scale Amptd then More then Unit Then choose from the following o dBm default setting dBmV dB mill...

Page 88: ... is automatically adjusted for RF Attenuation As the attenuation value changes the displayed power level should NOT change How to set Attenuation Press Scale Amptd Then RF Atten Auto Man Auto RF Attenuation is set by adjusting the Reference Level As the Reference Level is lowered for example from 10 dBm to 30 dBm the FieldFox assumes that you are looking at low level signals The RF Attenuation val...

Page 89: ...nuation level by 5 dB o If the signal level does NOT change then NO compression exists This indicates that the signal is in the linear region of the FieldFox receiver o If the signal level DOES increase then the receiver was compressed Set the RF Attenuation value at the setting when further increases no longer result in an increase in the displayed power level Field Strength Measurements To measu...

Page 90: ...Save Recall Antennas Recall or edit an Antenna Correction table See below o Cable ON OFF Turn ON and OFF Cable correction o Edit Save Recall Cables Recall or edit a Cable Correction table See below o View Corrections ON OFF Turn ON and OFF Red Trace Antenna Cable corrections Using the Antenna Cable Editor The Antenna Editor and the Cable Editor menus are very similar Both tables include header inf...

Page 91: ...isted below When the antenna has low gain or low efficiency the dB value to be added is larger Learn more about Antenna Factor at http tdkrfsolutions com DataPDFs antenna_paper_part3 pdf o When one Freq Value pair is entered that correction value is applied to the entire displayed frequency span o When two or more Freq Value pairs are entered the data points between the lowest and highest frequenc...

Page 92: ... na tm agilent com fieldfox datalink_info html How to create a Cable file from an S21 NA mode or an Insertion Loss CAT mode measurement 1 Measure the S21 or Insertion Loss of a cable In NA mode select either LogMag Linear or VSWR formats 2 Use Manage Folders to change the active folder to CABLES Learn how to manage folders on page 195 3 Save the measurement as a csv file Learn how on page 192 4 Se...

Page 93: ...Wide bandwidth Choose for high quality music transmissions of FM broadcast radio Tune Frequency The Tune Listen tuner is separate from the SA display This allows you to listen to one frequency while displaying a different range of frequencies Set the Tune Frequency using one of three methods 1 Selecting Preset Mode Preset or Meas Preset sets Tune Frequency to 3 0 GHz 2 Specify Tune Frequency Press...

Page 94: ...eric keypad arrows or the rotary knob Volume can also be changed and easily muted from the System menu Learn more on page 200 Demod ON and OFF To quickly stop the audio demodulation and perform only the normal SA sweeps select the following Press Meas Setup 4 Then Demod ON OFF Independent Source Tracking Generator This feature may require an option For a comprehensive list view the FieldFox Config...

Page 95: ...s Trace 4 reference trace and therefore become relative to it SrcN is annotated on the screen Normalize is automatically turned OFF when the frequency range or Resolution is changed Learn more about Trace Display States on page 106 Source Power Sets the source power level Choose from o Leveled Enter a value from 45 dBm to 0 dBm using the numeric keypad arrows or the rotary knob The source power is...

Page 96: ...y or press Enter The current Res BW setting is shown at the bottom of the screen Res BW x xx XHz means manual setting This setting could impact the accuracy of the measurement See Specifications on page 232 NOTE The Res BW setting also affects the Sweep Type setting Learn how on page 97 Video Bandwidth Video BW Video BW is a smoothing operation that is performed after measurement data is acquired ...

Page 97: ...BW o Step The FieldFox uses Step sweep type regardless of the Res BW This is useful for capturing impulsive noise that may be generated from nearby electrical equipment IF Output The FieldFox IF intermediate frequency can be output for external signal processing The signal is available from the IF Out connector on the FieldFox right side panel See the connector on page 17 The IF Out signal centere...

Page 98: ...n as shown in a blue trace in the following image While watching the trace increase the SwpAcquisition value until the pulse spectrum rises out of the noise and reaches its maximum level Increasing the SwpAcquisition value beyond this point only slows the update rate increases the actual Sweep time readout but does not improve measurement quality A GSM signal in a framed data format timeslot zero ...

Page 99: ...t com fieldfox help FieldFox htm Very Long Sweep Times Two primary settings are responsible for the sweep time Res BW and SwAcquisition When the sweep time exceeds 1200 seconds 20 minutes an informational message Alert Very long sweep in progress is annotated on the screen for the duration of the sweep When the sweep time exceeds 4000 seconds about 1 hour Meas UNCAL is annotated on the screen Accu...

Page 100: ...between 0 Hz and the last specified frequency span How to change Sweep Time in Zero Span Press Sweep 3 Then SweepTime Enter a value using the numeric keypad Sweep time is limited to 1000 seconds Then select a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations on page 19 Previous FieldFox versions limited the sweep time ResBW settings This restriction is no longer necessary with release A 06 25 Le...

Page 101: ...iated when the displayed amplitude of an incoming signal crosses the settable Trigger Level This selection can detect low amplitude signals but also has been filtered considerably and may not be a true representation of the incoming signal o RF Burst A sweep is initiated when the signal at the third IF analog stage crosses the settable Trigger Level This selection offers a wider bandwidth and may ...

Page 102: ...omain signal Therefore you may need to set the trigger level higher than the displayed level RF Burst Trigger Level uses an alignment process which is performed in the background to set the detected signal level accuracy Learn more about the alignment on page 108 Press Sweep 3 Then Trigger Settings Then Trig Level Enter a value using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Then select a m...

Page 103: ... being used is displayed on the softkey The Trigger Position is annotated on the screen Learn how in the following section Press Sweep 3 Then Trigger Settings Then Trig Position o Auto The position of T zero is set by the trigger delay o Manual Select then enter a position value from 0 to 10 using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob o 0 T zero occurs at the left graticule o 5 T zero o...

Page 104: ...important when using RF Burst or Video triggering in wider spans because the signal providing those triggers has limited bandwidth Learn more about Auto trigger on page 102 For more conceptual information on this topic please refer to Spectrum Analysis Basics App Note 150 at http cp literature agilent com litweb pdf 5952 0292 pdf pages 38 42 How to set FFT Gating Create a non zero span measurement...

Page 105: ...nserve battery power or to allow you to save or analyze a specific trace How to set Single or Continuous Press Sweep 3 Then choose one of the following o Continuous o ON Causes the SA to make continuous sweeps This is the typical setting for making measurements Each Run Hold press causes the SA to toggle between continuous sweep and Hold o OFF Causes the SA to Hold Each Run Hold or Single press ca...

Page 106: ...oint over multiple sweeps See also Average Count on page 107 o Average Each data point is averaged over multiple sweeps as set by the Average Count setting Learn more in following Average Type section o View Displays and then holds the last complete measurement trace on the screen This is similar to storing a trace in memory o Blank Displays no trace Press Default All to return all traces to their...

Page 107: ...r the amount of noise reduction When Trace display State is set to Average MaxHold or MinHold the average counter is shown in the left edge of the screen below the Average Type For all three of these Trace States when Sweep 3 Continuous is set to OFF press Restart to reset the sweep count to 1 perform n sweeps then return to Hold How to set Average Count Press Meas Setup 4 Then Average Count Enter...

Page 108: ...e circuitry to provide accurate external RF Burst triggering Learn more about RF Burst triggering on page 100 When enabled by default the FieldFox performs an alignment process using the internal RF source Although some sweeps are delayed measurement results are never disturbed If the Independent Source is enabled for your measurement it will be borrowed to perform the alignment Again the measurem...

Page 109: ...tion method is labeled on the left edge of the screen When a method is selected manually a precedes the label For example Nrm means that Normal was selected from the softkeys Press Trace__6 Then Detector Then choose from the following o Auto Displays the most appropriate Detection method based on other settings is NOT shown o Normal Nrm Provides a better visual display of random noise than Positiv...

Page 110: ...lay line as mental guide for visual feedback A display line is similar to a Limit Line except that no PASS FAIL testing occurs A display line is easier to create than a Limit Line Learn about Limit Lines on page 184 Display line with annotation How to create and move a Display Line Press Limit __8 Then Display Line OFF ON Then enter a Y axis value using the arrows or the rotary knob then press Ent...

Page 111: ... Interval Power Marker A Band Interval Power marker unique to SA Mode accumulates the power that is measured over several adjacent data points or buckets The range of buckets being measured is displayed with vertical posts around the marker This Band Span value is selectable This feature is very similar to a channel power measurement page 115 When the frequency span is set to Zero span the marker ...

Page 112: ...requency of the signal peak in the marker annotation area The marker does not move to the signal peak When Freq Counter is ON measurement sweeps are considerably slower How to use Frequency Counter Press Marker Press Normal Delta or Peak or select an existing marker to use as a frequency counter Locate the marker somewhere on a CW signal It does NOT have to be on the peak Then More Then Freq Count...

Page 113: ...n the top and bottom of the screen Learn more about Scale on page 86 Audio Beep can be used with any marker type or function including Band Interval Power Learn more on page 111 How to use Audio Beep Press Marker Optionally press Marker 1 2 3 4 5 6 to select an existing marker to use with Audio Beep A marker will be created if one does not already exist Then More Then Marker Function Then Audio Be...

Page 114: ...rn how to select a Radio Standard and channels on page 84 When you first select a Radio Standard then select a Channel Measurement With Units FREQ selected the center frequency and span will ALWAYS change to the full frequency range of that standard Uplink and Downlink to allow for a quick scan of energy The X axis annotation indicates the frequency range With Units CHAN selected the FieldFox choo...

Page 115: ... changed manually during a Channel measurement Learn more about these settings starting at page 106 To change Averaging Press Meas Setup 4 Then Average Enable ON OFF OFF effectively sets the Average Count to 1 Then Average Count Enter a value between 1 and 10 000 using the numeric keypad arrows or the rotary knob Press Enter Traces Only one measurement trace can be displayed in Channel Measurement...

Page 116: ...Bandwidth By default the displayed frequency span is automatically coupled to the Integration Bandwidth As you change the Integration Bandwidth the frequency span is adjusted so that the vertical posts appear to NOT move However when you manually change the frequency span the Integration Bandwidth is no longer coupled to the frequency span When a Radio Standard is selected the appropriate Integrat...

Page 117: ...elect Occupied Bandwidth Press Measure__1 Then Channel Measurements Then Occupied BW When Occupied Bandwidth is selected the following settings are maintained from a previous measurement Center Frequency Preamp ON OFF and RF Attenuation Frequency Span Occupied BW is calculated from power that is measured over the entire displayed Frequency Span The frequency span can be entered using arbitrary fre...

Page 118: ...atically to ensure the highest accuracy such as ResBW VideoBW and sweep SwpAcquisition speed These and all other SA Mode settings can be changed manually in a Occupied Bandwidth measurement Learn about Measurement Preset on page 114 Learn about Averaging on page 115 Adjacent Channel Power Ratio ACPR ACPR measures the power of a carrier channel and the power in its adjacent offset channels The meas...

Page 119: ...jacent Channel Power When ACPR is selected the following settings are maintained from a previous measurement Center Frequency Preamp ON OFF and RF Attenuation Frequency Range Channel When a Radio Standard is selected the appropriate center frequency or channel and span is set automatically The frequency or channel number can then be changed from the Freq Dist menu Learn how to select a Radio Stand...

Page 120: ... the carrier center frequency and the center frequency of the offset channel Then enter a value using the numeric keypad Select Offset Integ BW This is the frequency range over which power is measured in that offset half of the range below and half above the Offset Freq How to set limits for adjacent channels You can set a unique threshold power for each of the offsets that will cause a FAIL indic...

Page 121: ...RefValue from the measured offset power o Press Ref Value o Then enter a value to be used to reference the data using the numeric keypad arrows or the rotary knob Other ACPR Settings All relevant FieldFox settings are made automatically to ensure the highest accuracy such as ResBW VideoBW and sweep SwpAcquisition speed These and all other SA Mode settings can be changed manually in a ACPR measurem...

Page 122: ...lected radio standard To set and enable RRC Weighting Press Meas Setup 4 Then RRC Weighting ON OFF Then More Then RRC Alpha current setting Enter a value between 0 no smoothing and 1 most smoothing using the numeric keypad arrows or the rotary knob A standard level of filtering is 22 Press Enter ...

Page 123: ... visual history of the measured spectrum Each display type can be used to locate intermittent signals or to view signal levels over time Spectrogram is a single horizontal line of color coded power while Waterfall uses a 3 D color coded display The functional difference between these two displays is that Spectrogram provides less trace detail than Waterfall display However it also allows more trac...

Page 124: ... Press Meas 1 Then Interference Analysis Then Spectrogram How to modify the Spectrogram You can change how the spectrogram is displayed relative to the data trace This setting affects the total number of trace records that can be displayed Press Meas Setup 4 Then Spectrogram Settings Then Spectrogram View Then choose from the following o Overlay Displays the data trace over the spectrogram with NO...

Page 125: ... Time hh mm ss Sec An invalid very large number appears when a trace record is not available at one or both of these markers Averaging Averaging can be enabled on the underlying measurement Press Trace 6 then State Average Learn more on page 106 Common Settings for Waterfall and Spectrogram Set Red and Blue Limits The colors displayed on the Waterfall and Spectrogram represent the various measured...

Page 126: ...as Preset Waterfall Display The live trace is always drawn on a Waterfall display Older trace records scroll up from the displayed trace and eventually off the screen Because of this locate the live trace on the bottom of the screen using the scale and reference settings Learn more on page 86 NOTE Although this document refers to past traces as records these traces are not saved They are only draw...

Page 127: ... Traces can be recorded from or played back into any measurement type such as Channel Power or Occupied BW or any display type such as Spectrogram and Waterfall When GPS is enabled and displayed the current location and elevation are saved and played back with traces Recordings can be saved to the FieldFox Internal memory an SD Card or a USB flash drive About Sessions A Recording Session is a coll...

Page 128: ...age 133 FieldFox Setting Changes during Record and Playback During Recording When any of the following State settings are changed during recording the State counter is incremented see About State and User Tags on page 129 and the settings are saved to the Session file along with the first trace to be recorded with the new setting During playback the trace and display annotation will reflect the ch...

Page 129: ...Tag from a State Tag when scrolling through tags during playback Screen Annotation During a record or playback session the following is displayed in the top left area of the screen AutoSession02 92 95 state 4 5 _ _ Sep 22 2009 09 15 15 AM where AutoSession is an auto generated name for sessions 02 is the auto generated number incremented with each new session The name can be changed using Manage S...

Page 130: ...ded trace This allows you to quickly move to this location during playback Learn more in About State and User Tags on page 129 How to Playback a Session Press Trace 6 If the session is already open skip the following step Otherwise Then Record Playback Setup o Press Recall Session Then select a session to playback and press Open Then Recorder Player Then Play PLAY is displayed in the left of scree...

Page 131: ...Source Sets where in the FieldFox data flow data is recorded Learn more about Record Source on page 132 Choose from the following o RawMeas Records raw measurement data o Trace 1 2 3 4 Records data from the corresponding trace in its current state o Record Interval Sets the amount of time to wait between individual trace recordings Default is MIN which is to wait 0 seconds record traces as fast as...

Page 132: ... used with the FreqMaskTrigger feature NOTE The Mask file is saved to and recalled from the Save Recall Storage Device location NOT from the Record Playback Storage Device location These are two different settings Learn how to set the Save Recall Storage Device on page 192 A mask that is in use during a recording is NOT saved with the recording and does NOT automatically appear during playback Lik...

Page 133: ...layed back as fast as the trace can be drawn on the screen The following setting allows you to slow playback In addition you can manually scroll through individual traces using Playback Trace or scroll through State and User Tags using Playback State Tag Learn more in How to Playback a Session on page 130 To slow playback of a session Record a new session or Open an existing session Press Playback...

Page 134: ... listed sessions to a different storage device or the same storage device with Copy_ appended to the beginning of the names Record Playback Example The following Interval Recording example shows how you can record spectral activity over a longer period of time with less trace storage Press Trace 6 then with Trace 1 press State then Max Hold Then Record Playback Setup Then New Session Then Recordin...

Page 135: ...e Option 236 135 Play the Max Hold recording into a Max Hold trace to show the accumulation of Max Hold activity over the entire recording Press Trace 6 then with Trace 1 and press State then Max Hold Then Record Player Then Play ...

Page 136: ...rgy that is reflected off the DUT is measured and displayed on the screen SA mode reflection measurements are very similar to CAT mode reflection measurements Although SA mode reflection measurements are CalReady other CAT mode calibration types are NOT offered Learn more about CalReady on page 65 In this Chapter Measurement Selection 137 Normalize 137 The following settings are available exactly ...

Page 137: ...m reflected voltage over the minimum reflected voltage The higher the trace is on the screen the more energy being reflected back to the FieldFox Normalize Normalization can be used to effectively Zero a trace which removes frequency response errors introduced by the components of the test setup before making the measurement To normalize a reflection measurement the DUT is removed and a known devi...

Page 138: ...trace math applied The math operation symbol D M is displayed on the lower left corner of the screen Learn more about Trace Math on page 187 NOTE Data interpolation is NOT supported If the Resolution setting is changed with Trace Math enabled the FieldFox will disable the math operation ...

Page 139: ...40 Radio Standard 140 Attenuation 141 See Also The following Built in Power Meter settings are identical to the standard Power Meter settings Set Scale 144 Set Relative and Offset Power 146 Set Display Units 146 Set Averaging 147 Single Continuous 147 Set Limits 147 The following Built in Power Meter settings are identical to SA Mode settings Radio Standard 84 InstAlign Amplitude Alignment 107 Bui...

Page 140: ...g the numeric keypad Then press a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations on page 19 The current frequency f is shown on the FieldFox screen Optionally use the arrows to quickly change Center frequency The size of the frequency step can also be changed Press CF Step then type a step size value using the numeric keypad then select a multiplier key Optionally press Span Ch Wid Type a val...

Page 141: ...tings Built in Power Meter Mode defaults to 30 dB attenuation while SA mode defaults to 10 dB attention In Built in Power Meter the attenuation setting is NOT annotated on the screen How to set Attenuation Press Scale Amptd Then More Then Internal Atten Then choose from either 30 dB or 10 dB NOTE The following Built in Power Meter settings are identical to the standard Power Meter settings To lear...

Page 142: ...nd Offset Power 146 Set Display Units 146 Set Averaging 147 Single Continuous 147 Step Detection Mode 147 Set Limits 147 See Also Frequency Offset using Power Sensor 149 Supported Power Sensors For a complete list of supported Agilent USB Power Sensors please visit www agilent com find usbsensorsforfieldfox NOTE The FieldFox does NOT support the following Agilent USB Power Sensor features External...

Page 143: ...performed Red light indicates an error has occurred with the power sensor Refer to power sensor documentation No light indicates the FieldFox is not communicating with the power sensor This is the case when in Hold mode or when NOT in Power Meter Mode USB Power Meter Settings Select Power Meter Mode before making any setting in this section How to select Power Meter Mode Press Mode_ Then Power Met...

Page 144: ...orrection factor can be used The Source Control feature see following section will determine the frequency range of the power measurement How to enter Frequency of the Power Measurement Press Freq Dist or Meas Setup 4 Then Frequency Then type a value using the numeric keypad The default frequency is 50 MHz Then press a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations on page 19 The current freq...

Page 145: ... display can be set manually or automatically The major and minor ticks are set automatically and can NOT be changed Although the scale settings are limited you can view measurements beyond these settings by performing Autoscale How to Scale the Power Meter display Manually Press Scale Amptd Then choose from the following o Scale Min Sets the low power level of the power meter display Type a numbe...

Page 146: ... level Subsequent power measurements display a power level which is relative to the stored value When relative is ON the units change from dBm to dB or from Watts to o Offset On Off Toggles ON and OFF the displayed power level using the Offset value o Offset Val Value by which the power meter display is offset A positive value compensates for a component with loss A negative value compensates for ...

Page 147: ...sed Use Single to conserve battery power or to allow you to save or analyze a specific measurement This setting can be changed at any time without affecting calibration accuracy How to set Single or Continuous Press Sweep 3 Then choose one of the following o Single Automatically sets Continuous OFF and causes FieldFox to make ONE measurement then hold for the next Single key press When a data trac...

Page 148: ...mum or above the maximum are clearly visible on the power meter display How to set Limits Press Limit 8 Then choose from the following o Min Limit On Off Toggles the display of the Minimum limit ON and OFF o Min Limit Value Sets the Minimum limit power value Power reading lower than this will exceed the limit o Max Limit On Off Toggles the display of the Maximum limit ON and OFF o Max Limit Value ...

Page 149: ...With both options installed you can send a signal with the FieldFox internal source at one frequency and measure this signal with an Agilent U Series USB Power Sensor at another frequency Display for FOPS In this Chapter Overview 150 Measurement Selection 151 Sweep Type and Frequency 151 Power Sensor Settling 153 Sweep Settings 153 Amplitude Markers 154 See Also Trace Math 187 ...

Page 150: ...range with FOPS may be significantly different when using various power sensors In general the lower frequency range sensors have better dynamic range FOPS Settings The following settings are unique to FOPS Standard USB Power Meter mode settings which may be useful with FOPS are documented in that chapter starting on page 142 Select Power Meter USB Sensor before making any setting in this section ...

Page 151: ... memory data 4 Press Done Src Pwr Memory Not available until source data is stored into memory Displays only the source power memory trace Gain Not available until source data is stored into memory Displays the Output power Source power memory trace Rx Power Displays the raw output power at the USB power sensor Sweep Type and Frequency Set the source and receiver frequencies for the FOPS measureme...

Page 152: ...he following two methods to determine the offset frequency the frequency that the receiver is offset from the source This is typically the frequency of the LO that is used with the frequency converter The frequency offset may be positive negative or zero o Freq Offset Enter an Offset frequency The receiver frequencies are calculated o Offset Calculator Enter the Receiver Start and Stop frequencies...

Page 153: ...displayed reading How to choose Power Sensor settling Press BW 2 Then Tolerance Enter a value in dB between 0 and 10 using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Tolerance of 0 will never be achieve so the Max Readings will always be made Press Enter Then Max Readings Enter a value between 1 and 20 using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Press Enter Sweep Settings These se...

Page 154: ...hen Ampl Markers Then choose from the following o OFF Amplitude markers are NOT displayed o ON Amplitude markers ARE displayed at their previous positions Then Ampl Mkr 1 or 2 Enter a value in dBm for the marker using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Press Delta AmplMkr Then choose from the following o ON AmplMkr 2 value is relative to AmplMkr 1 When AmplMkr 1 is moved AmplMkr 2 al...

Page 155: ...al selectable settings In this Chapter Supported Power Sensors 156 Measurement Selection 156 Frequency Time 157 Zoom Window 158 Scale 158 Averaging 159 Video Bandwidth 159 Single or Continuous Measure 160 Resolution 160 Triggering 160 Pulse Timing Diagram 162 Marker Settings 162 Amplitude Markers 163 Marker Search 163 Auto Analysis 164 Pulse Top 164 Grid 165 Trace Memory 165 NOTE Many of the featu...

Page 156: ...wer Sensor Connect your Power Sensor to one of the FieldFox USB ports NOTE Use an attenuator between the DUT and the power sensor when measuring power levels that are higher than 20 dBm The attenuator value can be subtracted from the measurement using the Offset feature discussed on page 146 A sequence of status lights are displayed on the base of the power sensor Green blinking light indicates th...

Page 157: ...t Power on page 146 o Learn how to set Display Units on page146 o Learn how to set Limits on page 147 Frequency Time How to set Frequency Press Freq Dist Then choose from the following o Frequency Sets the center frequency of the carrier on which pulse modulation resides This is used to set amplitude correction of the USB Power Sensor How to set Time Specify the time over which data will be acquir...

Page 158: ...ertical posts on the primary trace enter a value for the zoom window span using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob Trace 1 Press to select Tr 1 This can also be done by using the arrows Select a trace before making trace settings such as Scale Zoom Trace Press to select the zoom trace Scale For Meter style measurements learn how to set Scale Relative and Offset Power display Units an...

Page 159: ...nual is selected the Num of Averages is setting is also shown How to set Averaging Press BW 2 Then Averaging Then choose from the following o Auto Averaging is set to a reasonable value by the USB Power Sensor o Man Averaging is set to the value specified in the Num Averages setting o Off Averaging is OFF Num Averages Select a value using the numeric keypad then press Enter Video Bandwidth The Vid...

Page 160: ...number of individual acquisitions that occur in the USB Power Sensor This data is read by the FieldFox and plotted across the X axis to form a trace More data points increases measurement resolution However more data points requires more time to acquire query and plot How to set Resolution Press Sweep 3 Then Resolution Then choose from the following o Low 240 data points o Medium 1000 data points ...

Page 161: ...edge of a valid signal o Neg Acquisition is triggered by the falling negative edge of a valid signal Trigger Delay After a valid trigger signal is received at the USB Power Sensor data acquisition begins after the specified Trigger Delay time PLUS the specified Start time See the Pulse Timing diagram on page 162 for more information Press Sweep 3 Then Trigger Then Trig Delay Then enter a value usi...

Page 162: ...n Trigger settings are annotated on the FieldFox screen as highlighted in red in the following image Trig Level 10 dBm Trig Type Int Pos Slope Delay Pulse Timing Diagram Marker Settings Markers are not allowed with Meter style measurements Markers are displayed on Tr 1 and also on the zoom trace if the marker is within the zoom window time span Up to six standard markers can be used to provide rea...

Page 163: ...oose from the following o ON AmplMkr 2 value is relative to AmplMkr 1 When AmplMkr 1 is moved AmplMkr 2 also moves to maintain the AmplMkr 2 value between them o OFF The two amplitude markers move independent of one another Marker Search Use Marker Search to find and move markers to locations on the Tr 1 trace How to Search with Markers Activate the marker to be used for the search Then press Mrk ...

Page 164: ...of its peak value 7 Pulse Width The time between the rising edge and falling edge of a pulse 8 Pulse Period The time of one complete pulse cycle 9 Duty Cycle The ratio of the pulse width pulse period 10 Pulse Rep Freq The rate in pulses sec at which pulses recur How to enable Auto Analysis Press Mrk Tools Then Auto Analysis Then choose from the following o OFF Analysis OFF o ON The Analysis values...

Page 165: ...atic meaning it is not updated with normal pulse measurements It can be displayed on the screen by itself or with a pulse trace for comparison purposes The Tr 1 data trace is displayed in yellow The memory trace is displayed in blue How to display data and memory traces Press Trace 6 Then Trace Memory Then Data Mem to store the current live trace into memory A beep sounds to confirm the data trace...

Page 166: ...he electrical length in both Magnitude and Phase Display for the 1 Port Cable Trimming measurement In this Chapter Overview 167 Measurement Selection 167 Frequency Selection 168 Display Resolution 168 IF Bandwidth 168 Output Power 169 Averaging 169 Single Continuous 170 VVM Calibration 170 Zeroing 170 Procedures 1 Port Cable Trimming Measurement 171 2 Port Transmission Measurement 172 A B and B A ...

Page 167: ...ted Incident signals you were required to select B A for both the Magnitude and Phase display In the FieldFox the source and directional coupler are inside the instrument This allows you to connect the DUT to ONLY the FieldFox PORT 1 with NO external instruments in order to make Cable Trimming measurements See the FieldFox block diagram and Cable Trimming procedures beginning on page 171 VVM Mode ...

Page 168: ...s is based on the current span and can NOT be changed in VVM Mode After using the keypad select a multiplier key Learn about multiplier abbreviations on page 19 Display Resolution You can display either one digit or two digits after the decimal point for both magnitude and phase readings This setting survives a Preset and Mode Preset How to set Resolution Press Scale Amptd Then Resolution Then cho...

Page 169: ...t Power Press Meas Setup 4 Then More Then Output Power o High Default setting Sets output power to the maximum achievable power at all displayed frequency o Low Sets output power to approximately 45 dBm o Man Set output power to an arbitrary value o Then press Power Level o Then enter a value using the numeric keypad the arrows or the rotary knob o Press Enter Averaging Averaging helps to reduce t...

Page 170: ... Makes continuous measurements This is the typical setting when battery power is not critical You can also use Run Hold to toggle between Single and Continuous VVM Calibration CalReady is accurate for most zeroed VVM measurements at frequencies below about 6 GHz For the very highest accuracy especially above 6 GHz then perform a QuickCal or Mechanical Cal Learn more on page 64 Press Zero OFF befor...

Page 171: ...dth Output Power and Averaging settings as needed 4 Press Meas Setup 4 then Zero OFF 5 Optionally calibrate the FieldFox Learn more about VVM calibration on page 170 6 To ensure that the calibration is adequate perform the following optional Measurement Verification procedure NOTE This measurement verification procedure is suitable for low frequency measurements However for high frequency measurem...

Page 172: ...ldFox signal source is transmitted out the port 1 connector through the DUT and into the port 2 connector In the following image the gain of an amplifier is being measured 2 Port Transmission measurement of an amplifier How to make a 2 Port Transmission Measurement 1 Press Mode then VVM then 2 Port Transmission 2 Press Freq Dist and enter the measurement frequency 3 Press Meas Setup 4 then More th...

Page 173: ...ission measurement with external source Procedure 1 Connect the external source s frequency reference output to the FieldFox Freq Ref IN on the top panel If you are unable to use a common frequency reference then increase the IFBW to ensure you are measuring the peak of the correct signal After locating and tuning to the signal you may be able to lower the IFBW to reduce noise 2 On the FieldFox se...

Page 174: ...its 187 All about Trace Math 187 About Math Operations 188 All about Markers Markers move along the X axis range of the measurement trace to provide a numerical readout of each measured data point Markers also allow you to search for specific Y axis values A trace can contain up to six markers The marker readout on the FieldFox screen displays X and Y axis information for the current active marker...

Page 175: ...te the current setting of each marker Then move the marker as when it was first created Markers can also be moved using one of the marker search functions Learn more on page 179 Marker 2 is Active marker 1 is NOT active About Delta Markers A Delta marker provides X and Y axis readout information that is relative to a reference marker A Delta marker is created with a delta symbol to distinguish it ...

Page 176: ...he marker to the new position Then press Delta again to turn the Delta marker back ON Fix the position of the Reference marker SA Mode ONLY In SA mode the reference marker can be fixed at the Y axis position of the data trace when the marker was created or it can float with each sweep at the Y axis position of the data trace In CAT and NA mode the reference marker always floats with the data trace...

Page 177: ...for all traces For example when marker 2 is created on a trace a marker 2 is created for ALL traces When any marker 2 is moved they all move together to the same X axis position Coupled markers are allowed only in NA mode and are relevant only in multi trace configurations You can have markers that are coupled and others that are uncoupled Peak functions move the marker to the peak on the active t...

Page 178: ... on memory trace when only IT is visible Default setting o Data Marker resides on data trace even when not visible o Mem Marker resides on memory trace even when not visible Marker Trace SA Mode Marker Trace determines the trace number on which a marker resides A marker is created on or can later be changed to the trace number specified by the Marker Trace selection When changed a marker moves to ...

Page 179: ...mats change the trace format then select Default Learn how to change format on page 44 Searching with Markers Marker Searches are used to move markers to locations on the trace which exhibits the characteristics of the search criteria Learn What is a Peak on page 182 How to Search with Markers The following menu structure applies to NA Mode Keystrokes will be slightly different for CAT Pulse Measu...

Page 180: ... right to find the next occurrence of the Target value When the marker reaches the end of the stimulus range it wraps around and continues the search from the beginning of the stimulus range o Bandwidth ON OFF NA Mode ONLY Use to quickly toggle BW Markers ON and OFF When OFF the marker table appears showing the X and Y axis positions of all enabled markers o Bandwidth NA Mode ONLY Specify the leve...

Page 181: ...ft of marker 1 Right Frequency of marker 2 or 3 to right of marker 1 Press Back to return to the previous menu Press Peak Search then choose from the following Peak Moves the active marker to the HIGHEST amplitude data point of the trace Peak Excursion value is ignored In SA Mode the LO feed through signal 0 Hz is also ignored Next Peak Moves the active marker to the next highest amplitude peak fr...

Page 182: ...ria Press Mrk Tools In CAT and NA modes o Then Peak Search In SA mode o Then More o Then Mkr Properties Then Peak Criteria Then select the following o Peak Threshold Minimum amplitude dB To be considered valid the peak must be above the threshold level The valley on either side can be below the threshold level Default 190 for CAT and NA Modes 90 for SA Mode NOTE CAT mode Loss measurements are disp...

Page 183: ...de ONLY The group delay value of the active marker becomes the electrical delay setting of the trace Learn how to set group delay format on page 44 Learn more about electrical delay on page 47 o Mkr RefLev SA mode ONLY The reference level becomes the magnitude of the active marker o Mkr Tune Freq SA mode with Tune Listen ONLY The Tune Listen Frequency becomes the frequency of the active marker The...

Page 184: ... NOT allowed in NA Mode with Smith Chart or Polar display formats A simple Display Line is also available in SA Mode ONLY Learn more on page 110 Limit lines can be saved and recalled with an sta file Learn more on page 190 They can also be saved and recalled independently from the Limit softkeys Learn more on page 187 How to Create Fixed Limit Lines There are two ways to build a Fixed limit line 1...

Page 185: ... the limit Line on which the cursor resides o Clear All Removes ALL limit lines Press Back to return to the Limit menu Relative Limit Lines Relative limit lines are X Y coordinates that are referenced to the center frequency X axis and Reference level Y axis Use relative limits to test devices or signals that are identical except for the center frequency or amplitude With relative limit lines in p...

Page 186: ...wn 5 dB How to Build Limit Lines from a Trace NOTE Build from Trace is NOT allowed for traces with more than 1001 data points Select the trace from which limits will be built Press Limit 8 Then Edit Limits Then Build From Trace A limit line table appears Use the arrows to select ON Use Offset to shift the limit line UP or DOWN Learn how below Limit Options How to set Limit Options Press Exit if th...

Page 187: ... files can be loaded into the FieldFox Data Link Software Learn how in the help file that is included in the Data Link software How to Save and Recall Limits Press Save Recall then Select Device to set the Device Internal SD card or USB flash drive to be used for the Save or Recall Learn more on page 192 Then press Limit Then choose from the following o Save Limits After limit lines have been defi...

Page 188: ... Then Data Math Then choose one of the following o Data Memory D M Current measurement data is added to the data in memory o Data Memory D M Current measurement data is subtracted from the data in memory o Data Memory D M Current measurement data is divided by the data in memory o Math Off Data Displays trace data with NO math applied About Math Operations Data Memory and Data Memory math operatio...

Page 189: ... match of two connectors In the following table Data Mem shows both pairs of connectors to have the same 2 dB difference However the second pair of connectors have much better S11 performance 50 and 52 and the relative significance is shown in the Data Mem values Values to compare Data Mem Data Mem 10 dB and 12 dB 2 dB 24 dB 50 dB and 52 dB 2 dB 64 dB ...

Page 190: ...ntended to be recalled on the same instrument model on which they were saved Sometimes you may able to recall them within model families An error will result when trying to recall a state file that was saved on a different model family The FieldFox model families are N991x VNA SA model family N992x VNA model family N993x SA model family Save Files How to Save a File Press Save Recall 9 Then Save A...

Page 191: ...words can also be edited Learn more on page 195 The FieldFox labeler The current filename is GF2 The cursor is on the custom GF keyword The file will be saved to USB flash drive File Type is Picture How to move the cursor Use the rotary knob to move cursor on the same row The cursor will change rows when it comes to a row end Use the arrows to move the cursor up and down the rows When the current ...

Page 192: ...Select Device The following File TYPE and DEVICE settings are used to determine the type of file to save and the location to be used for all file operations These two settings remain through an instrument preset but are reset to the default values when the FieldFox power is shutdown Select Device location of File Save Recall Press Save Recall 9 Then Select Device to set the LOCATION where the file...

Page 193: ...im Real Sxx Imag Sxx o S2P NA Mode ONLY saves data for two S parameters S11 S21 if they are both displayed s2p Files contain 1 stimulus value and 4 S parameters total of 9 scalar values Stim Real S11 Imag S11 Real S21 Imag S21 Real S12 Imag S12 Real S22 Imag S22 o When parameters are corrected data is returned even when not displayed When parameters are NOT corrected or displayed and the format is...

Page 194: ...Files Then choose from the following NOTE For Copy File and Copy All Files files are always copied to a subdirectory titled Copy_ date time stamp of when the file was copied For example Copy_June 27 2013 00 40 47 A new subdirectory is created every time a file is copied Files can NOT be copied to other folders To get a file to a different folder it must be saved to the specified folder o Copy File...

Page 195: ...r from one of the displayed keywords You can change these keywords using the following Edit Keywords function o Delete Folder The selected folder and its contents are deleted after a warning prompt is displayed A Parent folder or system folder can NOT be deleted Press Exit when finished Edit Keywords The preselected keywords FILE SITE and so forth can be edited to meet your specific needs Your key...

Page 196: ...a Save operation How to enable and disable the current Prefix Press Save Recall 9 Then More Then Prefix ON OFF The current selection is underlined How to edit the current Prefix Press Save Recall 9 Then More Then Prefix Then choose from the following o Press Select to add the cursor character to the end of the Prefix o Press Backspace to erase the last character from the end of the Prefix o Press ...

Page 197: ... Then press Save Recall 9 Then Print and choose from the following Printer and Page Setup Confirm that that printer is connected and configured properly The Status line should read Ready o Make other print settings as desired Select Files for Printing Print up to 16 PNG images on one page that are stored on the Internal drive Images can NOT be printed from the USB and SD card o Edit the Quick Sett...

Page 198: ... Startup Mode 205 Battery Saver 205 System Configuration Options Licensing 206 GPS 206 Frequency Reference Source 209 Voltage Source Opt 309 210 Security Level 211 Date and Time Settings 212 LAN Settings 212 Power ON 213 Service Diagnostics 214 System Information 214 Erase User Data 215 See Also Battery Usage 11 FieldFox Internal Temperatures 12 Run Hold The Run Hold key determines whether the Fie...

Page 199: ... setting when battery power is not critical Preset The Preset key restores the FieldFox measurement settings to a known condition You can preset the entire instrument or just the current Mode CAT SA and so forth When Preset the FieldFox CalReady calibration is recalled for use in CAT and NA Modes Learn more on page 65 In addition to all Preference settings the following settings always survive Pre...

Page 200: ...instrument settings are saved to UserPreset sta No trace data or calibration data is saved User Preset ON OFF is saved as a Preference setting Like all preferences this setting survives a FieldFox shutdown and power ON Therefore when User Preset is ON during shutdown the FieldFox will load UserPreset sta when it is powered ON To return to Factory Preset select User Preset OFF The contents of UserP...

Page 201: ...and trace width to remain through a FieldFox shutdown save the display settings as Preferences Learn how on page 204 NOTE Clean the transflective screen with gentle and minimal wiping using Isopropyl alcohol applied to a lint free cloth Display Brightness Change the brightness of the background How to set Display Colors Press System 7 Then Display Then Brightness Use the arrows the rotary knob or ...

Page 202: ...a see the Screen Tour on page 18 How to add or edit a Title Press System 7 Then Display Then Title Then enter or edit a title using the FieldFox labeler This is the same labeler function that is used to name files Learn how to use the labeler on page 190 Then Title ON OFF to make the title appear and disappear from the screen Edit Keywords During a file save operation keywords can be quickly appen...

Page 203: ...ow to view and change Preference Quick Settings Press System 7 Then Preferences Then Preferences Press Next Page and Previous Page to view all settings To change a setting o Use the arrows to highlight a setting o Then press Edit The current setting changes to yellow o Some settings require you to press a softkey to change the value Otherwise use the numeric keypad arrows or rotary knob to change ...

Page 204: ...e they are discussed in this User s Guide How to save current settings as Preferences Using softkeys configure the settings as you would like them to remain Press System 7 Then Preferences Then Save Current Settings There is a beep when your settings have been saved Press Reset Preferences to restore the factory default settings Language Choose the language in which to display FieldFox softkeys an...

Page 205: ... source is turned ON Battery Saver is the ONLY FieldFox setting that must be made as a Preference from the Quick Settings table This setting remains until you change it again How to set Battery Saver Press System 7 Then Preferences Then Preferences Then scroll to Battery Saver o ON Default setting To conserve battery power the RF source power is turned OFF at the end of each CAT NA and VVM mode sw...

Page 206: ...Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then Options Then Install Options The FieldFox reads validates then installs the options Press and hold the power button to shutdown then restart the FieldFox How to Delete ALL Options Deleting individual options is NOT supported Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then Options Then Advanced Then Delete All Options After a warning message all options o...

Page 207: ...d with Preferences Learn more on page 204 Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then GPS Then choose from the following Display ON OFF Enable and disable the GPS display on the FieldFox main window GPS o OFF Disable GPS default setting o External Enable GPS using an external customer supplied USB dongle device A check is made to detect a USB GPS device at the USB connectors o Internal Enable GP...

Page 208: ...ng Ant SHORT antenna center pin has been shorted to ground The internal bias circuitry is disabled for about one minute then re enabled You can also press GPS OFF then GPS Internal to quickly re enable the antenna bias More GPS settings Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then GPS Then choose from the following Sync Clock ON OFF Enable and disable the synchronization of the FieldFox internal ...

Page 209: ...gnal provided with Built in GPS Opt 307 The Frequency Reference setting will survive a FieldFox or Mode Preset and is saved as part of the Instrument State When resuming after Stand By the FieldFox will display an Unlock message while it acquires a lock to an external or GPS source How to select Frequency Reference Source Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then Frequency Ref Then Freq Ref So...

Page 210: ...s exist NO reference signal is present A low or very high level external reference signal is present For best results the signal should be between 5 dBm and 5 dBm The external reference is off frequency To learn the expected measurement accuracy when connected to a frequency reference source see the FieldFox specifications on page 232 Reference OUT The internal 10 MHz frequency reference is availa...

Page 211: ...le the voltage source output Then reset Source ON Status Line ON OFF Turn ON and OFF the voltage source status line that appears near the top of the screen The status line is always ON while making Voltage Source settings Security Level For security reasons you can prevent frequency information from appearing on the FieldFox while in SA NA or CAT modes How to set Security Level Press System 7 Then...

Page 212: ...ard a significant amount send an email to ctd soco_support agilent com TIPS BEFORE setting the Date and Time be absolutely certain that the Time Zone setting is correct How to set Date and Time Date and Time Format and Time Zone Press System 7 Then System Configuration Then Date and Time Press the arrows to highlight the row to be edited Then press Edit Use the arrows or rotary knob to select the ...

Page 213: ...change it o Static IP Address Enter the IP Address including periods in the format nnn nnn nnn nnn o Static Subnet Mask Enter the Subnet Mask including periods in the format nnn nnn nnn nnn o Static Gateway Enter the Static Gateway including periods in the format nnn nnn nnn nnn o Apply Settings Choose from o Power Up The above settings take effect when the FieldFox is started o Now The above sett...

Page 214: ...Release The currently installed version of software Check to see if you have the latest firmware at www agilent com find fieldfoxsupport Network Identity The network name and current IP address of your FieldFox Reflectometer Factory Cal The Factory CalReady Calibration shows the date and time that the factory cal was performed for each test port and the Thru connection The format is P1 date time P...

Page 215: ...a that is inserted mini SD card or USB flash drive is NOT erased The Lost Clusters folder and files is NOT erased because it is part of the file system housekeeping How to Erase User Data Press System 7 Then Service Diagnostics Then Advanced Then Erase User Data Then Confirm Erase Then the following occurs o All data files and folders are deleted from the UserData partition o A large file of 0s is...

Page 216: ...adapter Battery installed and charging The amount of charge is indicated by the number of bars shown Battery not charging with 84 battery life remaining Battery fully charged A fully charged battery MAY NOT read 100 Learn more on page 219 Reconditioning the Battery Service Diagnostics Battery Screen The Battery screen displays the following information To access the screen select System then Servi...

Page 217: ...nts 20 to 39 1 segment 25 1 segment 20 Charging the Battery When you receive your FieldFox the lithium ion battery is partially charged to approximately 30 to 40 to preserve battery life Allow four hours to fully charge the battery internally or three hours by using the external battery charger N9910X 872 A fully charged battery will power your FieldFox for about four hours It is NOT necessary for...

Page 218: ...attery icon in the upper right of the front panel screen FieldFox OFF Charging is indicated by the FieldFox power LED glowing amber with its intensity increasing from dim to bright every few seconds This pattern repeats until the LED turns off when charging is done Learn more on page 15 Using the External Battery Charger N9910X 872 Important Read the safety information for the External Charger on ...

Page 219: ...rtial charging and other factors Reconditioning also known as recalibrating restores the accuracy of the battery capacity tracking system Reconditioning does NOT affect actual battery performance It only recalibrates the charge level indicator Reconditioning is done by fully charging the battery fully discharging it recharging it again and then verifying that the error has been corrected How to de...

Page 220: ...occurs replace the battery and dispose of it properly Learn how on page 221 Operation with a degraded battery could result in damage to the FieldFox Learn more on page 225 Maximizing Battery Life If AC power is not continuously available Ex in a field environment use the battery and recharge it when it holds a 20 to 50 charge as shown on the screen s battery charge icon At this charge level 2 or 3...

Page 221: ...echarging it s probably time to replace the battery Lithium Ion batteries need to be disposed of properly Contact your local waste management facility for information regarding environmentally sound collection recycling and disposal of the batteries Regulations vary for different countries Dispose of the battery in accordance with local regulations Agilent Technologies through Rechargeable Battery...

Page 222: ... condition in which all means for protection are intact when attached to the AC DC adapter WARNING The unit may be used only in the operating conditions and positions specified by the manufacturer The Agilent N9912 Handheld Cable and Antenna Tester complies with the following standards IEC 61010 2nd Edition EN 61010 2nd Edition Canada CSA C22 2 No 61010 1 04 USA UL 61010 1 2nd Edition WARNING Do n...

Page 223: ...nly be inserted in a socket outlet provided with a protective earth contact Any interruption of the protective conductor inside or outside of the product is likely to make the product dangerous Intentional interruption is prohibited WARNING Use only the designated AC DC adapter supplied with the instrument WARNING Use only the designated power cord supplied with the AC DC adapter WARNING No operat...

Page 224: ...ect the FieldFox from the AC DC adapter before storing the FieldFox in the backpack If you prefer to leave the FieldFox connected to the AC DC adapter while inside the backpack you can disconnect the AC DC adapter from its AC power source to prevent overheating CAUTION The AC DC adapter has an auto ranging line voltage input be sure the supply voltage is within the specified range CAUTION The AC D...

Page 225: ...G Do not disassemble or modify the battery The battery contains safety and protection devices which if damaged may cause the battery to generate heat explode or ignite WARNING Do not place the battery in direct sunlight or use or store the battery inside cars in hot weather Doing so may cause the battery to generate heat explode or ignite Using the battery in this manner may also result in a loss ...

Page 226: ...e battery from being charged if the average charging current reaches or exceeds 3 5A for a time period of 120 seconds or more Secondary Overcharge Current This prevents the battery from being charged if the charging current reaches or exceeds 4A 20 for a time period of 20 milliseconds or more Primary Overdischarge Current This prevents the battery from being discharged if the average current out o...

Page 227: ...12A Batteries Safe Handling and Disposal To learn how to safely handle and dispose of the FieldFox battery refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet for the manufacturer of the battery at http na tm agilent com fieldfox help Reference MSDS htm Environmental Requirements Refer to the FieldFox Specifications on page 232 Electrical Requirements The FieldFox allows you to use either the lithium ion batt...

Page 228: ...By symbol is used to mark a position of the instrument power line switch This symbol indicates separate collection for electrical and electronic equipment mandated under EU law as of August 13 2005 All electric and electronic equipment are required to be separated from normal waste for disposal Reference WEEE Directive 2002 96 EC Indicates the time period which no hazardous or toxic substance elem...

Page 229: ...aluated representative samples of that product and determined that it meets UL s safety requirements When accompanied by a C and US it indicates compliance to both Canadian and US requirements NOM Mark Normality of Mexico indicates that the product was tested by an accredited laboratory in Mexicao and meets Mexico s safety requirements Japan s safety and EMC compliance mark China s safety and EMC ...

Page 230: ...wed by the user to ensure safe operation and to maintain the product in a safe condition Declaration of Conformity Should the Declaration of Conformity be required visit http regulations corporate agilent com DoC search htm For more information see Contacting Agilent Compliance with German Noise Requirements This is to declare that this instrument is in conformance with the German Regulation on No...

Page 231: ... Do Not Use a damaged connector ever Connector Cleaning Do Try compressed air first Use isopropyl alcohol a Clean connector threads Do Not Use any abrasives Get liquid into plastic support beads Gaging Connectors Do Clean and zero the gage before use Use the correct gage type Use correct end of calibration block Gage all connectors before first use Do Not Use an out of specification connector Maki...

Page 232: ...dFox User s Guide Appendix B Specifications Data Sheet To ensure the highest accuracy and consistency the FieldFox Specifications are now stored ONLY at http cp literature agilent com litweb pdf 5990 9783EN pdf ...

Page 233: ... represent about 12 months with average use With more frequent connections the calibration cycle should be sooner You can extend the time between calibrations and thereby save money by using connector savers and by performing proper Connector Care Learn more on page 230 How Do I Get an Instrument Calibrated To get your Agilent instrument calibrated send it to one of the Agilent Technologies servic...

Page 234: ...Properties 78 care of the battery 220 CAT mode 1 port cable loss measurements 28 2 port insertion loss measurements 29 calibration 64 DTF measurements 30 DTF settings 31 return loss measurements 27 settings 21 137 certification statements 231 Channel Power CHP 115 Channel Selection 85 charge status viewing 216 charging the battery externally 218 internally 217 Clean Screen 15 colors display 201 co...

Page 235: ...h external battery charger 220 save display settings as preferences 204 file 190 save and recall limits 187 select CAT mode 21 137 CAT mode measurements 21 137 language 204 NA formats 45 NA mode 39 SA mode 82 set attenuation 88 bandpass mode ON 32 33 date and time 211 212 display colors 201 frequency range 22 83 output power 26 51 169 power meter display units 146 res BW 96 resolution 25 50 scale ...

Page 236: ...he battery externally 220 internally 219 Record Source 132 Record Playback 127 Recording Configuration 131 reference marker 176 reference external frequency 209 Reflection Mode 136 resolution 25 Resolution NA Mode 49 Resolution Bandwidth SA mode 96 Response Cals 72 Restart 105 return loss measurements CAT mode 27 reviewconnector care 232 RRC Weighting 121 run hold 198 S S11 measurements NA mode 39...

Page 237: ...th SA mode 96 Video triggering 50 100 viewing charge status battery 216 installed options 204 Volume Control 200 VVM Calibration 170 VVM mode bridge cancellation measurements 172 settings 167 W Waterfall Display 126 Waveguide Calibrations 76 where to find the latest information 2 Window Settings DTF 36 Z zero span 100 Zeroing VVM mode 170 zeroing external 144 ...

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