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Demo Guide

AgilentNFA SeriesNoise Figure Analyzers

Agilent Technologies

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Front panel overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Rear panel overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

How the front panel keys are organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Navigating through the menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Demo kit layout and parts list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Basic noise figure measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Section 1 Entering the ENR table for a noise source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Section 2 Calibration of the noise figure analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Section 3 Basic noise figure and gain measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

with an amplifier as the DUT

Section 4 User interface display features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Section 5 File management functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Advanced noise figure measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Section 6 Speeding up measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Section 7 Frequency multiplier mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Section 8 Frequency dependent loss compensation mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Section 9 Manual measurements mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Section 10 Narrowband noise figure measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

with a filter as the DUT

Section 11 Noise figure measurements with a mixer as the DUT . . . . . . . . . .40

Section 12 Noise figure measurements with a mixer as part . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

of the measurement system

Section 13 Printer setup/landscape/portrait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Section 14 Help mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

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This demo guide will help yougain familiarity with the basicand advanced features and func-tionality of the NFA series noisefigure analyzers. The demo guideis to be used with the NFA demokit Option K13, which is avail-able from the South QueensferrySpecials Department.

All demonstration exercises inthis guide require an AgilentSNS Series N4002A noise source.This noise source is not includedin the NFA demo kit, option K13,and must be ordered separately.

This demo guide is consistentwith NFA firmware revisionA.01.01

For more information on theAgilent NFA series noise figureanalyzers or SNS Series noisesources, including links to the product support pages, see our web page at:www.agilent.com/find/nfa

Introduction

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Figure 1. Front panel overview

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2

3 4 5 6 7

13 12 11 10 9

8

18 17

16

15

14

19

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Front panel overview

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Table 1. Front panel items descriptions

Item Description

1 The On key turns the NFA on, while the Standby key switches the NFA to standby mode.

After turning on the NFA, with the factory default Alignment running, allow 60 minutes of warm-up time to ensure the NFA meets its specifications.

2 Viewing angle keys allow you to adjust the display so that it can be optimally viewed from different angles.

3 The ESC (escape) key cancels any entry in progress. ESC aborts a print (if one is in progress), clears error messages from the status line at the bottom of the display and clears input conditions.

4 Menu keys are the unlabeled keys along the right side of the display. The menu key labels, which identify the current functions of these keys, are shown on the screen next to the keys.

5 The MEASURE functions allow you to configure the measurement mode and set the NFA parameters needed for making measurements.

The Frequency/Points and Averaging/Bandwidth keys activate the primary set up function keys and access menus of related functions.

The Calibrate key removes any second stage noise contribution from the measurement. The ENR key accesses the ENR menu, from which you can enter the ENR data.

The Meas Mode and Mode Setup keys are used to configure the NFA to measure mixers and frequencies greater than the basic frequency of the NFA using a local oscillator.

6 The DISPLAY functions allow you to configure the display results.

The Scale key sets the scale of the graph results. The Format key allows you to set the format of the result. The Marker key allows you to control the markers and search the trace. The Result key is used to select the desired measurement parameters.

7 The CONTROL functions control the NFA’s setup of Loss Compensation and Limit Lines. The Corr key sets correction and input calibration ranges. The Sweep mode is controlled in this group, as is full screen display. The Full Screen functions in all display formats.

8 SYSTEM functions affect the state of the noise figure analyzer. Various setup and alignment routines are accessed with the System key.

The green Preset key resets the noise figure analyzer to a known state.

The File key menu allows you to save and load traces, ENR tables, limit-line tables, and frequency lists to or from the NFA memory or the floppy disk drive. The Save Trace key executes the Save function defined under File.

The Print Setup menu keys allow you to configure hardcopy output. The Printkey sends hardcopy data to the printer.

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Item Description

9 The media door on the right side of the front panel accesses the 3.5-inch disk drive.

10 The data entry keys, which include the up/down arrow keys, knob, and numeric keys, allow you to enter or change the numeric value of an active function.

The numeric keys permit entry of exact values for many of the NFA functions. To terminate a numeric, where no unit labels have been presented, press the Enter key.

The knob allows continuous change of functions such as center frequency, averages, and marker position.

The up/down arrow keys allow discrete increases or decreases of the active function value.

11 EXT KEYBOARD. The EXT KEYBOARD connector is a 6-pin mini-DIN connector for future use with PC keyboards. It is not currently supported.

12 PROBE POWER provides power for accessories.

13 The Prev key accesses the previously selected menu.

Continuing to press Prev key takes you to earlier menus in the present menu system.

14 NOISE SOURCE DRIVE OUTPUT +28 V PULSED this connector provides a 28 Vdc level to switch the noise source on. The noise source is off when no voltage is applied. To be used with 346 noise sources.

15 Tab keys are used to move between table input fields, and to move within the fields of the dialog box accessed by the File menu keys.

16 INPUT 50 Ω (ESD sensitive) is the signal input connector for the NFA.

17 The Next Window key selects which graph or result parameter

is active.

Pressing the Zoom key while in graph mode switches between the dual graph and single graph to display the active graph.

18 Press the Help key and then any front panel or menu key to get a short descrip-tion of the key function and the associated remote command. The next key you press removes the help window from the display.

19 The On key turns the NFA on, while the Standby key switches the NFA to standby mode.

After turning on the NFA, with the factory default Alignment running, allow 60 minutes of warm-up time to ensure the NFA meets its specifications.

20 SNS series noise source connector allows the use of the new SNS series noise sources with the NFA series.

Table 1. Front panel items descriptions (continued)

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Item Description

1 Input connector for the AC line-power source. Make sure that the line-power .source outlet has a protective ground contact.

2 Line Fuse. The line fuse is removed by twisting counterclockwise 1/4 turn. Replace only with a fuse of the same rating. See the label on the rear panel.

3 Service Connector. The service connector is for service use only.

4 VGA OUTPUT drives an external VGA compatible monitor with a signal that has 31.5 kHz horizontal, 60 Hz vertical synchronizing rates, non-interlaced.

5 PARALLEL interface port is for printing only.

6 RS-232 interface supports remote instrument operation.

7 10 MHz REF IN accepts an external frequency source to provide the 10 MHz, -15 to +10 dBm frequency reference used by the NFA.

8 10 MHz REF OUT provides a 10 MHz, 0 dBm minimum, timebase reference signal.

9 LO GPIB port is for the control of an external LO by the NFA.

10 MAIN GPIB interface port supports remote instrument operation.

11 AUX OUT (TTL) is not currently supported.

12 AUX IN (TTL) is not currently supported.

13 Power On Selection selects an instrument power preference. This preferenceapplies after power has been absent for >20 seconds. The PWR NORMposition causes the instrument to remain off when power is applied. The PWR ALWAYS ON position causes it to turn on. The PWR ALWAYS ONmode is useful if an external power switch is used to control a rack of several instruments.

Table 2. Rear panel items descriptions

Figure 2. Rear panel overview

1 2 4 5 6

10 9 8 713 12 11

3Rear panel overview

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How the front panel keysare organized

•MEASURE keys, which areused to configure the measurement parameters, such as frequency range, bandwidth, and number ofmeasurement points.

• CONTROL keys, which are used to configure advancedmeasurement parameters, such as Loss Compensation and Limit Lines.

• SYSTEM keys, which perform system-level operations such as configuring the NFA’s GPIB address, displaying status information and configuring an external LO.

• DISPLAY keys, which adjust the display characteristics of the measurement; for example,setting which parameters are displayed, Selecting the display format (graph, table or meter), and adjusting the scaling.

In addition to the four maingroupings, the keys are also further grouped according to key size and proximity to the display. The large keys placed in the column nearest the display(Frequency/Points,Averaging/Bandwidth, Calibrate,Scale and Format) are typicallythe keys that are used most frequently when performing a measurement.

Action keys Pressing any of the white actionkeys (Calibrate, Full Screen,Restart, Save Trace and Print)invokes an action.

The front panel keys are dividedinto four main groups:

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To activate a menu key functionTo activate a menu key function,press the menu key immediatelyto the right of the correspondingmenu key screen label. The menukey labels that are displayeddepend on which front panelkey is pressed and which menulevel or page is selected.

When a menu key function isselected, it is called an activefunction. The key label of theactive function is highlightedafter that key is pressed. Forexample, if you press the Fre-quency/Points key, the menu ofrelated configuration parametersappears. If you now press the

menu key labeled Start Freq,“Start Frequency 10.00000000MHz” appears in the active function area and this key’slabel is highlighted. The StartFrequency can be changed usingany of the data entry controlsand the numeric section of thisdisplay will change to suit.

Navigating through themenu system

Figure 3a. Menu keys Figure 3b. Front panel keys

Menu KeysPressing any of the grey frontpanel keys in the MEASURE,DISPLAY, RESULT or SYSTEMkey groupings (see Figure 3b)accesses menus of key labelsthat are displayed along theright-hand side of the display.The unmarked keys located tothe right of the display activatethe functions indicated by these labels (Figure 3a). Theseunmarked keys are called menu keys.

Menu keys activate functionsother than those accesseddirectly by the front panel keys.

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Demo kit layout and parts list

Figure 4. Demo kit part layout map

This section includes a part layout map (Figure 4) thatshows where all NFA demo kitcomponents are placed withinthe demo kit. Part numbers arealso shown. This part layoutmap can also be found on the inside of the demo kit lid.

The standard 50-ohm BNC cablefor use with a 346 series noisesource or 11730A can be foundin the main shipping box of theN8975A and for convenience canbe placed in the relevant sectionof the demo kit.

The SNS Series N4002A noisesource, which is required tomake all noise figure measure-ments, is not supplied with thisdemo kit and must be orderedseparately.

The parts contained in the kitare all readily available, andeach part number is displayeddirectly in the relevant demokit aperture along with adescription of the part.

To order an Option K13 demokit for use with an N8975A26.5 GHz noise figure analyzer,contact the South QueensferrySpecials Department.

SNS Noise SourceMini circuits filter

SBP-70

Mini circuitsmixer

ZFM-4212

SMAto

BNCconnector1250-1250 2 x SMA connector

46101-60039

Mini circuitsamplifier

ZFL-1000LN

1m BNC 50 Ohm cable

Power supply connector part number's 5040-0494 and 5060-0466

5/16" spanner 8720-0015

For other noise sources, a diskcontaining the ENR data andthe identification/serial numberof the noise source can be created.

To enter an ENR table manually,press [ENR]. The analyzer willdisplay the screen shown inFigure 5.

Basic noise figure measurements

Section 1.Entering the ENR table for a noise source, manually or automatically

All demonstrations require anAgilent N4002A noise source.The N4002A is not included inthe NFA demo kit and must beordered separately.

Key names surrounded by [ ]indicate labeled hard keyslocated on the front panel, whilekey names surrounded by indicate menu keys (soft keys)located along the right edge ofthe display.

Objectives:

• Enter an ENR table or modify an existing one.

• Save the ENR table to hard disk and floppy disk.

The ENR data for the noisesource is used to calibrate thenoise figure measurement sys-tem. Calibration removes thesystem’s own noise figure fromthe measurement.

The New SNS series noisesources only require a connec-tion to the NFA via an 11730Acable to automatically transferthe ENR data to the NFA.

Since November 1, 2000 theAgilent 346 series noise sourceshave come with a disk containingthe noise source ENR data toallow quicker and easier calibra-tion of the noise figure analyzer.The NFA will automatically loadthe ID and serial number of thenoise source when loading theENR data from the disk.

Figure 5

Figure 6

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The SNS series are broadbandnoise sources designed specifi-cally for use with the NFA. The SNS series can be used inconjunction with the NFA toincrease the overall reliabilityand accuracy of noise figure measurements. The SNS seriesnoise sources have the advantageof automatic ENR data upload aswell as automatic temperaturesensing to automatically sensethe ambient temperature of themeasurement environment,allowing the NFA to compensatefor the these changes during itsmeasurement cycle to maintainaccuracy.

By setting the preference forENR data to SNS means thatwhenever the SNS series noisesource is present, then the SNSdata will be used as the currentENR table.

To check the data has beenloaded view the ENR table editor screen as the data fromthe SNS automatically replacesthe data used before. This alsoincludes the serial number andmodel number.

To edit the ENR table, manuallytoggle the Edit Table menukey. Similarly, the serial numberand ID number can be edited bytoggling the appropriate menukey. The Tab hard key or thenavigation menu keys at theside of the measurement win-dow can then be used to scrolldown the table (see Figure 7).

If a value in the table is to bemodified, highlight it with theyellow bar using the relevantnavigation menu keys or Tabkeys and then enter the valuevia the keypad. The “cardinal”frequency points from the noisesource need not be entered inorder, since after being enteredthey will be automaticallyaligned in ascending order.

Upon startup, the most recentlyused ENR file is recalled andused as the default ENR. Thisfile survives a Power cycle or aPreset and can be replaced atany time with a file of yourchoice. Upon next startup yournew file will be recalled as thedefault file.

Figure 7

You can also have two separateENR tables, one for calibrationand one for measurement. Thesecan be selected by toggling[ENR]Common Table to Off.When this has been done, theNFA will use a different ENRtable for calibration than theone used for the measurement. The default is to use one table,the measurement table.

With two ENR tables, the usercan calibrate with one noisesource, removing the noise figuremeasurement system’s own noisefigure (often referred to as sec-ond stage noise contribution),and then use another noisesource for the measurement.

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The two most common cases inwhich two noise sources and two ENR tables are used are as follows:

In the most common case, youhave a waveguide noise sourcefor measuring noise figure andgain at microwave frequencies.There is no way to calibrateyour measurement system with a waveguide connector at lowerfrequencies. In this case, youfirst enable the two measure-ment tables located within theNFA. Under the [ENR] hard keythere is a soft key for commonTable; toggle this soft key toOff. The next step is to load thetwo ENR tables, first the lowerfrequency one for the calibrationand then the waveguide ENRtable for the measurement. Thetables can be loaded either man-ually or by using the file manag-er and the ENR data disks sup-plied with your noise sources.After the ENR data has beenentered, connect the lower fre-quency noise source to calibratethe measurement system over its10 MHz to 3.0 GHz range. Afterthe calibration is complete, con-nect the waveguide noise sourceto the DUT and make the mea-surement.

The second case is measuring aDUT with a low noise figure anda high gain, such as an amplifier.In this instance also, two sepa-rate ENR tables must be entered,and the [ENR]Common tablesoft key must be toggled to Offto allow the use of the two ENRtables during calibration andmeasurement. In this case, ahigh ENR source such as anN4002A (ENR of about 15 dB)should be used for calibration.Once the calibration is complet-ed, a low ENR source such asthe N4000 (which has an extra10 dB pad on its output and a 6 dB ENR) can be used. TheAgilent N4000 is designedspecifically for accurate charac-terization of input-impedance-sensitive devices, such as GaAsFETs and many UHF amplifiers.Its very small change in reflec-tion coefficient (<0.01) from onto off minimizes errors whenmeasuring noise figure and gain.

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Instructions Keystrokes

Auto upload of ENR data from [ENR] SNS Setup preferences SNS series noise source toggle to On Autoload ENR toggle to On

Connect SNS to NFA using the No key presses required11730A cable Check data has transferred

[ENR] ENR table

Recall (load) an ENR table Insert ENR data disk into 3.5” slot in from ENR data disk NFA and close the door.(automatically) when using a [File] Load ENR Meas table [ ⇒| ] or 346 series noise source if file directory “..” is already highlighted

press Select, then use [⇑] or [⇓] to highlight the “A” directory one Select ?? Select the ENR file using [⇑] or [⇓] the [Enter] to the load the file.

Review loading of table, [ENR] ENR TableID number and serial number

Enter the ENR menu (manually) [ENR]

Enter the ENR table mode ENR Table

Insert/Modify the ENR table values, serial number and ID number

If this is the first ENR data entry after If Edit Table or a Tab key is pressed,a firmware install, there will be no entries the ENR table-editing mode will present in the ENR table. To enter values be entered. The ENR menu keys can then in the table editing mode, press Add be used to select the field to be modified. before commencing manual data entry Use the keypad to modify and choose

appropriate units, To enter serial number data PrevSerial Number, then use the keypad, menu keys and numeric keypad to modify. To enter ID number data Prev ID, then use the keypad, menu keys and numeric keypad to modify.

To Save the ENR table

1. Call up the file save menu [File] Save ENR Meas table

2. Choose internal memory [ ⇒| ] or if file directory “..” is already drive or floppy disk highlighted press Select, then use [⇑] or [⇓]

to either highlight the “C” or “A” drive, then Select to confirm directory choice.

3. Enter the file name using Highlight the Name: section by using the alpha editor [⇐] key, then Enter a file name using

alpha menu keys and/or number keys.

4. Save into internal memory [Enter] to save [Bk Sp] if an error is made during file name editing.

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Basic noise figure measurements (continued)

Objectives:

• Calibrate the NFA to make basic NF measurements with the supplied DUT.

For a correct measurement ofnoise figure for a device undertest, the system must first becalibrated. This calibration isnecessary because the measure-ment system itself has a noisefigure at each of the noise fig-ure measurement points. Thisnoise figure is referred to assecond stage noise contribution.The processor inside the noisefigure analyzer measures themeasurement system’s ownnoise figure and then removes itfrom the measurement, so thatonly the DUT’s noise figure andgain will be displayed. (The gainof the measurement system isalways displayed in a “correct-ed” state.) Connect the systemas shown in Figure 8.

Set the initial Start and Stopfrequency parameters accordingto the DUT to be used. In thiscase, the Mini Circuits amplifierin the NFA special Option K13demo kit. Some averaging points

can also be added in the calibra-tion sweep. This can improvemeasurement accuracy bysmoothing out display jitter andhelping to remove nonlinearitiesin the DUT output trace.

After entering your ENR data,frequency data, averaging and measurement bandwidth specifi-cations, start calibration bypressing [Calibration][Calibration]. This will set thesystem to sweep across the user-set frequency range five times,with a different attenuator set-ting for each sweep. This fre-quency/attenuator sweep willenable the correct noise figureof the system to be measured ateach of the measurement points.Once the calibration sweep hasbeen completed, the displayshows a single frequency sweepin which the system’s noise figure is removed from the measurement system and thedisplayed noise figure of themeasurement system is approx-imately zero. The analyzer isnow calibrated and can make“corrected” noise figure measurements.

Section 2.Calibration of the noise figure analyzer

NFA series noisefigure analyzer

Top of unit frontpanel

Noise source 50-ohmcoax cable

Figure 8. Calibration setup

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Connect N4002A noise source As shown in diagram

Save the Calibration Frequency Span

1 Call up the [Frequency/Points]Frequency/Points menu

2 Enter the Start Frequency Start Freq. 10 enter by keypad MHz which is the default value

3. Enter the Stop Frequency Stop Freq. 1.2 enter by keypad [GHz]

4. Set the number of points at More 1 of 2 Points 11 which to measure To modify, enter value by keypad

[Enter] [bkspace] if an error is made

Set the Averaging function to a [AVG/BW] Average Toggle to On point sweep with 15 averages Averages 10 set by keypad

[Enter] [Average/Bandwidth] Averaging toggle to ONAveraging mode toggle to Point (Default)

Select format for viewing [Format] Format personal choiceof measurements of display

Calibrate measurement system [Calibrate] [Calibrate]

Objectives:

• To make basic NF and gain measurements with the supplied amplifier DUT.

The NFA demo kit is suppliedwith a Mini-Circuits amplifier,which has its power supplied bythe probe power supply on thefront panel of the NFA.

Follow the instructions below toobtain the output display shownin Figure 9.

Since the measurement systemhas already been calibrated tosweep across the useable range

of the DUT, a basic noise figuremeasurement requires the DUTto be plugged in between thenoise source and the NFAand the amplifier power connec-tor to be connected to the NFAprobe power supply. As soon asthe DUT is connected the sys-tem will begin sweeping, mea-suring the noise figure and gainof the amplifier.

The choice for a single sweep orcontinuous sweeps across theprespecified frequency range canbe found under [Sweep] on thefront panel.

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Section 3.Basic noise figure and gain measurements with an amplifier as the DUT


Figure 9

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Calibrate the system Completed during previous section

Choose sweep parameters [Sweep] Toggle to single or continuous

Connect the amplifier DUT and As per Figure 8, if on single sweep make the measurement then hit [Restart]

View the results [Format] Graph, Table or Meter

Change the scaling on the [Scale] Autoscale [Active window select] measurement window to change the scaling for gain also

[Scale] Autoscale

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Section 4.User interface display features


Objectives:

• Fully demonstrate the NFA’s user interface/display functionality through the following features:

Select and Zoom Active Window

Change Scaling

Place Markers

Change Measurement Format

Full Screen Expandable Display

Change Format of Active Window

Create and Test to Limit Lines

Data to Memory Function

Swap and zoom active windowsThe graphical display on the NFA can show simultaneous measurement of two parametersin separate measurement win-dows. To see one window moreclosely, press the Next Windowkey till the appropriate windowis active (a green border appearsaround the selected window),then press [Zoom] to enlarge the active window to full screen.Pressing [Zoom] once more

restores the previous twin graphdisplay. To display the othergraph full screen if you arealready viewing one measurementwindow in the full screen mode,press the Next Window key.

Change scalingWhen viewing measurements in a graphical mode it is often beneficial to change the viewingscale to make analysis of the measurements easier. Althoughthe NFA comes with an auto-scale function, the ability tochange the scale of both graphsor add reference levels separate-ly is made available by pressing[Scale].

Measurement mode set-upThe measurement correctionguide present on the noise figureanalyzer is a basic guide to aidyou in making the connectionsfor your measurement scenario.The feature can be found bypressing [Meas Mode]. To changethe measurement connection dia-gram for your application, simplyselect the type of DUT you wouldlike to measure and the displayshall change to show the basicconnection states for both themeasurement and the calibration.

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Figure 10a. The set-up screen for an amplifier measurement, (this is the default mode on the analyzer)

Figure 10b. The example Basic connection diagram for a DUT as a down converter showing complete Cal and measurement diagrams.

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Swap active window in display. [ ]

Zoom in on active window [ ] if applicable [ ](and swap if applicable)

Return to previous two-window view [ ]


Change Scaling

Autoscale [Scale] Autoscale

Manual change (if applicable) [Scale]

1. Change measurement units [Scale] Units toggle between linear/logarithmic

2. Change the upper limit Upper Limit enter value by keypad [Enter]

3. Change the lower limit Lower Limit enter value by keypad [Enter]

4. Set a reference level (if desired) Ref Level enter value by keypad [Enter]

Enable/Disable Ref level [Scale] Ref level toggle function On/Off

Swap and zoom active windows

Change scaling

Place MarkersThe NFA series offers true analyzer functionality, throughits many features, one of thesefeatures is the marker function-ality. The values for consecutivenoise figure and gain at a specif-ic point chosen by the RPG canbe read off quickly and easily.

The gap above the twin graphdisplay has been utilized to showa simple table for displaying themarker information, allowingclear and precise markerlabelling data with respect toFrequency, amplitude andMarker number as well as marker type.

The search functions work, as you would expect, with theability to search for either mini-mum or maximum values withinthe trace. This sweep can be ineither continuous mode or single mode.

When [Marker] has been pressed,the submenu will appear asshown in Figure 11. To activate amarker, press the “Marker” menukey. Since marker 1 is alreadyenabled, toggle the State menukey till “normal” is present. Themarker should now appear onthe screen at its default point. Byusing the knob, you can placethe marker wherever you want.You can follow this procedure toenable any of the markers bytoggling Marker till the markerof your choice is underlined andtoggling the State key until “normal” is highlighted.

Only traces 1 and 2 can be shownin the top measurement window,and only traces 3 and 4 can beshown in the bottom measure-ment window. The display inFigure 11 also shows the Marker“Delta” function (for markers 4 and 4R), which shows the difference between two user-setpoints. These points can be setby first placing one marker man-ually, then enabling the function[State] Delta and using themanual controls to set the second marker’s delta position.The delta value is displayed onthe screen.

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Figure 11


Enable Marker submenu. [Marker]

Choose Marker to be set, Marker toggle to 1 State Normal (up to four can be displayed then vary position of marker via at any one time), then display it. KNOB or up/down keys.

Follow this procedure for the other markers as well.

View displayed result The Marker display at the top of the main screen shows the measurementand the marker’s position

Search for min/max points Search Toggle Search type to Min or Max via menu key, then continuous toggle to On to find point. Or otherwise Continuous toggled to Off and then Find

Figure 12


Enable Graphical Display mode [Format] Graph this is displayed as default

Enable Table mode [Format] Table

Enable Meter mode [Format] Table

Change format of active window

In the NFA there are three different display formats available: Graphical Display mode, Table mode and Meter mode.

The Table format is shown in Figure 12.

Place Markers

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If you do a single sweep and themeasurement points continueoff of the first screen, use thetab keys to alternately view thefirst or second screen of mea-surement points.

The Meter format gives a simpledisplay, as shown in Figure 13with a measurement made at asingle frequency point.

To change the fixed frequencyvalue found in this mode, press [Frequency/Points]Freq ModeFixed thenFixed Frequency, numerickeys to enter the frequencyvalue, followed by units, then[Calibrate] [Calibrate].

Change measurement factorBy default the noise figure ana-lyzer will display noise figureand gain measurements, butthere is a separate function fordisplaying different measure-ments, found under [Results].The choices for displayed mea-surement format are shown inFigure 14.

Depending on which measure-ment factor is chosen andwhich window is active (greenborder), the graphical, table, ormeter mode labeling will alsochange to suit.

Figure 13

Figure 14

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Full screen expandable display

Create and test to limit linesIn the manufacturing environ-ment, it may be necessary toincrease measurement through-put. This could be implementedby inserting pass/fail limit lines.By using this function, the oper-ator can quickly and efficientlyquantify noise figure and gain,dramatically reducing time spent per DUT.

When the DUT is connected to the noise figure analyzer, a simple pass-fail limit, called a mask, can be placed around aparticular noise figure or gainlevel. If the noise figure or gain is above or below thislevel, beyond the boundaries of the mask, then the device will be considered to have failed the test. This device failure will cause the system to show a “Limit Fail” indicatoron the display.

Figure 15

This function can be implemented by pressing [Full Screen] in the Control menu. It is also possible to turn off the graticule, annotation and menu key labels, this shows how versatile the NFA’s measurementdisplay window is.


View the measurement [Full Screen]window full screen.

View the measurement [Full Screen]window with menu keys.

View the display [Format] Annotation toggle to Offwithout annotation.

Turn the graticule off. [Format] Graticule toggle to Off

Turn the annotation and [Format] Graticule toggle to On,graticule back on. Annotation toggle to On

26

The limit line editor allows youto disconnect selected points,breaking the limit line acrosssections of the measured fre-quency span that you want toexclude from the test.

The table should look like theone in Figure 15 after you modifyit. Figure 16 shows the “LimitsFail” indicator in the top lefthand side of the screen, whichappears when the DUT measure-ment does not stay within theuser-defined limit lines.

These limit line values arestored during a state save or by saving a specific limit line.

Note: You can put the points inany order and the NFA will auto-sort them into ascendingorder.

Figure 16


Set upper limit [Limit Lines] Type toggle to “upper” (as default)

Enter 7 different measurement points to Editor Add 10 by keypad MHz [⇒|] produce an “upper” limit line only. 3.2 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|]

100 by keypad MHz [⇒|] Ensure that noise figure is the active 3.2 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|]window in the graphical display mode. 600 by keypad MHz [⇒|] N.B. Limit lines can be saved and 2.4 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|] recalled for demo purposes. 800 by keypad MHz [⇒|]

3.2 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|] 500 by keypad MHz [⇒|] 3.2 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|]1.0 by keypad GHz [⇒|] 3.2 by keypad x1 [⇒|] [⇒|]Row down Row down Row down [|⇐] 1.2 by keypad GHz [⇒|] 3.3 by keypad x1

Connect points together or not Yes is default, use the arrow keys to deselectwhen in “connected” column

Turn Limit Line Display ON [Limit Lines] Display toggle to On

Turn limit test ON to invoke a [Limit Lines] Test toggle to On“Fail” on the display

The values for frequency andlimits should be entered via the keypad, followed by the relevant menu key for its value.To disconnect a point from theprevious one, toggle theup/down arrow keys till “NO” is highlighted.

Data to memory functionA production line may use a“gold” DUT as a reference to setknown operating parametersfor their instruments. The Datato Memory function simplifiesthis process. This function allowsa “snapshot” of a trace to besaved and then displayed atwill. In this way, the para-meters of a “gold” DUT can becompared against a currentmeasurement, as illustrated in Figure 17.

Pressing the Data to Memorymenu key will automaticallysave the current trace data,such as a reference measure-ment of a “gold” DUT, in thememory. The device to be compared with the “gold” DUTis then measured. The user candisplay the saved referencetrace only, the current traceonly, or both traces together to compare them.

27


Select the Data to Memory function [Format]

Save the current trace Data to Memory

Display the saved trace on the screen Trace Memory

Display both the saved trace and the Trace Bothcurrent trace on the screen

Figure 17

28

Section 5.File management functionality

Objective:

• Show the manipulation of system states, traces and screen dumps (that is, the file management functionality of the NFA family of noise figure analyzers).

The saving of ENR data is cov-ered above in Section 1, butthere are other file managementfunctions available under the[File] hard key.

It is possible to save CORRECTEDinstrument state setups, limitline settings, the frequency listand GIF format screen dumps.

It is also possible to quick-savefiles after an initial save of anyof the possible parameters hasbeen carried out through the filemanagement functions. Pressingthe [Save Trace] hard key willexecute a quick-save to the samedirectory in which the previoustrace was saved and automati-cally increment the filename to preserve your existing files(for example, a Trace fileTST0001.CSV is incremented to TST0002.CSV).

If you save a system State, eithercorrected or uncorrected, thedata for ENR, frequency lists,limit lines and also GPIB settings for LO control parame-ters are all stored and can berecalled. Be careful to connectthe corresponding noise sourceand DUT when calling up a corrected system state. Theseparameters can all be saved sep-arately, too. The GPIB controlparameters survive both presetand power cycles.

The trace files are in a .csv format to enable import intospreadsheet packages such asMicrosoft® Excel to enable multi-ple overlays of traces to be dis-played or printed. The frequencylist, limit lines and ENR data canall be modified or displayed via a text editor such as MicrosoftWindows® Notepad or Wordpadbefore re-import.


29


Enter the File Management menu [File]

Save instrument State/Frequency List/Trace

1. Call up the file save menu Save, State or Frequency List or Trace

2. Enter the file name using Enter a file name using alpha menu alpha editor keys and/or number keys,

3. Choose internal memory [⇒|] or if file directory “..” is already drive or floppy disk highlighted press Select, use [⇑] or [⇓]

to highlight the “C” or “A” drive, then Select to confirm directory choice.

4. Save [Enter] to save

Recall (load) a system State, [File] Load State, Frequency list or Frequency List Trace highlight file name with KNOB, [⇑],

or [⇓] pressing select to choose the drive to load from then [Enter] to load.

Save pass/fail Limits

1. Call up the file save menu [File]Save, Limits then 1, 2, 3 or 4

2. Enter the file name using Enter a file name using alpha menu keys alpha editor and/or number keys,

3. Choose internal memory drive [⇒|] or if file directory “..” is already or floppy disk highlighted press Select, use [⇑] or [⇓]

to either highlight the “C” or “A” drive, then Select to confirm directory choice.


Recall (load) pass/fail Limits [File] [Load] Limits then 1, 2, 3 or 4 highlight file name with KNOB,[⇑], or [⇓]then [Enter] pressing select to select the A or C drive. Then toggle the Display under the [Limit Lines] menu key to Off then ON to display limit lines.

Save Screen

1. Call up the file save menu [File] Save, Screen Bitmap or Metafile

2. Enter the file name Enter a file name using alpha menu keys using alpha editor and/or number keys,

3. Choose internal memory drive [⇒|] or if file directory “..” is already or floppy disk highlighted press Select, use [⇑] or [⇓]

to highlight the “C” or “A” drive, then Select to confirm directory choice.


30

Objective:

• Show the ability of the NFA to make rapid discrete noise figure measurements using the Point or Sweep Averaging and Frequency List modes.

Point or sweep averaging modes The averaging mode can beturned either On or Off. Thereare two averaging modes avail-able, Point and Sweep. In thePoint mode, the analyzer car-ries out all of the averaging at asingle point before moving on to

the next point. In the Sweepmode, the analyzer takes a singlereading at a frequency pointbefore moving on to the next frequency measurement point.When it gets to the last point itrepeats from the first measure-ment point, averaging the newreading with the recorded firstreading, building up successiveaverages over time. This sweepmode allows the real-time tun-ing of DUTs by allowing changesto be shown on the screen asthey happen.

Advanced noise figure measurements

Section 6.Speeding up measurements


Enable/disable averaging mode [AVG/BW] Averaging Toggle to On/Off

Enter the number of Averaging points Use the keypad or knob followed by Enter

Choose format of Averaging Average mode toggle to either Point or Sweep

31

Frequency list and fixed frequency modesAnother handy function provid-ed in the NFA is the FrequencyList function. In the manufactur-ing environment it is possible toincrease throughput by only cal-ibrating a measurement at a fewfrequency points within theDUT’s frequency span. Normallythe user specifies the start andstop frequencies and then thenumber of points to be mea-sured. The instrument spacesthe measurement points equallyacross the specified range. TheFrequency List function allowsyou to manually set the mea-surement points, so that you arenot limited to equally spacedfrequency points but can mea-sure at any frequencies in therange. This capability is partic-ularly useful when making

measurements on DUTs such asfilters, where measurements atspecific points might be wanted(for example, at the 3 dB pointsor at several points where thefilter rolls off). Another situationis when certain frequenciesshould be avoided as they mightbe a known source of interfer-ence while making measure-ments at these points.

The Fixed Frequency functionspecifies only one point at whichto make a measurement. If youneed to make measurements atone frequency (for example,when measuring mixers with a fixed IF and variable LO), then this mode offers very quick instrument setup andmeasurements.


Insert Frequency List [Frequency/Points] Frequency mode List More of 2 [Freq. List] Enter values by navigating around table and using Add followed by the frequency in Hz menu key followed by [Enter] to enter the value.

Enable new Frequency List function by [Calibrate] [Calibrate]re-calibrating the instrument

Plug in your DUT and then make Noneyour measurement Or alternatively, use the Fixed [Frequency/Points] Frequency modeFrequency function Fixed [Prev]Enable fixed frequency frequency then use keypad to calibration/measurement modify followed by [Calibrate] [Calibrate]Plug in your DUT and make Noneyour measurement

The NFA can fill in the tablefor you: press more 1 of 2then Fill when in the FreqList editor.

32

Section 7.Frequency Multiplier mode

Advanced noise figure measurements(continued)

The NFA Series has the capabili-ty of making noise figure mea-surements on devices whichhave extra internal frequencyconversion using a multiple ofthe initial LO frequency at it'sinput. The LO multiplier should

be set to the multiple of the ini-tial LO frequency used in theinitial set-up of the LO measure-ment parameters.


Change the LO multiplier value [System] External LO Multiplier enter numeric value by keypad then [Enter]

33

Objective:

• Show the ability of the NFA to adjust for known losses within the measurement path or system for greater noise figure measurement accuracy.

This function includes a beforeand after DUT tables which canlist the losses within the mea-surement path at specific fre-quency points or allow you toset a fixed loss which can beused over the whole frequencyrange of the sweep.

The noise figure analyzers are able to directly load losscompensation tables in the S2Pformat used by network analyz-ers to automatically fill in therelevant loss before or after DUT tables.

To make the measurement and maintain measurementaccuracy you will have to set the ambient temperature atwhich the loss occurs.

Section 8.Frequency dependent loss compensation modes


Figure 18

34

Figure 19

Figure 20

Loss compensation hard key menuThere are often known lossesfrom cables or connectors inyour measurement path thatyou may wish to compensate for. With the NFA’s easy-to-implement loss compensationfunctions, you can adjust yourmeasurement readings to bemore accurate.

35

In this example we shall showhow to enter a fixed value ofLoss compensation before theDUT and then use a table afterthe DUT. This could be a rele-vant example when using amixer as a down converter. Inthis instance the Mixer could be classified using a networkanalyzer or even the NFA usingthe mixer as a DUT first, andthen use this information toenter a table of losses after the DUT. At the input where the DUT may have a Pad forImpedance matching and wherethe loss may not change over themeasurement frequency range, a fixed loss will then be enteredinto the Loss before DUT table.


Enter the Loss Compensation mode editor [Loss Comp]

Select Setup to use a fixed value of loss Setup Fixed [⇒|] enter 6 by keypad compensation before the DUT dB [⇒|] enter 290 by keypad then K

Choose the type of loss compensation Use [⇒|] to scroll down to the After DUT before DUT to be a table selection box then Table

Enter the temperature at which the Scroll up/down table using the tab key loss is occurring [⇒|] to select “After DUT” temperature

Use keypad to enter 290 followed by K

Edit the after DUT table [Loss Comp]After DUT Table10 by keypad MHz then [⇒|] 6.5 by keypad dB [⇒|]100 by keypad MHz then [⇒|] 6.4 by keypad dB [⇒|]200 by keypad MHz then [⇒|] 6.6 by keypad dB [⇒|]300 by keypad MHz then [⇒|] 6.4 by keypad dB [⇒|]400 by keypad MHz then [⇒|] 6.3 by keypad dB [⇒|]or use the Navigation keys instead of the tab key [⇒|]

Figure 21

Section 8.Frequency dependent loss compensation modes(continued)

36

Section 9.Manual Measurements Mode


This feature is for making eithermanual measurements withphysical extremes of tempera-ture, i.e a hot or cold source ofnoise, or for users who use SNSor 346 Series noise sources andwish to control certain aspects ofthe measurement sweep. Thesemeasurements are more difficultand slower than those madeautomatically using the standardmeasurement mode, a noisesource with an NFA. There areno Physical extremes of tempera-ture within the K13 NFA DemoKit, but this feature can be usedwith and SNS Series noise sourcefor demonstration purposes.

Important notes when makingmanual measurements:

1. A stable reading must bestored in the NFA memory beforeany change is made to the physi-cal connections. A reading isstored by pressing [Accept] inthe sequence before changingconnections.

2. The DUT must first be connected to the measurement system and then the NFA’s inputattenuators set. The input atten-uators must be fixed for theentire manual measurement bytoggling either RF/µWAtt toHold or RF/µWAtt to Fixed.When using the fixed mode, the fixed attenuator values are specified using the Fixed RF Att/Fixed µWatt menu keys.

3. The IF attenuators must beallowed to autorange betweencalibration and measurement.

4. The IF attenuators must beheld fixed for both calibrationreadings (noise source on andoff) and also for both measure-ment readings (noise source on and off) by selecting either IF Att (Hold) or IF Att (Fixed).When using the fixed IF mode,the fixed IF attenuator value is specified using the Fixed IF Att menu keys.

5. When calibrating a series offrequency points and an error ismade on one of the points, youneed to start calibrating theseries of frequency points again.Press [Calibrate] to reset the calibration.

6. When measuring a series offrequency points and an error is made on one of the points, you need to start measuring theseries of frequency points again.Press [Restart] to reset the measurement.

7. If you set up the frequencymenu to measure a number ofpoints, then change the numberof points within the sweep, (by pressing [Frequency/Points]More 1 of 2 Points and enter-ing the value using the keypadand then [Enter]. Then youshould repeat the measurementprocedure from the next mea-surement point until all thepoints have been measured again.

8. The points need not be mea-sured sequentially, they will align numerically automatically.


Connect the hot source, T hot, to the Noise Source toggle to On, to measureDUT input, and the DUT output to the NFA, noise power with the source at T hot.(alternatively use an SNS or 346 noise RF/µWatt toggle to Holdsource) hold RF/µW attenuators for the whole measurement.

Calibrate (with the noise source Calibration toggle to On, to calibrate Connected to the NFA). with noise source at Phot.

IF Att toggle to Hold, to hold the IF attenuators fixed at the new value or use the previously defined IF Att(Fixed) value.Accept stores the Phot calibration reading.Noise Source toggle to off selects the Pcold calibration reading.Accept stores the Pcold calibration reading.Calibration toggle to Off

Measure (with the Noise Source Noise Source toggle to On, selects Connected to the DUT and the DUT the Phot reading.at the input of the NFA). IF Att toggle to Auto, allows the

IF attenuators to autorange.IF Att toggle to Hold, holds the IF attenuators fixed at the new value or uses the previously defined IF Att(Fixed) value.Accept stores the Phot measurement result.Noise Source toggle to OffAccept stores the Pcold measurement

37

A typical manual measurementwould be carried out as follows:

Section 10.Narrowband noise figure measurements with a filter as the DUT

Figure 22

Mini Circuits Amplifier

11730ACable

Probe Power

Front

AMP

NFA Series NoiseFigure Analyzer

Mini CircuitsFilter

SNS SeriesNoise Source

Figure 23


Objective:

• Show the ability of the NFA to make narrow bandwidth noise figure measurements, using a filter as the DUT.

It must be noted that only theN8973A, N8974A and N8975Ahas a user-selectable measure-ment bandwidth. The N8972A has a factory preset 4 MHz measurement bandwidth.

38

39


Connect the noise source to the N8973A As per Calibration diagram in Section 2

Enter the ENR table data for the See Section 1noise source

Set the Calibration Frequency Span

1. Call up the [Frequency]Frequency/Points menu

2. Enter the Start Frequency [Frequency] Start Freq 52 MHz set via keypad then [Enter]

3. Enter the Stop Frequency [Frequency] Stop Freq. 88 MHz set via key pad then [Enter]

4. Set the number of [Frequency] More 1 of 2 Number of measurement points points 15 by keypad then [Enter]

Select measurement Bandwidth [Averaging/Bandwidth] Bandwidth 400 KHz

Enter number of Averages [Averaging/Bandwidth] averages to smooth display jitter 5 by keypad then [Enter] Averaging toggle

to ON Average mode toggle to Point

Calibrate the system [Calibrate] [Calibrate]

Connect noise source, filter and As shown in diagram aboveamp to the NFA

Select format for viewing [Format] combined toggle of measurements to ON format graph

Change scale to view [Scale] Noise figure upper limit optimal measurement 25 (dB default units) enter by keypad

then [Enter] lower limit 0 enter by keypad [Enter] [Next window] Gain 25, enter by keypad then [Enter] lower limit 0, (dB default units) enter by keypad [Enter]

The NFA Series use DSP archi-tecture to achieve very high frequency accuracy and also toreduce the time penalties usual-ly involved in making this typeof measurement.

There should also be noticeablymore display jitter when makingmeasurements with a bandwidthless than 4 MHz on the NFA.

To maintain the same levels ofstability and final accuracy foryour measurement when usingnarrower bandwidths, youshould use a factor of averagingto compensate for the display jitter. e.g you would have to use 40 times more averaging whenusing a 100 KHz bandwidth thanyou would if you were using a 4 MHz measurement bandwidthand similarly 20 times theamount of averaging requiredfor a 200 KHz bandwidth thanyou would use in a 4 MHzbandwidth

Section 10.Narrowband noise figure measurements with a filter as the DUT (continued)

To obtain optimum noise figuremeasurement accuracy, pleaseremember to measure with thesame bandwidth you used forcalibration.

40

Objective:

• Show the ability of the NFA to make noise figure measurements with a mixer as a DUT

There are three primary hardkeys involved in the setting upof a mixer noise figure measure-ment. These are Meas. Mode,Mode Setup and System. Thesehard keys can be found in theMEASURE and SYSTEM keygroups.

Please take care to calibratewith only the noise source connected.

There are five different modesin which a frequency down-

converting device can be used aseither the DUT or as part of themeasurement system. For thisdemonstration we will use a variable system LO, fixed IF and frequency conversion in the DUT. Since there is no filtering in our measurementsystem, we will insert a known 3 dB loss before the DUT. Thiswill make our measurementmore accurate. The NFA onlycalibrates at one frequency (theIF frequency), and then sweepsthe LO to make the measure-ment, producing the user-setnumber of measurement points(in this case 11, the defaultnumber) across the swept fre-quency span from 3.5 GHz to 4.2 GHz.

Section 11.Noise figure measurements with a mixer as the DUT


Figure 24. is a post-calibration connection diagram.

Mini Circuits Mixer

(Signal generator and its associated cabling and connectors not supplied in demo kit)

GPIB Cable


SSBFilter

11730Acable

Signal Generator

OutputFront


41


Change Measurement Mode [Measurement Mode] DUT Down-converter LO mode variable

Change the Measurement Mode setup [Mode Setup] Navigate around table using to enable measurement of a device the tab keys followed by the keypad and containing frequency down-conversion. then [Enter] to Modify.

IF Frequency 40 MHz enter by keypad [Enter]Sideband DSB LO control toggle to On External LO power level enter 9 dBm by keypad and then [Enter]

Enter the loss compensation values Loss before DUT is -3 dB at a temp of 290˚K as in Section 7

View the output measurement [Format] Table

Change the system LO specifications [System] LO GPIB control toggle to On [Prev] External LO then enter LO min frequency/max frequency (dependant upon LO) system will sweep from min to maxand then convert to fixed IF

Calibrate system (as per Figure 7) [Frequency points] Leave as default, start frequency 3.5 GHzStop frequency 4.2 GHz. Will calibrate at only 40 MHz [Calibrate] [Calibrate]

Connect up the Mini-Circuits mixer DUT NO Keystrokes relevantand measurement system as shown in Figure 20.

42

In this section we shall be covering the initial setup ofnoise figure measurementsusing a mixer as part of themeasurement system. The setup is shown in Figure 25.This section of the demo guideis not as detailed as the previ-ous sections. The demo kit doesnot provide the DUT for thesemeasurements. Therefore, thefollowing is a simplified exampleof how to set up this type ofmeasurement.

To set up a measurement usinga DUT that has an operatingfrequency above the pass bandof the 3.0 GHz NFA, we use amixer. The LO and mixer haveto be calibrated out of the measurement system becausethey add noise and a loss to themeasurement. Together, these

two factors are considered a second stage noise contribution.To make an SSB (Single SideBand) measurement additionalfiltering may be required. Thisadditional filtering and the noisefigure/loss associated with itshould also be removed from themeasurement system during cali-bration. This can be done usingloss compensation modes (seeprevious sections).

A filter is required in systemdownconverter, fixed LO, andvariable IF mode since only LSB (Lower Side Band) or USB(Upper Side Band) can beselected. DSB (Double SideBand) can only be selected with a fixed IF and variable LO. DSB does not necessarilyrequire a filter.

Section 12. Noise figure measurements with a mixer as part of the measurement system


Figure 25

NFA series noisefigure analyzer

Front

Noise source

Signal generator

Mixer as the part of themeasurement system

Output

(Signal generator and its associatedcabling and connectors not suppliedin demo kit)

GPIB cable

DUT

CAL

Filter

Mixer

+ 28 Volt drive

43

Figure 26

Mini Circuits Mixer

(Signal generator and its associated cabling and connectors not supplied in demo kit)

GPIB Cable

11730Acable

Signal Generator

OutputFront




Turn on system downconverter and select [Meas Mode] [⇒|] to highlight system a variable local oscillator which will be downconverter On then select LO Mode controlled by the NFA. using [⇒|], then variable

The DUT itself contains no frequency conversion, this is the default setting on the NFA.

Change the Measurement Mode setup to [Mode Setup] Navigate around table using [⇒|]enable the measurement system to have followed by the softkey to modify. control of its frequency downconversion. IF Frequency 40 enter by keypad and MHz

Sideband DSBLO control OnSideband DSB External LO power level enter 7 by keypad and then [dBm]

Enable the system LO control [System] LO GPIB LO GPIB control On [Prev] External LO Min Freq dependant upon choice of Local OscillatorMax Freq also dependant upon local oscillator

Change the system frequency parameters [Frequency/Points] Start Frequency 3.5 by keypad then GHz Stop Frequency 5.0 by keypad then GHz

Calibrate system (connect up as per diagram) [Calibrate] [Calibrate]

Plug in the DUT to make the measurement None

44

Landscape/portrait printingWhen using this family of noisefigure analyzers with HP PCL5printers, you can enjoy theoption of landscape printing.This feature offers great flexi-bility in displaying and record-ing selected signal readings.The NFA is factory preset forautomatic configuration ofprinters. Portrait is also thestandard setting for layout, butthis can be changed if the userwishes to use a PCL5 printerfor landscape printing.

Figure 27

Section 13.Printer setup/landscape/portrait



Connect printer to the parallel port Nonevia an IEEE-1284 compliant cable

Set instrument up for printing. [Print Setup] Orientation Landscape or Portrait

Select whether your printout is to [Colour] Toggle to On or Offbe in color or black & white

Print screen. [Print] if there is a printer hooked up to the instrument.

45


Section 14 .Help mode help


Turn Help on for a particular function [Help] Then press the key you would like to know more about its SCPI command and function

Turn Help off. Press any key to remove the help screen from view.

When using the NFA series ofnoise figure analyzers, answersto feature and function ques-tions are only a button pressaway. The built-in Help featureprovides you with on-screenexplanations of analyzer func-tions, including the SCPI remoteprogramming commands.

By internet, phone, or fax, get assistance with all your test & measurement needs

Online assistance:www.agilent.com/find/assist

Phone or FaxUnited States:(tel) 1 800 452 4844

Canada:(tel) 1 877 894 4414(fax) (905) 282 6495

China:(tel) 800 810 0189(fax) 800 820 2816

Europe:(tel) (31 20) 547 2323(fax) (31 20) 547 2390

Japan:(tel) (81) 426 56 7832(fax) (81) 426 56 7840

Korea:(tel) (82 2) 2004 5004 (fax) (82 2) 2004 5115

Latin America:(tel) (305) 269 7500(fax) (305) 269 7599

Taiwan:(tel) 0800 047 866 (fax) 0800 286 331

Other Asia Pacific Countries:(tel) (65) 6375 8100(fax) (65) 6836 0252Email: [email protected]

Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered copyrights of Microsoft Corporation.

Product specifications and descriptions in thisdocument subject to change without notice.© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2002 Printed in the USA March 29, 2002 5980-2028E

Agilent Technologies’ Test and Measurement Support, Services, and AssistanceAgilent Technologies aims to maximize the value you receive, while minimizing your risk and problems. We strive to ensure that you get the test and measurement capabilities you paid for and obtain the support you need. Our extensive support resources and services can helpyou choose the right Agilent products for your applications and apply them successfully. Everyinstrument and system we sell has a global warranty. Support is available for at least five yearsbeyond the production life of the product. Two concepts underlie Agilent’s overall support policy:“Our Promise” and “Your Advantage.”

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