New Hardware Configuration Dialog Box

Menu Path: Utilities > Hardware > Configurations > Add or Edit button

The New Hardware Configuration dialog box is used to 1) create new Analyzer Configuration and Source Configurations and 2) to edit an existing hardware configuration. Editing a configuration can include adding more logical instruments or removing existing logical instruments. Analyzer configurations are used to configure different input hardware components as one measurement analyzer. Measurement hardware is assigned to a VSA Logical Instrument. Source configurations allow you to assign measurement Sources to VSA Logical Instruments. For more information about Analyzer and Hardware Configurations, see About Hardware.

Creating Analyzer and Source Hardware Configurations

Using Real Hardware

Before starting the steps to create a new hardware configuration, make sure that the measurement hardware has a valid VSA IO interface connection. The list of possible hardware instruments and source types is shown in the Possible Logical Instruments box (New Hardware Configuration dialog).

If the hardware is not listed, the VSA IO interface has failed or the hardware has never had a VSA IO interface configured. Try the following steps to correct the problem:

Open the Discovered Instruments tab and verify that the hardware IO interface is listed, If not listed, make sure the hardware is connected and power is switched ON. Then click the Rediscover Instruments button to re-establish the hardware IO connection. If the instrument is not discovered, do step 2.
If the hardware does not have a VSA IO interface configured, use the VSA Instrument Manager or run the Keysight IO Connection Expert software to add the desired hardware. See the Keysight 89600 software Installation Guide for more information.

For real instruments, only the instruments that have a valid VSA IO interface connection will be listed in the Possible Logical Instruments box. Make sure the hardware is connected and power switched on. To add a new instrument or verify an existing instrument, use the VSA Instrument Manager or run Connection Expert in the Keysight I/O Libraries Suite.

Using Simulated Hardware

Simulate Hardware check box: Select the Simulate Hardware checkbox to create a simulated hardware Configuration. A list of the available simulation hardware is listed under SIM node in the Discovered Instruments tab of the Hardware dialog box.

When the Simulate Hardware checkbox is selected, the VSA can be used without measurement hardware. In this mode, the measurement hardware is simulated. Data cannot be input from measurement hardware. Traces or time captures can be recalled or recorded data played.

Begin Steps to Create a Hardware Configuration

The New Hardware Configuration dialog provides steps to help guide you through the steps to create a Analyzer or Source Configuration

Select the logical instrument(s) to use. Select an instrument type in the "Possible Logical Instruments" box (tree view format). Select the Analyzer type for Analyzer Configurations and Source type for Source Configurations. Then add the instrument type to the "Configuration" box (drag-and-drop or click the right arrow button). If the configuration is to include more than one instrument type, select the next logical instrument and add to the "Configuration" box.
Hints: There are "Hints" messages located under the Configuration box (text in red) that provide additional information to help guide you through the configuration process.
Select the instruments to use for each logical instrument in the configuration. In this step you will match the input measurement hardware "Instrument" to the Logical Instrument type. For non-simulated hardware, When the Logical Instrument type selected in Step 1 has more than one available Instrument (at specific IO addresses), all available instruments will be listed in the Step 2 Instruments box - Available Instruments drop-down list. Select the specific Instrument to be used for the selected Logical Instrument.
When there is only one available Instrument for the selected Logical Instrument, the VSA will default to that instrument and this step can be skipped.
Note: the VSA will not allow configurations to include an invalid combinations of input hardware components.
Name the configuration. Enter the name for the configuration in this window. If no name is specified, the VSA default name will be used: Analyzer Configurations "AnalyzerX" and Source Configurations "SourceX" where X is the next available number .
Click Ok, The hardware configuration has been created.

The hardware configuration is now available for use (and will now show in the Hardware Configurations list in the Configurations tab), but is not selected as the current measurement hardware configuration. You must manually select the current measurement Analyzer Configuration and Source Configuration, see Selecting Hardware;

Analyzer Configurations	To select the measurement Analyzer Configuration, click Utilities > Hardware > Analyzer and select from the list of available configurations. or from the Hardware dialog Current Analyzer Configuration parameter. Hovering the cursor over the configuration name (for example, Analyzer1) opens a tool tip that provides the configuration logical instrument information.
Source Configurations	To select the measurement Source Configuration, click Source > Source and select from the list of available configurations. There must be at least one available source configuration to enable the source menu items.