Device Expert (DE)

Accessing DMX Settings

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

1. Press Setup > Main >  Device Expert....

1. Click Instrument.

2. Select Setup.

3. Select the Device Expert....

Select Device page help

Choose from the following selections, the wizard will automatically advance.

Amplifier – Set up a selection of common measurements for 2-port amplifier devices with gain.

Converter – Set up a selection of common measurements for frequency translating devices such as mixers, including up- or down-converters.

Band Pass Filter – Set up a selection of common measurements for a 2-port band pass filter device.  This will setup measurements in 3 channels, corresponding to the upper and lower rejection band and the pass band, to optimize measurement speed. 

Save... – Saves a DUT configuration.

Recall... - Recalls a DUT configuration. Clicking on the down arrow in the Recall... button accesses the following:

Recall auto-saved configuration - Recalls the previous session whether it was manually saved or not.

Delete auto-saved configuration - Deleted the auto-saved configuration.

Select DUT Ports page help

Amplifier

Converter

Band Pass Filter

Using the pull-down selection menus on the side of the DUT graphic the ports that the DUT will be connected to on the VNA can be selected. If the VNA supports IMD style measurements a check box will be visible to enable or disable the setup of IMD measurements by the Wizard. If IMD measurements are enabled the port selection for the input port will be disabled and automatically set to port 1 to take advantage of the internal combiner and second source on the VNA, if available.

For mixer/converter devices the LO port source can be selected from the pull-down menu of available sources. If external sources are configured those will also be present in the list as possible external sources. If the mixer/converter device has an embedded LO or is a 2-stage converter device those DUT properties can be selected on this page.

Save... – Saves a DUT configuration.

Recall... - Recalls a DUT configuration. Clicking on the down arrow in the Recall... button accesses the following:

Recall auto-saved configuration - Recalls the previous session whether it was manually saved or not.

Delete auto-saved configuration - Deleted the auto-saved configuration.

Define DUT Frequencies page help

The following images show the define DUT frequency pages available in the wizard. The start/stop or center/span frequencies for the measurements can be specified. In addition, the number of points for the measurement can be set on this page.

Amplifier

Converter

Band Pass Filter

For the converter device two additional options are available to save and load defined mixer setups. Save Mixer… and Load Mixer… are different from the Wizard Save…/Recall… function as the mixer file only contains information regarding the mixer frequencies and high-/low-side selection without the additional information of the measurement configuration and VNA setup. 

• Save Mixer… saves the mixer definition file including frequencies, the high-/low-side setting, and fixed/swept input settings. 

• Load Mixer… loads the mixer frequency range definition file.

For BPF DUTs there are three sets of frequency range inputs that you can use to specify the frequency ranges of the lower and upper rejection band as well as the pass band. Also available is a Band Name field that allows you to name the frequency range for easier recognition when the channels are set up on the VNA using the Wizard.

Save... – Saves a DUT configuration.

Recall... - Recalls a DUT configuration. Clicking on the down arrow in the Recall... button accesses the following:

Recall auto-saved configuration - Recalls the previous session whether it was manually saved or not.

Delete auto-saved configuration - Deleted the auto-saved configuration.

Define DUT Power page help

The DUT power stimulus conditions can specified in the pages shown below.

Amplifier

Converter

Band Pass Filter

Amplifier Gain and Conversion Gain – Provide an estimate of the gain of the of the device.  This is used by the Wizard to compute optimal input power levels to the DUT to prevent compression of the VNA receivers.

Linear Input Power – Nominal input power level to achieve linear DUT operation.

Max Input Power – The maximum input power level to apply to the DUT. For measurements requiring the power to be swept, for example gain compression measurement class, this sets the maximum power level supplied to the DUT during power sweeps.

Caution! Setting this to a high value on devices with gain could result in output powers that could damage the VNS receivers.

LO1 Power and LO2 Power – The power level to use for LO1 and, if applicable, LO2 for converter devices.

Nominal Insertion Loss – An estimate of the nominal insertion loss in the pass band region of a band pass filter. This value is used by the Wizard to estimate an optimal IFBW to achieve the target trace noise (described below).

Rejection Target – An estimate of the rejection level desired in the rejection regions of the band pass filter DUT.

Trace Noise Target – A value of the target trace noise, in dB(rms), the Wizard should attempt to optimize the VNA to achieve for pass band measurements on a band pass filter DUT.

Save... – Saves a DUT configuration.

Recall... - Recalls a DUT configuration. Clicking on the down arrow in the Recall... button accesses the following:

Recall auto-saved configuration - Recalls the previous session whether it was manually saved or not.

Delete auto-saved configuration - Deleted the auto-saved configuration.

Select and Apply Measurements page help

Measurements and parameters to be created using the wizard can be enabled or disabled in pages shown below.

Amplifier

Converter

Band Pass Filter

The check box next to each item can be used to enable or disable that item’s creation by the wizard.

Clicking the pencil icon next to each measurement will open the Edit Channel Parameters and Properties dialog where additional measurement parameters can be added and the settings for that measurement can be manually adjusted, if desired.

The parameters that will be measured for each of the measurement types can be displayed by clicking on the Parameters expander. Individual parameters can be enabled or disabled from this page.

Clicking the Finish button will apply the selected measurements and parameters to the VNA. Once completed the wizard will automatically exit.

Delete All Currently Existing Measurements – Enabling this option will delete all measurements that are currently configured on the VNA when the Finish button is clicked in the wizard.

Calibrate All Measurements… - Enabling this option will launch the VNA’s Calibrate All Channels wizard after the Device Expert wizard completes the setup of the selected measurements.

Sweep after Applying Setup - Enabling this option (default) applies the setup to the VNA and performs a single sweep afterwards. Disabling this option applies the setup to the VNA but does not perform a single sweep afterwards.

Save... – Saves a DUT configuration.

Recall... - Recalls a DUT configuration. Clicking on the down arrow in the Recall... button accesses the following:

Recall auto-saved configuration - Recalls the previous session whether it was manually saved or not.

Delete auto-saved configuration - Deleted the auto-saved configuration.

Edit Channel Parameters and Properties dialog help

An example of the edit channel parameters and properties dialog is shown in the image below.

Add – Add a new parameter to the measurement.

Change Format – Change format of the selected parameter in the list of parameters

Remove – Delete parameter from the measurement

Ok – Save and apply changes to the measurement

Cancel – Abandons changes made in this dialog to the measurement.