External and Auxiliary Triggering

Meas (External) Trigger dialog box help

See how to access the Trigger Dialog

Trigger Ready and Trigger IN

The Trigger connectors are located on the rear-panel.

These signals can be used when the VNA is communicating with a slow mechanical device. A material handler is very mechanical and takes a relatively long time to load and discharge parts. Here is how these signals work together to communicate:

1. The VNA sends a 'Ready' signal when it is ready to make a measurement.

2. The external device sends a trigger signal to the VNA when it is ready for a measurement.

Dialog Settings

To cause the VNA to respond to Meas Trig IN or Handler I/O signals, select External on the Trigger Setup tab, Source setting.

Also on the Trigger Setup tab, Scope setting, choose whether one external trigger signal will apply to ALL channels (Global) or one trigger signal per Channel. The following settings apply accordingly.

Main Trigger Input

Global / Channel Trigger Delay  After an external trigger is received, the start of the sweep is held off for this specified amount of time plus any inherent latency.

• When Trigger Scope = Channel, the delay value is applied to the specified channel.

• When Trigger Scope = Global, the same delay value is applied to ALL channels.

Source  The VNA accepts Trigger IN signals through the following connectors:

• Meas Trig IN BNC

• Handler I/O

Level / Edge  

Positive Edge  After the VNA arms, it will trigger on the next positive edge. If Accept Trigger Before Armed is set, the VNA will trigger as soon as it arms if a positive edge was received since the last data was taken.

Negative Edge  After the VNA arms, it will trigger on the next negative edge. If Accept Trigger Before Armed is set, the VNA will trigger as soon as it arms if a negative edge was received since the last data was taken.

Accept Trigger Before Armed  When checked, as the VNA becomes armed (ready to be triggered), the VNA will immediately trigger if any triggers were received since the last taking of data. The VNA remembers only one trigger signal. All others are ignored.

• When this checkbox is cleared, any trigger signal received before VNA is armed is ignored.

• This feature is only available when positive or negative EDGE triggering is selected.

• Configure this setting remotely using (SCPI) or  (COM).

Low latency mode: - When checked, variations in delay time between the reception of a trigger and the start of a one-point measurement are decreased for point trigger measurement. However, the /READY FOR TRIGGER does not output for each points at this mode.

• Point Trigger: ON, Low Latency: ON
  

• Point Trigger: ON, Low Latency: OFF
  

Ready for Trigger Indicator (Trigger Ready)

On the VNA, when External is selected on the Trigger Setup tab, then both Meas Trig IN and Meas Trig Ready are enabled.

Choose a connector to send the VNA Ready OUT signal:

• Handler I/O p21

Choose Polarity of the 'Ready OUT' signal.

• Ready High - TTL High indicates the VNA is ready for trigger.

• Ready Low - TTL Low indicates the VNA is ready for trigger (default setting).

See Also

• Learn how to External Trigger during Calibration

Aux Trig 1 - Aux Trig 2 dialog box help

See how to access the Trigger Dialog

AUX TRIG OUT

See the AUX TRIG (1&2) connectors on the VNA rear-panel.  The E5080A supports only AUX TRIG 1.

These signals are highly configurable. They can be used with all types of external devices to receive signals.

• The Aux Trig OUT signal can be configured to be sent either just BEFORE the measurement is made or AFTER the measurement is complete. When communicating ONLY with an external source, the Aux Trig OUT signal should be sent AFTER the measurement is complete to indicate that the external source can setup for the next measurement.

Dialog Settings

The Aux Trig 1 and Aux Trig 2 tabs are identical. Two pair of connectors are available to allow two external devices to be controlled simultaneously.

Enable  Check to use the Aux1 or Aux2 connectors to output signals to an external device.

Channel:  This setting is controlled by a VNA Preference setting.

• Global - ALL Aux Trig settings apply to ALL channels. The Per Point setting (see below) is made on the Trigger Setup tab which also applies to ALL channels.

• Channel - ALL Aux Trig settings apply to the specified channel. Each channel can be configured independently.

AUX TRIG OUT (To Device)

The following settings control the properties of the signals sent out the rear panel AUX TRIG OUT (1&2) connectors:

Polarity

Positive Pulse  Outgoing pulse is positive.

Negative Pulse  Outgoing pulse is negative.

Position

Before Acquisition  Pulse is sent immediately before data acquisition begins.

After Acquisition  Pulse is sent immediately after data acquisition is complete.

Per Point  Check to cause a trigger output to be sent for each data point.  Clear to send a trigger output for each sweep.

When the Aux Trig - "Global" VNA Preference is selected, then the Point setting is made on the Trigger Setup tab. It then applies to ALL channels. When more than one channel is present, the channel setting that was made last is used.

Pulse Duration  Specifies the duration of the positive or negative output trigger pulse.

Note: Guided and Unguided Calibration CAN be performed in External Trigger mode. With this optional behavior, while Trigger Source is set to External, trigger signals must be sent for Calibration sweeps. This behavior does not apply to FCA calibrations.

You can set a Preference to calibrate using Internal trigger signals while Trigger Source is set to External.

The following dialog box appears on the screen while waiting for an External trigger signal.

Click Abort to cancel the wait for a trigger signal.