N5110B Playback Setup

This cell determines the type of memory the waveform will be played from. Your choice will depend on the waveform size and the desired playback sample rate.

Playback Sample Rate

This cell controls the sample rate for waveform playback via the ESG/PSG sample rate setting. This sample rate setting also appears in the playback Waveform Setup table, for user convenience.

Start Trigger Source

This cell controls how the start trigger is received, either from the play button or a hardware trigger.

Note: Once started, all options except source control are disabled when playback from the hard disk.

Trigger Delay

When Start Trigger Source is set to Hardware, this cell delays the trigger signal by the specified number of samples.

When playback is through an N5102A digital signal interface module, this value represents the delay from a hardware trigger at one of the SMB ports to the waveform arriving at the output of the N5102A module. The minimum value is the latency of the trigger. This latency can change based on several of the N5102 parameters, specifically the Port Configuration, the Signal Type, Serial/Parallel, and Sample Rate. If there is no added delay to the parameter value, this value will change with settings as appropriate to indicate the trigger latency. If the delay has been increased by the user, this value will remain constant (as much as possible) with parameter changes in an effort to keep the delay desired by the user.

When Playback is through an ESG/PSG, the minimum value is 0 and latency is not reported.

On Last Sample

Loop Count

This cell controls the number of loops played when the On Last Sample cell is set to Count.

Last Sample State

This cell controls IQ state after the last sample of the waveform is played. This cell becomes available when the On Last Sample cell is set to Count. This setting is only available in RF playback mode.

GPIO Port Assignment

SMB 4-6

The N5101A Baseband Studio PCI Card has an attached bracket that is also located on the rear panel of your PC. The connectors on this bracket are used by the N5110B Baseband Studio for Waveform Capture and Playback software when SMB 4, SMB 5, and SMB 6 is called out. There are two versions of this bracket.
Click here for an explanation of these brackets …

The GPIO Bracket is the original bracket. When the SMB connector naming/numbering conventions for the N5110B software was developed, this bracket was the only bracket available. Therefore, when connectors SMB 4, SMB 5, and SMB 6 are called out in the software, the software is referring directly to this bracket and its connectors.
The 11-Hole Auxiliary Plate is a more recent version of the bracket. One of it's purposes is to provide enough SMB connectors for two PCI cards on a single bracket. With places for as many as eleven SMB connectors, the naming/numbering convention for this new bracket did not follow the naming/numbering convention for the original GPIO bracket. Therefore, when connectors SMB 4, SMB 5, and SMB 6 are called out in the software, you should refer to the illustration for the correct connections for this bracket and connectors.

Note: These brackets are installed when the PCI card is installed in your PC. The most current version of this installation procedure is: N5101A Baseband Studio PCI Card Installation Guide

SMB Polarity

These cells set the active states for signals assigned to the SMB connectors. The SMB Polarity cells are grayed out (not active) for SMB ports that are set to off.

Marker 1-4

Markers designate specific points within a waveform. These are digital signals that are aligned with the analog waveform and are available at the rear panel connectors. Markers 1 and 2 are routed to the event connector that corresponds to the marker number; markers 3 and 4 are routed to the Event 3 and Event 4 pins on the AUXILIARY I/O connector, respectively.

Marker Source

These cells determine the source of the marker data. Each active marker has the following menu of choices:

Delay

This cell delays the individual marker by 0-1000 samples. The resolution of time delay will be rounded to the nearest 1/Sample Rate.

Note: The time delay is determined by the sample rate. If the time delay is set and the sample rate is changed, the number of samples delayed will change to keep the time delay constant (if the resulting delay is out of range, time delay will be clipped at the limit). If Delay Unit is set to Samples and the rate is changed, the sample delay will remain constant and the time delay will be updated based on the new sample rate. The default will be to hold the sample delay constant.

Optimize Depth	With this choice, playback will occur directly from the hard drive. Waveform file size is limited only by the available space on the hard drive.
Optimize Speed	With this choice, the waveform file contents are copied to the DRAM on board the N5101, and playback occurs from the DRAM. Waveform file size is limited by the available DRAM.
Automatic Selection	With this choice, the waveform file will load into and play back from DRAM if the waveform will fit (<=512 MSamples). Otherwise, playback will occur directly from the hard drive.

Hardware	With this choice, the streaming process waits and begins playback upon receiving a trigger signal via one of the N5101A SMB ports. See GPIO Port Assignment for more information on configuring SMB ports.
Software	With this choice, the streaming process waits and begins playback when the user clicks the play button in the software's tool bar.

Continuous	This choice plays the waveform in a continuous loop until the Stop button on the tool bar is pressed.
Count	This choice plays the waveform a specified number of times and then reloads the buffers. The number of times is determined by the value set in the Loop Count cell.

Hold Last Sample Value	This choice holds the last I and Q sample value on the output until the next waveform is played.
Hold Zero	This choice sets the output value to zero when the waveform has completed playing.

Off	This choice assigns no signal to the SMB connector, effectively turning the port off.
Start Trigger	This choice sets the GPIO connector as a start trigger input. The signal has a TTL level with a nominal impedance of 1.0 kohms. Note: You can only assign the start trigger input to one port at a time. If you select Start Trigger for an SMB port and it is already assigned to another port, the software will automatically turn off the previously assigned port.
Underflow Indicator	This choice sets the GPIO connector as the underflow indicator output. The signal has a TTL level with a nominal impedance of 1.0 kohms.
Playing Indicator	This choice sets the GPIO connector as the playing indicator output. The signal has a TTL level with a nominal impedance of 1.0 kohms.
Playback Completed Indicator	This choice sets the GPIO connector as the playback completed indicator output. The signal has a TTL level with a nominal impedance of 1.0 kohms.
Ready to Playback	This choice sets the GPIO connector as the ready indicator output. The signal has a TTL level with a nominal impedance of 1.0 kohms.