RF Optimizations screen, including the harmonic filters.This topic describes the parameters of the RF Optimizations screen, including the harmonic filters.
Optimizations pertain to the RF Output of the indicated channel. Each optimization may involve a tradeoff in one aspect of instrument performance over another. Care should be taken in choosing an optimization for your measurement use case.
Temperature Compensation Setup
Enables or disables harmonic filters if Option 1EH is present. The instrument’s harmonic performance is improved for RF frequencies < 2 GHz. Maximum output power will be limited (see Data Sheet).
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Use Harmonic Filters |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:HFILter[:STATe] ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:HFILter[:STATe]? |
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SCPI Example |
HFIL ON HFIL? |
|
Preset |
OFF |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
|
Range |
OFF | ON |
|
Couplings |
When Optimization Mode Auto is off, Use Harmonic Filters is not changeable in the GUI. Attempting to change the state via SCPI raises the error -221, "Settings Conflict; Cannot change Use Harmonics Filters while Optimization Mode Auto is off". |
The selection controls optimization of signal generation in respect to signal-to-noise ratio vs distortion levels. The default is balanced performance.
Allows choices to select optimize for best signal-to-noise. This control is a hint or clue to the instrument for how to emphasize internal circuitry. The actual signal output may not change.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Noise Preference |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:NOISe BALanced|SNRatio|DISTortion [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:NOISe? |
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SCPI Example |
OPT:NOIS SNR OPT:NOIS? |
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Notes |
For |
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Preset |
BAL |
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State Saved |
Yes |
|
Range |
BALanced | SNRatio | DISTortion |
|
Couplings |
None |
|
Backwards Compatibility SCPI |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:POWer:NOISe[:STATe] ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:POWer:NOISe[:STATe]? ON will set SNRatio OFF will set BALanced Default is OFF When Noise Preference is set to DISTortion, query returns OFF. |
Enables or disables automatic operation of output blanking on the indicated channel. Blanking occurs when the RF output is momentarily turned off as the instrument transitions from one frequency segment (band) to another, allowing the signal to settle. When Output Blanking > Auto is set to ON, RF Output is automatically turned off during frequency changes on the specified channel.
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OUTPut:BLANking:AUTO ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OUTPut:BLANking:AUTO? |
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SCPI Example |
OUTP:BLAN:AUTO OFF |
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Preset |
ON |
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State Saved |
Yes |
Requires Option CW1.
The N5185A/N5186A signal generators have the ability to generate a second CW tone that may be utilized to cancel out unwanted spurs or harmonics.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Tone Cancellation |
Enables or disables the second CW tone generator of the indicated channel.
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe[:STATe] ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe[:STATe]? |
|
SCPI Example |
CTON ON CTON? |
| Coupling | Tone Cancellation is not generated when either Per Channel RF Output State or Global RF Output is OFF. The state of Global RF and Per Channel RF does not affect the state of Tone Cancellation. |
|
Preset |
OFF |
| Notes | For instruments without Option CW1: Attempting to set state on raises error 703,“Feature not supported; Tone Cancellation unavailable, option CW1 is required.” |
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State Saved |
Yes |
| Range | OFF|ON |
Controls the absolute frequency of the second CW tone generator of the indicated channel.
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:FREQuency <freq> [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:FREQuency? |
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SCPI Example |
CTON:FREQ 3 GHZ CTON:FREQ? |
| Notes | There may be uncalibrated roll-off or potentially no signal outside of the signal path's calibrated bandwidth. |
| Dependencies | UP and DOWN are based on Frequency Increment Step. |
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Preset |
1 GHz |
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State Saved |
Yes |
| Min | 9 kHz |
| Max |
For N5185A and N5186A: With Option 503 = 3 GHz With Option 506 = 6 GHz With Option 508 = 8.5 GHz |
| Resolution | 0.00001 Hz |
Controls the relative power of the second CW tone generator of the indicated channel. This is the value that the instrument attempts to output. The actual value might be different from the specified value due to the hardware limitations.
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:POWer <ampl> [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:POWer? |
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SCPI Example |
CTON:POW -50 CTON:POW? |
| Dependencies | UP and DOWN are based on Power Increment Step. |
|
Preset |
-50 dBc |
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State Saved |
Yes |
| Min | -70 dBc |
| Max |
-10 dBc |
| Resolution | 0.01 dBc |
Controls the phase offset of the second CW tone generator of the indicated channel.
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:PHASe[:OFFSet] <angle> [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:CTONe:PHASe[:OFFSet]? |
|
SCPI Example |
CTON:PHAS 30 deg CTON:PHAS? |
| Notes |
Unit is degree. The value can be set in radians as well. UP/DOWN increment is always 0.01. |
|
Preset |
0 deg |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
| Min | -180 deg |
| Max |
180 deg |
| Resolution | 0.001 deg |
This optimization is provided to override the default calibrated tradeoff of signal-to-noise vs distortion. Higher values optimize signal-to-noise over distortion. This value is not used when I/Q modulation is off. This value overrides the default selection determined from the Optimization Mode setting.
Because signal-to-noise optimization is frequency-dependent, based on the instrument's internal circuitry, the actual signal-to-noise override achieved may be lower than the entered value.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Override Signal-to-Noise |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:SNR <rel_ampl> [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:SNR? |
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SCPI Example |
OPT:SNR -4 DB |
|
Preset |
0 |
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State Saved |
Yes |
|
Resolution |
0.001 dB |
|
Min |
For N5186A: -10 dB |
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Max |
For N5186A: 0 dB |
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Resolution |
For N5186A: 0.001 dB |
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Couplings |
Setting Signal-to-Noise Auto to On sets Override Signal-to-Noisevalue to 0 dB. Setting Signal-to-Noise Auto to Off does not change the Override Signal-to-Noise value. |
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Backwards Compatibility SCPI |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:IQ:MODulation:ATTen <ampl_rel> |
By default, the instrument automatically emphasizes signal-to-noise. You can override the automatic optimization of signal-to-noise vs distortion to configure the optimization for your measurement use case. This value is ignored (implicitly AUTO) when I/Q modulation is off.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Override Signal-to-Noise |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:SNR:AUTO ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:SNR:AUTO? |
|
SCPI Example |
OPT:SNR:AUTO OFF |
|
Preset |
ON |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
|
Range |
0 | 1 | OFF | ON |
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Couplings |
Setting any value of Override Signal-to-Noise sets Auto to OFF |
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Backwards Compatibility SCPI |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:IQ:MODulation:ATTen:AUTO ON|OFF|1|0 |
In general, instruments may have numerous optimization modes, dependent upon the internal circuitry. The
For the N5185A:
Mode 0: for CW operation
Mode 1: for CW operation with high dynamic range
For the N5186A:
Mode 0: for vector operation with BW < 50 MHz.
Mode 1: for vector operation with BW 50 MHz to < 200 MHz.
Mode 2: for vector operation with BW > 200 MHz.
Mode 3: for CW operation.
Mode 4: for CW operation with high dynamic range.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Optimization Mode |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:MODE <integer> [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:MODE? |
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SCPI Example |
OPT:MODE 3 OPT:MODE? |
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Notes |
For N5185A: Attempting to change to a value greater than 1 raises the error -222," Data out of range;Clipped to lower limit" For N5186A: Attempting to change to a value greater than 4 raises the error -222," Data out of range; Clipped to lower limit" |
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Preset |
0 |
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State Saved |
Yes |
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Min |
0 |
|
Max |
For N5185A: 1 For N5186A: 4 |
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Couplings |
When set explicitly OPT:MODE:AUTO is set to OFF |
By default, the instrument automatically selects the appropriate optimization based on the features in use. You can override the automatic optimization to configure the optimization for your measurement use case.
When the optimization mode is manual (auto off), the Use Harmonics Filters and Noise Preference selections are ignored. When the Signal-to-Noise optimization feature is under manual control, it still overrides the manual Optimization Mode control.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations > Optimization Mode Auto |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:MODE:AUTO[:STATe] 0|1|OFF|ON [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:OPTimization:MODE:AUTO[:STATe]? |
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SCPI Example |
OPT:MODE:AUTO ON OPT:MODE:AUTO? |
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Notes |
For N5186A: When Optimization Mode Auto is off, Use Harmonic Filters and Noise Preference are not changeable. |
|
Preset |
ON |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
| Min | 0 |
| Max |
For N5186A, the maximum value is 4. |
|
Range |
0 | 1 | OFF | ON |
|
Couplings |
When OPT:MODE is set to a value, AUTO is set to OFF |
The
The instrument has internal processing to maintain the specified performance across the specified temperature range. The default behavior is to perform temperature compensation upon a change in instrument settings (such as frequency, power, waveform playback, etc.)so that the RF Output is not disturbed during continuous output. Temperature compensation is not applied while you are operating the instrument in a quiescent condition.
This feature specifies if temperature compensation is applied to the amplitude and phase.
If it is off, the power and phase compensation is removed.
If it is on, the temperature is taken into account in the following situations:
- When the RF channel’s instrument settings are changed
- When the Temperature Compensation > Continuous option is set to On
- When the Update Compensation GUI button is pressed
- When the TEMP:COMP:IMMediate SCPI command is sent
This setting must be on for any other Temperature compensation settings to be active.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Enable |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation[:STATe] ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation[:STATe]? |
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SCPI Example |
TEMP:COMP OFF TEMP:COMP? |
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Preset |
ON |
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State Saved |
Yes |
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Choices |
On | Off | 1 | 0 |
Temperature Compensation can be held at the current temperature for situations where you require no changes to the instrument’s internal circuitry while you are characterizing your measurement environment. This may be the use case for obtaining correction factors you will be using for Offset Channel Flatness Data. The normal instrument operating condition is to not hold (Hold=off). If you require an update to the temperature compensation while Hold is on, you can use the Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Update Compensation button or TEMP:COMP:IMMediate SCPI command.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Hold |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:HOLD ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:HOLD? |
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SCPI Example |
TEMP:COMP:HOLD ON TEMP:COMP:HOLD? |
|
Preset |
OFF |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
|
Choices |
On | Off |
When Temperature Compensation Continuous is off, the temperature is taken into account when the RF channel’s instrument settings are changed, or when you click the Update Compensation GUI button or when the TEMP:COMP:IMMediate SCPI command is sent.
When Temperature Compensation Continuous is on, the compensation is applied on an ongoing basis updating the headroom, thus keeping the output from having discontinuity.
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GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Continuous |
|
SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:CONTinuous ON|OFF|1|0 [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:CONTinuous? |
|
SCPI Example |
TEMP:COMP:CONT OFF TEMP:COMP:CONT? |
|
Notes |
Temperature Compensation must be enabled for this setting to apply. |
|
Preset |
OFF |
|
State Saved |
Yes |
|
Range |
On/Off |
When Temperature Compensation is on, this feature can cause the temperature compensation to be applied immediately to the current setup. This allows choosing to update for temperature drift while leaving the setup constant.
|
GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Update Compensation |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:IMMediate |
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SCPI Example |
TEMP:COMP:IMM |
|
Preset |
N/A |
|
State Saved |
No |
This feature selects whether the temperature compensation application is to all of channel gain, or only to the headroom.
When Attenuator Auto is off, this value will be ignored and the Application Type will be HEADroom. CGAin (Channel Gain) is generally the best choice, as it maximizes the signal to noise ratio and headroom. HEADroom can be desirable for repeatability, as switching attenuation can introduce 0.05 dB of variation for the exact same setup due to selecting a different gain state.
|
GUI Location |
RF Output > Optimizations tab > Temperature Compensation > Power Application |
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SCPI Command |
[:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:POWer:APPLication HEADroom|CGAin [:SOURce][:RF<channel>]:TEMPerature:COMPensation:POWer APPLication? |
|
SCPI Example |
TEMP:COMP:POW:APPL CGAin TEMP:COMP:POW:APPL? |
|
Preset |
CGAin |
|
Choices |
Headroom | Channel Gain |
|
State Saved |
Yes |