The Pulse Building application is a tool for creating complex, single-emitter test patterns used to test radar receivers at microwave frequencies.
For many radar receiver test applications Keysight’s Pulse Building software eliminates the need to write custom software programs that create complex pulse patterns. The Pulse Building software provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it easy to create complex pulse signals without requiring extensive mathematical calculations.
The Pulse Building application provides simple CW pulses as well as pulses with shaping and complex phase and frequency-encoding. You can easily build pulses and pulse patterns to simulate a single radar emitter. Once created, the signal configuration can be saved to the signal generator’s internal memory and recalled later without an external PC or software1. In addition, the Pulse Building project file with the signal configuration can be saved to a PC and later retrieved and edited. The Pulse Building application also provides an API (application programming interface) that you can use in your software applications. All of the features of the GUI are accessible using the Pulse Building application's API.
The two data structures used by the Pulse Building application to store pulses and patterns are the Pulse Library and the Pattern Library.
The Pulse Library is used to design and store user-defined custom pulses. Pulse types include trapezoidal, raised-cosine, custom profile, and custom I/Q. A pulse can be designed with specific rise time, fall time, pulse width, and so on, and can include intra-pulse custom modulation. Pulses stored in the Pulse Library are used by the Pulse Building application to create patterns and signals.
The Pattern Library is used to design and store user-defined custom patterns. Each pattern can consist of pulses (from the Pulse Library), patterns, off times, and combinations of patterns, pulses and off times. Once a pattern has been created it is automatically stored in the Pattern Library.
Calibration data, obtained from a spectrum analyzer and signal generator calibration routine, is used by the Pulse Building application to provide corrections for the signal. This results in a higher level of signal accuracy. Corrections can be enabled or disabled as desired. See Correction Settings for more information.
The Pulse Building application enables you to:
Create pulses based on user-defined parameters. Pulses can be custom designed using the Pulse Building application's GUI and saved to the Pulse Library.
Create patterns. Pulses, other patterns, and off-times can be combined into patterns and saved to the Pattern Library.
Save signal definitions on a PC and signal generator's waveform memory.
Download and play signals created with the Pulse Building application on an Keysight PSG, ESG, MXG or EXG vector signal generator or on an M8190A, N6030A, N8241A or M9330A arbitrary waveform generator.
1. For internal arbitrary waveform generators only