6. Dual ARB Marker Utilities

Pulse/RF Blanking 

Choice: None | Marker 1 | Marker 2 | Marker 3 | Marker 4

Default: None

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select an RF blanking function.

None – disables RF blanking.

Marker 1 through Marker 4 – selects a marker to activate RF blanking.

Pulse/RF Blanking turns off the RF output signal during specific conditions determined by the marker.

RF blanking incorporates ALC hold, so you do not need to select ALC hold when using RF blanking.

Do not blank longer than 100 ms to avoid exceeding the ALC hold limit.

ALC Hold

Choice: None | Marker 1 | Marker 2 | Marker 3 | Marker 4

Default: None

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select a marker for ALC hold. Use ALC hold when you have a waveform signal that has idle periods, or when the increased dynamic range with RF blanking is not desired.

None – disables ALC hold.

Marker 1 through Marker 4 – assigns a marker for the ALC hold function.

When the specified marker polarity is positive and the marker signal is low (no marker points), ALC hold is on, and the output power level does not respond to changes to the signal amplitude. When the marker signal is high, the ALC samples the waveform points and averages the waveform amplitudes to set the ALC circuitry for the next ALC hold period.

RF blanking incorporates ALC hold, so there is no need to select ALC hold when using RF blanking.

Limit ALC Hold to no more than 100 ms, as the ALC Level may degrade.

The hold selection remains until you reconfigure it, preset the signal generator, or cycle the signal generator power.

Incorrect ALC settings can cause a sudden unleveled condition to occur. An unleveled RF output can damage a DUT or connected instrument. Ensure that you set markers such that the ALC obtains a sample that accounts for the high power levels within the signal.

Alternate Amplitude

Choice: None | Marker 1 | Marker 2 | Marker 3 | Marker 4

Default: None

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select a marker for enabling the alternate amplitude function.

None – disables the alternate amplitude function.

Marker 1 through Marker 4 – assigns a marker for the alternate amplitude function.

When the specified marker polarity is positive and the marker signal is low (no marker points), alternate amplitude is off. When the marker signal is high, the alternate amplitude function is on.

Configure the alternate amplitude parameters from the Amplitude hardkey menu of the signal generator.

For more information about alternate amplitude and marker settings, refer to the signal generator's user's guide.

This parameter is not available for all instrument model numbers and may be grayed out.

Marker 1 Polarity

Choice: Positive | Negative

Default: Positive

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select the active polarity for Marker 1.

Positive – the marker signal is high during the marker points.

Negative – the marker signal is high during the period of no marker points.

Marker 2 Polarity

Choice: Positive | Negative

Default: Positive

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select the active polarity for Marker 2.

Positive – the marker signal is high during the marker points.

Negative – the marker signal is high during the period of no marker points.

Marker 3 Polarity

Choice: Positive | Negative

Default: Positive

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select the active polarity for Marker 3.

Positive – the marker signal is high during the marker points.

Negative – the marker signal is high during the period of no marker points.

Marker 4 Polarity

Choice: Positive | Negative

Default: Positive

Double-click or use the drop-down menu to select the active polarity for Marker 4.

Positive – the marker signal is high during the marker points.

Negative – the marker signal is high during the period of no marker points.

Instrument