Traces, Channels, Windows, and Sheets on the Analyzer

It is critical to understand the meaning of the following terms as they are used on the analyzer.

Other Quick Start topics

Traces

Traces are a series of measured data points. There is no theoretical limit to the number of traces. However, the practical limit is the maximum number of windows times the maximum number of traces per window (100).

In addition, the following two kinds of memory traces are available. Learn more about Math / Memory traces.

Trace settings affect the presentation and mathematical operations of the measured data.

The following are Trace settings:

Managing Traces

How to Add a trace

The only measurements that can be selected are those in the same measurement class as is currently assigned to the channel. To select a measurement other than these, first select the appropriate measurement class to a new or existing channel. Learn how.

A trace must be selected (active) before its trace settings can be changed.

How to know which trace is Active?

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. For Traces 1-7, press Trace > Trace 1-7 > click left side Trace 1-7 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Trace 1 small button and Trace 1 is active when it turns green, so Trace 1 added).

  2. For Traces 8-15, press Trace > Trace 8-15 > click left side Trace 8-15 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Trace 9 small button and Trace 9 is active when it turns green, so Trace 1 is added).

  3. Another method of adding traces is by pressing Trace > Trace 1-7 > New Traces....

  4. For other traces numbers, press Trace > Trace Setup > Add Trace, then select New Trace, New Trace + Channel, New Trace + Window, New trace + Channel + Window, or New Traces....

  1. Right click in the grid box and then select New Trace....

 

How to Select a Trace

The only measurements that can be selected are those in the same measurement class as is currently assigned to the channel. To select a measurement other than these, first select the appropriate measurement class to a new or existing channel. Learn how.

A trace must be selected (active) before its trace settings can be changed.

How to know which trace is Active?

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Trace > Trace Setup > Select.

  2. Select a trace number which corresponds to the desired measurement parameter.

  1. Click on Trace Status label of any trace above the grid box.

 

How to Delete a Trace

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. For Traces 1-7, press Trace > Trace 1-7 > click left side Trace 1-7 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Trace 1 small button and Trace 1 is inactive when it is not green).

  2. For Traces 9-16, press Trace > Trace 8-15 > click left side Trace 8-15 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Trace 9 small button and Trace 9 is inactive when it is not green).

  3. For other traces numbers, press Trace > Trace Setup > Delete Trace, then select a trace number.

  1. Right-click the Trace Status label above the grid box, then click Delete Trace.

 

How to Move a trace to a different Window

You can DRAG a trace from one window to another, or...

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Trace > Trace Setup > Trace Manager...

  2.  Under the Window Column, reassign the active trace to another window number at the pulldown then click OK.

For some models

  1. Press Trace > Trace Setup > Move Trace....

  2. Select a window number in the following dialog, and then click OK.

 

  1. Right-click the Trace Status label above the grid box, then click Trace Manager...

  2.  Under the Window Column, reassign the active trace to another window number at the pulldown then click OK.

For some models,

  1. Right-click the Trace Status label above the grid box, then click Move Trace....

  2. Select a window number in the following dialog, and then click OK.

 

 

 

Trace Manager dialog box help  

Trace Manager allows the user to see and modify all traces/channels/windows/sheets/formats in one table. The changes are updated immediately.

There is one row for each trace. By Clicking on a column heading will display the rows in ascending or descending order as defined by that column.

A row is selected by clicking on any cell in the row and the popup menu for the cell will appear. Multiple rows can be selected by click-drag-release. All selected rows will be highlighted and popup menu for the column will appear.

Undo  Reverse back to the previous settings

Redo  Change the settings again.

 

Trace Column

User is not able to edit trace numbers. User may select multiple rows; this allows user to delete multiple traces using the popup menu.

There is a special case where the trace entry in the row is empty. This is used to show when there is an empty window. If the users select this row and choose "Delete Trace", it will delete the empty window; this is a convenient feature; it is deleting a null trace.

New Trace  To add a new trace. Selecting the cell will open the "Meas" dialog.

Delete Trace  The selected trace will be deleted.

Table Columns  A pop up dialog is opened which allows user to define the columns visible in the table. The default table column is: Meas/Class/Channel/Windows/Sheet.  

 

Meas Column

Selecting the cell will open the "Meas" dialog. User cannot select multiple rows from a Meas cell.

 

Class Column

Selecting the cell will open the "Measurement Class" dialog. User cannot select multiple rows from a Class cell.

When the measurement class is changed, all traces numbers on the currently active channel will be assigned to the new measurement class. The window and sheet settings will be the same, but the "Meas" setting will be changed to default values for the selected class.

 

Channel Column

Selecting the cell will open a pulldown, and will select the row. User can click and drag to select multiple rows.

User may use the pulldown to reassign the active trace to another channel and delete the active channel.

When the channel for a trace is changed, the "Meas" setting will likely be changed.

 

Window Column

Selecting the cell will open a pulldown, and will select the row. User can click and drag to select multiple rows.

Changing the layout of the windows will reset window titles.

User may use the pulldown to reassign the active trace to another window, delete the active window and all traces on that window and change the layout of the windows.

If the active row has no trace assigned, then the window pulldown will not allow user to change the window number.

 

Sheet Column

Selecting the cell will open a pulldown, and will select the row. User can click and drag to select multiple rows.

User may use the pulldown to reassign the active trace to another sheet, delete the active sheet and all traces on that sheet and change the layout of the sheets.

If the active row has no trace assigned, then the sheet pulldown will not allow user to change the sheet number.

 

Format Column

Selecting the cell will open a pulldown, and will select the row.

User may use the pulldown to select the trace formats. When the measurement class is SA, the selectable formats are only LinM and LogM.

 

 

Move Trace dialog box help (E5080A only)

Note: Only ONE trace can be moved at a time.

  1. Click the Trace Status label to select the trace to move.

  2. Move Trace N to window - Transfer the selected trace to any Window listed or to a New Window.

 

Trace Max

How to maximize the active trace - the active trace is the ONLY trace on the screen display. All other traces are hidden.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Trace > Trace Setup > Trace Maximize (ON). With Trace Max (ON), select a different trace to make that trace visible.

  2. To make all traces visible again, select Trace Maximize (OFF).

  1. Right-click the Trace Status label above the grid box, then click Trace Maximize.

  2. Double click on the active trace to make all traces visible again.

Trace Hold

How to hold the active trace at the maximum or minimum points.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Trace > Trace Setup > Trace Hold > OFF | Max | Min.

  2. Restart resets the trace.

Using a mouse

Not available

Maximum/Minimum trace hold can be applied with several conditions:

Channels

Channels contain traces. The analyzer can have up to maximum 500 independent channels.  

Note: Actual maximum number of channel depends on the setup. A large number of NOPs and traces limit the maximum number of channel.

Channel settings determine how the trace data is measured . All traces that are assigned to a channel share the same channel settings. A channel must be selected (active) to modify its settings. To select a channel, click the Trace Status button of a Trace in that channel. The following are channel settings:

Managing Channels

How to Select a Channel

A channel must be selected (active) before its settings can be changed.

To make a channel active, select a trace in that channel or click the Trace Status button of a Trace in that channel.

 

How to Add a channel

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Press Channel > Channel 1-8 > click left side Channel 1-8 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Channel 1 small button and Channel 1 is active when it turns green, so Channel 1 is added).

  2. For other channel numbers, press Channel > Channel Setup > Add Channel, then select New Trace + Channel or New Trace + Channel + Window.

Using a mouse

Not available

No programming commands are available for this feature

 

How to Delete a channel

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Press Channel > Channel 1-8 > click left side Channel 1-8 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Channel 1 small button and Channel 1 is inactive when it is not green).

  2. For other channel numbers, press Channel > Channel Setup > Delete Channel, then select a channel.

Using a mouse

Not available

Windows

Windows are used for viewing traces.

The following is a window containing two traces. Both traces use the same channel 1 settings as indicated by the annotation at the bottom of the window.

The window number shows in the lower-left corner of the window. The following shows window 5.

Managing Windows

How to Add a window

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Window 1-8 > click left side Channel 1-8 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Window 1 small button and Window 1 is active when it turns green, so Window 1 is added).

  2. For other windows, press Display > Window Setup > Add Window, then select New Window, New Trace + Window, or New Trace + Channel + Window.

  1. Right-click any area of grid box and then select New Window.

 

How to Delete a Window

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Window 1-8 > click left side Channel 1-8 small button
    (Example: Click on left side Window 1 small button and Window 1 is inactive when it is not green).

  2. For other windows, press Display > Window Setup > Delete Window, then select a window.

  1. Right-click any area of grid box and then select Close Window.

 

How to Move a Window to a different Sheet

Note: This featue is NOT available on M948xA and E5080A.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Select a Window to move.

  2. Press Display > Window Setup > Move Window...

  3. Select a sheet number in the following dialog, and then click OK.

 

Move Window dialog box help  

Note: Only ONE window can be moved at a time.

  1. Move Window N to Sheet N- Transfer the selected window to any sheet listed or to a New Sheet.

 

How to Change Window Layout

Note: This featue is NOT available on M948xA and E5080A.

Note: Changing the layout of the windows will reset window titles.

This is a window auto-layout option, for quicker selection instead of selecting the trace, channel, window and sheet separately. 7 auto-layout options are available.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Press Display > Window Setup > Window Layout.

  2. Select 1 Window, 2 Windows, 3 Windows, 4 Windows, 1 Trace per Window, 1 Channel per Window, or Tile Windows.

 

How to maximize the active window - the active window is the ONLY window on the screen display. All other windows are hidden.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Window Setup > Window Max (ON). With Window Max (ON), select a different window to make that window visible.

  2. To make all windows visible again, select Window Max (OFF).

  1. Right-click in any area of the grid box and then select Maximize.

Sheet

Sheets are used to group VNA windows. The sheet tabs provide an easy way to switch multiple display settings quickly.

Features and actions that can performed with tabbed sheets:

Managing Sheet

How to Add Sheet

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Sheet Setup > Add Sheet.

  2. The select one a New Sheet, New Trace + Sheet or New Trace + Channel + Sheet.

  1. Click on the sheet tab.

 

How to Delete a Sheet

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Sheet Setup > Delete Sheet.

  2. Then select a sheet.

  1. Click on the sheet tab.

 

How to View a Sheet

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

Using a mouse

  1. Press Display > Sheet Setup > Select.

  2. Then select a sheet.

  1. Click on the sheet tab.

 

How to Change Sheet Title

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Press Display > Sheet Setup > Sheet Title....

  2. In the pop up Sheet title box, enter the title and click OK.

 

How to Change Sheet Layout

This is a sheet auto-layout option, for quicker selection instead of selecting the trace, channel, window and sheet separately. 4 auto-layout options are available.

Using Hardkey/SoftTab/Softkey

  1. Press Display > Sheet Setup > Sheet Layout.

  2. Select 1 Sheet, 1 Trace per Sheet, 1 Channel per Sheet, or 1 Window per Sheet.