Release Notes A.07.80, February 2025
These release notes apply to the FlexDCA family of applications: FlexDCA,FlexPLL, and FlexOTO.
Minor software revisions may not necessitate an update to the product's learning products. Similarly, changes to the learning products may not necessitate a change to the software revision.
N1000A DCA-X instruments with a serial number ≥ US64350101 (or ≥ MY64350101) include an upgraded CPU (Intel Core i7-9700E) with improved performance. FlexDCA revision A.06.91 or later is required for the upgraded CPU.
General Comments
Installation on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is no longer supported. The last FlexDCA revision that can be installed on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is A.07.61.
Installation on the 86100D mainframe is no longer supported (Windows 7 or Windows 10). The last FlexDCA revision that can be installed on an 86100D is A.07.61.
New Features
- FlexOTO feature F-DCLK which allows the use of a direct clock from DUT fixture or test station. This clock is directly input to the N1092-series oscilloscope's
Clock In
connector instead of using clock recovery.
FlexDCA Improvements
- Added the new Reference Rx signal processing operator which supports FFE and DFE joint optimization.
- Added tap limits to the FFE and TDECQ equalizers.
- Added auto precursors for FFE.
- Added IEEE 802.3dj TDECQ measurement and equalizer presets. Renamed IEEE 802.3db presets to remove the draft number.
- Added support for Python 3 for user operator and user measurement scripts. Python 2 support will be removed in a future FlexDCA release. At that time any Python 2 code will need to be ported to Python 3.
- Improved the speed of the de-embedding operator.
- TDR Mode now supports saving waveforms that exclude any off-screen data points.
FlexPLL Improvements
- Added support for the M8050A 120 GBd high-performance BERT jitter source (M8042A Pattern Gen with M8009A Clock Module).
FlexDCA Issue Fixes
- Fixed an issue where the waveform select/zoom feature did not always properly display the zoomed waveform.
FlexPLL Issue Fixes
- Fixed an issue where the response waveform would disappear once it was fully acquired if Points per Decade was set to a high value.
Other FlexDCA Changes
- Tap values in the TDECQ Operator can now be copied to the clipboard when Auto Taps is enabled.
- Improved the Message Log Viewer dialog's scrolling behavior when showing long messages.
- Removed the legacy color themes, leaving just the Tungsten (dark) and Aluminum (light) themes.
- Removed FlexDCA support for the N8844A Data Analytics Web Service Software. This feature was accessed from FlexDCA's Tools > Data Analytics menu and programmatically using the
:REPository
subsystem. - FlexDCA's Flex-on-Flex connection to an 86100D is no longer available. The Standard and Compatibility selections in the FlexDCA Connection Setup dialog have been removed.
- Removed ADS Dataset support.
- Removed the deprecated demo/example program "TdecqTestManufacturing".
Installer Changes
- Updated PathWave License Manager to version 7.4.1.
- Updated Keysight License Manager to version 5.6.1.639.
- Updated Keysight Host Processor Platform to version 5.5.0.3.
- Added the Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime .NET 8 installer.
- Installer prompts and reboots have been minimized, for a faster installation.
- Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 installation are no longer supported. The last FlexDCA revision that can be installed on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is A.07.61.
- 86100D mainframe installation is no longer supported (Win7 or Win10). The last FlexDCA revision that can be installed on an 86100D is A.07.61.
- Removed Legacy Sierra User Interface (UI) from installer.
- Removed the MATLAB Runtime 9.2 from the installer; it is no longer required by FlexDCA. This reduced the 7.80 installer file size by over 1 GB.
- Installer now removes the contents the \ProgramFiles\FlexDCA folder to ensure that on upgrade there are no remnants of an earlier install.
SCPI Commands
:ACQuire Subsystem
:ACQuire:RSPec
(changed, FlexDCA):ACQuire:SPERiod
(new, FlexDCA):ACQuire:SPERiod:MODE
(new, FlexDCA)
:CONFigure Subsystem
:CONFigure:CGENerator:ACTive
(new, FlexOTO):CONFigure:CGENerator:REName
(new, FlexOTO):CONFigure:FIXTure:HCOut
(new, FlexOTO)
:DISK Subsystem
:DISK:WAVeform:EOSPoints
(new, FlexDCA)
:FUNCtion Subsystem
:FUNCtion:FOPerator
(modified, FlexDCA):FUNCtion:SOPerator
new, FlexDCA)
:JSOurce Subsystem
:JSOurce:CMODule
(new, FlexPLL)
:REPository Subsystem
This entire subsystem has been removed (removed, FlexDCA). The :REPository
subsystem's commands were used to upload scalar measurement results to the Keysight N8844A data analytics servers.
:RDCA Subsystem
Obsolete commands used for connecting FlexDCA to an 86100D.
:RDCA:CONNect:ACTion
(removed, FlexDCA):RDCA:CONNect:MODE
(removed, FlexDCA):RDCA:CONNect:SFILe
(removed, FlexDCA)
:SPRocess Subsystem
:SPROcess:CTLequalizer:GAIN:NORMalize
(new, FlexDCA)
:SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:MAIN:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:MAIN:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:POST:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:POST:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:PRE:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:PRE:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:FFEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:STATe
(new, FlexDCA)
:SPROcess:RRX:PNOise
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PNOise:BANDwidth
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PNOise:BANDwidth:AUTo
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PRESets
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PRESets:SELections
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PROPtimize
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PROPtimize:DELay
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:PROPtimize:LENGth
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:RPOint
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:SIFunctions
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:RRX:RECalculate
(new, FlexDCA)
:SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:MAIN:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:MAIN:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:POST:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:POST:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:PRE:MAX
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:PRE:MIN
(new, FlexDCA):SPROcess:TEQualizer:TAPS:LIMits:STATe
(new, FlexDCA)
:SYSTem Subsystem
Obsolete commands used to configure and query 86100D connections.
:SYSTem:FCONfig
(removed, FlexDCA):SYSTem:LANGuage
(removed, FlexDCA)
:TRIGger Subsystem
Obsolete command to query if 86100D supports module triggering.
:TRIGger:MTALlowed
(removed, FlexDCA)