OPTION 008 RF PROFILES AND COMPLEX SWEEP
Annex-B-3
Introduction to Option 008
This section describes how to use the additional software features provided when Option 008 RF
profile and complex sweep is fitted to a 2050T series Signal Generator. Familiarity with normal
operation of the signal generator is assumed.
Option 008 provides two principle facilities. The RF offset facility enables the user to effectively
display the RF output level when the signal generator is connected to an external device, such as
an attenuator or an amplifier. If the external device gain or loss is frequency dependent then the
signal generator can substantially eliminate the frequency dependence using RF profiles.
The segmented sweep facility allows for the generation of sweeps where the sweep is split into
segments which can have independent start, stop, step size, step time and RF levels. The complex
sweeps are generated using the segmented sweep mode and can be used in combination with the
RF profile and RF offset facility. This is particularly useful for electromagnetic immunity and
Tempest testing.
Complex sweeps can be generated by combining the RF offset, RF profile and segmented sweep
facilities.
RF offset and profiles
These facilities provide the capability for setting the signal generator to display the RF power at
the output of a device connected to the signal generator. The RF offset facility is used to
compensate for the nominal gain (or loss) of the external device. Adding an offset value does not
change the RF output level of the signal generator but does change the displayed RF output level.
If, for example, the signal generator is connected to a 20 dB amplifier the offset value can be set to
+20 dB. If the signal generator output level is set to +20 dBm then +20 dBm is displayed but the
actual signal generator output level will be 0 dBm.
The RF profile facility allows the output level to be corrected to allow for frequency dependent
gain (or loss) errors. If, for example, the gain of the amplifier at 100 MHz is 20 dB, at 150 MHz it
is 19 dB and at 200 MHz it is 19.5 dB the RF profile facility can introduce 0 dB, 1 dB and 0.5 dB
level compensation at 100 MHz, 150 MHz and 200 MHz respectively to compensate for the
frequency/gain errors. The RF level profile is linearly interpolated between these frequencies to
minimise level errors at intermediate frequencies.
The profile values do not change the displayed RF level but do change the RF output level of the
signal generator.