Agilent Technologies 83400 Series, User Manual, Page: 30 / 82

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General Information
Calibration Data Information
Calibration Data Information
The Agilent 8702-series lightwave component analyzers use the
Agilent 83400-series calibration data to mathematically remove contributing
errors from a measurement. Subsequent E/O and O/E device measurements
provide accurate measurements of your devices.
Recalibration is recommended every year
Although the Agilent 83400-series source and receiver modules are designed
to be stable, they can be returned to the factory for recharacterization (cali-
bration) at a desired time for a reasonable fee. Agilent Technologies recom-
mends that recharacterization be done at approximately one year intervals.
When returning the source or receiver modules for recharacterization, you
must return the original data disk. The disk and the instrument have the same
CAL DATA number. Contact an Agilent Technologies office for assistance.
Calibration data comes in two forms
Two types of calibration data are supplied with sources and receivers:
• Data points supplied on a 3.5 inch disk. For Agilent 8702A/B instruments, a
LIF-formatted disk is provided. It contains data for 101 points. For
Agilent 8702D instruments, a DOS-formatted disk is provided. This disk
contains data for 202 data points.
• 9 coefficients supplied on the source or receiver itself.
Both of these items represent the modulation transfer characteristics of your
particular source or receiver. Because no two sources or receivers are alike,
the calibration data should not be used with any other source or receiver.
The calibration data is loaded into the Agilent 8702’s memory as a calibration
kit. Your source or receiver was measured at the factory under optimal condi-
tions and the calibration data is a model of its response under those condi-
tions. In this manner, your source or receiver is a standard because its
response has already been characterized (modeled) and is now used to cali-
brate the system. Therefore, when you measure any other E/O or O/E device,
the modeled Agilent response is removed from the system, along with the
response of the optical/electrical cables and the lightwave source or receiver.