Keysight Technologies N432A User Manual Download Page 99

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Operating Information

N432A User’s Guide

Power Measurement Procedures

This section describes how to perform two types of power measurement:

•

Power measured internally by the N432A.

•

Power obtained through calculation of V

and V

COMP

measured by

external digital multimeters.

Internal power measurement

The following procedure guides you on how to perform a basic power
measurement on the N432A.

Preset the N432A to its default state by pressing

Connect a thermistor sensor to the channel A input connector of the
N432A.

A message will appear to inform you of the current bridge resistance
value and require you to select a new resistance value or reconfirm the
current resistance value. Use the softkeys to select the desired value.

You will then be prompted for confirmation to proceed with zeroing.
Press

Confirm

to proceed.

Another message will appear, prompting you to confirm whether the
sensor has been disconnected from the RF source. Press

Confirm

once

you have verified that there is no RF source connected.

Zeroing will start automatically. The Zeroing pop- up message will be
displayed during the zeroing process.

Enable the sensor calibration table by pressing

then

using the up/down arrow key to highlight the

CF Table

setting field, and

pressing

to display the tables. Use the up/down arrow key to

select the required table and press

to highlight

. Press

to complete the table selection and return to the channel setup

screen.

Offsets

Table

Done

Summary of Contents for N432A

Page 1: ...Keysight N432A Thermistor Power Meter User s Guide Test Equipment Depot 800 517 8431 99 Washington Street Melrose MA 02176 TestEquipmentDepot com ...

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Page 4: ...ight and the user have a separate written agreement with warranty terms covering the material in this document that conflict with these terms the warranty terms in the separate agreement shall control Technology Licenses The hardware and or software described in this document are furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accor dance with the terms of such license Restricted Right...

Page 5: ...r incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing use or performance of this document or any information contained herein Should Keysight and the user have a separate written agreement with warranty terms covering the material in this document that conflict with these terms the warranty terms in the separate agreement shall control Duration and conditions of warranty for this...

Page 6: ...s circuitry In addition Keysight does not warrant any damage that occurs as a result of the Buyer s circuit or any defects that result from Buyer supplied products To the extent allowed by local law Keysight makes no other warranty expressed or implied whether written or oral with respect to this product and specifically disclaims any implied warranty or condition of merchantability fitness for a ...

Page 7: ...n FAR 2 101 a or as restricted computer software as defined in FAR 52 227 19 Jun 1987 or any equivalent agency regulation or contract clause whichever is applicable You have only those rights provided for such Software and Documentation by the applicable FAR or DFARS clause or the Keysight standard software agreement for the product involved Technology Licenses The hardware and or software describ...

Page 8: ...ety Notices WARNING A WARNING notice denotes a hazard It calls attention to an operating procedure practice or the like that if not correctly performed or adhered to could result in personal injury or loss of life Do not proceed beyond a WARNING notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met CAUTION A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard It calls attention to an operating procedure ...

Page 9: ...or Stand by mode Note this instrument is NOT isolated from the mains when the switch is pressed To isolate the instrument the mains coupler mains input cord should be removed from the power supply Alternating current AC Instrument protected throughout by DOUBLE INSULATION or RE INFORCED INSULATION Direct current DC On Supply Both direct and alternating current Off Supply Three phase alternating cu...

Page 10: ...val of covers and shields are for use by service trained personnel only Do not service or adjust alone Under certain conditions dangerous voltages may exist even with the instrument switched off To avoid electrical shock service personnel must not attempt internal service or adjustment unless another person capable of rendering first aid and resuscitation is present Do not operate damaged instrume...

Page 11: ...e Keysight N432A Thermistor Power Meter 2 Operating Information This chapter provides the information on the N432A general operation 3 Maintenance This chapter describes the built in self tests error messages and general maintenance 4 Specifications and Characteristics This chapter lists the specifications and characteristics of the N432A ...

Page 12: ...n of Conformity DoC for this instrument is available on the Keysight Web site You can search the DoC by its product model or description at the Web address below NOTE If you are unable to search for the respective DoC please contact your local Keysight representative ...

Page 13: ...Wait symbol pop up 16 Confirm symbol pop up 16 Numeric entry pop up 16 Text entry pop up 17 List pop up 17 Using the N432A Web Interface 18 Using the remote front panel 22 Editing the N432A LAN settings 23 Capturing the screen image 25 Getting the instrument data 26 Making the Socket Connection 27 2 Operating Information 29 Setting the Bridge Resistance 30 Setting the Resistance Type 31 Setting th...

Page 14: ...gle Function Measurement 57 Combined Measurement 58 Max Hold Min Hold 60 Recorder Output 63 Saving and Recalling N432A States 66 Editing a register name 67 Recalling a measurement setup 67 Zeroing the N432A 69 Using the Calibration Correction Factors 70 Frequency specific calibration factors 70 Sensor calibration tables 71 Selecting a sensor calibration table 71 Editing generating sensor calibrati...

Page 15: ... Messages 103 Introduction 103 Error list 105 Operator Maintenance 112 Checking the power line fuses 112 Contacting Keysight Technologies 113 Prior to contacting Keysight Technologies 113 Check the basics 114 Instrument serial numbers 114 Recommended calibration interval 115 Erasing Memory Data 116 Returning the N432A for Service 117 Packaging the N432A for shipment 117 Keysight Sales and Service ...

Page 16: ...tput Connections 124 Line power 124 1 mW Power Reference 125 Environmental Conditions 126 General 126 Operating environment 126 Storage 126 Physical Characteristics 127 Dimensions 127 Weight 127 Regulatory Information 128 Electromagnetic EM compatibility 128 Product safety 128 Low voltage directive 129 ...

Page 17: ...15 Add LAN Instruments dialog 28 Figure 1 16 N432A connected via the socket connection 28 Figure 2 1 Bridge resistance pop up list 30 Figure 2 2 Connections for Ruser measurement 31 Figure 2 3 Resistance type pop up list 32 Figure 2 4 Ruser pop up 32 Figure 2 5 Frequency pop up 36 Figure 2 6 Voltage measurement display 38 Figure 2 7 Typical relative measurement display 39 Figure 2 8 Simplified mea...

Page 18: ...35 File name pop up 67 Figure 2 36 Recall confirmation pop up dialog 68 Figure 2 37 Zeroing pop up message 69 Figure 2 38 Cal Factor pop up 70 Figure 2 39 Sensor table selected 72 Figure 2 40 Sensor calibration table indicator 72 Figure 2 41 Sensor Tbls screen 74 Figure 2 42 Edit Cal display 75 Figure 2 43 Edit table title pop up 75 Figure 2 44 Connection diagram for precision power measurement 80...

Page 19: ...nfirmation to begin secure erase 94 Figure 2 60 Warning message displaying the secure erase status 94 Figure 2 61 Warm start On Off feature 95 Figure 3 1 Self test completed 99 Figure 3 2 VRF VCOMP and V0 tests skipped 100 Figure 3 3 Error indicator 103 Figure 3 4 Checking the fuses 112 Figure 3 5 Secure erase status pop up 116 ...

Page 20: ...XX N432A User s Guide ...

Page 21: ...List of Tables Table 1 1 Lan Status messages 21 Table 2 1 Measurement units 34 Table 2 2 Range of values for window limits 54 Table 2 3 Ranges of the recorder output setting 65 Table 2 4 Installed thermistor sensor models 74 ...

Page 22: ...XXII N432A User s Guide ...

Page 23: ...2 Sensor Compatibility 3 Conventions Used in This Guide 4 Front Panel Outlook 5 Rear Panel Connections 10 Display Layout 11 Window Symbols and Pop Ups 15 Using the N432A Web Interface 18 Making the Socket Connection 27 This chapter provides a general overview of the N432A thermistor power meter ...

Page 24: ...RF power and ambient temperature changes On the other hand VCOMP which is the voltage at the top of the compensation bridge is responsive only to ambient temperature changes The VRF and VCOMP values are used in calculating the RF power Meanwhile the meter logic section processes VRF and VCOMP to produce a meter current proportional to RF power In general the N432A is an easy to use instrument espe...

Page 25: ...equency range and operating resistance for each of these thermistor sensors Thermistor sensor model Frequency range GHz Operating resistance Ω 478A 0 01 to 10 200 478A Option H63 0 0001 to 1 200 478A Option H75 0 001 to 1 200 478A Option H76 0 001 to 1 200 8478B 0 01 to 18 200 NOTE For further information on the thermistor sensors refer to their respective manuals ...

Page 26: ...is symbol and text represents a labeled key on the N432A front panel This symbol and text represents a labeled softkey and is used to indicate that you should press the unmarked key beside the displayed text Message This text represents a displayed message Parameter This is used to represent a parameter value or title Softkey ...

Page 27: ... Out is disabled Press this key to select the upper or lower measurement window The selected window is highlighted by a blue line on the right of the window Any measurement setup you create is performed in the selected window Press this key to select a windowed expanded or full screen display of a numeric measurement Press this key to switch the N432A between on and standby When power is supplied ...

Page 28: ...ess this key to access the channel configuration menu Channel parameters such as voltage averaging and offsets are configured from this menu Press this key to access the triggering menu Press this key to configure measurements for the selected measurement window such as display offsets and relative measurements Press this key to access the measurement display menu You can select the displayed meas...

Page 29: ...and are referred to by the text on the display next to them For example during a preset you are given an option to confirm the command Press to continue that is press the softkey beside the displayed word Confirm The lowest of the unmarked softkeys is used when there is a two page menu to be displayed For example a 1 of 2 is displayed beside the key indicating the first page of a two page menu Pre...

Page 30: ...ows are used for selecting values from a pop up list They are also used to enter text such as table names Press this key to select a highlighted field to allow data entry select a check box or confirm the entry of a pop up list Press this key to access the zeroing menu Press this key to reset the MAX HOLD and MIN HOLD measurements Press these keys to enter numeric values in the pop up fields for e...

Page 31: ... signal available from a 50 W type N connector It is used for calibrating a 478A or 8478B thermistor sensor and meter system The yellow LED beside the connector is lit when turned on Thermistor mount input connector for 1 5 m 3 m and 6 1 m cables that connect to the 478A or 8478B thermistor sensors ...

Page 32: ... being set to a certain voltage 4 VRF and VCOMP output terminals The VRF BNC terminal outputs the RF bridge voltage while the VCOMP BNC terminal outputs the compensation bridge voltage Both the VRF and VCOMP outputs are used for calibrating the N432A and for precision power measurements 5 USB Mini B port Allows the N432A to be controlled remotely over the USB interface 6 LAN interface Allows the N...

Page 33: ...eration The message field will indicate ERR for any error conditions that occur 2 The measured channel is shown with a thermistor sensor connected 3 This field displays the current bridge resistance value as an indicator with or without the thermistor sensor connected 4 The information in this field is displayed in two lines and depends on the sensor calibration factor sensor calibration and frequ...

Page 34: ...ed Pressing the softkey displays the next page indicated by 2 of 2 press the softkey again to display the previous menu page Figure 1 2 Single numeric and analog display Figure 1 2 shows the default display format of two measurement windows in the single numeric and analog mode 10 The information in this field is displayed in two lines and depends on the sensor calibration factor sensor calibratio...

Page 35: ... a full screen display The display style is applied to the currently selected window or measurement line Figure 1 3 Full screen numeric display Figure 1 3 shows a single numeric full screen displaying a relative result 16 This field displays either a ratio or difference measurement indicator when the Combined measurement function is enabled 17 This field displays either Minimum Hold or Maximum Hol...

Page 36: ...esult is beyond the configured upper or lower limit If the measurement result is within the limits this field is empty If the measurement result is less than the minimum limit set Undr Lmt is displayed If the measurement result is more than the maximum limit set Over Lmt is displayed ...

Page 37: ...ifferent colors used to signify the pop up status Green used to allow data entry Orange used to display information Red used to display an error Warning symbol pop up A warning symbol is displayed either in a pop up message or directly in the measurement window when such an event occurs A pop up message is displayed for approximately two seconds The text in the pop up message gives details of the ...

Page 38: ... appears in a pop up message for example during zeroing Confirm symbol pop up This type of pop up message is displayed when you are required to press Confirm to verify your previous selection for example prior to a Save being carried out Numeric entry pop up This type of pop up dialog is displayed when you need to modify numeric data Use the numeric keys to enter the value ...

Page 39: ...s The up down arrow key increments decrements the alphanumeric digit that the cursor is currently positioned The left right arrow key moves the cursor to another alphanumeric digit List pop up This pop up list is displayed when you are required to select an entry from a list Use the up down arrow key to highlight your selection Press to complete the entry ...

Page 40: ...nection Expert as shown in Figure 1 4 Alternatively the Web interface can also be accessed directly from a Web browser by entering the N432A IP address or host name in the Address panel of the browser Figure 1 4 Accessing the N432A Web interface from the Connection Expert NOTE For more details on remote interface configuration refer to the N432A Thermistor Power Meter Installation Guide ...

Page 41: ... Advanced Information to display more information on the N432A The N432A on the network can be physically identified from the blinking message on the front panel screen by clicking Turn On Front Panel Identification Indicator on the Welcome Page NOTE The N432A has an embedded Web server which is listening on port 80 to serve Web pages The Web pages can be browsed using Web browsers such as Interne...

Page 42: ...ff Front Panel Identification Indicator Figure 1 6 Blinking message to identify the N432A When the N432A is configured to LAN the Lan Status on the Remote Interfaces screen will display the LAN error condition and status of the LAN configuration connection There are six types of Lan Status messages that may occur as listed in Table 1 1 Figure 1 7 Example of the Lan Status message The IDENTIFY mess...

Page 43: ...etwork is running Lan Fault Status Initialization failed An IP conflict occurs or An IP address fails to be obtained using the selected LAN configuration or No LAN configuration is selected Lan Fault Status Disconnected The LAN cable is unplugged Lan Status Restarting The network is restarting Trying to obtain an IP address using the selected LAN configuration Lan DHCP Not Available Status Running...

Page 44: ...terface that can be used to control the N432A remotely 1 On the left of the Welcome Page select Browser Web Control The virtual front panel will appear as shown below Figure 1 8 Virtual front panel 2 Click the front panel keys to control the N432A NOTE Java must be installed on the controlling PC for remote front panel operation ...

Page 45: ...ified using the Web interface On the Welcome page click View and Modify Configuration at the left of the page This opens the configuration page as shown below Figure 1 9 Viewing the current LAN configuration from the Web interface To edit the available parameters click Modify Configuration The Enter Password dialog box will appear as follows Figure 1 10 Enter Password dialog box ...

Page 46: ...reset to default The LAN reset procedure is as given below 1 Press to display the Remote Interfaces screen 2 Press to display the second page of the Remote I F menu 3 Press to reset the LAN settings to default When is pressed it will also change the GPIB address to default You can change the password from the Configuring your N432A Power Meter page as shown in Figure 1 11 Scroll down the Parameter...

Page 47: ...interface 1 On the left of the Welcome Page select Get Image The screen image will be displayed as shown below Figure 1 12 Screen capture 2 Right click on the image and select Save Image As 3 Select a storage location for the image file and click Save The image is saved as a bitmap BMP file to the default file name display bmp ...

Page 48: ...following steps to obtain the instrument data 1 On the left of the Welcome Page select Get Data The Get Data Web page will be displayed as shown below Figure 1 13 Obtaining instrument data 2 Select the window measurement type of the N432A 3 Enter your desired count value up to 1000 only of the data and click Get Data The data will be displayed in a text box 4 Copy and paste the data into your inte...

Page 49: ...l appear as shown below Select the Add LAN instrument on LAN TCPIPO interface and click OK Figure 1 14 Add Instrument dialog 3 In the Add LAN Instruments dialog Figure 1 15 click Add Address at the top of the dialog 4 In the Enter Instrument Address panel select the Use IP Address option and type the IP address In the Optional Socket Connection panel select the Use socket connection option 5 Click...

Page 50: ...1 Introduction 28 N432A User s Guide Figure 1 15 Add LAN Instruments dialog Figure 1 16 N432A connected via the socket connection ...

Page 51: ...tting the Voltage Averaging 52 Setting Measurement Limits 54 Single Function Measurement 57 Combined Measurement 58 Max Hold Min Hold 60 Recorder Output 63 Saving and Recalling N432A States 66 Zeroing the N432A 69 Using the Calibration Correction Factors 70 Power Measurement Procedures 77 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio VSWR Measurement 82 Blank Screen 88 Secure Blank 89 Backlight Intensity Control 92...

Page 52: ...er up value will correspond to the Warm Start state setting Upon each thermistor sensor connection you will be informed of the current bridge resistance value and will be required to select a new resistance value or reconfirm the current desired resistance value Procedure Use the following steps to set the bridge resistance 1 Press to access the channel setup screen 2 Use the up down arrow key to ...

Page 53: ...rent bridge resistance setting with a 10 tolerance If a value entered for Ruser exceeds the 10 tolerance level of the bridge resistance the value will be clipped to the upper lower limit within tolerance You can measure the value of Ruser using the following steps 1 Set up the connections as shown in the figure below The positive and negative terminals of a digital multimeter DMM are connected to ...

Page 54: ...lue field and press to display the Res Type pop up list Use the up down arrow key to highlight the desired bridge resistance type and press to enter the selection Figure 2 3 Resistance type pop up list 3 When Ruser is selected you can enter a resistance value within a 10 tolerance level of the current bridge resistance setting Use the left right arrow key to highlight the resistance value field th...

Page 55: ...Operating Information 2 N432A User s Guide 33 4 Press to exit the channel setup screen ...

Page 56: ...unit to dBm Table 2 1 shows the units that are applicable to each measurement type Press Select the unit of measurement from and Softkeys which cannot be selected in your particular mode of operation are grayed out Table 2 1 Measurement units Units dBm W dB NOTE When the measurement unit is set to Watt W it is possible that negative power results are displayed when measuring low power levels Measu...

Page 57: ... the Calibration Correction Factors on page 70 Procedure Use the following steps to set the measurement frequency 1 Press to access the channel setup screen 2 Press then use the up down arrow key to highlight the FDO Table or CF Table setting field and press to display the tables 3 Use the up down arrow key to highlight one of the table titles and press to highlight 4 Press to complete the selecti...

Page 58: ...n use the up down arrow key to highlight the Frequency value field and press to display the Frequency pop up Use the numeric keypad to enter the required value Figure 2 5 Frequency pop up 6 Confirm your selection by pressing or 7 Press to exit the channel setup screen MHz GHz ...

Page 59: ...m or dB 1 2 3 or 4 significant digits respectively if the measurement suffix is W or The default resolution is 0 01 dBm or 3 significant digits Procedure Use the following procedure to set the resolution on the currently selected window 1 Press to access the display format menu The current resolution setting is highlighted under the softkey 2 To change this setting press repeatedly until the requi...

Page 60: ...fault measurement range of 0 625 V to 1 875 V The values for VRF and VCOMP are displayed in the VDC unit with a 6 5 digit resolution The V0 and V1 values are displayed in VDC if the voltage value is more than 1 VDC and in mVDC if the voltage value is less than 1 VDC with a 6 5 digit resolution Procedure Use the following steps to display the voltage measurement values 1 Press to access the display...

Page 61: ...nt Setup display and the relative measurement items labeled 2 Select the window you wish to set a reference value on by pressing The currently selected window measurement configuration is displayed 3 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Relative setting field Figure 2 7 Typical relative measurement display 4 Press to select the Relative setting field 5 Confirm that the N432A is measuring the...

Page 62: ...alue displayed under the Result field will change as the measured signal varies NOTE If you return the N432A to the numeric display a Rel symbol will be displayed in the measurement window it is applied to The Rel symbol will not be displayed when the associated measurement is displayed in the Dual Numeric or Analog format Relative indicator ...

Page 63: ...The above figure shows that you can apply a channel offset or a frequency dependent offset prior to any mathematical functions This allows you to compensate the channel separately An overall offset can be applied if required using the display offset Channel function Window functions Display Relative offset Channel A Upper window Lower window Display Relative offset Display Relative offset Display ...

Page 64: ...e following steps to set a channel offset 1 Press to access the channel setup screen 2 Press to display the channel offset setup screen 3 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Offset setting field 4 Press to select the Offset setting field Figure 2 9 Setting the channel offset 5 Press the right arrow key to highlight the Offset value field and press to display the Offset pop up Use the numeri...

Page 65: ...a loss while a negative value compensates for a gain Procedure Use the following steps to set a display offset on the currently selected window 1 Press to access the measurement setup screen 2 Select the window you wish to set the offset value on by pressing 3 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Offset setting field 4 Press to select the Offset setting field Offset indicator NOTE The Ofs in...

Page 66: ...he Offset value field and press to display the Display Offset pop up Use the numeric keypad to enter the required value 6 Confirm your entry by pressing Press to exit the offset setup Selected window measurement Offset value field Offset setting field dB NOTE The Ofs indicator will be displayed if the display offset is selected ...

Page 67: ...lect a frequency dependent offset table by pressing The Offset Tables screen is shown in Figure 2 12 The State column indicates if any frequency dependent offset FDO tables are currently selected Procedure Use the following steps to select an offset table 1 Press either then use the up down arrow key to highlight the FDO Table setting field and press to display the tables Tables Freq Dep Offset NO...

Page 68: ...10 table titles and press to highlight 3 Press to complete the selection of the offset table 4 The following figure shows the indicator for the selected offset table Figure 2 13 Frequency dependent offset table indicator Table On NOTE When no data is contained in the highlighted table the key is disabled grayed out Table Offset Table A selected ...

Page 69: ...e table Procedure First select the table you want to edit as follows 1 Press to access the Offset Tables screen 2 Select the table you want to edit using the up down arrow key Press to display the Edit Offset menu as shown in Figure 2 14 NOTE If a measurement frequency does not correspond directly to a frequency in the sensor calibration table if selected and the frequency dependent offset table b...

Page 70: ...n the Table Name pop up to create the name you want to use Figure 2 15 Edit table name pop up Pressing adds a new character to the right of the selected character Pressing removes the selected character 4 Press to complete the entry Change Insert Char Delete Char Enter NOTE The following rules apply to naming the tables The name must consist of not more than 12 characters Space is not allowed as t...

Page 71: ...meric keypad to enter the required value in the Offset pop up Complete the entry by pressing Figure 2 16 Setting the offset unit 3 Continue adding editing values until you have entered all the required data 4 Once completed press to save the table Insert Change GHz MHz Change Done NOTE If you measure a signal with a frequency outside the frequency range defined in the frequency dependent offset ta...

Page 72: ...00 dB to 100 dB The range in is from 0 00000001 to 1000000000000 Once the offset unit has been selected it will be applied to all the offsets in the selected table and also to the remaining nine tables To change the offset unit to dB press To change the offset unit to press 1 of 2 Offset Unit dB 1 of 2 Offset Unit ...

Page 73: ...ional if there are zero numbers after the decimal point For example 123478202 will be displayed as 1234 78202000 e 5 10000 will be displayed as 1000 00000000 e 1 The format of the display in the engineering unit for an offset 0 01 will be shown as follows x yyyyyyy e z The first leading non zero number x is placed before the decimal point y is optional if there are zero numbers after the decimal p...

Page 74: ...16 32 64 and 128 with 16 as the default value Procedure Use the following steps to set the voltage averaging 1 Press to access the channel setup screen 2 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Meas Avg setting field 3 Press to display the Volt Avg pop up list and use the up down arrow key to step through the available values Press to enter the required value Figure 2 18 Volt Avg pop up list 4 ...

Page 75: ...t to re initialize upon detection of a step increase or decrease in the measured power Procedure Use the following steps to set the step detection 1 Press to access the channel setup screen 2 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Step Detect setting field 3 Press to toggle between turning on or off the step detection 4 Press to exit the channel setup screen ...

Page 76: ...ent units in the currently selected measurement line as listed in the following table Table 2 2 Range of values for window limits Procedure The following procedure describes how to set the limits 1 Press to select the required window measurement 2 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Limits setting field 3 Press to select the Limits setting field 4 Use the right arrow key to highlight the Mi...

Page 77: ...by pressing followed by or Press the corresponding unit multiplier softkey above to enter your selection 7 Now use the right arrow key to highlight the Max Power value field 8 Press to display the Maximum Limit pop up if the current unit is dBm or dB or the Meter Maximum pop up if the current unit is W or 9 Repeat Step 6 and press to exit the measurement setup screen dBm dB mW μW nW 1 of 2 Increme...

Page 78: ...es A limit failure is displayed on a specific field in the measurement window as shown below Figure 2 21 Limit failures This measurement has failed as the result is greater than the set limit level This measurement has failed as the result is less than the set limit level ...

Page 79: ...re Use the following the procedure to set the single function measurement 1 Press to select the required window measurement 2 Use the arrow keys to highlight the Combination function field 3 Press to display the Function pop up list and use the up down arrow key to highlight Single Figure 2 23 Function pop up list 4 Press to enter the selection 5 Press to complete the setup and display the measure...

Page 80: ...ss to select the required window measurement 2 Use the arrow keys to highlight the Combination function field 3 Press to display the Function pop up list Figure 2 23 and use the up down arrow key to highlight Combined 4 Press to enter the selection 5 To select the measurement type of either ratio or difference use the arrow keys to highlight the Feed1 Feed2 function field 6 Press to display the Co...

Page 81: ...Operating Information 2 N432A User s Guide 59 7 Press to enter the selection 8 Press to complete the setup and display the measurement results Figure 2 25 Measurement display example ...

Page 82: ...ing will be updated as a new maximum reading appears The max hold min hold reading are resettable by pressing Figure 2 26 Max hold min hold measurement performed on the HOLD block Procedure Use the following steps to set max hold min hold 1 Press to access the measurement setup screen 2 Use the up down arrow key to highlight the Hold setting field 3 Press to display the Hold pop up list and use th...

Page 83: ...tion 5 Press to complete the setup and display the measurement results Figure 2 28 Min Hold and Max Hold measurement modes indicated on the display 6 Press to display the measurement window in the full screen mode The max hold min hold is indicated in full in the expanded window as shown in Figure 2 29 ...

Page 84: ...2 Operating Information 62 N432A User s Guide Figure 2 29 Min Hold indicated in full in the expanded window ...

Page 85: ...utput from a source using external leveling or Monitor the output power To access the Recorder menu press and enable Rec This allows you to switch the recorder output signal on or off or to enable or disable autoscaling of the signal The Max Power and Min Power value fields allow you to scale the power levels to represent the 1 Vdc maximum and 0 Vdc minimum output voltages of the recorder output P...

Page 86: ...umeric keys to enter the power level you want to generate a 1 Vdc output in the Recorder Minimum pop up and press the corresponding unit softkey 8 Use the right arrow key to highlight the Max Power value field 9 Press to display the Recorder Maximum pop up Figure 2 32 Recorder Maximum pop up 10 Use the numeric keys to enter the power level you want to generate a 0 Vdc output in the Recorder Maximu...

Page 87: ...u are going to measure is used to determine the value which you should set for the recorder output maximum setting For example if you are measuring a power less than 1 mW and greater than 100 mW set the recorder maximum value to 1 mW Log 50 dBm 40 dBm 30 dBm 20 dBm 10 dBm 0 dBm Linear 100 W 10 W 1 W 100 mW 10 mW 1 mW Log 10 dBm 20 dBm 30 dBm 40 dBm 50 dBm 60 dBm Linear 100 mW 10 mW 1 mW 100 nW 10 ...

Page 88: ... accessed by pressing Procedure Use the following steps to save a measurement setup 1 Press to display the Save Recall screen as shown below Figure 2 33 Save Recall screen 2 Using the up down arrow key select a register name from the displayed list To change the name of a register refer to Editing a register name otherwise press 3 The N432A will prompt you to press to proceed Figure 2 34 Save conf...

Page 89: ...dify the character on which the cursor is currently positioned 4 Use the left right arrow key to move to other characters 5 Use and as required 6 To confirm your selection press Recalling a measurement setup Procedure Use the following steps to recall a measurement setup 1 Press 2 Use the up down arrow key to select the required register and press The softkey is disabled grayed out when an unused ...

Page 90: ...2 Operating Information 68 N432A User s Guide Figure 2 36 Recall confirmation pop up dialog ...

Page 91: ...perature occurs when connection to the thermistor sensor is established when you change the thermistor sensor every 24 hours prior to measuring low level signals To zero the N432A Press You will be prompted to confirm whether the thermistor sensor has been disconnected from the RF source Once is pressed zeroing will begin If is pressed the screen will revert to the Zero Cal menu NOTE Upon each the...

Page 92: ...e as you only need to enter the frequency of the signal you are measuring The N432A automatically selects and applies the calibration factor from the selected table Frequency specific calibration factors Use the following procedure to set the calibration factor for the frequency of the signal you want to measure 1 Check the current calibration factor setting by pressing The value is displayed on t...

Page 93: ... to some degree If you require best accuracy create a custom table for each sensor you use as described in Editing generating sensor calibration tables on page 73 Selecting a sensor calibration table You can select a calibration factor table from The State column indicates if any calibration factor tables are currently selected The Sensor Tbls screen is shown in Figure 2 39 NOTE When no sensor tab...

Page 94: ...table titles and press to highlight Figure 2 39 Sensor table selected 3 Press to complete the selection of the calibration factor table 4 The following figure shows the selected table Figure 2 40 Sensor calibration table indicator Tables Sensor Cal Tables Table On NOTE When no data is contained in the highlighted table the key is disabled grayed out Table Done Sensor Table 1 selected ...

Page 95: ... the calibration tables currently stored in the N432A press The Sensor Tbls screen is displayed as shown in Figure 2 41 NOTE If the measurement frequency does not correspond directly to a frequency in the sensor calibration table the N432A calculates the calibration factor using linear interpolation If you enter a frequency outside the frequency range defined in the sensor calibration table the N4...

Page 96: ...and select the table you want to edit 2 Rename the table 3 Enter the frequency and calibration factor pairs 4 Save the table Procedure First select the table you want to edit as follows 1 Press to display the Sensor Tbls screen Figure 2 41 Sensor Tbls screen Table Sensor model 0 DEFAULT 1 1 DEFAULT is a sensor calibration table where the reference calibration factor and calibration factors are 100...

Page 97: ...hlight the table title using the up down arrow key Press and use the arrow keys to select and change the characters in the Table Name pop up to create the name you want to use Figure 2 43 Edit table title pop up Pressing adds a new character to the right of the selected character Pressing removes the selected character 4 Press to complete the entry Edit Table Change Insert Char Delete Char Enter ...

Page 98: ...ave entered all the required data 4 When you have finished editing the table press to save the table NOTE A calibration factor in the range of 1 to 150 can be entered The following rules apply to naming sensor calibration tables The name must consist of no more than 12 characters Space is not allowed as the first character Insert Change GHz MHz Change Done NOTE Ensure that the frequency points you...

Page 99: ...ew resistance value or reconfirm the current resistance value Use the softkeys to select the desired value 4 You will then be prompted for confirmation to proceed with zeroing Press Confirm to proceed 5 Another message will appear prompting you to confirm whether the sensor has been disconnected from the RF source Press Confirm once you have verified that there is no RF source connected 6 Zeroing ...

Page 100: ... keypad to enter the required value in the Frequency pop up then press either or The N432A will automatically select and apply the calibration factor from the selected table based on the entered frequency Press to check the calibration factor value on the Cal Fac setting field 9 Now connect the sensor to the RF signal to be measured 10 The corrected measurement result will be displayed MHz GHz Off...

Page 101: ...OMP0 and VRF0 Then you need to connect RF power to the thermistor sensor and measure the VRF and VCOMP outputs again These VRF and VCOMP are now equivalent to VRF1 and VCOMP1 which will give you a differential voltage of V1 Power can then be computed by incorporating these values in the following power equation where VCOMP0 is the temperature compensation bridge top voltage measured when zeroing i...

Page 102: ... 2 44 Connection diagram for precision power measurement 3 Turn off or disconnect the RF power from the thermistor sensor 4 Upon connecting the sensor to the N432A channel A a message will appear to inform you of the current bridge resistance value and require you to select a new resistance value or reconfirm the current resistance value Use the softkeys to select the desired value 5 You will then...

Page 103: ...signal you are measuring by using the up down arrow key to highlight the Frequency setting field and pressing Use the numeric keypad to enter the required value in the Frequency pop up then press either or The N432A will automatically select and apply the calibration factor from the selected table based on the entered frequency Press to check the calibration factor value on the Cal Fac setting fie...

Page 104: ...values of ΓL and measuring the power delivered to the load under the two conditions The load used is a thermistor sensor that can be operated at two different resistances of 100 Ω and 200 Ω and can accurately measure the power absorbed The Keysight 478A thermistor sensor with Option H63 Option H75 or Option H76 normally operates at a DC resistance of 200 Ω giving an RF impedance of 50 Ω and ΓL clo...

Page 105: ...tor of the N432A 3 A message will appear to inform you of the current bridge resistance value and require you to select a new resistance value or reconfirm the current resistance value Use the softkeys to select a value of 200 Ω 4 You will then be prompted for confirmation to proceed with zeroing Press Confirm to proceed 5 Another message will appear prompting you to confirm whether the sensor has...

Page 106: ...e the S11 parameter on the network analyzer which is now equivalent to Γ2 Record the value of Γ2 11 Set the bridge resistance back to 200 Ω and power off the N432A Disconnect the sensor from the N432A 12 Now use a digital voltmeter DVM to measure resistance Connect a DVM between the N432A rear panel VRF output connector and pin 1 on the thermistor mount end of the sensor cable Verify that no power...

Page 107: ...then using the up down arrow key to highlight the CF Table setting field and pressing to display the tables Use the up down arrow key to select the required table and press to highlight Press to complete the table selection and return to the channel setup screen 21 Enter the frequency of the RF signal you are measuring by using the up down arrow key to highlight the Frequency setting field and pre...

Page 108: ...d record the value as VCOMP0 26 Turn on the oscillator power reference of the power meter under test 27 Round off the value of DVM 1 to two decimal places Record this value as V1 Observe the reading on DVM 2 and record the value as VCOMP1 N432A Thermistor sensor A Power meter DUT Oscillator input Digital voltmeter 1 DVM 1 input VCOMP output VRF output input Digital voltmeter 2 DVM 2 input NOTE Pri...

Page 109: ... the oscillator P2 using the following equation 32 Compute factor M using the following equation 33 Compute the value of the output VRC Γs using the following equation One of the roots of this equation will be non physical while the other gives a value for Γs 34 Finally VSWR of the source can be computed as follows P1 2 VCOMP1V1 VCOMP0V0 V0 2 V1 2 4R1 P2 2 VCOMP1V1 VCOMP0V0 V0 2 V1 2 4R2 M P1 P2 1...

Page 110: ...hole display screen This feature ensures that the N432A display is not shown to casual observers To restore the display press any key on the front panel To access this feature press and select On the Service menu press and select Press Figure 2 47 Blank Screen feature 1 of 2 Service 1 of 2 Display Blank Screen ...

Page 111: ... are required to enter the correct password Figure 2 48 Secure Blank feature Procedure Use the following steps to access the secure blank feature 1 Press and select 2 On the Service menu press and select 3 Press The Enter 6 digit Password pop up will appear as shown in Figure 2 49 You need to enter a 6 digit password upon activating the secure blank feature Figure 2 49 Enter 6 digit Password pop u...

Page 112: ...appears Figure 2 50 Warning message 6 Once you have entered a valid password the Reconfirm Password pop up will appear as shown below You need to enter the password again for confirmation Figure 2 51 Reconfirm Password pop up 7 If the password entered is different from the initial password a warning message will appear as shown in Figure 2 52 This warning will appear for two seconds before the Rec...

Page 113: ... up to three attempts of password entry Upon an unsuccessful third attempt you will need to wait for two hours with the N432A powered on before you can re enter the password You are then allowed up to three attempts of password entry again The whole cycle of password entry will then be repeated Figure 2 54 Password required to restore display Confirm NOTE If you have forgotten the 6 digit password...

Page 114: ...e backlight brightness To access this feature press and select On the Service menu press and select Figure 2 55 Backlight intensity control feature Press to increase the backlight brightness Press to decrease the backlight brightness Figure 2 56 Increase or decrease the backlight brightness 1 of 2 Service 1 of 2 Backlight Brightness Brightness ...

Page 115: ...default settings These features can only be activated via the front panel The memory erase feature can be invoked if you forget the 6 digit password set during secure blank To perform memory erase secure erase use one of the following procedures Memory erase 1 Simultaneously press and hold both the fourth softkey from the top and before power on as shown below Figure 2 57 Activate memory erase usi...

Page 116: ...Secure Erase feature 2 A confirmation pop up dialog will appear as shown below Press to begin secure erase Figure 2 59 Confirmation to begin secure erase 3 The following warning message will appear to inform you of the progress status Figure 2 60 Warning message displaying the secure erase status 1 of 2 Service Secure Erase Confirm ...

Page 117: ...art ON All the current states and settings configured via the front panel or SCPI will be saved The N432A will be powered on with the states and settings before it was powered off Warm start OFF The N432A will be powered on with the default states and settings Procedure Use the following steps to enable disable the warm start feature 1 Press and select 2 On the Service menu press to toggle On Off ...

Page 118: ...2 Operating Information 96 N432A User s Guide ...

Page 119: ...f Test 98 Error Messages 103 Operator Maintenance 112 Contacting Keysight Technologies 113 Erasing Memory Data 116 Returning the N432A for Service 117 Keysight Sales and Service Offices 118 This chapter describes the built in tests error messages and general maintenance ...

Page 120: ...t panel softkey menu allows you to run individual test whereas the remote command runs a full instrument self test as listed in Remote testing on page 101 Front panel selection of self tests Press to access the Self Test menu that consists of the following tests Instrument Self Test Keyboard Bitmap Displays RTC Battery 1 of 2 Service Self Test ...

Page 121: ...cted you will be prompted to disconnect the sensor Once is pressed the N432A will check if the sensor is disconnected If disconnected self test will initiate and display the test results accordingly As each test takes place the name of the test is listed on the screen While a test is running the message Testing appears beside the name of the test As each stage of the test completes the Testing mes...

Page 122: ...r 100 Ω 200 Ω 300 Ω or 400 Ω the internal self test resistance value of 200 Ω will be used to perform the self test When you press followed by even if the sensor is still connected you will be prompted again to disconnect the sensor If you cancel the sensor disconnect confirmation with the sensor still connected tests for VRF VCOMP and V0 will be skipped and displayed as shown below Figure 3 2 VRF...

Page 123: ... a test is running the message Testing appears beside the name of the test As each stage of the test completes the message Testing is replaced by either Passed or Failed Test descriptions This section specifies what is actually checked by each of the tests Some of the tests may only be applicable to one method of invocation for example from the front panel If this is the case it is specified in th...

Page 124: ...rting the ADC value of the RTC battery power level read from the FPGA to voltage level If the battery power level is less than a prespecified threshold threshold to be defined later the test will fail An error will be logged in the error list if the test fails VRF VCOMP V0 Paths An array of tests on the voltage metering for VRF VCOMP and V0 The built in self test circuit will output a set of known...

Page 125: ...e a sensor overload the error is indicated on the status line at the top of the display In addition errors are also written to the error queue If there is any error in the error queue the front panel error indicator is displayed as shown in the figure below Other errors can also be generated when the N432A is being operated over the remote interface These errors also display the error indicator an...

Page 126: ...ced with error 350 Queue overflow Any time the queue overflows the most recent errors are discarded When the errors are read they are removed from the error queue This opens a position at the end of the queue for a new error message if one is subsequently detected When all errors have been read from the queue further error queries return 0 No error To delete all the errors in the queue from the fr...

Page 127: ... used a blank space instead of a comma Example OUTP ROSC 1 105 GET not allowed A Group Execute Trigger GET is not allowed within a command string 108 Parameter not allowed More parameters were received than expected for the command You may have entered an extra parameter or added a parameter to a command that does not accept a parameter Example CAL 10 109 Missing parameter Fewer parameters were re...

Page 128: ...eric parameter was found whose exponent was larger than 32000 Example CAL RCF 1E34000 124 Too many digits A numeric parameter was found whose mantissa contained more than 255 digits excluding leading zeros 128 Numeric data not allowed A numeric value was received within a command which does not accept a numeric value Example MEM CLE 24 131 Invalid suffix A suffix was incorrectly specified for a nu...

Page 129: ...rs to verify that you have used a valid parameter type Example LIM STAT ON 161 Invalid block data A block data element was expected but was invalid for some reason for example DDT 15FET The 5 in the string indicates that five characters should follow whereas in this example there are only three 168 Block data not allowed A legal block data element was encountered but not allowed by the N432A at th...

Page 130: ...ay occur If the READ parameters do not match the current settings Trying to clear a sensor calibration table when none is selected 222 Data out of range A numeric parameter value is outside the valid range for the command Example SENS FREQ 2 HZ 224 Illegal parameter value A discrete parameter was received which was not a valid choice for the command You may have used an invalid parameter choice Ex...

Page 131: ...he units of measurement were logarithmic 231 Data questionable ZERO ERROR N432A zeroing failed The most likely cause is attempting to zero when some power signal is being applied to the sensor 231 Data questionable ZERO ERROR ChA N432A zeroing failed on Channel A The most likely cause is attempting to zero when some power signal is being applied to the sensor 231 Data questionable Measurement Over...

Page 132: ...cting Keysight Technologies on page 113 for details on how to manage your faulty N432A 330 Self test Failed Measurement Channel Fault 330 Self test Failed Measurement Channel A Fault 330 Self test Failed Calibrator Fault Refer to Calibrator on page 101 if you require a description of the calibrator test 330 Self test Failed ROM Check Failed 330 Self test Failed RAM Check Failed 350 Queue overflow ...

Page 133: ...s been executed 420 Query UNTERMINATED The N432A was addressed to talk that is to send data over the interface but a command which sends data to the output buffer has not been received For example you may have executed a CONFigure command which does not generate data and then attempted to read data from the remote interface 430 Query DEADLOCKED A command was received which generates too much data ...

Page 134: ...ened cloth Do not use detergent Disassembly is not required or recommended for cleaning The power line fuses are located within the N432A fuse holder assembly on the rear panel For all voltages the N432A uses 250 V T2 5 H 20 mm slow blow fuses with high breaking capacity Checking the power line fuses 1 Slide the fuse holder assembly from the rear panel as shown in the figure below 2 The fuses shou...

Page 135: ...e Offices on page 118 If you wish to return the N432A to Keysight Technologies refer to Returning the N432A for Service on page 117 Prior to contacting Keysight Technologies Before calling Keysight Technologies or returning the N432A for service perform the inspection based on the list in Check the basics on page 114 If you still encounter problems read the warranty printed at the front of this gu...

Page 136: ...being performed and the expected results are within the specifications and capabilities of the N432A Check the N432A display for error indicators Check the N432A operation by performing self tests Check using a different thermistor sensor Instrument serial numbers Keysight Technologies makes frequent improvements to its products to enhance their performance usability and reliability Keysight Techn...

Page 137: ...sed on the ISO international country code standard and is used to designate the specific country of manufacture for the individual product The same product number could be manufactured in two different countries In this case the individual product serial numbers would reflect different country of manufacture codes The prefix also consists of four numbers This is a code identifying the date of the ...

Page 138: ...s for repair or calibration of all data stored in it which includes the save recall and last power on states Use the following procedure to erase the memory data 1 Press 2 Press followed by 3 Press to begin secure erase 4 The following warning message will appear informing you of the progress status Figure 3 5 Secure erase status pop up 1 of 2 Service Secure Erase Confirm ...

Page 139: ...und the N432A with at least 3 to 4 inches of packing material or enough to prevent the N432A from moving in the carton If packing foam is not available the best alternative is SD 240 Air CapTM from Sealed Air Corporation Commerce CA 90001 Air Cap looks like a plastic sheet covered with 1 1 4 inch air filled bubbles Use the pink Air Cap to reduce static electricity Wrap the N432A several times in t...

Page 140: ...3 Maintenance 118 N432A User s Guide ...

Page 141: ...eristics Introduction 120 N432A Specifications 122 Rear Panel Input and Output Connections 124 1 mW Power Reference 125 Environmental Conditions 126 Physical Characteristics 127 Regulatory Information 128 This chapter describes the specifications and characteristics of your N432A ...

Page 142: ...vide information useful in applying to the N432A by giving typical but non warranted performance parameters These characteristics are specified in italics or denoted as typical nominal or approximate Characteristic information is representative of the product In many cases it may also be supplemental to a warranted specification Characteristic specifications are not verified on all products The ty...

Page 143: ... of any individual product No measurement uncertainty value is accounted for in the specifications These specifications are referred to as typical Conditions The N432A with a thermistor sensor meet its specifications when stored for a minimum of two hours at a stable temperature within the operating temperature range and turned on for at least 30 minutes the N432A and the thermistor sensor are wit...

Page 144: ...eading 0 5 μW Meter voltage accuracies 1 year reference specifications VRF and VCOMP 23 C 5 C 0 0035 50 μV reading range V0 and V1 23 C 5 C 0 0040 25 μV reading range Bridge resistance Selectable resistances of 100 200 300 and 400 Ω Single sensor dynamic range 40 dB maximum Keysight 478A and 8478B thermistor sensors Display units Power Absolute Watts W or dBm Relative Percent or dB VRF and VCOMP V...

Page 145: ...ations and Characteristics 4 N432A User s Guide 123 Voltage 6 5 digit resolution Bridge resistance 6 5 digit resolution Default resolution 0 01 dBm in logarithmic mode or three significant digits in linear mode ...

Page 146: ...These interfaces allow communication with an external controller VRF and VCOMP outputs BNC terminals which output the RF and compensation bridge voltages that can be used for precision power measurements Ground Binding post accepts 4 mm plug or bare wire connection Input voltage range 100 240 Vac automatic selection 220 240 V 10 Input frequency range 50 60 Hz 400 Hz 400 Hz 100 120 Vac Power requir...

Page 147: ...fications and Characteristics 4 N432A User s Guide 125 1 mW Power Reference Power output 1 00 mW 0 0 dBm Accuracy 1 2 0 45 C 0 4 25 10 C Frequency 50 MHz nominal SWR 1 08 maximum Connector type Type N f 50 W ...

Page 148: ...ents of the EMC Directive 89 336 EEC The N432A is designed for indoor use only Operating environment Storage Operating temperature 0o C to 45o C Operating humidity 15 to 95 at 40o C non condensing Altitude Up to 4600 m 15000 ft Storage temperature 40o C to 70o C Storage humidity Up to 90 relative humidity at 65o C non condensing ...

Page 149: ...Guide 127 Physical Characteristics Dimensions The following dimensions exclude front and rear panel protrusions 212 6 mm W x 88 5 mm H x 348 3 mm D 8 5 in x 3 5 in x 13 7 in Weight Weight net 3 70 kg approximately Weight shipping 8 30 kg approximately ...

Page 150: ...be replaced with the same type and specification The N432A also meets the following EMC standards Canada ICES 001 2004 Australia New Zealand AS NZS CISPR11 2004 Degradation of some instrument specifications can occur in the presence of ambient EM fields and noise that are coupled to the power line or I O cables of the N432A The N432A will self recover and operate to all specifications when the sou...

Page 151: ...Specifications and Characteristics 4 N432A User s Guide 129 Low voltage directive The N432A conforms to the requirements of the European Council Directive 2006 95 EC ...

Page 152: ...4 Specifications and Characteristics 130 N432A User s Guide ...

Page 153: ......

Page 154: ...This information is subject to change without notice Keysight Technologies 2010 2014 Edition 5 November 14 2014 N432A 90002 ...

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