Agilent 3458A Specifications Sheet

A User’s Guide to Agilent 3458A Front Panel Operation

Short Cuts

Reading/Menu Display

Function/Range Keys

• Alphanumeric Reading, Units, and Functions

• Command Menu

• Status Annunciators

• MORE INFO (additional information viewable with )

A 5-Minute Tutorial of Front Panel Operation

Example 1: Making a measurement with any function after turning
on the Agilent 3458A. The ACV function serves as a typical example

of the immediate execute keys found in the Function/Range key
group. Connect the appropriate signal to the input terminals and
press the keys shown.

Command Key Group Key Sequence

ACV

ACV

ACV Function/R ange

(Any other function key in the Function/Range Key Group acts
similarly; the Agilent 3458A changes function, automatically
ranges, and begins measurements.)

RESET Function/Range

(RESET returns the Agilent 3458A to the powered-on state.)

Example 2: Making a precision Vdc measurement on the 10 V range.

Command Key Group Key Sequence

RESET Function/Range

DCV Function/Range

10 V Range Function/Range

(The and keys are
displayed: in this case, XX.XXXXX V DC (X is any number).
Leading zeros are always displayed for easy range identifica­tion.)

NPLC 100 Menu

(Measurement will take about 3 seconds.)

NDIG 8 Function/Range

(Sets the display to 8 1/2 digits.)

pressed until the desired range is

Numeric/User

Menu
Numeric/User

ACVACV

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Reset

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Reset

DCV

DCV

DCVDCV

or

NPLC

NPLC

NPLCNPLC

1 0 0

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

N

Enter

8

Enter

Menu Keys

• Immediate Execute Function Keys

• MAnual Range and Menu

•Display Window

• GPIB Bus Address

The shifted Menu Keys allow alphabetic access to all
Agilent 3458A commands and command parameters. The com­mands and command parameters are scrolled from A to Z by using

the Menu Scroll keys ( and ) found in the Function/Range
keys. Command parameters are accessed by using the Display/

Window keys and , also found in the Function/Range
keys, after the command is located.

Example 3: Making a very precise Vac measurement using the Syn­chronous ACV measurement function. (At power-on, the Agilent

3458A is set to the generally more useful Analog ACV measurement
function if you select ACV, but you should use Synchronous ACV for
very precise measurements of periodic waveforms.)

Command Key Group Key Sequence

RESET Function/Range
ACV Function/Range
SETACV SYNC Function/Range

Menu S
Function/Range

Numeric/User

(The MORE INFO annunciator should be illuminated. The MORE
INFO annunciator indicates that some part of the measurement
configuration is in a non-standard state. To view this information

press . Your display should show SETACV SYNC. Now press

• Commonly Used Commands

• Shifted Alphabetic Entry Points
into Command Menu

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Reset

ACV

ACV

ACVACV

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Enter

again; the display is returned to the measurement state.)

(blue)

RES .002 Function/Range

Menu R
Function/Range

Numeric/User

(The RES command sets the % resolution of the measurement. A
function change causes RES to default to RES .01 (0.01%) with
reading rate of 1 per 3 s.)

LFILTER ON Function/Range

Menu L
Function/Range

Numeric/User

(Suggested for inputs with frequencies below 50kHz.)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

. 0 0 2

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Enter

Enter

Numeric/User Keys

• 10-Key Pad for Numeric Entry

• Deep RECALL buffer of Executed Commands

• MENU type selection

• 10 Battery Backed Up User Definable Keys F0-F9

Auto-Calibration (ACAL)

The Agilent 3458A Auto-Calibration (ACAL) function removes measurement
errors caused by component temperature and time drift. For maximum
accuracy, ACAL should be performed every 24 hours. For example, addi­tional Vdc volts gain errors due to temperature changes are reduced from

°C to 0.15 ppm/°C (over 6:1) using ACAL. In ACV volts, additional

1 ppm/
gain error due to temperature changes are reduced from 30 ppm/
than 1 ppm/

°C (over 30:1) using ACAL. The time to perform a complete

ACAL is about 12 minutes. ACAL ACV takes about 1 minute, ACAL DCV
takes about 2 minutes, and ACAL OHM takes about 9 minutes. For monitor­ing temperature changes, the Agilent 3458A provides the TEMP? command
(found in the command Menu) to measure the internal instrument tempera­ture. Refer to the User’s Guide for more details. ACAL keystroke sequence.

Auto

Auto

AutoAuto

Cal

Cal

CalCal

, 3 4 5 8

Enter

Configuration for Highly Accurate Measurements

with the Agilent 3458A

(You should perform an ACAL every 24 hours for the appropriate function after the
Agilent 3458A has been powered-on and in a stable temperature environment for a minimum
of four hours.)

Function Comment Key Sequence

____________________________DCV____________________________

RESET Power-on state (VDC)

NPLC 200

Integration Time

(1)

NDIG 8 8 1/2 Digits

____________________________ACV____________________________

RESET Power-on state

ACV Function Vac

SETACV SYNC Synchronous AC

RES .002 Max AC Reading Res.

LFILTER ON

Internal LP Filter

(2)

__________________________OHMS____________________________

RESET Power-on state

OHMF Function Four-Wire Ohms

OCOMP ON

DELAY 1

NPLC 200

1. Longer integration times reduce measurement noise and increase measurement resolution.

2. Recommended for frequencies less than 50kHz.

3. OCOMP ON turns on the offset compensation feature of the Agilent 3458A. OCOMP ON min­imizes the effect of any thermally generated offset voltage from creating errors in resistance
measurements.

4. Adds 1 s settling delay to reduce effects of dielectric absorption errors of cabling and the
resistor under test

For R <= 100 kOhms

Adds 1 s delay

(4)

Integration Time

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

NPLC

NPLC 2 0 0

NPLCNPLC

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

ACV

ACV

ACVACV

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Offset

Offset

OffsetOffset

(3)

Comp

Comp

CompComp

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

NPLC

NPLC 2 0 0

NPLCNPLC

Reset

Enter

8

N

Reset

S

. 0 0 2

R

L

Reset

OHMF

Enter

9

C

1

°C to less

Enter

Enter

Enter

Enter

Enter

Enter

Store and Recall Instrument Setups

Store and Recall can significantly reduce the number of keystrokes neces­sary for a complex configuration. Simply pressing , pressing a Numeric
Key X (0-127) and pressing , stores the state of the Agilent 3458A as a
state to recall by pressing X. Shipped with the Agilent 3458A is a small

Recall

Recall

RecallRecall
State

State

StateState

Enter

Store

Store

StoreSt ore
State

State

StateSta te

plastic overlay that fits on key 5 to document your User Key and Stored
State definitions. Use Example 3 and perform the following:

Command Key Group Key Sequence

Store

Store

SSTATE 1 Menu

Numeric/User

StoreSt ore
State

State

StateSta te

Enter

1

(Stores the Agilent 3458A’s state in stored state 1.)

(blue)

RESET Function/Range

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Reset

(RESET returns the Agilent 3458A to the powered-on state.)

Recall

Recall

RSTATE 1 Menu

Numeric/User

RecallRecall

State

State

StateState

Enter

1

(Returns the Agilent 3458A to stored state 1.)

User Definable Keys

In addition to the State Store and Recall commands, you can also define any
of the User keys, F0-F9, in the Numeric/User Key Group to be any string of
commands.

Let's use Example 3 one more time to show how this feature works.

Command Key Sequence

DEFKEY DEFAULT

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Def Key

(Clears all previously defined User Definable keys.)

DEFKEY F0,

"

0

(Ready to accept commands.)

FUNC ACV

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

E (three times)

(The delimiter used to separate commands is " ; ".
The delimiter used to separate parameters is " , ".)

SETACV SYNC
RES .002
LFILTER ON

DEFKEY F1,
MATH NULL

"

(blue)

(blue) (blue)

(blue)(blue)

S

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

R

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

L

1

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

L (four times)

(MATH NULL displays the difference between the first and subse­quent measurements.)

Now Use It!

Enter

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

f0

Enter

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

f1

(Note the MATH annunciator is turned on.)

Command Recall Buffer Operation

The command recall buffer recalls previously entered commands. If you
have performed the sequence in the User Definable Keys you can expect to
have the results listed below.

Enter

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Enter

(blue)(blue)

;

(four times)

. 0 0 2

(eight times)

;

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

;

Enter

Command Key Group Key Sequence

RECALL Function/Range

Numeric/User Recall

(MATH NULL should appear in the Display.)

The MENU Command

To access the commands alphabetically, you use the Menu Keys. As the
Agilent 3458A is shipped, only the most commonly used commands are
available in this "SHORT" menu. To access all the commands, you have to use
the Menu Key with the "FULL' parameter.

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Command Key Group Key Sequence

MENU FULL Function/Range

Numeric/User Menu
Function/Range

Numeric/User

(blue)

(blue)

(blue)(blue)

Enter

*03458-90007*

03458-90007