Agilent 53131A/132A
225 MHz Universal Counter
Operating Guide
Manual Part Number 53131-90055
Printed in M alaysia
Agilent 53131A /132A
225 MHz Universal Counter
Operating Guide
This guide describes how to use the Agilent 53131A/132A 225 MHz Universal
Counter.
Agilent 53131A/132A 225 MHz
Universal Counter
Copyright Agilent Technologies
W
C
W
Inc., 1 993, 1996, 1998, 1999
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction,
adaptation, or translations without
prior written permission is
prohibited, except as all owed under
the copyright laws.
Printed: October 1999
Printed in Malaysia
Manual part number
53131-90055
Certification
and Warranty
Certification
Agilent Technologies certifies that
this product met its published
specification at the time of shipment
from the factory. Agilent
Technologies further certifies that its
calibration measurements are
traceable to the United States
National Institute of Standards and
Technology (formerly National
Bureau of Standards), to the extent
allowed by the Institute’s calibration
facility, and to the calibration
facilities of other International
Standards Organizat ion members.
Warranty
Agile nt warrants Agilenthardware,
accessories and supplies against
defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of one
year from date of shipment. If
Agilent receives notice of such
defect s during the warran ty period,
Agilent will, at its option, either
repair or re pl ac e pr od u cts which
prove to be defective. Replacement
products may be either new or likenew.
Agilent warrants that Agilent
software will not fail to execute its
programming instructions, for the
period specified above, due to
defects in material and workmanship
when properly installed and used. If
Agilent receives notice of such
defect s during the warran ty period,
Agilent will replace software media
which does not execute its
programming instructions due to
such defects.
For detailed warranty information,
see back matter.
Safety Con siderations
General
This product and related
documentation must be reviewed for
familiarization with this safety
markings and instructions before
operation.
Before Cleaning
Disc on ne ct t he product fr o m
operating power before cleaning.
Warning Symbols That May Be
Used In This Book
Instruction manual symbol; the
product will be marked with this
symbol when it is necessary for the
user to refer to the instruction
manual.
Indicates hazardous voltages.
Indicates earth (ground) terminal.
or
Indicates terminal is connected to
chassis when such connection is not
apparent.
Indicates Alternating current.
Indicates Direct current.
Safety Considerations (contd)
ARNING
BODILY INJUR Y OR DEATH
MAY RESULT FROM
FAILURE TO HEED A
WARNING. DO NOT
PROCEED BEYOND A
WARNING UNTIL THE
INDICATED CONDITIONS
ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD
AND MET.
AUTION
Damage to equipment, or in correct
measurement data, may result
from failure to heed a caution. Do
not proceed beyond a CAUTION
until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.
Safety Earth Ground
An uninterruptible safety earth
ground must be maintained from the
mains power source to the product’s
ground circuitry.
ARNING
WHEN MEASURING POWER
LINE SIGNALS, BE
EXTREMELY CAREFUL AND
ALWAYS USE A
STEP-DOWN ISOLATION
TRANSFORMER WHICH
OUTPUT IS COMPATIBLE
WITH THE INPUT
MEASUREMENT
CAPABILITIES OF THIS
PRODUCT. THIS PRODUCT’S
FRONT AND REAR PANELS
ARE TYPCIALLY AT EARTH
GROUND. THUS, NEVER TRY
TO MEASURE AC POWER
LINE SIGNALS WITHOUT AN
ISOLATION TRANSFORMER.
Agilent Technologies, Inc 7.NC.NL.A.11.03.97.R1.P.CW6FC
815 S.W. 14th Street
Loveland, Colorado U.S.A.
Warranty (contd)
Agilent does not warrant that the
operation of Agilent products will be
uninterrupted or error free. If Agilent
is unable, within a reasonable time,
to repai r or replace any product to a
condition as warranted, customer
will be entitled to a refund of the
purchase price upon prompt return of
the prod u ct .
Agilent products may contain
remanufactured parts equivalent to
new in per formance or may have
been subjected to incidental use.
The warranty per iod begins on the
date of delivery or on the date of
installation if installed by Agilent. If
customer schedules or delays Agilent
installation more than 30 days after
delive ry, warranty begins on the 31st
day from delivery.
Warranty does not apply to defects
resul ting from (a) improper or
inadequate maintenance or
calibration, (b) software, interfacing,
parts or supplie s not supplie d by
Agilent, (c) unauthorized
modifi cati on or misus e, (d) operation
outside of the published
environmental specifications for the
product, or (e)improper sit e
prepar at i o n or ma intenan ce.
TO THE EXTENT ALL O WED BY
LOCAL LAW, THE ABOVE
WARRANTIES ARE EXCLUSIVE
AND NO OTHER WARRANTY OR
CONDITION, WHETHER
WRITTEN OR ORAL, IS
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AND
AGILENT SPECIFICALLY
DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS
OF MERCHANTABILITY,
SATISF ACTORY QUALITY, AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.
Agilent will be liable for damage to
tangible property per incident up to
the greater of $300,000 or the actual
amount paid for the product that is
the subject of the claim, and for
damages for bodily injury or death,
to the extent that all such damages
are determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction to have been
directly caused by a defective
Agile nt product.
TO THE EXTEN T AL LO WED BY
LOCAL LAW, THE REMEDIES IN
THIS WARRA N TY STAT EMEN T
ARE CUSTOMER’S SOLE AND
EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES.
EXCEPT AS I NDICATED ABOVE,
IN NO EVENT WILL AGILENT
OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE
FOR LOSS OF DA TA OR FOR
DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL (INCLUDING
LOST PROFIT OR DATA), OR
OTHER DAMAGE, WHETHER
BASED IN CONTRACT , TORT, OR
OTHERWISE.
For consumer transactions in
Australia and New Zealand: the
warranty terms contained in this
statement, except to the extent
lawfully permitted, do not exclude,
restrict or modify and are in addition
to the ma ndatory statutory rights
applicable to the sale of this product
to you.
Assistance
Product maintenance agreemen ts and
other customer assistance agreem ents
are available for Agilent
Technologies products.
For any assistance, contact your
nearest Agilent Technologies Sales
and Service Office.
Safety Considerations (contd)
WARNING
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
ADJUSTMENTS WHILE
COVERS ARE REMOVED
AND FOR SERVICING ARE
FOR USE BY SERVICETRAINED PERSONNEL
ONLY. TO AVOID
DANGEROUS ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT PERFORM
SUCH ADJUSTMENTS OR
SERVICING UNLESS
QUALIFIED TO DO SO.
WARNING
ANY INTERRUPTION OF THE
PROTECTIVE GROUNDING
CONDUCTOR (INSIDE OR
OUTSIDE THE PRODUCT'S
CIRCUITRY) OR
DISCONNECTING THE
PROTEC TIVE EARTH
TERMINAL WILL CAUSE
A POTENTIAL SHOCK
HAZARD THAT COULD
RESULT IN PERSONAL
INJURY. (GROUNDING ONE
CONDUCTOR OF A TWO
CONDUCTOR OUTLET IS
NOT SUFFICIENT
PROTECTION.)
Whenever it is likely that the
prote ct i o n ha s be e n impa i r e d , th e
instrument must be ma de inoperative
and be secured against any
unintended operation.
If this instrument is to be energized
via an autotransformer (for voltage
reduction) make sure the common
terminal is connected to the earthed
pole terminal (neutral) of the power
source.
Instructi ons for adjustments while
covers are removed and for servicing
are for us e by tra ined- pe r sonn el only.
To avoid dangerous electric sho ck,
do not per f orm such adjustments or
servici ng unless qualified to do so.
For conti nue d pro te cti on ag ain st fire ,
replace the line fuse(s) of the same
current rating and type (for example,
normal blow , time delay). D o not use
repaired fuses or short circuited
fuseholders.
Acoustic Noise Emissions
LpA<47 dB at operator position, at
normal operation, tested per
EN 27779. All data are the results
from type test.
Geräuschemission
LpA<47 dB am Arbeits
platz, normaler Betrieb, geprüft n ach
EN 27779.
Die Angagen beruh e n auf
Ergebnissen von Typenprüfungen.
7.NL.A.11.03.97.R1.P.CW6BC
I
I
II
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and CEN/CENELEC EN 45014
Manufacturer’s Name:
Manufacturer’s Address:
Declares, that the product
Product Name:
Model Number:
Product Options: This declaration covers all options of the above product.
Conforms with the following European Directives:
The product herewith complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC and the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC
(including 93/68/EEC) and carries the CE Marking accordingly.
EMC Standard
IEC 61326-1:1997+A1:1998 / EN 61326-1:1997+A1:1998
CISPR 11:1990 / EN 55011:1991
IEC 61000-4-2:1995+A1:1998 / EN 61000-4-2:1995
IEC 61000-4-3:1995 / EN 61000-4-3:1995
IEC 61000-4-4:1995 / EN 61000-4-4:1995
IEC 61000-4-5:1995 / EN 61000-4-5:1995
IEC 61000-4-6:1996 / EN 61000-4-6:1996
IEC 61000-4-11:1994 / EN 61000-4-11:1994
Canada: ICES-001:1998
Australia/New Zealand: AS/NZS 2064.1
Agilent Technologies, Incorporated
Santa Clara Site
5301 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clara, California 95051
Universal Counter Frequency Counter
53131A, 53132A 53181A
Limit
Group 1 Class A
4kV CD, 8kV AD
3 V/m, 80-1000 MHz
0.5kV signal lines, 1kV power lines
0.5 kV line-line, 1 kV line-ground
3V, 0.15-80 MHz I cycle, 100%
[1]
Safety
Supplemental Information:
[1]
The product was tested in a typical configuration with Agilent Technologies test systems.
Authorized EU-representative: Agilent Technologies Deutschland GmbH, Herrenberger Stra
IEC 61010-1:1990+A1:1992+A2:1995 / EN 61010-1:1993+A2:1995
Canada: CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1:1992
July 31, 2001
Date Art Nanawa, Product Regulations Manager
For further information, please contact your local Agilent Technologies sales office, agent or distributor.
β
e 130, D 71034 Böblingen, Germany
Contents
In Thi s Guide
Contents and Organization xii
Related Documents xiii
Types of Service Available if Your Instrument Fails xiv
Standard Repair Services (Worldwide) xiv
Express Repair/Perf ormance Calibration Service
(USA Only) xiv
Assembly -Lev e l Se rv ice G uid e xiv
Repackaging for Shipment xv
Description of the 225 MHz Universal Counter xvi
Options xviii
Hardware xviii
Support xviii
Accessor ie s Supplied and Available xix
Accessories Supplied xix
Accessories Available xix
Supplied Manuals xix
Differences Between Prior and Current Revisions of the Agilent
53131A/132A xx
Agilent 53131A Containing Firmware Revisions (3317, 3335, or
3402) xx
Agilent 53132A Time Interval Delay Arming xxii
Calibrations xxi
Measurements xxi
Statistics xxii
GPIB Commands xxii
Ope rati ng Guide iii
Contents
Agilent 53131A/132A Quick Reference Guide xxiii
1 Getti ng S tarted
The Front Panel at a Glance 1-2
The Front Panel Indicators at a Glance 1-3
The Front Panel Indicators at a Glance (Cont.) 1-4
The Front Panel Menus at a Glance 1-5
The Front Panel Menus at a Glance (Cont.) 1-6
The Front Panel Menus at a Glance (Cont.) 1-7
The Front Panel Menus at a Glance (Cont.) 1-8
The Display Annunciators at a Glance 1-9
The Display Special Character at a Glance 1-10
The Limit Test Graph Characters at a Glance 1-10
The Rear Panel at a Glance 1-11
Making Measurements 1-12
To Measure Frequency 1-13
T o Select Input Coupling and Impedance 1-15
Selecting Input Coupling 1-15
Selecting Input Impedance 1-16
To Set Input Channel Tr igger Level/Sensitivity 1-17
Changing Trigger Mode 1-17
Modifying Input Tr igger Level 1- 17
Selecting Input Trigger Slope 1-18
Selecting Input Sensitivity 1-19
Starting the Measurement 1-19
To Select Scale an d Offset 1-19
Entering th e Scale Value 1-20
Entering the Offset Value 1-21
Displaying the Math Results 1-22
Disabling Math 1-22
To Set Limits of Measurements 1-23
Setting the Upper Limit 1-24
Setting the Lower Limit 1-26
iv Operating Guide
Contents
Setting the Count er to Flag and Stop Measuring On Out-of-Limit
Measurements 1-28
Setting the Counter to Flag On Limits But Continue
Measuring 1-29
Disabling Limit Testing 1-30
Disabling Math 1-30
T o Perform Statistics on Measurements 1-31
Selecting the Type of Sta tistics (Stats) 1-31
Computing Stats on Filtered Data Only 1-32
Displaying Stats After Filtering Data of Input Signal 1-34
Disabling Stats and Math 1-35
To Control Measurement 1-36
2 Oper a ting You r Un iversa l C ounter
Introduction 2-2
Chapter Sum mary 2-2
Where to Find Some Key W orking Examples 2-3
How this Cou nt er Works for You 2-4
Using the Measurement Control K eys (Run and Stop/Single) 2-5
Overview of the Measurement Control Keys 2-5
To Use the Measu re men t Co n tro l Key s 2-6
Using Entry/Select (Arrow) Keys 2-8
To Use During Numeric Entry 2-8
T o Use When Sequencing Thro ugh the Measurement Funct ion Menus
(Freq & Ratio, Time & Period, Other Meas) and the Recall
Menu 2-8
To Use During State Ch a ngi ng (O N/OFF, LO/MED/ HI, et c. ) 2-9
T o Use on Prompted Event Messages (SET OFFSET ?, CAL: OFFS
n ?, TEST: ALL?, etc.) 2 -9
To Use on Prompted Help Messages (MATH HELP ?, PRINT HELP
?) 2-9
Using the MEASURE Menu Keys 2-10
Overview of the MEASURE Menus 2-10
Ope rati ng Guide v
Contents
To Measure Frequency 2-11
To Measure Frequency Ratio 2-12
To Measure Time Inte rval 2-13
To Measure Period 2-13
To Measure Ris e/ F all Times 2-13
To Measure Positive/Negative Pulse Widths 2-14
To Measure Du t y Cyc le 2-14
To Make Totalize Measurem ent s 2-14
To Make Phase Measurement s 2-15
To Measure Pos it ive/ Negative Vol ta ge Peak s 2-15
Using the Gate & External Arm Menu Key 2-16
Overview of Gate/External Ar ming Functions 2-16
Gate/External Arming Capa bilities 2-16
AUTO Arming 2-16
EXTERNAL Arming 2-17
TIME Arming 2-17
DIGITS Arming 2-17
Agilent 53131A (and Agilent 53132A With S/N Prefix Below
3646) Time Int erval DELAY Arming 2-17
Agilent 53132A (With S/N Prefix 3646 and Above) T ime Interval
DELAY Arming 2-20
To Use the Gate and External Arm 2-24
Example Procedure for Gate and External Arm 2-24
Example Procedure for Changing the Number of
Digits of Resolution Displayed for More
Precise Measurements 2-25
Using the MATH Menu Keys 2-27
Overview of Scale/Offset Math Menu 2-27
To Use the Scale/ O ffset Ma t h Men u 2-28
Example Procedure for Scale Function 2-28
Example Procedure for Of fset Function 2-29
Example Procedure for Turning Off Math Mode 2-30
vi Operating Guide
Contents
Example Procedure for Setting the Offset From
the Last Measurement Value 2-31
Overview of Stati stics (Stats) Menu 2-32
To Use the Stats Menu for Automatic and Continuous Statistical
Analysis 2-33
Example Procedure for Computing S tats 2-33
Example Procedure for Easy Viewing of Stats 2-34
Example Procedure for Filt ering Data (Using Limits) During
Stats 2-35
Example Procedure for Configur ing SINGLE to Initiate
N Measurements 2-36
Example Procedure for Turning Off Stats Mode 2-36
Using the LIMITS Menu Keys 2-37
Overview of Limits Menus 2-37
To Set and Use Au t o m atic L imit Testin g 2-38
Limits Testing Example 1—Flag and Stop Measuring
On Limits 2-38
Limits Testing Example 2—Flag On Limits but
Continue Measuring 2-40
Limits Testing Example 3—Use Analog Gra ph Display While
Adjusting Input Signal 2-40
Limits Testing Example 4—Selecting Filtering Conditions of
Stats Computation 2-42
Limits Testing Example 5—Sending the Limit-Detect Output to
the RS-232 Serial Port 2-43
Using CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2 Input
Conditioning Keys 2-44
Overview of Trigger/Sensitivity Menu 2-44
To Use the Trigger/Sensitivity Keys to Adjust Counter’s Triggering
Level 2-48
Example Procedure for Setting Trigger Voltage and Sensitivity
Levels 2-48
Example Procedure for Using Common 1 to Make Time Interval
(TI) Measurements on a Single Signal 2-51
Ope rati ng Guide vii
Contents
Overview of Input Conditioni ng Toggle Keys 2-51
Using the Save and Recall Menus 2-52
Overview of Save and Recall Functions 2-52
To Use the Save Function 2-53
To Use the Recall Function 2-54
To Unsave a Mea s urement Setup 2-55
Using the Pri nt Menu 2-56
Overview of the Print Menu 2-56
To Use the Print Men u 2-56
Using the Utility Menu 2-57
Overview of the Utility Menu 2-57
To Set the GPIB Ad d ress 2-58
Selecting Operating Mode (Talk/Listen, Talk-Only) 2-58
Setting the GPIB Address 2-58
To Choose the Timebase Source 2-59
To Run the Self-Test Routines 2-59
Overview of the Self-Test Routines 2-59
Example Procedure for Running the Self Test 2-61
To Configure the RS-232 Serial Port for Printing 2-61
Setting the Hardware Pacing 2-62
Setting the Baud Rate 2-62
Setting the Parity 2-63
Setting the Software Pace 2-63
To Configure the RS-232 Serial Port for Sending Limit-Detect
Output 2-64
T o Select the Numerical Convention for the Display 2-65
T o Connect the Counter to a Serial Print er via the RS-232 Port 2-65
T o Connect the Counter to a Printer via GPIB 2-66
T o Select the GPIB Talk-Only Mode for Printing 2-66
Using the Calibration Menu 2-67
Overview of the Calibration Menu 2-67
To View the Calibration Menu and Security Status 2-68
viii Operating Guide
Contents
To Unsecure for Calibration 2-68
T o Initiate the Calibration Routines 2-69
To Secure Agai n st Ca lib ra tio n 2-71
T o Change to a New Security Code 2-72
To View the Calibration Count 2-72
T o Get Help With the Calibration Menu 2-72
Front Panel Display Message s 2-7 3
Measurement Result Displa ys 2-73
Power-Up/Self Test Messages 2-74
Menu Messages 2-75
GPIB Messages 2-77
Preset Values After Power-Up and *RST 2-78
Agilent 53131A (and Agilent 53132A With S/N Prefix Below 3646)
Preset Values for Functions Accessibl e Via Front Panel or
GPIB 2-79
Agilent 53132A (With S/N Prefix 3646 and Above) Preset Values for
Functions Accessible Via Front Panel or GPIB 2-85
Preset Values for Functions Accessibl e Via GPIB Only 2-91
Summary of the Measurement Sequence 2-93
Common Qu es ti ons 2-94
Why is Stats result not avai lable yet? 2-94
Why won’t printer work? 2-94
Why did Counter stop measuring? 2-94
Why did Counter go to its default state aft er I set up my RS-232
port? 2-94
Counter’s numeric display does not follow the numerical conven tion
for my country. 2-94
How do I display the 13th digit in my numerical result? 2-94
3 Specifications
Introduction 3-2
Instrument Inputs 3-2
Instrument Inputs (Continued) 3-3
Ope rati ng Guide ix
Index
Contents
Time Base 3-4
Measurement Specifications 3-5
Measurement Specific ations (Continued) 3-6
Measurement Definitions 3-12
Measurement Definitions (Continued) 3-13
Measurement Arming and Processi ng 3-14
Measurement Arming and Processi ng (Continued) 3-15
General Information 3-16
x Operating Guide
In This Guide
This book is the oper ating guide for the Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A
225 MHz Universal Counters. It cons ists of a table of contents, this preface, a quick
reference guide, three chapters, and an index.
This preface contains the following information:
• Contents and Or ganization page xii
• Related Documents page xiii
• Types of Service Available if Your Instrument Fails page xiv
• Repackaging for Shipment page xv
• Description of the 225 MHz Universal Counter page xvi
• Options page xviii
• Accessories Supplied and Available page xix
– Supplied Manuals page xix
• Differences Between Prior and Current Revisions of the
Agilent 53131A/132A
Ope rati ng Guide xi
page xx
In This Guide
Cont en t s and Organization
Table of Contents
The Quick Reference Guide consists of a Menu Tree (cut-out sheet) that serves as a
device to trigg er your memory or get you quickly reacquainted with the instrume nt,
and Menu Roadmaps that illustrate how to navigate through the menus. It is located
after this preface.
Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” is a quick start guide that giv es you a brief overvi ew of
the Counter’s keys, indicators, menus, displa y, and connectors. Last, a graphical
procedure for perfor ming a complete measurement is provide d.
Chapter 2, “Operating Y our Universal Counter,” is an operator’s refe rence. You are
given an overvi ew of e ach group of front-pan el ke ys, operating functions, and menus
followed by a series of exe r cises that guide you through the operation of the Count er.
Chapter 3, “Specifications,” lists the specif ications and characteri s tics of the Counter.
Index
xii Operating Gui de
In This Guide
Related Docum ents
For more information on universal counters refer to the following S eries 200
Application Notes:
• Fundamentals of El ectronic Frequency Counters
Application Note 200—Agilent part number 02-5952-7506.
• Fundamentals of Time Interval Measurements
Application Note 200-3—Agilent part number 02-5952-7561.
• Understanding Frequency Counter Specifications
Application Note 200-4—Agilent part number 02-5952-7522.
Operating Guide xiii
In This Guide
Types of Service Av ai la bl e if Your Instrument Fai ls
If your Agilent 53131A/132A fails within one year of original purchase,
Agilent will repair it free of charge. If your instrument fails a fter your one-year
warranty expires , Agilent will repair it, or you can repair it yourself by ordering the
service guide (Agilent part number 53131-90039).
There are three type s of repair services:
• Standa rd repa ir service—if downtime is not critical.
• Express Re pair/Performance Calibration Ser v ice—if downtime is critical.
• Order the Assembly-Level Service Guide and repair unit yourself.
Standard Repair Services (Worldwide)
Contact your nearest Agilent Technologies Service Center. They will arrange to have
your Agilent 53131A/132A Universal Counter repaired.
Express Repair/Performance Calibr ation Ser vice
(USA O nly)
If downtime is critical, you can receive your repaired Agilent 53131 A/132A via
overnight shipment. Just call 1-800-403-0801 and ask for Express
Repair/Performance Calibration Service. When your Counter is re paired, it will be
returned via ove rnight shipment.
Assembly-Level Service Guide
If your Agilent 53131A/132A 1-year warranty has expired and you choose to repair
the inst rume nt yourself or would like more details on self test and calibrat ion, refer to
the Agilent 53131A/132A Assembly-Level Service Guide, Agilent part num ber
53131-90039.
xiv Operating Guide
In This Guide
Repackaging for Shipment
For the Express Repa ir/ Performance Calibr ation Ser vic e descri bed above , retu rn your
failed Agilent 53131A/132A to the desi gnated Agilent Technologies Service Cen ter,
using the shipping carton of the instrument. Agilent will notify you when your failed
instrument has been received.
If the instrument is to be shipped to Agilent for service or repair, be sure you do the
following:
• Attach a tag to the ins trument identifyi ng the owner and indicatin g the re quired
service or repair. Include the instrument model number and full serial number.
• Place the instrument in its original container with appropriate packaging
material.
• Secure the container with strong tape or metal bands.
If the original ship ping contain er is not availa ble, place your unit in a cont ainer which
will ensure at least 4 inches of compressible packaging material around all sides of
the unit. Use static free packaging materials to avoid additional damage to your unit.
Agilent Technologies suggests that you always insure shipments.
Ope rati ng Guide xv
In This Guide
Description of the 225 MHz Universal Counter
The Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A are universal counters ca pable of
measuring frequencies to 225 MHz on Channels 1 and 2. With an optional Channel 3
Option 030, Option 050, or Option 124, this cap ability is extended to 3.0, 5.0, or
12.4 GHz, respectively.
For the Agilent 53131A, frequency and time interval resolutions are 10 digits in one
second and 500 picoseconds, respectively. The Agilent 53131A provides users with a
GPIB measuring spe ed of up to 200 measurements per second, and is suitable for
bench-top opera tion and lower-vo lume ATE operation. The frequency and time
interval resolutions for the Agilent 53132A are up to 12 digits in one second and 150
picoseconds, respectively. The Agilent 53132A provides users with exceptional
resolution, and is ideal for ATE systems operation.
The Agilent 53131A/132A basic measur ement functions incl ude Frequency, Period,
Pulse Width, Duty Cycle, Rise/Fall Time, Time Interval, Frequency Ratio, Totalize,
Phase, and Peak Voltag e. The Agilent 53131A/132A Counter has four armi ng modes:
auto, external, digitsand time. However, the Agilent 53132A with serial number
prefix 3646 and above has expanded arming capa bilities for Tim e Interval
measurements.
xvi Operating Guide
In This Guide
The Agilent 53131 A/132A include additional measurement func tions and features
that are designed specifically for manufacturing a nd service applications:
• 1, 5, 10 MHz external reference capability—to match cust omer’s house standard
(however, the Agilent 53132A’s external reference ca pability is 10 MHz only),
• optional ultra high, high, or mediu m stability oven osci llators for high accuracy
needs and le ng t h en ed ca li b r at io n cy cles,
• external gating,
• statistics,
• automatic limit testing,
• SCPI programming capability, and
• analog displ ay m ode limit testing
Programmable control is performed via an GPIB. The GPIB and a talk-onl y RS-232C
serial port are sta ndard for th e Agil ent 5313 1A and Agilent 53132A. The seria l port is
for printing measured and analyz ed data on serial printers, or for outputting an out-oflimit s i gnal.
Ope rati ng Guide xvii
In This Guide
Options
The options avai lable for the Agilent 53131 A/132A 225 MHz Universal Counter are
listed following this paragraph. Specifications for the options are listed in Chapter 3,
“Specifications.” If you’ve purchased an option with the initial order, it will be
installed at the factory and ready for operation at delivery. Refer to the “Retrofitting
Optio ns ” ch ap t er in th e A ss e m b ly - L ev el Se r v ic e G u ide for inst r u ct io n s on field
installa tion of the options.
NOTE The “0’s” and “1’s” in the foll owing option numbers are numeric characters (that is,
they are not lett e rs).
Hardware
• Medium Stabi lity Oven Timebase, Option 001
• DC Power Input, Option 002
• High Stabi lity Oven Time bas e, Option 010
• Ultra-High Stability Oven Timebase, Option 012 (Agilent 53132A only)
• 3.0 GHz RF Input Channel (Channel 3), Option 030
• 5.0 GHz RF Input Channel (Channel 3), Option 050
• 12.4 GHz RF Input Channel (Channel 3), Option 124
• Rear Terminal s
• Rack Mount Kit, Opti on 1CM. Also available under Agilent part number 5062-
9240.
• Lock-Link Kit (side-by-side) ava ilable under Agilent part number 5061-9694.
Also requires Flange Kit, part number 5062-3974.
1
, Option 060
Support
• 5-year Return to Agilent for Repair, Option W50
• 5-year Return to Agilent for Calibra tion, Option W52
1
The two standard input channels (1 and 2) will have both front and rear terminals. Option 030 Channel 3 will
have a rear terminal only. Option 050 and Option 124 Channel 3 will have a front terminal only.
xviii Operating Guide
In This Guide
Accessori es Supplied and Availabl e
Accessories Supplied
• Power co r d , 2. 3 meters
Accessories Available
• Agilent 34161A Accessory Pouch
• Agilent 34131A Transit Case
• Printer RS-232 Interface cables, Agilent 24542G or Agilent 24542H
• GPIB cables, Agilent 10833A/B/ C/D
Supplied Manuals
• Agilent 53131A/132A Operating Guide—this guide
(Agilent P/N 53131-90055)
• Agilent 53131A/132A Programming Guide
(Agilent P/N 53131-90044)
• Agilent 53131A/132A Assembly-Level Service Guide
(Agilent P/N 53131-90039)
Operating Guide xix
In This Guide
Differences Betw ee n Pri or and Current Revisions of
the Agilent 53131A/132 A
If you have an Agilent 53131A containing one of the pri or firmware revisions (3317,
3335, or 3402), read th e su bsection below titled “Agilent 53131A Containing
Firmware Revisions (3317, 3335, or 3402)” to get an overview of the differenc es
between the earlier firmware revisions and current firmware revision.
If you have an Agilent 53132A with a serial number prefix below 3646, read the
subsection titled “Agilent 53132A Time Interval Delay Arming” on page xxii.
NOTE Note that throughout the guide, differences between the earlier and c urrent firmware
revisions are noted where applicable.
Agilent 53131A Containing Firmware Revisions (3317, 3335, or
3402)
There ar e four main areas that differ:
• Calibrations
•Measurements
• Statistics
• GPIB Commands
xx Operating Guide
In This Guide
Calibrations
If your Counter contains other than the current firmwar e rev is ion, the following
calibr at io n fe at u re s ar e d iffe r en t:
• The calibrati on funct ions ar e in the Util ity menu ins tead of the Calibra tion menu,
which is accessed by pressing and holding the front-panel Utility key and the n
cycling POWER key.
• Calibrations are not protected by a security code.
• A calibration count does not exist to aid in monitoring the number of calibrations
performed.
• A more accurate Time Interva l ca libration (FINE TI) is not available.
See the section titled “Using the Calibration Menu” in Chapter 2 of the
Agilent 53131A/132A Operating Guide for details.
Measurements
If your Counter contains other than the current firmwar e rev is ion, the following
measurement capabilities are different :
• Ratio channel se lections Rati o 2 to 1 and Rat io 3 to 1 (for thos e counters
equipped with Channel 3) are not available.
• Ratio “AUTO-arm ed” does not automatically extends gate to capture suffic ient
edges.
If Channel 1 input frequency is less than appro ximately 10 Hz, the Ratio gate
time is not extended to capture sufficient Channel 1 edges to produce a valid
measurement. Default gate ti me is 100 m sec, whic h is not long enoug h to ca pture
two edges on a low-frequency signal. The user is required to extend the gate by
switching to TI ME arming, and selecting a gate time appropriatel y long.
• Sensitivity for firmware revision below does not have adjusted controls to LO
and MED sensitivity.
In some Counters that contained firmware revis ion 3317, LO sensitivity fails to
correctly count very high frequency signals.
Ope rati ng Guide xxi
In This Guide
Statistics
If your Counter contains other than the current firmware rev is ions, single-shot
statistics are not available using the ON SINGLE: menu item found in the Statistics
menu (use Stats key).
GPIB Commands
[:SENSe]:EVENt[1|2}:HYSTeresis:RELative
If your Counter contains firmware revisions 3402 and bel ow, the input hysteresis
command and query does not operate in the conventi onal way . That is,
[:SENSe]:EVENt[1|2]:HYSTeresis:RE Lative sets high sensitivity when the
parameter is MINimum or 0 percent, and sets low sensitivity when the parameter is
MAXimum or 100 per c e nt.
In the prior firmware revisions (3317, 3335, or 3402), MINimum or 0 percent
corresponded to low sensitivity, and MAXimum or 100 percent corres ponded to high
sensitivity.
:CONFigure:TOTalize:TIMed
:CONFigure:TOTalize:CONTinuous
:MEASure:TOTalize:TIMed?
If your Counter contains firmware revisions 3402 and bel ow, the Tota lize
Measurement Instruction commands (shown above) are not available to disable autotrigger.
In the firmware revision s 3402 and below, these commands enabled auto-t rigger at
the 50% level.
Agilent 53132A Time Interval Delay Arming
Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A Counters with a serial number prefix below
3646 are identic al in their TI arming modes. Both only offer Time Interval Delay,
where the STOP trigger of a time interval measurement can be delayed by a
user-specified time.
xxii Operating Gui de
Agilent 53131A/132A Quick Reference Guide
The Quick Reference Guide is des igned for experienced users of the
Agilent 53131A/132A Universal Counter. It is intended to be used as a tool to trigger
your memory. If you are using the Agilent 53131A/132A for the first time, Agilent
Technologies recommends that you at least read Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” in the
Operating Guide first.
The Quick Reference Guide f ollows this page, and consi sts of the following items:
• Menu Trees which may be torn out of the guide for external use (page s 1, 2, 3a,
and 3b).
• Menu Roadmaps which illustrate via key-press sequences how to navigate
through the menus under the menu keys (pages 4 through 11). Key-press
sequences are provided for the following menu keys:
– Freq & Ratio
– Time & Period
–Other Meas
–Gate & ExtArm
– Uppr & Lower
– Limit Mod es
– Scale & Offset
–Stats
– Trigger/Sensitivity
Ope rati ng Guide xxiii
xxiv Operating Guide
Agilent 53131A/132A
Universal Counter
1
Freq &
Ratio
FREQUENCY 1
FREQUENCY 2
FREQUENCY 3
RATI O 1 TO 2
RATI O 1 TO 3
RATI O 2 TO 1
RATI O 3 TO 1
Uppr &
Lower
UPPR: 0.000000
LOWR: 0.000000
Time &
Period
T I 1 TO 2
PERIOD 1
RISETIME
FALLTIME
POS WIDTH 1
NEG WIDTH 1
Limit
Modes
LIM TEST: OFF
LIM TEST: ON
ON FAIL:GO ON
ON FAIL:
STOP
SHOW: NUMBER
GRAPH
SHOW:
1
1
Scale &
Offset
SCALE:1.000000
OFFS: 0.000000
SET OFFSET ?
MATH: OFF
MATH: ON
MATH HELP?
Other
Meas
T O T A L I Z E 1
PHASE 1 TO 2
DUTYCYCLE 1
VOLT PEAKS 1
VOLT PEAKS 2
Stats
SHOW: MEAS
SHOW: STD DEV
SHOW:
MEAN
SHOW:
MAX
SHOW:
MIN
N: 100
STATS: OFF
STATS: ON
USE: ALL MEAS
LIMIT
USE: IN
ON SINGLE: 1
ON SINGLE: N
(Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A)
Agilent
53131A/132A
Universal Counter
2
Recall
NO REGISTERS
RECALL 0
RECALL 1
RECALL 2
RECALL 3
RECALL 4
RECALL 5
RECALL 20
50Ω
1MΩ
CH 1: 50 OHM
CH 1: 1M OHM
Save &
Print
SAVE:
UNSAVE:
PRINT: OFF
PRINT: ON
PRINT HELP?
DC
AC
CH 1: DC
CH 1: AC
Trigger
Sensitivity
AUTO TRG: ON AUTO TRG: OFF
LEVEL: 50 PCT
SLOPE: POS
SLOPE: NEG
SENSTVTY: HI
SENSTVTY: LO
SENSTVTY:MED
COMMON 1: OFF
COMMON 1: ON
X10
Attenuate
CH 1: X10 ATT
CH 1: X1 ATT
LEVEL: 0.000V
SLOPE: POS
SLOPE: NEG
SENSTVTY: HI
SENSTVTY: LO
SENSTVTY:MED
COMMON 1: OFF
COMMON 1: ON
100kHz
Filter
CH 1:
LP FILT
CH 1:
NO FILT
(Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A)
Agilent 53131A and
Agilent 53132A
3a
Universal Counter
(Serial Number Prefix below 3646)
Gate &
ExtArm
Time &
Period
T I 1 TO 2
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Gate &
ExtArm
ARM: AUTO
DELAY : NONE
DELAY : TIME
T IME : .01000
GATE:
TIME
TIME: .100 s
ARM : EXTERNL
SLOPE : POS
DELAY: NONE
GATE: AUTO
SLOPE : NEG
DELAY: TIME
TIME : .01000
GATE: EXTERNL
START: POS
START: NEG
STOP: AUTO
STOP: NEG
STOP: POS
STOP: TIME
TIME: .100 s
GATE: DIGITS
DIGITS: 4
(Agilent 53131A and Agilent 53132A S/N below 3646)
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