BNC 7000 User Manual

1

User’s Manual 2.1

SERIES 7000 Models

MODEL 7070, MODEL 7300

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation 2955 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901

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WARRANTY

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation warrants all instruments, including component

parts, to be free from defects in material and workmanship, under normal use and

service for a period of one year. If repairs are required during the warranty period,

contact the factory for c omponent replacement or shipping instructions. Include the

serial number of the instrument. This warranty is void if the unit is repaired or altered

by others than those authorized by Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

NOTIFICATION OF COPYRIGHT

THE FIRMWARE IN THIS DEVICE IS PROTECTE D BY COPYRIGHT LAWS AND

INTERNATIONAL TREATY. YOU MUST TREAT THE FIRMWARE LIKE ANY

OTHER COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYRIGHT LAWS PROHIBIT MAKING

ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE FIRMWARE FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN

SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED IN THE LICENSE BELOW. YOU MAY NOT COPY

THE WRITTEN MATERIALS ACCOMPANYING THE PRODUCT.any means. Electronic,

mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without written permission of Berkeley

Nucleonics AG.

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Table of Contents

1

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES 7000 ....................................................................................................... 5

1.1 GENERAL FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS ................................................................................................................ 5

1.2 OPTIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 6

1.3 FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 6

1.4 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 8

2 GETTING STARTED ................................................................................................................................. 10

2.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................................................ 10

2.2 UNPACKING THE SERIES 7000 ...................................................................................................................... 10

2.3 INITIAL INSPECTION ...................................................................................................................................... 10

2.4 STARTING THE SERIES 7000 ......................................................................................................................... 10

2.4.1 Applying Power ............................................................................................................................. 10

2.4.2 Connecting to LAN via DHCP Router .............................................................................................. 10

2.4.3 Connecting via LAN without DHCP Router (fallback or fixed IP) .................................................... 11

2.4.4 Connecting through USB to SERIES 7000 GUI ................................................................................ 11

2.4.5 Connecting through USBTMC & VISA ............................................................................................ 11

2.4.6 Connecting through GPIB & VISA .................................................................................................. 11

2.4.7 Using Berkeley Nucleonics Application Programming Interface (API) ........................................... 12

2.4.8 Installing the SERIES 7000 Graphical User Interface Software ...................................................... 12

2.4.9 Troubleshooting the LAN Interconnection ..................................................................................... 12

2.4.10 Shutting Down the SERIES 7000 ............................................................................................... 13

2.4.11 Perform Firmware Upgrade ...................................................................................................... 13

2.4.12 Serial Number ........................................................................................................................... 13

3 MEASUREMENT USING THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) ........................................................... 14

3.1 START THE SERIES 7000 GUI ....................................................................................................................... 14

3.2 ORGANIZATION OF THE GUI .......................................................................................................................... 15

3.2.1 Menu Section ................................................................................................................................. 15

3.3 MEASUREMENT TABS ................................................................................................................................... 22

3.3.1 General Tab Organization ............................................................................................................. 22

3.4 PHASE NOISE MEASUREMENT TAB .................................................................................................................. 23

3.4.1 Measurement setup ...................................................................................................................... 23

3.4.2 Using External References ............................................................................................................. 27

3.4.3 The Different Plot Window Tabs .................................................................................................... 28

3.4.4 The Traces Window ....................................................................................................................... 29

3.4.5 The Marker Window ...................................................................................................................... 33

3.4.6 Inside Plot Window Functions ....................................................................................................... 34

3.4.7 Saving Traces ................................................................................................................................. 35

3.4.8 Oversampling factor (SERIES 7000 / SERIES 7000 only) ................................................................ 35

3.5 GENERAL MEASUREMENT SETTINGS ................................................................................................................ 37

3.5.1 Number of data points per trace ................................................................................................... 37

3.5.2 Measurement time (using GUI) ..................................................................................................... 37

3.6 AM NOISE MEASUREMENT (SERIES 7000 ONLY) ............................................................................................. 39

3.7 ADDITIVE PHASE NOISE MEASUREMENT........................................................................................................... 40

3.7.1 Measurement Procedure ............................................................................................................... 41

3.8 TRANSIENT ANALYZER MEASUREMENT ............................................................................................................ 44

3.9 FFT ANALYZER MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................................................... 45

4 SYSTEM CALIBRATION (FIRMWARE 1.0 AND UP)................................................................................... 46

5 REMOTE PROGRAMMING THE SERIES 7000 .......................................................................................... 48

5.1 ACCESS VIA LAN .......................................................................................................................................... 48

5.2 USING AND CONFIGURING VXI-11 .................................................................................................................. 48

5.3 USING THE USB-TMC INTERFACE WITH VISA................................................................................................... 49

5.4 USING THE USB-TMC INTERFACE WITH IVI DRIVERS .......................................................................................... 49

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5.5 USING THE GPIB INTERFACE .......................................................................................................................... 49

6 TYPE AND STRUCTURE OF COMMANDS ................................................................................................ 51

6.1 SERIES 7000 COMMANDS ........................................................................................................................... 51

6.1.1 IEEE common commands .............................................................................................................. 51

6.1.2 Using SCPI for SERIES 7000 ............................................................................................................ 51

7 MAINTENANCE AND WARRANTY INFORMATION .................................................................................. 52

7.1 ADJUSTMENTS AND CALIBRATION ................................................................................................................... 52

7.2 REPAIR ...................................................................................................................................................... 52

7.3 UPGRADING THE FIRMWARE VIA LAN .............................................................................................................. 52

7.4 SAFETY ...................................................................................................................................................... 52

7.5 WARRANTY INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................ 53

7.6 EQUIPMENT RETURNS .................................................................................................................................. 53

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Model

SERIES 7000

MODEL 7070

SERIES 7000

MODEL 7300

RF frequency

5 MHz to 400

5 MHz to 7 GHz

5 MHz to 26 GHz

5 MHz to 26 GHz

Offset range

0.1 Hz to 1 MHz

0.1 Hz to 50 MHz

0.1 Hz to 1 MHz

0.1 Hz to 50 MHz

Absolute Phase

Additive Phase

Amplitude Noise

FFT Analyzer

Transient

1 Introduction to the SERIES 7000

Your SERIES 7000 kit contains the following items:

• SERIES 7000 mainframe

• Universal power adaptor (AC 100 – 240V)

• Ethernet Cable

• SERIES 7000 software CD

It is strongly recommended to use the original power adaptor (as supplied with the device) to
guarantee save and reliable operation of the SERIES 7000.

1.1 General Features and Functions

The different SERIES 7000 models offer different measurement capabilities as shown in the table
below:

MHz (IS400) / 6

GHz (IS)

Noise Mode

Noise Mode

Mode

Mode

Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y

Y N N N

Y Y Y Y

Measurement
Mode

Features of all models include

N Y N Y

• Long-term support: software upgrades (firmware and PC based) are available to download
from www.BerkeleyNucleonics.com
You can continue to use both of these services free of charge for the lifetime of the product.

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. You can also call our technical specialists for support.

6

• Universal LAN and USB 2.0 interface

• 24 months calibration cycle

1.2 Options

The following options are available for the SERIES 7000 signal analyzer:

GPIB: GPIB interface added

1.3 Front Panel Overview

Depending on the SE RIE S 7000 product configuration, the front panel can contain up to five female
SMA connectors and two female BNC connectors. A green LED indicates the power on/off status of
the instrument. Figure 1 shows the front panels of the SERIES 7300..

Figure 1 Front Panel View of MODEL 7300

DUT/RF IN connector This female SMA connector is the DUT signal input. The input is AC-coupled

and the impedance is 50 ohm. The damage level is +26 dBm maximum. The maximum allowed DC
level is +/- 10 V.

Channel 1 and 2:

REF IN connector This female SMA connector is the reference LO input. The impedance is

50 ohm. The damage level is +20 dBm. The maximum allowed DC level is +/- 10 V.

REF OUT connector (SERIES 7000 ONLY) This female SMA connector is the reference LO

output. The impedance is 50 ohm. In standard operation with internal references the REF
OUT is connected by a short semi-rigid cable to the REF IN.

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TUNE connector This female BNC connector is the DC tune voltage output if a tuneable DUT

or tuneable external reference is used.

Power switch The power switch disconnects the instrument from the DC input completely.

Caution:
Do not apply a DC voltage or current to the individual ports of the DC Control, DC Power and

RF Port. Applying a DC voltage or current may lead to the breakdown of this product. In
particular, there is the risk of the cap acitor remaining charged. Connect the measurement
sample (DUT) to the port (or the test fixture, cables, etc. connected to the port) after
discharging DUT's electricity enough.

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1.4 Rear Panel Connections

In Figure 2 the rear panels is shown.

Figure 2 Rear Panel View

Channel 1 and 2:

SUPPLY connector (SERIES 7000 and SERIES 7000 only) This female BNC connector is

the programmable low-noise DC supply voltage output. Output voltage range is 0 V to +5 V,
maximum available current is 80 mA.

BASEBAND IN connector This female BNC connector is the baseband signal input. To make

baseband noise measurement mode useful for power supply noise measurement, this port is
well protected for DC voltage application. The maximum allowed DC level is +/- 15 V.

LAN connector (8 Pin) This RJ-45 Host connector is used for connecting via Eth ernet w ith a

controller, such as a PC or Laptop. 10Base-T/100Base-T Ethernet (automatic data rate selection).

USB B connector Used for connecting with a controller such as a PC or Laptop. Communication is

via USBTMC protocol. Through this port, you can control the SERIES 7000 from external controllers.
For more information on the measurement system using the USB port, see the programmer’s manual.

USB A connector Used for connecting USB devices such as Memory sticks.

DC IN power receptacle The power receptacle accepts a two-pin plug from the external 6 V DC

power adapter.

GPIB (optional) connector The connection of an external controller through General Purpose

Interface Bus (GPIB) connector allows you to configure an automatic measurement system.

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This GPIB connector is used only for controlling the SERIES 7000-IS from an external controller. You
cannot control other devices from the SERIES 7000 through this GPIB connector.

Serial Number Plate The seal showing the serial number of the product.

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2 Getting Started

2.1 System Requirements

To ensure that your SERIES 7000 si gn al anal yzer operates correctly with the remote control interface
software, you must have a computer with at least the minimum system requirements to run one of the
supported operating systems.

Operating system Windows™ (2000 SP4, XP SP2, Vista, 7, 8)
Minimum 1024 MB RAM
Ethernet Port 10/100/1000M LAN or USB 2.0 Port

2.2 Unpacking the SERIES 7000

Remove the SERI ES 700 0 materials from the shipping containers. Save the containers for future use.

2.3 Initial Inspection

Inspect the shipping container(s) for damage. If container is damaged, retain it until contents of the
shipment have been verified against the packing list and instruments have been inspected for
mechanical and electrical operation.

2.4 Starting the SERIES 7000

The following sections describe installation instructions and SERIES 7000 v er ific at ion tes ts .

2.4.1 Applying Power

1. Place the SERIES 70 0 0 on the intended workbench and connect the appropriate DC power
supply to the receptacle on the rear of the unit. Make sure you use the included DC power
supply. The SERIES 7000 requires 6 V DC at 6 A maximum. Us ing other supplies may lead

to malfunction and damage of the SERIES 7000. Max DC is 6.5 V.

2. Press the Line on/off switch on the front panel. The green front panel LED will illuminate. The
instrument will initialize and boot within about 45 seconds and be ready for operation.

2.4.2 Connecting to LAN via DHCP Router

Connect the SERI ES 700 0 to your local area network (LAN) using the provid ed Et hernet cabl e. T he
instrument is configured to accept its dynamic IP number from the DHCP server of your network. If

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configured properly, your network router will assign a dynamic IP number to the instrument. Your
instrument is now ready to be controlled.

2.4.3 Connecting via LAN without DHCP Router (fallback or fixed IP)

You can connect the instrument to your computer with the Ether net ca ble without using a local area
network with DHCP server. To work properly, the network controller (NIC) of your computer must be
set to a fixed IP beginning with 169.254.xxx.xxx (excluding 169.254.1.0 and 169.254.254.255) and
network mask 255.255.0.0 to match the fallback IP that the SERIES 7000 will assign itself after
network timeout. The SERIES 7000 will automatically choose an IP address according to ZEROCONF
standard. Therefore, the exact fallback address can’t be predicted.

Connection from a NIC that is configured to use DHCP is also possible. After a preset timeout, the NIC
will assume that no DHCP is available and self-assign a fallback IP that will fall into the range

169.254.xxx.xxx.

Alternatively, you may assign the instrument a fixed IP. Please refer to a later section of this manual to
learn how to do this.

2.4.4 Connecting through USB to SERIES 7000 GUI

The SERIES 7000 can also be controlled under Windows with standard USBTMC drivers.
Connect the SERI ES 700 0 (USB B port) to the PC using a standard USB cable. The USB (IVI drivers)
drivers are installed along with the GUI installation process that can be started from the provided
installation CD or can be downloaded from the Berkeley Nucleonics website.
If installed properly, the Windows operating system will automatically detect the SERI ES 70 0 0 as a
USBTMC device and the SERIES 7000 G U I will list it in its connec ti on dia log.

2.4.5 Connecting through USBTMC & VISA

Connect the SERI ES 700 0 (USB B port) to the PC using a standard USB cable. Once connected
properly, use VISA Write to send the *IDN? query and use VISA Read to get the response. The
USBTMC protocol supports service request, triggers and other GPIB specific operations.
VISA now allows you to communicate as a controller to the SER I ES 7 00 0. To use such device, plug it
in and Windows should detect the new hardware and launch the New Hardware Wizard. Instruct the
wizard to search for the driver, which in this case is VISA. If the VISA runtime library is properly
installed, the device will be installed as a USB Test & Measurement Class Device. Open Measurement
& Automation Explorer (MAX). The new device will appear in MAX under Device and Interfaces » USB
Devices. You can then use this resource name as you would use any GPIB resource.

2.4.6 Connecting through GPIB & VISA

Connect the SERI ES 700 0 to the rear GPIB connector (option GPIB). Once connected properly, use
VISA Write to send the *IDN? query and use VISA Read to get the response. The protocol supports
service request, triggers and other GPIB specific operations.

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VISA now allows you to communicate as a controller to the SER I ES 7 00 0.

2.4.7 Using Berkele y Nucleo ni cs Application Programming Interface (API)

Please refer to the SERIES 7000 Programmer’s Manual to learn more about applying the API and
programming examples.

2.4.8 Installing the SERIES 7000 Graphical User Interface Software

Berkeley Nucleonics’s graphical user interface provides an intuitive control of the SERIES 7000. The
Java based application runs under any Operating System including Windows™ 2000, XP, Vista, 7, or
8 with standard requirements. Only the Java runtime environment must be installed on the PC.
To install the GUI on the computer, insert the SERIES 7000 Software and Manual CD into the
CD/DVD drive or download the latest GUI setup file from the Berkeley Nucleonics website. If the setup
doesn’t start automatically double click on the setup.exe to run the auto-installer.
The self-extracting setup provides easy installation and de-installation of the software. The setup
program guides you in a few steps though the installation process. In case the Java Runtime
Environment is not installed on your current computer, the setup procedure automatically will assist
you with the installation of the required version. For this you will need an internet connection.

2.4.9 Troubleshooting the LAN Interconnection Software does not install or start properly

• Make sure your installation CD is not damaged.

• Verify that the Java Runtime Environment is installed

Software cannot detect any SERIES 7000

• Make sure you have connected both PC and SERIES 7000 to a common network.

• If connecting with USB, make sure that the IVI drivers have been installed during GUI

installation (default). The drivers can be reinstalled using the GUI setup procedure.

• Note that detection of the SERIES 700 0 can take several seconds if your PC is configured to
work with an external DHCP server but the DHCP is not available. In some cases the
connection may even fail completely. Check your NIC configuration using IPCONFIG tool.
IPCONFIG /RELEASE and IPCONFIG /RENEW will update the NIC IP. Preferably work with
fixed IP instead.

• Make sure that your (software) firewall enables the SERIES 7000 software to setup a TCP/IP
connection within the LAN. Under Windows XP you can do that like this:
Open Control Panel under Settings in your Start menu. Then go to Windows Firewall. Click on
Exceptions and then add Program. If the SERIES 7000 Software is in this list choose it and
click OK otherwise you have to browse for the path to Berkele y Nucle on ics Software. Finally
close all open dialogs with OK. Now your Windows™ Firewall is ready for SERIES 7000.

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

2.4.10 Shutting Down the SERIES 7000

Press the Line on/off switch on the rear panel to power off.

2.4.11 Perform Firmware Upgrade

A firmware upgrade of the SERIES 7000 can be done directly via the GUI. Make sure you are
connected to the right device and have the correct firmware binary ready. Then go to Device
Update Firmware and select the appropriate binary (tar.file) that you have received from Berkeley
Nucleonics or downloaded from the Berkeley Nucleonics website. The update will take a few seconds,
and after completion the device will reboot. Reconnect to the device and continue using the device.

Caution:

Do not switch off instrument or disconnect during upgrade procedure.

2.4.12 Serial Numb er

Each instrument owns a unique serial number which is shown on the sticker on the rear panel. This
serial number is also internally stored and determines the instrument configuration and guides the
software accordingly.

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3 Measurement using the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Berkeley Nucleonics’s graphical user interface provides an intuitive control of the SERIES 7000. It
runs under any operating system supporting a Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Make sure the
software is installed and the computer’s firewall configured as required.

3.1 Start the SERIES 7000 GUI

Double-click the SERIES 7000 shortcut that will appear on your desktop after the software has been
successfully installed. Make sure that the SERIES 7000 is turned on and is connected to the computer
using either Ethernet or USB connecti vit y.
After start, the software will automatically detect existing S ERIES 7000 instruments (LAN and USB)
and will establish connection to the previously connected device, if still available. Otherwise a window
will appear with all detected SERIES 7000 devices listed. Connection to a device can be established
by selecting the device identifier in the list and then clicking on the “select” button (see Figure 3). The
window is automatically refreshed.

Figure 3 Device selection dialog

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3.2 Organization of the GUI

The measurement window is organized as shown in Figure 4. The GUI is divided into three sections:
a setup section on the top left, a plot configuration section on the top right and the actual
measurement window on the bottom.

Figure 4 GUI after start with devices detected (tab set to phase noise measurement)

3.2.1 Menu Section

On the top, the drop-d o wn menus File, Device, Plot, View, and Help are available and are described
below:

3.2.1.1 File

File  Setting  (Save, Load, Reset) allows storage and restoring of user defined parameter and

measurement settings. When the GUI exits, the current configuration is automatically saved and
restored at the next restart.
File  Exit will terminate the SERIES 7000 GUI software.

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3.2.1.2 Device

Device  Connect automatically detects available SERIES 7 00 0 devices though LAN or USB. If a

connection is already established, it disconnects and opens the dialog as shown in

Device  Disconnect will terminate an existing connection to an SERIES 7000 instrument.

Device  Network Configuration allows reconfiguration of instrument local area network settin gs

such as IP, subnet mask, or gateway. Any change will be effective after subsequent hardware reboot
of the device.

Figure 3.

Device  Update Firmware performs firmware update. A dialog window will ask for firmware file
(.tar). After selecting a correct firmware file, the update takes about 30 seconds. The GUI will
disconnect from the instrument during the update process.

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Device  Info provides product details of the instrument such as firmware version, instrument serial
number and options installed as shown below.

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3.2.1.3 Plot

Plot  Save, Load, & Print allows storing, loading, and printing of the plot window. Plots can be

saved as PNG graphs or in SERIES 7000 internal mode (extension .Series 7000). They later can be
loaded into the GUI. Data traces can be exported when saved as MATLAB™, MS EXCEL™ or CSV
files (extension .csv).

Plot Save Report auto-generates a pdf report including measurement trace, jitter data, Allan Dev
plot and phase noise, spurious and marker data of the current measurement.

Plot  Clear Trace deletes the active measurement trace. Same function

Plot  Clear Shadow

Plot  Set Spec Line opens a window dialog (see Figure 5). The dialog window allows defining and

drawing a spec line into you measurement window. The data can be input manually in table format on
the left or by clicking into the window on the right. Spec lines can be saved into and loaded from an
external file.

Plot  Clear Spec Line deletes the currently loaded spec line

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Figure 5 Spec Line Dialog Window

Plot  Settings opens the Plot Configuration Settings window as shown below. The plot configuration

window allows customizing the plot window. Window title, marker lists, or trace data information such
as residual FM or PM or integral Phase Noise can be displayed by checking the corresponding box.
The appearance of the plot can be changed as well. In the middle section, the x and y axes can be
scaled and renamed. The lower section “New Plots” contains the default settings for newly created
plots. To change already existing plots, edit them directly in the plot list. With “Show Spurious” on,
detected spurious can be displayed with a user specified threshold. Only spurious signals above the
user set level will be displayed. The “Smoothing Aperture” setting can be used to video average the
traces over a user set bandwidth.

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View  Toggle Fullscreen allows toggling from and to full screen mode.

Help  Activate Extended Mode is intended for Berkeley Nucleonics engineers only and is used to

calibrate the devices. Currently, customers can not activate this option.

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Help  Activate Logging logs status and error information from the GUI into a binary file. This file
can then be sent as part of an error report to the Berkeley Nucleonics support email hotline.

Help  Check for GUI Update can be used to verify, if a newer version of the GUI is available for
download from the Berkeley Nucleonics website. If a new version is available, it can be downloaded
and installed directly. An unblocked internet access is required.

Help  About displays the GUI version information.

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3.3 Measurement Tabs

The following tabs (each corresponding to a particular measurement mode), are available:

• Absolute Phase Noise,

• Additive Phase Noise, Amplitude Noise (S ERI E S 700 0 only),

• Time Domain Analyzer (MODEL 7300 and MO D EL 7 070),

• FFT Analyzer.

Clicking on a tab will lead to the corresponding measurement setup. The following sections describe
each measurement tab and how to configure it to successfully perform a measurement.

3.3.1 General Tab Organization

In general, each measurement tab is organized in two sections, a SETUP and a PLOT section.

The SETUP section in the upper left corner is used to configure a particular measurement.

The PLOT section is used to display and post-process measured data. This section can be further
sub-divided in a Marker, and Trace and a Display window.

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3.4 Phase Noise Measurement Tab

In this tab the DUT’s signal frequency and power is detected and the phase noise of the signal in the
specified offset frequency range is analyzed. The measurement principle is based on the phase
discriminator method in combination with a two channel cross-correlation. In general, two internal or
external low noise reference sources are phase locked to the DUT signal. The frequency of the DUT is
detected and a well characterized phase locked loop is closed. Each receiver channel now converts
phase fluctuations between DUT and reference source into low frequency voltage signal by means of
a calibrated phase detector. Inside the PLL bandwidth, the phase differences are suppressed and
must be recovered. The two independent measurement channels are fed into FFT analyzers and
cross-correlator engine to suppress reference and receiver channel noise and to extract DUT phase
noise.

3.4.1 Measurement setup

The following section describes the basic setup procedure to perform the measurement within the
phase noise measurement tab. With just a few configuration steps, the phase noise measurement can
be performed.

Figure 6 Setup section of absolute phase noise tab

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A) Enable internal frequency counter and power meter (see Figure 6): If the auto checkbox is

enabled, the counter and power meter are running and constantly updating the detected DUT
frequency and power. Disabling allows manual entry of the DUT frequency. Internal counters
and power detector is shut down. Per default, the auto-detection is on and once a valid signal
is detected, the Measure button turns green and is enabled.

B) Set frequency offset range using slider.

C) Select the number of correlation: The correlation number can be set to predefined

values using drop-down menu or can be set to any user value by typing in the number.

D) Use the “More” Menu to select between internal or external references sources.

Per default, the internal sources are used and no additional configuration is needed.
See the “Using external references” section for more information how to use external
references.

Figure 7 Setup for phase noise measurement

E) Configure Continuous & Save Trace Options: With “Continuous” is enabled, the

measurement is restarted automatically after completing the selected number of correlations.

With “Save Trace” enabled, the trace of a completed measurement is automatically imported
and stored in the Trace List.

F) Click Measure Button: Once the Measure Button becomes green, a new measurement can

be started. Click on the button to start the measurement and click again to stop the
measurement before completion.

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Figure 8 “More” Configuration Menu allows choosing reference source

After clicking on the Measure button, the phase noise measurement is started. A couple of
calibration steps are automatically performed and phase noise data is acquired from SERIES

7000. In the Measurement tab of the plot window the red trace shows the intermediate result as
shown in Figure 8.

Once the measurement is completed, the GUI returns into idle state. During the idle state, the
“beat” signal of the two measurement channels can be observed in the “Time Domain” tab of
the measurement window as shown in Figure 9.

Upon measurement start the SERIES 7000 will adjust the input step attenuator to avoid power
compression and maximize dynamic range, calibrate the phase detector and phase lock the internal
references. The “Status Window” tab will indicate measurement progress and provide status and error
messages..

The loop bandwidth is adaptively set to ensure stable and reproducible measurements with maximum
dynamic range. The gain of the IF amplifiers is adjusted to measure at lowest sensitivity without driving
the stages into compression.

Note that the measurement time needed largely depends on the offset range measured and the total
number of correlations.

Figure 10 shows a screenshot of the GUI after a completed measurement. Below the actual
(red) measurement trace, a gray polygon (shade trace) is visible. This polygon indicates the
measurement floor for the current measurement. With increasing number of correlation, this
noise floor will decrease. If the measurement trace at a given offset is above the noise floor the
measured trace has reached a steady-state value at the same offset. Increasing number of

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correlation will only “smooth” the curve and remove trace noise, but will not further improve
the phase noise value.

Figure 9 Beat frequency as shown in the time tab within the plot window.

Figure 10 Phase noise measurement completed. Noise floor (grey shade) is clearly below
measured trace (red).

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A)

B)

C)

3.4.2 Using External References

Configuring external references requires some additional parameter settings.

A) Select between one channel or two channel measurement.
B) Enter tuning slope (Hz/V) for each measurement channel used. Also enter the tuning

voltage range for each reference. Using the “Meas” button, the tuning slope can also
be measured automatically.

C) If your reference source does not provide sufficient output power, you can also use

internal buffer amplifiers by clicking the “Buffer” checkbox. The buffer amplifier
provides about 10 dB gain with a noise figure of 2 dB.

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3.4.3 The Different Plot Window Tabs

The plot window comprises of six tabs – Measurement – Time Domain – Data Table – Statistics –
DUT Info – Measurement Status:

The Measurement tab is the main tab to display frequency domain results like phase noise.

The Time Domain tab is used to provide time domain measurement information during idle state
(frequency and power detection, calibration) and during the measurement process (locking, and data
acquisition). During the actual measurement, samples of the noise voltage are also displayed in this
window.

The Data Table tab displays the noise measurement data for selected traces as data table. This table
can also be exported to a file (in different formats) with

Data tab displays measured data in ASCII form at.

The Statistics tab (as shown in Figure 11) provides additional statistical information such as
integrated jitter, integral phase noise, or Allan variance.

Plot  Save

After each correlation the latest measurement is updated in the plot window. The statistic tab displays
the information for the currently selected trace, or if none selected, for the first trace in the trace list.

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Figure 11 The statistic tab provides additional information about the selected data trace

The DUT Info tab constantly monitors the DUT CW frequency and power and also shows the tuning
voltage of internal references. The values are updated approx. once per second in GUI idle state.

The Measurement Status t ab prints status and error messages that help user to verify the
measurement process.

3.4.4 The Traces Window

The Traces window is used to save and post-process acquired traces. The different functions can be
accessed from the buttons located below the Traces window as shown below.

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3.4.4.1 Add button

Copies of the actual measurement trace (red trace) can be created and stored in the trace list by
clicking on the “add” button.

A copy of the active trace is stored in the list and by default named with “trace 1” with additional
information such as DUT frequency, number of correlations and time and date of measurement.
Each trace can be renamed by double-clicking on the corresponding trace name and typing in the new
trace name.

3.4.4.2 Copy button

Using the “copy” button, identical copies of the selected traces are generated.

3.4.4.3 Up and Down buttons

Individual traces can be moved up and down by pressing “Up” and “Down” buttons, respectively. The
ordering of the traces in the list affects the order in which they are drawn in the plot.

3.4.4.4 Modify color of traces

Individual trace colors can be assigned to traces by clicking on the color box on the right and selecting
the desired color from the color dialog. Traces stored in the list can be made invisible in the current
plot window by un-checking the checkbox in the left.

3.4.4.5 Selecting and unselecting traces (Clear button)

A single click will select a trace. The selected trace will be drawn as thick line. Multiple traces can be
selected with holding “Ctrl” and all traces become unselected by clicking on “Clear” button.

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3.4.4.6 Delete traces

Selected can be removed from the trace list by clicking on “Del” button.

3.4.4.7 Edit button

Selected traces can be edited with “Edit” button that opens a window as show below.

In this window, first choose to which traces the changes shall be applied: selected traces only, all
stored traces, or all newly measured traces.
The following functions can be applied:

1. Completely remove or show detected spurious signals that are above a user set threshold.

2. Apply video averaging (smoothing) to the trace with user set aperture.

3. Shift trace by a user specified number of decibels (up or down).

Changes are immediately applied to the traces. The “Apply” button just confirms and closes the
window.

3.4.4.8 Settings button

With the “Settings” button, the plot configuration window is opened as shown below. In this window,
the following general plot settings can be changed:

1. Assign a Title to the plot

2. Visualize Legend, Spur List, DUT Information, Marker List, or Jitter Data window

3. Change plot window background and grid color

4. Modify X and Y scales, labels, and units.

5. Modify Spur unit

Changes are immediately applied to the traces. The “Reset” button allows resetting to default values.

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If enabled, Spur and Marker Lists, the RMS Jitter, Residual phase error, the residual FM and the
integral phase noise are displayed for the selected trace in small windows inside the measurement
window and offset range as shown in Figure 12.

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Figure 12 Plot window with Residual Noise and Marker Lists displayed

3.4.5 The Marker Window

Multiple noise markers can be applied within the plot window. To add a new marker, press on the
“New” button as shown below and move the mouse within the plot window.

The marker will follow the active or selected trace. You can move markers to the desired trace by
selecting the corresponding trace in the trace list.

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Figure 13 Plot window with single trace selected and displayed and multiple markers set

3.4.5.1 New Markers

New markers will appear in the list as soon as you click within the plot window. Once a marker is
placed, it can be moved and the corresponding phase noise value is displayed in the window as
shown in Figure 13.

3.4.5.2 Deleting Markers

Markers can be removed by selecting them in the Markers list and clicking on the “Remove” button. A
selected marker can be set on precise offset frequency by clicking on “Edit” button and entering the
desired value by keyboard.

3.4.5.3 Moving Marker s

Within the plot window, the user can zoom in a particular area by clicking the mouse button and
dragging across the desired area from upper left to lower right. Zoom out in the opposite direction.
Figure 14 shows a zoomed in trace.

3.4.6 Inside Plot Window Functions

Within the plot window, you can

i. Move markers around by clicking on a set marker and drag it to a different position

ii. Zoom in by clicking the mouse in the upper left corner of the zoom window and draw the

window desired.

iii. Zoom to full by clicking on the plot window and move the mouse to the upper left

iv. Print, save, and copy by right mouse click

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3.4.6.1 Print, Save and Copy Traces

Phase noise plots can be printed by dragging mouse over plot window and pressing right mouse
button (Figure 14

) or through the Plot  Print menu.

Figure 14 Zoomed in trace

3.4.7 Saving Traces

Traces can be exported and saved in various file formats through the Plot  Save menu. The
following formats are available:

• ASCII data of the selected trace in CSV format

• Microsoft Excel™

• Matlab™ Data File

• Plot window in PNG format

• All traces in an SERIES 7000 internal format; the internal file format can be loaded into the

GUI

3.4.8 Oversampling factor (SERIES 7000 / SERIES 7000 only)

Only for SERIES 7000 and SERIES 7000 systems, the “More” button opens the Advanced
Measurement Configuration Window with additional settable parameters as shown below:

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Besides programming of the external power supplies, there is a section called “Sampling
configuration”. In this section, the oversampling factor can be set. This factor determines the FFT
resolution of the measured trace. Per default the oversampling factor is two. The measurement time is
directly affected by the oversampling factor. A higher oversampling factor gives better frequency
resolution in the FFT and allows analyzing more details of spurious response.
Additionally, individual number of correlations can be set for the measurement decades using the
sliders on the left.

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0.1 Hz

750

900

1050

1 Hz

1 kHz

150

300

450

Start / Stop

10 kHz

100 kHz

1 MHz

50 MHz

0.1 Hz

100 Hz

500

750

1000

1400

1 kHz

3.5 General Measurement Settings

3.5.1 Number of data points per trace

Per default, the number of points displayed in every trace is depending on the start and stop offset
frequency. Data for SERIES 7000 / SER I ES 7000 and MODEL 7070 /MODEL 7300 are shown in
Table 1 and 2.

Start / Stop 10 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz

600 750 900

10 Hz
100 Hz

Table 1: Displa yed number of points per trace (SERIES 7000 / SER I ES 7000)

1 Hz
10 Hz

Table 2: Displayed num ber of points per trace (MODEL 7300 / MODEL 7070)

450 600 750
300 450 600

1250 1500 1750 2150
1000 1250 1500 1900

750 1000 1250 1650

250 500 750 1150

3.5.2 Measurement time (using GUI)

The measurement time required by the SER I ES 7000 is depending on several parameters. The total
measurement time consists of a setup time, sampling time, and post-processing time.

3.5.2.1 The Setup Time

The setup time largely depends on the user settings and reference sources used. Very low noise
sources tend to have a small tuning sensitivity and behave slowly and with narrow loop bandwidths the
locking process takes increasingly more time.

The setup time depends on the user configuration and measurement frequency and consists mainly
on performing calibration steps and acquiring phase lock on the references sources.

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Start Frequency

Measurement Time

Measurement Time

0.1 Hz

120

130

1 Hz

20

14

10 Hz

3.5

1.7

100 Hz

3

1.2

1 kHz

2.2

1.1

10 kHz

2.0

1.0

The sampling time depends on the selected frequency offset range and the number of samples taken
(oversampling factor, RBW). With increasing RBW the ability to distinguish spurious in frequency gets
lost, but sampling time decreases. The number of measurement points per trace varies depending on
the selected oversampling factor.

The post-processing time is used to post-process and visualize the measured data. While this
portion may be considerable for the SERIES 7000 and SERIES 7000, it can be almost
neglected for the other systems. The post-processing time depends on the computer
performance, on which the remote client software is running and the interface between
SERIES 7000 and PC. LAN is generally faster than USB.

The typical measurement times per average/correlation (includes sampling and post-processing time,
oversampling factor=1) is shown in Table 3.

(Hz)

SERIES 7300 / 20G

Table 3: Typical measurement time (sec) for SERIES 7000

(sec)

(sec)

MODEL 7070

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3.6 AM Noise Measurement (SERIES 7000)

This function measures the amplitude noise of the signal in the specified offset frequency range.
Amplitude measurement does not require any reference sources and any few parameters must be set
such as offset range and number of correlations.
The amplitude noise measurement tab is shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15 Amplitude noise tab

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3.7 Additive Phase Noise Measurement

The additive phase noise measurement tab provides single- or two channel cross-correlation additive
phase noise measurements on non self-oscillating devices such as amplifiers in linear and non-linear
operation or even frequency-translating devices such as mixers, frequency multipliers or dividers.

The measurement principle is based on the assumption that the phase noise of the stimulating signal
of the DUT (external reference source) is completely cancelled out when manually adjusted to phase
quadrature. For the measurement setup, an external phase shifter and power splitter is required for
each measurement channel. A suitable external low-noise reference source (stimulus) must be used.

After switching into the corresponding tab, the GUI appears as shown in Figure 16.

Figure 16 Empty additive phase noise measurement tab

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3.7.1 Measurement Procedure

Before starting the calibration and measurement procedure, some parameters must be configured.
Firstly, select single or two-channel measurement.

Next, select what kind of external phase shifter is deployed. Any phase shifter is suitable that does not
excessively contribute own noise such as digital or mechanically tuned models. Models that are tuned
via analog voltage can be supported by the SERIES 7000 GUI.

The measurement procedure to perform an additive measurement consists of three steps:

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1. Determine the phase detector constant. Start this step by pressing the “Measure” button in step1.
Mechanically or digitally tuned phase shifters must be manually adjusted to provide at least 180
degrees phase shift to derive the phase detector constant. If already known for a given setup, the
phase detector constant can be manually entered. In case “Analog Tune” is selected and voltage
controlled phase shifters are used, this step is performed automatically by the instrument and can
be omitted.

2. Once the phase detector constants are known, the phases must be adjusted to obtain phase
quadrature. Start this step by pressing the “Measure” button in step 2. Now, the phase difference
between signal pairs at RF IN and REF IN (1 and 2) must be adjusted using the external phase
shifters to achieve approximate phase quadrature (90 degree phase difference) as shown in
Figure 17. The GUI shows a tolerance window of ±3 degrees. In case “Analog Tune” is selected
and voltage controlled phase shifters are used, this step is performed automatically by the
instrument and can be omitted.

3. Finally, the actual measurement can be started by pressing the green “Measure” button as shown
in Figure 18. Measurement can be stopped and restarted without need of performing step 1 and 2
each time.

Figure 17 Additive phase noise measure ment tab (Time Domain) during step 2, automatically
adjusting the phase to quadrature.

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Figure 18 Additive phase noise measure ment tab after the measurement completed.

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3.8 Transient Analyzer Measurement

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3.9 FFT Analyzer Measurement

This tab is used to measure noise on one or two channels of the FFT analyzer. Select the frequency
range and the number of averages. Under “More” select either “Single Channel” or “Two channel
cross-correlated” measurement. Press start button to run measurement.

Figure 19 FFT Analyzer Mode

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4 System Calibration (Firmware 1.0 and up)

User calibration is a function to correct the frequency response using correction data set for phase
noise, amplitude and baseband noise measurements.
This chapter describes the correction method and how to set up the calibration procedure.

User calibration procedure will be supported from firmware and remote
client revision 1.0

Please contact support@Berkeley Nucleonics.com

to check availability.

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5 Remote Programming the SERIES 7000

The SERIES 7000 can be remote controlled via three independent but functionally equivalent
interfaces: USBTMC, LAN, and (optionally) GPIB.

5.1 Access via LAN

The signal analyzer can be remotely programmed via a 10/100/1000Base-T LAN interface and LAN­connected computer using one of several LAN interface protocols. The LAN allows instruments to be
connected together and controlled by a LAN- based computer. LAN and its associated interface
operations are defined in the IEEE 802.2 standard.
The SERIES 7000 supports the following LAN interface protocols:

1) Socket based LAN: proprietary function calls defined in the dynamic link library (DLL)

provided with the instrument, used for general programming using the LAN interface under
Windows operating system.

2) VXI-11/SCPI (version 1999) commands (firmware 1.0 upwards)

3) Telephone Network (TELNET): TELNET is used for interactive, one command at a time

instrument control
For LAN operation, the instrument must be connected to the LAN, and an IP address must be
assigned to the instrument either manually or by using DHCP client service. Your system administrator
can tell you which method to use. (Most current LAN networks use DHCP.)

DHCP Configuration

If the DHCP server uses dynamic DNS to link the hostname with the assigned IP address, the
hostname may be used in place of the IP address. Otherwise, the hostname is not usable.

5.2 Using and Configuring VXI -11

The analyzer supports the LAN interface protocol described in the VXI- 11 standard. VXI- 11 is an
instrument control protocol based on Open Network Computing/Remote Procedure Call (ONC/RPC)
interfaces running over TCP/IP.

A range of standard software such as NI-VISA or Agilent IO Config is available to setup the
computer/analyzer interface for the VXI- 11 protocol. Please refer to the applicable software user
manual and documentation for information on running the program and configuring the VXI-11
interface. The program is used to configure the LAN client. Once the computer is configured for a LAN
client, you can use the VXI- 11 protocol and the VISA library to send SCPI commands to the signal
generator over the LAN interface. Example programs are available on request under

support@Berkeley Nucleonics.com

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VISA is an IO library used to develop IO applications and instrument drivers that comply with industry
standards. It is recommended that the VISA library be used for programming the signal source
analyzer. The NI-VIS A and Agile nt VIS A libr aries are si milar implementations of VISA and have the
same commands, syntax, and functions.

5.3 Using the USB-TMC Interface with VISA

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) remote control system provides device control via USB, which is
equivalent to control via LAN
USBTMC-USB488 and US B 2.0

The SERIES 7000 conform to USB Test & Measurement Class (USBTMC) protocol. This simplifies
instrument control considerably because such devices behave just like GPIB devices when
communicating.

You must install the VISA Libraries on your PC in advance. The USB can identify devices
automatically, so once you connect a USB cable to a target device, a dialog box will appear for USB
device registration.

or GPIB. Connection is made through an interface in compliance with

Type B: USB (USBTMC) interface port

Please see the SERIES 7000 Programmer’s Manual for detailed description of
supported SCPI commands.

5.4 Using the USB-TMC Interface with IVI drivers

Please see the SERIES 7000 Programmer’s Manual for detailed description of
supported SCPI commands.

5.5 Using the GPIB Interface

This section describes how to set the interface necessary to use the GPIB (General Purpose Interface
Bus) of the SERIES 7000.
The GPIB interface operates with IEEE488.2 and SCPI. The instrument can be controlled by a GPIB
external controller. When controlling the SERIES 7000 using GPIB commands from the external

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controller connected to the GPIB connector, you need to set the talker/listener GPIB address of the
SERIES 7000.

Please see the SERIES 7000 Programmer’s Manual for further details.

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6 Type and Structure of Commands

The SCPI commands available for the SERIES 7000 are classified into 2 groups as follows.

6.1 SERIES 7000 commands

Commands specific to the SERIES 7000. They cover all measurement functions that the SERIES
7000 has and some general-purpose functions. The commands in this group are arranged in a
hierarchical structure called the command tree. Each command consists of character strings
(mnemonics) indicating each hierarchical level and colon (:) separators between hierarchical levels.

6.1.1 IEEE common commands

Commands to cover general-purpose functions defined in IEEE488.2 that are available commonly to
instruments that support this standard. The commands in this group have an asterisk (*) at the
beginning. For the commands in this group, there is no hierarchical structure.

6.1.2 Using SCPI for SERIES 7 0 00

Berkeley Nucleonics instrument are message based, which means they are controlled through text
commands, typically following the SCPI standard which is vendor-independent and interface­independent. Berk ele y Nucleon ic s devices offer several I/O options use the same SCPI commands
through all these interfaces, especially LAN and USB.

Please see the SERIES 7000 Programmer’s Manual for detailed description of
supported SCPI commands.

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7 Maintenance and Warra nty Information

7.1 Adjustments and Calibration

To maintain optimum measurement performance, the SERIES 7000 should be calibrated every
24 months. It is recommended that the S ER IE S 70 0 0 be returned to Berkeley Nucleonics or to an
authorized calibration facility. For more information please contact our Customer Service Department
at support@Berkele y Nucle onic s .com

or through our website.

7.2 Repair

The instrument contains no user-serviceable parts. Repair or calibration of the SERIES 7000 requires
specialised test equipment and must be performed by Berk ele y Nucleon ic s or its authorized repair
specialists.

7.3 Upgrading the Firmware via LAN

It is recommended to regularly check for new firmware for the SERIES 7000. If new firmware is
available, it can be downloaded from the Berkeley Nucleonics website and locally stored. Then, it can
be uploaded directly to the instrument via Device  Upload Firmware

7.4 Safety

FCC notice

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause harmful interference. In which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense.

notice
The SERIES 7000 meets the intent of the EMC directive 89/336/EEC and have been designed to
EN61326 Class A Emissions and Immunity standard.

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The SERIES 7000 also meets the intent of the Low Voltage Directive and have been designed to
meet the IEC 61010-1:2001 (safety requirements for electrical equipment, control, and laboratory use)
standard.

7.5 Warranty Information

All Berkeley Nucleonics instruments are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a
period of two years from the date of shipment. Berkeley Nuc leo nics will, at its option, repair or replace
products that prove to be defective during the warranty period, provided they are returned to Berkeley
Nucleonics and provided the preventative maintenance procedures are followed. Repairs necessitated
by misuse of the product are not covered by this warranty. No other warranties are expressed or
implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular
purpose. Berkeley Nucleonics is not liable for consequential damages.
The warranty on the internal rechargeable batteries (option B3) is one year from the date of shipment.
Battery replacement is available through Berkeley Nucleonics and its distributors.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the warranty is voided if instrument is opened by not instructed personnel.

7.6 Equipment Returns

For instruments requiring service, either in or out of warranty, contact your local distributor or Berkeley
Nucleonics Customer Service Department at the address given below for pricing and instructions
before returning your instrument or go to Berkeley Nucleonics website for RMA requests.

Be sure to have the following information available:

• Model number.

• Serial number.

• Full description of the failure condition.

Note: Model and serial number can be found on the rear of the SERIES 7000 unit, next to the power
plug.

You will get a Return Mechandise Authorization (RMA) number from Berkeley Nucleonics, please put
it on the outside of the package.
Instruments that are eligible for in-warranty repair will be returned prepaid to the customer. For all
other situations the customer is responsible for all shipping charges. An evaluation fee may be
charged for processing units that are found to have no functional or performance defects.
For out of warranty instruments, Berkeley Nucleonics will provide an estimate for the cost of repair.
Customer approval of the charges will be required before repairs can be made. For units deemed to
be beyond repair, or in situations where the customer declines to authorize repair, an evaluation
charge may be assessed by Berkeley Nucleonics.

Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail], Web: www.berkeleynucleonics.com

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation 2955 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901

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Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail], Web: www.berkeleynucleonics.com

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation 2955 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901