Keysight Technologies M9703A, M9362A-D01, M9352A, N5183B, N5193A Startup Manual

Startup
Guide

Keysight
Multi-Channel
Antenna Calibration
Reference Solution

Notice:This document contains references to Agilent. Please note that Agilent's Test and Measurement
business has become Keysight Technologies. For more information, go to www.keysight.com.

Notices

Copyright Notice

© Keysight Technologies 2013 - 2015

No part of this manual may be
reproduced in any form or by any
means (including electronic storage
and retrieval or translation into a foreign
language) without prior agreement and
written consent from Keysight
Technologies, Inc. as governed by
United States and international
copyright laws.

Manual Part Number

Y1299-90003

Published By

Keysight Technologies
Sector-8, IMT Manesar – 122051
Ground Floor and Second Floor, CP-11
Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Edition

Edition 1, July, 2015
Printed In USA

Regulatory Compliance

This product has been designed and
tested in accordance with accepted
industry standards, and has been
supplied in a safe condition. To review
the Declaration of Conformity, go to

http://www.keysight.com/go/conformity.

Warranty

THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS
DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS,” AND
IS SUBJECT TO BEING CHANGED,
WITHOUT NOTICE, IN FUTURE
EDITIONS. FURTHER, TO THE
MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY
APPLICABLE LAW, KEYSIGHT
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH REGARD
TO THIS MANUAL AND ANY
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. KEYSIGHT
SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ERRORS
OR FOR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN
CONNECTION WITH THE

FURNISHING, USE, OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS DOCUMENT
OR OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN. SHOULD KEYSIGHT AND THE
USER HAVE A SEPARATE WRITTEN
AGREEMENT WITH WARRANTY TERMS
COVERING THE MATERIAL IN THIS
DOCUMENT THAT CONFLICT WITH
THESE TERMS, THE WARRANTY
TERMS IN THE SEPARATE
AGREEMENT SHALL CONTROL.

KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES DOES NOT
WARRANT THIRD-PARTY SYSTEM­LEVEL (COMBINATION OF CHASSIS,
CONTROLLERS, MODULES, ETC.)
PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, OR
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, UNLESS
SPECIFICALLY STATED.

Technology Licenses

The hardware and/or software
described in this document are
furnished under a license and may be
used or copied only in accordance with
the terms of such license.

U.S. Government Rights

The Software is “commercial computer
software,” as defined by Federal
Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) 2.101.
Pursuant to FAR 12.212 and 27.405-3
and Department of Defense FAR
Supplement (“DFARS”) 227.7202, the
U.S. government acquires commercial
computer software under the same
terms by which the software is
customarily provided to the public.
Accordingly, Keysight provides the
Software to U.S. government customers
under its standard commercial license,
which is embodied in its End User
License Agreement (EULA), a copy of
which can be found at

http://www.keysight.com/find/sweula. The

license set forth in the EULA represents
the exclusive authority by which the
U.S. government may use, modify,
distribute, or disclose the Software. The
EULA and the license set forth therein,
does not require or permit, among other
things, that Keysight: (1) Furnish
technical information related to
commercial computer software or
commercial computer software
documentation that is not customarily
provided to the public; or (2) Relinquish
to, or otherwise provide, the

government rights in excess of these
rights customarily provided to the
public to use, modify, reproduce,
release, perform, display, or disclose
commercial computer software or
commercial computer software
documentation. No additional
government requirements beyond
those set forth in the EULA shall apply,
except to the extent that those terms,
rights, or licenses are explicitly required
from all providers of commercial
computer software pursuant to the FAR
and the DFARS and are set forth
specifically in writing elsewhere in the
EULA. Keysight shall be under no
obligation to update, revise or otherwise
modify the Software. With respect to
any technical data as defined by FAR

2.101, pursuant to FAR 12.211 and

27.404.2 and DFARS 227.7102, the U.S.
government acquires no greater than
Limited Rights as defined in FAR 27.401
or DFAR 227.7103-5 (c), as applicable in
any technical data.

Safety Notices

A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to the product
or loss of important data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice until
the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.

A WARNING notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in personal injury or death.
Do not proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

The following safety precautions should
be observed before using this product
and any associated instrumentation.

This product is intended for use by
qualified personnel who recognize
shock hazards and are familiar with the
safety precautions required to avoid

iii

possible injury. Read and follow all
installation, operation, and
maintenance information carefully
before using the product.

If this product is not used as specified,
the protection provided by the
equipment could be impaired. This
product must be used in a normal
condition (in which all means for
protection are intact) only.

The types of product users are:

Responsible body is the individual or
group responsible for the use and main­tenanceof equipment, for ensuring that
the equipment is operated within its spe­cifications and operating limits, and for
ensuring operators are adequately trained.

Operators use the product for its intended
function. They must be trained in electrical
safety procedures and proper use of the
instrument. They must be protected from
electric shock and contactwith hazardous
live circuits.

Maintenance personnel perform routine
procedures on the product to keep itoper­ating properly (for example, setting the line
voltage or replacing consumable mater­ials). Maintenance procedures are
described in the user documentation. The
procedures explicitly state if the operator
may perform them. Otherwise, they should
be performed only by servicepersonnel.

Servicepersonnel are trained to work on
live circuits, perform safe installations, and
repair products. Only properly trained ser­vicepersonnel may perform installation
and serviceprocedures.

Operator is responsible to maintain safe
operating conditions. To ensure safe
operating conditions, modules should
not be operated beyond the full
temperature range specified in the
Environmental and physical
specification. Exceeding safe operating
conditions can result in shorter
lifespans, improper module
performance and user safety issues.
When the modules are in use and
operation within the specified full

temperature range is not maintained,
module surface temperatures may
exceed safe handling conditions which
can cause discomfort or burns if
touched. In the event of a module
exceeding the full temperature range,
always allow the module to cool before
touching or removing modules from
chassis.

Keysight products are designed for use
with electrical signals that are rated
Measurement Category I and
Measurement Category II, as described
in the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) Standard IEC 60664.
Most measurement, control, and data
I/O signals are Measurement Category I
and must not be directly connected to
mains voltage or to voltage sources with
high transient over-voltages.
Measurement Category II connections
require protection for high transient
over-voltages often associated with
local AC mains connections. Assume all
measurement, control, and data I/O
connections are for connection to
Category I sources unless otherwise
marked or described in the user
documentation.

Exercise extreme caution when a shock
hazard is present. Lethal voltage may
be present on cable connector jacks or
test fixtures. The American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) states that a
shock hazard exists when voltage levels
greater than 30V RMS, 42.4V peak, or
60VDC are present. A good safety
practice is to expect that hazardous
voltage is present in any unknown
circuit before measuring.

Operators of this product must be
protected from electric shock at all
times. The responsible body must
ensure that operators are prevented
access and/or insulated from every
connection point. In some cases,
connections must be exposed to
potential human contact. Product
operators in these circumstances must
be trained to protect themselves from
the risk of electric shock. If the circuit is
capable of operating at or above 1000V,
no conductive part of the circuit may be
exposed.

Do not connect switching cards directly
to unlimited power circuits. They are

intended to be used with impedance­limited sources. NEVER connect
switching cards directly to AC mains.
When connecting sources to switching
cards, install protective devices to limit
fault current and voltage to the card.

Before operating an instrument, ensure
that the line cord is connected to a
properly-grounded power receptacle.
Inspect the connecting cables, test
leads, and jumpers for possible wear,
cracks, or breaks before each use.

When installing equipment where
access to the main power cord is
restricted, such as rack mounting, a
separate main input power disconnect
device must be provided in close
proximity to the equipment and within
easy reach of the operator.

For maximum safety, do not touch the
product, test cables, or any other
instruments while power is applied to
the circuit under test. ALWAYS remove
power from the entire test system and
discharge any capacitors before:
connecting or disconnecting cables or
jumpers, installing or removing
switching cards, or making internal
changes, such as installing or removing
jumpers.

Do not touch any object that could
provide a current path to the common
side of the circuit under test or power
line (earth) ground. Always make
measurements with dry hands while
standing on a dry, insulated surface
capable of withstanding the voltage
being measured.

The instrument and accessories must
be used in accordance with its
specifications and operating
instructions, or the safety of the
equipment may be impaired.

Do not exceed the maximum signal
levels of the instruments and
accessories, as defined in the
specifications and operating
information, and as shown on the
instrument or test fixture panels, or
switching card.

When fuses are used in a product,
replace with the same type and rating
for continued protection against fire
hazard.

iv

Chassis connections must only be used
as shield connections for measuring
circuits, NOT as safety earth ground
connections.

If you are using a test fixture, keep the
lid closed while power is applied to the
device under test. Safe operation
requires the use of a lid interlock.

Instrumentation and accessories shall
not be connected to humans.

Before performing any maintenance,
disconnect the line cord and all test
cables.

To maintain protection from electric
shock and fire, replacement
components in mains circuits –
including the power transformer, test
leads, and input jacks – must be
purchased from Keysight. Standard
fuses with applicable national safety
approvals may be used if the rating and
type are the same. Other components
that are not safety-related may be
purchased from other suppliers as long
as they are equivalent to the original
component (note that selected parts
should be purchased only through
Keysight to maintain accuracy and
functionality of the product). If you are
unsure about the applicability of a
replacement component, call an
Keysight office for information.

Australian Communication and Media
Authority mark to indicate regulatory
compliance as a registered supplier.

This symbol indicates product
compliance with the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment
Standard (ICES-001). It also identifies
the product is an Industrial Scientific
and Medical Group 1 Class A product
(CISPR 11, Clause 4).

South Korean Class A EMC Declaration.
This equipment is Class A suitable for
professional use and is for use in
electromagnetic environments outside
of the home. A 급 기 기 ( 업 무 용 방 송 통

신 기 자 재 ) 이 기 기 는 업 무 용 (A 급 ) 전자
파 적 합 기 기 로 서 판 매 자 또 는 사 용 자 는
이 점 을 주 의 하 시 기 바 라 며 , 가정 외 의
지 역 에 서 사 용 하 는 것 을 목 적 으 로 합 니

다 .

This symbol indicates the instrument is
sensitive to electrostatic discharge
(ESD). ESD can damage the highly
sensitive components in your
instrument. ESD damage is most likely
to occur as the module is being
installed or when cables are connected
or disconnected. Protect the circuits
from ESD damage by wearing a
grounding strap that provides a high
resistance path to ground. Alternatively,
ground yourself to discharge any built­up static charge by touching the outer
shell of any grounded instrument
chassis before touching the port
connectors.

This symbol on an instrument means
caution, risk of danger. You should refer
to the operating instructions located in
the user documentation in all cases
where the symbol is marked on the
instrument.

No operator serviceable parts inside.
Refer servicing to qualified personnel.
To prevent electrical shock do not
remove covers. For continued
protection against fire hazard, replace
fuse with same type and rating.

PRODUCT MARKINGS:

The CE mark is a registered trademark
of the European Community.

This product complies with the WEEE
Directive marketing requirement. The
affixed product label (above) indicates
that you must not discard this
electrical/electronic product in
domestic household waste. Product
Category: With reference to the
equipment types in the WEEE directive
Annex 1, this product is classified as
“Monitoring and Control
instrumentation” product. Do not
dispose in domestic household waste.
To return unwanted products, contact
your local Keysight office, or for more
information see

http://about.keysight.com/en/companyinfo/e
nvironment/takeback.shtml.

This symbol indicates the time period
during which no hazardous or toxic
substance elements are expected to
leak or deteriorate during normal use.
Forty years is the expected useful life of
the product.

CLEANING PRECAUTIONS:

To prevent electrical shock, disconnect
the Keysight Technologies instrument
from mains before cleaning. Use a dry
cloth or one slightly dampened with
water to clean the external case parts.
Do not attempt to clean internally. To
clean the connectors, use alcohol in a
well-ventilated area. Allow all residual
alcohol moisture to evaporate, and the
fumes to dissipate prior to energizing
the instrument.

vvivii

Contents

Contents vii
Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction 9

Typical System Performance 9

The MAC Reference Solution 10

System Software 10
System Hardware 11

Product specifications & characteristics 13

M9703A AXIe 12-bit digitizer/wide-band receiver 13
M9362A-D01 PXIe microwave quad downconverter 13
M9352A PXI hybrid amplifier/attenuator 14
N5183B MXG microwave analog signal generator 14
N5193A UXG microwave agile signal generator 14
E8257D PSG analog signal generator 15
M9703A 12-Bit High-Speed Digitizer 15

Unpack and Inspect 16

ESD 16
Inspect for Damage 17
Return an Instrument for Service 17

PXIe Chassis and Modules 19

PXIe Chassis 19
PXIe Modules 20

AXIe Chassis and Modules 21

Introduction 21
M9502A 2-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance 21
M9505A 5-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance 22
Chassis and Module Details 22

MAC Demo Software 24

Setup tab 25

Preferences pane 29

Choosing the Default Export Folder 31
Analysis tab 33
Status tab 35

viii

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction

Smart antenna architectures incorporating multiple antenna elements in an array are
used in many applications. Wireless communications standards like 802.11ac, radio
astronomy and array RADARs are all examples of applications where multiple
antennas are employed for various requirements derived from spatial signal
processing. Though the types of processing used and beamforming techniques differ
by application, there is a common test challenge. It is difficult to align the antennas in
an array in phase and amplitude so they can be used together effectively. As the
number of antennas increase in an array, the test time to do the alignment increases
drastically.

This reference solution is built from modular components and is easily scalable to the
number of antennas in the array being tested.Further, it provides parallelism to the
test process to increase test throughput. The reference system described, offers
flexibility to provide good sensitivity in both the wideband and narrowband
measurement scenarios using the same hardware.

Typical System Performance

Feature Value

Number of Digitizer Channels 8 to 104 depending on configuration

Measurement Throughput 1M narrowband measurements per second (40 chan-

nels)

Phase Coherence <1 degree across all channels

Non-decimated Bandwidth 600 MHz

Decimated Frequency Span (DDC) 300 MHz and 160/2n MHz (n=0,1,2, … 18)

Measurement Frequency Range DC – 40 GHz depending on down converters used

(extended to 50GHz with additional calibration con­siderations)

Spurious Free Dynamic Range 60 dBc (typical) (non-decimated)

80 dBc (typical) (30MHz decimated)

Effective Number of Bits 8.8 (typical)

Acquisition Memory Up to 1 GSa/ch

Throughput Use the N5193A when you require fast switchinf and

phase coherency. 100 µs switching speed standard;
optional 1 µs and 250 ns

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 9

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction
The MAC Reference Solution

The MAC Reference Solution

The following shows a typical MACReference Solution block diagram. .

System Software

The MAC Demo Software has been been designed to assist in the development of the
overall test system software.

10 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction

The MAC Reference Solution

System Hardware

The hardware components used to enhance the reference solution are selected to
meet the needs of the test system being developed. Below are some of the modular
hardware pieces commonly used to enhance a MAC Reference Solution.

The following documents will assist you in designing and configuring your MAC
Reference Solution system:

Solutions brochure

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5991-4537EN.pdf

Configuration guide.

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5991-4583EN.pdf

M9703A AXIe High-Speed Digitizerr

M9536A AXIe EmbeddedController

M9502A and M9505AAXIe Chassis

M9018APXIe Chassis

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 11

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction
The MAC Reference Solution

N5183B MXGAnalog Signal Generator

E8257D PSGAnalog Signal Generator

M9037A PXIe EmbeddedController

M9352A PXIAmplifier/Attenuator

M9362A-D01 PXIe Microwave
Quad Downconverter

N5193A UXG Agile Signal Generator

12 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction

Product specifications & characteristics

Product specifications & characteristics

M9703A AXIe 12-bit digitizer/wide-band receiver

8 channels @ 1.6 GSa/s
2 GHz analog bandwidth
Real-time digital downconversion (DDC)

The M9703A AXIe 12-Bit High-Speed Digitizer/Wideband Digital Receiver, based on
the AXIe standard, is a revolutionary 8-channel, 12-bit digitizer, able to capture
signals from DC up to 2 GHz at 1.6 GS/s. The interleaving capability of this high-speed
digitizer allows waveform acquisition at up to 3.2 GS/s with exceptional measurement
accuracy. It also provides very long acquisition capability by implementing up to 4
GBytes internal memory and real-time data processing with four Virtex 6 FPGAs.

The M9703A FPGAs feature an optional real-time digital downconverter (DDC),
allowing tuning and zooming on the analyzed signal. The DDC improves the dynamic
range, reduces the noise floor, and extends the capture time for an accelerated
measurement speed. Combine this feature with the Keysight 89600 VSA software for
advanced measurement analysis.

When scaling up, a system of 40 synchronous channels acquiring at 1.6 GS/s in only
4U of rack-mount space can be easily built by combining the M9703A with the
M9505A 5-slot AXIe Chassis and U1092A AcqirisMAQS software.

www.keysight.com/find/m9703a
http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9703-90001.pdf

M9362A-D01 PXIe microwave quad downconverter

4 coherent channels

26.5 or 40 GHz frequency range

1.5 GHz analog bandwidth

The Keysight M9362AD01-F26 PXIe μW Quad-Downconverter, 10 MHz to 26.5 GHz is
well suited for wideband signal capture where multiple channels are required for
applications such as multi-channel coherent signal analysis, radar, SIGNIT, ELINT,
MASINT, EW signal capture and analysis, and RF and microwave recording and
analysis.

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9499-90001.pdf

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 13

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction
Product specifications & characteristics

M9352A PXI hybrid amplifier/attenuator

4 channels
1 GHz analog bandwidth

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5990-9964EN.pdf

The Keysight M9352A PXI-H IF Amplifier/Attenuator, 10 MHz to 1 GHz is a one-slot,
4-channel, PXI Hybrid IF Amplifier/Attenuator with 1 GHz analog bandwidth providing
IF signal conditioning for use in multi-channel modular solutions.

Combine with the M9362AD01-F26 PXIe μW Quad-Downconverter, up to four
M9202A PXIe Wideband IF Digitizers, and a local oscillator for wideband signal
capture where multiple channels are required for applications such as multi-channel
coherent signal analysis.

The M9352A modules are custom built and tested to nominal* performance
characteristics. Full regulatory and safety testing has been performed. This product
has the same warranty and support services as other Keysight instruments. Because
it is custom built, keysight recommends checking availability and delivery information
before ordering the product.

*Nominal describes representative performance that is useful in the application of the
product when operated over a 20 to 30 degree C temperature range. Nominal
performance is not warranted.

www.keysight.com/find/m9362a-d01
www.keysight.com/find/m9352a

N5183B MXG microwave analog signal generator

13, 20, 31.8 or 40 GHz
+20 dBm output power at 20 GHz
Frequency switching time 600 μs, typical

www.keysight.com/find/n5183b

N5193A UXG microwave agile signal generator

10 MHz, to 20 or 40 GHz
+10 dBm output power with optional attenuator
100 μs switching speed standard; optional 1 μs and 250 nsl

www.keysight.com/find/n5193a

14 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration (MAC) Introduction

Product specifications & characteristics

E8257D PSG analog signal generator

20, 31.8, 40, 50 or 67 GHz
+26 dBm output power at 20 GHz

-143 dBc/Hz phase noise, typical (1 GHz signal)
The Keysight E8257D is a fully synthesized signal generator with high output
power, low phase noise, and optional ramp sweep capability.
Specifications apply over a 0 to 55 °C range, unless otherwise stated, and apply
after a 45 minute warm-up time. Supplemental characteristics, denoted as
typical, nominal, or measured, provide additional (non-warranted) information
at 25 °C, which may be useful in the application of the product.
Unless otherwise noted, this data sheet applies to units with serial numbers
ending with 50420000 or greater.

www.keysight.com/find/e8257d

M9703A 12-Bit High-Speed Digitizer

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9703-90001.pdf

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 15

Unpack and Inspect

ESD

Unpack and Inspect

ESD

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage or destroy electronic components. Use a
static-safe work station to perform all work on electronic assemblies. The figure
(below) shows a static-safe work station using two types of ESD protection:
conductive table-mat and wrist-strap combination, and conductive floor-mat and
heel-strap combination. Both types, when used together, provide a significant level of
ESD protection. Of the two, only the table-mat and wrist-strap combination provides
adequate ESD protection when used alone. To ensure user safety, the static-safe
accessories must provide at least 1 MΩ of isolation from ground.

The modules are shipped in materials which prevent damage from
static. Modules should only be removed from the packaging in an
anti-static area ensuring that correct anti-static precautions are
taken. Store all modules in anti-static envelopes when not in use.

DO NOT use these techniques for a static-safe work station when
working on circuitry with a voltage potential greater than 500
volts.

16 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Unpack and Inspect

Inspect for Damage

Inspect for Damage

After unpacking an instrument, inspect it for any shipping damage. Report any
damage to the shipping agent immediately, as such damage is not covered by the
warranty (see warranty information at beginning of this document).

To avoid damage when handling a module, do not touch exposed
connector pins.

See www.keysight.com/find/tips for information on preventing
damage to your keysight equipment.

Return an Instrument for Service

Should it become necessary to return an instrument for repair or service, follow the
steps below:

It is recommended that you return all modules and cables of the
M9381A or M9391A instrument for repair and calibration. If your
Keysight M9300A PXIe Frequency Reference is operating
properly, you need not send it in with the other modules because
your instrument may be repaired and calibrated without your
M9300A. Doing so, however, will effect your calibration schedule,
since repairs are followed by calibration. The Calibration Due Date
for your M9300A will not match the date of your other modules.

1. Review the warranty information shipped with your product.

2. Contact Keysight to obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) and return
address. For assistance finding Keysight contact information, go to www.key-

sight.com/find/assist.

3. Write the following information on a tag and attach it to the malfunctioning
equipment:

Name and address of owner. A P.O. box is not acceptable as a return
address.

Module serial number(s). The serial number label is located on the side
panel of the module. The serial number can also be read from the Soft
Front Panel interface - after the hardware is installed.

Description of failure or service required.

4. Pack the instrument in its original packaging. Include all cables. If the original
packaging material is not available, use anti-static bubble wrap or packing pea-

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 17

Unpack and Inspect
Return an Instrument for Service

nuts and place the instrument in a sealed container and mark the container ­FRAGILE-.

5. On the shipping label, write ATTENTION REPAIR DEPARTMENT and the RMA
number.

In your correspondence, refer to the modules by serial number
and the instrument by model number.

18 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

PXIe Chassis and Modules

PXIe Chassis and Modules

PXIe Chassis

PXIe Chassis

The following two documents provide information on setting up the

M9018A Startup Guide

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9018-90001.pdf

M9018A User's Guide

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9018-90005.pdf

The M9018A Startup Guide is divided into the following sections:

STEP 1: Verify the Shipment Contents—This section describes how a chassis
system is shipped and what is included with the chassis itself.

STEP 2: Prepare the Hardware and Install the Software—This section describes
the computer hardware and software requirements, installation of an embed­ded controller, connection of a remote controller, and software installation on
the controller.

STEP 3: Turn On and Verify Operation of the Chassis System—This section
describes how to use Connection Expert and the chassis soft front panel (SFP)
to verify operation of the chassis.

STEP 4: Overview of Installing and Verifying Keysight Modules—This section
provides an overview of installing and verifying Keysight modules in the chassis,
and is intended to supplement your module documentation.

Appendix A: Chassis and Accessory Model Numbers—This appendixlists the
model numbers of the chassis and its accessories.

Appendix B: Chassis Specifications—This appendix provides several of the
chassis technical specifications

The M9018A User's Guide provides more information than the Startup Guide,
including the following:

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 19

PXIe Chassis and Modules
PXIe Modules

How to configure the M9018A chassis to meet your needs. Parameters such as
the following can be configured:

The PCIe link configuration: 1x8, 2x8, or 4x4
Voltage limits around the power supply rails at which an alarm will be gen-

erated if a rail falls outside of its limit
The temperature at which an alarm will be generated if the chassis exceeds this

temperature
The fan speed at which an alarm will be generated if a fan speed falls below

this limit
How to ensure that your modules don’t exceed the chassis power supply capa-

city.
Rack mounting of the chassis
How to diagnose and troubleshoot issues with the chassis
How to replace the power supply or the fan assembly

PXIe Modules

Each PXIe module ordered with the MACReference Solution will be accompanied
with its own startup guide. The startup guide will detail the following:

How to configure the controller module.
How to load controller software
How to install the module into the M9018A chassis.
How to test the module.

20 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

AXIe Chassis and Modules

Introduction

The Keysight M9502A (2-slot) and M9505A (5-slot) AXIe chassis are modular
instrument chassis fully compatible with the AXIe 1.0 specification. They allow
multiple application-specific instrument modules to share a common chassis frame,
power supply, cooling system, PCI Express (PCIe) Gen 2 data bus, Gigabit LAN hub,
local bus for module-to-module signaling, and host PC connections. Multiple chassis
may be interconnected for scalability, a feature Keysight calls MultiFrame. The full
rack chassis provides two or five general purpose peripheral slots that accept 1U AXIe
instrument modules. Each module slot has a Gen 2 x4 link (maximum of 2 GB/s data
rate per module) to the chassis primary data ‘fabric’ hub—a x8 PCIe switch and data
bus.

AXIe Chassis and Modules

Introduction

M9502A 2-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance

Designed for portable or small system testing, the M9502A is shipped with bumpers
and a carry handle installed for benchtop use (these remove for rack mounting), Slot 1
open and a filler panel module installed in Slot 2. The front panel is shown below:

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 21

AXIe Chassis and Modules
M9505A 5-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance

M9505A 5-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance

The M9505A is shipped with bumpers and two carry handles installed for benchtop
use (these remove for rack mounting), Slot 1 open and filler panel modules installed in
Slots 2 through 5. The front panel is shown below:

Chassis and Module Details

Detailed instructions for installation, configuration, operation, troubleshooting and
service can be found in the M9502A/M9505A AXIe Chassis User Guide, provided in
PDF format.

http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/M9502-90001.pdf

Topics included in this manual are:

- Introduction

M9502A 2-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance
M9505A 5-Slot AXIe Chassis at a Glance
AXIe Embedded System Module (ESM)
AXIe Embedded System Module (ESM) Option U20 with USB
AXIe Instrument Modules
AXIe System Block Diagram
Performing the Startup Steps

Step 1: Unpack and Inspect the Chassis

Inspect for damage
If You Should Need to Return the Chassis for Service

22 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Step 2: Verify Shipment Contents
Step 3: Power-Up and Power-Down

Circuit Breaker
ON/STANDBY Switch
Power Modes To Power Up the Chassis
To Power Down the Chassis

- Step 4: Set Up the Host PC

- Hardware Connections to the Host PC

- Step 5: Install IO Libraries and Connect to the Web

- Installing the Keysight IO Libraries Suite

- Turning on the Chassis

- Install Intel Network Driver on Windows XP

AXIe Chassis and Modules

Chassis and Module Details

- Using Keysight Connection Expert

- Step 6: Install the Chassis Software

- Step 7: Next steps

- Host PC/Chassis Interface Topics

- Safety-Related Specifications

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 23

MAC Demo Software
Chassis and Module Details

MAC Demo Software

The MACDemo Software has been designed to assist in the development of the
overall test system software.

The MACDemo Software is installed on the CD that accompanies the system (Y1299-

10003). A program such as WinZip will need to be installed on you PC to unzip the
MACDemo Software.

To load and setup the MACDemo Software from the CD, use the following procedure:

1. Insert and launch the Y1299-10003 CD on your PC

2. Once launched, select the Extract MAC Demo Software button on the Y1299­10003 CD browser

3. Unzip the self extracting zip file to a folder on your PC

4. Once extracted, navigate to the MultiAntennaArrayCalibration.exe file to run
the demonstration software

In Win 8 the user should run the self-extracting zip file as administrator by manually
opening CD. The user can then change the path of the directory for the self-extracting
zip file.

In order to run the MultiAntennaArrayCalibration.exe correctly, the following software
needs to be installed on your PC:

NETframework4.5 (Visual Studio 2012) in Windows 7 or 8 (64 bit). You will be
prompted to load this when selecting the MultiAntennaArrayCalibration.exe file

The latest AgMD1 IVIdriver software, which can be obtained from here:

http://www.keysight.com/main/software.jspx?ckey=2000051&lc=eng&c
c=US&nid=-11143.0.00&id=2000051

Install the version 1.13.7 (this is the package version, whereas the DLL
version inside is 1.6.4).

If you want to try out the code in simulate mode, you also need to copy
the included MACsim.dat file into your C:\tmp directory (create C:\tmp if
you don’t already have this folder).

24 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Setup tab

MAC Demo Software

Setup tab

A – Setup tab is used to configure and control the data acquisition of one or more
M9703A IF digitizers.

B – The Analysis tab is used to view and parameterize the measurement interval
windows that are used (based on the number of samples) for cross channel ratios.

C – Status tab displays information about active M9703A digitizer sessions, and
tracks state execution details with time tags during the data acquisition process.

D – Input Full Scale range selection allows the user to choose a full scale range in
Volts for the M9703A(s). This is the range of voltages (centered at Offset) over which
the 12-bit ADC quantization steps occur.For M9703A this is either 1V or 2V.

E – Offset voltage is the center of the range covered by the ADC quantization steps.
Default is 0V (0V DC offset).

F – Sample Rate is the rate at which the raw ADC samples are made. This is always

1.6 Gsa/s for the M9703A with –SR2 sampling rate option (only supported sample
rate for MAC currently).

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 25

MAC Demo Software
Setup tab

G – Nbr of Samples is the number of samples per segment that the digitizer will

acquire.

H – Nbr of Segments is the number of segments in segmented memory mode that will
be acquired (one segment per occurrence of trigger event).

I – Min Duration is the minimum duration of acquisition assuming back to back triggers

with no gaps.
This field will update if you click on it. It is not auto-updated due to dependencies on
other GUI controls, each of whih would try to update the text in this label.

J – IQ Sample Rate is the effective sample rate at which I&Q pairs get stored into the
M9703A digitizer’s RAM. This is a configuration parameter for the –DDC option which
is a required option for MAC. This property can also be set as an IF bandwidth rather
than sample rate by changing properites in Utiltiy…Properties menu (see separate
documentation on Properties dialog)

K – Offset is the DDC center frequency. It determines where in the M9703As
passband that the IF signal is centered.

L – Source (trigger) is the input that drives the trigger for the acquisition(s) by the
M9703A digitizer. Options include External1 and M-Channel1…Channel8 (where M
stands for master module in a multi-module set).

M – Type (trigger) is used to specify what criteria the trigger will fire on. The options
include Edge and Magnitude. The magnitude trigger is NOT compatible with
segmented memory as it is part of the DDC and that logic exists downstream of the
trigger subsystem in the M9703A architecture. It should also be noted that the MAC
software has intelligence built into auto trigger if a timeout occurs with the specified
trigger (timeout is set in the Utility…Preferences dialog) and Nbr of Segments = 1.
Note: you cannot software trigger the M9703A with more than one segment
configured.

N – Level (trigger) is used to specify the voltage level for an edge trigger type.
O – Slope (trigger) is used to distinguish between rising and falling edges when trigger

type is set to edge.
P – Option string is the option string literal that is passed to the M9703A IVI-COM

driver on initialization. Do NOT change this unless you have consulted the MD1 IVI­COM driver help and clearly understand the syntax because changes can cause
seemingly unusual or unpredictable behavior. The default is: DriverSetup=
Trace=false, CAL=0, model=M9703A

26 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

MAC Demo Software

Setup tab

Q – Select Modules and Channels is a custom control used to pick the M9703A
digitizers (from an auto-populated list of already found M9703As) and the associated
acquisition channels on each M9703A module. When using this control it is required
that you right click one module and signify it as the master module (M) of the
acquisition set (even if you are only using one module). You also must right click one
channel from the combined set and designate it as the reference channel (R), which
will be the channel relative to which all cross-channel magnitude and phase
measurement are made to.

R – sim is a radio control that allows the user to use simulated M9703A modules. By
entering a number of simulated modules in the box to the right of sim and then
checking the box at the left, the modules and channels control is cleared and
repopulated with virtual (simulated) instances of M9703A modules. Simulation mode
DOES require the MD1 IVI-COM driver to be already installed as the IVI-COM driver
functionality is used to initialize simulated driver sessions to confirm the IVI-COM
driver is installed properly. This simulation mode also relies on the user copying the
macsim.dat file (found in the main installation folder for MAC into the C:\tmp
directory) as simulated waveform I&Q samples to be used in analysis. In simulation
mode, the same basic operational flow is in place, but the expected result will always
be flat 1 cross-channel magnitude and a fixed phase offset from each subsequent
channel in the channel list (above or below the reference channel) of +/- and additive

0.5 degrees. This phase offset is actually modulated into the record for purposes of
simulation testing of the algorithms in MAC and can be changed to something other
than 0.5 degrees quite easily in the source code.

S – Initialize is the first button pressed after all setup parameters in the Setup tab
have been configured. The initialize button will remain disabled until at least one
channel is selected from the modules and channels list. Initialize will initialize as
many M9703A IVI-COM driver sessions as modules chosen in the Select Modules and
Channels control. It will also run a self test for each session if that options is specified
in the Utility…Preferences dialog. Status including time tags is available in the Status
tab, and brief state messages will also show in the state display (2) of the GUI.

T – Configure is the second button pressed in the GUI (after Initialize), when using
actual M9703A hardware. In simulate mode, the configure step is skipped (the IVI­COM driver in simulated mode currently does not support DDC). Either a fast or full
calibration is also run after configuration of each module (fast/full as specified in the
Utility…Preferences dialog).Configuration can fail in a couple of different ways. First,
if the IVI-COM driver is pre-1.7.1 RC version, there is a known issue where the multi­module sync handle passing of slave modules to the master can fail, but that is fixed
for the next release, and incorporated in RC 1.7.1 or later. A failure also can occur if
the Ext clock mode is configured and no sample clock is being provided to the
M9703A’s front panel clock input, (you will see an unusual divide by zero error if
performing fast calibration).

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 27

MAC Demo Software
Setup tab

U – Acquire is the third button pressed in the GUI when using actual M9703A
hardware. In simulate mode, there is no real hardware to send an initiate command
to, so the acquire step is skipped in simulate mode. Acquire will initiate an acquisition
across the entire configured M9703A module set and cause the M9703A modules to
fill their acquisition RAM. Again status and states are tracked and displayed while this
step runs.

V – Upload is the fourth (or second in the case of simulate mode) button pressed in the
process of stepping through a data acquisition cycle. Upload pulls all the I&Q
samples out of the M9703A(s) on a per channel basis and populates an equivalent
number of waveform data structures. Because the app is compiled using a 64-bit DLL,
the upload operation is capable of using large amounts of RAM (up to, or even
exceeding the total RAM in system controllers with 16GB+ RAM). Status and states
are tracked with time tags.

W – Export (optional) will write out magnitude and phase measurements to a CSV file
for additional analysis on a per channel basis. One or more segments of the individual
channel can be processed and exported (see separate documentation on export
dialog).

X – File menu contains the options to import calibration table data, export CSV
measurement records (once the data is in controller memory) and exit the program.

Y – Utility menu contains the options to open the Preferences dialog (see separate
help documentation) or to reset the software to default state (reset closes any open
M9703A digitizer sessions and resets GUI parameters back to the last values used for
a complete acquisition).

Z – Help menu provides access to an about dialog, but no online help menu has yet
been developed.

1 – This status bar location is reserved to display text of errors and form validation
information to the user.

2 – This status bar location is reserved to display text of state information to the user.

28 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Preferences pane

MAC Demo Software

Setup tab

A – IQ Rate is a selection of how to display the IQ rate selection in the main form setup
tab (either Bandwidth or Sample Rate)

B – Self Test on Initialize specifies whether or not a self test is run via the IVI-COM
driver upon initialization (Initialize button on main form setup tab)

C – Clocking Mode specifies which clock mode is used:
Ext Clk [=] 3.2GHz sample clock is provided to each M9703A via front-panel SMA clock

input (this is currently the only supported option for multi-module sync to achieve best
variance)

AXIe100 [=] AXIe 100MHz backplane reference clock multiplied up using M9703A
internal PLL.

Internal [=] Exclusively onboard clocking circuits in the M9703A (single M9703A only)
External [=] External reference clock applied to front panel of M9703A (single M9703A

only)
D – Self Calibration specifies whether a fast calibration or full calibration is conducted

per M9703A during configuration (Configure button on main form setup tab).For more
details on the differences or consequences of one calibration type vs the other,
please see MD1 IVI-COM driver documentation. Currently not doing a calibration is
not supported because of these types of measurements we strongly advise against it
(especially when using multi-module sets because time alignment will not work
correctly).

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 29

MAC Demo Software
Setup tab

E – Trigger Delay allows the user to adjust the position of the trigger inside the
acquisition period (per segment). The range of the trigger delay is programmatically
set to a symmetric range around t=0 based on the limits imposed by the IVI-COM
driver. This limit is dependent on the number of samples and raw ADC sample period
(1/1.6GSa/s = 625ps).

F – Re-acquire button. This button is supplied for the purpose of bringing up the
preferences dialog while viewing the analysis tab and being able to re-run the
acquisition.It is also possible to tweak the trigger delay between re-running
attempts to try to fine tune the measurement interval timing (by changing the start of
the measurement time relative to the trigger event). The analysis tab settings are
preserved when using this button whereas using the acquire+upload from the setup
tab will reset the measurement interval parameters in the analysis tab to default
values.

G – Default Output Folder is the default location where exported data sets will be
stored. The export dialog will point to this directory upon pressing Export from the
main form setup tab (also pressing CTRL-E from the analysis tab or File…Export from
the top toolbar drop down menu).

H – Acquisition Timeout is the amount of time allowed after the acquire button is
pressed from the main form setup tab for a valid trigger to be found. If the timeout
time is exceeded, an error will be reported and the application will reset.

I – Apply button is required to commit the settings and serialize them to the
application settings in the app.config file so that when re-opening this dialog the
values will be restored.

30 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Choosing the Default Export Folder

MAC Demo Software

Setup tab

A – The open file dialog allows the user to pick a calibration input table following the
format as shown in the example below. The file starts with a specifier for phase angle
units (“Degrees” or “Radians”) and then follows with tables of magnitude and phase
correction values per M9703A digitizer module. The first line of each M9703A table is
the VISA PXI address of the specific M9703A that the cal constants are provided for. If
there is more than one M9703A, then the next PXI address is given on the very next
line followed again by the list of channels with associated magnitude, phase
correction.

Degrees

PXI17::0::0::INSTR
Channel2,1,1.74

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 31

MAC Demo Software
Setup tab

Channel3,1,1.99
Channel4,1,2.28
Channel5,1,3.30
Channel6,1,4.48
Channel7,1,3.36
Channel8,1,2.24

B – Module is the specific module that contains the acquisition channel from which we
wish to extract magnitude and phase measurements from.It will be identified by the
PXI address or a simulated name as shown in the example above.

C – Channel is the channel from which the magnitude and phase values will be made.
D – Segment is the specific segment (in range of 0…n-1 where n is the number of

segments specified in the setup tab main form GUI). You can also select <ALL> from
the drop down box to signify that all segments should be exported (one after the other
sequentially) in the exported data.

32 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Analysis tab

MAC Demo Software

Analysis tab

A – Segment is the selected segment for analysis in this tab. All analysis in the plots
will concentrate on the segment chosen (in range of 0…n-1 where n = Nbr of
Segments from setup tab in main form of GUI).A different value than 0 can be entered
here and then subsequently the Recalculate button (G) needs to be pressed to
update all plots.

B – Xchan Sampls are the number of samples that span a single measurement
interval. For example, how many samples at the IQ sample rate does it take to cover
the duration of dwell time for a single phase/frequency state within the acquisition
segment.

C – Initial Delay Sampls is the number of samples to skip at the beginningof a
segment after the trigger before iterating over measurement intervals. The stepping
across intervals involves first skipping the specified number of Initial Delay Sampls
and then in a loop:

1. Loop: Step <Trans Sampls> number of transition samples

2. Integrate <Xchan Sampls> during the dwell time

3. Step <Trans Sampls> number of transition samples

4. …Next Loop

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 33

MAC Demo Software
Analysis tab

D – Trans Sampls is the number of samples that occur during a transition between
measurement intervals. The code architecture assumes that there is a symmetric
transition sample duration at the beginning and end of each measurement interval.

E – Meas Intervals is the total number of measurement intervals in a single acquisition
segment.

F – Window Phase allows for enabling a special implementation of a Hanning window
on the phase of the current IQ segment. It is not a traditional window in the sense
that it extracts, windows, and then re-modulates back in the phase. This process
helps minimize the edge effects on phase modulated waveforms like the example
given above by reducing the weighting of the phase towards the window edge ->
coefficient approaches 0. The example waveform here has ringing on the edges of the
phase transitions due to IF filter bandwidth of the DDC in the M9703A, and this
windowing technique can improve the precision of the resulting phase measurement
assuming some imperfections in centering the rectangular measurement interval
using the parameters just discussed.

G – Recalculate button is used to recalculate the plots after changes are made to any
of the parameters in the left input column.

H – Magnitude tab is used to display single channel (referred to as absolute in the
GUI) and cross-channel (relative) magnitude measurements.

I – Phase tab is used to display single channel (referred to as absolute in the GUI) and
cross-channel (relative) phase measurements.

J – Channel selection box. These drop down boxes (one per plot) allow for the
selection of the channel to be displayed in a given plot.

After specifying measurement interval parameters and pressing Recalculate…

Right click plot menu (opens when right-clicking on a given plot in the
Magnitude/Phase Analysis tabs)

A – Relative is cross-channel measurements (relative to the reference channel which
is always plotted in black)

B – Absolute is the single channel point to point calculation option
C – Clear Cursors allows for turning off any enabled cursors in the plot (via left click on

the plot)
D – Zoom Out allows resetting the plot back to the original state (including any

changes made with zoom boxes or axis scaling)
E – Properties… opens a property grid for the given chart object. This is a very

complex, multi-level dialog that effectively exposes any property you can imagine (if
you can find it J). But, it can also be dangerous and possibly cause the chart object to
crash by making changes that result in unpredictable results at run-time. Care
should be taken in its use.

34 Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide

Status tab

MAC Demo Software

Status tab

A – Configuration Details provides details about the M9703A modules in active
sessions that are being used by the application. This information is useful to verify
proper configuration and also for checking the result of any self tests performed
during the initialize step.

B – Digitizer Status Output is a history of all operations performed by the application
since initialization. Time tags are tracked using a Stopwatch object embedded inside
the M9703A object in the application code. The copy to clipboard button is provided
to quickly grab the complete history into the PC’s clipboard to paste into a test report.
Clear button also can clear the history at any time.

Keysight Y1299A-003 MAC Reference Solution Startup Guide 35

This information is subject to change
without notice.
© Keysight Technologies 2013 - 2015
Edition 1, July, 2015
Printed In USA

Y1299-90003

www.keysight.com