Software Manual
Pulse Sequencer Software
V 4.1
R&S® SMU-K6 1408.7662.02
R&S® SMJ-K6 1409.2558.02
R&S® SMATE-K6 1404.8006.02
R&S® AFQ-K6 1401.5606.00
R&S® AMU-K6 1402.9805.02
R&S® SMBV-K6 1415.8390.02
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Dear Customer,
R&S® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG. Throughout this manual, the
R&S® SMU-K6, R&S® SMJ-K6, R&S® SMATE-K6, R&S® AFQ-K6, R&S® AMU-K6 and R&S® SMBV-K6 is
abbreviated as R&S Pulse Sequencer.
Trade names are trademarks of the owners.
Table of Content
1 Abbreviations................................................................................6
2 Introduction...................................................................................7
3 Release Notes................................................................................8
4 Installation...................................................................................11
Hardware Requirements................................................................................ 11
Minimum Instrument Configuration................................................................12
Software Requirements..................................................................................13
Installation...................................................................................................... 14
5 Starting the Pulse Sequencer....................................................15
6 Migrating from V 1.x to V 2.x or V 3.x.......................................16
7 Configuring the Pulse Sequencer.............................................17
8 The Project Tree..........................................................................20
9 First Steps....................................................................................21
10 Setting up the Instrument Link..................................................22
11 Creating New Pulses...................................................................24
Timing Parameters......................................................................................... 25
Delay Time.......................................................................................... 25
Rise Time............................................................................................ 25
On Time.............................................................................................. 25
Fall Time............................................................................................. 25
Off Time.............................................................................................. 26
PRI / PRF............................................................................................ 26
Arbitrary Pulse Envelope................................................................................26
I/Q Data.......................................................................................................... 27
Importing Data................................................................................................27
General Pulse Settings...................................................................................28
Jitter Settings................................................................................................. 30
Uniform Distribution.............................................................................31
Normal Distribution..............................................................................31
Linear Ramp........................................................................................ 32
Sine..................................................................................................... 32
Staircase............................................................................................. 33
Value List (Uniform).............................................................................33
Value List (Ordered)............................................................................33
Shape (Interpolated)............................................................................33
Rules List............................................................................................ 34
Using Tables as Source for Jitter Values....................................................... 35
Combining Multiple Jitter Profiles...................................................................36
Modulation Settings........................................................................................36
The Data Source Editor..................................................................................38
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Built-In Modulation Types...............................................................................39
Marker Settings.............................................................................................. 48
12 Creating Sequences....................................................................49
13 The Sequence Editor..................................................................50
General Sequence Settings........................................................................... 52
14 The Baseband Filter Dialog........................................................54
15 Report Generation.......................................................................56
16 Overlaying Pulse Entries............................................................58
Overlay Application Examples........................................................................59
Radar Antenna TX, RX Simulation......................................................59
Sector Blanking................................................................................... 59
17 The Sequence View.....................................................................60
Time Domain Display..................................................................................... 61
Marker (Cursor) Functions............................................................................. 64
I/Q Plane........................................................................................................ 64
FFT Spectrum................................................................................................ 65
18 The Transfer Panel......................................................................66
19 Multi-Segment Waveforms.........................................................68
General MSW Settings...................................................................................68
MSW Editor.................................................................................................... 69
Building Multi-Segment Waveforms............................................................... 71
Operating Multi-Segment Waveforms............................................................ 73
20 RF Lists........................................................................................74
21 The Log Panel..............................................................................78
22 Plug-in Modules..........................................................................79
The Plug-in Mechanism..................................................................................79
The Programming API....................................................................................79
Get Type............................................................................................. 79
Get Version......................................................................................... 79
Set Name............................................................................................ 80
Get Comment / Explanation................................................................ 80
Get Author........................................................................................... 80
Get Error............................................................................................. 80
Initialization.........................................................................................81
Shutdown............................................................................................ 81
Setup Parameters............................................................................... 81
Set Values........................................................................................... 82
Plug-in Modulation Engine..................................................................82
Plug-in Modulation Engine 2...............................................................84
Query Plug-in Configuration Parameters.............................................85
Setting Plug-in Configuration Parameters...........................................86
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23 Sample Rate Considerations.....................................................87
Minimum Pulse Width.................................................................................... 87
Timing Error................................................................................................... 88
Dynamic Range..............................................................................................89
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Abbreviations R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
1 Abbreviations
AM Amplitude Modulation
ARB Arbitrary (Arbitrary Waveform Generator)
ASK Amplitude Shift Keying
AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise
CW Continuous Wave
GPIB General Purpose Instrument (Instrumentation) Bus
FFT Fast Fourier Transformation
FM Frequency Modulation
FSK Frequency Shift Keying
LAN Local Area Network
PRBS Pseudo Random Bit Sequence
PRF Pulse Repetition Time
PRT Pulse Repetition Time
PRI Pulse Repetition Interval
PSK Phase Shift Keying
QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
QPSK Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
RF Radio Frequency
USB Universal Serial Bus
VISA Virtual Instrument Software Architecture
VSB Vestigial Side Band
XML Extensible Markup Language
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Introduction
2 Introduction
The R&S Pulse Sequencer software allows the flexible generation of complex pulses and pulse
patterns. It is intended for use with the Rohde & Schwarz vector signal generators R&S SMU200A,
R&S SMJ100A, R&S SMATE200A, R&S AMU200A, R&S AFQ100A,B and R&S SMBV100A.
This software provides an easy to use interface to build custom pulse envelopes, apply modulation or
jitter as well as markers. It is also possible to build sophisticated test patterns for radar receiver tests. In
addition, proprietary modulation schemes or envelopes can be applied by using the Pulse Sequencers
plug-in mechanism.
Features:
Easily generate complex pulse shapes and pulse patterns
Create and manage a library of pulses as source for building pulse sequences
Apply analog or digital intra pulse modulation such as AM, ASK, FM, FSK, PSK, FM Chirps
Extend built in modulation schemes with custom plug-ins
Simulate technical systems by applying up to four jitter types to any pulse parameter and define
the distribution
Create multi segment waveforms for fast hopping between pulse patterns
Create RF lists for fast hopping of frequencies and levels
Organize your work in projects, pulse libraries and sequence libraries
Create reports during pulse pattern generation as text file or by the use of plugin as Microsoft
EXCEL spread sheet
Compatible with R&S SMU200A, R&S SMJ100A, R&S SMATE200A, R&S AMU200A,
R&S AFQ100A,B and R&S SMBV100A
Automatic transfer of the generated waveforms to the signal source using VISA Interface
(GPIB, LAN, USB)
Additional instrument options can be used to apply noise (AWGN), impairments or fading
profiles to any pulse sequence. Two path instruments allow the combination and
synchronization of two independent signals.
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Release Notes R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
3 Release Notes
Changes from Version 1.x to Version 2.1
Pulse Settings:
- AWGN added to pulse settings
- 4 independent jitters compared to three in V 1.0
- New jitter types ramp, stair case, sine
- Custom I/Q data can be imported
Modulation:
- Custom FM-chirp can be defined by polynomial
- FSK(2) added with two frequencies at definable durations
- FSK deviation changed to -Fdev...+Fdev
- FM-chirps hold the frequency during rise and fall period
- Polyphase modulation (Frank, P1...P4) added
- New data source editor with custom and built-in data
User Interface and Graphics:
- New view mode frequency versus time
- FFT view changed to peak detector mode
- Removed unmodulated / modulated separation in pulse library
- New RF Lists features
- Up to 42 RF lists possible in project
Instrument control:
- Instrument manager with LAN search
- New instrument control concept with block chart
- Improved file transfer
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Release Notes
Changes from Version 2.x to Version 3.0
• Maximum number of modulation plugin variables increased to 255
• Modulation plugins can generate marker data
• ARB preset can be suppressed during waveform transfer
• Added MSK modulation
• Square Root ramp type
• Max. number of RF lists increased to 100
• MSW Sequencer mode added to Multi Segment Waveforms
• DFS signal generation updates
• Bug fixes
Changes from Version 3.0 to Version 3.1
• Data sources take bits and hexadecimal input
• Added plugins and project files for ADS-B, Mode-S, Polynomial Chirp
• Rebuild using CVI 2009 Runtime Libraries
• Fixed problem loading DFS EXCEL report plugin
• Application shows icon in task bar
Changes from Version 3.1 to Version 3.4
• Fonts changed in entire applications to “Arial” fixes problems on some installations
• Improved calculation of AWGN
• Improved Multi-Segment waveform editor
• Attempting to erase a used data source displays warning message
• Empty data sources could have caused a crash
• Data sources can now be sorted
• Sequences that are used in Multi-Segment waveforms cannot be deleted
• Improved waveform preview
• Closing the baseband filter dialog did close the entire application
• Added Japan and Korea DFS signals
• Added new RFID plugins and projects
• Removed some DLL dependencies
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Release Notes R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
Changes from Version 3.4 to Version 3.5
• Fixed application crash for waveforms that are shorter than 1024 samples
• Fixed erroneous PRF calculation in DFS ETSI 301 893 V1.5.1, Type 5 and 6
• Added DFS ETSI 301 893 V1.6.0 Draft ( = ETSI 301 893 V1.6.1 )
• DME pulse timing fixed in example project
• All user files are now placed in the user's home directory instead of the application folder. This
avoids the need for elevated user rights.
Changes from Version 3.5 to Version 3.7
• Removed NFC/RFID plugins and project files. These will now be provided with a separate
application note.
• DFS Updates
• Fixed renaming of output file name when waveform was created
Changes from Version 3.7 to Version 3.8
• Local waveform file names were not properly resolved
Changes from Version 3.8 to Version 3.9
• Support for new instruments added
Changes from Version 3.9 to Version 4.0
• Upgrade to newer CVI runtime 2010
• SMBV100A limits changed to 200 MHz clock, 160 MHz bandwidth, 256 Msamples
• All project files modified to use a relative path as target on the instrument
• Fixed bug: The temporary path setting was not saved properly
• The value range for polynomial chirps was increased
• DFS user manual updated
Changes from Version 4.0 to Version 4.1
• Fixed bug in polyphase modulation
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Installation
4 Installation
The R&S Pulse Sequencer is intended for installation on a desktop PC running a Microsoft
Windows® XP Professional, Microsoft® Vista, or Microsoft® Windows 7 operating system. The
following list of prerequisites should be met before installing the application.
1.1 Hardware Requirements
Minimum Requirements
AMD or Intel CPU running at 1 GHz or faster
1 GB RAM
Screen resolution of 1024x768 pixel or higher
20 MB free HD space
1
Fast IDE or S-ATA drive
2
100 M Bit LAN or VISA compatible GPIB adapter for interfacing with instrument
Recommended Hardware
AMD or Intel CPU running at 2 GHz
2 GB RAM
Screen resolution of 1024x768 pixel
10 GB free HD space
1
Fast IDE or S-ATA drive
2
1 G Bit LAN or VISA compatible GPIB adapter for interfacing with instrument
1
The space is required for program installation. During waveform creation R&S Pulse Sequencer requires large temporary files.
As a rule of thumb 9 Bytes per sample need to be considered for temporary file space. Example: 125 M Samples of waveform
data call for about 1 G Byte of temporary HD space.
2
The HD is not only required to install the Pulse Sequencer software but also holds temporary data. Access should be as fast as
possible to speed up waveform calculation.
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Installation R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
1.2 Minimum Instrument Configuration
The following overview lists minimum instrument requirements for the different R&S Vector Signal
Generators or Modulation Generators. Please note that the configuration required for your application
may need additional instrument options. This overview only points out which minimum requirements
must be met.
SMU200A
R&S SMU200A 1141.2005.02 Vector Signal Generator
R&S SMU-B103 1141.8603.02 100 kHz to 3 GHz
R&S SMU-B11 1159.8411.02 Baseband Generator with ARB
16 Msample and Digital Modulation
R&S SMU-B13 1141.8003.04 Baseband Main Module
R&S SMU-K6 1408.7662.02 Pulse Sequencer
SMJ100A
R&S SMJ100A 1403.4507.02 Vector Signal Generator
R&S SMJ-B103 1403.8502.02 100 kHz to 3 GHz
R&S SMJ-B51 1410.5605.02 Baseband Generator with ARB
16 Msample
R&S SMJ-B13 1403.9109.02 Baseband Main Module
R&S SMJ-K6 1409.2558.02 Pulse Sequencer
AFQ100A
R&S AFQ100A 1401.3003.02 I/Q Modulation Generator
R&S AFQ-B10 1401.5106.02 Waveform Memory 256 Msample
R&S AFQ-K6 1401.5606.02 Pulse Sequencer
AFQ100B
R&S AFQ100B 1410.9000.02 UWB Signal and I/Q Modulation Generator
R&S AFQ-B12 1411.0007.02 Waveform Memory 512 Msample
R&S AFQ-K6 1401.5606.02 Pulse Sequencer
SMBV100A
R&S SMBV100A 1407.6004.02 Vector Signal Generator
R&S SMBV-B103 1407.9603.02 9 kHz to 3.2 GHz
R&S SMBV-B51 1407.9003.02 Baseband Generator with ARB
32 Msample, 60 MHz RF bandwidth
R&S SMBV-B92 1407.9403.02 Hard Disk (removable)
R&S SMBV-K6 1415.8390.02 Pulse Sequencer
SMATE200A
R&S SMATE200A 1400.7005.02 Vector Signal Generator
R&S SMATE-B103 1401.1000.02 100 kHz to 3 GHz
R&S SMATE-B11 1401.2807.02 Baseband Generator with ARB
16 Msample and Digital Modulation
R&S SMATE-B13 1401.2907.02 Baseband Main Module
R&S SMATE-K6 1404.8006.02 Pulse Sequencer
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Installation
1.3 Software Requirements
Microsoft Windows® XP Professional or Windows® Vista
Rohde & Schwarz VISA IO Libraries for Instrument Control, Rev. M.01.01 or
other VISA runtime library, such as National Instruments VISA 4.0
Minimum instrument firmware release
SMU200A, SMATE200A, SMJ100A 02.05.222.24
02.10.111.116 (Sequencer)
SMBV100A 02.05.200.19
02.15.85.47 (Sequencer)
AFQ100A, AFQ100B 02.10.250 beta
Any Microsoft® Office package containing Microsoft® EXCEL for the use of the DFS reporting
feature. Please see the installation chapter for details.
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Installation R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
1.4 Installation
If you already have version 1.x of the R&S Pulse Sequencer software installed on your machine it is
advisable to install version 2.x into a separate directory in order to keep your old project files and
settings. A separate section in this document describes the migration path from V 1.x projects to V 2.x
projects.
Before you install the Pulse Sequencer software a VISA runtime library must be installed on your
system. Please refer to the documentation provided with your VISA software for installation details.
The installation of the R&S Pulse Sequencer is started by executing the self extracting installer. After
completion your application directory contains the following structure.
K6 Pulse Sequencer.exe Application executable
\Plugins Plug-ins for intra pulse modulation or reporting
\manual User manual files (pdf format)
\cvirte Run time environment files
User files are placed into the user's home path under
%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Rohde-Schwarz\K6
settings.ini Program settings file
\Projects Project files
\Waveforms Storage location for K6 generated waveform files
\LogFiles Text report files generated by the application
\Reports Microsoft EXCEL reports for DFS signal generation
\Temp Temporary files
\Source Code Code examples for custom plug-ins
The R&S Pulse Sequencer software is started by executing the ‘K6 Pulse Sequencer.exe’ file. If not
otherwise selected the installer places an icon on your desktop that links to this executable.
When the Pulse Sequencer software starts up it scans the sub directory Plugins for available user
extensions. All valid plug-ins are automatically loaded and listed in the main project tree.
Note: Pulse Sequencer V 2.x provides a plug-in that automatically fills in Microsoft® EXCEL reports
during the generation of DFS pulse trains. A separate manual bundled with this application explains the
DFS signal generation process and use in more detail.
If you do not have Microsoft EXCEL installed on your PC or do not require to generate DFS signals it is
suggested to remove the associated plug-in in the Plugins sub directory. The plug-in name is
‘Report-DFS.dll’ and if placed outside of the Plugins sub directory it will not be loaded during start-up.
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Starting the Pulse Sequencer
5 Starting the Pulse Sequencer
When the Pulse Sequencer software is started the first time it automatically loads an examples project.
This project demonstrates various capabilities of the Pulse Sequencer software and may be used as a
starting point for own waveforms.
General program settings, such as the last project or active instruments are stored in the settings.ini file
in the application directory. In case the Pulse Sequencer software does not start up as expected it is
suggested to remove this file which would cause the software to start with default settings.
In addition, several command line options exist for debugging purpose. These options can be used in
case the application does not start up correctly.
--dstartup create additional debug out during start-up (stdout window)
--no-load-project do not automatically load a project during start-up
--no-check-instr do not verify an instrument link during start-up
--no-screen-test do not test for a minimum screen resolution during start-up
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Migrating from V 1.x to V 2.x or V 3.x R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
6 Migrating from V 1.x to V 2.x or V 3.x
Pulse Sequencer project data is saved as .prj files in the XML file format. Due to the nature of this file
format most settings from version 1.x can be imported by version 2.x. However, additional settings that
were implemented in V 2.x are not present in older project files. The following steps are recommended
when loading Pulse Sequencer V 1.x project files.
1. Keep your existing V 1.x installation and install V 2.x into a separate directory
2. Load the project file from V 1.x into V 2.x
3. Verify and correct all pulse modulation related settings. For modulated pulses click at least
once into one field of the pulse modulation settings to let the software update its settings
table.
4. If data patterns were used for intra-pulse modulation this data needs to be provided again in the
data source editor (on a project base).
5. Configure jitter 4 settings of all pulses.
6. Update the jitter settings in all sequences. The names have changed between V 1.x and V 2.x.
7. Save the file under a different name using the ‘Save Project As’ menu option.
Note
If you do not need to keep any existing Pulse Sequencer V 1.x installation it is recommended to entirely
remove the old installation before attempting to install V 2.x. You may use the de-installer provided with
V 1.x but it is suggested to manually clean all remaining files in the program directory. This is required
because the de-installer leaves plug-ins and project files untouched as they might have been changed
by the user.
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Configuring the Pulse Sequencer
7 Configuring the Pulse Sequencer
After a fresh installation the R&S Pulse Sequencer starts with a default configuration which is defined in
the settings.ini file in the application directory.
All plug-ins from the sub directory Plugins are loaded
The project ‘examples.prj’ is loaded
All temporary files are located under C:\
Program messages are written to the log panel
Some example VISA connections are listed on the instrument panel
The first step after a fresh installation is to verify the general settings under 'Options → Preferences'
from the menu bar.
Log Program Messages to Log Window
Writes all program messages to the log panel. Writing these messages to the log slows down some
operations but provides useful information about what tasks are performed or possible causes of errors.
Save Current Project on Exit
Always saves the current project when the R&S Pulse Sequencer software terminates.
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Fig. 1: General settings dialog
Configuring the Pulse Sequencer R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
Location for Temporary Files
The folder for temporary files specifies the location where the R&S Pulse Sequencer keeps temporary
data during waveform creation. Read and write access to this drive should be fast. Therefore, it is
suggested to use a local hard drive instead of network storage space. This setting is effective after the
next program start since the software creates temporary files during start-up.
The required file size depends on the created waveforms. As a rule of thumb 9 bytes are required per
sample during waveform calculation. For example, if a sequence generates 10 M samples of waveform
output the temporary file rises to about 90 M Bytes. Using a baseband filter increases the memory
consumption by a factor of two.
The ‘Project Settings’ tab contains project related settings. The default configuration of this panel is
shown below.
Use Peak Envelope Power for Level Setting (PEP) [default: on]
Pulsed waveform typically exhibit high peak to average power ratios. This is because the pulse time is
often short compared to idle times and therefore the average signal power is relatively low. Signal
generators typically level their output power according to the average power which is in most cases not
desirable for pulsed signals. The option forces the instrument to regard the signal as a zero
peak-to-average ratio waveform and directly set the pulse peak power rather than the average signal
power.
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Fig. 2: Project settings dialog
R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Configuring the Pulse Sequencer
Globally Allow Markers [default: on]
If a waveform contains marker data the instrument needs to reserve additional memory. The memory
allocation happens regardless of the amount of marker use. This option allows to remove any marker
data from the generated waveform file and thus use more memory for waveform data.
If markers are enabled additional 4 bits are required per waveform sample (16 bits). One sample does
then require 20 bits of waveform memory. The instrument option specifies the maximum waveform
memory in samples without the use of markers.
Waveform Memory Waveform Memory
w/o Marker Use with Marker Use
16 M samples 16 · 16 / 20 = 12.8 M samples
32 M samples 32 · 16 / 20 = 25.6 M samples
256 M samples 256 · 16 / 20 = 205.8 M samples
Swap IQ Signals [default: off]
The option swaps the data for the I and Q signal.
Default Path for Microsoft Windows and Linux Based Instruments
When waveforms or other data is transferred to the instrument the user often does not want to care
about the specific storage location on the instrument. This option sets the default location for data
transfer to the instrument.
It is important to mention that Linux and Windows based operating systems use different path formats.
The Pulse Sequencer keeps default paths for both operating systems. Depending on the instrument
selection the correct path is used.
Linux based systems use different locations for storing user data. Instruments without any optional hard
drive generally use a sub folder under /var (e.g. /var/user or /var/smbv for the R&S SMBV100A)
whereas the hard drive option adds the /hdd path.
Note
The /hdd path always exists on Linux based instruments regardless of the installed hard drive option. In
the case where the hard drive is not available data cannot be stored using this path.
All changes are accepted by pressing the OK button and saved during the next program shut-down. It is
therefore suggested to exit and restart the Pulse Sequencer software if changes were made on the
general settings tab.
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The Project Tree R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
8 The Project Tree
All data, such as pulses, pulse sequences, Multi-Segment
waveforms and RF Lists are organized in projects. The visual
representation of the project contents is the project tree which shows
all items organized in different libraries.
Empty Pulse Sequencer projects contain no data at all. Thus,
starting a new project always requires to define pulses first, and then
sequences which can be turned into waveforms.
The following section describes the project tree content in more
detail.
The Pulse Library contains all pulses defined within the project.
Pulses are the fundamental building blocks of any signal and
therefore need to be created first. Each pulse entry can be further
expanded to unveil detailed settings, such as timing, modulation,
jitter and marker data. Pulses that use custom plug-ins are indicated
with a small red dot next to the pulse icon. Selecting a pulse entry or
one of its sub items shows the associated editor window on the right
side.
Please note that pulses cannot be turned into a waveform. Instead
the pulse entry only contains a mathematical description of pulse
parameters. The sequence combines pulses and is the basis for
waveform generation.
The Sequence Library contains all pulse sequences defined within
the project. A sequence defines how pulses are arranged to form a
waveform. It also adds parameters such as the sample rate or
baseband filter settings. The sequence can be compiled into a
waveform and transferred to the Vector Signal Generator.
The Multi Segment Waveform Library contains all Multi-Segment
waveform definitions defined within the project. A Multi-Segment
waveform is a concatenation of sequences that can be turned into
waveforms using a batch processing functionality. This simplifies the
generation of many waveforms and it also permits arbitrary jumps
between such waveforms.
The RF List Library contains all RF Lists defined within the project. An RF List contains frequency and
level pairs which may be combined with any baseband signal. The RF List affects only the RF section of
the instrument and allows for hops across a wide frequency or level range.
The Plug-in tree branch contains all plug-in modules that were loaded during program start. Plug-ins
are Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) that contain the maths used for intra pulse modulation. The
Pulse Sequencer software comes with example Plug-ins that can be used as a starting point for custom
implementations.
Items can be hidden from the project tree. This is useful if sequences or Multi-Segment waveforms
contain pulses that do not need to be altered by this user. Use 'Project → Hide Tree Entries' from the
menu bar to toggle the view of hidden entries.
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer First Steps
9 First Steps
The following steps demonstrate a typical work flow for the generation of a waveform.
Create a new project (File → New Project)
Create a new pulse entry (Create → New Pulse) and assign it a name
o Select the timing tab:
Specify the pulse timing, e.g. rise time, on time, fall time and the edge shapes
o Optionally select the settings tab:
Set levels, frequency offset, AWGN
o Optionally select the modulation tab:
Set intra-pulse modulation and define the data sources
o Optionally select the marker tab:
Modify the default marker settings
Create a new sequence (Create → New Sequence) and assign it a name
o Set-up the first pulse entry or add additional pulse entries by clicking the
‘Add new Sequence Entry’ button just above the sequence table
o Set the number of repetitions and click into the marker fields M1 through M4 to set the
marker masking for multiple repetitions
o Change the desired ARB sample if the default value is not sufficient
o Specify the local waveform file name, e.g. waveforms\MyPulse.wv
Press the ‘Build Waveform’ button to create the waveform from the sequence
Optionally select the ‘Sequence View’ tab to inspect the result
Select the ‘Transfer’ panel
o Activate the instrument manager panel and set-up your instrument link
(this step is only required once)
o Configure the remote file name and the RF section
o Hit the 'Transfer' button to send your waveform data to the instrument
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Setting up the Instrument Link R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
10 Setting up the Instrument Link
The Pulse Sequencer software interfaces with your instrument in order to upload and run your
waveforms, Multi-Segment waveforms or RF Lists. The software keeps a list of all known instruments
and memorizes the last active instrument (default instrument). When the Pulse Sequencer software
starts it checks for the availability of this default instrument and in case it cannot be accessed disables
the instrument link.
One of the first steps after a fresh installation is to set-up your instruments using the
'Instrument Manager' panel. This panel can be accessed either from the transfer panel or directly from
the menu bar 'Instrument → Manager'.
The instrument manager lists all known instruments in a tree view on the left side. This tree is divided
into two branches. The first branch lists devices that were discovered during a scan whereas the
second branch lists all manually added devices.
The Pulse Sequencer software uses VISA to interface with instruments. Instruments are therefore
identified by their VISA resource string. The following list gives examples for the various physical
interfaces, such as GPIB, LAN or USB. Please verify with your instrument manual which interface is
supported by your hardware.
VISA Resource String Example
GPIB<board no>::<address>::INSTR GPIB0::28::INSTR
TCPIP::<network name>::INSTR TCPIP::rssmu200a100123::INSTR
TCPIP::<ip address>::INSTR TCPIP::192.168.0.123::INSTR
USB::<vendor id>::<product id>::<serial>::INSTR USB::0xAAD::0x4B::100123::INSTR
USB connections require the vendor ID, the product ID as well as the instrument serial number. The
vendor ID for all Rohde & Schwarz instruments is 0x0AAD. The following table lists product ID numbers
for instruments supporting USB remote control.
AFQ100A 0x4B
AMU200A 0x55
SMATE200A 0x46
SMBV100A 0x5F
Double clicking the checkbox of an an instrument tree item opens or closes the connection. If the
connection set-up was successful a green check mark indicates that this link is currently active. If the
connection set-up fails a red icon shows the failure state.
Available device Open connection
Unavailable device
The Pulse Sequencer software supports one instrument link at a time. If an active link exists and
another instrument should be connected, it is required to close the active link first.
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Fig. 3: Instrument selection
R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Setting up the Instrument Link
The delete button removes a selected entry from the instrument list. Make sure to close the
instrument link before attempting to delete the device from the list.
New instruments can be added at any time by using the controls shown below. The first input field
depends on the selected hardware interface. The second line is used for an optional comment. The
comment has no function but it is displayed in the second column of the instrument tree.
Clicking the 'Add Manually' button adds the new instrument to the instrument tree.
The Pulse Sequencer also provides two scanning functions that can be used to discover instruments.
An instrument scan can be performed on GPIB hardware or in a local area network (LAN).
Use the button 'Scan GPIB' to add all supported devices that are connected to a local GPIB controller.
The board number is zero for the first board installed in the PC.
The 'Scan LAN' button performs a search for instruments in a LAN. In order to narrow down the search
in larger LANs a domain name should be provided for the search. By default Rohde & Schwarz
instruments are configured to use the 'Instrument' domain.
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Fig. 4: Adding instruments manually
Fig. 5: Scanning for instruments
Creating New Pulses R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
11 Creating New Pulses
Pulses are the fundamental building blocks of any sequence and
therefore need to be created as a very first step in any new
project. New pulses are created by either selecting
'Create → New Pulse' from the menu bar or by clicking on the very
left icon on top of the project tree.
In both cases a new pulse with default settings is created and
automatically added to the project tree. New pulse entries are
named ‘new-<n>’ where n is a number starting at one.
Next, the pulse parameters can be edited by selecting one of the
items belonging to the new pulse entry. Clicking on one of these
items shows the associated dialog panel on the right side of the
project tree.
Timing
This panel defines all timing related parameters, such as delay-, rise-, on-, fall- and off-time. In
addition, the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) or pulse repetition interval (PRI) may be set.
The panel also controls the shape of the rising and falling edge, e.g. linear, cosine or raised cosine.
In the case where a custom shape or I/Q data is required this panel also provides all the controls to
import data from an external source.
Settings
The settings panel controls various parameters. This is the pulse power, phase and frequency
settings, as well as Additional White Gaussian Noise (AWGN).
Jitter
Jitter is a mechanism that varies pulse parameters in cases where multiple repetitions of a pulse
are used. This is a powerful feature for the simulation of real world scenarios or imperfections in a
technical system. Pulse Sequencer provides four independent jitters that can be applied to various
pulse parameters and follow different mathematical rules.
Modulation
The modulation panel defines the intra pulse modulation. The Pulse Sequencer software provides
a wide range of commonly used modulation schemes, such as AM, FM, PSK or Chirps. In addition
plug-ins may be utilized to add custom pulse content. This dialog also defines the data sources
that are used with a modulation scheme.
Marker
Markers signals are additional digital instrument outputs that can be controlled synchronously with
the waveform playback. A common use, for example, is triggering a device under test or a
Spectrum Analyzer at the beginning of a pulse. The marker panel assigns marker signals to pulse
sections, such as the delay-, rise-, on-, fall-, or off-time. In case of multiple pulse repetitions the
sequence editor allows to further mask marker signal output to only the first, last, or all pulses.
Please see the next paragraph for a detailed discussion of the panels described above.
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R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Creating New Pulses
1.5 Timing Parameters
Timing parameters affect the pulse shape and
are usually the first and most important
parameters to define. The timing panel
controls all phases of the pulse. This is the
delay-, rise-, on-, fall-, and off-time. Time
values can be set in nanoseconds (ns),
microseconds (µs), milliseconds (ms) or
seconds (s). The total duration is automatically
calculated and shown as sum below all
settings. This value cannot be edited. An
alternative to setting the off time is to define a
pulse repetition interval or frequency. In this
case the required off time is automatically
computed.
1.5.1 Delay Time
This is the time before the rising edge of the pulse. During this time the RF power is attenuated or
totally suppressed. There is no modulation or data content present during this phase of the pulse. This
setting may be used to shift the pulse location in time within the PRI (pulse repetition interval) time.
1.5.2 Rise Time
This parameter sets the total time of the rising pulse edge (zero to 100 percent). The RF level changes
within this interval from the off-level to the on-level. Typically the off-level uses a high attenuation, such
as 100 dB whereas the on-level only uses little or no attenuation. This produces a rising RF power
slope.
Modulation is already present during this phase of the pulse. Guard bits must be added to avoid
truncation of data during the rising edge period.
The shape of the rising edge can be selected between linear, cosine and raised cosine. Other shapes
are possible using plug-ins or arbitrary envelope data.
1.5.3 On Time
The on time defines the period of time where the pulse power is held at a constant level defined by the
on-level attenuation. Typically the on-level attenuation is zero and therefore the RF power set to the
maximum. The on time is the total time from the very end of the rising edge to the very beginning of the
falling edge (100 % level).
1.5.4 Fall Time
For the fall time the same applies as for the rising edge section. In contrast to the rising edge power
changes from the on-level to the off-level.
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Fig. 6: Pulse timing parameters
Creating New Pulses R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
1.5.5 Off Time
The off time follows the falling edge of the pulse. During this time the RF power is suppressed to the
off-level and no modulation is applied.
The sum of all the above times form the PRT (pulse repetition time) or PRI (pulse repetition interval).
1.5.6 PRI / PRF
PRI and PRF values define the overall time of a pulse cycle. This value can be used alternatively to the
pulse off time. In this case the software uses PRF or PRI to define the overall pulse cycle time and
determines the off time automatically by adding the times for delay, rising edge, on period and falling
edge. The remainder to the PRI is used as the off time.
PRF or PRI settings are very useful if the pulse timing changes (e.g. by jitter) but the total duration of
the pulse cycle must remain constant.
1.6 Arbitrary Pulse Envelope
Instead of defining a pulse by its rise-,
on- and fall-time it is also possible to
use arbitrary envelope data.
Arbitrary envelope data affects the level
values versus time and therefore can
be used with any kind of intra pulse
modulation. The basic functionality
behind arbitrary envelope data is that
this data is multiplied with the existing
pulse shape created from the timing
parameters. Time wise the arbitrary
envelope is mapped to the pulse phase
consisting of rise-, on-, and fall-time. In
an ideal case the rise- and fall-time is
set to zero and the on-time defines the
length of the arbitrary pulse shape.
Since arbitrary amplitude data is
multiplied with the existing pulse shape
it is suggested to use a values ranging
from 0 to 1.0 to obtain correct levels.
The Pulse Sequencer software uses
linear interpolation between data points
to compute the resulting pulse
envelope based on the given timing
and ARB sample rate.
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Fig. 7: Custom envelope data dialog
R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer Creating New Pulses
1.7 I/Q Data
The R&S Pulse Sequencer software can also make use of custom I/Q data for the intra-pulse
modulation or envelope. Arbitrary I/Q data is applied during the rise-, on-, and fall-time of a pulse. If no
rise-time and fall-time is set the I/Q data completely controls the pulse shape and the intra-pulse
modulation.
1.8 Importing Data
The import tab loads arbitrary envelope or I/Q data into the Pulse Sequencer project. Once data is
loaded it becomes part of the pulse definition and is saved in the project file. Copying the pulse creates
a new pulse with a full copy of the imported data.
The 'Import Mode' control selects the mode between 'Level' (envelope data only) and 'I and Q' for full
I/Q data import. Set the mode before attempting to load any data into the Pulse Sequencer project.
The two column controls define the columns in an ASCII file from which the envelope or I/Q data is
imported. The Pulse Sequencer software accepts floating point ASCII text files with data organized in
columns.
The 'Import Data From File' button selects the source file and imports data as defined into the project.
The 'Clear All Data' button removes all data from the project file.
Note about arbitrary data:
Once arbitrary data is imported it becomes a permanent part of the project file. Importing a large
number of data points may therefore grow the project file to a very large size. Arbitrary data remains
present even if the ‘Use Custom Envelope or I/Q Data’ button is disabled. This allows the user to
flexibly switch between both modes without the need to clear and reload any data. If arbitrary
envelope data is not required any more it is suggested to clear it from the project file by using the
‘Clear All Data’ button. Copying a pulse also copies all arbitrary data.
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Creating New Pulses R&S K6 Pulse Sequencer
1.9 General Pulse Settings
Level settings control the RF output power level during all
phases of the pulse. The Pulse Sequencer uses two main
settings to do so. One is the attenuation during the on-time
whereas the other is the attenuation during the off-time.
Usually the attenuation during the off-time is much larger
than during the on-time which causes an RF pulse with a
rising and falling edge. If the attenuation was set to a high
value for On and a low value for Off the result would be an
inverse pulse. This setting could, for example, be useful
for RFID devices that may require constant RF power.
Attenuation values must always be positive numbers
between zero and up to about 100 dB. The value of
100 dB is usually sufficient when using a 16 bit ARB because the signal is fully suppressed beyond
96 dB of attenuation.
Log Droop specifies a logarithmic change (linear in dB scale) of the RF power during the on-time of a
pulse. A positive number decreases the RF power by the set amount whereas a negative number
increases power.
The Start Phase parameter sets the phase shift of
the resulting RF wave. The permissible number
range is -360.0 degrees to +360.0 degrees. The
phase setting refers to the starting point of the pulse
and modulation may change this phase during the
pulse.
Activating the Relative Phase check box keeps the
signal phase from the end of the previous pulse and
adds the start phase to this value. This enables the
user to continue with a phase modulated signal from
one pulse to the next.
The Frequency Offset shifts the pulse in frequency away from the RF carrier. It is important that large
enough ARB sample rates are set in the final sequence to allow for the desired frequency shift. A
minimum of double the ARB sample rate is required for a given frequency offset.
The check box Hide Entry In Tree is used to hide this pulse entry in the project tree. This is useful if a
large number of pulses exist and the user only needs to generate sequences or Multi-Segment
waveforms without seeing or altering the underlying pulse definitions.
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Fig. 8: Level settings
Fig. 9: Phase and frequency settings
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