Tektronix VM700A User Manual

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User Manual

VM700A Video Measurement Set Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL)

070-8166-05

User Manual

VM700A Video Measurement Set Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL)

070-8166-05

This document supports firmware version 2.09.01.

Copyright 1992, 1993 Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon. Printed in the United States of America. All Rights Reserved. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of T ektronix, Inc. Specification and price change privileges are reserved.

This instrument, in whole or in part, may be protected by one or more U.S. or foreign patents or patent applications. Information provided upon request by T ektronix, Inc., P.O. Box 1000, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070–1000.

T ektronix and Tek and are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc.

IBM AT and IBM XT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc. Epson is a registered trademark of Epson Inc. HP LaserJet, HP ThinkJet, and HP DeskJet are registered trademarks of Hewlett–Packard, Inc. Apple LaserWriter is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Mention of third party products is as an example of a type of equipment that a user might employ and is not an endorsement for that product.

WARRANTY

T ektronix warrants that this product that it manufactures and sells will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment. If any such product proves defective during this warranty period, T ektronix, at its option either will repair the defective product without charge for parts and labor, or will provide a replacement in exchange for the defective product.

In order to obtain service under this warranty, Customer must notify Tektronix of the defect before the expiration of the warranty period and make suitable arrangements for the performance of service. Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping the defective product to the service center designated by T ektronix, with shipping charges prepaid. Tektronix shall pay for the return of the product to Customer if the shipment is to a location within the country in which the T ektronix service center is located. Customer shall be responsible for paying all shipping charges, duties, taxes, and any other charges for products returned to any other locations.

This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or damage caused by improper use or improper or inadequate maintenance and care. T ektronix shall not be obligated to furnish service under this warranty a) to repair damage resulting from attempts by personnel other than T ektronix representatives to install, repair or service the product; b) to repair damage resulting from improper use or connection to incompatible equipment; c) to service a product that has been modified or integrated with other products when the effect of such modification or integration increases the time or difficulty of servicing the product.

THIS WARRANTY IS GIVEN BY TEKTRONIX WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A P ARTICULAR PURPOSE. TEKTRONIX’ RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY. TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER TEKTRONIX OR THE VENDOR HAS ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Contacting Tektronix

Product Support

Service Support

For other information

To write us Tektronix, Inc.

For application-oriented questions about a Tektronix measurement product, call toll free in North America: 1-800-833-9200 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific time

Or contact us by e-mail: support@tek.com

For product support outside of North America, contact your local Tektronix distributor or sales office.

Contact your local Tektronix distributor or sales office. Or visit our web site for a listing of worldwide service locations.

http://www.tektronix.com In North America:

1-800-833-9200) An operator will direct your call.

P.O. Box 500

Beaverton, OR. 97077

VM700A

PictureVectorWaveform

VIDEO

MEASUREMENT SET

Measure Auto

Freeze

Move Expand

Display Graticule

SOURCE

ABC

Help Configure Function

Select Line

Intensity

Average

Copy

STBY

In /nvramO/Executable~Files/Video~Options

Audio–Video Timing

Camera_Testing

Echo_Rounding

Video

Audio

Diags

Teletext

Component

Leav

Previous Selection

List of Figures

Figure 2-1: Rear-panel fuse, power connector, ON/OFF switch and Line Selector 2-2. . . . . .

Figure 2-2: VM700A front panel 2-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 2-3: VM700A rear panel 2-7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 3-1: Typical main Configure menu 3-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 3-2: Configure Directory 3-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 3-3: Time Configure menu 3-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 3-4: How the VM700A gets parameter information 3-12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 4-1: Typical NTSC Waveform display 4-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 4-2: Waveform menu tree 4-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 4-3: Left cursor locked to 90% point of sync edge, right cursor to 10% point 4-14. . . .

Figure 4-4: Color burst aligned with horizontal reference line 4-15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 4-5: Cursors mode indicating color burst amplitude 4-16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 5-1: Vector display of a color bar signal 5-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 5-2: Vector mode menu 5-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 6-1: Typical Measure Mode menu choices 6-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 6-2: Measure menu of Camera Video Option 6-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 9-1: Power-Up Diagnostics Selection display 9-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figure 9-2: Debug mode terminal screen display 9-12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

List of Tables

Table 1-1: Physical Characteristics 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 1-2: Power Requirements 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 1-3: Environmental Characteristics 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 1-4: Remote Relay 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 1-5: Optional Power Cords 1-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 2-1: Typical RS-232C Cable Wiring 2-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 2-2: LQ570 Cable Connections 2-10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 2-3: Apple LaserWriter Connections 2-10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 2-4: HP LaserJet Cable Connections 2-11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 9-1: VM700A Power Up Diagnostics 9-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 9-2: Individual Diagnostics 9-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 9-3: Diagnostic Measurements 9-6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 9-4: A5 CPU Board Jumper Settings 9-14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table 9-5: Start-Up Shortcuts 9-14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Contents

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Safety Summary

Please take a moment to review these safety precautions. They are provided for your protection and to prevent damage to the product. This safety information applies to all operators.

Symbols and Terms

These two terms appear in manuals:

equipment or other property.

loss of life.

These two terms appear on equipment:

CAUTION

marking or a hazard to property including the equipment itself.

DANGER

ing.

This symbol appears in manuals:

These symbols appear on equipment:

statements identify conditions or practices that could result in damage to the

statements identify conditions or practices that could result in personal injury or

indicates a personal injury hazard not immediately accessible as one reads the

indicates a personal injury hazard immediately accessible as one reads the markĆ

Static-Sensitive De-

vices

DANGER

High Voltage

Protective ground

(earth) terminal

ATTENTION

Refer to

Specific Precautions

Power Source

This product is intended to operate from a power source that applies no more than 250 V supply conductors or between either supply conductor and ground. A protective ground connection, through the grounding conductor in the power cord, is essential for safe system operation.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

manual

between the

rms

vii

Safety Summary

Grounding the Product

This product is grounded through the power cord. T o avoid electric shock, plug the power cord into a properly wired receptacle where earth ground has been verified by a qualified service person. Do this before making connections to the input or output terminals of the product.

Without the protective ground connection, all parts of the monitor are potential shock hazards. This includes knobs and controls that may appear to be insulators.

Use the Proper Power Cord

Use only the power cord and connector specified for this product. Use only a power cord that is in good condition.

Use the Proper Fuse

To avoid fire hazard, use only the fuse specified in the parts list for this product, matched by type, voltage rating, and current rating.

Do Not Operate Without a Cabinet

T o avoid personal injury, do not operate the AM700 with its cabinet removed. When power is supplied to the AM700 and the rear panel power switch is on, line voltage will be present in the instrument, even when the

POWER switch is set to STANDBY.

Do Not Operate in Explosive Atmospheres

T o avoid explosion, do not operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.

Do Not Service Alone

Do not perform internal service or adjustment of this product unless another person capable of rendering first aid and resuscitation is present.

viii

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 1:Introduction and Specification

Manual Overview

This manual describes the front panel operation of the VM700A Video Measurement Set. Those features that generally apply across the full range of possible options are explained. For specific information on the installed options, see the applicable option manual supplied with this manual set. The VM700A operator’s documentation now comprises the following manuals:

VM700A Video Measurement Set Operator Manual VM700A Programmer Reference Manual Option 01 NTSC Measurements Operator Manual Option 11 PAL Measurements Operator Manual Option 1G Echo and Rounding Error Measurements Operator Manual Option 20 Teletext Measurements Operator Manual Option 21 Camera Measurements Operator Manual Option 22 Video Wander Measurements User Manual Option 30 Component Measurements Operator Manual Option 40/41/42 Audio Measurements Operator Manual Option 48 GPIB Interface Programmer Manual

Your manual set includes the VM700A Video Measurement Set Operator Manual, the VM700A Programmer Reference Manual, and the applicable option manuals for your instrument.

Some additional software packages that may be of special interest to you are:

VMBKUP Software to assist in backing up the VM700A user-created files. These files can

VMRMGR This software aids you in handling the graphic displays and transferring them to

VMTerminal This useful software package assists in remote control of the VM700A via a pc.

Instrument Overview

The VM700A Video Measurement Set is a multifunction television test and measurement device with an easy-to-use interface. The VM700A combines the functions of a waveform monitor, vectorscope, automatic measurement set, and noise measurement set in a single instrument. Input signals can be broadcast or generated by test equipment. The VM700A can be operated by using its front-panel controls or by using one of the rear-panel RS-232C ports, or the GPIB port if Option 48 is installed, to send it commands.

The VM700A can be operated as an NTSC-standard instrument (Option 01), a PAL-standard instrument (Option 11), or as a dual-standard instrument when both options are included.

be reloaded to the same instrument or to another VM700A to generate a common set of configuration files.

a personal computer for filing, display, or printing.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

1-1

Section 1 - Introduction and Specification

The VM700A functions as a waveform monitor when its Waveform front-panel button is pressed. Waveform monitor operation is described in Section 4.

The VM700A functions as a vectorscope when its Vector front-panel button is pressed. Vectorscope operation is described in Section 5.

When the Measure front-panel button is pressed, the VM700A displays a list of available measurements. A general description of Measure mode operation is given in Section 6. Detailed information about individual measurements is included in the VM700A Option 01 NTSC

Measurements Operator Manual and the VM700A Option 11 PAL Measurements Operator Manual. Consult either of those manuals for more information about individual measurements.

Measurement provided with additional installed options are described in the manuals supplied for the options.

When the Picture front-panel button is pressed, the VM700A functions as a low-resolution picture monitor. This display is to assist you in identifying the input source for other operational modes. Picture mode operation is described in Section 7.

When the Auto front-panel button is pressed, the VM700A cycles through the selected set of automated measurements. A general description of Auto mode operation is given in Section 8. Detailed information about individual auto-mode measurements is included in the VM700A

Option 01 NTSC Measurements Operator Manual and the VM700A Option 11 PAL Measurements Operator Manual. Consult either of those manuals for more information about individual

measurements. The VM700A features a large set of diagnostics, to allow you to verify that the instrument is

operating properly, as well as to localize malfunctions if they occur. Diagnostics are described in Section 9

The VM700A features the ability to record sequences of operations (functions) and execute them by touching a “soft key” on the front panel. See the VM700A Programmer Reference Manual for details on how to record, edit, and execute functions. The functions can also be called remotely once they have been created.

The VM700A is capable of being remotely controlled. You can operate the instrument via a computer or terminal connected through a rear-panel RS-232C port. See the VM700A Program- mer Reference Manual for information on remote programming and operation. If Option 48, GPIB interface, is also installed, the VM700A may be operated remotely via the GPIB port. See the VM700A Option 48 GPIB Interface Programmer Manual for information about GPIB remote control

An added display option is available for the VM700A. Option 74 provides a display module with a white phosphor CRT instead of the standard green phosphor when a VM700A is ordered with the option.

1-2

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Instrument Specifications

T able 1-1: Physical Characteristics

Characteristics Description

Section 1 - Introduction and Specification

Dimensions (WxHxD)

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Weight

19.0 inches x 8.75 inches x 21.9 inches

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(483 mm x 222 mm x 556 mm) 45 lb (20 Kg)

T able 1-2: Power Requirements

Characteristics Description

Mains Voltage

90 to 132 VAC (115 VAC nominal)

180 to 250 VAC (230 VAC nominal) Mains Frequency Power Consumption

47 to 63 Hz

250 Watts Fuse

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115 VAC 230 VAC

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6 A, 250 V , Slow Blow, 0.250 X 1.250

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3 A, 250 V , Slow Blow, 3AG, MSL-3

T able 1-3: Environmental Characteristics

Characteristics Description

Temperature Operating

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Non-operating (storage) Altitude

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Operating

Non-operating

EMI

0 to 50°C ambient

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–55°C to + 75°C

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To 4,570 meters (15,000 feet). Maximum operating

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temperature decreases 1°C per 1,000 ft above 5,000 ft.

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To 15,240 meters (50,000 feet).

Meets FCC CFR Part 15, Sub-part B, Class A

T able 1-4: Remote Relay

Characteristics Description

Remote Contact Closure Relay

Maximum Current 50 mA

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Contacts are not debounced.

1-3

Section 1 - Introduction and Specification

T able 1-4: Remote Relay (Cont.)

Characteristics Description

Maximum Voltage 30 VAC

БББББББББББББ

Control Logic

set GRL Y 1 closes the relay.

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or 30 VDC

RMS

set GRL Y 0 opens the relay.

T able 1-5: Optional Power Cords

Power Plugs Description Reference Standards

Standard North American 120 V plug 15 A

Option A1 Universal Euro 220 V plug 10-16 A

Option A2

United Kingdom 240 V plug 6 A

Option A3 Australian 240 V plug 10 A

ANSI C73.11 NEMA 5-15-P IEC 83 UL 198.6

CEE(7) II, IV, VII IEC 83 IEC 127

BS 1363 IEC 83 IEC 127

AS C112 IEC 127

1-4

Option A4 North American 240 V 15 A

Option A5 Switzerland 220 V plug 6 A

Reference Standards Abbreviations:

ANSI—American National Standards Institute AS—Standards Association of Australia BS—British Standards Institution CEE—International Commission on Rules for the Approval of Electrical Equipment IEC—International Electrotechnical Commission NEMA—National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association SEV—Schwetzervischer Elektrotechischer Versin UL—Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

A 6 A, type C fuse is also installed inside the plug of the Option A2 power cord.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

ANSI C73.20 NEMA 6-15-P IEC 83 UL 198.6

SEV IEC 127

Section 2:Installation and Operation

Power Requirements

The VM700A operates with line frequencies from 48 Hz to 66 Hz, over two line voltage ranges. The nominal setting of the low voltage range is 115 VAC. The nominal setting of the high voltage range is 230 VAC.

There are two power switches on the VM700A, one on the rear panel above the power cord receptacle, and one on the front panel. Both must be on to operate the instrument. The rear-panel switch is the master power switch. The switch on the front panel remotely enables the voltage supply outputs.

WARNING. Dangerous voltages are present within the Power Supply module when the rear-panel power switch is on, regardless of the position of the front-panel power switch. Do not operate the VM700A with any covers removed. Refer all servicing of the instrument to a qualified service person.

Changing Line Voltage

Range and Fuse

Power Cord

The voltage range selection switch and fuse holder are located in the lower left corner of the rear panel (see Figure 2-1). The VM700A is shipped from the factory set for the operating voltage of the destination nation (115 VAC or 230 VAC). If the setting is not correct, it must be changed before connecting the power cord to the power source. Simply set the voltage range selection switch (located on the rear panel of the VM700A) to the correct position for operation.

CAUTION. When changing the line voltage selector switch you must also change the fuse to provide proper protection for the operating voltage in use. The 3A slow-blow fuse provides the proper protection in the 230 VAC range and the 6A slow-blow fuse provides protection for operation in the 115 VAC range.

A detachable three-wire power cord with a three-contact plug is provided with each instrument for connecting to both the power source and protective ground. The protective-ground connector in the plug connects (through the protectiveground conductor) to the accessible metal parts of the instrument. For electricalshock protection, insert this plug only into a power-source outlet that has a properly grounded protective-ground contact.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

2-1

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

CAUTION

TO AVOID ELECTRICAL SHOCK, POWER CORD PROTECTIVE GROUND MUST BE CONNECTED TO EARTH GROUND

FUSE

RATING

250V

6A S

3A S

FUSE

1 0

OFF

REPLACE FUSE AS SPECIFIED

LINE VOLTAGE SETTING

115V

(90 - 132V)

230V

180 - 250V)

400 VA MAX

44 - 68 HZ

Figure 2-1: Rear-panel fuse, power connector, ON/OFF switch and Line Selector

LINE SELECTOR

Calibrating the Touch

2-2

Screen

Instruments are shipped with the power cord required for the country of destination. Available power-cord option information is given in Section 1, Introduction and Specification, of this manual. Contact your Tektronix representative or local Tektronix field office for additional power-cord information.

The VM700A is shipped from the factory with its touch screen fully calibrated. Although it will seldom be necessary, the touch screen can easily be recalibrated.

To calibrate the touch screen:

Switch off power to the VM700A at the front panel.

Press and hold the Configure button and switch the power back on.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Front Panel Operation

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

After about three seconds the VM700A displays the touch screen calibration display. Full instructions for calibration are given on the screen. A small circle with a dot (1 pixel) is lit in each corner, one corner at a time (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right). Hold your finger on the touch screen directly over the dot until the VM700A beeps, and lights the dot in the next corner. When the calibration is completed, the VM700A finishes the power-up sequence, then the Waveform mode display appears.

The VM700A front panel (Figure 2-2) consists of a touch screen and a 20-button keypad with a control knob.

VIDEO

VM700A

PictureVectorWaveform

VIDEO

MEASUREMENT SET

Measure Auto

Figure 2-2: VM700A front panel

Touch Screen

Freeze

Move Expand

Display Graticule

SOURCE

ABC

Help Configure Function

Select Line

Intensity

Average

Copy

STBY

The display (CRT) area of the VM700A is also a touch screen for user input. The screen displays input waveform signals, the digital vectorscope, a low-quality television picture of the input signal, graphic measurement displays, and automatic measurement results. Many operations are performed by selecting soft keys (menu-controlled touch screen controls) at the bottom of the display; when applicable, selection values are changed by rotating the control knob.

Manual and Auto

Operational Mode Buttons

The top row of buttons controls the operational modes (the major functions). The VM700A has five operational modes: four “manual” modes and Auto mode. The

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

2-3

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

manual modes are Waveform, Vector, Picture, and Measure. The power-on default mode is Waveform.

The manual modes perform the specified operation and provide a graphic display with digital readouts plus status information. Auto mode makes measurements automatically and provides a tabular listing of the measurement results. Reporting of measurement results can be performed in both manual and Auto mode.

Parameters such as clamping, sync source, and the displayed line (system line) are common for all the manual modes of operation. However, manual mode parameters do not carry over to Auto mode. Parameters for both Auto mode and the manual modes are set through the directory and file structure accessed through the Configure button.

Freeze. Source Selection,

and Average Functions

The second row down in the keypad contains the Freeze button, the input channel selection buttons (grouped as SOURCE A, B, and C), and the Average button.

Freeze. When Freeze is selected, signal acquisition is halted. The frozen display may be repositioned or resized according to the application, as described below under Control Knob, but the display is not updated. Starting a new measurement or operation unfreezes the display.

Source and Polarity Selection. For all operational modes, one of the input sources is always selected. Selected sources are indicated by a lighted LED in the panel button.

For some modes, an input source can be inverted. This feature may be used to invert a positive-sync video signal to obtain the correct polarity for measurement by the VM700A. To invert a single source, press and hold the source button approximately one second, until the instrument beeps. When a source is inverted, the LED on the source button blinks. To invert a second source and add it to another, press and hold the normal (non-inverted) source and, while holding it, quickly press and release the inverted source. The LED on the inverted source will flash.

In Waveform and Vector modes, an inverted source can be the sole input or it can be added to another input. In Measure mode, an inverted source can only be added to another source.

2-4

Support Functions

Average. The Average button enables noise reduction (averaging) on the signal in

Waveform, Vector, and Measure modes. The amount of noise reduction (up to

30.10 dB) is set with the Noise soft keys. The number of averages (up to 256) is set with the Average Num soft keys.

The third row down in the keypad contains support functions: Menu, Help, Configure, Function, and Copy. All of these functions except Copy are toggled

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

on and off, either by pressing the button twice (that is, press once to turn on; press again to turn off), or by selecting a different operational mode in the top row (except Help which must be pressed a second time to turn it off).

Menu. The Menu button displays a menu of soft keys on screen. In some cases, touching a soft key displays a submenu of additional soft keys when it is selected.

Help. The Help button activates the Help function. When Help is turned on, pressing a button or selecting a soft key displays a brief explanation of the button or soft key; all buttons and soft keys, except Help, lose their normal function. The LED on the Help button flashes while Help is active. Help is turned off by pressing the Help button a second time.

Configure and Function. The Configure button and its usage are discussed in Section 3, Configuring the VM700A. The Function button and its usage are discussed in the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual.

Copy. The Copy button sends a copy of the display to the print spooler (temporary memory space) to queue for printing. The LED in the Copy button will flash as long as the copy remains in the spooler. To delete the copy from the spooler, press the Configure button while the Copy LED is flashing and select the Cancel Copy soft key. This soft key only appears in the Configure menu when a copy is pending in the spooler.

Control Knob

The specific functions of the control knob in each mode are described in the relevant sections of this manual as the function of the control knob depends on the current mode of operation. Its general operation is described here.

Waveform Expansion and Positioning. In Waveform mode, rotating the control knob affects horizontal or vertical movement of the display or horizontal or vertical expansion of the display, depending on the selections of the Move/Expand button and the Horizontal/Vertical button. In Expand mode, the normal expansion (horizontal or vertical, depending on the arrow button selection) is around the center of the display. A specific point for expansion is selected by touching the screen at the expansion point wanted. Expansion or contraction is around the touched point while the screen is touched. It reverts to the center of the screen when your finger is removed from the touch screen.

Select Line The Select Line button assigns the function of the control knob to video signal line selection. The LED in the Select Line button is on when Select Line is active. To scroll through the field line by line, press the Select Line button and rotate the control knob. Depending on the operational mode, a menu of soft keys may also appear. The Select Line soft keys and the specific control knob functions are described in the relevant sections of this manual.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

2-5

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

Display and Graticule Intensity Control To change the intensity of the display or the graticule, hold down the Display or Graticule button and rotate the control knob.

Equipment/Signal Sources

Required

Bandwidth

Connecting Inputs and

Outputs

Most VM700A measurements can only be done using either off-air (live) signals or signals from a generator that have the appropriate test signals in the vertical interval. Without the correct signal being applied, the displays contain no useful information.

The bandwidth of the VM700A is 0 Hz (DC) to approximately 6.8 MHz.

The VM700A has three video loop-through inputs, one external sync loopthrough, and two RS-232C DTE ports on its rear panel (Figure 2-3). The audio options (40 and 41) add appropriate connectors for application of the audio signals to the option circuitry. The GPIB Interface (Option 48) add a standard GPIB connector for remote control and GPIB hardcopy output.

Any video signal (of the appropriate format) may be connected to any video input for normal operation. Certain options, Camera and Component being examples, require connections to specific inputs for correct operation. Refer to the option manual when connecting signals to make those option measurements.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Fan Exhaust

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

Figure 2-3: VM700A rear panel

RS–232 Ports

RS-232C Connections. The two RS-232C DTE ports of the VM700A are used to output graphics and reports to a printer, as well as for remote operation via a modem or direct serial connection. Both connectors are located on the A5 CPU board and are accessible on the rear panel. Both are 25-pin male “D” connectors. The Communications Setup file is found in the Configure Files directory (press Configure and then touch the Configure Files soft key), and contains parameter settings for both ports. Configuring the Communication Setup file is covered in Section 3, Configuring the VM700A.

The following list describes the signals the VM700A outputs and the input signals required on all the active pins of the serial ports:

Pin 1 - Chassis Ground. Pin 2 - TX (Transmit Data). The VM700A transmits data on this pin. Pin 3 - RX (Receive Data). The VM700A receives data on this pin. Pin 4 - RTS (Request To Send [data to the VM700A]).

With Flow Control (CTS/RTS selected), normally RTS connects to the CTS line of a terminal, and the line is active when the VM700A is ready to receive data. When the receive buffers of the VM700A are nearing

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Section 2 - Installation and Operation

capacity, RTS goes inactive, indicating to the sending device to stop transmitting data.

With Flow Control (None or XON/XOFF selected), RTS is always active.

Pin 5 - CTS (Clear To Send).

With Flow Control (CTS/RTS selected), the VM700A is enabled to transmit data by a high level on pin 5, and is disabled by a low level. It is normally connected to the RTS line of a terminal.

With Flow Control (None or XON/XOFF selected), the VM700A

transmits data regardless of the CTS level. Pin 7 - Signal Ground. Pin 8 - CD (Carrier Detect). This signal typically comes from a modem and

indicates that a phone connection is made. Pin 20 - DTR (Data Terminal Ready). This pin is always high when the

VM700A is turned on. Modems typically require this signal to be a high level or they won’t answer the phone.

Table 2-1 gives cable configurations that should work in most instances. The pin numbers given for the Terminal (DTE) are the most common locations for the corresponding signals. Note that there is considerable deviation from this “common” configuration and that not all devices use control lines in the manner described under this topic. Refer to the instruction manual of the equipment you are connecting to the VM700A to determine exactly how it should be connected.

Note also that both ends of the DTE to DTE cable are typically female DB-25 connectors. The DTE to DCE cable is female on the VM700A (DTE) end, and typically male on the modem (DCE) end. See the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual for more information on connecting the VM700A for remote operation and cable wiring diagrams.

T able 2-1: Typical RS-232C Cable Wiring

VM700A (DTE) to Terminal (DTE) VM700A Pin No.

1 2

ББББББ

3 4 5 7

Terminal Pin No.

1 (Chassis GND) 3 (RX) 2 (TX)

ББББББ

5 (CTS) 4 (RTS) 7 (Signal GND)

VM700A (DTE) to Modem (DCE) VM700A Pin No.

Modem Pin No.

1 2

ББББББ

4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

T able 2-1: Typical RS-232C Cable Wiring (Cont.)

Section 2 - Installation and Operation

VM700A Pin No.

ББББББ

Connecting Printers

Connecting an EPSON

LQ-570

Modem Pin No.

ББББББ

Terminal Pin No.

6 (DSR, connection poss-

ББББББ

ibly not needed)

VM700A Pin No.

ББББББ

This section discusses connecting an EPSON LQ-570, Apple LaserWriter, HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, HP ThinkJet, or generic ASCII printer to the VM700A.

The default configuration files are set for use with the EPSON LQ-570 letter quality printer with serial interface C 823051. The default configuration of the LQ-570 printer is adequate for use with the VM700A. Refer to the user’s manual for the printer for information on any changes you might wish to make to the printer setup.

With the VM700A and printer power off, connect the serial printer cable from the 25-pin DB-25 female connector on the printer rear panel to PORT 1 on the back of the VM700A (a 25-pin DB-25 male connector). If you have not changed the factory default values in the Communication Setup file, all you need to do now is turn on the VM700A and the printer. If you have changed some factory default values, be sure the file contains the values shown in the following example.

The following partial listing shows the values that should be set in the Communications Setup file in order to use an Epson LQ-570 printer.

Copy

Port:

Format:

Report

Port:

Format:

Log

Port:

Format:

Remote

Port:

Serial Port 1 Epson LQ

None Epson LQ

None/Serial Port 0

Port 1

Protocol: Baud Rate:

Flow Control: Character Size: Parity:

Reset Character: Carrier Detect:

None 9600

CTS/RTS 8 None

None disabled

Making Your Own LQ-570 Cable. If the correct printer cable is not readily available, one can be easily constructed. A male 25-pin DB-25 connector, a

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Section 2 - Installation and Operation

female DB-25 connector, and an appropriate length of four-conductor cable are the materials needed for the cable. Table 2-2 lists the wiring connections for making a cable to use with an LQ-570.

T able 2-2: LQ570 Cable Connections

Connecting an Apple

Laser Writer

Male DB-25 Connector Pin Number (LQ-570 end)

БББББББББББ

1 (shield ground) 3 (RXD) 20 (DTR) 7 (signal ground)

Female DB-25 Connector Pin Number (VM700A end)

ББББББББББ

1 (shield ground) 2 (TXD) 5 (CTS) 7 (signal ground)

Note the following setups when connecting an Apple LaserWriter to a VM700A serial port.

Setting up the VM700A. In Configure mode, set the Copy Format, Report Format, and Log Format in the Communication Setup file to PostScript. Set the Copy Port and Report Port to Serial Port 0 or Serial Port 1, as appropriate.

Set the selected port’s Baud Rate to 9600, Flow Control to XON/XOFF, Character Size to 8, Reset Character to Ctrl-D, and Carrier Detect to Disabled.

Setting up the LaserWriter. Set the rear-panel switch to the 9600 position. The cable connecting the VM700A and the LaserWriter should be wired as

described in Table 2-3. The cable must have a female DB-25 connector on the VM700A end and a male DB-25 connector on the LaserWriter end.

Connecting an HP

LaserJet, HP ThinkJet, or

HP DeskJet

2-10

T able 2-3: Apple LaserW riter Connections

Male DB-25 Connector Pin Number (Apple LaserWriter end)

БББББББББББ

1 (shield GND) 3 (RXD) 2 (TXD) 5 (CTS) 4 (RTS) 7 (signal GND)

Female DB-25 Connector Pin Number (VM700A end)

ББББББББББ

1 (shield GND) 2 (TXD) 3 (RXD) 4 (RTS) 5 (CTS) 7 (signal GND)

Setting Up the VM700A. In Configure mode, set the Copy Format, Report Format, and Log Format in the Communication Setup file to HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, or

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Section 2 - Installation and Operation

HP ThinkJet as appropriate for your printer/plotter. Set the Copy Port and Report Port to Serial Port 0 or Serial Port 1 as needed for your application.

For the selected port, set the Baud Rate to any value from 300 to 19200 (9600 is recommended), set Protocol to None, Flow Control to XON/XOFF, Reset Character to None, Parity to None, Character Size to 8, and Carrier Detect to Disabled.

Setting up the HP LaserJet, ThinkJet, or DeskJet. Set the baud rate to the same as the VM700A. Refer to the appropriate user manual for the printer setups. Connect the serial printer cable between the VM700A and the printer. An optional accessory cable is available from Tektronix. The part number for that cable is 012-1285-00. Should you want, you may wire your printer cable for the HP to VM700A connection. The necessary wiring information is provided in Table 2-4.

Making Your Own Printer Cable. Table 2-4 lists the wiring connections for making a cable to use with an HP LaserJet, ThinkJet, or DeskJet printer/plotter.

Connecting an ASCII

Printer

T able 2-4: HP LaserJet Cable Connections

Male DB-25 Connector Pin Number

БББББББББББ

(HP LaserJet, ThinkJet, or DeskJet end)

1 (shield ground) 3 (RXD)

БББББББББББ

2 (TXD) 7 (signal ground) 20 (DTR)

The pin 20 to pin 5 connection is required only for hardware flow control. It may be omitted for XON/XOFF flow control.

Female DB-25 Connector Pin Number

ББББББББББ

(VM700A end)

1 (shield ground) 2 (TXD)

ББББББББББ

3 (RXD) 7 (signal ground)

5 (CTS)

The VM700A can also be configured to operate with a generic ASCII printer. In the Communication Setup file, set the Report Format and Log Format to ASCII Printer. A generic ASCII printer is assumed to only print text; graphic functions are not supported.

NOTE. When Copy Format is set to ASCII Printer, the Copy function is disabled in Waveform, Vector, Picture, and Measure modes; only the text from Auto mode, text from Measurement Results files in Configure mode, and the Print File soft key function in Configure mode are enabled.

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Section 2 - Installation and Operation

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Section 3:Configuring the VM700A

The Configure button brings up a display (shown in Figure 3-1) that provides access to utilities that allow you to edit files that control many aspects of the VM700A operating environment and information on the firmware installed in your instrument. This section describes the use of these utilities.

The VM700A gets important operating information from configuration files stored in its non-volatile memory. These files are arranged in a directory structure accessed using the front-panel Configure button and the touch screen menu choice. These files control such areas of VM700A operation as:

Which measurements are performed in Auto mode; What measurement limits should be in effect for Auto mode measurements

(for example, what values should be used as upper and lower bounds before a caution or alarm is triggered);

The timing of Auto mode reports and timed functions; Which line(s) each Auto or Measure mode measurement will be made on,

and (where applicable) at what position within the line(s); Which output ports to send printouts, screen dumps, periodic reports, or

error logs to, and in what formats;

Non volatile memory: used 133694 bytes, free 128460 bytes

used 51%

Figure 3-1: T ypical main Configure menu

VM700A Video Measurement Set xxxxxx-xxxx

Option 01 NTSC Version 2.08 Option 11 PAL Version 2.08 Option 40 Audio Version 1.04 Option 30 Component Version 1.01 Option 20 Teletext Version 1.01 Option 1G Echo/Rounding Version 1.00 Option 21 Camera Testing Version 1.02

Time

Configure

Files

free

49%

Function

Keys

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

The Configure button provides access to utilities that allow you to edit files that control these and other aspects of the VM700A operating environment. Pressing the Configure button brings up the main Configure display, showing the firmware option number and version, the amount of non-volatile memory used and free (in bytes), and three soft keys (menu-controlled touch panel controls), labeled Time, Configure Files, and Function Keys. (If a copy is queued for printing in the printer spooler, another soft key labeled Cancel Copy is also displayed.)

These soft keys are defined as follows:

The password (if any) that must be used for controlling access to the configuration files.

Time: Pressing this soft key brings up a display and submenu that allows you to set the internal clock of the VM700A. (This procedure is described later in this section of the manual.)

Configure Files: Pressing this soft key brings up a display of the /nvram0/ConfigFiles directory, which gives you access to files and directories that control VM700A operations.

Function Keys: Pressing this soft key brings up a display of the /nvram0/ FunctionKeys directory, along with a submenu that lets you create, rename, edit, delete, and print out function keys. (Use of the Function Keys feature is fully explained in the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual.)

Cancel Copy: Pressing this soft key clears all copies in the spooler.

The Cancel Copy soft key appears as a choice in the Configure menu only if there are files in the printer queue. Touching it deletes the files from the queue.

Configure mode, like other modes, may be selected at any time. When the Configure button is pressed again to deselect Configure, the VM700A returns to the mode or application (for example, measurement) that was active when Configure was selected.

The remainder of this section is divided into two parts. The first part describes the operations available in Configure mode; it tells you how to create or delete files in a directory, how to edit files, etc. The second part describes the Configure mode directory structure and the files it contains.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Configure Operations

Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

This section covers basic information on how to traverse directories and edit files in Configure mode.

The Configure

Directory Structure

After you press the Configure button and touch the Configure Files soft key, the VM700A displays the files and sub-directories in the /nvram0/ConfigFiles directory (see Figure 3-2). Files and directories are displayed as icons enclosing the file or directory name. Directory icons consist of two overlapping rectangles; file icons consist of single rectangles. Below the directory display is the path line, indicating the displayed directory’s location in the directory structure, and two soft keys, Print File and Leave Directory. A dual-standard instrument also has the additional soft key of Switch NTSC/PAL displayed with the selected choice identified as either NTSC Files or PAL Files.

Audio_Limit Files

Auto_Limit Files

Diagnostics Selection

Measure_Limit Files

Audio_Source Files

Communication Setup

Diagnostic Errors

Measurement Locations

Audio_Source Identification

Component

Echo_Rounding

Measurement Results

In /nvramØ/ConfigFiles

Switch NTSC/PAL

Figure 3-2: Configure Directory

If there are more directories or files than can be displayed in the window area of the screen designated for directory icon displays, use the control knob to scroll up or down to display the remaining choices. The exact number of directories and their names depends on the installed options. All the directories are given in alphabetical order from left to right, top to bottom. Each of the VM700A option manuals provides details on configuring the files for the options.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

NTSC Files

Print File

Leave Directory

3-3

Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

If you are unfamiliar with the terms “file” and “directory,” the following may help: A file is a collection of information. A directory is a structure that can contain zero or more files or other directories.

Directories are organized in a “tree” structure. Touching the icon of a directory displayed in a window opens that directory. This is also known as “going down the directory tree.” Pressing the Leave Directory soft key closes the directory and displays the next higher directory in the directory structure. This is also known as “climbing up the directory tree.”

T o Enter a Directory. Touch the icon showing the name of the directory you wish to enter.

Whenever a directory is open, another soft key, labeled Leave Directory, appears below the directory window.

T o Leave a Directory. Select the Leave Directory soft key. This closes the current directory and opens the next higher directory in the directory structure.

When you open a directory, a line appears below the directory window (but above the soft keys), indicating the path (the directory or file location in the directory structure) to the displayed directory. For example, if you were viewing the contents of the Measure_Limit~Files directory, the path line would read:

In /nvram0/ConfigFiles/Measure_Limit~Files

This indicates that the path from the “root” of the directory structure (designated by the initial ‘/’) goes through directory nvram0, then through a subdirectory of nvram0 named ConfigFiles, to the current directory, which is a sub-directory of ConfigFiles named Measure_Limit~Files.

When editing a limits file for the Measure mode named “User’s_Measure~Limits_File,” the path line would read:

Editing User’s_Measure~Limits_File

The ~ (tilde) in a directory or file name represents a carriage return, and is used to join the first and second lines of directory, function key, or file names.

VM700A Video Measurement Sets equipped with both Option 01, NTSC, and Option 11, PAL (dual-standard) provide a soft key labeled Switch NTSC/PAL in many of the Configure mode menus. Touching this key toggles between the NTSC and PAL configuration file structures. A read-out below the directory window indicates which standard (NTSC or PAL) files you are currently viewing or editing.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Supplied Directories

and Files

Creating and

Deleting Files

All the directories and most of the files supplied with the VM700A are readonly; they cannot be edited, renamed, or deleted. However, files can be copied to create new, editable files. Only files that you have created can be renamed or deleted.

Supplied read-only files can be viewed by selecting them, which displays the file contents. All read-only files are stored in ROM, while all editable files are stored in non-volatile memory (NVRAM).

Six files supplied with the VM700A can be edited without first copying them. Five of these are in the main Configure Files directory: Communication Setup, Diagnostics Selection, Password (if enabled in hardware), Video_Source Identification, and Video Source. The sixth file is the IpConfig file in the /nvram0 directory, one level higher than the main Configure Files directory. The IpConfig file contains system addresses used for remote file transfer (FTP) and is discussed in the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual.

You create a file in the Configure Files directory by copying the contents of one file to another named file. Since the factory-installed default files are not editable, you must create your own file to make a configuration change.

T o Create a File. Enter the Configure Files directory by pressing the Configure button, followed by the Configure Files soft key, then touch the icon corresponding to the directory in which you want to add the new file.

Press the Create File soft key. Doing so displays the prompt Please select a file as template at the top of the display. Touch the icon corresponding to the file you want to copy. This copies the contents of the selected file. To allow you to name the new copy, a box appears in the center of the directory window and a keyboard appears below it. The characters you select (type) appear in this box.

Type the new file name, observing the following rules and noting the special uses of some characters and keys:

1. Spaces are not allowed in file or directory names; use an _ (underline) or .

(dot) to separate words in a name.

2. Pressing the Set1 soft key allows you to enter numerals and punctuation characters. Pressing the Set2 soft key allows you to enter various special characters. Pressing the Shift soft key allows you to enter uppercase characters or more punctuation characters (in the case of the shifted version of Set1).

Both the Set1 and Set2 character keys and the Shift soft key “lock” when selected. Set1 and Set2 are unlocked by touching the same key again or touching the un-selected key of the pair. Shift is unlocked by touching Shift again.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

3. A maximum of 31 characters are allowed in a file or directory name.

4. Use only uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and the following

5. Multi-line directories and file names can be entered using the RETURN key.

punctuation characters: _ (underline), . (dot), — (minus sign), + (plus sign), : (colon), and ~ (tilde) in names. Avoid using punctuation characters other than those mentioned above in a directory or file name.

Touch RETURN on the touch-screen keyboard to get to the second line. When the VM700A is in remote mode, the return character becomes a tilde

(~) character for purposes of file name reference. Thus, a directory whose name is displayed as:

JOHN SMITH

Editing Files

in the directory display becomes JOHN~SMITH when referred to in a remote operation.

6. After typing the name, touch Done to complete the creation of the file, or press Cancel to quit the process and not create the file.

T o Delete a File. Press the Delete soft key. The VM700A prompts you to select a file.

Select (touch) the icon corresponding to the file to be deleted. Note: only user-created files can be deleted.

The icon containing the name of the selected file switches to reverse video and begins to disintegrate from the display, while the VM700A beeps at one second intervals. The disintegration/deletion process lasts six seconds. It can be stopped by touching the screen inside the directory window or by touching the Delete soft key a second time. Halting the deletion process before its completion has no effect on the file.

To edit a file, simply touch the icon corresponding to the file you wish to edit. This displays the contents of the file for editing. Within the file there are only certain fields that a user may change the value of (edit). You can view the contents of the file by rotating the control knob to scroll the file lines up or down. The line in the center of the window should appear highlighted. If it is not, increase the Display Intensity until it is brighter than the other lines.

3-6

To edit a line within a file, turn the control knob until the item you wish to edit is highlighted, then touch the line on the screen. There are four possible responses to this touch:

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

1. If the item that you touch is not editable, the VM700A produces a “click”

sound, but the screen is not changed.

2. If the item that you touch is to be edited alphabetically, a keyboard appears

on the lower half of the VM700A display screen.

3. If you are to choose a new value for the item that you touch from a limited

number of choices, a box appears around the element to be edited. You can then cycle through the available choices by turning the control knob.

4. If you are editing a file that specifies whether elements are “selected” or

“unselected” (such as the Selected~Measurements file), you edit the file by

touching the screen next to an element to place the element in the “selected” or “unselected” group.

NOTE. The first line of a file is often an title line. You may edit this line to provide a more descriptive identifier about the content or purpose of the file you are creating. Editing the title line of a file does not

change the file name.

T o Change a Text Line. Touch the line. A box appears around the line and the soft key keyboard appears below the directory window.

Type the new text, keeping the following things in mind: a. Typing always inserts characters at the cursor position. The cursor can be

moved left or right by turning the control knob.

b. To delete characters, move the cursor to the right of the character to be

deleted, then press the Back Space key.

c. Pressing the Set1 soft key allows you to enter numerals and punctuation

characters. Pressing the Set2 soft key allows you to enter various special characters. Pressing the Shift key allows you to enter uppercase characters or more punctuation characters (in the case of the shifted versions of Set1). Both the Set1 and Set2 character keys and the Shift key lock when selected. Set1 and Set2 are unlocked by touching the same key again or touching the unselected key of the pair. Shift is unlocked by touching Shift again.

d. Touch Cancel to quit the editing process without entering the new text. e. Touch Done when you are finished to enter the new title line text.

T o Change a Parameter in a File. Use the control knob to scroll the line containing the parameter use wish to change to the center of the display window. The active line to edit is highlighted (made brighter).

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

NOTE. In the Selected Measurements file(s) and the Diagnostics Selection file, parameters are either Selected (on the left side of the display) or Not Selected (on the right side of the display).

T o Select/Unselect a Paramter. Touch the line that the parameter appears on, on either the Selected (left) or Unselected (right) side of the display.

T o Save Changes to a File and Exit. Touch the Update & Exit soft key. T o Exit Without Saving Changes. Touch the No Change & Exit soft key. If the

file has been modified, a message box appears, warning you that the file has been modified. Press No Change & Exit, or any hardkey, to exit without saving the file; press Update & Exit to save changes to the file and exit the edit session.

Touch the parameter in the highlighted line you wish to change. A box appears around the selected parameter.

Rotate the control knob to scroll through the values or selections available for that parameter.

Touch the Accept Input soft key, or touch the screen anywhere inside the directory window, to accept the new selection.

Printing Files

Any VM700A file can be printed by selecting the Print File soft key and selecting the file. The file is printed from the serial port designated as the Copy Port. The LED in the Copy button lights continuously while the VM700A creates a print file, and flashes until the entire print file has been sent to the printer.

T o Start File Printing. Display the directory containing the file you want to print.

Press the Print File soft key. Press the icon containing the name of the file you want to print.

T o Stop File Printing. Press the Configure button twice.

Touch the Cancel Copy soft key. This soft key only appears when the Copy button LED is flashing. Touching this soft key cancels printouts in progress and deletes all files queued for printing (including printouts generated by pressing the Copy button or the Print File soft key).

T o View the Contents of the Spooler. From the main Configure directory, touch Leave Directory twice to move to the top directory window.

Select the Spooler directory. If any copies are pending, they will appear as numbered files.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Touch the icon representing the file to view it on the display. The file cannot be edited, but can be scrolled through using the control knob.

Setting the Internal Clock

Month Aug

The Time function allows you to set the VM700A internal calendar and clock (shown in Figure 3-3) to the current time and date. The time and date are placed on all printouts generated by the VM700A. Perform any or all the following steps to enter the correct time and date into your VM700A.

MO Aug 07 17:44:58 1995

Tektronix

Load Time

Date 07

Hour 17

Minute 44

Second 45

Year 1995

Figure 3-3: Time Configure menu

T o Set the Time and Date. Select (touch) the Time soft key to display the

VM700A calendar and clock. The clock continues to run, but the numbers in the soft keys do not advance with the time and display the time that was present when the Time Configure menu was selected.

Select the Year, Month, Date, Hour, Minute, or Second soft key. Rotate the control knob to set the year, month, date, hour, minute, or second. Set the minute and second time (30 seconds or so) slightly ahead of the reference clock time so that you can set the time exactly to your reference time.

Select the Load Time soft key to enter the new time and date at the exact time you have set for the clock. This enters the time and restarts the clock at that time.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

After the new time and date have been loaded, press the Configure button to exit the Time display and return to the mode previously in effect. Press Configure again to return to the top Configure display.

Directory Structure

VM700A operations are controlled by means of a hierarchy of files and directories that starts with the Video Source file in the /nvram0/ConfigFiles directory, and extends to other files in sub-directories of /nvram0/ConfigFiles. You can customize the operation of the VM700A to suit your specific measurement requirements, and switch quickly between VM700A setups as needed to perform different operations by varying the contents of these files and subdirectories.

All ConfigFiles sub-directories except Measurement Results contain a file named System Defaults. System Defaults files are used as templates to create new files in a directory. (For more information about creating customized files for a directory, see the discussion of “Configure Operations,” earlier in this section.)

Source_Selection~Video

(File)

The following pages describe the /nvram0/ConfigFiles hierarchy and how it controls VM700A operation. The Source_Selection~Video file and the Video_Source~Files subdirectory are discussed first. This is followed by a description of the contents and function of the other files and sub-directories in /nvram0/ConfigFiles.

The Source_Selection~Video file assigns a file in the Video_Source Files directory to each of the VM700A signal sources (A, B, and C). When a given source is selected (that is when its front-panel Source button is on), the VM700A gets parameter information from the file in the Video_Source Files directory pointed to by the corresponding entry in the Source_Selection~Video file. Figure 3-4 illustrates the relationship between the current signal source (as indicated on the VM700A front panel), the Source_Selection~Video file, and the contents of the Video_Source~Files directory.

The following text is an example of a typical Source_Selection~Video file:

Station XYZ’s video source file Channel A Video Source: tx1

Channel B Video Source: tx2 Channel C Video Source: studio1

3-10

Timed Events: My_Events

With the text of the example Source_Selection~Video file, the VM700A reads the file named “tx1” in the Video_Source~Files directory for parameter information when Channel A is selected, the file “tx2” when Channel B is selected, and the file “studio1” when Channel C is selected. The occurrence of

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

timed events (periodically scheduled reports and functions) is determined by the contents of file “My_Events” in the Timed Events subdirectory.

When the VM700A is shipped, all three channel parameters and the Timed Events parameter are set to System Default.

For a dual-standard VM700A (those equipped with both Option 01, NTSC, and Option 11, PAL), the Source_Selection~Video file is a little different. For each channel, it indicates the current standard in effect, along with a separate file from the Video_Source~Files directory for each of NTSC and PAL.

When the NTSC standard is in effect, the file listed under the NTSC column is used; when the PAL standard is in effect, the file listed under the PAL standard is used. To change the standard in effect for a channel, rotate the control knob until that channel’s line is highlighted (intensified), then select the entry under the “Video Std.” column by touching it. Rotate the control knob until the desired standard appears. Touch the Update & Exit soft key to enter the change into the file.

In Figure 3-4, the current video source (as indicated by the front-panel Source button) determines which entry is read from the Source_Selection~Video file. This, in turn, determines which file is read from the Video_Source~Files directory. This file determines which files to use to get operating information from each of several directories.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Video Source

(A, B, or C Front

Panel Button)

Source_Selection~Video (File)

Video_Source~Files (Directory)

Auto Sync Source

Source Name

Printout Title

Auto_Limit Files (Directory)

Measure_Limit Files (Directory)

Measurement Locations (Directory)

Selected Measurements (Directory)

Figure 3-4: How the VM700A gets parameter information

File

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Video_Source~Files

(Directory)

Files in the Video_Source~Files directory tell the VM700A where to find important parameter information. These files contain the following entries:

Auto Limits File: the name of the file in the Auto_Limits directory that specifies the limits used for Auto mode measurements.

Measure Limits File: the name of the file in the Measure_Limits directory that specifies the limits used for Measure mode measurements.

Measurements Location File: the name of the file in the Measurements_Location directory that specifies the default frame lines and intra-line positions from which to make measurements, as well as other measurement-related information.

Selected Measurements File: the name of the file in the Selected Measurements directory that defines which measurements are to be monitored (i.e., potentially generate Caution and Alarm messages) when the VM700A is in Auto mode.

Auto Sync Source: specifies the synchronization source for Auto mode. Possible values are: Channel A, Channel B, Channel C, External, or Locked to Source. The first four use the specified sources for synchronization; Locked to Source uses whichever source is selected when the VM700A goes into Auto mode.

Source Name: specifies text to be printed across the top of printouts generated by Auto mode or the Copy button. This text may be set to any appropriate string (up to 33 characters) that helps identify the source.

Printout Title: specifies text to be printed (above the Source Name text) across the top of printouts generated by pressing Copy. This text may be set to any appropriate string (up to 49 characters) that helps identify the source.

Taken together, the file names and parameter values contained in files in the Video_Source Files directory define a complete measurement and reporting environment. This environment is usually associated with a particular configuration of equipment being monitored. Thus, for example, you might create a file in the Video_Source Files directory called “tx1,” which would define a measurement environment associated with the signal from your primary transmitter. To avoid confusion, you should give all the files associated with this environment the same name. (They reside in different directories, so there is no risk of name collision.)

This arrangement, whereby the file in the Video_Source Files directory defines the measurement environment while the Video Source file assigns the environment to a channel, gives the VM700A maximum flexibility in meeting a variety of signal monitoring needs. Pre-defining a number of different environments (one for each configuration of equipment to be monitored) allows you to set up the VM700A for different measurement assignments by simply changing entries in the Video Source file.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Auto_Limit Files

(Directory)

The Auto_Limit Files directory contains limit files used by Auto mode. A limit file lists all the measurements available for the Auto mode. Each measurement has limits that, when exceeded, produce Caution or Alarm messages on the display and can generate error logging. Both Caution and Alarm limits can be set for every measurement.

The Auto Limit file in use is specified by the active file in the Video_Source Files directory. A file from the Selected Measurements directory is used in conjunction with a file from the Auto_Limit Files directory to provide Auto mode with a list of measurements to be made, as well as the limits for those measurements.

The first line of each file in the Auto_Limit Files directory is the title line for identification of the file. The second line sets the number of consecutive times the VM700A must find a value outside either of its Alarm limits before sending a report of the error to the Log Port.

NOTE. All Cautions and Alarms encountered in Auto mode are displayed on the VM700A screen, but only Alarms equal to or exceeding the consecutive errors number specified in the active Auto Limits file are sent to the Log port.

T o Change the Consecutive Error(s) Before Logging Value. Rotate the control knob to scroll the screen until the “consecutive error(s) before logging” line is highlighted.

Touch the number at the front of the line. Rotate the control knob to select either 1, 2, or 3. Select the Accept Input soft key or touch the screen anywhere inside the

directory window to return the control knob to its scrolling function.

The next two lines after the “consecutive errors before logging” line contain non-editable label information. Each line of the rest of the file lists the name of an Auto mode measurement, along with its lower and upper Caution limits and its lower and upper Alarm limits.

T o Change the Lower or Upper Limit of a Caution or Alarm. Rotate the control knob to scroll the screen until the line with the limit you wish to change is highlighted.

Touch the limit you wish to change or remove. Scroll the control knob to display the desired value or select Make it

undefined if you wish to remove the limit. Select the Accept Input soft key or touch the screen anywhere inside the

directory window to return the control knob to its scrolling function.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Setting a pair of limits “backwards” (setting an upper limit lower than its lower limit) always generates an alarm flag on the Auto mode display.

Alarm limits may be set inside Caution limits, but then only Alarm limit violations are flagged.

Communication

Setup (File)

The VM700A has two RS-232-C serial ports. Either port can be attached to an ASCII, Epson, HP LaserJet, or PostScript printer, or to a modem or terminal for serial communication during remote operation. The Communication Setup file tells the VM700A how the RS-232-C ports are configured. The factory default settings are the proper settings for an Epson LQ-570 printer connected to Serial Port 1.

NOTE. Option 48, the GPIB Interface option, adds a parallel GPIB port. Any or all of the logical ports may be set to GPIB when the option is installed.

Port and Format Assignments. The VM700A has two physical ports:

Serial Port 0 Serial Port 1

and five “logical” ports:

Copy: the port to which screen dumps generated by pressing the Copy button, as well as printouts generated by the Configure mode’s Print File soft key, are sent.

Report: the port to which Timed Event reports are sent. Log: the port to which error reports are sent. Errors are logged when the

VM700A, running in Auto mode, measures a parameter as being out of specification for more than the number of consecutive times designated in the active Auto Limits file.

Control: the port used to connect a device to be controlled by the VM700A. A typical example is the ASG 100 audio signal generator under control of the VM700A running Function Key commands that generate test signals for the Option 40 audio measurements.

Remote Control: the port used to connect the VM700A to a modem, terminal, or PC for remote operation. See the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual for details on remote operation. Copy/Report/Log Format should be set to match to type of printer connected.

The first five groups of lines of the Communication Setup file (after the title line) assign a physical port and a format to each logical port.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Possible Port settings for the Copy, Report, Log, Control, and Remote Control ports are Serial Port 0, Serial Port 1, and None. Giving a port a setting of None disables the logical port’s function (e.g., setting the Copy port to None means that no screen dump will be produced when you press the Copy button).

Possible format settings for the Copy, Report, Log, and Remote Control ports are Epson LQ, PostScript, ASCII Printer, HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, and HP ThinkJet. If you have an Epson LQ, PostScript-compatible, or HP LaserJet printer, you can use the Copy function to capture any VM700A display from the Waveform, Vector, Picture, Measure, or Auto modes.

If you have only an ASCII printer available, set Copy Format to ASCII Printer. Then the Copy function is enabled only in Auto mode, which displays only text. If the Copy button is pressed in Waveform, Vector, Picture, or Measure modes when Copy Format is set to ASCII Printer, the VM700A will beep, indicating the Copy function is not available.

T o change a Port or Format Assignment. Select the parameter you wish to change by rotating the knob until the parameter is highlighted, then touching the screen over the parameter value.

Rotate the control knob until the desired parameter value appears. Press the Accept Input soft key, or Touch the screen anywhere inside the window, then press the Update & Exit

soft key to save the changes.

Port Configuration. Two groups of eight lines appear in the Communication

Setup file after the lines that control port and format assignments. These two groups constitute the port configuration lines of the Communication Setup file. These lines control the formatting of data when the VM700A is being operated remotely and when it is being used to control a remote device on the Control port.

The configuration parameters for Serial Port 0 and Serial Port 1 and their possible values are as follows:

Protocol: can be set to None or SLIP (serial line internet protocol). Baud Rate: can be set to 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, or

38400. Flow Control: can be set to XON/XOFF (software handshaking to control

data flow), CTS/RTS (hardware handshaking to control data flow) or NONE (no flow control).

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Character Size: can be set to 7 or 8 bits. Parity: can be set to None, Odd, Even, Zero, or One.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Reset Character: can be set to None or Ctrl-A through Ctrl-Z. (Note: the Reset Character for an Apple LaserWriter is Ctrl-D.)

Carrier Detect: can be enabled or disabled.

The default Port 1 settings are suitable for an Epson LQ-570 printer. T o Change a Port Configuration Oarameter Value. Select the parameter you wish to

change by rotating the knob until the parameter is highlighted, then touching the screen over the parameter value.

Rotate the control knob until the desired parameter value appears. Press the Accept Input soft key, or Touch the screen anywhere inside the window, then press the Update & Exit

soft key to save the changes.

Diagnostic Errors

(File)

Diagnostics

Selection (File)

When high-level diagnostics are run, any errors detected are written to the Diagnostic Errors file. The contents of this file can be printed using the Print File soft key, or the file can be deleted using the Delete soft key.

When diagnostic errors appear, refer to the appropriate servicing information to locate the possible cause of the problem. (This information may be found in the VM700A Service Manual.)

The maximum capacity for the Diagnostic Errors file is 100 lines in a circular file (scrolling past the last entry returns to the top line of the file). If the number of errors detected causes the file to exceed this length, the earlier results are scrolled out of the file buffer. When this occurs, the Diagnostic Errors file includes a message stating that some of the text has been scrolled out of the file.

The Diagnostics Selection file lists the diagnostics the VM700A can perform at power up. If installed options require additional diagnostics, those are also listed. As received from the factory, all diagnostics are performed by default. Any diagnostic can be deselected by rotating the control knob until the diagnostic is highlighted, then touching the right side of the highlighted line (above the words Not Selected).

In the following example, the FilterBoard Diagnostic routine will not be performed.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

See Section 9, Diagnostics, for more information on using and controlling the diagnostic choices.

Power Up Diagnostics Selection

Genlock~Diagnostic Controller~Diagnostic Acquisition~Diagnostic ADC~Diagnostic AnalogInput~Diagnostic

FilterBoard~Diagnostic

GPIB~Diagnostic AudioProcessor~Diagnostic AudioAnalog~Diagnostic

ĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆĆ

Selected Line 6 Not Selected

Measure_Limit Files

(Directory)

Measurement

Locations (Directory)

The Measure_Limit Files directory contains limit information for Measure mode (manual) measurements. The limits in these files perform two functions:

1. They place graphic limit markers on the screen in measurements (where applicable), and

2. They appear on printouts from the Measurement Results directory when the measurement exceeds the limits.

The measurement limits file used by Measure mode is designated in the active file in the Video_Source Files directory.

The file(s) in the Measurement Locations directory contain information used by both Auto and Measure modes. The measurement locations file for each channel is designated in the active file in the Video_Source Files directory.

For PAL, the SIS Present parameter tells the VM700A whether Sound in Sync is present (yes) or absent (no). When SIS Present is yes, measurements are made using Synchronous sampling. The Measure mode parameter determines whether manual measurements are made with Asynchronous (the default) or Synchronous sampling.

NOTE. Measure mode (manual) measurements normally use Asynchronous sampling. Auto measurements always use Synchronous sampling. Synchronous sampling is available for manual measurements in the case of very noisy signals, negative-going pulses, or other conditions that prevent using Asynchronous sampling. However, Synchronous sampling cannot be used to measure VCR/VTR devices.

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The Line parameter contains the default line on which the measurement is made. The Line value is used in the Default Line Sel. soft key in the Select Line menu in Measure mode. For PAL, the Time offset from leading edge of sync parameter defines the actual measurement position. The numeric Line values and Time

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

values can be changed by highlighting the desired line and selecting the parameter you want to change. Rotate the control knob to obtain the new value, then select the Accept Input soft key or touch the screen anywhere inside the directory window. Finish by selecting the Update & Exit soft key.

For PAL, two of the measurement descriptors can also be modified. The 20T value on the Modulated Pulse (F) HAD line can be changed to 10T by selecting the parameter and rotating the control knob. The 40% value of the 5-Riser Chroma Amplitude line can be changed to 20% by selecting the parameter and rotating the control knob.

Measurement Results

(Directory)

Password (File)

Files are written into the Measurement Results directory:

when you exit a measurement in Measure mode, when you exit Auto mode (assuming that Auto mode has had time to go

through one complete cycle of selected measurements), when a getresults command has been sent from a remote, or when a getresults request is part of a Function Key operation.

One file with an appropriate name (“Auto,” “Bar LineTime,” etc.) is written for each Measure mode measurement or for Auto mode when it is exited. If a file with that name existed previously, the old file is overwritten.

Once a Measurement Results file contains results, it can be printed (by selecting the Print File soft key), renamed, deleted, or viewed.

The VM700A can be configured to require a password for permission to create, rename, edit and delete directories, function keys, and files. When the Password function is enabled, a Password file appears in the Configure_Files directory.

T o initially set a Password. Select (touch) the Password file.

Touch the screen to the right of the text Password. Type in the new password (up to 15 characters). Press Return or Done and select the Update & Exit soft key to put the new

password into effect, or press Cancel or Exit to leave without changing the new password.

NOTE. Enabling the Password function requires partial removal of the left side cover of the VM700A. Refer the instrument to a qualified service person to either change the Password enabled/disabled state or to reset the password should it become unknown for some reason.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

T o Enable or Reset the Password Function. Turn off the VM700A and remove the holding screws for the left side panel. Slide the left side cover of the VM700A back to expose the 6-section DIP switch on the A5 circuit board. To enable Password, set position 3 (from the front of the DIP switch) UP. When power is turned on again, the Password function is enabled, and you can set a password using the procedure given previously.

To either reset the password, if it should become unknown for some reason, or disable the function, set position 3 of the DIP switch DOWN, turn on the VM700A, and let it complete its power-up routine. The Password function is now disabled, and the unknown password is visible in the Password file and may be edited.

To re-enable Password, turn off the VM700A and set position 3 of the DIP switch UP. Close the side panel and replace the holding screws for the panel.

T o Change the Current Password. Select (touch) the Password file icon.

Type in the current password and press Done or Return.

Selected

Measurements

(Directory)

Touch the current password. Type in the new password (up to 15 characters). Press Return or Done and select the Update & Exit soft key to put the new

password into effect, or press Cancel or No Change & Exit to keep the old password.

When the Password function is first enabled, the default password is null; no password is needed to Update & Exit, Rename, Delete, or Create a directory or file. Once a password is set, it will be requested when you attempt to Update & Exit, Rename, Delete, or Create a directory or file (i.e., every time you change the contents of non-volatile memory). If the correct password is entered, the requested action is completed. The VM700A allows three unsuccessful attempts to enter a password before displaying the message No Password, no access! and canceling the requested action.

Changing the password to null has the same effect as disabling the Password function with the DIP switches.

File(s) in the Selected Measurements directory contain a list of all the measurements Auto mode can perform. They allow you to select a subset of measurements for the VM700A to perform. The current Selected Measurements file provides Auto mode with a list of measurements to perform, while the current Auto Limit file provides the limits at which those measurements generate Caution and Alarm messages.

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The Selected Measurements System Default file is the only file available for selection when the instrument is shipped. This file cannot be edited and all the

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

measurements within it are Selected. You must use the Create File function to copy the contents of the System Default file into a new file, and then select the new file before you can select a subset from the measurements available.

T o Select or Unselect a Measurement. Open the Selected Measurements file for editing by touching its icon in the display of the /nvrar0/ConfigFiles/ Selected_Measurements directory.

Scroll the file using the knob until the desired measurement is highlighted. Note that the labels Selected and Not Selected are printed below the directory window.

Touch the highlighted line on the Selected side of the screen to select the measurement, or on the Not Selected side of the screen to deselect the measurement.

If you wish to select only a small subset of the available measurements, press the Select None soft key and then make your measurement selections.

If you wish to unselect only a small subset of the available measurements, press the Select All soft key, then unselect the measurements of your choice.

Timed Events (Directory)

Files in the Timed Events directory provide a facility for producing scheduled reports of Auto mode measurements, and performing operations (in the form of functions to be played back) at specified times. Events occur at times specified by the current Timed Events file. The Report Port setting in the Communication Setup file must be set to Port 0 or Port 1, (not None) for reports to be generated.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

Consider the following lines from a user-generated Timed Events file named “daily_events”:

Timed Events File: daily_events Time Channel Type Selected File Name

9:30 B function mid_morn 15:30 B report mid_pm

Timed Events files use a 24-hour clock to specify event occurrences. When this file is the current Timed Events file, the following events are set to occur daily:

1. A function called “mid_morn” is executed at 9:30 a.m., and

2. A report is generated at 3:30 p.m., using the Video Source file named

Two kinds of timed events can occur: a report can be generated (designated as event type “report” in the Timed Events file), or a function can be executed (designated as event type “function” in the Timed Events file). For “report” events, the VM700A looks in the /nvram0/ConfigFiles/ Video_Source~Files directory for the file named in the Timed Events file.

“mid_pm.”

For “function” events, the VM700A looks for the function named in the Timed Events file in directory /nvram0/FunctionKeys/Timed~Functions. The function selected as a Timed function must reside in the Timed~Functions subdirectory (displayed by the Function Keys soft key in the Configure menu). The parameters for the Auto report (selected measurement limits, measurement locations, etc.) are specified by the selected file in the Source_Selection~Video file.

When a report time occurs, the VM700A screen shows the Timed Report display (unless the VM700A is in remote mode; see note below). The Timed Report display includes a status line showing the channel and the Selected Measurements file in use, a soft key labeled Cancel Report, and the measurements being made. Pressing the Cancel Report soft key halts the timed report execution. Once the report is complete, the VM700A returns to the mode it was in when the report began. The Copy button flashes until the report is either printed or canceled with the Cancel Copy soft key in the initial Configure menu.

When a function time occurs, the VM700A executes the function. When the function has been executed, the VM700A remains in the state specified by the body of the function; it does not return to the state it was in when function execution began.

NOTE. If the VM700A is in remote mode during a scheduled timed event, the scheduled event is not performed.

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T o Create a Timed Events File

1. Press the Configure button.

2. Touch the Configure Files soft key.

3. Touch the icon for Timed Events.

4. Touch the Create File soft key.

5. Touch the icon of an existing file to use as a template.

6. Give the new file a name using the on-screen keyboard (press Done when

you have finished entering the name).

The contents of the new file appear on the screen, ready for editing.

T o Setup Timed Events

1. Create a Timed Events file

2. If any reports are to be generated, make sure the Report Port in the Commu-

nication Setup file has a value other than “None.”

3. If a function is to execute a screen copy, make sure that the Copy Port in the

Communication Setup file has a value other than “None.”

T o Delete a Timed Events File

1. Press the Configure button.

2. Touch the Configure Files soft key.

3. Touch the icon for Timed Events.

4. Touch the Delete File soft key.

5. Touch the icon containing the name of the file you wish to delete.

The icon of the selected file “disintegrates” over a period of five seconds. To stop file deletion, touch the screen anywhere inside the directory window before the disintegration completes. Stopping the disintegration part way through has no effect on the file.

T o Add a Report or Function to a Timed Events File. Touch the icon of the file to display it for editing, if it is not displayed already. With the file opened, turn the knob so that the insertion point of the file is highlighted; touch either the Enter Report or Enter Function soft key as required.

The VM700A inserts a copy of the selected type above the highlighted line. That may then be edited for the new event or function to be timed.

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Section 3 - Configuring the VM700A

T o Remove an Event From a Timed Events File. Touch the icon of the file to display it for editing, if it is not displayed already; turn the knob to highlight the line you wish to delete; press the Delete Line soft key.

T o Edit an Event in a Timed Events File. Touch the icon of the file to display it for editing, if it is not displayed already.

You can enter a time of “Undefined” for an event by pressing the Enter undefined soft key when the event’s time field is highlighted. An event with a time of “undefined” is ignored. This function is handy when you want to skip an event temporarily, but don’t want to re-enter its associated values later.

Turn the knob to highlight the line you wish to edit. Touch the item (time, channel, type, or file name) on the line you wish to

edit. Turn the knob until the desired value appears. Press the Accept Input soft key or touch the screen anywhere within the

window.

T o Create a Function for Timed Execution. Press the Configure button; press the

Function Keys soft key; press the Timed~Functions icon; press the Create Function soft key; give the new function a name using the on-screen keyboard

(press Done when you have finished entering the name). From this point, you can define a timed function. The steps for defining a timed

function are found in the VM700A Programmer’s Reference Manual. Basically, creating a function is a learn mode operation that records into the named file, all the front-panel button presses, soft key presses, and delay times used to create the function. Once created, the Function Key file is then available for playback.

T o Cancel a Timed Report in Progress. Press the Cancel Report soft key. T o Cancel a Timed Function Execution in Progress. Press the Function button. This

leaves the VM700A in whatever state it was in during function execution when you pressed the button.

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Video Source

Identification (File)

The Video Source Identification file contains a series of number and text string pairs used to identify signal sources in Auto mode. The number is encoded in binary format onto the line of the frame specified by the Source ID line in the Measurement Locations file; the default Source ID video line is line 16.

During Auto mode operation, if an encoded ID number is found on the Source ID line, the VM700A decodes the number and searches the Video Source Identification file for a matching number entry. If a match is found, the accompanying text string is printed on the line labeled Source ID in the Auto mode display. If no match is found, the message “Not Found” is printed.

The Video Source Identification file can contain multiple lines. The range for identifying numbers is 0 to 16383 (14 bits). The text string that accompanies each number can be up to 20 characters long.

Inserting a Video Source Identification Number. The Video Source Identification number is inserted using a 148 Insertion Test Signal Generator, a VITS 201 PAL Insertion Generator, or similar device. Pulses 1 µsec wide and 1 µsec apart represent binary 1’s. The encoding begins with a start bit (pulse) at the default location of 26 µsec after the leading edge of sync. (You can change the start value in the Measurement Locations file, but it should be an even number between 26 and 52 µsec.) When a start pulse is found, the VM700A checks that no part of the waveform preceding the start pulse is more than one-half the bar amplitude. If part of the waveform preceding the start pulse is more than one-half the bar amplitude, the encoded number is rejected. Encoding always ends with a stop pulse whose trailing edge is at 57 µsec.

The start and stop pulses are not used in the encoding scheme. There are a maximum of 14 pulses between the start pulse and end pulse, which are used to represent a binary number. The pulse following the start pulse is the least significant bit and the pulse preceding the stop pulse is the most significant bit.

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Section 4:Waveform Mode

Section 4:W aveform Mode

Introduction

This chapter describes the capabilities of the VM700A as a waveform monitor and how the user interface controls its operation. It is divided into three topics:

Display features, which discusses basic characteristics of a Waveform mode display.

Menu, which contains information on all the functions and controls accessed through the Menu button.

Select Line, which describes the operation of the digital line selection feature.

Display

Figure 4-1 shows a typical Waveform display. Refer to this figure as you read the descriptions that follow.

Waveform

Graticule

The VM700A Waveform mode can present a real-time Waveform display (with 25 updates per second) when half a video line or less is displayed. With a greater number of lines, a very full display, or a display of VITS on the first field in a frame, the display is slowed slightly from real-time.

For NTSC, the VM700A may display any part of the two frames of two fields each. Select the frame displayed by selecting Field 1 or Field 2 for frame 1 or Field 3 or Field 4 for frame 2. The default display is both frames. Use the Select Line menu (discussed later in this section) to move to the desired field within a frame.

For PAL, the VM700A may display any part of the four frames of an eight-field color sequence. You can select which frames are displayed in the Select Line menu; the default is all four frames displayed. There is no implicit field selection. Again, use the Select Line menu (discussed later in this section) to move to the desired field within a frame.

The Waveform mode graticule scale tracks as the waveform expands, contracts, or moves in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This ensures the graticule scale is always calibrated regardless of the gain (expansion) factor.

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Vertical Scale Units

Vertical Graticule Units

Horizontal Reference Line

Figure 4-1: Typical NTSC Waveform display

The Waveform mode vertical graticule scale is in mV or Volts, depending on the vertical gain setting.

The horizontal graticule scale is calibrated in µs (microseconds) or ns (nanoseconds), as appropriate for the horizontal gain setting. The horizontal scale units indication is centered in the topmost status line, just below the horizontal scale.

Line Identification

A readout of the displayed line number is always shown. If a single line or a fraction of a line of video is displayed, the readout is located just above the horizontal graticule scale and somewhere to the right of the vertical scale, wherever it fits best. If more than one line is displayed, the indicator is found to the right of sync tip for each line.

Field/Line Readout

Horizontal Graticule Scale

Horizontal Scale Units

Status

Lines

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

When multiple lines are displayed, the leftmost line number is the system line. The system line is the line that will be displayed when switching between the manual modes (Waveform, Picture, Measure, and Vector mode when System Line is selected).

Horizontal Reference

Line

Status Lines

Control Knob

The horizontal reference line is a stationary line across the display provided for checking and comparing signal levels. It also provides a reference for measuring amplitudes in Cursors mode, and can be used to get a quick measure of tilt on a bar top.

The lines of text directly below the horizontal graticule scale are referred to as the status lines. The first line of text displays the units for the horizontal graticule scale (microseconds or nanoseconds). This line also indicates when the VM700A is performing self-calibration. The second line gives the APL (Average Picture Level), and the on/off status of Precision mode and Sound-In-Sync (PAL only). The third line shows the television standard in use, the type of Filtering in effect or No Filtering if none is in effect, the method of sampling in use (Synchronous/Asynchronous), and the selected Sync source. The fourth line describes the clamping status and which frames are currently selected. Two additional lines appear with cursors showing the cursor measurements. Any menu called up will appear below the status lines and will cause the status lines to move upward to make room for the menu selections.

The control knob is used with the toggling Move/Expand and Vertical/Horizontal buttons to control waveform positioning and gain and with the Graticule and Display Intensity buttons to set the brightness of the display. When the end of range for a control knob assignment is reached, a slight clicking noise will be heard if the knob rotation is continued in the out-of-range direction. Display and Graticule intensity adjustment is controlled by the knob only when either of those buttons is held. When the intensity buttons are released, the control knob assignment reverts back to the Move/Expand positioning function.

Move/Expand

When entering Waveform mode, the control knob’s default function is Horizontal Move (positions left and right). When Expand is selected by pressing the Move/Expand button, the waveform expands around the center of the screen. Expand is also selected when the active area of the screen is touched. (The active area of the screen is that area above the horizontal graticule scale line.) The point touched becomes the point about which the display expands. To move or expand the display vertically, be sure the direction button indicator is Vertical and then rotate the control knob.

Note that selecting Expand with the button is only necessary for one-handed operation. Using the two-hand “touch and zoom” method is much easier. The

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

“touch and zoom” method makes use of the switching to Expand from Move feature. Leave the Move/Expand choice in Move and select the direction, either vertical or horizontal. Move the waveform to the point of interest, then touch the screen at the point about which you wish the waveform to expand or compress. The function of the control knob switches to Expand while the screen is touched and defaults back to Move when you lift your finger from the screen.

Expand (Gain) Range

The horizontal gain of the default 1H Waveform display can be continuously compressed or expanded to display from 10 ns to 704 µs (11 lines) across the screen. Vertically, the Volts scale ranges from 1 mV full scale to 10 V full scale. The calibrated graticule scale tracks the waveform as it expands, compresses, or moves, both vertically and horizontally.

NOTE. Using the Expand function to change the display gain does not affect the analog processing of the signal. Signals of up to 4V peak-to-peak may be received.

Freeze

Display and Graticule Intensity

Display and Graticule intensity adjustments are also made with the control knob. While the Display button is depressed, the control knob varies the intensity of the waveform, menu information, and any other text on the display not associated with the graticule. While the Graticule button is held in, the control knob varies only the intensity of the graticule and the background text displays.

When Freeze is selected by pressing the Freeze button, the VM700A acquires consecutive frames of 50 lines each and holds that information in the display memory. Therefore, it is not possible to scroll through the entire field when Freeze is selected, only the acquired lines may be displayed.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Waveform Menu

Section 4 - Waveform Mode

1 H Display

Cursors Submenu

Center Left

Sync Submenu

Sync A

Extra Functions Submenu

Gain x 1.00

Filter Select Submenu

No Filter

Cursors Extra

Lock Left

Sync B

Offset –0.21 V

Highpass Filter

Sync

Center Right

Sync C

Manual Gain

Lowpass Filter

Noise

30.10 dB

Lock Right

External Sync

Screen Memory

Diff Step Filter

Functions

Reset Cursors

Locked to

Source

Precision Mode

LF Noise

7.5 KHz

Filter Select

Reset Diffs

Locked Waveform

LF Noise 10 KHz

Clamp Couple

Cursors Stay On

Change Sampling

Fixed IRE

LF Noise 15 KHz

Clamp Couple Submenu

Position Backporch

Manual Adjust Submenu

Position

6.635 ms

Position Sync Tip

Level

0.00 V

Figure 4-2: Waveform menu tree

Clamp Slow

Clamp Fast

DC Coupling

Manual Adjust

Duration

2.00 ms

NOTE. The LED in the Menu button is on when the Waveform menu is displayed. If the Menu button is pressed when the Menu LED is on, the menu is unselected (removed from the display), and the Menu LED goes off.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

[1-11] H Display: resets the Waveform display to fit a specified number of lines [1 to 11] into the display. When possible, it aligns the front porch of the system line to the left edge of the display, and 0 volts is aligned with the horizontal reference line. To select the number of lines to display, hold the soft key while turning the knob.

Cursors

This choice provides a set of cursors centered on the waveform display. To position the cursors, move the waveform over the cursor and lock the cursor to the desired point of the waveform. When cursors are on, the lower part of the display contains three additional status lines for cursor measurement results.

Pressing the Cursors soft key brings up the following submenu: Center Left/Right: centers the left or right vertical cursor on the screen. If

the cursor is locked to the waveform, the two will move together. If the left and right cursors overlie each other, they appear together as a single dotted line. The vertical amplitude reference marker positions are reset if the cursor is unlocked.

Lock Left/Right: locks the left or right vertical cursor to the waveform so that the cursor and waveform move together. The cursor may be moved anywhere within a frame. The “Time from L to R:” reading indicates the time interval between the left (solid) cursor and right (dashed) cursor. The “Frequency” reading is the reciprocal of the time (1/T) and is useful when the cursors are aligned to exactly one period of a waveform. The amplitude reference markers associated with the cursors are not displayed when both cursors are locked to the waveform.

NOTE. If you position the left (solid) cursor to the right of the right (dashed) cursor, you will be measuring the time from one frame to the next.

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Reset Cursors: unlocks the left and right vertical cursors from the waveform, and positions both at the center of the display. The amplitude reference markers are also reset, so moving the waveform to the 0% and 100% positions of the waveform again pushes the amplitude reference markers back to those positions on the waveform. You can then adjust the cursor on the waveform to the “% point” (as indicated by the % of waveform readout)

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 4 - Waveform Mode

between the 0 and 100% points required for the cursor measurement (e.g., 50% or 10% and 90%).

Reset Diffs: resets the Vertical Delta readout to 0.0 at the current vertical position. Any subsequent vertical displacement from the knob is displayed. This capability is useful for measuring signal amplitudes. The horizontal marker line (across the middle of the active waveform area) provides a useful reference level to align the waveform for voltage difference measurements.

Cursors Stay On: keeps the cursor graphics up even when not in the Cursors submenu. This is useful for keeping up sine-wave measurement results, which measure the amplitude, frequency, and offset of a sine wave in the center of the displayed area.

Sync

This choice allows selection of Sync source: A, B, C, External or “Locked to Source” sync mode. Also selects Sound in Sync mode and genlock mode selection between synchronous, asynchronous, and free-run modes. If incorrectly set for the input signal, the waveform display may be replaced by the message “<Loss of sync>”.

Pressing the Sync soft key brings up the following submenu:

Sync A/B/C: sets the sync source to input channel A, B, or C, and clears (un-highlights) the Locked to Source soft key.

WARNING. If the Locked to Source soft key is not highlighted, the sync source will NOT change with changing input selections, resulting in erratic behavior if the relative timing between the two inputs is not close.

External Sync: sets the sync source to external sync. This input cannot be displayed or measured.

Locked to Source: When highlighted, indicates that the sync source and the input source are the same. Changing the signal source also switches the sync to the new signal source.

Sound in Sync (PAL only, not shown in Figure 4-2): enables the VM700A to lock or sync to signals that contain digitally-encoded sound information in the sync pulse. When sound information is contained in the sync pulse, Sound In Sync must be selected or else the VM700A will display the message “Loss of sync.” When Sound In Sync is selected, less of the sync pulse is available for synchronization, which makes the signal timing more susceptible to noise and jitter.

The Sound In Sync soft key only affects Waveform mode. For all other manual modes, Sound In Sync is enabled with the SIS Present “yes” parameter in the active Measurement Locations file.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Change Sampling: toggles between synchronous, asynchronous, and free-run sampling. For a stable source, use synchronous mode; for an unstable source (VCRs, etc.), first use asynchronous mode, and if this does not work, use free-run mode. In free-run mode, line or field syncs are not used, and you lose TV timing references.

Noise [0 dB - 30.10 dB]

Extra Functions

The Noise choice sets the decibel value for noise reduction. Highlight the soft key and rotate the knob to change the decibel value. Noise reduction is enabled with the Average button. Noise reduction up to 30.1 dB in 3.01-dB steps is available. Larger noise reduction settings require a longer settling period.

Pressing the Extra Functions soft key brings up the following submenu:

Gain: allows direct control of the hardware used in acquisition. Gains of

0.25 to 7.75 in steps of 0.25 are available. A larger gain gives a smaller input range, but more resolution. The input range is indicated by two horizontal cursors. Signals beyond these cursor levels are clipped.

Offset: used to bring the signal inside the cursors that appear when the Manual Gain mode is on. Otherwise, hard clipping may occur.

Manual Gain: selects control of the input gain and offset used from the other soft keys in this submenu. When deselected, normal automatic gain control is in effect. When highlighted, two horizontal cursors appear in the waveform area, showing the limits of the input range before hard clipping occurs.

Screen Memory: When highlighted, causes screen erasures to cease, allowing a “build-up” of displayed waveforms. This is useful for looking at eye-heights, jitter, or abnormal excursions of the signal over a period of time. The screen is cleared if the waveform is moved by the knob.

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NOTE. Calibration is suppressed in Screen Memory mode.

Precision Mode: provides a higher-accuracy display for waveforms with rise times between 5 MHz and 6 MHz. However, the system update rate is slowed when Precision mode is on. This mode is useful for cursor measurement of fast edges, 1T pulses, etc.

Locked Waveform: When highlighted, this key disengages knob movement. Moving the knob resets the calculation when accumulating averages, and resets the screen when in Screen Memory mode. This soft key prevents this from happening accidentally. It also changes cursor mode to make the knob move the cursors if they are unlocked from the waveform.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Fixed IRE (NTSC Only): When highlighted, overrides the Zero Carrier Pulse and Bar Reference selections in the current Measurement Locations file, and fixes the IRE scale to 0 IRE = 0 Volts, 140 IRE per Volt.

Filter Select

Clamp Couple

This choice provides soft keys to select any of six filter characteristics or no filter. When filters are engaged, measurement or timing information may become less reliable.

Pressing the Filter Select soft key brings up the following submenu:

No Filter: displays the waveform without any filtering (default). High-pass Filter: removes luminance from the signal. The pass band is

approximately 2.5 MHz to 6 MHz. Low-pass Filter: removes chrominance from the signal. The pass band is

approximately 0 MHz to 1 MHz. Diff Step Filter: removes chrominance from the signal, then displays the

direction and relative size of signal transitions. LF Noise 7.5 kHz/10 kHz/15 kHz: removes all signal information above

the specified frequency.

Pressing the Clamp Couple soft key brings up the following submenu:

Position Backporch: sets the clamp position to the back porch and the clamp level to 0.0 Volts.

Position Sync Tip: sets the clamp position to the sync tip and the clamp level to –0.3 Volts (–0.29 V for NTSC).

Clamp Slow: selects slow clamp speed. This allows hum effects to be visible, but is useful for coping with large DC offsets on an input signal.

Clamp Fast: selects fast clamp speed. This removes DC offset, hum, and bounce effects from the signal.

DC Coupling: selects DC coupling (no clamping). Manual Adjust: brings up the following submenu:

Position: adjusts the horizontal clamp position within a line. Level: adjusts the clamp voltage level from –1.28 V to 1.27 V in 10 mV

steps. Adjustments outside ±300 mV may cause APL measurement problems.

Clamp Slow: selects slow clamp speed. This allows hum effects to be visible, but is useful for coping with large DC offsets on an input signal.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Select Line

Clamp Fast: selects fast clamp speed. This removes DC offset, hum, and bounce effects from the signal.

DC Coupling: selects DC coupling (no clamping). Duration: selects 0.5 ms, 0.67 ms, 1.0 ms, or 2.0 ms clamp gating

widths. Wide gating widths provide better noise immunity, but signal distortions may not provide a wide enough sustained level.

In Waveform mode, pressing the Select Line button switches the control knob to a digital line select function. When either no menu or the Waveform menu is displayed, pressing Select Line also displays the Select Line menu, which is structured as follows

Field Toggle: toggles the system line to the other field (for PAL, +313 lines if the system line was from 1 to 313, –313 lines if the system line was from 314 to 625). In freeze mode, the change is limited to the acquired area.

System Line

Field n Line nn (NTSC)/Line nn (PAL): displays the system line specified by the soft key. To change the line number, select and hold the soft key to be changed, turn the knob until the new line number is found, and release the soft key. In Freeze mode, the change is limited to the acquired area.

Field 1 or 2/Field 3 or 4 (NTSC): When selected (default), color frame 1 (fields 1 or 2) or color frame 2 (fields 3 or 4) are displayed.

Frame 1/2/3/4 (PAL): When selected, the corresponding frame is included in the display. The default is all four frames selected.

Although the Select Line button responds in all submenus, the Select Line menu will not replace any submenus, only the main Waveform menu. Select Line always disables the Move/Expand function of the control knob, but does not disable the Display and Graticule Intensity control functions.

Changing the displayed line in Waveform mode or any of the manual modes (Waveform, Vector, Picture, and Measure), changes the current line for all the manual modes. This line is referred to as the “system line.” The leftmost line number on the display is the system line.

However, both Vector mode and Measure mode can operate independently of the system line. In Vector mode, you can select an independent Vector Line (found in the Select Line menu in Vector mode). See Section 5 for more information on the Vector Line. In individual measurements, the Default Line Sel. soft key changes the displayed line to the measurement line specified in the Measurement Locations file.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Cursors

Section 4 - Waveform Mode

The VM700A provides a set of cursors that enable you to make custom measurements manually with a high degree of accuracy. You can use the cursors to:

Measure time duration Measure frequency Measure luminance or chrominance amplitudes Measure rise or fall times Toggle quickly between any two points in a frame

Primarily, cursors are used to make measurements not automatically made in Auto mode or Measure mode. They can also be used to verify some of the automated measurements, should the need arise. The accuracy of the cursors is limited by the one percent vertical accuracy of the VM700A display. Accuracy may be improved (at the expense of update speed) if Precision mode is on.

Cursor Appearance

Cursor Status Lines

The cursors, which are displayed when the Cursors soft key is selected, are two vertical bars. The Left cursor is a solid vertical line and the Right cursor is a dashed vertical line. When both cursors are on the same point, they appear as a dotted vertical line. The default position for the cursors is the center of the display.

Each cursor has a pair of horizontal “amplitude reference markers” that extend from the cursor to the furthest left or right point the cursor touched on the waveform. The anchor point of each amplitude reference marker is a short vertical line on the waveform. The amplitude reference markers are cleared and reset when the Reset Cursors, Center Left, or Center Right soft keys are selected. Amplitude reference markers are used to establish 0% and 100% reference levels so that the cursor can be positioned at a specific level (e.g., 50%) as needed for a measurement.

Selecting the Cursors soft key displays the cursors and the submenu shown in Figure 4-3. When cursors are on, three additional status lines appear: (1) Sine pk-pk (mV), freq (MHz), and offset (mV); (2) Time from L to R, and Vertical Delta; and (3) Frequency (1/T), and % point (% point appears as UNDEFINED point when cursors are first turned on or when the Reset Cursors soft key is touched).

The values in the first Cursor status line are measured at the center of the display. The message Sine wave at middle of screen has frequency above 1.5 x Subcarrier: not measurable is displayed when no sine wave is found at the center. This condition occurs when measuring noise

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

and when the signal frequency is actually too high to measure. The formula used for calculating the Sine pk-pk (mV), freq (MHz), and offset (mV) values is:

f(t) = A sin(Σt) + B

where A = pk-pk/2, Σ = 2πfreq, and B = offset. The second and third cursors status lines display values relative to the cursor positions and to the horizontal reference line.

Moving Cursors-Lock Left,

Lock Right, Center Left,

and Center Right

Using Cursors to Measure

Timing

When cursors are displayed, a cursor can be moved from its default position in the middle of the display by locking it to a point on the waveform. Use the control knob to position the waveform under the cursors, then lock one of the cursors with the Lock Left or Lock Right soft key. You can now move both cursor and waveform horizontally.

If the Left or Right cursor is moved off the screen and lost from view, it can be easily brought back on the display by selecting the Center Left or Center Right soft key, as appropriate. With a cursor locked to the waveform, selecting the corresponding Center soft key will horizontally center the cursor and the point on the waveform to which it is locked. This technique may be used to toggle between any two points in a frame.

Cursors can help you make extremely accurate time measurements over short or very long intervals. For example, you can measure rise times or the length of up to two fields of video. To familiarize you with cursors, the following text explains how to measure the rise time of the leading edge of horizontal sync. While learning to use cursors, you’ll find it much easier to use the stable output of a test signal generator than live video. You can also select Freeze to stabilize the signal.

Note that the VM700A bandwidth limits the signal to 6 MHz. To accurately display rise times of signals with significant frequency components between 5 MHz and 6 MHz, select Precision mode.

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T o Use Cursors to Measure a Rise Time. First, use the control knob and the

Vertical/Horizontal buttons to position the leading edge of a sync pulse in the center of the screen and then expand the sync edge to fill ≈80% of the screen. Select the Reset Cursors soft key to center the cursors, reset the amplitude reference markers, and turn off any previously selected cursor Lock soft keys.

Attach the left amplitude reference marker to a stable spot on the blanking level prior to the leading edge of sync by moving the waveform to the right until the blanking level reaches the cursor. This establishes the 100% point of sync. Then attach the right amplitude reference marker to a stable spot on the sync tip by moving the waveform to the left until the sync tip reaches the cursor. This establishes the 0% point of sync. Live video may require moving the sync edge a little further in both directions to find an average or stable level for the 100% and

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 4 - Waveform Mode

0% points. When the sync edge is now moved past the cursors, the % point readout is calibrated, and indicates the sync edge % point that intersects the cursors.

NOTE. If the waveform point that the amplitude reference marker is attached to is moved off the display, the amplitude reference marker does not remain attached to the waveform. Instead, it locks to the vertical scale at the point where the waveform left the display.

So if the level of the signal at the point where the amplitude reference marker was formerly anchored (which is now off screen) changes, the amplitude reference marker will not track that change. It may sometimes be necessary to decrease the horizontal expansion to keep both amplitude reference markers on the display when trying to find a stable point on live video to anchor them.

Position the sync edge under the cursors so the % point readout is 90% and select the Lock Left soft key. This locks the left cursor to the 90% point of the sync edge. Now when you move the sync edge horizontally the left cursor moves with it. Notice that the left cursor is a solid vertical line, and the right cursor, which is still centered in the display, is a dashed line. Now simply move the waveform so the % point readout indicates 10%. The Time from L to R readout now indicates the rise time of the leading edge of sync. Figure 4-3 illustrates the right cursor sitting at the 10% point and the left cursor locked to the 90% point of the sync edge.

Note that touching either the Center Left or Center Right soft key will move the corresponding cursor to the center of the display.

From this point, to measure sync width from the leading edge 90% point (10% down from blanking) to the trailing edge 90% point (10% down from blanking), you will need to locate the 90% point on the trailing edge by repeating the above procedure. First, move the waveform to the left until the trailing edge of sync is in the center of the screen. Next touch the Center Right soft key. Move the waveform to the left and right to position the amplitude reference markers on the 100% point and 0% point of sync. Position the trailing sync edge so the % point readout indicates 90%. The Time from L to R: readout now indicates sync width from the 10% point of the leading edge of sync to the 10% point on the trailing sync edge.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Figure 4-3: Left cursor locked to 90% point of sync edge, right cursor to 10% point

NOTE. Always make sure the Left cursor is to the left of the Right cursor. If it is not, the Time from L to R: readout will indicate the time duration of a frame of video minus the time interval between the cursors. Also, measuring time durations with cursors is not limited to a single line width or a field. Cursors can measure up to one full frame before they wrap around.

Using Cursors to Measure

Frequency

Sine-wave frequencies can be easily measured with cursors. The following procedure produces the best accuracy using asynchronous sampling and with averaging on to reduce the noise.

T o Measure a Sine-Wave Frequency. Expand the desired sine wave (for example, color burst) so two cycles fill the majority of the screen.

Position the sine-wave zero crossings to occur at the horizontal reference line. Select the Cursors soft key and position a zero crossing on the cursors.

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

Select Lock Left and move the waveform to the left one full cycle (two zero crossings) and position the zero crossing on the right cursor. Select Lock Right. The sine wave frequency is now displayed in the Frequency (1/T) readout. Compare this value with the freq (MHz) = value in the first cursor status line (third line from the bottom in the status area).

Using Cursors to Measure

Amplitude

The Cursors mode provides a quick tool to make amplitude measurements and indicates measurement results in the same units as the vertical scale, to three decimal places. The following example discusses the Vertical delta: readout, and its use in measuring amplitude of the color burst.

Figure 4-4: Color burst aligned with horizontal reference line

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 4 - Waveform Mode

T o Make an Amplitude Measurement. Vertically expand the desired portion of the signal to give adequate resolution.

Use the control knob to position the bottom (or top) of the portion of the waveform to be measured on the horizontal reference line. See Figure 4-4.

Select the Reset Diffs soft key to reset the Vertical delta: readout to 0.000 Volts. Use the control knob to position the top of the portion of the waveform to be

measured on the horizontal reference line. See Figure 4-5. The Vertical delta readout now indicates the absolute amplitude of the waveform.

Figure 4-5: Cursors mode indicating color burst amplitude

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 5:Vector Mode

Introduction

This section provides a detailed description of the capabilities of Vector mode, and tells how to operate the VM700A as a vectorscope.

Display

Vector mode provides a conventional vector display. Because the display is digitally derived, a single line is displayed with full brightness. The Vector mode has an electronic graticule accompanied by digital readouts of the line selection mode (System Line or Vector Line, which are explained at the end of this section), displayed field and line number, phase Angle (in degrees), Gain (in both dB and times gain), APL level, and Setup level. Figure 5-1 shows a typical color bar signal on a vertical interval line of an NTSC test signal.

Figure 5-1: Vector display of a color bar signal

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

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Section 5 - Vector Mode

Additional information is included on the left side of the display to indicate the noise reduction if Average is on; and, for the PAL vector display, if Sound-inSync is ON or OFF. Also, for the PAL vector display, there is a line added to the information on the right side of the display to indicate the V-axis being displayed.

Control Knob

The control knob is used in conjunction with the Move/Expand button to vary the display phase Angle and Gain, and with the Display and Graticule buttons to set the display’s Intensity. When the Select Line button is pressed, the control knob performs a digital line select function.

Display Phase Angle

When entering Vector mode, the default function of the control knob is to vary the display phase Angle (the Move LED is on). As a phase shifter, the control knob rotates the display in one-tenth degree increments, as indicated by the Angle (deg) readout in the upper right corner of the display.

Expand (Gain) Range

When the Expand button is pressed, the control knob becomes a calibrated vector Gain control. Expand is also temporarily selected when the screen is touched inside or near the graticule. The Gain readout in the upper right corner of the display indicates the current Gain setting with a multiplier (x) and in dB.

The default Vector Gain is x1.000 (0.000 dB), and can be compressed or expanded from x0.250 (–12.195 dB) to x50.000 (34.055 dB) in 0.023 dB increments.

5-2

Display and Graticule Intensity

Display and graticule intensity adjustments are also made with the control knob. While the Display button is held in, the control knob varies the intensity of the vector, menu information, and any other text on the display not associated with the graticule. While the Graticule button is held in, the control knob varies only the intensity of the graticule.

Pressing the Menu button either displays the Vector menu or toggles it off (if it is already displayed). The Vector Menu is shown in Figure 5-2.

V-Axis Switch (PAL only): inverts the vector around the V-axis for a line with a –V-axis burst. It has no effect on lines with a +V-axis burst.

Display Select V (PAL only): toggles between display of lines with a +V-axis, a –V-axis, or both axes (default).

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Vector Menu

Section 5 - Vector Mode

Change

Setup

Burst

Reference

Noise

15.05 dB

75% Bar

Col

Burst Reference Submenu

Burst in

Source

Figure 5-2: Vector mode menu

Change Setup (NTSC only): toggles the graticule for a proper display of a color bar signal with either 7.5% setup (Setup 7.5%) or no setup (Setup 0%).

Burst Reference: brings up the following submenu to select the reference source for color burst:

Burst in Source: sets the color burst reference to the current signal source.

Burst in Ch. A/B/C: the color burst reference is set to the specified channel.

Burst in

Ch. A

Burst in

Ch. B

Burst in

Ch. C

When a color burst reference is set to a channel other than the source channel, an additional readout is provided at the top of the vector display screen. The timing difference between the two channels is provided in time and degrees. The two channels must have a common burst reference to provide any useful information about the time difference between channels. A typical readout is this case is:

ChA after ChB: xx ns (degrees) xx

where xx represents the measured timing difference.

Noise: sets the amount of noise reduction in decibels when the Average button is pressed. For PAL, each V-axis is averaged separately. The higher the noise reduction requested, the longer it takes to settle.

75% Bar Cal: Rotating the knob in Vector mode changes the gain or phase angle, which can leave the VM700A uncalibrated for angle or amplitude. Touching this softkey returns Vector mode to a default calibrated state, with phase angle set to 0.0 degrees, gain to 1.000 (0.0 dB).

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

5-3

Section 5 - Vector Mode

Select Line

In the Vector mode, pressing the Select Line button changes the control knob function to digital line select and displays the following menu:

Field Toggle: displays the system line in the other field. For PAL, if the current line is between 1 and 313, it adds 313; if the current line is between 314 and 625, it subtracts 313.

Find Colorbars: searches from the system line through the frame for a line containing color bars, and displays it if found.

Vector Line: when highlighted, changes the Vector mode line independently of the system line.

Field n Line nn (NTSC)/Line n (PAL): displays the line specified by the softkey. To change the line number, select and hold the softkey to be changed, turn the knob until the new line number is found, and release the softkey.

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VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 6:Measure Mode

Pressing the Measure button on the front panel puts the VM700A into Measure mode. In this mode, the VM700A provides interactive control of measurement parameters, as well as graphical display and digital readouts of measurement results.

Measure Mode Menu Operation

Measure mode is used for making interactive measurements of NTSC and PAL signal properties, and accessing the measurements of any installed options as shown in Figure 6-1. This is different from Auto Mode, which is used for automatic, non-interactive, and continuous execution of user-specified measurements.

NTSC and PAL video measurements available through Measure mode are described in detail in the VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) Measurements Manual and the VM700A Option 11 (PAL) Measurement Manual. The Video Option and Audio Option measurements are described in the individual option operator’s manuals.

In /nvramO/Executable~Files/Video~Options

Audio-Video Timing

Echo_Rounding

Video

Note: In the first Measure mode menu display, the Video soft key is visible when V ideo Options are selected, and the Video Options soft key is visible when when Video is selected. The Audio soft key is seen only if Audio Options are installed.

Audio

Diags

Figure 6-1: Typical Measure Mode menu choices

Camera_Testing

Teletext

Component

Selection

Leave Directory

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

6-1

Section 6 - Measure Mode

ОООООО

Video Option Measurement Menu Operation

Figure 6-1 shows the Measure mode menu with Video Options selected. Notice that a directory for each installed Video option is displayed. This menu feature was added in the Version 2.08 firmware release to assist a user in making a option measurement choice. Previous versions of firmware provided a complete list of all the installed option measurements in an alphabetical arrangement. This arrangement allowed menu choices for the measurements of the different options to be intermingled. The new arrangement separates the option measurements to assist the user in making a selection from a shorter list of measurements for a single option as illustrated in Figure 6-2.

Colorimetry

Fixed_Pattern Noise

Geometry/ Registration

Video

Audio

Diags

Figure 6-2: Measure menu of Camera Video Option

The menu choice of Previous Selection returns the VM700A back to the previously selected measurement. The menu choice of Leave Directory displays the next higher level of the menu hierarchy. The directories and files in the higher-level menu displays are not accessed via this route in normal operation. They are normally accessed by the appropriate front panel button or softkey as needed for the application in use.

Defects

Frequency Response

Shading

Video Options

Detail

Gamma

Vertical_Smear

Previous Selection

Leave Directory

6-2

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 7:Picture Mode

Picture mode is intended solely to assist in input source identification of TV video (picture) signals. If non-picture test signals are viewed, the signal patterns will be displayed, but no meaningful information may be extracted from the display.

Pressing the Picture button brings up a low-resolution TV display with a software generated pseudo-gray-scale. The number of the system line is always displayed, and Select Line is always on. A bright line indicates the position of the system line on the display. You may quickly set the line selection to a visual reference point in the picture display and then switch to the waveform mode to view the contents of that line.

Two soft keys are available for use in adjusting the display. When Picture mode is active the Display and Graticule hard keys change their action. Turning the knob while holding the Display button in adjusts the picture brightness. When the Graticule hardkey is held in, turning the control knob adjusts the picture contrast. Both brightness and contrast can be reset to their default values using the Adjust/Default Brightness and Adjust/Default Contrast soft keys.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

7-1

Section 7 - Picture Mode

7-2

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

Section 8:Auto Mode

Introduction

Auto mode of the VM700A executes a configurable list of continuously performed measurements. Whereas Measure mode makes individual measurements that are graphically displayed, Auto mode performs all the selected measurements and generates the measurement results in tabular format. The measurements to be made and the limits to measure to are obtained from the configuration files. The Auto mode measurements provide a large amount of information about the signals being measured and indications of violations of user-selectable measurement limits. This section discusses Auto mode operation and how to configure it.

Display

When you press the Auto button, the VM700A displays the measurements being made in Auto mode. Due to the large number of measurements made by Auto mode, not all of them can be displayed on the screen at once. The control knob is used to scroll the display to view all of the list of measurements and results. As each measurement is made, the measurement’s name, the measured value, measurement units, and the limit values for the measurement are highlighted. When the complete list of measurements has been made, the highlighted text returns to normal display.

Measurement

Identification

Violated Limits Indication

The Auto mode measurements are not affected by the sync and clamping parameters set in Waveform mode for the manual measurements.

In Auto mode, the VM700A lists measurement names on the left-hand side of the display . Each name is followed by the measurement result, and a notation of the measurement’s reference where applicable.

When the user definable limits are violated, the violated limits are printed on the screen, and an indicator appears between the measurement result readout and the Violated Limits — Lower column. If the indicator is a single “*” (asterisk), a Caution Limit has been violated. If the indicator is a “**” (double asterisk), an Alarm Limit has been violated.

If a measurement cannot be made for some reason, the result readout is replaced with a line of dashes and is considered a limit violation.

Setting the Caution and Alarm Limits is discussed later in this section.

VM700A Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL) User Manual

8-1

Tektronix VM700A User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

VM700A Video Measurement Set Option 01 (NTSC) & Option 11 (PAL)

WARRANTY

Contacting Tektronix

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Safety Summary

Symbols and Terms

Specific Precautions

Section 1:Introduction and Specification

Manual Overview

Instrument Overview

Instrument Specifications

Section 2:Installation and Operation

Power Requirements

Front Panel Operation

Connecting Printers

Section 3:Configuring the VM700A

Configure Operations

Directory Structure

Section 4:W aveform Mode

Introduction

Display

Menu

Select Line

System Line

Cursors

Section 5:Vector Mode

Introduction

Display

Section 6:Measure Mode

Measure Mode Menu Operation

Video Option Measurement Menu Operation

Section 7:Picture Mode

Section 8:Auto Mode

Introduction

Display