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Keysight V3500A
Handheld RF Power Meter
User’s Guide
Notices
CAUTION
WARNING
© Keysight Technologies, 2010 – 2014
No p art o f this manu al may be re produce d in
any form or by any means (including electronic storage and retrieval or translation
into a foreign language) without prior agreement and written consent from Keysight
Technologies as governed by United States
and international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
V3500-90001
Edition
Edition 7, December 12, 2014
Keysight Technologies
1400 Fountaingrove Parkway
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Trademark Acknowledgements
Microsoft, Visual Studio, and Windows are
U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
Pentium is a U.S. registered trademark of
Intel Corporation.
Warranty
The material contained in this document is provided “as is,” and is subject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable
law, Keysight disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, with
regard to this manual and any information contained herein, including
but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for
a particular purpose. Keysight shall
not be liable for errors or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, use, or
performance of this document or of
any information contained herein.
Should Keysight and the user have a
separate written agreement with
warranty terms covering the material
in this document that conflict with
these terms, the warranty terms in the
separate agreement shall control.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and or software described in
this document are furnished under a license
and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Software and technical data rights granted to
the federal government include only those
rights customarily provided to end user customers. Keysight provides this customary
commercial license in Software and technical data pursuant to FAR 12.211 (Technical
Data) and 12.212 (Computer Software) and,
for the Department of Defense, DFARS
252.227-7015 (Technical Data - Commercial
Items) and DFARS 227.7202-3 (Rights in
Commercial Computer Software or Computer Software Documentation).
Safety Notices
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage
to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and
met.
II V3500A User’s Guide
Safety Symbols
Direct current (DC)
Alternating current (AC)
The following symbols on the instrument and in the documentation
indicate precautions which must be taken to maintain safe operation of
the instrument.
Equipment protected throughout by
double insulation or reinforced
insulation
Off (supply)
Both direct and alternating current
Three-phase alternating current
Earth (ground) terminal
Protective conductor terminal
Frame or chassis terminal Out position of a bi-stable push control
Equipotentiality In position of a bi-stable push control
On (supply)
Caution, risk of electric shock
Caution, risk of danger (refer to this manual
for specific Warning or Caution information)
Caution, hot surface
V3500A User’s Guide III
General Safety Information
WARNING
CAUTION
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all
phases of operation, service, and repair of this instrument. Failure to
comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this
manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended
use of the instrument. Keysight Technologies assumes no liability for the
customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
• Observe all markings on the instrument before connecting any wiring
to the instrument.
• Do not operate the instrument in an explosive atmosphere or in the
presence of flammable gases or fumes.
• Do not service or perform adjustments alone. Under certain condition,
hazardous voltages may exist, even with the equipment switched off.
To avoid dangerous electric shock, service personnel must not
attempt internal service or adjustment unless another person,
capable of rendering resuscitation or first aid, is present.
• Do not substitute parts or modify equipment to avoid the danger of
introducing additional hazards. Return the instrument to Keysight
Sales Office for service and repair to ensure the safety features are
maintained.
• Do not operate damaged equipment as the safety protection features
built into this instrument may have been impaired, either through
physical damage, excessive moisture, or any other reason. Remove
power and do not use the instrument until safe operation can be
verified by service-trained personnel. If necessary, return the
instrument to Keysight Technologies Sales and Service Office for
service and repair to ensure the safety features are maintained.
IV V3500A User’s Guide
• Ensure proper insertion of battery in the power meter, and follow the
correct polarity.
Environmental Conditions
CAUTION
This instrument is designed for indoor use and in an area with low
condensation with use of standard or compatible test probes. The table
below shows the general environment requirements for this instrument.
Environment conditions Requirements
Operating environment 0°C to 50°C
Operating relative humidity 80% RH for temperature up to 35 °C,
Storage environment –10 °C to 70 °C
Altitude Up to 2000 meters
Pollution degree Pollution Degree 2
• The Keysight V3500A complies with the following safety and EMC
• Degradation of some instrument specifications can occur in the presence of
non-condensing
requirements:
• IEC 61326-2-1:2005/ EN 61326-2-1:2006
• Canada: ICES-001:2004
• Australia/New Zealand: AS/NZS CISPR11: 2004
ambient electromagnetic (EM) fields and noise that are coupled to the
powerline or I/O cables of the instrument. The instrument will self-recover and
operate to all specifications when the source of ambient EM field and noise are
removed or when the instrument is protected from the ambient EM field or
when the instrument cabling is shielded from the ambient EM noise.
V3500A User’s Guide V
Regulatory Markings
The CE mark is a registered trademark
of the European Community. This CE
mark shows that the product complies
with all the relevant European Legal
Directives.
The C-tick mark is a registered
trademark of the Spectrum
Management Agency of Australia. This
signifies compliance with
the Australia EMC Framework
regulations under the terms of the
Radio Communication Act of 1992.
ICES/NMB-001 indicates that this ISM
device complies with the Canadian
ICES-001.
Cet appareil ISM est confomre a la
norme NMB-001 du Canada.
This instrument complies with the
WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) marking
requirement. This affixed product label
indicates that you must not discard
this electrical or electronic product in
domestic household waste.
VI V3500A User’s Guide
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
2002/96/EC
This instrument complies with the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) marking
requirement. This affixed product label indicates that you must not discard
this electrical or electronic product in domestic household waste.
Product Category:
With reference to the equipment types in the WEEE directive Annex 1, this
instrument is classified as a “Monitoring and Control Instrument” product.
The affixed product label is as shown below.
Do not dispose in domestic household waste
V3500A User’s Guide VII
In This Guide…
1Getting Started
This chapter introduces the key features of the V3500A Handheld RF
Power Meter and prepares the power meter for initial setup.
2 Knowing your Instrument
This chapter specifies the characteristics, environmental conditions, and
specifications of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter. This chapter
contains a brief description of the instrument outlook, front panel
operation, and front panel procedure.
3 Driver Installation and Commands
This chapter provides you the step-by-step programming driver installation
procedure, remote USB operation, and basic drive commands of the
V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter.
4RF Measurement Basics
This chapter describes the RF measurement basics of the V3500A
Handheld RF Power Meter.
5 Characteristics and Specifications
This chapter describes the instrument characteristics and specifications
of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter.
VIII V3500A User’s Guide
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
NOTE
The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this instrument is available on the
Web site. You can search the DoC by its instrument model or description.
If you are unable to search for the respective DoC, please contact your
local Keysight representative.
V3500A User’s Guide IX
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X V3500A User’s Guide
Contents
1 Getting Started 1
Introduction 2
Key features 3
Initial Inspection 3
Standard purchase items 3
Optional purchase items 4
Handling Precaution 4
Setting-up your Instrument 5
Connectivity 5
Power supply 8
2 Knowing your Instrument 9
Product at a Glance 10
Product dimensions 10
The front panel keypad 11
How to navigate the menu system 13
How to power on the V3500A 16
Front panel operations 17
Measuring power 17
Zeroing the power meter 18
Setting the input frequency 18
Setting the measurement speed 19
Enabling and disabling high-speed mode 19
Saving the instrument state 20
Recalling the instrument state 20
Setting units: dBm or watts 21
Controlling the backlight 22
Setting the backlight auto-shutoff interval 22
V3500A User’s Guide XI
Using relative offset function 23
3 Driver Installation and Commands 25
System Requirements 26
Driver Installation 27
Installing USB driver 27
Installing USB driver (Windows 7) 34
Confirming the USB driver installation 38
Uninstalling the USB driver 41
Installing programming driver 42
Instrument Address 46
Remote USB Operation 47
Introduction 47
Bus connections 47
Remote USB commands 48
Basic driver commands 49
Basic V3500A commands 55
Averaging control commands 56
Measurement speed control commands 57
Unit of measurement commands 58
Relative Offset Commands 59
Miscellaneous commands 60
Examples 61
4 RF Measurement Basics 81
Power Definition 82
Units of Measurement 84
Watts 84
Decibels 84
RF power measurement 85
Low frequency method 85
XII V3500A User’s Guide
High frequency method 85
Power of various types of signals 87
Measurement accuracy 89
5 Characteristics and Specifications 93
Product Characteristics 94
Product Specifications 96
SWR 98
V3500A User’s Guide XIII
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XIV V3500A User’s Guide
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter with backlight
turned on 2
Figure 1-2 V3500A with Type-N connector nut 5
Figure 1-3 Full serial number, USB type mini-B port, and external
power connector 7
Figure 2-1 V3500A dimensions 10
Figure 2-2 V3500A front panel keypad 11
Figure 2-3 Menu map structure 13
Figure 4-1 Low frequency power measurement 85
Figure 4-2 High frequency power measurement 86
Figure 4-3 Example of pulse-modulated signals 88
Figure 4-4 Mismatch in power measurements 90
Figure 5-1 Typical SWR performance 98
V3500A User’s Guide XV
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XVI V3500A User’s Guide
List of Tables
Table 2-1 V3500A keypad functions 11
Table 2-2 Menu map structure description 14
Table 3-1 SETAVG command values 56
Table 5-1 SWR performance for different frequency band 98
V3500A User’s Guide XVII
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XVIII V3500A User’s Guide
Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter
User’s Guide
1 Getting Started
Introduction 2
Key features 3
Initial Inspection 3
Standard purchase items 3
Optional purchase items 4
Handling Precaution 4
Setting-up your Instrument 5
Connectivity 5
RF connector 5
USB port 7
Power supply 8
This chapter introduces the key features of the V3500A
Handheld RF Power Meter and prepares the power meter for
initial setup.
1Getting Started
Introduction
The Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter, 10 MHz to
6 GHz is a compact handheld instrument designed for
making RF power measurements in both the field as well as
research and development (R&D) laboratory environments.
In the laboratory, the V3500A can be used as an RF power
data logger by transferring data through its built- in USB
interface to a computer, allowing you to perform trend or
drift analysis. For use in the field, the compact size of the
V3500A allows it to be placed in a toolkit. You do not have
to carry both a power meter and a separate sensor module
(the V3500A has a built- in sensor) when conducting
measurement in the field.
Figure 1-1 V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter with backlight turned on
2 V3500A User’s Guide
Key features
Initial Inspection
Getting Started 1
• Easy to use interface with LCD display
• Economical single- function instrument
• Wideband (10 MHz to 6 GHz) average RF power
measurements
• Compact size with a built- in display and sensor
• Universal Serial Bus (USB) control interface
• Flexibility of drawing operating power from an on-board
battery, an optional external power supply, or a computer
via the USB interface
When you receive your instrument, inspect the instrument
for any obvious damage such as broken terminals or cracks,
dents, and scratches on the casing that may occur during
shipment.
If any damage is found, notify the nearest Keysight Sales
Office immediately. The front of this manual contains the
warranty information.
Standard purchase items
Verify that you have received the following items with your
V3500A instrument. If anything is missing or damaged,
please contact the nearest Keysight Sales Office.
✔ USB interface cable (Standard- A to Type-B), 2.5 meter
✔ Printed Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter, 10
MHz to 6 GHz User’s Guide (English)
✔ Keysight V3500A Product Reference CD- ROM
V3500A User’s Guide 3
1Getting Started
Optional purchase items
✔ Power supply (V3500A- PWR)
✔ Holster carrying case with shoulder strap (V3500A- SHL)
✔ USB interface cable (Standard- A to Type-B), 2.5 meter
(V3500A- CA1)
✔ Printed Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter,
10 MHz to 6 GHz User’s Guide (Japanese) (V3500A- ABJ)
✔ Printed Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter,
10 MHz to 6 GHz User’s Guide (Simplified Chinese)
(V3500A- AB2)
✔ Printed Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter, 10
MHz to 6 GHz User’s Guide (English) (V3500A- ABA)
Keep the original packaging in case the V3500A has to be
returned to Keysight in the future. Also, include a brief
description of the problem.
Handling Precaution
To maintain high- impedance isolation, ensure that the
V3500A is handled carefully to avoid contamination from
foreign materials such as body oil. Such contamination can
reduce isolation resistance.
To avoid possible contamination, do not touch connector
insulators. If the instrument becomes contaminated, it
should be thoroughly cleaned. Refer to Keysight V3500A
Handheld RF Power Meter, 10 MHz to 6 GHz Service Guide for
more information.
4 V3500A User’s Guide
Setting-up your Instrument
Typ e -N ma le
connector nut
Connectivity
You need to set- up the RF connector and USB port
connections properly before making any measurements.
RF connector
Use the Type- N male RF connector with 50 Ω
characteristic impedance (see Figure 1-2) to make RF
signal connections.
Getting Started 1
Figure 1-2 V3500A with Type-N connector nut
V3500A User’s Guide 5
1Getting Started
NOTE
Be sure to follow the following guidelines when making
connections.
✔ Maximum input power limitations
Do not connect or apply any power level that is
outside of the V3500A specifications. See “Product
Specifications” on page 96 for a complete list of
specifications.
✔ Connection for a power measurement
While holding the body of the power meter in one
hand, turn the Type- N male connector nut to tighten
the connection (do not turn the body of the V3500A).
Continue to do so until the connection is hand- tight.
It is important to turn the nut of the connector rather
than the body of the power meter when tightening the
connection.
When connecting the Type-N connector of the V3500A to a Type-N female
connector for a power measurement, observe proper practice for
tightening the connection.
6 V3500A User’s Guide
Getting Started 1
NOTE
USB type
mini-B port
External power
connector
Full serial
number
USB port
The V3500A has a USB 2.0 interface with mini- B port (see
Figure 1-3). The V3500A can be remotely programmed over
this USB interface.
In addition to remote programming, the V3500A can be
powered by the USB port regardless of whether the batteries
are present or connected to the external power supply
(V3500A- PWR).
The interface is USB 2.0 compatible with an interface speed of 12 Mbps.
Figure 1-3 Full serial number, USB type mini-B port, and external
power connector
V3500A User’s Guide 7
1Getting Started
CAUTION
Power supply
You can use either the battery power or the external power
connector to power on your V3500A.
• Battery power
The V3500A can be powered by two AA batteries. If
installed, the batteries will power the V3500A only if the
external power supply and USB are not connected.
Refer to Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter, 10
MHz to 6 GHz Service Guide for more information.
• External power connector
The external power connector provides a connection for
the optional external power supply (Model V3500A- PWR)
(see Figure 1- 3). If the external power supply is
connected, the V3500A will be powered by the external
power supply — regardless of whether the USB power or
batteries are present.
8 V3500A User’s Guide
Only connect the optional external power supply (V3500A-PWR)
recommended to this connector. Instrument damage may result if
improper power is applied.
The power supply is equipped with an AC line filter and
provides a conditioned +5 VDC, 150 mA power source for
the V3500A.
Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter
User’s Guide
2 Knowing your Instrument
Product at a Glance 10
Product dimensions 10
The front panel keypad 11
How to navigate the menu system 13
How to power on the V3500A 16
Front panel operations 17
Measuring power 17
Zeroing the power meter 18
Setting the input frequency 18
Setting the measurement speed 19
Enabling and disabling high-speed mode 19
Saving the instrument state 20
Recalling the instrument state 20
Setting units: dBm or watts 21
Controlling the backlight 22
Setting the backlight auto-shutoff interval 22
Using relative offset function 23
This chapter specifies the characteristics, environmental
conditions, and specifications of the V3500A Handheld RF
Power Meter. This chapter contains a brief description of the
instrument outlook, front panel operation, and front panel
procedure.
2 Knowing your Instrument
79 mm
49 mm
1134 mm
Product at a Glance
Product dimensions
Figure 2-1 V3500A dimensions
10 V3500A User’s Guide
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