Instrument Mode? Measurement Data? Data Format; Instrument Modes; Measurement Data; Data Format - Agilent Technologies 89410A Operator's Manual

Choosing an Instrument Mode
Instrument Mode? Measurement Data? Data
Format?

Instrument modes

When you specify an instrument mode, you are asking the analyzer to acquire input
data and process it in a certain way. For example, with the Vector Mode, the
analyzer uses an FFT algorithm to convert a single time record into the most basic
frequency domain measurement available—the spectrum. For Analog
Demodulation Mode, the analyzer transforms a complex waveform into a real, time
domain waveform.
Look at the front panel. Notice how the [ Instrument Mode ] key is in the
MEASUREMENT group. This is because anything you change from this group of
keys affects the way the analyzer collects input data. In general, if you change
something with these keys (such as the instrument mode, or a different start or
stop frequency), the analyzer must make a new measurement.
If you look at the analyzer's front panel, you can see that both the [ Measurement Data ]
and [ Data Format ] hardkeys are in the DISPLAY group. If you press a key in this
group, all you are doing is selecting which type of data you want to display and how
you want to display it—you aren't changing the way the analyzer makes
measurements or the data that was measured.
Softkeys in the MEASUREMENT group, however do affect the way the analyzer
takes input data. For example, [ Instrument Mode ] is in this group. So is [ Frequency ],
which you use to change the start and stop frequencies. So if you need to change a
parameter under any of these menus (or select a different instrument mode), you
will need to take new data.

Measurement data

Suppose you've selected the Vector Mode. Now you can select different types of
measurement data, for example, the linear spectrum, frequency response, or main
time data. No matter which measurement data selection you make, the analyzer
does not have to acquire new data. When you select a type of measurement data,
you are simply asking the analyzer to display a particular piece of the measurement
data that's already been acquired.

Data format

Once you select both an instrument mode and appropriate measurement data,
choosing a data format simply tells the analyzer how you want to look at the
selected measurement data. For example, if you are in the Vector Mode and you
are viewing power spectrum data, you could change the Y-axis scaling by selecting
linear magnitude or logarithmic magnitude.
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