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Summary of Contents for SIGNALCORE SC5305A
- Page 1 SC5305A 1 MHz to 3.9 GHz RF Downconverter for PXI Express Operating & Programming Manual © 2012-2015 SignalCore, Inc. support@signalcore.com...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
SC5305A - Theory of Operation Overview Signal Path Description Local Oscillator Description Frequency Tuning Modes Setting the SC5305A to Achieve Best Dynamic Range Operating the SC5305A Outside Normal Range SC5305A Programming Interface Device Drivers Using the Application Programming Interface (API) - Page 3 Setting Spectral Inversion in the IF Storing Data into the User EEPROM Space Setting the Phase of the IF Signal Querying the SC5305A - Writing To Request Registers Reading the Device Status Reading the Device Temperature Reading the Calibration EEPROM...
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Page 4: Warranty
Please contact SignalCore if errors are suspected. In no event shall SignalCore be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it. -
Page 5: Copyright & Trademarks
SignalCore, Incorporated respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we ask those who use our products to do the same. Our products are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Use of SignalCore products is restricted to applications that do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. -
Page 6: Recycling Information
Laboratory Equipment include EN 61326-1:2013 and EN 55011:2009 for EMC, and EN 61010-1 for product safety. Recycling Information All products sold by SignalCore eventually reach the end of their useful life. SignalCore complies with EU Directive 2012/19/EU regarding Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Warnings Regarding Use of SignalCore Products... -
Page 7: Unpacking
Software Installation USB Flash Drive (may be combined with other products onto a single drive) Setting Up and Configuring the SC5305A The SC5305A is a designed for use in a PXI Express (PXIe) or PXIe hybrid chassis. Chassis manufacturers must provide at least the minimum required per-slot power dissipation cooling capability to be compliant with the PXIe specifications. - Page 8 The SC5305A is a PXIe RF downconverter with all user I/O located on the front face of the module as shown in Figure 1. Each I/O location is discussed in further detail below. Figure 1. PXI Express chassis view of the SC5305A. Module is shown installed in slot 2.
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Page 9: Signal Connections
50 Ω and drives 0 dBm into a 50 Ω load. Indicator LEDs The SC5305A provides visual indication of important modes. There are two LED indicators on the device. Their behavior under different operating conditions is shown in Table 1. -
Page 10: Overview
P E R A T I O N Overview The SC5305A operates on the principle of heterodyning, a process whereby an incoming RF signal is mixed with specific oscillator frequencies in stages, producing both sum and difference frequency products. At each stage the summed frequency product (or image) is removed through low-pass filtering, allowing the difference frequency product to continue through the signal path. -
Page 11: Signal Path Description
The SC5305A exhibits very low phase noise of -107 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset on a 1 GHz RF carrier with a typical noise floor of -150 dBm/Hz. The noise floor can be further reduced below -165 dBm/Hz by enabling the internal preamplifier. - Page 12 Figure 3. Block diagram of the SC5305A. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 13 Finally, a low pass filter suppresses the harmonics of the IF signal. It is important that the IF harmonics are kept as low as possible because they appear in-band as higher order images SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
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Page 14: Local Oscillator Description
RF, whereas the 605 MHz frequency will create an inverted IF spectrum. If LO3 is set to 605 MHz by calling the sc5305a_SetIfInversion function or register, the IF output spectral content will be inverted with respect to the input RF spectrum. See Figure 4 for a graphical representation of this process. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... -
Page 15: Frequency Tuning Modes
10 MHz TCXO for frequency accuracy and stability. For better frequency accuracy and stability than the TCXO onboard the SC5305A, or for frequency synchronization, the user can programmatically set the device to phase lock the TCXO to an external 10 MHz reference source by programming the REFERENCE_SETTING register. -
Page 16: Setting The Sc5305A To Achieve Best Dynamic Range
The measurement dynamic range is thus much greater than the instantaneous equivalent. The SC5305A is designed with a focus on having a high dynamic range, not just low in noise or having high compression points. It is designed as a receiver for signal analyzers, which require that it handle larger signals well. -
Page 17: Operating The Sc5305A Outside Normal Range
The SC5305A is designed for a nominal output IF level of 0 dBm, ensuring the IF signal is about 3-4 dB below the full-scale value of many 50 analog-to-digital data converters (ADCs). Depending on the application, the user will need to set the appropriate gain of the device (via attenuation), and hence the output level, to suit the particular application. -
Page 18: Device Drivers
SignalCore for additional example code and hardware details. Using the Application Programming Interface (API) The SC5305A API library functions make it easy for the user to communicate with the device. Using the API removes the need to understand register-level details - their configuration, address, data format, etc. -
Page 19: Configuration Registers
The data bytes contain the frequency tuning word in Hertz. For example, to tune to a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the data word would be d2400000000 in decimal or 0x8F0D1800 in hexadecimal. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... -
Page 20: Changing The Attenuator Settings
The REFERENCE_SETTING (0x16) register has one data byte which sets the reference clock behavior of the device. The default state of this register is 0x00, which disables the export of the internal reference SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... -
Page 21: Adjusting The Reference Clock Accuracy
Adjusting the Reference Clock Accuracy The frequency precision of the SC5305A’s 10 MHz TCXO is set by the device internally. The device writes the factory calibrated value to the reference DAC on power-up. This value is an unsigned 16-bit number stored in the EEPROM (see the calibration EEPROM map). -
Page 22: Reading The Device Status
Table 4. It is important to note that the first local oscillator has three phase detectors in the synthesizer, so all three phase detectors must be ANDed to indicate the proper phase-locked status. The three bits that indicate the status of the three phase detectors are [13], [10] and [9]. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... -
Page 23: Reading The Device Temperature
Negative Temperature (ADC code – 8192) / 32 It is not recommended to read the temperature too frequently, especially once the SC5305A has stabilized in temperature. The temperature sensor is a serial device located inside the RF module. Therefore, like any other serial device, reading the temperature sensor requires sending serial clock and data commands from the processor. -
Page 24: Reading The Calibration Eeprom
*)&uint32_value; Reading the User EEPROM Once data has been written to the user EEPROM, it can be retrieved using the process outlined above for reading calibration data, but calling the FETCH_USER_EEPROM registers instead. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... - Page 25 [33x50] RF calibration Table 5 lists the calibration EEPROM map of the SC5305A, indicating how and where board information and calibration data are stored. Since there are only 16k bytes on the EEPROM, SignalCore recommends that all data be read into host memory on initialization of the device and parsed for further mathematical manipulation.
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Page 26: Eeprom Data Content
Product Serial Number (0x04). This is an unsigned integer value that contains the SC5305A serial number. It is unique for every product produced. It is used for the purpose of tracking the history of the product. - Page 27 Table 8. An example of IF attenuation calibration. IF3_Attenuator 2 0.973 1.927 2.948 3.912 28.630 29.634 IF3_Attenuator1 0.989 1.970 2.998 3.989 28.890 29.874 IF1_ Attenuator 0.995 2.028 3.038 4.023 28.868 29.854 SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
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Page 28: Frequency Correction
RF attenuator for fifty frequency points that span the operational frequency range of the SC5305A. Data is read in concatenation of rows. For example, all the frequency values are read in first, then the preamplifier gain values, followed by the zero attenuation- setting gain, etc. - Page 29 The function sc5305a_CalcGain uses six localized [X] points to compute the interpolated point. Using localized points, the example on Table 10 is re-tabulated in Table 11. Similarly, frequency dependent preamplifier gain and RF attenuation may be derived. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
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Page 30: If Response Correction
MHz, it is important to apply gain and phase correction to the offset frequencies; those that are offset from the center IF. Although SignalCore performs calibration of the amplitude and phase over the bandwidth of the IF filters (available on the device calibration EEPROM), it is recommended that the user perform in-situ system equalization for digital broadband applications for improved performance. - Page 31 This is similar to method 1, but instead of using a fitted function to obtain the error values, interpolation is used. Interpolation is generally a slower process. This is the method implemented in the library function sc5305a_CalcIfResponseCorrection. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 32 The functions listed below comprise the function set of the dynamic-linked library (Windows operating systems) and shared library (Linux operating system) versions of the SC5305A API. The LabVIEW palette library differs slightly due to the unique requirements of the LabVIEW programming environment (e.g., LabVIEW already provides standard math functions for curve fitting...
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Page 33: Constants Definitions
SignalCore defines the following constants and types which are contained in the C header file, sc5305A.h. These constants and types are useful not only as an include file for developing applications using the SC5305A libraries, but also for writing device drivers independent of those provided by SignalCore. -
Page 34: Type Definitions
// The TCXO dac value at T0 calibrationData_t; typedef struct attenuator_t unsigned int if3Atten2Value; unsigned int if3Atten1Value; unsigned int rfAttenValue; unsigned int if1AttenValue; attenuator_t; typedef struct deviceStatus_t bool tcxoPllLock; bool vcxoPllLock; bool lo1Pll3Lock; bool lo2PllLock; SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0... -
Page 35: Function Definitions And Usage
Function Definitions and Usage The functions listed below are found in the sc5305a.dll dynamic linked library These functions are also provided in the SC5305A LabVIEW palette, except in cases where an existing native function already exists to perform the same or similar task. The LabVIEW functions contain context help (Ctrl+H) to provide further clarification of each function. - Page 36 = sc5305a_ListResources(visaResource, &devicesFound); if(devicesFound == 0) for(i = 0; i< MAXDEVICES;i++) free(visaResource[i]); free(visaResource); printf("There are %d SignalCore SC5305A devices found. \n", devicesFound); for (i = 0;i<devicesFound;i++) printf("%d. %s \n",i + 1,visaResource[i]); status = sc5305a_OpenDevice(visaResource[0], deviceHandle); // get handle to the first listed device // Free memory for(i = 0;...
- Page 37 Mode (0 or 1) Description: sc5305a_InitDevice initializes the device to power up state if Mode = 0, or reprograms all device components again to the current programmed state if Mode = 1. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 38 *deviceHandle, bool preampStatus) Return: The status of the function Input: unsigned int *deviceHandle (handle to the opened device) bool preampStatus (turn on/off the preamp) Description: sc5305a_SetPreamp enables or disables the RF preamplifier. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 39 (handle to the opened device) bool fastTuneEnable (enable/disable faster frequency stepping) unsigned int fineTuneMode (selection of 1 MHz, 25 kHz, 1 Hz step resolution) Description: sc5305a_SetSynthesizerMode enables/disables fast tuning, and sets the step resolution of the downconverter. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 40 *deviceHandle (handle to the opened device) bool ifInvertEnable (enable spectral inversion) Description: sc5305a_SetIfInversion enables the down-converted signal to be spectrally inverted with respect the RF input. This may be beneficial for some applications. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 41 (handle to the opened device) Output: deviceStatus_t *deviceStatus (outputs the status of the device such as PLL lock) Description: sc5305a_GetDeviceStatus retrieves the status of the device such as LO phase-lock status and current device settings. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 42 (handle to the opened device) unsigned int memAdd (EEPROM memory address) Output: unsigned char *byteData (the read byte data) Description: sc5305a_ReadCalEeprom reads back a byte from the memory address of the calibration EEPROM. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 43 = 0; bufferCount = 0; unsigned int add = 1024; while(bufferCount < 8){ status = sc5305a_ReadUserEepromBulk(deviceHandle, add+bufferCount*64, bufferIn); (i = 0; i < 64; i++) eepromData[i + bufferCount*64] = bufferIn[i]; bufferCount ++; free(bufferIn); SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 44 EEPROM and returns two data formats - deviceAttribute_t and calibrationData_t. The array rawCalData must contain valid calibration data, obtained by reading the EEPROM, and rawCalData, calData and deviceAttributes must have memory allocated. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 45 //read in raw calibration status = sc5305a_GetRawCal(deviceHandle, rawCal); //Calling the function to structure the calibration data status = sc5305a_convertRawCalData(rawCal, devAttr, calData); //alternatively instead of calling the above 2 functions status = sc5305a_GetCalData(deviceHandle, devAttr, calData); SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 46 Description: sc5305a_CalcAutoAttenuation returns the set of attenuation settings for all the attenuators that will configure the SC5305A for best dynamic range operation based on user input parameters such as frequency, mixer level, etc. The values are calculated to maintain a good balance between the signal-to-noise dynamic range and the linearity dynamic range.
- Page 47 (temperature value of the device in degrees Celsius) calibrationData_t *calData (calibration data for the device) Output: float *conversionGain (calculated calibrate conversion gain for current settings) Description: sc5305a_CalcGain calculates the calibrated gain based on the current user settings. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 48 (16-bit rawTempData stored in a 32-bit unsigned int) Output: float *temperature (temperature value of the device in degrees Celsius) Description: sc5305a_ConvertRawTempData converts the rawTempData variable into a floating point number. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 49 (the numbers of points in xArray) double x (the value at which interpolation is performed) Output: double *interpolatedYValue (the corresponding interpolated value at x) Description: sc5305a_SplineInterp returns the spline interpolated value. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 50 The SC5305A is factory calibrated and ships with a certificate of calibration. SignalCore strongly recommends that the SC5305A be returned for factory calibration every 12 months or whenever a problem is suspected. The specific calibration interval is left to the end user and is dependent upon the accuracy required for a particular application.
- Page 51 Revised images and connectivity references to reflect new I/O interface, updated EN and Rev 1.1.0 IEC testing standards and EU Directive references. Rev 2.0.0 Removed Appendix A (specifications are now available in separate datasheet document). SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 52 (standardized to 25 °C). Measured values (meas) Characterizes expected product performance by means of measurement results gained from individual samples. Specifications are subject to change without notice. For the most recent product specifications, visit www.signalcore.com. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual Rev 2.1.0...
- Page 53 IF polarity inverted will produce non- inverted baseband, and vice-versa. However this is only a convenience in this application case because inverted spectrum, once digitized, can easily be re-inverted mathematically. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 54 Accuracy ........ ± [(aging x last adjustment time lapse) + temp stability + cal accuracy] Initial calibration accuracy ........................±0.05 ppm Temperature stability 20 °C to 30 °C ............................±0.25 ppm 0 °C to 55 °C .............................. ±1.0 ppm Aging .......................... ±1 ppm for first year @ 25 °C SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 55 -152 -150 -148 Fast tune mode 100 MHz 1000 MHz -100 3500 MHz -110 100 MHz -120 -130 Normal tune mode -140 -150 -160 1000 10000 Offset Frequency (kHz) Figure 7. Typical measured sideband noise. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 56 PLL synthesizers. Fractional-N and DDS spurious products affect spectral region below 200 kHz and intermodulation products affect spectral regions out to a couple of MHz. SignalCore uses mathematical algorithms to properly select the synthesizer parameters used in the multiple-loop fractional-N PLL to ensure that typical sideband spurious products are better than the specifications.
- Page 57 Figure 8. Plots show the raw spectral purity for a 100 MHz input RF signal (LO = 4.775 GHz). Note that the power supply noise of 60 Hz and its harmonics are in the noise. The measurement instrument is not phase-locked to the unit under test. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 58 Absolute gain accuracy (corrected) ..............±0.9 dB (±0.5 dB typical) (17) IF amplitude accuracy (15 °C to 35 °C ambient) IF in-band response flatness (uncorrected) .................. 3 dB typical IF in-band response (corrected) ......................±0.5 dB (16) SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 59 Final IF filter enabled ..........................1 s typical Final IF filter bypassed ........................100 ns typical IF phase linearity (80% of IF bandwidth) (18) Final IF filter enabled ........................... +/- 8 degrees Final IF filter bypassed ........................+/- 8 degrees SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 60 Phase deviation at offset frequencies from the center frequency of 70 MHz is stored in the calibration EEPROM. The calibration may be applied as a first order correction. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 61 (23) IF rejection is the ability of the device to reject RF signals at any of the IF frequencies while the device is tuned elsewhere. Signal level at the mixer is -20 dBm and total gain is 20 dB. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 62 (26) In spectrum analyzer and signal analyzer applications this is also commonly referred to as the Displayed Average Noise Level (DANL). This assumes that the digitizer used does not limit the performance of the device. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 63 However, using in-band signal tones provides better estimation of the device’s non-linear effects on broadband signals. Input second harmonic distortion (SHI, dBm) Input second harmonic intercept 400 MHz 1000 MHz 1.8 GHz point (dBm) Preamplifier disabled Preamplifier enabled SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 64 For example, the user could set the downconverter to receive a 0 dBm signal at the mixer, while at the same setting be able to measure the signal noise floor to -150 dB below its peak. SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 65 Connector type ............................SMA female LO leakage ..............................< -120 dBm IF output Output impedance ..............................50 VSWR ....................................1.6 Coupling ................................... AC Connector type ............................SMA female Output amplitude ........................... 20 dBm max SC5305A Operating & Programming Manual...
- Page 66 Warranty ............ 1 year parts and labor on defects in materials or workmanship (33) Meets requirements of IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2. Operating temperature may be extended to +55 °C with appropriate user-provided cooling solution. Contact SignalCore for recommended minimum airflow rates.
- Page 67 SignalCore, Inc, 13401 Pond Springs Rd. Suite 100 Austin, TX 78729, USA Phone: 512-501-6000 Fax: 512-501-6001...
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