Page 1 Keysight 86120B Multi-Wavelength Meter User’s Guide...
Page 4 ISM1-A instrument is an Indus- understood and met. trial Scientific and Med- No other warranty is expressed Keysight Technologies makes no ical Group 1 Class A WARNING or implied. Keysight Technolo- warranty of any kind with regard product.
Page 5: The Keysight 86120B-At A Glance
OPTI- CAL INPUT connector.” on page 2-40. Characterize laser lines easily With the Keysight 86120B you can quickly and easily measure any of the following parameters: • Wavelengths and powers • Average wavelength • Total optical power • Laser line separation •...
Page 6 You can see the power bar shown in the fol- lowing figure of the Keysight 86120B’s display. The input circuitry of the Keysight 86120B can be damaged when total input C A U T I O N power levels exceed +18 dBm.
Page 7 Measurement accuracy—it’s up to you! Fiber-optic connectors are easily damaged when connected to dirty or damaged cables and accessories. The Keysight 86120B’s front-panel INPUT connector is no exception. When you use improper cleaning and handling techniques, you risk expensive instrument repairs, damaged cables, and compromised measure- ments.
Page 8: General Safety Considerations
There is no output laser aperture The Keysight 86120B does not have an output laser aperture. However, light less than 1 nW escapes out of the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. Operator maintenance or precautions are not necessary to maintain safety. No controls, adjustments, or performance of procedures result in hazardous radia- tion exposure.
Page 9 IEC 60825-1 (2007). The laser sources comply with 21 CFR 1040.10 except for deviations pursuant to Laser Notice No. 50 dated 2007-June-24. Table 1-1. Safety Information for Wavelength Meter 86120B Laser type HeNe Laser Wavelength (±0.1 nm) 632.8 nm <...
Page 10 WA R N I N G personnel. To prevent electrical shock, do not remove covers. To prevent electrical shock, disconnect the Keysight 86120B from WA R N I N G mains before cleaning. Use a dry cloth or one slightly dampened with water to clean the external case parts.
Page 11 General Safety Considerations VENTILATION REQUIREMENTS: When installing the product in a C A U T I O N cabinet, the convection into and out of the product must not be restricted. The ambient temperature (outside the cabinet) must be less than the maximum operating temperature of the product by 4 C for every 100 watts dissipated in ⋅...
Page 12 General Safety Considerations...
Page 13: Table Of Contents
Step 1. Inspect the Shipment 15 Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable 16 Step 3. Connect a Printer 17 Step 4. Turn on the Keysight 86120B 18 Step 5. Enter Your Elevation 20 Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values 21 Step 7.
Page 14 5 Programming Commands Common Commands 133 Measurement Instructions 146 CALCulate1 Subsystem 157 CALCulate2 Subsystem 162 CALCulate3 Subsystem 174 CONFigure Measurement Instruction 196 DISPlay Subsystem 196 FETCh Measurement Instruction 199 HCOPy Subsystem 200 MEASure Measurement Instruction 200 READ Measurement Instruction 201 SENSe Subsystem 201 STATus Subsystem 206 SYSTem Subsystem 211...
Page 15: Getting Started
Step 1. Inspect the Shipment 15 Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable 16 Step 3. Connect a Printer 17 Step 4. Turn on the Keysight 86120B 18 Step 5. Enter Your Elevation 20 Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values 21 Step 7.
Page 16 Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started The instructions in this chapter show you how to install your Keysight 86120B. You should be able to finish these procedures in about ten to twenty minutes. After you’ve completed this chapter, continue with Chapter 2, “Using the Multi-Wave-...
Page 17: Step 1. Inspect The Shipment
Inspect all shipping containers. If your shipment is damaged or incomplete, save the packing materials and notify both the shipping carrier and the nearest Keysight Technologies sales and service office. Keysight Technologies will arrange for repair or replacement of damaged or incomplete shipments without waiting for a settlement from the transportation company.
Page 18: Step 2. Connect The Line-Power Cable
Getting Started Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable This is a Safety Class 1 Product (provided with protective earth). WA R N I N G The mains plug shall only be inserted in a socket outlet provided with a protective earth contact.
Page 19: Step 3. Connect A Printer
Keysight 86120B is originally shipped is included with the unit. The cable shipped with the instrument also has a right-angle connector so that the Keysight 86120B can be used while sitting on its rear feet. You can order additional ac power cables for use in different geographic areas.
Page 20: Step 4. Turn On The Keysight 86120B
The front-panel LINE switch disconnects the mains circuits from the mains supply after the EMC filters and before other parts of the instrument. 2 If the Keysight 86120B fails to turn on properly, consider the following possibilities: • Is the line fuse good? •...
Page 21 When the instrument is first turned on, the display briefly shows the instru- ment’s firmware version number. In the unlikely event that you have a problem with the Keysight 86120B, you may need to indicate this number when commu- nicating with Keysight Technologies.
Page 22: Step 5. Enter Your Elevation
Getting Started Step 5. Enter Your Elevation Step 5. Enter Your Elevation In order for your Keysight 86120B to accurately measure wavelengths and meet its published specifications, you must enter the elevation where you will be performing your measurements. 1 Press the Setup key.
Page 23: Step 6. Select Medium For Wavelength Values
Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values Because wavelength varies with the material that the light passes through, the Keysight 86120B offers wavelength measurements in two mediums: vacuum and standard air. 1 Press the Setup key.
Page 24: Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting
Getting Started Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting After the Preset key is pressed, the input wavelength range is limited to measuring lasers between 1200 nm and 1650 nm. You can easily expand the input range to the full 700 nm to 1650 nm range with the following steps: 1 Press the Preset key.
Page 25: Cleaning Connections For Accurate Measurements
Connectors also vary in the polish, curve, and concentricity of the core within the cladding. Mating one style of cable to another requires an adapter. Keysight Technologies offers adapters for most instruments to allow testing with many different cables.
Page 26 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements take repeatability uncertainty into account? • Will a connector degrade the return loss too much, or will a fusion splice be required? For example, many DFB lasers cannot operate with reflections from connectors. Of- ten as much as 90 dB isolation is needed.
Page 27 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Figure 1-2. Universal adapters to Diamond HMS-10. The HMS-10 encases the fiber within a soft nickel silver (Cu/Ni/Zn) center which is surrounded by a tough tungsten carbide casing, as shown in Figure 1-3. Figure 1-3.
Page 28 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements ver can be pushed onto the glass surface. Scratches, fiber movement, or glass con- tamination will cause loss of signal and increased reflections, resulting in poor return loss. Inspecting Connectors Because fiber-optic connectors are susceptible to damage that is not immediately obvious to the naked eye, poor measurements result without the user being aware.
Page 29 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Use the following guidelines to achieve the best possible performance when making measurements on a fiber-optic system: • Never use metal or sharp objects to clean a connector and never scrape the connector. •...
Page 30 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Figure 1-6. Damage from improper cleaning. While these often work well on first insertion, they are great dirt magnets. The oil or gel grabs and holds grit that is then ground into the end of the fiber. Also, some early gels were designed for use with the FC, non-contacting connectors, using small glass spheres.
Page 31 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements the connector to check for degradation, and clean every connector, every time. All connectors should be treated like the high-quality lens of a good camera. The weak link in instrument and system reliability is often the inappropriate use and care of the connector.
Page 32 Cleaning Connectors The procedures in this section provide the proper steps for cleaning fiber-optic cables and Keysight Technologies universal adapters. The initial cleaning, using the alcohol as a solvent, gently removes any grit and oil. If a caked-on layer of material...
Page 33 If you think the use of such compounds is necessary, refer to the compound manufacturer for information on application and cleaning procedures. Table 1-2. Cleaning Accessories Item Keysight Technologies Part Number Pure isopropyl alcohol — Cotton swabs 8520-0023...
Page 34 To clean an adapter The fiber-optic input and output connectors on many Keysight Technologies instru- ments employ a universal adapter such as those shown in the following picture. These adapters allow you to connect the instrument to different types of fiber-optic cables.
Page 35 Getting Started Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements swabs listed in this section’s introduction are small enough to fit into adapters. Although foam swabs can leave filmy deposits, these deposits are very thin, and the risk of other contamination buildup on the inside of adapters greatly outweighs the risk of contamination by foam swabs.
Page 36: Returning The Instrument For Service
Refer to “For Assistance and Support” on page 262 for a list of service offices. If the instrument is still under warranty or is covered by a Keysight Technologies maintenance contract, it will be repaired under the terms of the warranty or contract (the warranty is at the front of this manual).
Page 37 They may also cause instrument damage by generating static electricity. 3 Pack the instrument in the original shipping containers. Original materials are available through any Keysight Technologies office. Or, use the following guidelines: • Wrap the instrument in antistatic plastic to reduce the possibility of damage caused by electrostatic discharge.
Page 38 Getting Started Returning the Instrument for Service ed cardboard carton of 159 kg (350 lb) test strength. • The carton must be large enough to allow approximately 7 cm (3 inches) on all sides of the instrument for packing material, and strong enough to accommodate the weight of the instrument.
Page 39 Displaying Wavelength and Power 39 Changing the Units and Measurement Rate 49 Defining Laser-Line Peaks 52 Measuring Laser Separation 56 Measuring Modulated Lasers 60 Measuring Total Power Greater than 10 dBm 62 Calibrating Measurements 63 Printing Measurement Results 65 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter...
Page 40: Using The Multi-Wavelength Meter
• +10 dBm maximum total displayed input power • Laser linewidths assumed to be less than 10 GHz • If you change the elevation where you will be using your Agilent 86120B, refer to “Calibrating Measurements” on page • Press the green Preset key to return the Agilent 86120B to its default state.
Page 41: Displaying Wavelength And Power
Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Displaying Wavelength and Power Displaying Wavelength and Power This section gives you step-by-step instructions for measuring peak wavelength, average wavelength, peak power, and total input power. There are three display modes: • Peak wavelength • List-by-wavelength or power •...
Page 42 You can scroll through the list according to the wavelengths or powers measured. The signals are displayed in order from shortest to longest wavelengths. The Agilent 86120B can measure up to 100 laser lines simultaneously.
Page 43 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Displaying Wavelength and Power 2 To display the peak wavelength and power, do one of the following: • Press the green Preset key. • Press Peak WL. 3 To move the cursor to view other signals, press: •...
Page 44 In the list-by-wavelength or list-by-power modes, the measurements of five laser lines can be displayed at any one time. In list by wavelength mode, the signals are displayed in order from shortest to longest wavelengths. The Agilent 86120B can measure up to 100 laser lines simultaneously. Use the...
Page 45 Displaying Wavelength and Power Total power and average wavelength In the third available display mode, the Agilent 86120B displays the average wave- length as shown in the following figure. The displayed power level is the total input power to the instrument. It is the sum of the powers of each laser line; it is not a measure of the average power level of the laser lines.
Page 46 Spurious signals below 1200 nm may be displayed whenever low-power laser lines (power levels near the Agilent 86120B’s specified sensitivity) are present at the input. For example, a low-power laser line at 1550 nm has a second harmonic line at 775 nm.
Page 47 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Displaying Wavelength and Power units are later changed, the start and stop wavelength units will change accordingly. Note that a start wavelength limit in nm will become a stop wavelength limit if THz or cm is chosen. See “To change the units of measure”...
Page 48 Displaying Wavelength and Power Measuring broadband devices and chirped lasers When first turned on (or the green Preset key is pressed), the Agilent 86120B is con- figured to measure narrowband devices such as DFB lasers and modes of FP lasers.
Page 49 Power Offset value. In most cases, the noise floor will be visible if the total input power is greater than about –5 dBm. The Agilent 86120B graphical display. The Peak Threshold value is displayed as a dotted line. All peaks above this dotted line are displayed in the List by Wavelength and List by Power modes.
Page 50 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Displaying Wavelength and Power Instrument states Four different instrument states can be saved and recalled at a later time. The actual instrument conditions that are saved are identical to those saved from the previous state after power is turned on. These conditions are shown in Table 8-23 on page 8-244.
Page 51: Changing The Units And Measurement Rate
Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Changing the Units and Measurement Rate Changing the Units and Measurement Rate This section includes step-by-step instructions for changing the units and measure- ment rate. This section includes: Displayed units 49 Measurement rate 50 Continuous or single measurements 51 Displayed units As described below, it’s easy to change the wavelength and amplitude units.
Page 52 Agilent 86120B can be set to update approximately three times per second. This reduces both wavelength resolution and accuracy but can be bene- ficial in some applications.
Page 53 Changing the Units and Measurement Rate Continuous or single measurements The Agilent 86120B continuously measures the input spectrum at the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. Whenever measurements are being acquired, an aster- isk (*) is displayed in the display’s upper right corner. When you switch between normal and fast update modes the rate that the asterisk blinks changes.
Page 54: Defining Laser-Line Peaks
Defining Laser-Line Peaks Defining Laser-Line Peaks The Agilent 86120B uses two rules to identify valid laser-line peaks. Understanding these rules is essential to getting the most from your measurements. For example, these rules allow you to “hide” AM modulation sidebands or locate laser lines with small amplitudes.
Page 55 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Defining Laser-Line Peaks Examples of valid In the following figure, three laser lines are identified: responses 1, 3, and 4. and invalid signals Response ¡ is not identified because it is below the peak threshold. The portion of each signal that is within the peak excursion limits is shown in bold lines.
Page 56 Distortion caused by low-power laser lines Low-power laser lines (power level near the Agilent 86120B’s specified sensi- tivity) may be accompanied by second harmonic (or other) distortion. For example, a low-power laser line at 1550 nm has a second harmonic line at 775 nm.
Page 57 Pressing the green PRESET key changes the peak excursion and peak threshold val- ues to their default settings. It also turns wavelength range limiting on. Turning the Agilent 86120B’s power off and then on does not change these settings. If too many lines are identified...
Page 58: Measuring Laser Separation
It is often important to measure the wavelength and power separation between mul- tiple laser lines. This is especially true in wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) systems where channel spacing must be adhered to. The Agilent 86120B can display the wavelength and amplitude of any laser line relative to another. In fact, the fol- lowing types of relative measurements can be made compared to the reference: •...
Page 59 Suppose that you want to measure separation on a system having the spectrum shown in the following figure. The Agilent 86120B displays separation on this spectrum as shown in the following figure. Notice that the 1541.747 nm laser line is selected as the reference. It is shown in absolute units.
Page 60 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Measuring Laser Separation 2 Press List by WL. 3 Press the Delta On key. Use the Off key to turn off the measurement. 4 Select the type of separation to observe: • Δ WL displays channel separation. •...
Page 61 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Measuring Laser Separation To measure flatness 1 Press the front-panel Preset key. 2 Press List by Power. This lists the input signals by power with the largest response listed first. 3 Press the Delta On key. 4 Select Δ...
Page 62: Measuring Modulated Lasers
Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Measuring Modulated Lasers Measuring Modulated Lasers Lasers modulated at A laser that is amplitude modulated at low frequencies (for example, modulated in low frequencies the audio frequency range) can cause spurious wavelengths to be displayed below and above the correct wavelength.
Page 63 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter Measuring Modulated Lasers The graphical display is useful for locating these spurious wavelengths. Their ampli- tude will be below that of the correct wavelength and they will be broad, rounded peaks compared to the sharp peak of the correct wavelength. Use the Peak Thresh- old function to place the dotted line above the spurious peaks so they will not be dis- played in the List by WL or List by Power table.
Page 64: Measuring Total Power Greater Than 10 Dbm
1 Connect an optical attenuator between the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector and the fiber-optic cable. The attenuator must reduce the total input power to the Agilent 86120B so that it is below +10 dBm. 2 Press Setup, MORE, CAL, and then PWR OFS.
Page 65: Calibrating Measurements
Because all measurements made inside the Agilent 86120B are performed in air, the density of air, due to elevation, affects the wavelength results. You must calibrate the Agilent 86120B by entering the elevation. Elevations from 0 to 5000 meters can be entered. The elevation correction is immediately applied to the current measure- ment even if the instrument is in the single measurement acquisition mode.
Page 66 Entries jump in 500 meter steps from 0 m to 5000 m. In order for the Agilent 86120B to meet its published specifications, the elevation value selected with the softkeys must be within 250 meters of the actual elevation.
Page 67: Printing Measurement Results
1283.651 -13.34 1284.752 -11.69 1285.840 -8.11 1286.944 -10.38 1288.034 -14.65 To create a hardcopy 1 Connect the printer to the Agilent 86120B’s rear-panel PARALLEL PRINTER PORT connector. 2 Press Print. 1. Hewlett-Packard and LaserJet are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Page 68 You can use the ABORT and CONT softkey to stop and restart a print job that is in progress.
Page 69 Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios 69 Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios with Averaging 73 Measuring Laser Drift 75 Measuring Coherence Length 78 Measurements Applications...
Page 70 Measurements Applications Measurements Applications Measurements Applications In this chapter, you’ll learn how to make a variety of fast, accurate measurements using the measurement tools accessed by pressing the Appl’s key.
Page 71: Measurements Applications Measuring Signal-To-Noise Ratios
Signal-to-noise measurements are especially important in WDM systems because there is a direct relation between signal-to-noise and bit error rate. The Keysight 86120B displays signal-to-noise measurements in the third column. For example, the selected signal in the following figure has a signal-to-noise ratio of 30.0 dB.
Page 72 Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios Location of noise measurements Automatic When the signal-to-noise “auto” function is selected, the Keysight 86120B first determines the proximity of any adjacent signal. If the next closest signal is ≤200 interpolation GHz (approximately 1.6 nm at 1550 nm) away from the signal of interest, then the noise power is measured half way between the two channels and an equal distance to the other side of the signal of interest.
Page 73 Measurements Applications Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios User-entered When the signal-to-noise “user” function is selected, the Keysight 86120B uses only wavelength one wavelength to measure the noise power for all signals. This wavelength is set by the user and all signals are compared to the noise level at this wavelength to deter- mine their corresponding signal-to-noise ratios.
Page 74 Measurements Applications Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios 4 To select the wavelength reference for measuring the noise, do the following steps: a Press WL REF, and • press AUTO to let the instrument interpolate the wavelength, • press USER to select the last wavelength manually entered. b If you chose USER, you can specify the wavelength by pressing USER WL.
Page 75: Measuring Signal-To-Noise Ratios With Averaging
Measurements Applications Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios with Averaging Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios with Averaging When the lasers being measured are modulated, especially with repetitive data for- mats such as SONET or PRBS, the noise floor is raised. Averaging reduces the noise floor and allows an improvement of greater than 10 dB in a signal-to-noise measure- ment.
Page 76 Then, pressing the Cont key will start a completely new measurement. Noise bandwidth When measuring noise power, the Keysight 86120B must account for the noise affects measurement bandwidth used during the measurement. Because noise bandwidth varies with mea- surement bandwidth (a wide bandwidth allows more noise to the Keysight 86120B’s...
Page 77: Measuring Laser Drift
Measuring Laser Drift Measuring Laser Drift In this section, you’ll learn how the Keysight 86120B can be used to monitor drift (changes to a laser’s wavelength and amplitude over time). Drift is measured simul- taneously for every laser line that is identified at the input. The Keysight 86120B keeps track of each laser line’s initial, current, minimum, and maximum values and...
Page 78 Measurements Applications Measuring Laser Drift If measurement updating stops or the values become blanked If, in the middle of a measurement, the number of laser lines present changes, the measurement stops until the original number of lines returns. You’ll notice that a CLEAR softkey appears and one of the following message is displayed: E46 NUM LINES <...
Page 79 Measurements Applications Measuring Laser Drift wavelength and smallest power measured. The laser line of interest may have since drifted to a greater value. Note that the minimum wavelength and minimum power may not have occurred simultaneously. Display shows the total drift from the reference since the drift measurement was started.
Page 80: Measuring Coherence Length
Fabry-Perot semiconductor diode lasers. The Keysight 86120B cannot measure coherence length of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. When you select coherence length measurements, the Keysight 86120B displays the following four values: • Coherence length (Lc) •...
Page 81 Measurements Applications Measuring Coherence Length Coherence length The interferogram of the laser being tested is sampled and the envelope of the inter- ferogram is found. This envelope has peaks (regions of high fringe visibility) at zero optical path delay and at delays equal to multiples of the laser cavity round-trip opti- cal length.
Page 82 Measurements Applications Measuring Coherence Length The smaller the alpha factor, the shorter the coherence length. ------ Alpha factor Beta factor The beta factor is defined as the height of the fringe visibility envelope midway between the zero optical path delay peak and the next peak relative to the height of the envelope peak at zero path delay.
Page 83: Programming
Addressing and Initializing the Instrument 83 To change the GPIB address 83 Making Measurements 85 Commands are grouped in subsystems 87 Measurement instructions give quick results 89 The format of returned data 95 Monitoring the Instrument 96 Status registers 96 Queues 101 Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules 103 Example Programs 108...
Page 84 Programming Programming Programming This chapter explains how to program the Keysight 86120B. The programming syn- tax conforms to the IEEE 488.2 Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instru- mentation and to the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Where to begin…...
Page 85: Addressing And Initializing The Instrument
Addressing and Initializing the Instrument Addressing and Initializing the Instrument The Keysight 86120B’s GPIB address is configured at the factory to a value of 20. You must set the output and input functions of your programming language to send the commands to this address.
Page 86 Preset key does not change the GPIB address. Set single acquisition mode An advantage of using the *RST command is that it sets the Keysight 86120B into the single measurement acquisition mode. Because the READ and MEASure data queries expect this mode, their proper operation is ensured.
Page 87: Making Measurements
Making measurements remotely involves changing the Keysight 86120B’s settings, performing a measurement, and then returning the data to the computer. The simpli- fied block diagram of the Keysight 86120B shown here lists some of the available programming commands. Each command is placed next to the instrument section it configures or queries data from.
Page 88 Programming Making Measurements WLIMit:STOP). These peak values are then placed into the corrected data buffer. Each peak value consists of an amplitude and wavelength measurement. Amplitude and wavelength correction factors are applied to this data. For a listing of the programming commands (including a cross reference to front- panel keys), refer to the following tables: Table 4-11, “Programming Commands,”...
Page 89 Programming Making Measurements Commands are grouped in subsystems The Keysight 86120B commands are grouped in the following subsystems. You’ll find a description of each command in Chapter 5, “Programming Commands”. Subsystem Purpose of Commands Measurement Instructions Perform frequency, wavelength, wavenumber, and coherence length measurements.
Page 90 Programming Making Measurements Table 2-5. Commands for Capturing Data Desired Command to Configure Measurement Command to Query Data Measurement (partial listing) Wavelength (nm) CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:WAVelen MEASure gth? Frequency (THz) CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:FREQuen MEASure CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:WNUMb Wavenumber (m –1...
Page 91 This is equivalent to using the NORMAL and FAST softkeys. :MEASure command MEASure configures the Keysight 86120B, captures new data, and queries the data all in one step. For example, to measure the longest wavelength, send the following...
Page 92 Programming Making Measurements A common programming error is to send the :MEASure command when the instru- ment is in the continuous measurement acquisition mode. Because :MEASure con- tains an :INIT:IMM command, which expects the single measurement acquisition mode, an error is generated, and the INIT command is ignored. :READ command The READ command works like the MEASure command except that it does not configure the instrument’s settings.
Page 93 Programming Making Measurements FETCh does not reconfigure the display. For example, if the display is in the Peak WL mode, sending :FETCh:ARRay does not configure the display to the List by WL even though an array of data is returned to the computer. A common programming error occurs when the :FETCh command is used after an *RST command.
Page 94 However, there are a few non-sequential commands where this is not true. Non- sequential commands do not finish executing before the next command is inter- preted. The following is a list of the Keysight 86120B’s non-sequential commands: :CALCulate1:TRANsform:FREQuency:POINTs :CALCulate2:PEXCursion :CALCulate2:PTHReshold...
Page 95 Programming Making Measurements time. However, non-sequential commands can also be a source of annoying errors. Always use the *OPC query or *WAI command with the non-sequential commands to ensure that your programs execute properly. For example, suppose that you wanted to set the elevation correction value and then send an :INIT:IMM command.
Page 96 Programming Making Measurements Measure delta, drift and signal-to-noise To select a measurement, use one of the following STATe commands: CALC3:DELT:POW:STAT (delta power) CALC3:DELT:WAV:STAT (delta wavelength) CALC3:DELT:WPOW:STAT (delta power and wavelength) CALC3:DRIF:STAT (drift) CALC3:SNR:STAT (signal-to-noise ratios) CALC3:ASNR:STAT (signal-to-noise ratio averaging) If you select a drift measurement, you can additionally select one of the following additional states: CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT (difference)
Page 97 Making Measurements The format of returned data Measurements are returned as strings All measurement values are returned from the Keysight 86120B as ASCII strings. When an array is returned, the individual values are separated by the comma charac- ter. Determine the number of data points...
Page 98: Monitoring The Instrument
Monitoring the Instrument Monitoring the Instrument Almost every program that you write will need to monitor the Keysight 86120B for its operating status. This includes querying execution or command errors and deter- mining whether or not measurements have been completed. Several status registers and queues are provided to accomplish these tasks.
Page 99 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Status Byte register The Status Byte Register contains summary bits that monitor activity in the other status registers and queues. The Status Byte Register’s bits are set and cleared by the presence and absence of a summary bit from other registers or queues. Notice in the following figure that the bits in the Standard Event Status, OPERation status, and QUEStionable status registers are “or’d”...
Page 100 Programming Monitoring the Instrument...
Page 101 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Table 4-7. Bits in Operation Status Register Definition not used SETTling - indicating that the instrument is waiting for the motor to reach the proper position before beginning data acquisition. RANGing - indicating the instrument is currently gain ranging. not used MEASuring - indicating that the instrument is making a measurement.
Page 102 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Table 4-8. Bits in Questionable Status Register Definition 0, 1, and 2 not used POWer - indicating that the instrument is measuring too high of a power. 4 through 8 not used Maximum signals - indicating that the instrument has found the maximum number of signals.
Page 103 Programming Monitoring the Instrument The *CLS common command clears all event registers and all queues except the output queue. If *CLS is sent immediately following a program message terminator, the output queue is also cleared. In addition, the request for the *OPC bit is also cleared.
Page 104 Programming Monitoring the Instrument The error queue is first in, first out. If the error queue overflows, the last error in the queue is replaced with error -350, “Queue overflow”. Any time the queue over- flows, the least recent errors remain in the queue, and the most recent error is dis- carded.
Page 105: Reviewing Scpi Syntax Rules
Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules SCPI command are grouped in subsystems In accordance with IEEE 488.2, the instrument’s commands are grouped into “sub- systems.” Commands in each subsystem perform similar tasks. The following sub- systems are provided: Measurement Instructions Calculate1 Subsystem Calculate2 Subsystem...
Page 106 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Programs written in long form are easily read and are almost self-documenting. Using short form commands conserves the amount of controller memory needed for program storage and reduces the amount of I/O activity. The rules for creating short forms from the long form is as follows: The mnemonic is the first four characters of the keyword unless the fourth character is a vowel, in which case the mnemonic is the first three characters of the keyword.
Page 107 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules OUTPUT 720;”:CALC2:PEXC 12;:DISP:WIND:GRAP:STAT OFF” Sending common commands If a subsystem has been selected and a common command is received by the instru- ment, the instrument remains in the selected subsystem. For example, if the program message ”DISPLAY:MARK:MAX:LEFT;*CLS;DISP:MARK:MAX:RIGH”...
Page 108 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules If a measurement cannot be made, no response is given and an error is placed into the error queue. For example, *RST FETCh:POW? will timeout the controller and place a Data stale or corrupt error in the error queue. Table 4-10.
Page 109 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Querying data Data is requested from the instrument using a query. Queries can be used to find out how the instrument is currently configured. They are also used to get results of mea- surements made by the instrument, with the query actually activating the measure- ment.
Page 110: Example Programs
Example 5. Measure SN ratio of WDM channels 119 Example 6. Increase a source’s wavelength accuracy 121 These programs are provided to give you examples of using Keysight 86120B remote programming commands in typical applications. They are not meant to teach general programming techniques or provide ready-to-use solutions.
Page 111 Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential commands” on page Tempo subroutine This subroutine, which is only found in example 3, pauses the program for a few seconds while the Keysight 86120B measures the drift on a laser. The argument in the example sets the pause for 10 seconds.
Page 112 This program measures the power and wavelength of a DFB laser. It first sets the Keysight 86120B in the single-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it triggers the Keysight 86120B with the MEASure command to capture measurement data of the input spectrum. Because the data is stored in the instrument’s memory, it can be que- ried as needed.
Page 113 Programming Example Programs Identity:DEF FNIdentity$; COM /Instrument/ @MwmV DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*OPC?" ENTER @Mwm;Opc_done OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ RETURN Identity$ FNEND...
Page 114 First, the program sets the Keysight 86120B in the single-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it triggers the Keysight 86120B with the MEASure command to capture measurement data of the input spectrum. Because the data is stored in the instrument’s memory, it can be que- ried as needed.
Page 115 Programming Example Programs Err_mngmt:SUB Err_mngmt COM /Instrument/ @Mwm DIM Err_msg$[255] INTEGER Cme CLEAR 7 REPEAT OUTPUT @Mwm; "*ESR?" ENTER @Mwm;Cme OUTPUT @Mwm; ":SYST:ERR?" ENTER @Mwm;Err_msg$ PRINT Err_msg$ UNTIL NOT BIT(Cme,2) AND NOT BIT(Cme,4) AND NOT BIT(Cme,5) AND Err$,"+0") Subend:SUBEND Set_ese:SUB Set_ese COM /Instrument/ @Mwm OUTPUT @Mwm;...
Page 116 This program measures the drift of channels in a WDM system. It measures drift in both power and wavelength of each line. First, the program sets the Keysight 86120B in the continuous-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it mea- sures drift using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem.
Page 117 Programming Example Programs ! Query reference wavelengths and powers OUTPUT @Mwm;":CALC3:DATA? WAV" ENTER @Mwm USING "#,K";Current_ref_wl(*) OUTPUT @Mwm;":CALC3:DATA? POW" ENTER @Mwm USING "#,K";Current_ref_pwr(*) ! Turn off drift reference state Cmd_opc(":CALC3:DRIF:REF:STAT OFF") Err_mngmt(":CALC3:DRIF:REF:STAT OFF") ! Turn on drift max min calculation Cmd_opc(":CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT ON") Err_mngmt(":CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT ON") Tempo(10)
Page 118 Programming Example Programs Err_mngmt:SUB Err_mngmt(OPTIONAL Cmd_msg$) COM /Instrument/ @Mwmt DIM Err_msg$[255] INTEGER Cme CLEAR @Mwm REPEAT OUTPUT @Mwm;"*ESR?" ENTER @Mwm;Cme OUTPUT @Mwm;":SYST:ERR?" ENTER @Mwm;Err_msg$ IF NPAR>0 AND NOT POS(Err_msg$,"+0") THEN PRINT "This command ";Cmd_msg$;" makes the following error :" IF NOT POS(Err_msg$,"+0") THEN PRINT Err_msg$ UNTIL NOT BIT(Cme,2) AND NOT BIT(Cme,4) AND NOT BIT(Cme,5) AND POS(Err_msg$,"+0") Subend:SUBEND...
Page 119 Programming Example Programs Example 4. Measure WDM channel separation This program measures the line separations on a WDM system. It measures separa- tion (delta) between power and wavelength of each line using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem. Refer to the introduction to this section for a description of each subroutine that is contained in this program.
Page 120 Programming Example Programs ";(Delta_wl(I)+((NOT I=1)*Delta_wl(1)))/1.0E-9;" nm. Absolute line level is : ";Delta_pwr(I)+(NOT I=1)*Delta_pwr(1);" dBm" PRINT USING "17A,2D,6A,M4D.3D,23A,2D,6A,S2D.2D,3A";"Delta Wl to line ",I+1," is : ";(Delta_wl(I+1)-(NOT I=1)*Delta_wl(I))/1.E-9;" nm, Delta Pwr to line ",I+1," is : ";(I=1)*(Delta_pwr(I+1))+(NOT I=1)*(Delta_pwr(I+1)-Delta_pwr(I));" dB" NEXT I PRINT USING "6A,2D,17A,M4D.3D,31A,S2D.2D,4A";"Line : ";I;" wavelength is : ";(Delta_wl(1)+Delta_wl(Nb_pt))/1.0E-9;"...
Page 121 Programming Example Programs Example 5. Measure SN ratio of WDM channels This program measures signal-to-noise ratios on a WDM system. It measures the ratio for each line using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem. Refer to the introduction to this section for a description of each subroutine that is contained in this program.
Page 122 Programming Example Programs FOR I=1 TO Nb_pt PRINT USING "7A,2D,17A,M4D.3D,25A,S2D.2D,22A,2D.2D,3A";"Line : ";I;" wavelength is : ";Current_wl(I)/1.0E-9;" nm, absolute level is : ";Current_pwr(I);" dBm, with a SNR of : ";Snr_pwr(I);" dB" NEXT I STOP Error_msg: ! PRINT "The program is aborted due to : ";ERRM$ Err_mngmt:SUB Err_mngmt(OPTIONAL Cmd_msg$) COM /Instrument/ @Mwmt DIM Err_msg$[255]...
Page 123 The absolute accuracy of the tunable laser source is increased from <±0.1 nm to <±0.005 nm which is the Keysight 86120B’s absolute accuracy (at 1550 nm). In order to run this program, the tunable laser source’s firmware must support the automatic alignment command, WAVEACT.
Page 124 Programming Example Programs COM Current_wl,Diff_wl.Target_wl,Previous_diff,Diff_diff Current_wl=0 Diff_wl=0 Target_wl=0 Previous_diff=O Diff_diff=0 ASSIGN @Tls TO 724 ASSIGN @Mwm TO 720 ! Initialize instrument DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Tls;"*CLS" OUTPUT @Tls;"*IDN?" ENTER @TLS;identity$ PRINT "TLS IS A ";identity$ OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*CLS" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ PRINT "MWM IS A ";identity$ ! Ask user for desired wavelength...
Page 125: Lists Of Commands
Programming Lists of Commands Lists of Commands Table 4-11. Programming Commands (1 of 5) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. Common Commands *CLS Clears all event registers and the error queue. *ESE Sets the bits in the standard-event status enable register *ESR?
Page 126 Places the instrument in the average-wavelength mode. Data queries return the power-weighted average frequency, wavelength, or wavenumber or total power. :CALCulate2:WLIMit[:STATe] Limits input wavelength range of the Keysight 86120B. :CALCulate2:WLIMit:STARt:FREQuency Sets the starting frequency for the wavelength limit range. CALCulate2:WLIMit:STARt[:WAVelength] Sets the starting wavelength for the wavelength limit range.
Page 127 Programming Lists of Commands Table 4-11. Programming Commands (3 of 5) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:POWer? Queries the power level of the reference signal. :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence[:WAVelen Selects the signal to be used as the reference for the gth] DELTa calculations.
Page 128 Programming Lists of Commands Table 4-11. Programming Commands (4 of 5) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:NEXT Moves the marker to the signal with the closest power level just below the power level of the signal at the current marker position.
Page 129 Table 4-11. Programming Commands (5 of 5) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :SYSTem:HELP:HEADers? Queries an ASCII listing of all Keysight 86120B remote commands. :SYSTem:PRESet Performs the equivalent of a front-panel PRESET key press. :SYSTem:VERSion Queries the version of SCPI with which this instrument is compliant.
Page 130 Programming Lists of Commands Table 4-12. Keys Versus Commands (1 of 3) Equivalent Command Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe] Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe] Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe] WL/PWR Appl's See COH LEN, DRIFT, and S/N AUTO :CALCulate3:SNR:AUTO ON Avg WL :CALCulate2:PWAVerage[:STATe] BAR OFF :DISPlay[:WINDow]:GRAPhics:STATe BAR ON :DISPlay[:WINDow]:GRAPhics:STATe BROAD :SENSe:CORRection:DEVice BROad See ELEV, PWR OFS, STD AIR, and VACUUM...
Page 131 Programming Lists of Commands Table 4-12. Keys Versus Commands (2 of 3) Equivalent Command MAX-MIN :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MINimum[:STATe] and :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MAXimum[:STATe] UNIT:POWer NARROW :SENSe:CORRection:DEVice NARRow NEXT PK :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:NEXT NEXT WL :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:RIGHt :MEASure:ARRay:POWer:WAVelength NORMAL See UPDATE :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe] :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe] PEAK :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum Peak WL See NEXT PK, NEXT WL, PEAK, PREV PK, and PREV WL PK EXC :CALCulate2:PEXCursion PK THLD...
Page 132 Table 4-12. Keys Versus Commands (3 of 3) Equivalent Command Setup See CAL, UNITS, and UPDATE Single :INITiate:CONTinuous OFF START WL :CALCulate2:WLIMit:STARt STOP WL :CALCulate2:WLIMit:STOP STD AIR :SENSe:CORRection:MEDium AIR THRSHLD See PK EXC and PK THLD :MEASure:ARRay:POWer:FREQuency UNITS :UNIT:POWer UPDATE Measurement Instructions and :CALCulate1:TRANsform:FREQuency:POINts USER...
Page 133: Programming Commands
Common Commands 133 Measurement Instructions 146 CALCulate1 Subsystem 157 CALCulate2 Subsystem 162 CALCulate3 Subsystem 174 CONFigure Measurement Instruction 196 DISPlay Subsystem 196 FETCh Measurement Instruction 199 HCOPy Subsystem 200 MEASure Measurement Instruction 200 READ Measurement Instruction 201 SENSe Subsystem 201 STATus Subsystem 206 SYSTem Subsystem 211 TRIGger Subsystem 216...
Page 134 Programming Commands Programming Commands Programming Commands This chapter is the reference for all Keysight 86120B programming commands. Commands are organized by subsystem. Table 5-13. Notation Conventions and Definitions Convention Description < > Angle brackets indicate values entered by the programmer.
Page 135: Common Commands
Programming Commands Common Commands Common Commands Common commands are defined by the IEEE 488.2 standard. They control generic device functions which could be common among many different types of instru- ments. Common commands can be received and processed by the instrument whether they are sent over the GPIB as separate program messages or within other program messages.
Page 136 Programming Commands Common Commands Description The event status enable register contains a mask value for the bits to be enabled in the event status register. A bit set to one (1) in the event status enable register enables the corresponding bit in the event status register to set the event summary bit in the status byte register.
Page 137 Programming Commands Common Commands Syntax *ESR? Description When you read the standard event status register, the value returned is the total of the bit weights of all of the bits that are set to one at the time you read the byte. The following table shows each bit in the event status register and its bit weight.
Page 138 This command is useful when the computer is sending commands to other instru- ments. The computer can poll the event status register to check when the Keysight 86120B has completed the operation. Use the *OPC? query to ensure all...
Page 139 *OPC? query and an ENTER statement, the program will pause until the response (ASCII “1”) is returned by the instrument. Be sure the computer’s timeout limit is at least two seconds, since some of the Keysight 86120B commands take approximately one second to complete. Query Response Example OUTPUT 720;”*OPC?”...
Page 140 Programming Commands Common Commands *RST The *RST (reset) command returns the Keysight 86120B to a known condition. Syntax *RST Description For a listing of reset conditions, refer to the following table. This command cannot be issued as a query. Since this command places the instrument in single measure- ment acquisition mode, any current data is marked as invalid and a measurement query such as :FETCh? results in error number –230, “Data corrupt or stale”.
Page 141 Programming Commands Common Commands excursion, peak threshold, power offset, signal-to-noise auto mode on/off, wave- length limit on/off, wavelength limit start, wavelength limit stop, and signal-to-noise...
Page 142 Programming Commands Common Commands Table 5-16. Conditions Set by *RST Reset Item Setting Display mode single wavelength Wavelength range limiting Start wavelength 1200 nm Stop wavelength 1650 nm Graphical display Measurement acquisition single Wavelength calibration vacuum Elevation correction value 0 meters Wavelength units Amplitude units Power offset...
Page 143 Programming Commands Common Commands Table 5-16. Conditions Set by *RST Reset (Continued) Item Setting Signal-to-Noise Measurements: measurement wavelength reference auto reference (user) wavelength 1550 nm in vacuum number of averages (count) GPIB address not affected Power-bar display average count. *SRE The *SRE (service request enable) command sets the bits in the service request enable register.
Page 144 Programming Commands Common Commands The service request enable register is cleared when the instrument is turned on. The *RST and *CLS commands do not change the register. The *SRE? query returns the value of the service request enable register. Table 5-17. Service Request Enable Register Bit Weight Enables Not Used...
Page 145 Programming Commands Common Commands *STB? The *STB (status byte) query returns the current value of the instrument’s status byte. Syntax *STB? Description The master summary status (MSS) bit 6 indicates whether or not the device has at least one reason for requesting service. When you read the status byte register, the value returned is the total of the bit weights of all of the bits set to one at the time you read the byte.
Page 146 Programming Commands Common Commands *TRG The *TRG (trigger) command is identical to the group execute trigger (GET) mes- sage or RUN command. Syntax *TRG Description This command acquires data according to the current settings. This command can- not be issued as a query. If a measurement is already in progress, a trigger is ignored, and an error is generated.
Page 147 Programming Commands Common Commands *WAI The *WAI command prevents the instrument from executing any further commands until the current command has finished executing. Syntax *WAI Description All pending operations are completed during the wait period. This command cannot be issued as a query.
Page 148: Measurement Instructions
Programming Commands Measurement Instructions Measurement Instructions Use the measurement instructions documented in this section to perform measure- ments and return the desired results to the computer. Four basic measurement instructions are used: CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure. Because the command trees for each of these four basic measurement instructions are identical, only the MEASure tree is documented.
Page 149 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: {:MEASure | :READ[?] | :FETCh[?] | :CONFigure[?]} {:ARRay | [:SCALar] } :POWer[?] :FREQuency[?] :WAVelength[?] :WNUMber[?] [SCALar]:LENGth :COHerence :ALPHa? :BETA? [:CLENgth]? :DELay?
Page 150 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer? Returns amplitude values. Syntax :POWer? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional ignored ARRay ignored ignored Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a power level that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 151 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions Examples :CONF:ARR:POW :FETC:ARR:POW? :READ:ARR:POW? :MEAS:ARR:POW? :CONF:SCAL:POW -10 dBm :FETC:SCAL:POW? MAX :READ:SCAL:POW? MIN :MEAS:SCAL:POW? DEF Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW? MAX is sent: -5.88346500E+000 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW? is sent, the following string could be returned.
Page 152 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:FREQuency? Returns frequency values. Syntax :POWer:FREQuency? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a frequency that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 153 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions <resolution> MAXimum 0.01 resolution (fast update) Constants MINimum 0.001 resolution (normal) DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:FREQ DEF MIN :FETC:ARR:POW:FREQ? DEF MAX :READ:ARR:POW:FREQ? :MEAS:ARR:POW:FREQ? :CONF:SCAL:POW:FREQ 230.8THZ, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ :MEAS:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW:FREQ? MAX is sent: +1.94055176E+014 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW:FREQ? is sent, the following...
Page 154 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:WAVelength? Returns wavelength values. Syntax :POWer:WAVelength? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a wavelength that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 155 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:WAV DEF MAX :FETC:ARR:POW:WAV? DEF MIN :READ:ARR:POW:WAV? :MEAS:ARR:POW:WAV? :CONF:SCAL:POW:WAV 1300NM, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WAV? MAX is sent: +1.5529258E-006 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW:WAV? is sent, the following string could be returned.
Page 156 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:WNUMber? Returns a wave number value. Syntax :POWer:WNUMber? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned.
Page 157 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MINimum 0.001 resolution (normal) DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:WNUM DEF MAX :FETC:ARR:POW:WNUM? DEF MIN :READ:ARR:POW:WNUM? :MEAS:ARR:POW:WNUM? :CONF:SCAL:POW:WNUM 6451, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 Query Response If the :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 command is sent, and a 1550 nm laser line is present, the following response would be returned to the computer: +6.45286262E+005 Notice that the returned units are m...
Page 158 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure[:SCALar]:LENGth:COHerence:BETA? Queries the beta constant. Syntax :LENGth:COHerence:BETA? Attribute Summary Query Only Description The beta constant is a unitless ratio. MEASure[:SCALar]:LENGth:COHerence[:CLENgth]? Queries the coherence length of the input signal in meters. Syntax :LENGth:COHerence:CLENgth? Attribute Summary Query Only MEASure[:SCALar]:LENGth:COHerence:DELay? Queries the round-trip path delay in the laser chip.
Page 159: Calculate1 Subsystem
Use the CALCulate1 commands to query uncorrected frequency-spectrum data. In NORMAL measurement update mode, 34,123 values are returned. If the Keysight 86120B is set for FAST measurement update mode (low resolution), 4,268 values are returned. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy:...
Page 160 Programming Commands CALCulate1 Subsystem DATA? Queries uncorrected frequency-spectrum data of the input laser line. Syntax :CALCulate1:DATA? Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description The returned values are in squared Watts (linear) units. No amplitude or frequency correction is applied to the values.
Page 161 If your program is aborted or interrupted after sending this query, the Keysight 86120B continues to process the data but does not place it in the output buffer. Because of the amount of data processed, the instrument will not respond to any new commands in its input buffer for up to 20 seconds.
Page 162 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 163 Programming Commands CALCulate1 Subsystem Query Response For normal update: +34123 For fast update: +4268...
Page 164: Calculate2 Subsystem
Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem CALCulate2 Subsystem Use the CALCulate2 commands to query corrected values frequency-spectrum data. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: :CALCulate2 :DATA? :PEXCursion :POINts? :PTHReshold :PWAVerage [:STATe] :WLIMit [:STATe] :STARt :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber :STOP :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber...
Page 165 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem DATA? Queries the corrected peak data of the input laser line. Syntax :CALCulate2:DATA? {FREQuency | POWer | WAVelength | WNUMber} Constant Description FREQuency Queries the array of laser-line frequencies after the peak search is completed. If :CALC2:PWAV:STAT is on, the power- weighted average frequency is returned.
Page 166 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem PEXCursion Sets the peak excursion limit used by the Keysight 86120B to determine valid laser line peaks. Syntax :CALCulate2:PEXCursion{?| {<integer> | MINimum | MAXimum | DEFault}} <integer> represents logarithmic units in dB. Valid range is 1 to 30 dB.
Page 167 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem POINts? Queries the number of points in the data set. Syntax :CALCulate2:POINts? Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected *RST State: unaffected SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description This is the number of points that will be returned by the CALC2:DATA? query. Query Response For example, if six laser lines are located: PTHReshold...
Page 168 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92 for more information.
Page 169 SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this function is on, the Keysight 86120B has an input range from the WLIMit STARt to the WLIMit STOP. When this function is off, the instrument displays peaks over the full wavelength range. If you want to measure signals over a nar- rower wavelength range, set this function on to avoid identifying spurious second harmonic peaks.
Page 170 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 171 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 172 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 173 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 174 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 175 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92...
Page 176: Calculate3 Subsystem
Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem CALCulate3 Subsystem Use the CALCulate3 commands to perform delta, drift, and signal-to-noise mea- surements. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierar- chy: :CALCulate3 :ASNR :CLEar :COUNt [:STATe] :DATA? :DELTa :POWer [:STATe] :PRESet :REFerence :FREQuency :POWer? [:WAVelength]...
Page 177 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem :REFerence :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber [:STATe] ASNR:CLEar Clears the number of measurements used in the average signal-to-noise calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:ASNR:CLEar Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected *RST State: not affected SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description This command clears the number of measurements used in the average signal-to- noise calculation.
Page 178 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem Description This command sets the number of measurements to be used for the average signal- to-noise calculation. If this count is changed while the average signal calculation is on, and the new count is less than the number of measurements already taken, the instrument will go into single measurement mode.
Page 179 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem ASNR[:STATe] Turns the average signal-to-noise ratio on or off. Syntax :CALCulate3:ASNR[:STATe] {?|{ ON | OFF | 1 | 0 }} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description This command turns the average signal-to-noise calculation on or off. Only one of the CALCulate3 calculations (ASNR, DELTa, DRIFt, or SNR) can be turned on at a time.
Page 180 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DATA? Queries the data resulting from delta, drift, and signal-to-noise measurements. Syntax :CALCulate3:DATA? {POWer | FREQuency | WAVelength | WNUMber} Argument Description POWer Queries the array of laser-line powers after the calculation is completed. FREQuency Queries the array of laser-line frequencies after the calculation is completed.
Page 181 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:POWer[:STATe] Turns the delta-power measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this state is on, the power of the reference laser line is subtracted from the power values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 182 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence:FREQuency Selects the reference laser line for DELTa calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:FREQuency{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a frequency value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 181.6924 THz MAXimum 428.6 THz Attribute Summary Preset State: 428.6 THz (700 nm) *RST State:428.6 THz (700 nm) SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 183 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence[:WAVelength] Selects the reference laser line for DELTa calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence[:WAVelength]{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wavelength value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 700.0 nm MAXimum 1650.0 nm Attribute Summary Preset State: 700 nm (428.6 THz) *RST State: 700 nm (428.6 THz) laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 184 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence:WNUMber Selects the reference laser line for delta calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:WNUMber{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wave number value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 6,061 cm MAXimum 14,286 cm Attribute Summary Preset State: 14,286 cm 1 (700 nm)
Page 185 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe] Turns the delta wavelength measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When on, the wavelength of the reference laser line is subtracted from the wave- length values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 186 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe] Turns the delta wavelength and power measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When on, the wavelength of the reference laser line is subtracted from the wave- length values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 187 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:DIFFerence[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to subtract the minimum values measured from the maxi- mum values measured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:DIFFerence[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 188 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:MAXimum[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to return the maximum power and frequency values mea- sured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MAXimum[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 189 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:MINimum[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to return the minimum power and frequency values mea- sured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MINimum[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 190 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:PRESet Turns off all the drift states for DIFFerence, MAXimum, MINimum, and REFer- ence. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected by *RST State: unaffected by SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only Description This command allows the CALC3:DATA? query to return the difference between the current measurement and the reference.
Page 191 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:REFerence[:STATe] Turns on and off the drift reference state. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:REFerence[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this command is set to on, the CALC3:DATA? command returns the refer- ence laser lines.
Page 192 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt[:STATe] Turns on and off the drift measurement calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When the drift mode is first turned on, the current list of laser lines is placed into the reference.
Page 193 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem POINts? Queries the number of points in the data set. Syntax :CALCulate3:POINts? Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected by RST State: unaffected by SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description The value returned is the number of points returned by the CALC3:DATA? query. PRESet Turns off any CALCulate3 calculation that is on.
Page 194 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:AUTO Selects the reference frequency value for measuring noise in the signal-to-noise cal- culation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:AUTO{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Constant Description Selects internally generated reference frequency. Selects user-entered reference frequency. Attribute Summary Preset State: on *RST State: on SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 195 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence:FREQuency Enters a frequency that can be used for the noise measurement reference in signal- to-noise calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence:FREQuency{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a frequency value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 181.6924 THz...
Page 196 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence[:WAVelength] Sets the wavelength used for the noise measurement reference in the signal-to-noise calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence[:WAVelength]{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wavelength value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 700.0 nm MAXimum 1650.0 nm Attribute Summary...
Page 197 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence:WNUMber Sets the wave number used for the noise measurement reference in the signal-to- noise calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence:WNUMber{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wave number value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 6060 cm...
Page 198: Configure Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands CONFigure Measurement Instruction Note Only one STATe command can be turned on at any one time. Attempting to turn more than one state on at a time results in a “–221 Settings Conflict” error. Refer to “Measure delta, drift and signal-to-noise” on page 94 for additional information on selecting measurements.
Page 199 Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem MARKer:MAXimum Sets the marker to the laser line that has the maximum power. Syntax :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum Attribute Summary Preset State: marker set to maximum-power laser line *RST State: marker set to maximum-power laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only MARKer:MAXimum:LEFT Moves the marker left to the next laser line.
Page 200 Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem Syntax :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:NEXT Attribute Summary Preset State: marker set to maximum-power laser line *RST State: marker set to maximum-power laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only Description If the display is in the List by WL mode, it will be changed to List by Ampl before the marker is moved.
Page 201: Fetch Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands FETCh Measurement Instruction Description Moves the marker from the current marker position to the next laser line having the following characteristic: • longer wavelength • higher frequency • higher wave number If the display is in the List by Ampl mode, it will be changed to List by WL before the marker is moved.
Page 202: Hcopy Subsystem
*RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description Connect the printer to the Keysight 86120B’s rear-panel PARALLEL PRINTER PORT connector. The output to the printer is ASCII text. MEASure Measurement Instruction For information on the MEASure measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions”...
Page 203: Read Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands READ Measurement Instruction READ Measurement Instruction For information on the READ measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions” on page 146. SENSe Subsystem Use the SENSe commands to correct measurement results for elevation above sea level and to select between measurements in air or vacuum. You can also enter an amplitude offset.
Page 204 CORRection:DEVice Selects the wavelength measurement algorithm. This command applies to Keysight 86120B instruments with firmware version number 2.0. When first turned on, the instrument briefly displays the firmware version. Instruments with a firm- ware version number less than 2.0 do not have this feature.
Page 205 Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92 for more information. CORRection:MEDium Sets the Keysight 86120B to return wavelength readings in a vacuum or standard air. Syntax :SENSe:CORRection:MEDium{?| {AIR | VACuum}}...
Page 206 Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem Argument Description Selects wavelength values in standard air. VACuum Selects wavelength values in a vacuum. Attribute Summary Preset State: VAC *RST State: VAC SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Standard air is defined to have the following characteristics: Barometric pressure: 760 torr Temperature: 15°C Relative humidity: 0%...
Page 207 If your program is aborted or interrupted after sending this query, the Keysight 86120B continues to process the data but does not place it in the output buffer. Because of the amount of data processed, the instrument will not respond to...
Page 208: Status Subsystem
FETCh, READ, and MEASure commands. STATus Subsystem Use the commands in this subsystem to control the Keysight 86120B’s status-report- ing structures. These structures provide registers that you can use to determine if certain events have occurred.
Page 209 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}:CONDition? Queries the value of the questionable or operation condition register. Syntax :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:CONDition? 0 to 32767 Query Response Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description Use this command to read the value of the OPERation Status or QUEStionable Sta- tus registers.
Page 210 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem Query Response When queried, the largest value that can be returned is 65535. This is because the most-significant register bit cannot be set true. {OPERation | QUEStionable}[:EVENt] Queries the contents of the questionable or operation event registers. Syntax :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:EVENt? Query Response...
Page 211 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem Description Changes in the state of a condition register bit causes the associated OPERation Sta- tus or QUEStionable Status register bit to be set. This command allows you to select a negative bit transition to trigger an event to be recognized. A negative transition is defined to occur whenever the selected bit changes states from a 1 to a 0.
Page 212 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem PRESet Presets the enable registers and the PTRansition and NTRansition filters. Syntax :STATus:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description The PRESet command is defined by SCPI to affect the enable register. If you want to clear all event registers and queues, use the *CLS command.
Page 213: System Subsystem
Query Only Description The Keysight 86120B has a 30 entry error queue. The queue is a first-in, first-out buffer. Repeatedly sending the query :SYSTEM:ERROR? returns the error numbers and descriptions in the order in which they occur until the queue is empty. Any fur- ther queries returns +0, “No errors”...
Page 214 Example DIM Error$[250] OUTPUT 720;”:SYSTEM:ERROR?” ENTER 720;Error$ PRINT Error$ HELP:HEADers? Queries a listing of all the remote programming commands available for the Keysight 86120B. Syntax :SYSTem:HELP:HEADers? Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description The returned ASCII string of commands is in the IEEE 488.2 arbitrary-block data...
Page 215 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem *TRG/nquery/ *TST?/qonly/ *WAI/nquery/ PRESet Performs the equivalent of pressing the front-panel PRESET key. Syntax :SYSTem:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description The instrument state is set according to the settings shown in the following table. Table 5-20.
Page 216 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem Table 5-20. Instrument Conditions (2 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Peak excursion 15 dB last state Measurement speed normal last state Device bandwidth narrowband last state Drift measurements Coherence length measurements Delta Measurements: Δ...
Page 217 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem VERSion Queries the version of SCPI that the Keysight 86120B complies with. Syntax :SYSTem:VERSion Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description The SCPI version used in the Keysight 86120B is 1995.0.
Page 218: Trigger Subsystem
TRIGger Subsystem TRIGger Subsystem The SCPI definition defines the TRIGger subsystem to include ABORt, ARM, INI- Tiate, and TRIGger commands. The Keysight 86120B has no ARM or TRIGger commands. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: ABORt...
Page 219 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92 for more information.
Page 220: Unit Subsystem
Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120B to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 92 for more information.
Page 221: Performance Tests
Test 1. Absolute Wavelength Accuracy 221 Test 2. Sensitivity 222 Test 3. Polarization Dependence 223 Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss 224 Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity 226 Performance Tests...
Page 222 Test 3. Polarization Dependence Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity Allow the Keysight 86120B to warm up for 15 minutes before doing any of the per- formance tests. Calibration Cycle This instrument requires periodic verification of performance. The instrument...
Page 223 18 dBm. Procedure Use three or four light standards that cover the Keysight 86120B’s wavelength range. Connect the traceable sources to the Keysight 86120B and verify that the Keysight 86120B is reading the sources to within the absolute wavelength accuracy specification.
Page 224: Test 2. Sensitivity
Keysight 86120B being tested. 6 Reset the optical attenuator to the setting recorded in Step 7 Read the power and wavelength measured on the Keysight 86120B, and compared them to the specifications listed in Chapter 7, “Specifications and Regulatory Information”.
Page 225: Test 3. Polarization Dependence
6 Set the polarization controller to autoscan. 7 On the Keysight 86120B, press Peak WL, Appl’s, and then DRIFT. Press MAX-MIN so that both MAX and MIN in the softkey label are highlighted. The display shows the total drift since the drift measurement was started.
Page 226: Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss
6 times around a 5 mm diameter mandrel. 10 The return-loss module measures the termination parameter. 11 Connect the HMS-10/HRL to FC/PC patchcord to the Keysight 86120B’s front panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. 12 The lightwave multimeter measures the return loss. Compare this measurement with the specification listed in Chapter 7, “Specifications and Regulatory...
Page 227 6 times around a 5 mm diameter mandrel. 11 The return-loss module measures the termination parameter. 12 Connect the HMS-10/HRL to FC/APC patchcord to the Keysight 86120B’s front panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. 13 The lightwave multimeter measures the return loss. Compare this measurement with the specification listed in Chapter 7, “Specifications and Regulatory...
Page 228: Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy And Linearity
Performance Tests Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity Equipment Amplitude linearity is performed using the following devices: • 1550 nm DFB lasers • Optical attenuator • 11896A Polarization Controller • Optical power meter Procedure Polarization sensitivity To ensure measurement accuracy, minimize the movement of any fiber-optic cables during this procedure.
Page 229 6-22. For each setting, record the power measured on the Keysight 86120B. After completing this step, the table’s column titled “Keysight 86120B Power Read- ing” should be completely filled in. 20 Calculate the “Linearity” value for each row in the table using the following...
Page 230 Performance Tests Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity amplitude steps are within the linearity specification. Table 6-22. Linearity Data Values Desired Power Power Meter Keysight 86120B Attenuator Setting Linearity (dBm) Reading Power Reading –1 –2 –3 –4 –5 –6 –7 –8...
Page 231 Performance Tests Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity...
Page 233: Specifications And Regulatory Information
Definition of Terms 233 Specifications 235 General Safety Information 239 Specifications and Regulatory Information...
Page 234 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications and Regulatory Information This chapter lists specification and characteristics of the instrument. The distinction between these terms is described as follows: • Specifications describe warranted performance over the temperature range 0°C to +55°C and relative humidity <95% (unless otherwise noted).
Page 235: Definition Of Terms
Specifications and Regulatory Information Definition of Terms Definition of Terms Wavelength Range refers to the allowable wavelength range of the optical input signal. Absolute accuracy indicates the maximum wavelength error over the allowed envi- ronmental conditions. The wavelength accuracy is based on fundamental physical constants, which are absolute standards not requiring traceability to artifacts kept at national standards laboratories.
Page 236 Specifications and Regulatory Information Definition of Terms Flatness refers to the maximum amplitude error in a measurement between two lines that are separated in wavelength by no more than the specified amount. Linearity indicates the maximum power error in measuring the change in power of one laser line.
Page 237: Specifications
Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications Specifications Each laser line is assumed to have a linewidth (including modulation sidebands) of less than 10 GHz. All specifications apply when the instrument is in the following modes: • NORMAL update mode unless noted. Refer to “Measurement rate”...
Page 238 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications Amplitude ± Calibration accuracy at calibration wavelengths 30 nm ± 1310 and 1550 nm 0.5 dB ± 780 nm (characteristic) 0.5 dB ± Flatness, 30 nm from any wavelength ± 1200-1600 nm (characteristic) 0.2 dB ±...
Page 239 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications Selectivity ≥ 25 dB (characteristic) Two lines input separated by 100 GHz (characteristic) ≥ 10 dB (characteristic) Two lines input separated by 30 GHz (characteristic) Input Power +10 dBm Maximum displayed level (sum of all lines) +18 dBm Maximum safe input level (sum of all lines) Maximum Number of Laser Lines Input...
Page 240 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications Operating Specifications indoor Power: 70 W max Voltage 100 / 115 / 230 / 240 V~ Frequency 50 / 60 Hz Altitude Up to 2000 m (6600 ft) ° ° Operating temperature C to +55 ⋅...
Page 241: General Safety Information
Specifications and Regulatory Information General Safety Information General Safety Information • Refer servicing only to qualified and authorized personnel. Compliance with Canadian EMC Requirements This ISM device complies with Canadian ICES-001. Cet appareil ISM est conforme à la norme NMB-001 du Canada. Notice for Germany: Noise Declaration of Conformity Geräuschemission...
Page 242: Declaration Of Conformity
Specifications and Regulatory Information Declaration of Conformity Declaration of Conformity For latest DoC, please click on the following link: http://keysight.com/go/conformity...
Page 243: Product Overview
Specifications and Regulatory Information Product Overview Product Overview Front view of instrument Rear view of instrument...
Page 244 Specifications and Regulatory Information Product Overview...
Page 245 Instrument Preset Conditions 244 Menu Maps 246 Error Messages 253 Connector interfaces (order separately) 259 Power Cords 260 For Assistance and Support 262 Reference...
Page 246: Reference
Reference Reference Reference Instrument Preset Conditions Table 8-23. Instrument Preset Conditions (1 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Display mode single wavelength last state Wavelength range limiting last state Start wavelength 1200 nm last state Stop wavelength 1650 nm...
Page 247 Reference Instrument Preset Conditions Table 8-23. Instrument Preset Conditions (2 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Peak excursion 15 dB last state Measurement speed normal last state Device bandwidth narrowband last state Drift measurements Coherence length measurements Delta Measurements: Δ...
Page 248: Menu Maps
Menu Maps Menu Maps This section provides menu maps for the Keysight 86120B softkeys. The maps show which softkeys are displayed after pressing a front-panel key; they show the relationship between softkeys. The softkeys in these maps are aligned vertically instead of horizontally as on the actual display.
Page 249 Reference Menu Maps Appl’s Menu Display Avg WL Menu There is no menu associated with this key. Measurement Cont Menu There is no menu associated with this key.
Page 250 Reference Menu Maps Display List by Power Menu Display List by WL Menu...
Page 251 Reference Menu Maps Delta On Menu Delta Off Menu...
Page 252 Reference Menu Maps Display Peak WL and System Preset Menus Measurement Single Menu There is no menu associated with this key.
Page 253 Reference Menu Maps System Print Menu...
Page 254 Reference Menu Maps System Setup Menu...
Page 255: Error Messages
Reference Error Messages Error Messages In this section, you’ll find all the error messages that the Keysight 86120B can dis- play on its screen. Table 8-24 on page 8-253 lists all instrument-specific errors. Table 8-25 on page 8-256 lists general SCPI errors.
Page 256 Reference Error Messages Table 8-24. Instrument Specific Error Messages (2 of 3) Error Number Error Message ROM BYTE UNERASED ROM WRITE OPERATION FAILED ROM DEFECTIVE ROM DATA INVALID ROM VERSION INCOMPATIBLE ROM POLLING LIMITED OUT INPUT OUT OF RANGE BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA...
Page 257 Reference Error Messages Table 8-24. Instrument Specific Error Messages (3 of 3) Error Number Error Message PRINTOUT WAS ABORTED NOT ALLOWED IN COH LEN NOT ALLOWED IN S/N UNKNOWN KEYPRESS NUM LINES < NUM REFS NUM LINES > NUM REFS NO REFERENCE SIGNAL GAIN RANGING ERROR INCOMPATIBLE HARDWARE...
Page 258 Reference Error Messages Table 8-25. General SCPI Error Messages (1 of 3) Error Number Description “No errors” –100 “Command error (unknown command)“ –101 “Invalid character“ –102 “Syntax error“ –103 “Invalid separator“ –104 “Data type error“ –105 “GET not allowed“ –108 “Parameter not allowed“...
Page 259 Reference Error Messages Table 8-25. General SCPI Error Messages (2 of 3) Error Number Description –158 “String data not allowed“ –161 “Invalid block data“ –168 “Block data not allowed“ –170 “Expression error“ –171 “Invalid expression“ –178 “Expression data not allowed“ –200 “Execution error“...
Page 260 Reference Error Messages Table 8-25. General SCPI Error Messages (3 of 3) Error Number Description –310 “System error“ –321 “Out of memory” –350 “Too many errors“ –400 “Query error“ –410 “Query INTERRUPTED“ –420 “Query UNTERMINATED“ –430 “Query DEADLOCKED“ –440 “Query UNTERMINATED after indef resp“ Query was unterminated after an indefinite response.
Page 261: Connector Interfaces (Order Separately)
Reference Connector interfaces (order separately) Connector interfaces (order separately) Keysight Part Number Description FC connector interface (FC/ 81000FI 81000HI E-2000 connector interface 81000KI SC connector interface LC connector interface 81000LI 81000MI MU connector interface 81000NI FC connector interface (FC/ APC with narrow key) 81000SI DIN connector interface 81000VI...
Page 262: Power Cords
Mexico, 8120-1992 Straight (Medical) 96/244 Black Philippines, UL544 Taiwan * Part number shown for plug is the industry identifier for the plug only. Number shown for cable is the Keysight Technologies part number for the complete cable including the plug.
Page 263 Straight MITI 90/230 Dark Gray Japan 8120-4754 90° 90/230 * Part number shown for plug is the industry identifier for the plug only. Number shown for cable is the Keysight Technologies part number for the complete cable including the plug.
Page 264: For Assistance And Support
Reference For Assistance and Support For Assistance and Support Please click on the following link: http://www.keysight.com/find/assist...
Page 265 Index Numerics softkey, 72 AVERAGE annotation, 43 1 nm annotation, 71, 74 average wavelength, 3, 43 Avg WL key, 43, 44 ABORt programming command, 216 ABORT softkey, 66 BAR OFF softkey, 48 ac power cables, 17 BAR ON softkey, 48 adapters, fiber optic, 259 beta factor, 78, 80 adding parameters, 105...
Page 266 Index CLEAR softkey, 76 DATA? programming command, 158, 163, 178, CLENgth? programming command, 156 *CLS, 101, 133 DBM softkey, 50 CM –1 softkey, 50 default GPIB address, 83 Cmd_opc subroutine, 109 DELay? programming command, 156 COH LEN softkey, 78 Delta Off softkey. See Off coherence length, 3, 78, 237 Delta On softkey.
Page 267 Index queue, 101 softkey, 83 ERRor programming command, 211 Error_msg subroutine, 108 *ESE, 108, 133 hardcopy. See printer *ESR, 134 HCOPy subsystem, 200 EVENT programming command, 207, 208 HELP:HEADers? programming command, 212 event status enable register, 108, 134 HP BASIC, 82, 108 example programs, 108 increase source accuracy, 121 measure DFB laser, 110...
Page 268 Index LIM OFF softkey, 22, 44 flatness, 59 LIM ON softkey, 22, 44 via GPIB, 85 LINE key, 18 instructions, 103, 146 linearity, 234, 236 laser drift, 75 line-power laser line separation, 56 cable, 16 low-power laser lines, effects of, 54 cables, 260 modulated lasers, effects of, 60 initial state, 213, 244...
Page 269 Index non-sequential command, 92, 160, 164, 166, 167, maximum measurable, 38 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 203, 217, 218 measuring total, 43, 163, 166 NORMAL softkey, 50, 89, 205 peak, 41 notation definitions, 132 separation, 56 NTRansition programming command, 208 state when turned on, 213, 244 NUM LINES <...
Page 270 Index range, wavelengths, 44 menu map, 252 READ measurement instruction, 146 shipping rear panel procedure, 34 labels, 241 short form commands, 103 regulatory duration, 232 signal-to-noise Remote annotation, 83 measurements, 69 repetitive data formats, 71 noise calculation, 69, 192 RESet programming command, 188 ratios, 3 RESET softkey, 58, 75, 77 specification, 237...
Page 271 Index Δ measuring, 43 WL/PWR softkey, 58 transient data, 90 WLIMit programming command, 166, 168, 170, *TRG, 144 171, 172, 173 trigger ignore, 257 WNUMber programming command, 154, 182, TRIGger subsystem, 216 *TST, 144 UNIT subsystem, 218 units of measure, 49 UNITS softkey, 49 up-arrow softkey, 42 UPDATE softkey, 50...
Page 273 This information is subject to change without notice. © Keysight Technologies 2000 – 2014 Edition 3, November 2014 www.keysight.com...

Keysight Technologies 86120B User Manual

1 Getting Started

2 Using the Multi-Wavelength Meter

3 Measurements Applications Measuring Signal-To-Noise Ratios

4 Programming

5 Programming Commands

6 Performance Tests

7 Specifications and Regulatory Information

8 Reference

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Summary of Contents for Keysight Technologies 86120B

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