Keysight V3500A User Manual
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Keysight V3500A User Manual

Keysight V3500A User Manual

Handheld rf power meter
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Keysight V3500A Handheld
RF Power Meter
User's Guide

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Summary of Contents for Keysight V3500A

  • Page 1 Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter User’s Guide...

  • Page 2: Safety Information

    Conformity. understood and met. where in the EULA. Keysight shall be under no obligation to update, revise or otherwise modify the Software. With WARNING respect to any technical data as defined by FAR 2.101, pursuant to FAR...

  • Page 3: Safety Symbols

    Earth (ground) terminal manual for specific Warning or Caution information) Protective earth (ground) terminal Caution, hot surface Frame or chassis (ground) terminal Out position of a bi-stable push control Equipotentiality In position of a bi-stable push control Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 4: Safety Considerations

    Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards for design, manufacture, and intended use of the instrument. Keysight Technologies assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.

  • Page 5: Environmental Conditions

    Environmental Conditions The V3500A is designed for indoor use and in an area with low condensation. The table below shows the general environmental requirements for this instrument. Environmental cond ition Requirement Operating condition – 0 °C to 50 °C Temperature Storage condition –...

  • Page 6: Regulatory Information

    Regulatory Information The V3500A complies with the following safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) compliances: – IEC 61326-2-1:2005/ EN 61326-2-1:2006 – Canada: ICES-001:2004 – Australia/New Zealand: AS/NZS CISPR11: 2004 Degradation of some instrument specifications can occur in the presence of ambient electromagnetic (EM) fields and noise that are coupled to the powerline or I/O cables of the instrument.

  • Page 7: Regulatory Markings

    This affixed product label Canadian ICES-001. indicates that you must not discard Cet appareil ISM est conforme a la this electrical or electronic product in norme NMB-001 du Canada. domestic household waste. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 8: Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment (Weee) Directive

    To return this unwanted instrument, contact your nearest Keysight Service Center, or visit http://about.keysight.com/en/companyinfo/environment/takeback.shtml for more information. Sales and Technical Support To contact Keysight for sales and technical support, refer to the support links on the following Keysight websites: – www.keysight.com/find/V3500A (product-specific information and support, software and documentation updates) –...

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    ......31 How to power on the V3500A ......33 Front Panel Operations .
  • Page 10 ..........105 Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 11 ........110 Characteristics and Specifications Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
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  • Page 13: List Of Figures

    Figure 1-1 V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter with backlight turned ........18...
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  • Page 15 ....32 Table 3-1 SETAVG command values ..... .75 Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
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  • Page 17 Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter User’s Guide Getting Started Introduction Key Features Initial Inspection Handling Precaution Setting-up Your Instrument This chapter introduces the key features of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter and prepares the power meter for initial setup.

  • Page 18: Getting Started

    For use in the field, the compact size of the V3500A allows it to be placed in a toolkit. You do not have to carry both a power meter and a separate sensor module (the V3500A has a built-in sensor) when conducting measurement in the field.

  • Page 19: Key Features

    – Compact size with a built-in display and sensor – Universal Serial Bus (USB) control interface – Flexibility of drawing operating power from an on-board battery, an optional external power supply, or a computer via the USB interface Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 20: Initial Inspection

    ✔ Holster carrying case with shoulder strap (V3500A-SHL) ✔ USB interface cable (Standard-A to Type-B), 2.5 meter (V3500A-CA1) Keep the original packaging in case the V3500A has to be returned to Keysight in the future. Also, include a brief description of the problem.

  • Page 21: Handling Precaution

    To avoid possible contamination, do not touch connector insulators. If the instrument becomes contaminated, it should be thoroughly cleaned. Refer to Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter, 10 MHz to 6 GHz Service Guide for more information. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 22: Setting-Up Your Instrument

    You need to set-up the RF connector and USB port connections properly before making any measurements. RF connector Use the Type-N male RF connector with 50 Ω characteristic impedance (see Figure 1-2) to make RF signal connections. Type-N male connector nut Figure 1-2 V3500A with Type-N connector nut Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 23 Getting Started Be sure to follow the following guidelines when making connections. ✔ Maximum input power limitations Do not connect or apply any power level that is outside of the V3500A specifications. See “Product Specifications” on page 96 for a complete list of specifications.
  • Page 24 1-3). The V3500A can be remotely programmed over this USB interface. In addition to remote programming, the V3500A can be powered by the USB port regardless of whether the batteries are present or connected to the external power supply (V3500A-PWR).

  • Page 25: Power Supply

    You can use either the battery power or the external power connector to power on your V3500A. – Battery power The V3500A can be powered by two AA batteries. If installed, the batteries will power the V3500A only if the external power supply and USB are not connected.
  • Page 26 Getting Started THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 27: Knowing Your Instrument

    Product at a Glance Front Panel Operations This chapter specifies the characteristics, environmental conditions, and specifications of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter. This chapter contains a brief description of the instrument outlook, front panel operation, and front panel procedure.

  • Page 28: Product At A Glance

    Knowing your Instrument Product at a Glance Product dimensions 1134 mm 49 mm 79 mm Figure 2-1 V3500A dimensions Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 29: The Front Panel Keypad

    V3500A keypad functions Description Press ZERO to measure the offset voltages in the signal path and zero the V3500A. This allows a more accurate measurement at low power levels. The V3500A RF input may be left disconnected when it is zeroed, or it may be connected to other hardware, but make sure that no signals are present on the RF input as this results in inaccurate readings.
  • Page 30 Press HOLD for the most recent reading to be frozen on the display and is no longer updated. This allows the user to disconnect the V3500A from the source and then read the display. Press HOLD again to disable the hold function and the display will once again be updated continuously.

  • Page 31: How To Navigate The Menu System

    All menu commands are executed immediately when the choice is selected. The menu map structure is shown in Figure 2-3 and the description is shown in Table 2-2. The menu items in <> brackets are the default menu values. Figure 2-3 Menu map structure Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 32 “Using relative offset function” on page 39. [a] The numerical serial number displayed on the instrument is for reference only. For full serial number (with prefix), please refer to the printed label shown in Figure 1-3 on page Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 33: How To Power On The V3500A

    How to power on the V3500A Use the ON/OFF keypad to turn on or turn off the V3500A. While operating on battery power, the V3500A has a power auto-shutoff feature to preserve battery life. This feature automatically turns the power meter off after a certain duration.

  • Page 34: Front Panel Operations

    1 Set frequency reading. Press left or right FREQUENCY keypads as needed to set an appropriate frequency. The V3500A can be set from 10 MHz to 6000 MHz in 10 MHz increments. The instrument returns to the default frequency value setting of 500 MHz after NOTE the instrument is turned off.

  • Page 35: Zeroing The Power Meter

    V3500A should be zeroed when it warms up, and periodically when the ambient temperature changes. 1 Prior to zeroing the V3500A, make sure all the RF power is removed from the V3500A RF input port. This can be done by disconnecting the RF input, or by disabling the output of any signal sources connected to V3500A.

  • Page 36: Setting The Measurement Speed

    If faster measurements are required, set the V3500A to high-speed mode. In this mode (for measurements greater than –30 dBm) the V3500A can make approximately 23 measurements per second.

  • Page 37: Saving The Instrument State

    3 Use the right arrow menu keypad to select <Save>. This will save the instrument state in the non-volatile memory of the V3500A. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 38: Recalling The Instrument State

    3 Use the right arrow menu keypad to select <Recall>. This will recall the instrument state in the non-volatile memory of the V3500A. Setting units: dBm or watts – When operating the V3500A in Watts mode using the front panel, it will NOTE display nW, µW, mW, or W accordingly.

  • Page 39: Controlling The Backlight

    Knowing your Instrument Controlling the backlight The V3500A LCD display and keypads are backlit to allow visibility in dark environments. Press BACKLIGHT to turn on and off the backlight LCD display and keypads. The backlight will automatically be turned off after a certain length of time to preserve the battery life.
  • Page 40 When the relative offset value function is enabled and the value is stored in the V3500A, the letter “O” will flash on the upper right-hand corner of the display. When the relative offset value is entered as 0.0, the “@” character will flash on the upper right-hand corner of the display, indicating that the relative offset function is not enabled.

  • Page 41: Driver Installation And Commands

    Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter User’s Guide Driver Installation and Commands System Requirements Driver Installation Instrument Address Remote USB Operation This chapter provides you the step-by-step programming driver installation procedure, remote USB operation, and basic drive commands of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter.

  • Page 42: System Requirements

    – Windows Vista – Windows 7 – Windows 10 Browser Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher Available Hard Disk Space 1 GB Available RAM 512 MB or higher is recommended Video Super VGA (800x600) 256 colors or higher Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 43: Driver Installation

    USB driver installation allows you to install the low-level drivers that set up the physical communication link between the V3500A and the PC. 1 Download the driver from the Keysight’s Web site: http://www.keysight.com/main/ software.jspx?ckey=sw287&lc=eng&cc=MY&nid=-536902449.928965&id=sw2 2 Execute the file name Keysight V3500A Driver Setup.exe to install the V3500A software driver. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 44 Driver Installation and Commands 3 If the Microsoft .Net Framework is not installed on your PC, the setup file will prompt you to install it. Click Install and follow the instructions as shown in the following images. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 45 Driver Installation and Commands 4 Connect the USB cable between the V3500A instrument and your PC. Then, connect the V3500A instrument to the required AC power and turn the instrument on. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 46 NOTE the USB port of the PC. Turn the instrument on manually if it is not powered – If the Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard for Keysight V3500A Driver window does not appear, cycle the power of the V3500A. – For Windows 7, the PC will not be able to automatically detect the connected instrument.
  • Page 47 Driver Installation and Commands Click Next and follow the instructions as shown in the following images to complete the installation. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 48 Driver Installation and Commands Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 49: Installing Usb Driver (Windows 7)

    Driver Installation and Commands Installing USB driver (Windows 7) The Keysight V3500A Power Meter must be connected to the PC via USB before NOTE the driver can be seen under Other devices tab in the Device Manager window. 1 To install the driver for the connected instrument, go to Device Manager.
  • Page 50 Driver Installation and Commands 3 Click Browse my computer for driver software to locate the V3500A USB Driver folder. 4 Select the Keysight V3500A Driver folder, and then click Next. The location of the folder is at C:\Program Files (x86)\Keysight.
  • Page 51 Driver Installation and Commands 5 A Window Security window will appear. Click Install to proceed with the installation. 6 When the installation has completed, click Close to exit the installation. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 52 7 Go back to the Device Manager window. Under the Other devices tab, repeat Step 2 to Step 6 for the driver installation of USB Serial Port. 8 After all the installation have completed, the Keysight V3500A Power Meter will appear under both Ports (COM & LPT) and USB controllers tabs. This indicates that the drivers are correctly installed and present.

  • Page 53: Confirming The Usb Driver Installation

    Virtual COM port driver, in this case it occupies COM4 If you are using multiple Keysight instruments, you may wish to unplug all but NOTE one, to ascertain the COM port number used by a particular instrument. You may also differentiate similar instruments by right-clicking on the device, viewing the Properties and the serial number of the instrument.
  • Page 54 Driver Installation and Commands 3 Launch the Keysight Connection Expert by clicking the IO icon on your desktop toolbar. Click Refresh to refresh the list of connected instruments. Click the option button (3 dots icon) under COM4 and click Add Instrument.
  • Page 55 Driver Installation and Commands 4 Select Auto-identify this instrument and click OK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 56 Driver Installation and Commands 5 Once the V3500A has been added, right-click and select Send Commands To This Instrument. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 57 Driver Installation and Commands 6 Type the command pwr? and click Send & Read to confirm that the V3500A is properly connected and ready to use. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 58: Uninstalling The Usb Driver

    Driver Installation and Commands Uninstalling the USB driver 1 Under Ports (COM & LPT) tab, right-click Agilent V3500A PowerMeter and click Uninstall. Remember to check the box before clicking OK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 59 Driver Installation and Commands 2 Under the USB controllers tab, right click Agilent V3500A PowerMeter and click Uninstall. Remember to check the box before clicking OK. Uninstall the driver according to sequence. NOTE Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 60: Installing Programming Driver

    If this alternative method is used, and an updated driver for the V3500A is later installed, the local copy in the project directory will not be updated (it will remain the earlier version of the driver).
  • Page 61 4 Right click References and click Add References to add the Reference. 5 In the Add Reference window, use Browse to locate the directory where the V3500A programming driver KeysightV3500A.dll is stored. 6 Double-click the KeysightV3500A.dll component. 7 Click on OK in the Add Reference window. KeysightV3500A should now appear under References in the Solution Explorer window.
  • Page 62 Driver Installation and Commands 4 Click Open. 5 Verify that the V3500A driver has been added (is checked). 6 Click OK. Adding a reference (Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0) To add the reference in Visual C++ 6.0, make sure the program contains the following line (no other special steps are required to add the reference): #import "C:\Program Files\Keysight\Keysight V3500A...

  • Page 63: Instrument Address

    You can find the serial number of your instrument using one of the following methods: 1 Find the serial number on the back label of the V3500A. Look for an integer number in the range of 1 to 99,999,999.

  • Page 64: Remote Usb Operation

    – Shutdown time setting – Backlight off time setting The driver for the V3500A is not complicated — a few commands are necessary to initiate a connection and read and write from the instrument. Device programming is accomplished by sending and receiving strings over the USB. This programming model is very similar to GPIB programming.

  • Page 65: Remote Usb Commands

    1 Set the serial number in the software. The numerical serial number of the V3500A will be used as the instrument unique address for communication and can be found underneath the barcode on the back panel of the V3500A or displayed using the menu button (see “How to navigate the menu system”...

  • Page 66: Basic Driver Commands

    Visual Basic 6.0 Dim SN As Long SN=10973300 myPM.SerialNumber=SN Visual C++ 6.0 int SN=10973300; myPM->SerialNumber=SN; Parameters myPM refers to the created V3500A object. SN is the serial number (32-bit signed integer) of the V3500A being checked. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 67 SN=10973300 Dim MeterAvailable As Integer MeterAvailable = myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN) Visual C++.NET int SN=10973300; int MeterAvailable=myPM->IsDeviceAvailable(SN); Visual Basic 6.0 Dim SN As Long SN=10973300 Dim MeterAvailable As Integer MeterAvailable=myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN) Visual C++ 6.0 int SN = 10973300; int MeterAvailable=myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN); Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 68 Driver Installation and Commands Parameters myPM refers to the created V3500A object. SN is the serial number (32-bit signed integer) of the V3500A being checked. MeterAvailable is the integer variable created containing the device status. Return Value Returns a 32-bit integer with one of the following values: –...
  • Page 69 Driver Installation and Commands Command Name Initialize() Description This void function opens the link between the V3500A and the PC. The SerialNumber property must be set prior to executing. Usage C#.NET myPM.SerialNumber=10973300; myPM.Initialize(); Visual Basic.NET myPM.SerialNumber=10973300 myPM.Initialize() Visual C++.NET myPM->SerialNumber=10973300;...
  • Page 70 Driver Installation and Commands Command Name SendString Use this command to send and receive string messages from Description the V3500A — all communication with the V3500A is accomplished using this command. C#.NET string Reply=myPM.SendString("*RST\n"); Visual Basic.NET Dim Reply As String Reply=myPM.SendString("*RST"...
  • Page 71 Driver Installation and Commands Command Name Close() This command disconnects the program connection to the Description V3500A. After the connection is disconnected, the V3500A is available for use with other programs. C#.NET myPM.Close(); Visual Basic.NET myPM.Close() Visual C++.NET Usage myPM->Close();...
  • Page 72 List is the string variable containing the returned serial number(s). [a] The statement “uninitialized V3500A” refers to power meters which are connected to your computer, but have not had the Initialize() function called on them. Also, when Close() is called on initialized devices, they return to the uninitialized state and are visible to the FindUninitializedDevices() command.

  • Page 73: Basic V3500A Commands

    Syntax *TRG<LF> Response <Value> Returns the present V3500A reading. Return value The present read cycle of the V3500A is interrupted, and a new one is started. The measurement from the new cycle Comments is returned. Command Name Non-triggered power read This command returns the present reading of the V3500A.
  • Page 74 This internal correction routine removes offset errors in the measurement. This is necessary to preserve accuracy when Comments measuring low-level signals. Command Name Set frequency This command sets the operating frequency of the V3500A. Description Syntax FREQ<Value><LF> Response The instrument of measurement is Megahertz (MHz).

  • Page 75: Averaging Control Commands

    Description returning a power measurement. Syntax SETAVG<Value><LF> Response The valid range of <Value> is 0 through 5 (see Table 3-1). Comments Table 3-1 SETAVG command values <Value> Number of averages taken [a] Equivalent to averaging disabled. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 76 Get averaging factor This command reads and returns the averaging factor, which Description is equal to log (number of measurements per average). Syntax AVG?<LF> Response <Value> A value of 0 is equivalent to having averaging turned off. Comments Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 77: Measurement Speed Control Commands

    Driver Installation and Commands Measurement speed control commands Command Name Set normal speed mode This command sets the V3500A to normal speed mode. Description Syntax NMODE<LF> Response Normal speed mode is the default mode of operation. Comments The V3500A accuracy specifications apply in normal mode.

  • Page 78: Unit Of Measurement Commands

    Driver Installation and Commands Unit of measurement commands Command Name dBm mode This command sets the V3500A to dBm mode. Description Syntax UDBM<LF> Response Send this command to express the remote and front panel Comments measurements in dBm. Command Name watts mode This command sets the V3500A to watts mode.

  • Page 79: Relative Offset Commands

    This command checks the status of the relative offset. If it is ON, a “1” is returned, and if it is OFF, a “0” is returned. If it is Description in EDIT mode, a “2” is returned. Syntax REL?<LF> Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 80: Miscellaneous Commands

    BLOFF<LF> Response Command Name Get serial number This command returns the numeric serial number of the Description instrument. Syntax SN?<LF> Response <Value> Command Name Retrieve firmware revision This command returns the firmware revision. Description Syntax FWREV?<LF> Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 81: Examples

    Driver Installation and Commands Examples This section provides example programs that initialize the V3500A, make measurements, and close the V3500A. Examples are provided using the following programming language: – Microsoft Visual Studio.NET – Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 – Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Microsoft Visual Studio.NET...
  • Page 82 =new KeysightV3500A_NS.KeysightV3500A(); // Set the serial number and check that the meter is available SN=10973300; // Set this to the numerical serial number of your V3500A (without prefix) MeterAvailable=myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN); // A return value of 1 means the V3500A is available.
  • Page 83 // If initialization fails: catch(Exception e) Console.WriteLine("Error initializing PowerMeter: "+e.Message); return; Console.WriteLine("V3500A initialized"); // Now we can communicate with the V3500A. // Configure the V3500A for a measurement: Reply=myPM.SendString("*RST\n"); // Reset the power meter CheckForOK(Reply); Reply=myPM.SendString("FREQ1000\n"); // Set the frequency to 1000 MHz CheckForOK(Reply);...
  • Page 84 MeasuredPower=Convert.ToDouble(Reply); // If an error occurred: catch(Exception e3) Console.WriteLine("Error reading power from the PowerMeter: "+e3.Message); return; Console.WriteLine("Measured power was {0:F2} dBm",MeasuredPower); static void CheckForOK(string Message) (Message.Equals("OK")) return; else Console.WriteLine("Expected an 'OK' from the V3500A; received: "+Message); Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 85 KeysightV3500A_NS.Keysight3500A 'Set the serial number and check that the meter is available SN = 10973300 'Set this to the numerical serial number of your V3500A (without prefix) MeterAvailable = myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN) ' A return value of 1 means the PowerMeter is available.
  • Page 86 Console.WriteLine("Error sending to V3500A: " & e2.Message) Exit Sub End Try Console.WriteLine("V3500A configured") ' Take a reading: Reply = myPM.SendString("*TRG" & vbLf) ' Trigger a power measurement MeasuredPower = Convert.ToDouble(Reply) Catch Exception Console.WriteLine("Error reading power from V3500A: " & e3.Message) Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 87 Driver Installation and Commands Exit Sub End Try Console.WriteLine("The measured power was " & MeasuredPower.ToString()) ' Now that we're done, close the V3500A, making available for other users myPM.Close() End Sub Private Sub CheckForOK(ByVal Message String) (Message.Equals("OK")) Then Exit Sub End If Console.WriteLine("Expected an 'OK' from the V3500A, received: "...
  • Page 88 Driver Installation and Commands Example code using Microsoft Visual C++.NET // This sample program shows how to program the V3500A using Microsoft Visual C++.NET 2003 #include "stdafx.h" #using <mscorlib.dll> using namespace System; using namespace KeysightV3500A_NS; _tmain() String * Reply; double MeasuredPower;...
  • Page 89 *e) Console::Write(S"Error initializing PowerMeter: "); Console::WriteLine(e->Message); return Console::WriteLine(S"V3500A initialized"); // Now we can communicate with the V3500A. // Configure the V3500A for a measurement: Reply=myPM->SendString("*RST\n"); // Reset the power meter CheckForOK(Reply); Reply=myPM->SendString("FREQ1000\n"); // Set the frequency to 1000 MHz CheckForOK(Reply);...
  • Page 90 // If an error occurred: catch(Exception *e3) Console::Write(S"Error reading power from the PowerMeter: "); Console::WriteLine(e3->Message); return Console::WriteLine(S"Measured power was {0:F2} dBm",__box(MeasuredPower)); return void CheckForOK(String * Message) (Message->Equals("OK")) return; else Console::Write(S"Expected an 'OK' from the V3500A; received: "); Console::WriteLine(Message); Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 91 4 Create three controls on the form: – A button named btnReadPower – A button named btnExit – A text box named txtMessages 5 Add a reference to the DLL — refer to “Adding a reference (Visual Basic 6.0)” page 61. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 92 Driver Installation and Commands Example code using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 This sample program shows how to program the V3500A using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. myPM As New KeysightV3500A.KeysightV3500A Message As String Private Sub btnExit_Click() myPM.Close End Sub Private Sub...
  • Page 93 As Integer StringComp = StrComp(Msg, "OK") (StringCompare = 0) Then Exit Sub Else Message = Message & "Expected an 'OK' from the V3500A; received: " & Msg & vbCrLf txtMessages.Text = Message End If End Sub Private Sub Form_Load() As Long...
  • Page 94 Message ' Set the serial number and check that the meter is available SN = 10973300 ' Set this to the numerical serial number of your V3500A (without prefix) MeterAvailable = myPM.IsDeviceAvailable(SN) ' A return value of 1 means the V3500A is available.
  • Page 95 Driver Installation and Commands End If txtMessages.Text = Message Exit Sub Err_Failed_Initialize: Message = Message & "Error initializing V3500A: " & Err.Description & vbCrLf txtMessages.Text = Message Exit Sub End Sub Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 96 62. In the sample code below, the specific program statement regarding the driver file installation is in bold-face type style. Example code using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 This sample program shows how to program the V3500A using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0. #include "stdafx.h"...
  • Page 97 V3500A driver!... 0x%x\n", hr); return // Set the serial number and check that the meter is available SN=10973300; // Set this to the numerical serial number of your V3500A (without prefix) MeterAvailable=myPM->IsDeviceAvailable(SN); catch (_com_error& e) cout <<...
  • Page 98 Driver Installation and Commands // A return value of 1 from IsDeviceAvailable() means the V3500A is available. // A value of –1 means it is absent, and a value of 0 means it is unavailable (for example, it may be in use by another program).
  • Page 99 << "COM error while programming V3500A:"<<endl; dump_com_error(e); // This catches all other errors. catch (...) cout << "Error programming V3500A" << endl; cout << "V3500A configured for power measurement" << endl; // Take a reading: Reply=myPM->SendString("*TRG\n"); Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 100 Driver Installation and Commands cout << "Measured power: " << W2A(Reply) << endl; catch (_com_error& e) cout << "COM error while making a power measurement with V3500A"<<endl; dump_com_error(e); catch (...) cout << "Error reading power from V3500A" << endl; myPM->Release();...
  • Page 101 Driver Installation and Commands USES_CONVERSION; // Enables use of ATL string conversion macros char ExpectedReturn[]="OK"; char *ActualReturn=W2A(Message); Result=strcmp(ActualReturn,ExpectedReturn); (Result) cout << "Expected an 'OK' from the V3500A, received " << W2A(Message) << endl; Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 102 Driver Installation and Commands THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 103 Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter User’s Guide RF Measurement Basics Power Definition Units of Measurement RF Power Measurement This chapter describes the RF measurement basics of the V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter.

  • Page 104: Rf Measurement Basics

    Evaluating the integral, we can reduce this expression to: - - - - - - - - where is known as the root mean square (RMS) voltage of the sinusoid. V peak - - - - - - - - - - - - Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 105: Units Of Measurement

    RF Measurement Basics Units of Measurement RF power measurements can be expressed in either Watts or dBm. The V3500A can display results in either Watts or dBm. Watts Watts are the standard SI unit for power measurements. In electrical terms, one volt applied across a one-ohm resistor dissipates one watt of power.

  • Page 106: Rf Power Measurement

    RF power meter (the RF power meter has an internal, known load resistance). This effectively replaces the circuit's load resistor (R) with the characteristic impedance (Z ) built-in to the RF power meter (see Figure 4-2). Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 107 Z . Generally, the Z value for RF circuits is 50 Ω or 75 Ω, with 50 Ω being the most common. The internal load resistance of the power meter is designed to equal Z Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 108: Power Of Various Types Of Signals

    An averaging power meter measures the power versus time of the signal, but then averages the result — condensing the measurement to a single number. The V3500A is an averaging power meter. In effect, the power meter performs the following calculation: - - P t ( ) t ...
  • Page 109 , the average and peak power of pulse modulated signals are related by the equation: - - - - - P P peak where is the pulse width of the signal. is the period of the waveform Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 110: Measurement Accuracy

    The reflection coefficient of the source (Γ ) is defined as: Z g Z 0 – Γ g - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 111 1 Γ g Γ meter – If the magnitude and phase of the source and load reflection coefficient are known, this mismatch error can be calculated and compensated for — completely eliminating mismatch uncertainty and an error term. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 112 This minimum error ratio is described by the equation: Γ g Γ meter MinimumErrorRatio – With this information — and knowing or estimating the reflection coefficient of the device under test — estimation of the mismatch measurement uncertainty is possible. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...

  • Page 113: Characteristics And Specifications

    Keysight V3500A Handheld RF Power Meter User’s Guide Characteristics and Specifications For the characteristics and specifications of the V3500A handheld RF power NOTE meter, refer to the datasheet at http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/ 5990-5483EN.pdf.
  • Page 114 Characteristics and Specifications THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 115 Type-N speed units unit menu map mismatch error decibels watts dimensions offset operation front panel zeroing error ratio maximum minimum examples power connector definition limitations Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 116 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Keysight V3500A User’s Guide...
  • Page 117 This information is subject to change without notice. Always refer to the Keysight website for the latest revision. © Keysight Technologies 2010 - 2019 Edition 8, October 14, 2019 Printed in Malaysia *V3500-90001* V3500-90001 www.keysight.com...

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