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Jackson Labs PHASE STATION 53100A User Manual

Phase noise test set
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53100A Phase Noise Test Set
User's Manual
Revision 1.04
April 25, 2022

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Summary of Contents for Jackson Labs PHASE STATION 53100A

  • Page 1 53100A Phase Noise Test Set User’s Manual Revision 1.04 April 25, 2022...
  • Page 2 Updated for TimeLab beta 1.6 Manual and software copyright © 2022 Miles Design LLC and Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. . All rights reserved. All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks used in this document are property of their respective owners.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Introduction ............................15 Specifications ............................17 Getting Started ............................19 What’s in the box? ..........................19 USB driver and software installation ....................19 Support ............................. 19 Installing TimeLab™ ........................... 21 Performance notes ..........................22 Front panel features .......................... 23 Rear panel features ...........................
  • Page 4 Phase difference (Unwrapped) (p) ..........................55 Frequency difference (f) ..............................56 How does TimeLab measure frequency? ........................57 Phase/frequency measurements with the 53100A ......................57 Examining traces in detail ..............................58 Navigating zoomed graphs .............................59 Hints for phase/frequency stability measurements ......................61 Phase noise, AM noise, and jitter ....................... 63 Integrated noise and jitter measurement ........................65 The spur table................................66 Show or hide known spurs .............................66...
  • Page 5 Warn before exiting with unsaved plots .........................80 Warn before retriggering measurement in progress .......................80 Reset all parameters, options, and settings at next startup .....................81 Close selected plot (Del)..............................81 Close all visible plots (Home) ............................81 Delete selected plot’s .TIM file (Ctrl-Del) ........................81 Quit (q or Esc) ................................81 Edit Menu ............................
  • Page 6 Show estimated instrument noise (F2) ......................... 100 Mark spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-m) ..........................101 Suppress spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-s) ........................... 101 Smooth noise traces (Ctrl-w) ............................101 Show raw noise trace(s) (Ctrl-r) ............................ 101 Show AM noise in PN view (F8) ............................ 102 Tick marks (k) ................................
  • Page 7 Toggle script console for selected plot (F11) ......................... 121 Stop all running scripts (F12) ............................121 Acquire Menu ..........................123 Jackson Labs PhaseStation / Microchip 53100A ......................123 Miles Design TimePod ..............................123 Acquire from counter in Talk-Only mode ........................123 Acquire from live ASCII file ............................
  • Page 8 Acquisition options (Ctrl-F7) ............................127 Enable deferred acquisition (Ctrl-d) ..........................128 Trigger deferred acquisition(s) (Enter) .......................... 128 Help Menu ............................129 User guide (F1) ................................129 About TimeLab ................................129 Debug mode ................................129 Check for updates (Ctrl-u) ............................129 PhaseStation 53100A Measurement Roles...................
  • Page 9 AcqSetupEnd() ................................149 DisplayFontSize([Number points]) ..........................149 DisplayOverlayMode([Boolean overlay_mode]) ......................149 DisplayShowNumTab([Boolean status]) ........................149 DisplayRefresh([Number mask]) ........................... 150 DisplaySpotTau(Number secs) ............................150 DisplaySpotTime(Number secs) ............................ 150 DisplaySpotOffset(Number Hz) ............................. 150 DisplaySpotLowerOffset(Number Hz) ........................... 150 DisplaySpotUpperOffset(Number Hz) ........................... 150 EventAcqDone([success][,user]) ........................... 150 EventAcqSetup([user]) ..............................
  • Page 10 ScriptBoundToPlot() ..............................158 ScriptEnd() ................................... 158 ScriptFilename(Boolean full_path) ..........................158 ScriptGetString(String heading, String message, Object user_text, String b1_text [, String b2_text [, String b3_txt]]) ..159 ScriptHostFilename([bool full_path]) ..........................159 ScriptLastStatusMessage() ............................160 ScriptMessageBox(String heading, String message, String b1_text [, String b2_text [, String b3_txt]]) ......160 ScriptMinsToHMS(Number minutes) ..........................
  • Page 11 TracePhaseFreqTrend([Boolean status]) ........................165 TracePhaseFreqZero([Boolean status]) ......................... 165 TracePhaseZero([Boolean status]) ..........................165 TraceShowCorrGain([Boolean status]) .......................... 165 TraceShowCrossStatistics([Boolean status]) ........................165 TraceShowHatStatistics([Boolean status])........................166 TraceShowImag([Boolean status]) ..........................166 TraceShowNoiseFloor([Boolean status]) ........................166 TraceShowOriginal([Boolean status])..........................166 TraceShowRaw([Boolean status]) ..........................166 TraceShowSlopes([Boolean status]) ..........................166 TraceSmoothNoise([Boolean status]) ...........................
  • Page 12 /noexit ..................................179 /notcp ..................................179 /nowarnings ................................179 Introduction to TSERVE ........................180 Launching TSERVE..........................180 TSERVE command line options and defaults ..................181 /am:<true | false> ............................... 182 /ch:<chanexpr>................................182 /chart:<secs> ................................183 /cmd_port:<port #> ..............................183 /data_port:<port #> ..............................183 /dateformat:<1,2,3>...
  • Page 13 /update ..................................192 /wait ................................... 192 /warn ..................................193 TSERVE remote commands ......................194 beep .................................... 195 close.................................... 195 exit ....................................196 help [<command>]............................... 196 history ..................................196 logout..................................196 measurelinear ................................196 open <filename> ................................196 pause <chart> ................................197 prompt <on|off>...
  • Page 14 Software License: FIDLIB ........................220 Software License: V8 JavaScript Engine .................... 225 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 15: Introduction

    Introduction The 53100A Phase Noise Test Set measures the amplitude, phase and frequency stability of high- performance RF sources and two-port devices. Carrier frequencies from 1 MHz to 200 MHz are supported with direct front-panel access to all four measurement channels. The 53100A tells you everything you need to know about the stability characteristics of your devices, at timescales ranging from femtoseconds to days.
  • Page 16 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 17: Specifications

    Specifications Input frequency and level (RF) 1 MHz – 200 MHz, 0 dBm - +15 dBm, 50 ohm N-F Reference frequency and level 1 MHz – 200 MHz, 0 dBm - +15 dBm, 50 ohm N-F Input/reference VSWR (<= 100 MHz) 1.5:1 or better Input/reference port isolation (10 MHz) 130 dB or better...
  • Page 18 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 19: Getting Started

    Support For prompt assistance with software issues, contact Miles Design LLC at john@miles.io For hardware and warranty-support issues, please contact Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. at http://www.jackson-labs.com/index.php/support, or the distributor from whom you purchased the instrument. PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04...
  • Page 20 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 21: Installing Timelab

    Installing TimeLab™ TimeLab is a compact Windows application designed for general-purpose phase/frequency stability and noise measurement. It runs on Intel® or AMD® x86-based PCs equipped with Microsoft Windows® 7 SP1 or later versions. TimeLab supports a wide variety of time and frequency measurement instrumentation in addition to the PhaseStation, including the TimePod 5330A cross-spectrum analyzer and the 5115A/5120A/5125A/53100A phase noise test sets from Microchip.

  • Page 22: Performance Notes

    Performance notes Measurements made with the 53100A rely on multithreaded signal processing operations that can place significant performance demands on the host PC. Referring to the benchmarks at http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html, the minimum PassMark score for reliable acquisition falls in the 1,600 to 2,000 range. In practice, this means that a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor is required.

  • Page 23: Front Panel Features

    Figure 2: Front panel controls and features Front panel features The 53100A’s front panel includes the following features, located as shown in the color-keyed image above: Two AC-coupled N-F input jacks that correspond to the primary REFERENCE and DUT signal inputs.
  • Page 24 Four AC- or DC-coupled SMA-F input jacks that drive the individual ADC channels. By default, each of these input jacks is strapped to the output jack directly beneath it. This effectively divides the four-input 53100A into two independent two-channel “instruments” for cross-correlated phase noise and AM noise measurements.

  • Page 25: Rear Panel Features

    Figure 3: Rear panel controls and features Rear panel features The 53100A’s rear panel includes the following features, located as shown in the color-keyed image above: The 2.1-mm DC input jack is intended for use with the provided 15V external power supply. Note that the 53100A’s power supply is equipped with a locking power connector.

  • Page 26: Guidelines For Input Signal Connections

    Guidelines for input signal connections Although the N-F and SMA-F input jacks offer superior mechanical stability, BNC-N coax adapters are also supplied with the 53100A for operator convenience. Regardless of your choice of coax fittings, double-shielded cables such as RG223 or RG400 are recommended for low-level measurements that may be affected by crosstalk and environmental interference.
  • Page 27 Furthermore, even when using the best standards, distribution amps and double-shielded cables, it’s almost impossible to build a large clock distribution network that’s free of environmental spurs. As a result, you should consider using a standalone low-noise OCXO – or even better, two of them -- for phase noise and AM noise measurements.

  • Page 28: Working With Dual Reference Sources

    Working with dual reference sources The use of dual references carries significant advantages in noise measurement due to the instrument’s use of cross spectrum averaging to remove the influence of uncorrelated reference sources over time. Multiple references can be helpful in stability measurement as well, since the 53100A can easily acquire the multichannel data necessary for so-called “three-cornered hat”...
  • Page 29 separate them by several dozen hertz or more. If the oscillators are only a few hertz apart, it may be difficult to spot crosstalk problems in the external RF or power connections. Finally, note that basic frequency stability measurements on a single channel pair don’t use the second (CH 2) reference or the second DUT input (CH 4) at all.
  • Page 30 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 31: Making Your First Measurements

    Figure 4: Acquisition dialog for all 53100A instruments, including PhaseStation and Microchip-labeled versions Getting started with the PhaseStation is as easy as connecting the 53100A’s USB cable to your PC and launching TimeLab. Once TimeLab is running, select the Acquire→Jackson Labs PhaseStation menu option. (This option may be named Acquire→Microchip 53100A...
  • Page 32 bottom of the program’s main window as the software characterizes the device under test (DUT) and reference input signals. If all is well, the status bar message should soon change to “Acquisition in progress.” Measurement data will now begin to appear in graphical form. Unless you’ve selected a different view from the Measurement menu, you will see an Allan deviation (ADEV) plot for your DUT, rendered in real time at 100 points per second.
  • Page 33 • File→Load .TIM file to read the .TIM file you just saved. Now you should have two copies of the same plot in memory. At the left edge of the legend table entry for the most recently-initiated or loaded plot, you’ll see a black triangular cursor, indicating the plot that’s currently selected for editing, browsing, or other forms of control interaction in TimeLab.

  • Page 34: Tips For New Users

    to the jumble of line segments and shaded areas that can appear on the graph when all nine available slots in the legend table are populated with visible plots! • Regardless of the choice of Display→Browse Display→Overlay mode or the visibility status of any given plot, the “selected plot”...

  • Page 35: Next Steps

    (Oscillator Measurement and Calibration with the PhaseStation 53100A) and AN 53100A-2 (Dual Reference Noise and Stability Measurements with the PhaseStation 53100A). The latest editions of these application notes can be downloaded from the Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. web site at the following URLs: http://www.jackson-labs.com/assets/uploads/main/PhaseStation_53100A_AN_53100A_1.pdf http://www.jackson-labs.com/assets/uploads/main/PhaseStation_53100A_AN_53100A_2.pdf...
  • Page 36 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 37: Block Diagram

    Block diagram Figure 6: Functional block diagram The diagram above provides an overview of the signal and data pathways that lie between the DUT and reference signals supplied to the 53100A and the results that ultimately appear on the screen. Although the block diagram may appear complex at first, the features most likely to be of interest are the signal connections available to the user, all of which are shown at left.
  • Page 38 Other notable aspects of the block diagram include the following points. • The four SMA M-M jumpers shown in the DUT and reference input areas are depicted in their factory-default configuration. With these connections, signals applied to the two N- female connectors on the front panel are split into two identical paths in the classical topology for cross-correlated noise measurements.

  • Page 39: A Brief Architectural Note

    A brief architectural note Figure 7: Digital processing pipeline It can be helpful to understand some basic details about the 53100A’s DSP topology, especially when measurements may be constrained by available memory and CPU resources. A key observation is that the two basic measurement categories corresponding to the Measure stability Measure phase...
  • Page 40 then calculated and used to construct the various xDEV plots as well as the phase- and frequency- difference plots. So, when you save a measurement to a .TIM file that was made with the Measure stability option checked, you’re actually saving these low-bandwidth phase differences. If you use Edit→Remove selected or zoomed phase data (F4) or the various flattening or trend-removal functions to edit parts of...

  • Page 41: Making Measurements

    Making Measurements Three views of the same PhaseStation 53100A measurement appear at left, revealing the performance secrets of some of the industry’s highest-quality crystal oscillators . The Allan Deviation plot displays frequency stability at intervals from milliseconds to days, while the Phase Noise plot renders the signal’s spectral signature at offsets ranging from 0.001 Hz to 1 MHz.
  • Page 42 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 43: What's All This Adev Stuff, Anyhow

    “What’s all this ADEV stuff, anyhow?” With apologies to the late Bob Pease and his editors at Electronic Design, here are a few tips to help you understand what Allan deviation (ADEV) graphs really tell you, and how to get the most out of the statistical deviation measurements made by TimeLab.

  • Page 44: Allan Deviation (A)

    You’re fairly certain you’ll get a different result if you calculate the Allan deviation for a set of readings taken one week apart, and still another result for a series of readings taken annually. So you record at least a few data points at these intervals as well. Now you’d like to draw a graph that shows off your watch’s performance, perhaps for bragging rights at the neighborhood pub.

  • Page 45: Modified Allan Deviation (M)

    Modified Allan Deviation (m) MDEV, or Mod σ (τ), is a slight variation on ADEV that can discriminate between white PM and flicker PM noise. Both ADEV and MDEV render flicker PM noise at a slope of τ White PM noise is also rendered by ADEV at τ , but it appears as a steeper downward -3/2 slope of τ...

  • Page 46: Time Deviation (T)

    inconsistent drift characteristics, its short-term ADEV will eventually resemble the HDEV performance that was observed only a few minutes after power-up. Time Deviation (t) TDEV, or σ (τ), expresses the time stability of phase at the specified tau, in units of seconds.

  • Page 47: Examining Changes In Stability Over Time

    Examining changes in stability over time To make basic “dynamic ADEV” measurements , refer to the help text Duration Run Until for the fields in the acquisition dialog, as well as the Trace History field shown at right. Specifying a Trace History value Figure 10: Basic stability measurement parameters...

  • Page 48: Common Artifacts In Adev And Related Measurements

    Common artifacts in ADEV and related measurements High-resolution plots captured by the PhaseStation 53100A can reveal artifacts that don’t seem to be present when the same measurement is made by other instruments. For example, spurs due to AC power coupling or ground loops, discussed below, appear very different when acquired at high sample rates and rendered with 20 or more ADEV bins per decade.
  • Page 49 Additionally, the 53100A driver can decimate the phase-difference data it acquires. Readings are collected by sampling the internal phase-difference data stream at a rate determined by the Output Decimation field in the Additional options page of the acquisition dialog. This feature is primarily for convenience. It can be used to reduce the size of phase records generated by very long acquisitions, for example, or when high data rates must be used in order to track drifting sources.
  • Page 50 Ground loops are a more likely offender, since all ports on the 53100A have ground pins or shields that are bonded to the instrument’s metal enclosure. If you can identify the offending loop, you may be able to break its RF path with a coaxial balun You can also attack the source of the loop by bonding all equipment to a common ground that’s connected to the building’s power distribution network in only one place.
  • Page 51 undergoing residual noise testing was affected by a WiFi access point, with interference appearing as an intermittent train of low-level impulses near 10 Hz. Try to keep all RF radiation sources – intentional and otherwise! – well away from your testing area. Crosstalk Finally, don’t confuse power-line spurs or other sources of low-frequency interference with crosstalk.
  • Page 52 GPS-disciplined frequency standard and distribution amplifier supplying 10 MHz to various instruments through long cables. The 5330A’s reference source was connected with a double-shielded RG400 cable in all three trials. The blue trace and magenta traces were taken with the input source connected with a 3m length of RG58.

  • Page 53: Hints For Xdev Measurements

    Hints for xDEV measurements • The 53100A does not display its own measurement floor in the ADEV, MDEV, HDEV, TDEV, or MTIE views. Instead, you can (and should) make residual plots for measurements that may approach the instrument floor, using similar frequencies and signal levels.
  • Page 54 In the example at left, two copies of the same 3600-sample .TIM file have been loaded. The blue trace was rendered with the default Threshold of 4, while the shorter magenta trace was rendered with Threshold set to 2000. Enabling Trace→Show xDEV error bars (Ctrl-e) reveals the blue...

  • Page 55: Working With Phase- And Frequency-Difference Traces

    Working with phase- and frequency-difference traces Phase and frequency stability data acquired by TimeLab is represented internally as an array of phase- difference samples. This is true regardless of whether the data came from a frequency counter, a time- interval counter, or a direct-digital timing analyzer. (Frequency readings are converted to phase- difference samples on the basis of their deviation from the first frequency reading acquired.) In addition to the statistical measurements such as Allan deviation that TimeLab provides, “strip chart”...

  • Page 56: Frequency Difference (F)

    Conversely, TimeLab’s Measurement→Phase difference (Unwrapped) (p) view displays the TI samples in the form of phase data that’s been “unwrapped.” The sawtooth discontinuities are removed by adding or subtracting the input signal’s period whenever the sample-to-sample time difference exceeds half of that period. It’s seldom necessary to refer to the original phase-difference graph except when troubleshooting configuration problems with live TI counter measurements.

  • Page 57: How Does Timelab Measure Frequency

    On the 53100A, the process of determining the input frequency can be thought of as a choice between the frequency-counter and TIC methods. Options in the Acquire→Jackson Labs PhaseStation / Microchip 53100A acquisition dialog allow you to specify the anticipated DUT and reference frequencies directly or measure them at a specified rounding precision.

  • Page 58: Examining Traces In Detail

    Examining traces in detail In the example below, a crystal oscillator was measured over a 12-hour period. The Measurement→Phase difference (p) Measurement→Frequency difference (f) views appear side-by-side for comparison. Figure 20: Two views of the same phase data record Not much detail is visible in either trace. Some sporadic frequency jumps are present, but they’re not easily examined since their height is such a small fraction of the plot’s overall magnitude.

  • Page 59: Navigating Zoomed Graphs

    For these reasons, Subtract global linear phase trend (frequency offset) (Ctrl-o) is not a commonly-needed command. At first glance, Subtract global linear frequency trend (drift line) (Ctrl-l) seems more useful: Figure 22: Removal of linear frequency drift Essentially, Subtract global linear frequency trend (drift line) (Ctrl-l) removes the quadratic trend from the phase record, which has the effect of removing the linear trend from the frequency-difference plot.
  • Page 60 Unlocking the Y axis with Trace→Phase/frequency Y axis unlocked in zoom mode (y) keeps TimeLab from constantly adjusting the Y axis to accommodate the graph’s vertical range. With the Y axis unlocked, you can expand and scroll the graph in both directions with the mouse, rather than being limited to side-to-side navigation.

  • Page 61: Hints For Phase/Frequency Stability Measurements

    Trace→Phase/frequency traces begin at zero (z) Trace→Show linear phase/frequency residual (r) commands are both extremely useful. Enabling one or both of these features can give you a detailed view of most phase- or frequency- difference traces without altering the phase data itself .
  • Page 62 • To invert the phase slope, you can use the Edit→Trace properties… (e) dialog to specify a Rescale Phase value of -1. This will invert both the slope and the origin of the phase data, but you can still use Trace→Phase/frequency traces begin at zero (z) to display the inverted trace at a fixed origin of zero.

  • Page 63: Phase Noise, Am Noise, And Jitter

    Phase noise, AM noise, and jitter With the 53100A, the most challenging oscillator measurements are as easy to perform as the simplest ones Thanks to the magic of cross-spectrum averaging, the PhaseStation 53100A can measure exceptionally low levels of phase noise and AM noise on HF and VHF signals. Below are some guidelines to help you make the most of this capability.
  • Page 64 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 65: Integrated Noise And Jitter Measurement

    Integrated noise and jitter measurement You can display various measures of integrated phase noise between two arbitrary offsets by enabling any or all of the following fields in the Legend→Select menu: Residual FM  RMS Integrated Noise (Degs)  RMS Integrated Noise (Rads) ...

  • Page 66: The Spur Table

    The spur table The spur table is a list of all coherent amplitude- or phase-modulated spectral components detected by the instrument in the course of measuring AM noise or phase noise, respectively. Each plot acquired from an instrument that supports spur detection has its own spur table.

  • Page 67: Spur Measurement Options

    axis labels don’t reflect the true amplitude of any coherent trace features. They must be recognized as spurs, and their amplitudes indicated separately. • Trace→Suppress spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-s) attempts to remove known spurs from phase noise and AM noise traces. As noted above, spurs that appear as artifacts in noise traces are not rendered at their true amplitude levels due to the use of FFT noise-bandwidth normalization.

  • Page 68: Is It A Spur, Or Isn't It

    • Spur min offset is normally 0.0 Hz. It can be set prior to acquisition by entering an offset frequency below which spurs will not be logged for processing. The minimum spur offset can also be adjusted in the Edit→Trace properties dialog at any time after acquisition is complete.

  • Page 69: Understanding Instrument Spurs

    Understanding instrument spurs While TimeLab can sometimes overlook true spurs and report nonexistent ones, a third type of measurement error may need to be considered as well: the presence of spurs which originate within the instrument itself. The spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) of the ADCs used in the 53100A is approximately 100 dB, which determines the corresponding specification limit of the instrument as a whole.

  • Page 70: Manual Spur Removal

    limited to the real axis… but unlike random noise, the real amplitude of some of these spurs may not average to zero over time. These spurs appear on the graph as instrument artifacts. Switching to the Trace→Show imaginary part of cross spectrum display (Ctrl-F3) view at right reveals the noise and spurs that correspond to the imaginary part of the cross- spectrum average, specifically the absolute value of the Q-component at each bin.

  • Page 71: Using Noise Markers

    Using noise markers Shift To add up to 10 noise markers at specified offset frequencies, hold down the left-click on the graticule area of the noise plot near the desired column. A marker will appear at the top of the graticule area. If the selected plot includes valid trace data at the specified offset frequency, a corresponding entry will appear in the noise marker table at right, displaying the offset frequency and noise power at that point in the trace.

  • Page 72: Hints For Noise Measurements

    Hints for noise measurements • The 53100A can render an estimate of its own noise floor in AM/PM noise plots if you enable Trace→Show estimated instrument noise (F2). See page 100 for more information. • For AM and phase noise, a good indication that the noise trace has converged on its final level is the variance of the trace, or its overall fuzziness/thickness.

  • Page 73: Timelab Command Reference

    TimeLab Command Reference Virtually all of the menu-based commands in TimeLab also have single-key shortcuts for faster, more interactive workflow. When present, the shortcut key is generally shown after the name of the menu option. PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...
  • Page 74 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 75: File Menu

    File menu The File menu helps you work with data files and images. Supported actions include opening, saving, closing, and deleting plots stored in .TIM files, saving image files, printing or copying the currently displayed window contents, and importing and exporting raw measurement data. Various “user preference”...

  • Page 76: Copy Image To Clipboard (Ctrl-C)

    Copy image to clipboard (Ctrl-c) This command offers a handy shortcut for cutting/pasting TimeLab screen images into other programs via the operating system’s clipboard, avoiding the need to save an image file. When copying the screen image to the clipboard, all visible status and error messages, notifications, prompts, and mouse-cursor query values are removed.

  • Page 77: Export Ascii Phase Data (X)

    Export ASCII phase data (x) This command is supported only when viewing the selected plot’s phase record contents using Measurement→Phase difference (p) Measurement→Frequency- difference (f). It will save an ASCII text file containing phase difference data in seconds, one entry per line, at 16 digits of precision to the right of the decimal point. If a selected or zoomed area has been defined by dragging with the mouse, only that portion of the phase record will be exported.

  • Page 78: Export Binary Phase Data

    Export binary phase data This command is supported only when viewing the selected plot’s phase record contents using Measurement→Phase difference (p) Measurement→Frequency- difference (f). It will save a binary file containing phase difference data in seconds, represented as a block of double-precision IEEE 754 values in little-endian (Intel) format. If a selected or zoomed area has been defined by dragging with the mouse, only that portion of the phase record will be exported.

  • Page 79: Export Ascii Xdev Trace

    Export ASCII xDEV trace Measurement→Allan Deviation (a), Measurement→Modified Allan Available in the Deviation (m), Measurement→Hadamard Deviation (h), Measurement→Time Deviation (t) views, this command creates an ASCII text file containing a tau, sigma(tau) value pair for each visible xDEV bin in the selected plot. One value pair is written per line;...

  • Page 80: Exported Ascii Files Include Headers For Microsemi Timemonitor

    By default, the exported offset, dBc pairs will be saved with the suffix .CSV for ease of reading into Excel and other spreadsheets. Exported ASCII files include headers for Microsemi TimeMonitor When enabled, this option causes text files written by Export ASCII xDEV trace, Export ASCII...

  • Page 81: Reset All Parameters, Options, And Settings At Next Startup

    Reset all parameters, options, and settings at next startup This option causes a dialog box to appear when you exit from TimeLab, confirming that you would like to reset all options, settings, colors, and dialog fields to their default values the next time the program is launched. If confirmation is given, the .INI files associated with TimeLab and all of its instrument drivers will be deleted, forcing them to be recreated with default values when the program is relaunched.
  • Page 82 loaded plots) to a file called TIMELAB.INI. These properties will be restored when the program is next launched. The “Shift-exit” feature can be handy if you have opened or closed various plots or changed any options or colors, but don’t wish to retain the changes or otherwise lose your previous startup defaults.

  • Page 83: Edit Menu

    Edit Menu Plots that have been loaded or acquired in TimeLab may be displayed with a variety of options and transforms. However, any global changes to the measurement data or display parameters associated with a specific plot must be made through the commands in the Edit menu. Trace properties (e) Figure 32: Editing the properties of the selected trace As seen above, the...
  • Page 84 acquisition dialog before data collection began, you’ll need to wait for the measurement to finish before you can change them. PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 85: Flatten Selected Noise Region (Ctrl-F8)

    Flatten selected noise region (Ctrl-F8) This feature allows you to remove known spurs and other artifacts from a phase noise or AM noise plot. It can be helpful in cases where the automated spur identification process falls short, such as when a PN or AM noise mask test is failing due to a low-level instrument artifact or a known external interference source.

  • Page 86: Restore Flattened Noise Regions (Ctrl-F9)

    Internally, this command works by allocating an instrument spur record in the specified location. Up to 300 regions may be flattened, less the total number of real and instrument spurs in the measurement. (Edit→Undo last flatten or Ctrl-z subtract operation) may be used to Figure 35 restore the most recently-flattened noise segment, while Ctrl-F9...

  • Page 87: Remove Selected Or Zoomed Phase Data (F4)

    boundaries. As seen in the figures above, a straight line in the phase record corresponds to a flat region in the Measurement→Frequency difference (f) view. You can use Edit→Flatten selected or zoomed phase data (Ctrl-f) to remove glitches and outliers from an acquisition. Subsequently, Edit→Undo last flatten or subtract operation (Ctrl-z) can be used to restore the flattened data.

  • Page 88: Subtract Global Linear Phase Trend (Frequency Offset) (Ctrl-O)

    automatically be removed from both of the phase records. See page 136 for more information on cross ADEV measurements. Subtract global linear phase trend (frequency offset) (Ctrl-o) Subtract global linear frequency trend (drift line) (Ctrl-l) Subtract quadratic linear frequency trend (drift curve) (Ctrl-q) These related commands are used to remove global offsets and trends from the selected plot’s phase record.

  • Page 89: Apply Notch Filter To Phase Data (Ctrl-N)

    Apply notch filter to phase data (Ctrl-n) This command applies a biquad notch filter with the specified center frequency and Q parameters to the phase data record. It is typically used to attenuate unwanted tonal artifacts such as crosstalk and AC line interference. The filter has no effect on phase noise or AM noise data.

  • Page 90: Undo Last Flatten Or Subtract Operation (Ctrl-Z)

    fundamental interference from ground loops in countries that utilize North American power distribution standards. Note that AC line-frequency interference in 50 Hz environments may appear as long-term artifact(s) with a period close to DC. If this is suspected, consider using the 5 Hz or 500 Hz measurement bandwidths instead.

  • Page 91: Trace Menu

    Trace Menu Trace menu contains options that affect the way measurement data is processed and rendered as traces on the graph. Unlike the Edit menu options, the Trace options apply to all visible traces, rather than only the selected Trace plot, and they never alter the underlying measurement data.
  • Page 92 When used in the Measurement→Frequency difference (f) view, the effect of Trace→Phase/frequency traces begin at zero (z) is somewhat similar to applying Edit→Subtract global linear phase trend (frequency offset) (Ctrl-o) to each visible plot. It’s not quite the same, though, because a trace’s first data point is not necessarily anywhere near its trend line.

  • Page 93: Show Linear Phase/Frequency Trend (Ctrl-T)

    accommodate a larger overall trend. Some additional usage examples can be found on page 58. Note that although only one Phase/frequency traces begin at zero (z) option appears on the Trace menu, Timelab maintains separate copies of the associated preference variable that retain the last change made in each of the respective views.

  • Page 94: Averaging Window For Phase/Frequency Traces (G)

    unzoomed display, but when dragging with the left mouse button to magnify a desired area of the graph, you’ll be able to move in the both X and Y directions, instead of only being able to drag a pair of vertical cursors. When you release the button, the resulting zoomed view will conform to the specified extents in both directions.

  • Page 95: Draw Xdev Traces With Spline Interpolation (I)

    As a reminder that averaging is in effect, nonzero averaging times will be displayed in red above phase- and frequency-difference graphs. You can quickly disable averaging with the keyboard sequence <Enter>. Averaging also determines how phase records are decimated for display in the phase- and frequency difference views.

  • Page 96: Show Xdev Error Bars (Ctrl-E)

    Show xDEV error bars (Ctrl-e) Figure 44: Allan deviation error bars When enabled, this option draws “error bars” at each tau bin in Allan deviation and other statistical plots. These bars approximate the ± one-sigma (68%) confidence interval at ± σ/sqrt(N/M), where N is the number of phase-record samples that contribute to each bin and M is the bin’s τ...

  • Page 97: Show Separated Xdev Variances (N-Cornered Hat) When Available (Ctrl-H)

    Show separated xDEV variances (N-cornered hat) when available (Ctrl-h) This display option provides an alternative way to view Allan deviation and other statistical traces. Under appropriate conditions, it can reveal aspects of oscillator performance that would otherwise be inaccessible in a conventional measurement with a single reference source.

  • Page 98: Show Cross Adev Traces When Available (Ctrl-J)

    Show cross ADEV traces when available (Ctrl-j) Cross Allan deviation measurements take advantage of all four instrument input channels, potentially enhancing the short-term ADEV measurement floor by an order of magnitude. On the 53100A, these measurements are performed when the DUT and reference sources are routed to both of their respective front-panel input jack pairs with internal or external splitters and the Measure single DUT with cross ADEV statistics...

  • Page 99: Show Fft Segment Filter Slopes (Ctrl-I)

    Show FFT segment filter slopes (Ctrl-i) This option is a diagnostic aid intended for use when editing FFT segment table files for phase noise and AM noise acquisition with the PhaseStation 53100A or TimePod 5330A. When acquiring noise plots on the PhaseStation 53100A, data for each visible FFT segment undergoes highpass and/or lowpass filtering based on the declarations in the segment table, accessible via the Additional options...

  • Page 100: Show Imaginary Part Of Cross Spectrum (Ctrl-F3)

    Show imaginary part of cross spectrum (Ctrl-F3) Show estimated instrument noise (F2) Figure 46: Shaded noise floor estimate Phase noise and AM noise plots acquired with the PhaseStation 53100A, TimePod 5330A, and Symmetricom 512X analyzers can be displayed with a shaded area that provides an estimate of the instrument noise floor, if you enable Trace→Show estimated instrument noise...

  • Page 101: Mark Spurs In Noise Traces (Ctrl-M)

    Mark spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-m) Suppress spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-s) For a detailed discussion of these commands and other aspects of spur detection and rendering in phase noise and AM noise plots, see page 66. Smooth noise traces (Ctrl-w) Figure 47: Trace smoothing This command applies some light exponential smoothing to traces in the phase noise and AM noise measurement views.

  • Page 102: Show Am Noise In Pn View (F8)

    Note that while the Trace menu option shows the raw ADC data traces alongside the actual measurement traces, the Ctrl-r keyboard shortcut cycles between measurement- only, measurement+raw, and raw-only displays. Although intended primarily for instrument diagnostic purposes, the appearance of the raw trace can sometimes be helpful in tracking down intermittent problems in the DUT or reference source associated with one of the two channel pairs.

  • Page 103: Tick Marks (K)

    Tick marks (k) This command toggles tick marks on and off, as shown below. Figure 50: Tick marks Tick marks are supported in most trace types and display modes. They can be especially handy when examining phase/frequency difference plots. In cases where many data points contribute to a single pixel column in the graph and no explicit averaging time has been specified, TimeLab’s “per-pixel”...
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  • Page 105: Display Menu

    Display Menu Display-related options that aren’t measurement-specific appear on the Display menu. Controls on this menu determine the visibility and selection status of loaded plots, the order in which plots appear in the Display→Overlay (o) Display→Browse (b) legend table below the graph, and the choice of mode that determines whether all loaded plots are displayed or only the selected plot.

  • Page 106: High Contrast (C)

    High contrast (C) Figure 53: Contrast adjustment This command toggles the display between normal and high-contrast rendering. The latter option may be desirable when saving screenshots for publications or Web pages whose color fidelity may not be sufficient to reveal details in the plot such as minor graticule lines.

  • Page 107: Clear Noise Markers (Ctrl-F4)

    view. Finally, tables of user-defined noise markers and detected spurs are displayed in the phase noise and AM noise views. Clear noise markers (Ctrl-F4) This command clears the list of user-defined noise markers, removing it from phase noise and AM noise plots. To add a new noise marker, simply Shift-left click near the desired column on either the phase noise or AM noise plot.

  • Page 108: Tau Labels In Scientific Notation

    Tau labels in scientific notation Log-x plots used to display stability measurements in TimeLab are labeled with tau values in seconds corresponding to each decade, from 1E-6 (microseconds) to 1E+9 (billions of seconds). The decades may be labeled in scientific notation or as literal decimals (the default). Browse plots one at a time (b) Overlay all loaded plots (o) Toggle visibility of selected plot (v)

  • Page 109: Zoom In ( ] )

    X zoom in ( ] ) X zoom out ( [ ) Y zoom in ( } ) Y zoom out ( { ) The bracket and shift-bracket keys are useful for navigating zoomed phase- and frequency-difference traces on a laptop or other PC without a three-button scrolling mouse.

  • Page 110: Legend Menu

    Legend Menu Legend menu contains only one command, Legend→Select (d). This command opens a dialog box in which you can choose which attributes are displayed for each visible plot in the legend table beneath the main graph. Some properties are flagged for display in the legend table by default, while others will not be displayed until you select them explicitly.
  • Page 111 Ch 1 Auto True if Ch 1 frequency should be measured automatically Ch 1 Enabled Enabled/disabled status for channel 1 Ch 1 Freq Specified input frequency for channel 1 Ch 1 Freq Mode Input frequency measurement mode for channel 1 Ch 1 Label User-assignable label for source connected to instrument channel 1 Ch 1 Noise Ref...
  • Page 112 Ext N Specified division factor (N) used for external frequency division FFT 0 Combination of physical ADC channel(s) contributing data to FFT ch 0 FFT 1 Combination of physical ADC channel(s) contributing data to FFT ch 1 FFT Win # Index or other identifier for FFT window function used for noise measurement FFT Window...
  • Page 113 multichannel measurement Narrowband Mode Narrow acquisition bandwidth option New t0 Most recent tau-zero interval specified for resampled phase data Notes Additional notes that apply to a measurement, as specified at acquisition time or edited with Edit->Trace Properties Optional Filters True if optional filters in use Options Option codes associated with instrument Output Decimation...
  • Page 114 measurement Specified Input Frequency Exact input frequency in Hz provided by user Specified Reference Frequency Exact reference frequency in Hz provided by user Spot Cursor Displays a red vertical cursor in the graph window which can be moved by left-clicking. The value at the selected column will be displayed in the legend table.

  • Page 115: Measurement Menu

    Measurement Menu Measurement menu selection determines how TimeLab displays the data in any plots that have been acquired or loaded. One measurement type may be selected at a time. As discussed on page 36, TimeLab plots (and their associated .TIM files) use independent data records for different measurement classes.
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  • Page 117: Masks Menu

    Masks Menu menu is almost entirely user-configurable. It consists of a list of mask definitions for optional Masks use in TimeLab. Masks are useful in production test applications where fast, reliable, and repeatable pass/fail judgments are required. You can also use mask testing for proof-of-performance verification of the 53100A and other instruments supported by TimeLab.

  • Page 118: User-Defined Mask Entries

    User-defined mask entries Mask→Clear mask definitions Mask→Edit mask Menu entries appearing between definitions are defined in masks.txt and standard_masks.txt. Up to five masks may be selected at a time. Mask titles and limit lines will be visible only in measurement views corresponding to valid limit lines in a selected mask.

  • Page 119: Scripts Menu

    Scripts Menu TimeLab includes an embedded JavaScript engine that can run automated test scripts using the PhaseStation 53100A and TimePod 5330A. (Script-based access to other instruments such as time-interval counters is not currently supported.) Figure 57: Scripts menu Numerous API functions are provided to support a variety of applications, ranging from performance verification procedures included with TimeLab to user-developed test scripts.

  • Page 120: Run Script

    Run script … Scripts→Run script . . . To launch a test script, select and choose the desired script’s JavaScript file (.js) in the file dialog that appears. TimeLab will load the script into memory and execute its “global scope” to initialize any variables declared outside of functions or event handlers.

  • Page 121: Toggle Script Console For Selected Plot (F11)

    Toggle script console for selected plot (F11) When a measurement is started under script control, TimeLab will display an overlay containing any error or status messages issued by the script. This console overlay is shown by default whenever the measurement is otherwise visible on the graph.
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  • Page 123: Acquire Menu

    Acquire Menu TimeLab’s principal mission is to serve as the user interface for the PhaseStation™ 53100A Phase Noise Test Set from Jackson Labs Technologies, but support for many other instruments is also provided. The Acquire menu includes a list of all instruments currently recognized by TimeLab, followed by a small number of commands that manage acquisition operations.

  • Page 124: Acquire From Live Ascii File

    TimeLab supports GPIB connectivity through adapters from National Instruments or Prologix, including Agilent/Keysight GPIB adapters with NI488.2 compatibility enabled. Acquire from live ASCII file Similar to the Talk-Only acquisition option described above, this option allows you to specify the location of a text file containing frequency, phase/TI, or timestamp data that’s being written by another process.

  • Page 125: Symmetricom 5115A / 5120A / 5125A (Frequency Stability)

    Symmetricom 5115A / 5120A / 5125A (Frequency stability) Symmetricom 5115A / 5120A / 5125A (Phase noise) These digital phase noise analyzers provide advanced features and specifications similar to the TimePod and PhaseStation instruments. However, separate options in the Acquisition menu must be used to obtain data for xDEV and phase/frequency-difference plots and the Fourier spectrum used for phase noise plots.

  • Page 126: Abort And Retrigger Selected Acquisition (Ctrl-A)

    Abort and retrigger selected acquisition (Ctrl-a) Keep and retrigger selected acquisition (Ctrl-k) Like Acquire→Stop/repeat acquisition (Space), these commands are normally accessed via their respective keyboard shortcuts. Often used when you accidentally disturb the equipment or remember an omitted step in the measurement procedure, Ctrl-a will restart the selected plot’s measurement immediately with no further interaction.

  • Page 127: Acquisition Options (Ctrl-F7)

    Acquisition options (Ctrl-F7) This command brings up a dialog box that configures TimeLab’s autosave and deferred- acquisition functionality. Figure 59 When deferred-acquisition mode has been toggled on by the Acquire→Enable deferred acquisition (Ctrl-d) command, data from subsequent measurements will be discarded until the measurement is “triggered”...

  • Page 128: Enable Deferred Acquisition (Ctrl-D)

    Measurements in progress that have not been saved manually at least once, or that are running with Autosave interval set to a value less than one minute, will not be automatically saved. Enable deferred acquisition (Ctrl-d) Trigger deferred acquisition(s) (Enter) Deferred acquisition mode is toggled with the Enable deferred acquisition (Ctrl-d) command.

  • Page 129: Help Menu

    Help Menu User guide (F1) This command launches the system’s default Web browser to display http://www.miles.io/timelab/readme.htm (or the equivalent beta page). Links on this page will allow you to download the latest version of TimeLab and access the latest edition of the PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual (this file). When you install TimeLab, a local copy of the PhaseStation 53100A manual is also installed on your hard drive.
  • Page 130 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 131: Phasestation 53100A Measurement Roles

    PhaseStation 53100A Measurement Roles The PhaseStation 53100A differs from earlier direct-digital instruments in that all four of its internal ADC channel inputs are user-accessible. For simplicity’s sake, the 53100A is typically operated in one of several predefined “measurement roles,” in which the individual channel inputs and jumper positions are assumed to be configured specifically for the selected task with their per-channel controls populated accordingly, or in a user-defined role in which the channel controls may be freely assigned.

  • Page 132: Measure Single Dut With Dual Internal References

    Measure single DUT with dual internal references 53100A instruments equipped with optional dual internal reference oscillators may be configured as shown above. In this role, phase noise and AM noise measurements between channels 3-1 and 4-2 will benefit from cross-spectral suppression of reference noise as well as other instrument noise contributions, while stability measurements will be made as usual based on the phase differences between channels 3 and 1.

  • Page 133: Measure Two Duts With Single External Reference

    Measure two DUTs with single external reference This measurement role will yield two separate stability plots, one based on the phase differences between channel 3 and channel 1 and the other based on the phase differences between channel 4 and channel 1.
  • Page 134 Figure 60: Stability plots of three crystal oscillators measured simultaneously against a cesium-beam standard PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 135: Measure Three Independent Duts (Three-Cornered Hat)

    Measure three independent DUTs (three- cornered hat) This measurement role is similar to Measure single DUT with dual external references, in that it is capable of performing a cross-correlated phase noise and/or AM noise measurement of a single device under test that is connected to channels 3 and 4 via an internal or external RF splitter. The phase noise and AM noise contributions from the two independent references connected to channels 1 and 2 –...

  • Page 136: Measure Single Dut With Cross Adev Statistics

    Measure single DUT with cross ADEV statistics This measurement role is useful when the lowest achievable instrument performance floor is required in Allan deviation measurements. Like Measure single DUT with single external reference and the various dual-reference roles, the cross ADEV role performs stability and noise measurements of a single source against one or two references, but it departs from other measurement roles...
  • Page 137 Second, the averaging process also helps to cancel uncorrelated noise from the two independent reference oscillators. At taus beyond 1s where instrument noise doesn’t come into play, the result is reminiscent of what would be obtained from a three-cornered hat measurement (Figure 63). Figure 63 Given sufficient measurement time, it’s likely that the violet traces would approach each other closely at taus greater than 1s, but only the cross ADEV technique can remove the instrument noise at shorter-...
  • Page 138 bin locations is unaffected by spline interpolation, keep in mind that it may exaggerate the apparent trace amplitude elsewhere, especially near high-variance degenerate bins. Once again, longer measurements yield smoother traces. In all other respects, cross ADEV measurements are similar to those obtained in the other measurement roles.

  • Page 139: Manual Configuration

    Figure 64: Manual configuration controls Manual configuration As shown above, selecting the Manual configuration measurement role will enable all of the dialog fields associated with channel assignment and frequency specification that are normally grayed out when working with predefined measurement roles. Any changes you make to these fields will be saved for recall whenever the Manual configuration role is selected in the future, as long as the...
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  • Page 141: Two-Port Residual Measurements

    Two-Port Residual Measurements Residual noise and stability measurements with the 53100A can be conveniently performed in the Measure single DUT with single external reference Measure single DUT with cross ADEV statistics role. Typically a two-way 0° RF splitter is used to feed a signal from a common reference source to both the REFERENCE jack and the input of the device under test.
  • Page 142 High-quality double-shielded cables and coaxial interconnects are vital for low-noise, high- stability measurements. Cabling used in residual tests should be kept as short as possible. Some typical residual instrument performance test results are reproduced below. Figure 65: 5 MHz residual ADEV and phase drift PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...
  • Page 143 Figure 66: 5 MHz residual phase noise and AM noise PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...
  • Page 144 Note that the 53100A’s Allan deviation performance limits are specified for both conventional and cross ADEV measurement roles. The best achievable ADEV performance floor is obtained in cross ADEV mode. Refer to the Measure single DUT with cross ADEV statistics description on page 136 for more information and examples.

  • Page 145: Javascript Api Function Reference

    JavaScript API Function Reference TimeLab includes an embedded JavaScript engine that can run automated test scripts using the TimePod 5330A and PhaseStation 53100A. The API functions listed below are useful in a variety of applications ranging from performance verification procedures to user-developed test scripts. Usage examples for many of these API functions can be found in the 53100A_performance_test.js script included with TimeLab, as well as 5330A_performance_test.js and 5330A_ADC_test.js.

  • Page 146: Acqclearparams()

    AcqClearParams() Each script instance maintains a dictionary of acquisition parameters that can be used to override any or all of the acquisition dialog parameters when is called. AcqStartAcquisition() clears this dictionary. It is normally called before issuing the AcqClearParams() call(s) needed to configure the measurement. AcqSetParam() Acquisition parameters that the script does not explicitly set with will...

  • Page 147: Acqnumchannels()

    AcqNumChannels() Returns the number of acquisition channels in the measurement associated with the script instance. In scripts that perform only standard single-channel acquisitions, this function always returns 1. AcqParam(String key) AcqStrParam(String key) AcqNumParam(String key) Each script instance maintains a dictionary of acquisition parameters that can be used to override any or all of the default acquisition dialog parameters when AcqStartAcquisition() is called.

  • Page 148: Acqsetparam(String Key, String Value)

    (...) that follows it. Currently the only officially-supported instrument names for scripted measurements are the Miles Design TimePod ... and Jackson Labs PhaseStation … entries, so one of these strings must be supplied as the value.

  • Page 149: Acqstopacquisition()

    value with or (if is false) the user’s selection of the Cancel AcqSetParam(), skip_dialog button. Once the measurement begins collecting data, the script’s event EventAcqTriggered() handler (if any) will be called. Prior to this stage, the script’s handler will EventAcqSetup() be called if one is defined.

  • Page 150: Displayrefresh([Number Mask])

    DisplayRefresh([Number mask]) Forces an immediate display refresh that includes the elements specified by . If no mask parameter is passed, all display elements are refreshed. Currently-defined display elements include the following: DisplaySpotTau(Number secs) Sets the location of the spot cursor on Allan deviation and related log-log statistical plots to the desired tau interval in seconds, returning the previous cursor location.

  • Page 151: Eventacqsetup([User])

    EventAcqSetup([user]) This is an optional user-supplied function. is called after a measurement EventAcqSetup() running on a PhaseStation 53100A has connected to the target instrument, but before it enters the pretrigger state in preparation for data acquisition. The optional user parameter receives the optional user variable passed to AcqStartAcquisition() During the setup phase, a number of additional setup-related API functions are available.

  • Page 152: Eventtimer()

    For a detailed look at the operation and overall life cycle of test scripts, refer to the 53100A_performance_test.js script provided with TimeLab, as well as the other API function descriptions in this section. EventTimer() This is an optional user-supplied function. is called periodically at a rate EventTimer() determined by the parameter passed to...

  • Page 153: Fileexecute[Wait](String Path_To_File [, String Params])

    Alternatively, may be omitted. In this case, the function closes the plot selection associated with the first channel of the most recent measurement executed by the script. In both cases, calling on a plot associated with a given measurement will FileClosePlot() stop any acquisition(s) in progress that were initiated by that measurement.

  • Page 154: Fileimageuri()

    that contains the specified file. Unlike , the folder will be created path path subdir automatically if it does not already exist. This function can be used to poll for signals from external or host processes that create empty files with specific names. See the handler in EventTimer() 53100A_command_line_example.js for a detailed usage example.

  • Page 155: Filesavetext(String Path, [String Subdir,] String Filename, String Contents)

    function returns a string containing the saved file’s fully-qualified FileSave() pathname. Any errors that occur will not be reported to the script. They will result in a JavaScript exception which will terminate the script with an appropriate error message. To save .TIM data from multiple plots in a multichannel measurement, you must use to associate the script with channels other than the first one.

  • Page 156: Maskresultvalid([Number Mask_Num])

    Important: Keep in mind that JavaScript execution does not disable or inhibit the rest of the TimeLab user interface. While test masks are easy to create and use in TimeLab, script-based mask evaluation is complicated by the need to establish the correct measurement view, allow enough time for the display to update, and wait for valid results to become available for the X-axis range covered by the mask, all while allowing for the user’s ability to switch measurement views, move plots up and down in the...

  • Page 157: Measurementselectview(String Hotkey)

    MeasurementSelectView(String hotkey) MeasurementDeferSelectView(String hotkey) These functions accept a parameter that consists of the (case-sensitive) shortcut hotkey key for the desired measurement view as it appears in the Measurement menu. For example, will emulate the ‘P’ keyboard shortcut MeasurementSelectView(“P”) (Measurement→Phase noise (P)).

  • Page 158: Scriptboundtoplot()

    Most script authors will not need to use It is required only in scripts ScriptBindToPlot(). that support multichannel plots, such as 53100A_performance_test.js and 5330A_ADC_test.js. A script can be associated (“bound”) to only one plot at a time, and most operations performed by a script implicitly involve the currently bound plot. When a measurement initiated by a script specifies multiple stability channels, as in the TimePod and PhaseStation validation scripts mentioned, it’s necessary to use to access the plots that represent all channels of the measurement.

  • Page 159: Scriptgetstring(String Heading, String Message, Object User_Text, String B1_Text [, String B2_Text [, String B3_Txt]])

    ScriptGetString(String heading, String message, Object user_text, String b1_text [, String b2_text [, String b3_txt]]) Presents a modal dialog box to the user that accepts freeform text entry. An example appears below. var trace_caption = { value:"(Some default text could go here)" }; if (ScriptGetString( "OCXO Stability Test", "Enter trace caption above, then click 'OK' to continue.",...

  • Page 160: Scriptlaststatusmessage()

    ScriptLastStatusMessage() Returns a String containing the most recent status message displayed by TimeLab. This function may be useful for logging and report generation. ScriptMessageBox(String heading, String message, String b1_text [, String b2_text [, String b3_txt]]) Presents a modal dialog box to the user that accepts button presses. An example appears below.

  • Page 161: Scriptnumparam(Number N )

    ScriptNumParam(Number n ) Returns a Number corresponding to the floating-point numeric value of the nth (zero- based) command line parameter following the JavaScript (.js) program name on the TimeLab command line. An exception will be thrown if the requested parameter is not present or is not representable as a numeric value.

  • Page 162: Scriptsetttyheader(Number Linenum [, String Text])

    ScriptSetTTYHeader(Number linenum [, String text]) Sets and/or retrieves the text displayed at the top of the script TTY window that is associated with the plot(s) bound to the script instance. argument specifies which of the first two TTY lines will be retrieved or linenum updated;...

  • Page 163: Setupdetectedfreqhz

    SetupDetectedFreqHz SetupDetectSignals SetupMeasuredAmpldBm SetupMeasuredFreqHz SetupMeasureSignals SetupNumQuery SetupSetDefaultAttenuation SetupStrQuery These setup API functions are supported only by the PhaseStation 53100A, and only when called from within an handler. They are currently reserved for EventAcqSetup internal use. TimeHoursSinceTrigger() TimeMinsSinceTrigger() TimeSecsSinceTrigger() These three functions return the elapsed time since the measurement currently associated with the script was triggered, if the measurement is still in progress.

  • Page 164: Traceavgwindow([Number Seconds])

    By default, scripts are terminated automatically if a timer event occurs with no acquisition in progress. If the parameter is present and equal to , automatic persist true termination will not occur. This may result in script resource leakage if the user closes the script’s plot(s) manually without terminating the script itself.

  • Page 165: Tracephasefreqresid([Boolean Status])

    Sets and/or retrieves the of the flag controlled by Trace→Phase/frequency Y axis status unlocked in zoom mode (y). Refer to this command for more information. To return the current flag value, call with no argument. TracePhaseFreqAutoY() TracePhaseFreqResid([Boolean status]) Sets and/or retrieves the of the flag controlled by Trace→Show linear status...

  • Page 166: Traceshowhatstatistics([Boolean Status])

    TraceShowHatStatistics([Boolean status]) Sets and/or retrieves the of the flag controlled by Trace→Show separated status variances (N-cornered hat) when available (Ctrl-h). Refer to this command for more information. To return the current flag value, call with no argument. TraceShowHatStatistics() TraceShowImag([Boolean status]) Sets and/or retrieves the of the flag controlled by Trace→Show imaginary part of...

  • Page 167: Tracesuppressspurs([Boolean Status])

    TraceSuppressSpurs([Boolean status]) Sets and/or retrieves the of the spur-suppression flag controlled by status Trace→Suppress spurs in noise traces (Ctrl-s). Refer to this command for more information. To return the current spur-suppression flag value, call with no TraceSuppressSpurs() argument. TraceThickness([Number status]) Trace→Toggle trace thickness Sets and/or retrieves the of the flag controlled by...
  • Page 168 To return the current flag value, call with no argument. TraceXDEVSpline() PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 169: Accessing The Phasestation And Timepod Remotely

    Accessing the PhaseStation and TimePod Remotely Introduction to STREAM TimeLab includes a Windows console application, STREAM.EXE, which can be used to provide remote access to measurement data acquired by a PhaseStation 53100A or TimePod 5330A. Continuous streams of phase-difference or frequency measurements acquired by STREAM.EXE can be written to a shared file or streamed continuously via TCP/IP over a local- or wide-area network.
  • Page 170 As shown below, the /? option causes STREAM.EXE to display a brief list of the command-line options available in the current release. (Black on white text indicates typed commands.) Figure 69: Running STREAM.EXE from the MS-DOS command line prompt PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 171: Using Stream

    Using STREAM Because STREAM.EXE performs only phase/frequency stability measurements, its command-line options are relatively limited. Only one parameter is mandatory: you must specify the hardware driver’s filename as the first parameter on the command line. Currently, only the TimePod and PhaseStation drivers are supported, so all STREAM.EXE command lines must begin as follows: stream timepod.tll stream phasestation.tll...

  • Page 172: Logfile:

    Additionally, the /notcp option Is used in this example to keep STREAM.EXE from attempting to open a network port. /logfile:<filename> Specifies the pathname for a logfile which will record status, warning, and error messages. If the /logfile parameter contains an absolute path specification, the log file is placed at that location.

  • Page 173: Msglvl:<0-5

    /msglvl:<0-5> Specifies the “verbosity” of informational, warning, and error messages that STREAM.EXE will display on the server console. /msglvl:0 will display all available status messages and notices, including internal driver diagnostic messages, while /msglvl:5 will display only fatal error messages. The default message level is 3.

  • Page 174: Window:

    /window:<samples> When the /format:F option is used to acquire a stream of absolute frequency measurements, each frequency reading is normally derived by subtracting the previous phase-difference reading from each incoming one and dividing the result by the reciprocal of the sampling interval. The resulting frequency difference is applied to the input frequency that was provided explicitly with the /input option or estimated when the measurement began, yielding an absolute frequency in hertz.
  • Page 175 Figure 71: Using Scroll Lock to echo measurement data Here, the frequency readings in green were displayed by turning Scroll Lock on to view the data in real time as it was acquired. After only 24 seconds, the results have converged to within about 3 parts in 10 of the expected value of 9999999.962747097 MHz.

  • Page 176: Rate:<1, 10, 100, 1000

    /rate:<1, 10, 100, 1000> By default, STREAM.EXE configures the instrument driver to make 10 measurements per second. The baseband measurement bandwidth is half of this interval, or 5 Hz by default. The 53100A drivers limits the minimum bandwidth to 5 Hz, even when /rate:1 is used.

  • Page 177: Ref:

    Figure 72: Using the /timestamp and /sep options /ref:<Hz> /input:<Hz> When acquiring data directly from a 53100A in most of the predefined measurement roles, TimeLab rounds the reference and input frequencies to the nearest 100 kHz. If you wish to obtain accurate frequency counts in TimeLab’s Measurement→Frequency difference (f) view in measurements where one or both of these frequencies is not a...

  • Page 178: Autoupdate

    /autoupdate The /autoupdate function is useful in scenarios where STREAM.EXE may need to be recompiled, upgraded, or otherwise replaced over a network without manual intervention at the server console. When /autoupdate is present on the command line, STREAM.EXE will periodically check for the presence of a file called STREAM.EX1 in the same directory as the executable.

  • Page 179: Noexit

    /noexit By default, STREAM.EXE will disconnect any attached clients, close its destination file (if any), and terminate with exit(1) under a variety of abnormal conditions, including loss of input or reference signals, out-of-range signal frequencies or amplitude levels, or other acquisition errors.

  • Page 180: Introduction To Tserve

    Introduction to TSERVE Using the TSERVE server application provided with TimeLab, phase noise and stability measurements with the PhaseStation 53100A can be configured, initiated, and recorded under the control of a remote Telnet client or other ASCII terminal application. This section describes how to run TSERVE and how to access the services it provides.

  • Page 181: Tserve Command Line Options And Defaults

    Figure 73 Note that both 32-bit and native 64-bit versions are installed on 64-bit Windows PCs. These can be launched by running TSERVE or TSERVE64, respectively. There is no functional difference between the 32-bit and 64-bit executables, but TSERVE64 may provide more reliable acquisition on slower systems due to its use of 64-bit processing.

  • Page 182: Am:

    negative time interval values in seconds multiplied by the nominal input frequency. This default behavior can be modified with various command-line options, described below in alphabetical order. /am:<true | false> By default, TSERVE performs AM noise measurements as well as phase noise measurements, as in the TimeLab GUI application.

  • Page 183: Chart:

    In Figure 74, the /start option has been used to initiate a measurement in the absence of any remote client connections, /ch:1-2,2-3,3-1 is used to request separate measurements of three channel pairs, and /format:P requests phase-difference data in seconds. The Scroll Lock key has been pressed to display a subset of the outgoing data in the server console.

  • Page 184: Dateformat:<1,2,3

    The default port for phase/frequency data streaming is 1298. If the port number is 0, TSERVE will not attempt to open a streaming data output port. Up to eight clients at a time may receive data via the streaming port. TSERVE ignores any commands or other input received.

  • Page 185: Format:

    /format:<P, F, TSC> Specifies the type of measurement data that will be broadcast via the TCP/IP data port and/or logged to the specified file. TSERVE writes Symmetricom 51XXA-style phase-difference data by default (/format:TSC). This format consists of phase-difference values that have been inverted and multiplied by the input frequency.

  • Page 186: Logfile:

    /logfile:<filename> Specifies the pathname for a logfile which will record status, warning, and error messages. If the /logfile parameter contains an absolute path specification, the log file is placed at that location. Otherwise, if /logfile specifies a filename by itself, the log file is placed in the user’s Documents directory.

  • Page 187: Overlap

    /overlap For maximum reliability on slower host PCs, overlapped FFT processing during phase noise measurement is turned off by default in TSERVE. Specifying the /overlap option can significantly improve the speed required for low-noise measurements to converge, at the risk of possible data overruns.

  • Page 188: Referencefreq:

    If not overridden by a command-line argument, the /phaserate value defaults to 100 samples per second. Note that some legacy Symmetricom/Microsemi 51XXA applications may require a phase data rate of 1000 samples per second. Unlike these test sets, any changes made to parameters such as phaserate, tau0, and referencefreq will not affect either queried or streamed data from the measurement in progress.

  • Page 189: Sep:

    Note that the accuracy of the absolute frequency readings obtained with the /format:F switch depends only on the reference source, regardless of the nominal input frequency reported by show inputs. Consequently, it is unaffected by the /inputfreq or /roundfreq options. As a result, the /inputfreq and /roundfreq options are not required in most TSERVE measurements.

  • Page 190: Serial:

    The /sep option may be used to specify an additional separator character that will appear before the space between the timestamp and measurement value. If the client requires comma-separated values, for example, /sep:, would be useful. Any nonzero numeric value used as the /sep: argument is treated as an ASCII code; e.g. /sep:9 generates a tab character.

  • Page 191: Spur_Db:

    0 = No smoothing or spur suppression 1 = Spurs are removed from the trace but no smoothing is applied 2 = Spurs are removed from the trace and smoothing is applied (default) In most cases the smoothing parameter should be left at its default value of 2. Spurs that are present in the phase noise spectrum have undergone the same 1-Hz normalization process as the noise data itself, so they will rarely appear at their true amplitudes.

  • Page 192: Update

    /update The /update function is useful in scenarios where TSERVE[64].EXE may need to be recompiled, upgraded, or otherwise replaced over a network without manual intervention at the server console. When /update is present on the command line, TSERVE will periodically check for the presence of a file called TSERVE[64].EX1 in the same directory as the executable.

  • Page 193: Warn

    Typically the /wait option is used to keep Windows from discarding useful status or error information by closing the console window immediately upon termination. It is not necessary when TSERVE is launched directly at an MS-DOS prompt, but may be helpful when launching from a desktop shortcut.

  • Page 194: Tserve Remote Commands

    TSERVE remote commands A variety of commands and queries may be issued by a Telnet or other ASCII terminal client connected to the TSERVE command port. These commands will appear in the console TTY display as shown in Figure 76 below, and will also be written to the server log file. Figure 76 The TSERVE example session shown above was launched from an MS-DOS prompt.

  • Page 195: Beep

    Figure 77 In this example, several different commands and queries were transmitted to TSERVE from the Telnet client application, including the start command to begin data acquisition. These user-entered commands appear in black-on-white text in the Telnet client window and are displayed in bold white text at the server console.

  • Page 196: Exit

    exit See quit. help [<command>] Returns a list of commands with brief usage information. If a command name is specified, only the help text for that command is returned. history Returns a list of previously-entered commands. logout See quit. measurelinear Computes the slope and intercept coefficients of the current phase-difference chart.

  • Page 197: Pause

    pause <chart> pause phasediff and pause freq will inhibit updates to the phase difference and frequency difference charts, respectively. Updates may be resumed with resume phasediff or resume freq. (The inconsistent chart nomenclature is required for compatibility with the TSC 51XXA command language.) prompt <on|off>...

  • Page 198: Selftest

    selftest Executes a built-in self test (BIST) routine on the PhaseStation. As shown below (Figure 78), the selftest command is available only when no measurement is currently in progress. Figure 78 selftest returns a 32-bit hexadecimal number whose individual bits represent various fault indications.

  • Page 199: Set

    set <. . .> When the Telnet server thread is created by TSERVE at startup time, copies of the default values for the phaserate, tau0, referencefreq, prompt, dateformat, timeformat, and title properties are associated with the server, taking into account any changes made to the program defaults at the TSERVE command line.

  • Page 200: Show

    set title <title> Establishes the title text returned by the show title command. Unless changed by the /title command-line parameter, the default title is the reserved string (Serial #). When show title is issued during a measurement, the reserved string will be replaced by the serial number of the connected instrument.
  • Page 201 show date Returns the current date/time information as reported by the TSERVE host OS, as shown in the example below (Figure 80): Figure 80 The date and time formats are determined by the dateformat and timeformat properties, respectively. show dateformat show timeformat Both of these commands return the date and time formats, as established by the dateformat and timeformat properties (Figure 81):...
  • Page 202 Unlike the 51XXA instruments, set referencefreq must be issued before the measurement begins in order to provide correct frequency counts. Any changes made during the measurement will not take effect until the next measurement begins. show freqdiff show freq Returns the current frequency difference chart (Figure 83). Both forms (freqdiff and freq) are accepted.
  • Page 203 In the example above, the DUT signal was generated by a DDS synthesizer tuned to a nominal frequency of 10.123456 MHz. This value will be reported by the show inputs query as 10.1 MHz unless /inputfreq, /roundfreq, or set inputfreq has been used to establish a more precise nominal DUT input frequency.
  • Page 204 Columns are tab-separated for compatibility with TSC 51XXA applications. show message Returns the most recent error or warning message from the PhaseStation hardware driver (Figure 85). Figure 85 show phasediff Returns the current phase difference chart (Figure 86). Figure 86 The values reported by this command comprise a historical “strip chart”...
  • Page 205 The phase difference chart’s overall slope is a representation of the fractional difference between the nominal and actual frequencies. In the example above, as in the earlier show freqdiff example, the reported DUT input frequency is 10.1 MHz while the actual frequency from the test source is just under 10.123456 MHz.
  • Page 206 Figure 88 If no measurement is currently in progress, the show spectrum query will have no effect. show spurs Returns a list of identified coherent spurs in the phase noise spectrum (Figure 89). Figure 89 All identified spurs are removed from the PSD plot returned by show spectrum. Spurs that are not classified as instrument artifacts will appear in the table returned by show spurs at their correct (i.e., non-normalized) amplitudes in dBc.
  • Page 207 show state Returns the current measurement status and elapsed time (Figure 90). Ready No measurement has been started Initializing The measurement has not yet begun to return data Collecting The measurement is currently in progress Figure 90 Since TSERVE does not support the timeconstant property from the TSC 51XXA command language, show state will always report Time Constant: Infinite.

  • Page 208: Shutdown

    The default title text is the reserved string (Serial #). If a show title query is issued during a measurement and the default title has not been changed, the reserved string will be replaced with the serial number of the PhaseStation that is running the measurement.

  • Page 209: Compatibility Notes

    Compatibility notes • The following 51XXA commands and queries are not supported by TSERVE: button <number> calinputs control <take | yield> print [<options>] set print <options> set timeconstant <value> show mac show printformats show printoptions show screens • As discussed elsewhere, commands such as set referencefreq that affect both current and subsequent measurements on the Symmetricom/Microsemi 51XXA phase noise test sets will affect only subsequent measurements in TSERVE.

  • Page 210: Measurement Example: Phase Data Streaming

    Measurement example: Phase data streaming When using software that was originally written to capture phase data from the Symmetricom / Microsemi 5115A/5120A/5125A and compatible instruments, you will normally want to allow TSERVE to use its default /port value (1298) and default /format value (TSC). However, when using TimeLab’s Acquire→Acquire from TCP/IP streaming server option, only the phase-difference data format (/format:P) is supported.
  • Page 211 You can receive the streaming phase data on any machine that can access the server on your network, including the server PC itself. Either Acquire→Symmetricom 5115A / 5120A / 5125A (Frequency stability) or the more general Acquire→Acquire from TCP/IP streaming server option can be used to retrieve phase data from TSERVE.

  • Page 212: Measurement Example: Phase Noise Plot Acquisition

    Measurement example: Phase noise plot acquisition TimeLab can also retrieve and display phase noise and AM noise data from the PhaseStation 53100A through the use of the Acquire→Symmetricom 5115A / 5120A / 5125A (Phase noise) acquisition option. Unlike the streaming phase data acquisition process, obtaining noise data from either TSERVE or an actual 51XXA test set requires the program to connect to the server’s Telnet command port.
  • Page 213 Figure 96 Once again, the results match closely. The most notable difference is that the PhaseStation has classified the sharp peak near 1.2 Hz as a spur, removing it from the plot and adding it to the spur chart at right. Adding /spur_Hz=2 to the TSERVE command line would have resulted in an even-closer match by forcing the PhaseStation’s spur-detection routine to disregard the peak.
  • Page 214 PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 215: Appendix: Legal And Regulatory Notices

    Appendix: Legal and regulatory notices PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...

  • Page 216: Federal Communications Commission Statement

    Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance may void the user's authority to operate the equipment. EC Declaration of Conformity Manufacturer: Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc., 10080 Alta Drive , Suite 110, Las Vegas, NV 89145, USA Product: PhaseStation 53100A Phase Noise Test Set Description:...

  • Page 217: Performance Certification And Validation

    This Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. hardware product is warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of 1 (one) year from date of delivery. During the warranty period Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. will, at its discretion, either repair or replace products that prove to be defective. Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. does not warrant that the operation for the software, firmware, or hardware shall be uninterrupted or error free even if the product is operated within its specifications.

  • Page 218: Software License: Timelab

    3. Names and trademarks associated with Miles Design LLC or Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc. may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
  • Page 219 NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. PhaseStation 53100A User’s Manual V1.04 25-Apr-2022...
  • Page 220 Software License: FIDLIB http://uazu.net GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2.1, February 1999 Copyright (C) 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. [This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL.
  • Page 221 We call this license the "Lesser" General Public License because it does Less to protect the user's freedom than the ordinary General Public License. It also provides other free software developers Less of an advantage over competing non-free programs. These disadvantages are the reason we use the ordinary General Public License for many libraries. However, the Lesser license provides advantages in certain special circumstances.
  • Page 222 that, in the event an application does not supply such function or table, the facility still operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose remains meaningful. (For example, a function in a library to compute square roots has a purpose that is entirely well-defined independent of the application.
  • Page 223 must include the copyright notice for the Library among them, as well as a reference directing the user to the copy of this License. Also, you must do one of these things: a) Accompany the work with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code for the Library including whatever changes were used in the work (which must be distributed under Sections 1 and 2 above);...
  • Page 224 If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to apply, and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other circumstances. It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any such claims;...
  • Page 225 Software License: V8 JavaScript Engine https://v8.dev Copyright 2006-2012, the V8 project authors. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

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