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User Manual v3.05 (April. 2023) For Signal Generators Models 825-M, 835, 845, 845-M, 855B, 865B, 865B-M...
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WARRANTY All Berkeley Nucleonics (BNC) instruments are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of shipment. Berkeley Nucleonics will, at its option, repair or replace products that prove to be defective during the warranty period, provided they are returned to Berkeley Nucleonics and provided the preventative maintenance procedures are followed.
Table of Contents Models 825-M, 835, 845, 845-M, 855B, 865B, 865B-M ..............0 GENERAL REMARKS ............................5 ..........................5 ALIDITY OF THIS ANUAL ............................5 VAILABLE ASING Compact Portable Case (CPC) ........................5 1U Rackmount (1URM) ........................... 5 1U Case (1URM) ............................6 ............................
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............................22 NITIAL NSPECTION ..........................22 TARTING THE NSTRUMENT Applying Power ............................. 22 Connecting to LAN ..........................22 Direct connectivity to host via Ethernet cable (no router) ..............23 Connecting through USB ........................23 Connecting through GPIB ........................23 Installing the 835/845 Remote Client ....................23 Troubleshooting the LAN Interconnection....................
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............................38 RIGGER UBMENU LF OUTPUT S UBMENU ................................LAN C ........................39 ONFIGURATION UBMENU ..........................39 ISPLAY ETTINGS UBMENU Save Settings Submenu ......................... 39 Load Settings Submenu ......................... 39 Load Defaults Submenu ........................39 ............................. 39 UBMENU REMOTE PROGRAMMING THE SIGNAL GENERATOR ..................40 BATTERY OPERATION (B3 OPTION) ........................
Available Casing The devices are available in the following cases. Compact Portable Case (CPC) Figure 1: 845-26 & 865B-40 in a Compact Portable Case (with LCD and touch display, respectively) 1U Rackmount (1URM) Figure 2: 845 in a 1URM Case Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com...
1U Case (1URM) Figure 3: 855B-40-4 (and 865B-M-40-4) in a 1URM case Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com 04.2023 6 of 44 2955 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 800-234-7858...
Data Connections The devices may only be connected to a network or a computer by using a shielded LAN cable. Unless shorter lengths are prescribed, a maximum length of 3 m must not be exceeded for the LAN and the USB connection. Signal Connections In general, all connections between the signal generator and another device should be made as short as possible and must be well shielded.
Safety Information The following pieces of information are important to prevent personal injury, loss of life or damage to the equipment. Please read them carefully. If the device is used in a manner not specified by this manual, the protection provided by the device may be impaired. Signal Symbol In this manual, the following symbols are used to warn the reader about risks and dangers.
General Safety Considerations FCC notice This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
Connectors The front panel contains a status display (only in CPC), RF output female N-type connector (835), a female SMA connector (845, 865B-6,12,20,26,40, 855B, 845-M, 865B-M), or a K connector (865B-40) and an RF on/off key. Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com 04.2023...
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LCD screen shows information on the current function. Information includes status indicators, frequency and amplitude settings, current connectivity status, and error messages. Five control buttons allow easy menu control. Front panel Figure 4: 845 Front Panel View (Model 845-26) Main LCD display The main display shows the following information: line: RF frequency in Hz line: RF amplitude in dBm...
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REF OUT This BNC female Connector is the output for the reference signal. AM PULSE This BNC female Connector is the input for the AM and the PULSE Modulation signal. Fan Holes The holes by which the air is extruded.
Power Supply apply the voltage, specified below, to supply the device with energy. REF IN This BNC female Connector is the input for the reference signal. REF OUT This BNC female Connector is the output for the reference signal. Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com...
This BNC female Connector is the input for the AM signal. TRIG IN This BNC female Connector is the trigger input. PULSE This BNC female Connector is the input for the PULSE Modulation signal. FUNC OUT This BNC female Connector is the output for the function signal. 1URM – 855B/865B-M-40-X...
CPC with Touch display The front panel contains a touch display, RF output female SMA connector (845, 865B-6/12/20/26, 855B, 845- M, 865B-M), or a K connector (865B-40G). The touch display shows information on the current function.
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The LAN connector is used to connect the device to a network. Fan Holes The holes by which the air is intake. Power Supply apply the BNC power adaptor to this connector to supply the device with energy. ON/OFF Switch Turns the device on or off. Ground Screw TRIG OUT This BNC female Connector is a multi-function output.
PULSE IN This BNC female Connector is the input for the pulse signal. REF OUT This BNC female Connector is the output for the reference signal. Fan Holes The holes by which the air is extruded. Minimum Distances For an adequate cooling, the minimum distances between the device and another object, such as walls, rack cabinet walls or other equipment must be respected.
Energizing and de- Energizing To energize the device, apply the following voltage to the following connector. Position of the power connector on the left. Voltage: 6.3V DC Max. current: Position of the power connector on the left. Voltage: 100V – 240V Frequency: 50 Hz –...
Environmental Information 1. Waste electrical and electronic equipment must not be disposed of with unsorted municipal waste, but must be collected separately. Contact the BNC customer service center for environmentally responsible disposal of the product. 2. Specially marked equipment has a battery or accumulator that must not be disposed of with unsorted municipal waste, but must be collected separately.
Introduction This instruction manual is valid for BNC model series 835, 845, 865B, 855B 845-M, and 865B-M. Chapter gives guidance for a quick and easy setup of your new instrument. Chapter describes the remote operation via BNC graphical user interface (GUI). Chapter describes control via front panel and applies only to 835/845 models.
PE3: mechanical step attenuator for extended power range 90 dB 75 dB PE4: electrical step attenuator for extended power range 865B, 855B 80 dB GPIB: GPIB interface added AVIO: specific avionics modulation capabilities added (Model 835) 1URM: 19’’ 1HE enclosure. No display, remote control only RM: 19’’...
Getting Started System Requirements The BNC graphical user interface requires at least the minimum system requirements to run one of the supported operating systems. Operating system Windows™ 2000 SP4, XP SP2, Vista, 7, 8, 10 Remote 10/100/1000M Ethernet or USB 2.0 Port Unpacking the Instrument Remove the instrument materials from the shipping containers.
USBTMC device. Note if you want to work with the BNC GUI, it must be installed with USB support selected. Then the GUI will detect all attached devices automatically. Open the GUI and follow the instructions given in Chapter Alternatively, a VISA runtime environment (NI, Keysight or comparable) must be installed.
When Microsoft .NET Framework is not installed make sure that your computer is connected to the internet during installation of the BNC Software. If no internet connection is available, install the .NET™ Framework that is available on the installation CD.
Using the Graphical User Interface (GUI) BNC’s graphical user interface provides an intuitive control of the signal generator. It runs under any Windows™ operating system. Make sure the software is installed correctly and the computer’s firewall is configured properly. The GUI’s dynamic link library (DLL) uses the Microsoft .NET framework.
Simultaneously controlling Multiple Signal Generators from one PC You can easily control multiple BNC instruments from a single computer but you need to start a separate GUI for every instrument as only one instrument is controlled by the GUI at once.
Setting Network Configuration The Network Configuration button allows configuring the LAN settings as shown in Figure 6-c. You may choose from three distinct network addressing modes: setting to Auto will check for a DHCP server on the network but if this fails, will fall back to assigning an address automatically using zeroconf. Setting to DHCP will check for a DHCP server on the network with no fallback option if one doesn’t exist.
Connecting to devices using a non-default port There are 2 options for connecting to a device when its default listening port has been changed. 1. Specify a temporary connection port Click the menu ‘Info’ -> ‘Connection Settings’ -> ‘Specify Connection Port’. This will cause a new setting ‘Custom Port’...
(.tar) ready. Then apply Controller → Update Firmware and select the appropriate binary file that you have received from BNC or downloaded from the BNC website. The update will take a few seconds and after completion your instrument will reboot. Reconnect to the instruments after booting is completed and continue with the updated firmware.
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Figure 6-g CW Tab with channel selection Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com 04.2023 30 of 44 2955 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 800-234-7858...
Combined Modulation The tables below show what modulation types and sweeps can be active simultaneously. Some modulations can be combined with frequency and power sweeps. For those combinations, some timing restrictions apply. Check programmer’s manual for further details. Some combinations may be available only using the GUI or custom remote programming sequences, but not on the front panel.
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FM/PM PULSE INT / EXT INT / EXT INT / EXT Frequency sweep Power sweep LIMITED [1,2] LIMITED [1,2] LIMITED [2,3] List sweep Table 6-f – Possible combinations of internal and external modulation and sweeps Remarks AM, FM, PM modulated carrier sweep is available to 835/845 only. Enable modulation first since active sweep disables live update of other settings.
A rotary knob and five keys (MENU, and four arrow keys) allow full control over the instrument. Figure 7-a shows the front panel of the 835/845, Figure 7-b shows the front panel of the 865B (resp. 835/845 with option TP).
The submenus can always be exit by pressing the menu key. → Keys These keys are used to move cursor within the screen menus. Within menus, the →keys are also used to enter (→) and exit () in next menu hierarchy; the arrows are used to navigate between menu pages when several are available.
Main Menu Display The Main Menu Display is invoked by pressing the menu key. The main menu contains nine submenus as shown below: Sweep Modulation Reference Trigger LF Output LAN Config Display Settings Device Settings Help Frequency Sweep Submenu After accessing the Frequency Sweep menu, first of three displays allows to enter the start and stop frequency. On the second display the number of points and the on and off time can be entered.
Sweep Mode Repetition Figure 7-p Displays shown for the frequency sweep configuration Power Sweep Submenu After accessing the Power Sweep menu, the first display allows to enter start and stop power. On the second display, the number of points and the on and off time can be entered. On the third display, select the repetition mode between INFinite, and 1 (single repetition).
After accessing the List Sweep submenu, the first display allows to enter start and stop. Additionally, the number of repetitions of the list can be entered and the ALC can be set on or off. On the second display a particular list can be selected from the flash memory of the device. Important note: All sweeps must be started with the RF on/off button on (green light illuminated) otherwise no signal will be output during the sweep.
Reference Submenu After accessing the Reference menu, use the rotary knob to toggle between ON and OFF or to change reference frequency to the desired value, respectively. Trigger Submenu After accessing the Trigger menu, use the rotary knob to toggle the selected entry value or to change selected digit.
LAN Configuration Submenu In the LAN Configuration menu, IP address, subnet mask and DHCP can be configured. Press the RF key to save the configuration (don’t if you want to discard your changes). Display Settings Submenu After accessing the Display Configuration menu, use the rotary knob to change the display contrast as required.
Remote Programming the Signal Generator The signal generator can be remotely programmed. Please refer to the Programmer’s Manual for details. Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com 04.2023 40 of 44 2955 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 800-234-7858...
Battery Operation (B3 Option) If your instrument is equipped with an internal rechargeable battery (B3 option) it can be operated without the external power supply. Fully charged battery is good for up to three hours of operation at full RF output power.
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OFF position. After storage, first charge the unit for 4-6 hours. To replace the battery at the end of its lifetime, please contact BNC or one of its distributors. NOTE: ♦...
Extended Power Range (PE3 Options) Some instrument models are available with option PE3 that extends the power range towards lower power levels. With these options PE3 installed, a mechanical step attenuator module is added. For the guaranteed minimum power level, please consult the respective datasheet. In sweeps where the mechanical attenuator is switched, the minimum dwell time increases to 20 ms.
All BNC instruments are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of years from the date of shipment. BNC will, at its option, repair or replace products that prove to be defective during the warranty period, provided they are returned to BNC and provided the preventative maintenance procedures are followed.
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Document History Version Date Author Notes 3.05 4/24/23 Updated GUI images on page 26, 30, and 33 Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation info@berkeleynucleonics.com | www.berkeleynucleonics.com 04.2023 45 of 44 2955 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 800-234-7858...
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