Page 1 Keysight 86120C Multi-Wavelength Meter User’s Guide...
Page 4 International The OFF symbols are No part of this document may nated by Keysight for use with Standards Organization mem- used to mark the posi- reproduced in (including elec- an instrument will execute its bers.
Page 5: The Keysight 86120C-At A Glance
C A U T I O N an angled physical contact interface. Characterize laser lines easily With the Keysight 86120C you can quickly and easily measure any of the following parameters: • Measure up to 200 laser lines simultaneously • Wavelengths and powers •...
Page 6 You can see the power bar shown in the fol- lowing figure of the Keysight 86120C’s display. The input circuitry of the Keysight 86120C can be damaged when total input C A U T I O N power levels exceed +18 dBm.
Page 7 Measurement accuracy—it’s up to you! Fiber-optic connectors are easily damaged when connected to dirty or damaged cables and accessories. The Keysight 86120C’s front-panel INPUT connector is no exception. When you use improper cleaning and handling techniques, you risk expensive instrument repairs, damaged cables, and compromised measure- ments.
Page 8: General Safety Considerations
There is no output laser aperture The Keysight 86120C does not have an output laser aperture. However, light less than 1 nW escapes out of the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. Operator maintenance or precautions are not necessary to maintain safety. No controls, adjustments, or performance of procedures result in hazardous radia- tion exposure.
Page 9: Laser Safety Information
Laser Safety Information Laser Safety Information The laser sources contained in the product specified by this user guide are classified according to IEC 60825-1 (2007). The laser sources comply with 21 CFR 1040.10 except for deviations pursuant to Laser Notice No. 50 dated 2007-June-24. Table 1-1.
Page 10 WA R N I N G personnel. To prevent electrical shock, do not remove covers. To prevent electrical shock, disconnect the Keysight 86120C from WA R N I N G mains before cleaning. Use a dry cloth or one slightly dampened with water to clean the external case parts.
Page 11 Laser Safety Information This product complies with Overvoltage Category II and Pollution Degree 2. C A U T I O N VENTILATION REQUIREMENTS: When installing the product in a C A U T I O N cabinet, the convection into and out of the product must not be restricted. The ambient temperature (outside the cabinet) must be less than the maximum operating temperature of the product by 4 C for every 100 watts dissipated in...
Page 12 Laser Safety Information...
Page 13: Table Of Contents
Step 1. Inspect the Shipment 4 Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable 5 Step 3. Connect a Printer 6 Step 4. Turn on the Keysight 86120C 7 Step 5. Enter Your Elevation 8 Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values 9 Step 7.
Page 14 Contents 4 Programming Commands Common Commands 3 Measurement Instructions 14 CALCulate1 Subsystem 23 CALCulate2 Subsystem 28 CALCulate3 Subsystem 40 CONFigure Measurement Instruction 70 DISPlay Subsystem 71 FETCh Measurement Instruction 75 HCOPy Subsystem 76 MEASure Measurement Instruction 77 READ Measurement Instruction 78 SENSe Subsystem 79 STATus Subsystem 86 SYSTem Subsystem 93...
Page 15 Contents 7 Reference Instrument Preset Conditions 2 Menu Maps 4 Error Messages 11 Connector interfaces (order separately) 17 Power Cords 18 For Assistance and Support 19 Contents-3...
Page 17: Getting Started
Step 1. Inspect the Shipment 1-4 Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable 1-5 Step 3. Connect a Printer 1-6 Step 4. Turn on the Keysight 86120C 1-7 Step 5. Enter Your Elevation 1-8 Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values 1-9 Step 7.
Page 18 Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started The instructions in this chapter show you how to install your Keysight 86120C. You should be able to finish these procedures in about ten to twenty minutes. After you’ve completed this chapter, continue with Chapter 2, “Making...
Page 19 Measurement accuracy—it’s up to you! Fiber-optic connectors are easily damaged when connected to dirty or damaged cables and accessories. The Keysight 86120C’s front-panel INPUT connector is no exception. When you use improper cleaning and handling techniques, you risk expensive instrument repairs, damaged cables, and compromised measure- ments.
Page 20: Step 1. Inspect The Shipment
Inspect all shipping containers. If your shipment is damaged or incomplete, save the packing materials and notify both the shipping carrier and the nearest Keysight Technologies sales and service office. Keysight Technologies will arrange for repair or replacement of damaged or incomplete shipments without waiting for a settlement from the transportation company.
Page 21: Step 2. Connect The Line-Power Cable
Getting Started Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable Step 2. Connect the Line-Power Cable This is a Safety Class I Product (provided with protective earth). WA R N I N G The mains plug shall only be inserted in a socket outlet provided with a protective earth contact.
Page 22: Step 3. Connect A Printer
Keysight 86120C is originally shipped is included with the unit. The cable shipped with the instrument also has a right-angle connector so that the Keysight 86120C can be used while sitting on its rear feet. You can order additional ac power cables for use in different geographic areas.
Page 23: Step 4. Turn On The Keysight 86120C
The front-panel LINE switch disconnects the mains circuits from the mains supply after the EMC filters and before other parts of the instrument. 2 If the Keysight 86120C fails to turn on properly, consider the following possibilities: • Is the line fuse good? •...
Page 24: Step 5. Enter Your Elevation
Getting Started Step 5. Enter Your Elevation Step 5. Enter Your Elevation In order for your Keysight 86120C to accurately measure wavelengths and meet its published specifications, you must enter the elevation where you will be performing your measurements. 1 Press the Setup key.
Page 25: Step 6. Select Medium For Wavelength Values
Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values Step 6. Select Medium for Wavelength Values Because wavelength varies with the material that the light passes through, the Keysight 86120C offers wavelength measurements in two mediums: vacuum and standard air. 1 Press the Setup key.
Page 26: Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting
Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting Step 7. Turn Off Wavelength Limiting The instrument’s Preset key sets the entire Keysight 86120C wavelength range of 1270–1650 nm. If a user-defined wavelength range limit was set using WL LIM, the following procedure will ensure that responses across the full wavelength are mea- sured by returning the instrument to its preset state.
Page 27: Returning The Instrument For Service
Keysight Technologies Instrument Support Center +1 (877) 447 7278 If the instrument is still under warranty or is covered by a Keysight Technologies maintenance contract, it will be repaired under the terms of the warranty or contract (the warranty is at the front of this manual). If the instrument is no longer under war- ranty or is not covered by a Keysight Technologies maintenance plan, Keysight Technologies will notify you of the cost of the repair after examining the unit.
Page 28 Getting Started Returning the Instrument for Service Preparing the instrument for shipping 1 Write a complete description of the failure and attach it to the instrument. Include any specific performance details related to the problem. The following information should be returned with the instrument. •...
Page 29 Returning the Instrument for Service 3 Pack the instrument in the original shipping containers. Original materials are available through any Keysight Technologies office. Or, use the following guidelines: • Wrap the instrument in antistatic plastic to reduce the possibility of damage caused by electrostatic discharge.
Page 30 Getting Started Returning the Instrument for Service 1-14...
Page 31 Getting Started Returning the Instrument for Service 1-15...
Page 33 Measuring Wavelength and Power 2-3 Peak WL mode 2-4 List by WL or Power modes 2-6 Total power and average wavelength 2-7 Limiting the wavelength measurement range 2-8 Measuring broadband devices and chirped lasers 2-9 Graphical display of optical power spectrum 2-10 Instrument states 2-11 Power bar 2-11 Changing the Units and Measurement Rate 2-12...
Page 34 • 1270–1650 maximum input wavelength range • +10 dBm maximum total displayed input power • Laser linewidths assumed to be less than 5 GHz • If you change the elevation where you will be using your Agilent 86120C, refer to “Calibrating Measurements” on page 2-37.
Page 35 Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength and Power Measuring Wavelength and Power This section gives you step-by-step instructions for measuring peak wavelength, average wavelength, peak power, and total input power. There are three display modes: • Peak wavelength • List-by-wavelength or power •...
Page 36: Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength And Power
The word PEAK is shown on the screen. If multiple laser lines are present at the input, the number of lines located will be shown along the right side of the screen. In peak wavelength mode, the Agilent 86120C can measure up to 200 laser lines simultaneously.
Page 37 Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength and Power 3 To move the cursor to view other signals, press: • PREV WL to select next (previous) shorter wavelength. • NEXT WL to select next longer wavelength. • PEAK to signal with greatest power. •...
Page 38 Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength and Power List by WL or Power modes In the list-by-wavelength or list-by-power modes, the measurements of five laser lines can be displayed at any one time. Use the softkeys to move the cur- through the list of signals; the list can contain up to 200 entries. Press the SELECT key, and the display changes to peak wavelength mode with the signal at the cursor displayed.
Page 39 Measuring Wavelength and Power Total power and average wavelength In the third available display mode, the Agilent 86120C displays the average wave- length as shown in the following figure. The displayed power level is the total input power to the instrument. It is the sum of the powers of each laser line; it is not a measure of the average power level of the laser lines.
Page 40 Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength and Power The following equation shows how individual powers of laser lines are summed together to obtain the total power value:  total where, n is the number of laser lines included in the measurement. is the peak power of an individual laser line. Power units are in Watts (linear). To display average wavelength and total power •...
Page 41 Measuring Wavelength and Power Measuring broadband devices and chirped lasers When first turned on (or the green Preset key is pressed), the Agilent 86120C is con- figured to measure narrowband devices such as DFB lasers and modes of FP lasers.
Page 42 Power Offset value. In most cases, the noise floor will be visible if the total input power is greater than about –5 dBm. The Agilent 86120C graphical display. The Peak Threshold value is displayed as a dotted line. All peaks above this dotted line are displayed in the List by Wavelength and List by Power modes.
Page 43 Making Measurements Measuring Wavelength and Power Instrument states Four different instrument states can be saved and recalled at a later time. The actual instrument conditions that are saved are identical to those saved from the previous state after power is turned on. These conditions are shown in Table 5-22 on page 7-2.
Page 44: Changing The Units And Measurement Rate
Making Measurements Changing the Units and Measurement Rate Changing the Units and Measurement Rate This section includes step-by-step instructions for changing the units and measure- ment rate. This section includes: Displayed units 2-12 Measurement rate 2-13 Continuous or single measurements 2-14 Displayed units As described below, it’s easy to change the wavelength and amplitude units.
Page 45 Agilent 86120C can be set to update approximately two times per second. This reduces both wavelength resolution and accuracy but can be bene- ficial in some applications.
Page 46 4 Select either NORMAL or FAST. Continuous or single measurements The Agilent 86120C continuously measures the input spectrum at the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. Whenever measurements are being acquired, an aster- isk (*) is displayed in the display’s upper-right corner. When you switch between normal and fast update modes, the rate that the asterisk blinks changes.
Page 47: Defining Laser-Line Peaks
Defining Laser-Line Peaks Defining Laser-Line Peaks The Agilent 86120C uses two rules to identify valid laser-line peaks. Understanding these rules is essential to getting the most from your measurements. For example, these rules allow you to “hide” AM modulation sidebands or locate laser lines with small amplitudes.
Page 48 Making Measurements Defining Laser-Line Peaks Examples of valid In the following figure, three laser lines are identified: responses 1, 3 and 4. and invalid signals Response 2 is not identified because it is below the peak threshold. The portion of each signal that is within the peak excursion limits is shown in bold lines.
Page 49 Pressing the green PRESET key changes the peak excursion and peak threshold val- ues to their default settings. It also turns wavelength range limiting on. Turning the Agilent 86120C’s power off and then on does not change these settings. If too many lines are identified...
Page 50: Measuring Laser Separation
It is often important to measure the wavelength and power separation between mul- tiple laser lines. This is especially true in wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) systems where channel spacing must be adhered to. The Agilent 86120C can display the wavelength and amplitude of any laser line relative to another. In fact, the fol- lowing types of relative measurements can be made compared to the reference: •...
Page 51 Suppose that you want to measure separation on a system having the spectrum shown in the following figure. The Agilent 86120C displays separation on this spectrum as shown in the following figure. Notice that the 1541.747 nm laser line is selected as the reference. It is shown in absolute units.
Page 52 Making Measurements Measuring Laser Separation To measure channel separation 1 Press the front-panel Preset key. 2 Press List by WL. 3 Press the Delta On key. Use the Off key to turn off the measurement. 4 Select the type of separation to observe: •...
Page 53 Making Measurements Measuring Laser Separation Measuring flatness You can use relative power measurements to measure flatness (pre-emphasis) in a WDM system. Simply select one carrier as the reference and measure the remaining carriers relative to the reference level. The power differences represent the system flatness.
Page 54: Measuring Laser Drift
Measuring Laser Drift Measuring Laser Drift In this section, you’ll learn how the Agilent 86120C can be used to monitor drift (changes to a laser’s wavelength and amplitude over time). Drift is measured simul- taneously for every laser line that is identified at the input. The Agilent 86120C keeps track of each laser line’s initial, current, minimum, and maximum values and...
Page 55 Making Measurements Measuring Laser Drift If measurement updating stops or the values become blanked If, in the middle of a measurement, the number of laser lines present changes, the measurement stops until the original number of lines returns. You’ll notice that a CLEAR softkey appears and one of the following message is displayed: E46 NUM LINES <...
Page 56 Making Measurements Measuring Laser Drift interest may have since drifted to a greater value. Note that the minimum wavelength and minimum power may not have occurred simultaneously. Display shows the total drift from the reference since the drift measurement was started. Values represent the minimum wavelength and power drift values subtracted from the maximum drift values.
Page 57: Measuring Signal-To-Noise Ratios
Signal-to-noise measurements are especially important in WDM systems because there is a direct relation between signal-to-noise and bit error rate. The Agilent 86120C displays signal-to-noise measurements in the third column. For example, the selected signal in the following figure has a signal-to-noise ratio of 30.0 dB.
Page 58 Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios Location of noise measurements Automatic When the signal-to-noise “auto” function is selected, the Agilent 86120C first deter- mines the proximity of any adjacent signal. If the next closest signal is ≤200 GHz interpolation (approximately 1.6 nm at 1550 nm) away from the signal of interest, then the noise power is measured half way between the two channels and an equal distance to the other side of the signal of interest.
Page 59 Noise bandwidth When measuring noise power, the Agilent 86120C must account for the noise band- width used during the measurement. Because noise bandwidth varies with measure- ment bandwidth (a wide bandwidth allows more noise to the Agilent 86120C’s detector than a narrow bandwidth), the Agilent 86120C normalizes all noise power measurements to a bandwidth of 0.1 nm.
Page 60 Making Measurements Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios To measure signal-to-noise 1 Press the front-panel Preset key. 2 Press List by WL or List by Power. 3 Press Appl’s and then S/N. 4 To select the wavelength reference for measuring the noise, do the following steps: a Press WL REF, and •...
Page 61: Measuring Signal-To-Noise Ratios With Averaging
Making Measurements Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios with Averaging Measuring Signal-to-Noise Ratios with Averaging When the lasers being measured are modulated, especially with repetitive data for- mats such as SONET or PRBS, the noise floor is raised. Averaging reduces the noise floor and allows an improvement of greater than 10 dB in a signal-to-noise measure- ment.
Page 62 Then, pressing the Cont key will start a completely new measurement. Noise bandwidth When measuring noise power, the Agilent 86120C must account for the noise band- affects measurement width used during the measurement. Because noise bandwidth varies with measure- ment bandwidth (a wide bandwidth allows more noise to the Agilent 86120C’s...
Page 63: Measuring Fabry-Perot (Fp) Lasers
Measuring Fabry-Perot (FP) Lasers Measuring Fabry-Perot (FP) Lasers The Agilent 86120C can perform several measurements on Fabry-Perot lasers including FWHM and mode spacing. The display shows the measurement results in the selected wavelength and amplitude units. In addition, the mode spacing mea- surement always shows results in frequency as well as the selected wavelength units.
Page 64 Making Measurements Measuring Fabry-Perot (FP) Lasers Measurement Description FWHM FWHM (full width at half maximum) describes the spectral width of the half-power points of the laser, assuming a continuous, Gaussian power distribution. The half-power points are those where the power spectral density is one-half that of the peak amplitude of the computed Gaussian curve.
Page 65 Making Measurements Measuring Fabry-Perot (FP) Lasers The summation of the power in each of the selected peaks, or modes, that satisfy the peak-excursion and peak-threshold criteria. Σ Total Power The peak excursion and peak threshold settings define the laser modes included in the measurement.
Page 66: Measuring Modulated Lasers
Making Measurements Measuring Modulated Lasers Measuring Modulated Lasers A laser that is amplitude modulated at low frequencies (for example, modulated in the audio frequency range) can cause spurious wavelengths to be displayed below and above the correct wavelength. The power of these spurious wavelengths is below that of the correct wavelength.
Page 67 Making Measurements Measuring Modulated Lasers The graphical display is useful for locating these spurious wavelengths. Their ampli- tude will be below that of the correct wavelength and they will be broad, rounded peaks compared to the sharp peak of the correct wavelength. Use the Peak Thresh- old function to place the dotted line above the spurious peaks so they will not be dis- played in the List by WL or List by Power table.
Page 68: Measuring Total Power Greater Than 10 Dbm
1 Connect an optical attenuator between the front-panel OPTICAL INPUT connector and the fiber-optic cable. The attenuator must reduce the total input power to the Agilent 86120C so that it is below +10 dBm. 2 Press Setup, MORE, CAL, and then PWR OFS.
Page 69: Calibrating Measurements
Because all measurements made inside the Agilent 86120C are performed in air, the density of air, due to elevation, affects the wavelength results. You must calibrate the Agilent 86120C by entering the elevation. Elevations from 0 to 5000 meters can be entered. The elevation correction is immediately applied to the current measure- ment even if the instrument is in the single measurement acquisition mode.
Page 70 Entries jump in 500 meter steps from 0 m to 5000 m. In order for the Agilent 86120C to meet its published specifications, the elevation value selected with the softkeys must be within 250 meters of the actual elevation.
Page 71: Printing Measurement Results
1288.034 -14.65 To create a hardcopy 1 Connect the printer to the Agilent 86120C’s rear-panel PARALLEL PRINTER PORT connector. 2 Press Print. You can use the ABORT and CONT softkey to stop and restart a print job that is in progress.
Page 72: Cleaning Connections For Accurate Measurements
Connectors also vary in the polish, curve, and concentricity of the core within the cladding. Mating one style of cable to another requires an adapter. Keysight Technologies offers adapters for most instruments to allow testing with many different cables.
Page 73 When tighter alignment is required, Keysight Technologies instruments typically use a connector such as the Diamond HMS-10, which has concentric tolerances within a few tenths of a micron. Keysight Technol- ogies then uses a special universal adapter, which allows other cable types to mate with this precision connector.
Page 74 0.2 μm. This process, plus the keyed axis, allows very precise core-to-core alignments. This connector is found on most Keysight Technologies lightwave instruments.
Page 75 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements The soft core, while allowing precise centering, is also the chief liability of the con- nector. The soft material is easily damaged. Care must be taken to minimize exces- sive scratching and wear. While minor wear is not a problem if the glass face is not affected, scratches or grit can cause the glass fiber to move out of alignment.
Page 76 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Use the following guidelines to achieve the best possible performance when making measurements on a fiber-optic system: • Never use metal or sharp objects to clean a connector and never scrape the connector. •...
Page 77 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Figure 2-8. Damage from improper cleaning. While these often work well on first insertion, they are great dirt magnets. The oil or gel grabs and holds grit that is then ground into the end of the fiber. Also, some early gels were designed for use with the FC, non-contacting connectors, using small glass spheres.
Page 78 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements the connector to check for degradation, and clean every connector, every time. All connectors should be treated like the high-quality lens of a good camera. The weak link in instrument and system reliability is often the inappropriate use and care of the connector.
Page 79 Cleaning Connectors The procedures in this section provide the proper steps for cleaning fiber-optic cables and Keysight Technologies universal adapters. The initial cleaning, using the alcohol as a solvent, gently removes any grit and oil. If a caked-on layer of material...
Page 80 To clean an adapter The fiber-optic input and output connectors on many Keysight Technologies instru- ments employ a universal adapter such as those shown in the following picture. These adapters allow you to connect the instrument to different types of fiber-optic cables.
Page 81 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements Figure 2-9. Universal adapters. 1 Apply isopropyl alcohol to a clean foam swab. Cotton swabs can be used as long as no cotton fibers remain after cleaning. The foam swabs listed in this section’s introduction are small enough to fit into adapters. Although foam swabs can leave filmy deposits, these deposits are very thin, and the risk of other contamination buildup on the inside of adapters greatly outweighs the risk of contamination by foam swabs.
Page 82 Making Measurements Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements 2-50...
Page 83: Programming
Addressing and Initializing the Instrument 3-3 To change the GPIB address 3-4 Making Measurements 3-5 Commands are grouped in subsystems 3-7 Measurement instructions give quick results 3-9 The format of returned data 3-15 Monitoring the Instrument 3-16 Status registers 3-17 Queues 3-22 Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules 3-23 Example Programs 3-28...
Page 84 Programming Programming Programming This chapter explains how to program the Keysight 86120C. The programming syn- tax conforms to the IEEE 488.2 Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instru- mentation and to the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Where to begin…...
Page 85: Addressing And Initializing The Instrument
Addressing and Initializing the Instrument Addressing and Initializing the Instrument The Keysight 86120C’s GPIB address is configured at the factory to a value of 20. You must set the output and input functions of your programming language to send the commands to this address. You can change the GPIB address from the front panel as described in “To change the GPIB address”...
Page 86 Addressing and Initializing the Instrument Set single acquisition mode An advantage of using the *RST command is that it sets the Keysight 86120C into the single measurement acquisition mode. Because the READ and MEASure data queries expect this mode, their proper operation is ensured.
Page 87: Making Measurements
Making measurements remotely involves changing the Keysight 86120C’s settings, performing a measurement, and then returning the data to the computer. The simpli- fied block diagram of the Keysight 86120C shown here lists some of the available programming commands. Each command is placed next to the instrument section it configures or queries data from.
Page 88 Programming Making Measurements After collecting the uncorrected data, the Keysight 86120C searches the data for the first 200 peak responses. (For WLIMit:OFF, searching starts at 1650 nm and pro- gresses towards 1270 nm. For WLIMit:ON, searching starts at WLIMit:START and progresses toward WLIMit:STOP.) These peak values are then placed into the cor-...
Page 89 Programming Making Measurements Commands are grouped in subsystems The Keysight 86120C commands are grouped in the following subsystems. You’ll find a description of each command in Chapter 4, “Programming Commands”. Subsystem Purpose of Commands Measurement Instructions Perform frequency, wavelength, and wavenumber measurements.
Page 90 Programming Making Measurements Table 2-4. Commands for Capturing Data Desired Command to Configure Measurement Command to Query Data Measurement (partial listing) Wavelength (nm) CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:WAVele MEASure ngth? Frequency (THz) CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:FREQue MEASure ncy? CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure:ARRay:POWer:WNUM Wavenumber (m –1...
Page 91 This is equivalent to using the NORMAL and FAST softkeys. :MEASure command MEASure configures the Keysight 86120C, captures new data, and queries the data all in one step. For example, to measure the longest wavelength, send the following...
Page 92 Programming Making Measurements A common programming error is to send the :MEASure command when the instru- ment is in the continuous measurement acquisition mode. Because :MEASure con- tains an :INIT:IMM command, which expects the single measurement acquisition mode, an error is generated, and the INIT command is ignored. :READ command The READ command works like the MEASure command except that it does not configure the instrument’s settings.
Page 93 Programming Making Measurements FETCh does not reconfigure the display. For example, if the display is in the Peak WL mode, sending :FETCh:ARRay does not configure the display to the List by WL even though an array of data is returned to the computer. A common programming error occurs when the :FETCh command is used after an *RST command.
Page 94 However, there are a few non-sequential commands where this is not true. Non- sequential commands do not finish executing before the next command is inter- preted. The following is a list of the Keysight 86120C’s non-sequential commands: :CALCulate1:TRANsform:FREQuency:POINTs :CALCulate2:PEXCursion :CALCulate2:PTHReshold...
Page 95 Programming Making Measurements The benefit of non-sequential commands is that, in some situations, they can reduce the overall execution times of programs. For example, you can set the peak excur- sion, peak threshold, and elevation and use a *WAI command at the end to save time.
Page 96 Programming Making Measurements Measure delta, drift, and signal-to-noise To select a measurement, use one of the following STATe commands: CALC3:DELT:POW:STAT (delta power) CALC3:DELT:WAV:STAT (delta wavelength) CALC3:DELT:WPOW:STAT (delta power and wavelength) CALC3:DRIF:STAT (drift) CALC3:SNR:STAT (signal-to-noise ratios) CALC3:ASNR:STAT (signal-to-noise ratio averaging) If you select a drift measurement, you can select one of the following additional states: CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT (difference)
Page 97 Making Measurements The format of returned data Measurements are returned as strings All measurement values are returned from the Keysight 86120C as ASCII strings. When an array is returned, the individual values are separated by the comma charac- ter. Determine the number of data points...
Page 98: Monitoring The Instrument
Monitoring the Instrument Monitoring the Instrument Almost every program that you write will need to monitor the Keysight 86120C for its operating status. This includes querying execution or command errors and deter- mining whether or not measurements have been completed. Several status registers and queues are provided to accomplish these tasks.
Page 99 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Status registers The Keysight 86120C provides four registers which you can query to monitor the instrument’s condition. These registers allow you to determine the following items: • Status of an operation • Availability of the measured data •...
Page 100 Programming Monitoring the Instrument 3-18...
Page 101 Programming Monitoring the Instrument The Status Byte Register can be read using either the *STB? common command or the GPIB serial poll command. Both commands return the decimal-weighted sum of all set bits in the register. The difference between the two methods is that the serial poll command reads bit 6 as the Request Service (RQS) bit and clears the bit which clears the SRQ interrupt.
Page 102 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Table 3-7. Bits in Questionable Status Register Definition 0, 1, and 2 not used POWer - indicating that the instrument is measuring too high of a power. 3 through 8 not used Maximum signals - indicating that the instrument has found the maximum number of signals.
Page 103 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Enabling register bits with masks Several masks are available which you can use to enable or disable individual bits in each register. For example, you can disable the Hardcopy bit in the OPERation Sta- tus Register so that even though it goes high, it can never set the summary bit in the status byte high.
Page 104 Programming Monitoring the Instrument Queues There are two queues in the instrument: the output queue and the error queue. The values in the output queue and the error queue can be queried. Output queue The output queue stores the instrument responses that are generated by certain com- mands and queries that you send to the instrument.
Page 105: Reviewing Scpi Syntax Rules
Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules SCPI command are grouped in subsystems In accordance with IEEE 488.2, the instrument’s commands are grouped into “sub- systems.” Commands in each subsystem perform similar tasks. The following sub- systems are provided: Measurement Instructions Calculate1 Subsystem Calculate2 Subsystem...
Page 106 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Programs written in long form are easily read and are almost self-documenting. Using short form commands conserves the amount of controller memory needed for program storage and reduces the amount of I/O activity. The rules for creating short forms from the long form is as follows: The mnemonic is the first four characters of the keyword unless the fourth character is a vowel, in which case the mnemonic is the first three characters of the keyword.
Page 107 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules OUTPUT 720;”:CALC2:PEXC 12;:DISP:WIND:GRAP:STAT OFF” Sending common commands If a subsystem has been selected and a common command is received by the instru- ment, the instrument remains in the selected subsystem. For example, if the program message ”DISPLAY:MARK:MAX:LEFT;*CLS;DISP:MARK:MAX:RIGH”...
Page 108 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules If a measurement cannot be made, no response is given and an error is placed into the error queue. For example, *RST FETCh:POW? will timeout the controller and place a Data stale or corrupt error in the error queue. Table 3-9.
Page 109 Programming Reviewing SCPI Syntax Rules Querying data Data is requested from the instrument using a query. Queries can be used to find out how the instrument is currently configured. They are also used to get results of mea- surements made by the instrument, with the query actually activating the measure- ment.
Page 110: Example Programs
Example 5. Measure signal-to-noise ratio of each WDM channel 3-39 Example 6. Increase a source’s wavelength accuracy 3-41 These programs are provided to give you examples of using Keysight 86120C remote programming commands in typical applications. They are not meant to teach general programming techniques or provide ready-to-use solutions.
Page 111 Tempo subroutine This subroutine, which is only found in Example 3, pauses the program for a few seconds while the Keysight 86120C measures the drift on a laser. The argument in the example sets the pause for 10 seconds. 3-29...
Page 112 This program measures the power and wavelength of a DFB laser. It first sets the Keysight 86120C in the single-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it triggers the Keysight 86120C with the MEASure command to capture measurement data of the input spectrum. Because the data is stored in the instrument’s memory, it can be que- ried as needed.
Page 113 Programming Example Programs Identity:DEF FNIdentity$; COM /Instrument/ @MwmV DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*OPC?" ENTER @Mwm;Opc_done OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ RETURN Identity$ FNEND 3-31...
Page 114 First, the program sets the Keysight 86120C in the single-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it triggers the Keysight 86120C with the MEASure command to capture measurement data of the input spectrum. Because the data is stored in the instrument’s memory, it can be que- ried as needed.
Page 115: Com /Instrument/ @Mwm
Programming Example Programs UNTIL NOT BIT(Cme,2) AND NOT BIT(Cme,4) AND NOT BIT(Cme,5) AND Err$,"+0") Subend:SUBEND Set_ese:SUB Set_ese COM /Instrument/ @Mwm OUTPUT @Mwm; "*ESE";IVAL("00110100",2) SUBEND Identity:DEF FNIdentity$; COM /Instrument/ @Mwm DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*OPC?" ENTER @Mwm;Opc_done OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ RETURN Identity$ FNEND...
Page 116: Set_Ese
This program measures the drift of channels in a WDM system. It measures drift in both power and wavelength of each line. First, the program sets the Keysight 86120C in the continuous-acquisition measurement mode. Then, it mea- sures drift using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem.
Page 117: Allocate Current_Wl(1:Nb_Wl)
Programming Example Programs ! Query reference wavelengths and powers OUTPUT @Mwm;":CALC3:DATA? WAV" ENTER @Mwm USING "#,K";Current_ref_wl(*) OUTPUT @Mwm;":CALC3:DATA? POW" ENTER @Mwm USING "#,K";Current_ref_pwr(*) ! Turn off drift reference state Cmd_opc(":CALC3:DRIF:REF:STAT OFF") Err_mngmt(":CALC3:DRIF:REF:STAT OFF") ! Turn on drift max min calculation Cmd_opc(":CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT ON") Err_mngmt(":CALC3:DRIF:DIFF:STAT ON") Tempo(10)
Page 118: Com /Instrument/ @Mwm
Programming Example Programs Subend:SUBEND Set_ese:SUB Set_ese COM /Instrument/ @Mwm OUTPUT @Mwm;"*ESE ";IVAL("00110100",2) SUBEND Identity:DEF FNIdentity$; COM /Instrument/ @Mwm DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*OPC?" ENTER @Mwm;Opc_done OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ RETURN Identity$ FNEND Cmd_opc:SUB Cmd_opc(Set_cmd$) COM /Instrument/ @Mwm OUTPUT @Mwm;Set_cmd$ OUTPUT @Mwm;"*OPC?"...
Page 119 Programming Example Programs Example 4. Measure WDM channel separation This program measures the line separations on a WDM system. It measures separa- tion (delta) between power and wavelength of each line using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem. Refer to the introduction to this section for a description of each subroutine that is contained in this program.
Page 120: Dim Err_Msg
Programming Example Programs ";(Delta_wl(I)+((NOT I=1)*Delta_wl(1)))/1.0E-9;" nm. Absolute line level is : ";Delta_pwr(I)+(NOT I=1)*Delta_pwr(1);" dBm" PRINT USING "17A,2D,6A,M4D.3D,23A,2D,6A,S2D.2D,3A";"Delta Wl to line ",I+1," is : ";(Delta_wl(I+1)-(NOT I=1)*Delta_wl(I))/1.E-9;" nm, Delta Pwr to line ",I+1," is : ";(I=1)*(Delta_pwr(I+1))+(NOT I=1)*(Delta_pwr(I+1)-Delta_pwr(I));" dB" NEXT I PRINT USING "6A,2D,17A,M4D.3D,31A,S2D.2D,4A";"Line : ";I;" wavelength is : ";(Delta_wl(1)+Delta_wl(Nb_pt))/1.0E-9;"...
Page 121 Programming Example Programs Example 5. Measure signal-to-noise ratio of each WDM channel This program measures signal-to-noise ratios on a WDM system. It measures the ratio for each line using commands from the CALCulate3 subsystem. Refer to the introduction to this section for a description of each subroutine that is contained in this program.
Page 122 Programming Example Programs FOR I=1 TO Nb_pt PRINT USING "7A,2D,17A,M4D.3D,25A,S2D.2D,22A,2D.2D,3A";"Line : ";I;" wavelength is : ";Current_wl(I)/1.0E-9;" nm, absolute level is : ";Current_pwr(I);" dBm, with a SNR of : ";Snr_pwr(I);" dB" NEXT I STOP Error_msg: ! PRINT "The program is aborted due to : ";ERRM$ Err_mngmt:SUB Err_mngmt(OPTIONAL Cmd_msg$) COM /Instrument/ @Mwmt DIM Err_msg$[255]...
Page 123 The absolute accuracy of the tunable laser source is increased from <±0.1 nm to <±0.003 nm which is the Keysight 86120C’s absolute accuracy (at 1550 nm). In order to run this program, the tunable laser source’s firmware must support the automatic alignment command, WAVEACT.
Page 124 Programming Example Programs COM Current_wl,Diff_wl.Target_wl,Previous_diff,Diff_diff Current_wl=0 Diff_wl=0 Target_wl=0 Previous_diff=O Diff_diff=0 ASSIGN @Tls TO 724 ASSIGN @Mwm TO 720 ! Initialize instrument DIM Identity$[50] Identity$="" OUTPUT @Tls;"*CLS" OUTPUT @Tls;"*IDN?" ENTER @TLS;identity$ PRINT "TLS IS A ";identity$ OUTPUT @Mwm;"*RST" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*CLS" OUTPUT @Mwm;"*IDN?" ENTER @Mwm;Identity$ PRINT "MWM IS A ";identity$ ! Ask user for desired wavelength...
Page 125: Lists Of Commands
Programming Lists of Commands Lists of Commands Table 3-10. Programming Commands (1 of 6) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. Common Commands *CLS Clears all event registers and the error queue. *ESE Sets the bits in the standard-event status enable register.
Page 126 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-10. Programming Commands (2 of 6) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. CALCulate1 (CALC1) Subsystem :CALCulate1:DATA? Queries the uncorrected frequency-spectrum data of the input signal. :CALCulate1:TRANsform:FREQuency:POI Sets and queries the number of points in the data set.
Page 127 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-10. Programming Commands (3 of 6) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:FREQuenc Selects the signal to be used as the reference for the DELTa calculations. :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:POWer? Queries the power level of the reference signal.
Page 128 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-10. Programming Commands (4 of 6) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :CALCulate3:FPERot:FWHM:WNUMber? Queries full width half-max wavenumber of selected modes. :CALCulate3:FPERot:MODE:SPACing:[WAV Queries the mode spacing wavelength of the selected elength]? modes.
Page 129 :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:NTR Sets the negative transition filter register. ansition :STATus:PRESet Presets the enable registers for all status nodes. SYSTem Subsystem :SYSTem:ERRor? Queries an error from the error queue. :SYSTem:HELP:HEADers? Queries an ASCII listing of all Keysight 86120C remote commands. 3-47...
Page 130 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-10. Programming Commands (6 of 6) Command Description Code Codes: S indicates a standard SCPI command. I indicates an instrument specific command. :SYSTem:PRESet Performs the equivalent of a front-panel PRESET key press. :SYSTem:VERSion Queries the version of SCPI with which this instrument is compliant.
Page 131 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-11. Keys Versus Commands (1 of 2) Equivalent Command Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe] Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe] Δ :CALCulate3:DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe] WL/PWR Appl's See DRIFT, S/N, and FP TEST AUTO :CALCulate3:SNR:AUTO ON Avg WL :CALCulate2:PWAVerage[:STATe] BAR OFF :DISPlay[:WINDow]:GRAPhics:STATe BAR ON :DISPlay[:WINDow]:GRAPhics:STATe BROAD :SENSe:CORRection:DEVice BROad See ELEV, PWR OFS, STD AIR, and VACUUM...
Page 132 Programming Lists of Commands Table 3-11. Keys Versus Commands (2 of 2) Equivalent Command Peak WL See NEXT PK, NEXT WL, PEAK, PREV PK, and PREV WL PK EXC :CALCulate2:PEXCursion PK THLD :CALCulate2:PTHReshold POWER :UNIT:POWer Preset :SYSTem:PRESet PREV PK :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:PREVious PREV WL :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:LEFT Print...
Page 133 Common Commands 4-3 Measurement Instructions 4-14 CALCulate1 Subsystem 4-23 CALCulate2 Subsystem 4-28 CALCulate3 Subsystem 4-40 CONFigure Measurement Instruction 4-70 DISPlay Subsystem 4-71 FETCh Measurement Instruction 4-75 HCOPy Subsystem 4-76 MEASure Measurement Instruction 4-77 READ Measurement Instruction 4-78 SENSe Subsystem 4-79 STATus Subsystem 4-86 SYSTem Subsystem 4-93 TRIGger Subsystem 4-99...
Page 134 Programming Commands Programming Commands Programming Commands This chapter is the reference for all Agilent 86120C programming commands. Com- mands are organized by subsystem. Table 4-12. Notation Conventions and Definitions Convention Description < > Angle brackets indicate values entered by the programmer.
Page 135: Programming Commands
Programming Commands Common Commands Common Commands Common commands are defined by the IEEE 488.2 standard. They control generic device functions which could be common among many different types of instru- ments. Common commands can be received and processed by the instrument whether they are sent over the GPIB as separate program messages or within other program messages.
Page 136 Programming Commands Common Commands Description The event status enable register contains a mask value for the bits to be enabled in the event status register. A bit set to one (1) in the event status enable register enables the corresponding bit in the event status register to set the event summary bit in the status byte register.
Page 137 Programming Commands Common Commands Syntax *ESR? Description When you read the standard event status register, the value returned is the total of the bit weights of all of the bits that are set to one at the time you read the byte. The following table shows each bit in the event status register and its bit weight.
Page 138 The following identification string is returned. The third entry is the instrument’s serial number. The last entry in the string is the firmware version number; this value may vary between instruments. Agilent 86120C, USaaaabbbb, 1.000 Example DIM Id$[50] OUTPUT 720;”*IDN?”...
Page 139 This command is useful when the computer is sending commands to other instru- ments. The computer can poll the event status register to check when the Agilent 86120C has completed the operation. Use the *OPC? query to ensure all operations have completed before continuing the program. By following a command with an *OPC? query and an ENTER statement, the program will pause until the response (ASCII “1”) is returned by the instrument.
Page 140 Programming Commands Common Commands *RST The *RST (reset) command returns the Agilent 86120C to a known condition. Syntax *RST Description For a listing of reset conditions, refer to the following table. This command cannot be issued as a query. Since this command places the instrument in single measure- ment acquisition mode, any current data is marked as invalid and a measurement query such as :FETCh? results in error number –230, “Data corrupt or stale”.
Page 141 Programming Commands Common Commands Table 4-15. Conditions Set by *RST Reset (2 of 2) Item Setting Delta Measurements: Δ power Δ wavelength Δ wavelength and power reference signal position 1270 nm Drift measurements Signal-to-Noise Measurements: measurement wavelength reference auto reference (user) wavelength 1550 nm in vacuum number of averages (count) GPIB address...
Page 142 Programming Commands Common Commands *SRE The *SRE (service request enable) command sets the bits in the service request enable register. Syntax *SRE <integer> *SRE? <integer> is defined as an integer mask from 0 to 255. Description The service request enable register contains a mask value for the bits to be enabled in the status byte register.
Page 143 Programming Commands Common Commands *STB? The *STB (status byte) query returns the current value of the instrument’s status byte. Syntax *STB? Description The master summary status (MSS) bit 6 indicates whether or not the device has at least one reason for requesting service. When you read the status byte register, the value returned is the total of the bit weights of all of the bits set to one at the time you read the byte.
Page 144 Programming Commands Common Commands *TRG The *TRG (trigger) command is identical to the group execute trigger (GET) mes- sage or RUN command. Syntax *TRG Description This command acquires data according to the current settings. This command can- not be issued as a query. If a measurement is already in progress, a trigger is ignored, and an error is generated.
Page 145 Programming Commands Common Commands *WAI The *WAI command prevents the instrument from executing any further commands until the current command has finished executing. Syntax *WAI Description All pending operations are completed during the wait period. This command cannot be issued as a query. 4-13...
Page 146: Measurement Instructions
Programming Commands Measurement Instructions Measurement Instructions Use the measurement instructions documented in this section to perform measure- ments and return the desired results to the computer. Four basic measurement instructions are used: CONFigure, FETCh, READ, and MEASure. Because the command trees for each of these four basic measurement instructions are identical, only the MEASure tree is documented.
Page 147 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer? Returns amplitude values. Syntax :POWer? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional ignored ARRay ignored ignored Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a power level that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 148 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions Examples :CONF:ARR:POW :FETC:ARR:POW? :READ:ARR:POW? :MEAS:ARR:POW? :CONF:SCAL:POW -10 dBm :FETC:SCAL:POW? MAX :READ:SCAL:POW? MIN :MEAS:SCAL:POW? DEF Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW? MAX is sent: -5.88346500E+000 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW? is sent, the following string could be returned.
Page 149 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:FREQuency? Returns frequency values. Syntax :POWer:FREQuency? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a frequency that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 150 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions <resolution> MAXimum 0.01 resolution (fast update) Constants MINimum 0.001 resolution (normal) DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:FREQ DEF, MIN :FETC:ARR:POW:FREQ? DEF, MAX :READ:ARR:POW:FREQ? :MEAS:ARR:POW:FREQ? :CONF:SCAL:POW:FREQ 230.8THZ, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ :MEAS:SCAL:POW:FREQ? 230.8THZ Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW:FREQ? MAX is sent: +1.94055176E+014 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW:FREQ? is sent, the following...
Page 151 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:WAVelength? Returns wavelength values. Syntax :POWer:WAVelength? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned. The display is placed in the single-wavelength mode, and the marker is placed on the signal having a wavelength that is closest to the <expected_value>...
Page 152 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:WAV DEF, MAX :FETC:ARR:POW:WAV? DEF, MIN :READ:ARR:POW:WAV? :MEAS:ARR:POW:WAV? :CONF:SCAL:POW:WAV 1300NM, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WAV? 1300NM Query Response The following line is an example of a returned string when :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WAV? MAX is sent: +1.5529258E-006 If six laser lines are located and :MEAS:ARR:POW:WAV? is sent, the following string could be returned.
Page 153 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MEASure{:ARRay | [:SCALar]} :POWer:WNUMber? Returns a wave number value. Syntax :POWer:WNUMber? [<expected_value>[,<resolution>]] Used With <expected_value> <resolution> SCALar optional optional ARRay optional ignored a. Although ignored, this argument must be present if the resolution argument is specified. Description When used with a :SCALar command, a single value is returned.
Page 154 Programming Commands Measurement Instructions MINimum 0.001 resolution (normal) DEFault Current resolution Examples :CONF:ARR:POW:WNUM DEF, MAX :FETC:ARR:POW:WNUM? DEF, MIN :READ:ARR:POW:WNUM? :MEAS:ARR:POW:WNUM? :CONF:SCAL:POW:WNUM 6451, MAX :FETC:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451, MIN :READ:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 Query Response If the :MEAS:SCAL:POW:WNUM? 6451 command is sent, and a 1550 nm laser line is present, the following response would be returned to the computer: +6.45286262E+005 Notice that the returned units are m...
Page 155: Calculate1 Subsystem
Use the CALCulate1 commands to query uncorrected frequency-spectrum data. In NORMAL measurement update mode, 15,047 values are returned. If the Agilent 86120C is set for FAST measurement update mode (low resolution), 7,525 values are returned. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy:...
Page 156 Programming Commands CALCulate1 Subsystem DATA? Queries uncorrected frequency-spectrum data of the input laser line. Syntax :CALCulate1:DATA? Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description The returned values are proportional to squared Watts (linear) units. No amplitude or frequency correction is applied to the values.
Page 157 If your program is aborted or interrupted after sending this query, the Agilent 86120C continues to process the data but does not place it in the output buf- fer. Because of the amount of data processed, the instrument will not respond to any new commands in its input buffer for up to 20 seconds.
Page 158 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 159 Programming Commands CALCulate1 Subsystem Query Response For normal update: +15,047 For fast update: +7,525 4-27...
Page 160: Calculate2 Subsystem
Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem CALCulate2 Subsystem Use the CALCulate2 commands to query corrected values frequency-spectrum data. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: :CALCulate2 :DATA? :PEXCursion :POINts? :PTHReshold :PWAVerage [:STATe] :WLIMit [:STATe] :STARt :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber :STOP :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber...
Page 161 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem DATA? Queries the corrected peak data of the input laser line. Syntax :CALCulate2:DATA? {FREQuency | POWer | WAVelength | WNUMber} Constant Description FREQuency Queries the array of laser-line frequencies after the peak search is completed. If :CALC2:PWAV:STAT is on, the power- weighted average frequency is returned.
Page 162 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem PEXCursion Sets the peak excursion limit used by the Agilent 86120C to determine valid laser line peaks. Syntax :CALCulate2:PEXCursion{?| {<integer> | MINimum | MAXimum | DEFault}} <integer> represents logarithmic units in dB. Valid range is 1 to 30 dB.
Page 163 Programming Commands CALCulate2 Subsystem POINts? Queries the number of points in the data set. Syntax :CALCulate2:POINts? Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected *RST State: unaffected SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description This is the number of points that will be returned by the CALC2:DATA? query. Query Response For example, if six laser lines are located: PTHReshold...
Page 164 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 165 SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this function is on, the Agilent 86120C has an input range from the WLIMit STARt to the WLIMit STOP. When this function is off, the instrument displays peaks over the full wavelength range. The graphics display always shows the range between WLIMit:STARt and WLIMit:STOP, regardless of the state of this com- mand.
Page 166 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 167 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 168 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 169 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 170 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 171 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 172: Calculate3 Subsystem
Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem CALCulate3 Subsystem Use the CALCulate3 commands to perform delta, drift, signal-to-noise, and Fabry- Perot measurements. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: :CALCulate3 :ASNR :CLEar :COUNt [:STATe] :DATA? :DELTa :POWer [:STATe] :PRESet :REFerence :FREQuency :POWer? [:WAVelength]...
Page 173 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem :FPERot [:STATE] :FWHM [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :MEAN [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :MODE [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :PEAK [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :POWer? :POWer [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :SIGMa [:WAVelength]? :FREQuency? :WNUMber? :POINts? :PRESet :SNR :AUTO :REFerence :FREQuency [:WAVelength] :WNUMber [:STATe] ASNR:CLEar Clears the number of measurements used in the average signal-to-noise calculation.
Page 174 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem Syntax :CALCulate3:ASNR:CLEar Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected *RST State: not affected SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description This command clears the number of measurements used in the average signal-to- noise calculation. The current measurement is used as the new reference for the average signal-to-noise calculation.
Page 175 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem ASNR:COUNt Sets the number of measurements to be used for the average signal-to-noise calcula- tion. Syntax :CALCulate3:ASNR:COUNt {?|{<integer> | MINimum | MAXimum }} <integer> is a value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum MAXimum Attribute Summary Preset State: 100...
Page 176 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem ASNR[:STATe] Turns the average signal-to-noise ratio on or off. Syntax :CALCulate3:ASNR[:STATe] {?|{ ON | OFF | 1 | 0 }} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description This command turns the average signal-to-noise calculation on or off. Only one of the CALCulate3 calculations (ASNR, DELTa, DRIFt, or SNR) can be turned on at a time.
Page 177 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DATA? Queries the data resulting from delta, drift, and signal-to-noise measurements. Syntax :CALCulate3:DATA? {POWer | FREQuency | WAVelength | WNUMber} Argument Description POWer Queries the array of laser-line powers after the calculation is completed. FREQuency Queries the array of laser-line frequencies after the calculation is completed.
Page 178 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:POWer[:STATe] Turns the delta-power measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:POWer[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this state is on, the power of the reference laser line is subtracted from the power values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 179 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence:FREQuency Selects the reference laser line for DELTa calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:FREQuency{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a frequency value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 181.6924 THz MAXimum 236.0571 THz Attribute Summary Preset State: 236.0571 THz (1270 nm) *RST State: 236.0571 THz (1270 nm) SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 180 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence[:WAVelength] Selects the reference laser line for DELTa calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence[:WAVelength]{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wavelength value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 1270 nm MAXimum 1650 nm Attribute Summary Preset State: 1270 nm (236.0571 THz) *RST State: 1270 nm (236.0571 THz) laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 181 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:REFerence:WNUMber Selects the reference laser line for delta calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:REFerence:WNUMber{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wave number value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 6,060 cm (1650 nm) MAXimum 7,824 cm (1270 nm) Attribute Summary...
Page 182 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe] Turns the delta wavelength measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:WAVelength[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When on, the wavelength of the reference laser line is subtracted from the wave- length values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 183 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe] Turns the delta wavelength and power measurement mode on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:DELTa:WPOWer[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When on, the wavelength of the reference laser line is subtracted from the wave- length values of all laser lines except the reference.
Page 184 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:DIFFerence[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to subtract the minimum values measured from the maxi- mum values measured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:DIFFerence[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 185 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:MAXimum[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to return the maximum power and frequency values mea- sured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MAXimum[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 186 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:MINimum[:STATe] Sets the drift calculation to return the minimum power and frequency values mea- sured. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:MINimum[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description Use the CALC3:DRIF:PRES command to turn off all the drift states before turning on this state.
Page 187 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:PRESet Turns off all the drift states for DIFFerence, MAXimum, MINimum, and REFer- ence. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected by *RST State: unaffected by SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only Description This command allows the CALC3:DATA? query to return the difference between the current measurement and the reference.
Page 188 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt:REFerence[:STATe] Turns on and off the drift reference state. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt:REFerence[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When this command is set to on, the CALC3:DATA? command returns the refer- ence laser lines.
Page 189 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem DRIFt[:STATe] Turns on and off the drift measurement calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:DRIFt[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When the drift mode is first turned on, the current list of laser lines is placed into the reference.
Page 190 Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Description When the state is ON, the Agilent 86120C measures characteristics of the Fabry- Perot laser modes. The modes are defined by the peak excursion and peak threshold commands. FPERot:FWHM? Queries the full width half-maximum data of the selected modes.
Page 191 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected *RST State: not affected SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query only FPERot:MEAN? Queries the mean data of the selected modes. Syntax :CALCulate3:FPERot:MEAN{[:WAVelength] | :FREQuency | :WNUMber}? Argument Description WAVelength Returns the mean wavelength of the selected modes. FREQuency Returns the mean frequency of the selected modes.
Page 192 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem FPERot:MODE:SPACing? Queries the mode spacing data of the selected modes. Syntax :CALCulate3:FPERot:MODE:SPACing{[:WAVelength] | :FREQuency | :WNUMber}? Argument Description WAVelength Returns the mode spacing wavelength of the selected modes. FREQuency Returns the mode spacing frequency of the selected modes. WNUMber Returns the mode spacing wavenumber of the selected modes.
Page 193 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem FPERot:PEAK? Queries the peak data of the selected modes. Syntax :CALCulate3:FPERot:PEAK{[:WAVelength] | :FREQuency | :WNUMber | :POWer{[:DBM]|:WATTs}}? Argument Description WAVelength Returns the peak wavelength of the selected modes. FREQuency Returns the peak frequency of the selected modes. WNUMber Returns the peak wavenumber of the selected modes.
Page 194 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem FPERot:POWer? Queries the total power data of the selected modes. Syntax :CALCulate3:FPERot:POWer{[:DBM]|:WATTs}}? Argument Description Returns the total power in dBm. WATTs Returns the total power in watts. Example Query dBm ( –4.46895600E+000 Response watts ( WATTs +3.57358800E–004 Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected...
Page 195 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem FPERot:SIGMa? Queries the sigma data of the selected modes. Syntax :CALCulate3:FPERot:SIGMa{[:WAVelength] | :FREQuency | :WNUMber}? Argument Description WAVelength Returns the sigma wavelength of the selected modes. FREQuency Returns the sigma frequency of the selected modes. WNUMber Returns the sigma wavenumber of the selected modes.
Page 196 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem POINts? Queries the number of points in the data set. Syntax :CALCulate3:POINts? Attribute Summary Preset State: unaffected by RST State: unaffected by SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description The value returned is the number of points returned by the CALC3:DATA? query. PRESet Turns off any CALCulate3 calculation that is on.
Page 197 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:AUTO Selects the reference frequency value for measuring noise in the signal-to-noise cal- culation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:AUTO{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Constant Description Selects internally generated reference frequency. Selects user-entered reference frequency. Attribute Summary Preset State: on *RST State: on SCPI Compliance: instrument specific...
Page 198 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence:FREQuency Enters a frequency that can be used for the noise measurement reference in signal- to-noise calculations. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence:FREQuency{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a frequency value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 181.6924 THz...
Page 199 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence[:WAVelength] Sets the wavelength used for the noise measurement reference in the signal-to-noise calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence[:WAVelength]{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wavelength value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 1270 nm MAXimum 1650 nm Attribute Summary...
Page 200 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR:REFerence:WNUMber Sets the wave number used for the noise measurement reference in the signal-to- noise calculation. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR:REFerence:WNUMber{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is a wave number value that is within the following limits: Constant Description MINimum 6060 cm...
Page 201 Programming Commands CALCulate3 Subsystem SNR[:STATe] Turns the signal-to-noise calculation on and off. Syntax :CALCulate3:SNR[:STATe]{?| {ON | OFF | 1 | 0}} Attribute Summary Preset State: off *RST State: off SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Note Only one STATe command can be turned on at any one time. Attempting to turn more than one state on at a time results in a “–221 Settings Conflict”...
Page 202: Configure Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands CONFigure Measurement Instruction CONFigure Measurement Instruction For information on the CONFigure measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions” on page 4-14. 4-70...
Page 203: Display Subsystem
Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem DISPlay Subsystem The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: :DISPlay :MARKer: :MAXimum :LEFT :NEXT :PREVious :RIGHt [:WINDow] :GRAPhics :STATe 4-71...
Page 204 Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem MARKer:MAXimum Sets the marker to the laser line that has the maximum power. Syntax :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum Attribute Summary Preset State: marker set to maximum-power laser line *RST State: marker set to maximum-power laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only MARKer:MAXimum:LEFT Moves the marker left to the next laser line.
Page 205 Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem MARKer:MAXimum:NEXT Moves the marker to the laser line with the next lower power level. Syntax :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:NEXT Attribute Summary Preset State: marker set to maximum-power laser line *RST State: marker set to maximum-power laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only Description If the display is in the List by WL mode, it will be changed to List by Ampl before...
Page 206 Programming Commands DISPlay Subsystem MARKer:MAXimum:RIGHt Moves the marker right to the next laser line. Syntax :DISPlay:MARKer:MAXimum:RIGHt Attribute Summary Preset State: marker set to maximum-power laser line *RST State: marker set to maximum-power laser line SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Command Only Description Moves the marker from the current marker position to the next laser line having the following characteristic:...
Page 207: Fetch Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands FETCh Measurement Instruction FETCh Measurement Instruction For information on the FETCh measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions” on page 4-14. 4-75...
Page 208: Hcopy Subsystem
Prints measurement results on a printer. Syntax :HCOPy:IMMediate Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description Connect the printer to the Agilent 86120C’s rear-panel PARALLEL PRINTER PORT connector. The output to the printer is ASCII text. 4-76...
Page 209: Measure Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands MEASure Measurement Instruction MEASure Measurement Instruction For information on the MEASure measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions” on page 4-14. 4-77...
Page 210: Read Measurement Instruction
Programming Commands READ Measurement Instruction READ Measurement Instruction For information on the READ measurement instruction, refer to “Measurement Instructions” on page 4-14. 4-78...
Page 211: Sense Subsystem
Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem SENSe Subsystem Use the SENSe commands to correct measurement results for elevation above sea level and to select between measurements in air or vacuum. You can also enter an amplitude offset. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: [:SENSe] :CORRection...
Page 212 Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem CORRection:DEVice Selects the wavelength measurement algorithm. Syntax :SENSe:CORRection:[DEVice]{?| {NARRow | BROad}} Constant Description NARRow Selects wavelength measurements for narrowband devices such as DFB lasers and modes of FP lasers. BROad Selects wavelength measurements for broadband devices such as optical filters and LEDs.
Page 213 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 214 Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem CORRection:MEDium Sets the Agilent 86120C to return wavelength readings in a vacuum or standard air. Syntax :SENSe:CORRection:MEDium{?| {AIR | VACuum}} Argument Description Selects wavelength values in standard air. VACuum Selects wavelength values in a vacuum. Attribute Summary...
Page 215 Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem CORRection:OFFSet[:MAGNitude] Enters an offset for amplitude values. Syntax :SENSe:CORRection:OFFSet:MAGNitude{?| {<real> | MINimum | MAXimum}} <real> is the logarithmic units in dB. Constant Description −40.0 dB MINimum MAXimum 40.0 dB Attribute Summary Preset State: 0.0 *RST State: 0.0 SCPI Compliance: standard Query Response The query form returns the current offset setting as shown in the following example:...
Page 216 If your program is aborted or interrupted after sending this query, the Agilent 86120C continues to process the data but does not place it in the output buf- fer. Because of the amount of data processed, the instrument will not respond to any new commands in its input buffer for 30 or 40 seconds.
Page 217 Programming Commands SENSe Subsystem Query Response The following string shows an example of the first few measurements returned by this query. +1.51367200E+000,+1.51855500E+000,+1.49902300E+000,+1.47949200E+000,+1.504883 00E+000,+1.53320300E+000,+1.50097700E+000,+1.47265600E+000,+1.50293000E+000, +1.50781300E+000,+1.51171900E+000,+1.48242200E+000,+1.50097700E+000,+1.518555 00E+000,+1.50683600E+000,+1.48632800E+000,+1.50488300E+000 Notice that only values are returned to the computer. There is no first value that indi- cates the number of values contained in the string as there is, for example, with the FETCh, READ, and MEASure commands.
Page 218: Status Subsystem
Programming Commands STATus Subsystem STATus Subsystem Use the commands in this subsystem to control the Agilent 86120C’s status-report- ing structures. These structures provide registers that you can use to determine if certain events have occurred. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy:...
Page 219 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}:CONDition? Queries the value of the questionable or operation condition register. Syntax :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:CONDition? Query Response 0 to 32767 Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description Use this command to read the value of the OPERation Status or QUEStionable Sta- tus registers.
Page 220 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}:ENABle Sets the enable mask for the questionable or operation event register. Syntax :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:ENABle{?| <value>} <integer> an integer from 0 to 65535. Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Description The enable mask selects which conditions in the event register cause the summary bit in the status byte to be set.
Page 221 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}[:EVENt] Queries the contents of the questionable or operation event registers. Syntax :STATus:{OPERation | QUEStionable}:EVENt? Query Response 0 to 32767 Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description The response will be a number from 0 to 32767 indicating which bits are set.
Page 222 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}:NTRansition Selects bits in the event register which can be set by negative transitions of the cor- responding bits in the condition register. Syntax :STATus:OPERation:NTRansition{?| <integer>} <integer> an integer from 0 to 65535. Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard...
Page 223 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem {OPERation | QUEStionable}:PTRansition Selects bits in the event register which can be set by positive transitions of the corre- sponding bits in the condition register. Syntax :STATus:OPERation:PTRansition{?| <integer>} <integer> an integer from 0 to 65535. Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard...
Page 224 Programming Commands STATus Subsystem PRESet Presets the enable registers and the PTRansition and NTRansition filters. Syntax :STATus:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description The PRESet command is defined by SCPI to affect the enable register. If you want to clear all event registers and queues, use the *CLS command.
Page 225: System Subsystem
Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem SYSTem Subsystem The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy: :SYSTem :ERRor? :HELP :HEADers? :PRESet :VERSion? 4-93...
Page 226 Query Only Description The Agilent 86120C has a 30 entry error queue. The queue is a first-in, first-out buf- fer. Repeatedly sending the query :SYSTEM:ERROR? returns the error numbers and descriptions in the order in which they occur until the queue is empty. Any fur- ther queries returns +0, “No errors”...
Page 227 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem HELP:HEADers? Queries a listing of all the remote programming commands available for the Agilent 86120C. Syntax :SYSTem:HELP:HEADers? Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: instrument specific Query Only Description The returned ASCII string of commands is in the IEEE 488.2 arbitrary-block data format.
Page 228 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem PRESet Performs the equivalent of pressing the front-panel PRESET key. Syntax :SYSTem:PRESet Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description The instrument state is set according to the settings shown in the following table. Table 4-19.
Page 229 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem Table 4-19. Instrument Conditions (2 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Measurement speed normal last state Measurement bandwidth narrowband narrowband Drift measurements Fabry-Perot laser measurements Delta measurements: Δ power Δ...
Page 230 Programming Commands SYSTem Subsystem VERSion Queries the version of SCPI that the Agilent 86120C complies with. Syntax :SYSTem:VERSion Attribute Summary Preset State: none *RST State: none SCPI Compliance: standard Query Only Description The SCPI version used in the Agilent 86120C is 1995.0.
Page 231: Trigger Subsystem
TRIGger Subsystem TRIGger Subsystem The SCPI definition defines the TRIGger subsystem to include ABORt, ARM, INI- Tiate, and TRIGger commands. The Agilent 86120C has no ARM or TRIGger com- mands. The commands in this subsystem have the following command hierarchy:...
Page 232 Programming Commands TRIGger Subsystem ABORt Halts the current measurement sequence and places the instrument in the idle state. Syntax :ABORt Attribute Summary Preset State: not affected SCPI Compliance: standard Command Only Description If the instrument is configured for continuous measurements, a new measurement sequence will begin.
Page 233 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 234 Always use an *OPC? query or a *WAI command to ensure that this command has the time to complete before sending any more commands to the instrument. Refer to “Always force the Keysight 86120C to wait for non-sequential com- mands” on page 3-12 for more information.
Page 235: Unit Subsystem
Programming Commands UNIT Subsystem UNIT Subsystem The only command provided in this subsystem is the POWer command as shown in the following command hierarchy: :UNIT [:POWer] [:POWer] Sets the power units to watts (linear) or dBm (logarithmic). Syntax :UNIT[:POWer]{?| {W | DBM}} Attribute Summary Preset State: dBm *RST State: dBm...
Page 237 Test 1. Absolute Wavelength Accuracy 5-3 Test 2. Sensitivity 5-4 Test 3. Polarization Dependence 5-5 Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss 5-6 Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity 5-8 Performance Tests...
Page 238: Performance Tests
Test 3. Polarization Dependence 5-5 Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss 5-6 Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity 5-8 Allow the Keysight 86120C to warm up for 15 minutes before doing any of the per- formance tests. Calibration Cycle This instrument requires periodic verification of performance. The instrument...
Page 239: Test 1. Absolute Wavelength Accuracy
18 dBm. Procedure Use three or four light standards that cover the Keysight 86120C’s wavelength range. Connect the traceable sources to the Keysight 86120C and verify that the Keysight 86120C is reading the sources to within the absolute wavelength accuracy specification.
Page 240: Test 2. Sensitivity
Keysight 86120C being tested. 6 Reset the optical attenuator to the setting recorded in Step 7 Read the power and wavelength measured on the Keysight 86120C, and compare them to the specifications listed in Chapter 6, “Specifications and Regulatory Information”.
Page 241: Test 3. Polarization Dependence
6 Set the polarization controller to autoscan. 7 On the Keysight 86120C, press Peak WL, Appl’s, and then DRIFT. Press MAX-MIN so that both MAX and MIN in the softkey label are highlighted. The display shows the total drift since the drift measurement was started.
Page 242: Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss
6 times around a 5 mm diameter mandrel. 10 The return loss module measures the termination parameter. 11 Connect the HMS-10/HRL to FC/PC patchcord to the Keysight 86120C’s front panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. 12 The lightwave multimeter measures the return loss. Compare this measurement with the specification listed in Chapter 6, “Specifications and Regulatory...
Page 243 6 times around a 5 mm diameter mandrel. 11 The return loss module measures the termination parameter. 12 Connect the HMS-10/HRL to FC/APC patchcord to the Keysight 86120C’s front panel OPTICAL INPUT connector. 13 The lightwave multimeter measures the return loss. Compare this measurement with the specification listed in Chapter 6, “Specifications and Regulatory...
Page 244: Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy And Linearity
Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity Equipment Amplitude linearity is performed using the following devices: • 1550 nm DFB lasers • Optical attenuator • Keysight 11896A polarization controller • Optical power meter Procedure Polarization sensitivity To ensure measurement accuracy, minimize the movement of any fiber-optic cables during this procedure.
Page 245 5-21. For each setting, record the power measured on the Keysight 86120C. After completing this step, the table’s column titled “Keysight 86120C Power Read- ing” should be completely filled in. 20 Calculate the “Linearity” value for each row in the table using the following...
Page 246 Performance Tests Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity Table 5-21. Linearity Data Values Desired Power Power Meter Keysight 86120C Attenuator Setting Linearity (dBm) Reading Power Reading –1 –2 –3 –4 –5 –6 –7 –8 –9 –10 –11 –12 –13 –14 –15...
Page 247 Performance Tests Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity 5-11...
Page 249 Definition of Terms 6-3 Specifications—NORMAL Update Mode 6-5 Specifications—FAST Update Mode 6-8 Operating Specifications 6-11 General Safety Information 6-12 Compliance with Canadian EMC Requirements 6-12 Declaration of Conformity 6-13 Product Overview 6-14 Specifications and Regulatory Information...
Page 250 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications and Regulatory Information This chapter lists specification and characteristics of the instrument. The dis- tinction between these terms is described as follows: • Specifications describe warranted performance over the temperature range 0°C to +55°C and relative humidity <95% (unless otherwise noted).
Page 251: Definition Of Terms
Specifications and Regulatory Information Definition of Terms Definition of Terms Range refers to the allowable wavelength range of the optical input signal. Wavelength Absolute accuracy indicates the maximum wavelength error over the allowed environmental conditions. The wavelength accuracy is based on fundamental physical constants, which are absolute standards not requiring traceability to artifacts kept at national standards laboratories.
Page 252 Specifications and Regulatory Information Definition of Terms power of one laser line. Polarization Dependence indicates the maximum displayed power variation as the polarization of the input signal is varied. Display Resolution indicates the minimum incremental change in displayed power. Sensitivity is defined as the minimum power level of a single laser-line input Sensitivity to measure wavelength and power accurately.
Page 253: Specifications-Normal Update Mode
Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—NORMAL Update Mode Specifications—NORMAL Update Mode Each laser line is assumed to have a linewidth (including modulation side- bands) of less than 5 GHz. All specifications apply when the instrument is in the following modes: • NORMAL update mode unless noted. Refer to “Measurement rate”...
Page 254 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—NORMAL Update Mode Amplitude ± ± Calibration accuracy at calibration wavelengths 0.5 dB (at 1310 and 1550 nm 30 nm) ± Flatness, 30 nm from any wavelength ± 1270-1600 nm (characteristic) 0.2 dB ± 1270-1650 nm (characteristic) 0.5 dB ±...
Page 255 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—NORMAL Update Mode Input Return Loss With straight contactconnectors 35 dB With angled contact connectors (Option 022) 50 dB Measurement Cycle Time Normal update mode (characteristic) 1.0 s (1 measurement-per-second) Measurement Applications Signal-to-Noise Ratio (characteristic) >35 dB channel spacing 100 GHz >27 dB channel spacing 50 GHz...
Page 256: Specifications-Fast Update Mode
Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—FAST Update Mode Specifications—FAST Update Mode Each laser line is assumed to have a linewidth (including modulation side- bands) of less than 10 GHz. All specifications apply when the instrument is in the following modes: • FAST update mode unless noted. Refer to “Measurement rate”...
Page 257 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—FAST Update Mode Amplitude ± ± Calibration accuracy at calibration wavelengths 0.5 dB (at 1310 and 1550 nm 30 nm) ± Flatness, 30 nm from any wavelength ± 1270-1600 nm (characteristic) 0.2 dB ± 1270-1650 nm (characteristic) 0.5 dB ±...
Page 258 Specifications and Regulatory Information Specifications—FAST Update Mode Input Return Loss With flat contacting connectors 35 dB With angled contacting connectors (Option 022) 50 dB Measurement Cycle Time Fast update mode (characteristic) 0.5 s (2 measurements-per-second) Measurement Applications Signal-to-Noise Ratio (characteristic) >35 dB channel spacing 200 GHz >27 dB...
Page 259: Operating Specifications
Specifications and Regulatory Information Operating Specifications Operating Specifications Operating Specifications indoor Power: 70 W max Voltage 100 / 115 / 230 / 240 V ~ Frequency 50 / 60 Hz Altitude Up to 2000 m (~ 6600 ft) ° ° Operating temperature C to +55 ⋅...
Page 260: General Safety Information
Specifications and Regulatory Information General Safety Information General Safety Information • Refer servicing only to qualified and authorized personnel. Compliance with Canadian EMC Requirements This ISM device complies with Canadian ICES-001. Cet appareil ISM est conforme à la norme NMB-001 du Canada. Notice for Germany: Noise Declaration Acoustic Noise Emission Geräuschemission...
Page 261: Declaration Of Conformity
Specifications and Regulatory Information Declaration of Conformity Declaration of Conformity For latest DoC, please visit the link: http://www.keysight.com/go/conformity 6-13...
Page 262: Product Overview
Specifications and Regulatory Information Product Overview Product Overview Front view of instrument Rear view of instrument 6-14...
Page 263 Instrument Preset Conditions 7-2 Menu Maps 7-4 Error Messages 7-11 Connector interfaces (order separately) 7-17 Power Cords 7-18 For Assistance and Support 7-19 Reference...
Page 264: Reference
Reference Reference Reference Instrument Preset Conditions Table 5-22. Instrument Preset Conditions (1 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Display mode single wavelength last state Wavelength range limiting last state Start wavelength 1270 nm last state Stop wavelength 1650 nm...
Page 265 Reference Instrument Preset Conditions Table 5-22. Instrument Preset Conditions (2 of 2) Settings after Preset Settings after Power Item Key Pressed Turned On Device bandwidth narrowband last state Drift measurements Fabry-Perot laser measurements Delta measurements: Δ power Δ wavelength Δ wavelength and power reference signal position 1270 nm...
Page 266: Menu Maps
Menu Maps Menu Maps This section provides menu maps for the Keysight 86120C softkeys. The maps show which softkeys are displayed after pressing a front-panel key; they show the relationship between softkeys. The softkeys in these maps are aligned vertically instead of horizontally as on the actual display.
Page 267 Reference Menu Maps Appl’s Menu...
Page 268 Reference Menu Maps Display Avg WL Menu There is no menu associated with this key. Measurement Cont Menu There is no menu associated with this key. Display List by Power Menu...
Page 269 Reference Menu Maps Display List by WL Menu Delta On Menu...
Page 270 Reference Menu Maps Delta Off Menu Display Peak WL and System Preset Menus Measurement Single Menu There is no menu associated with this key.
Page 271 Reference Menu Maps System Print Menu...
Page 272 Reference Menu Maps System Setup Menu 7-10...
Page 273: Error Messages
Reference Error Messages Error Messages In this section, you’ll find all the error messages that the Keysight 86120C can dis- play on its screen. Table 5-23 on page 7-11 lists all instrument-specific errors. Table 5-24 on page 7-14 lists general SCPI errors.
Page 274 Reference Error Messages Table 5-23. Instrument Specific Error Messages (2 of 3) Error Number Error Message ROM BYTE UNERASED ROM WRITE OPERATION FAILED ROM DEFECTIVE ROM DATA INVALID ROM VERSION INCOMPATIBLE ROM POLLING LIMITED OUT INPUT OUT OF RANGE BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA BAD CAL ROM DATA...
Page 275 Reference Error Messages Table 5-23. Instrument Specific Error Messages (3 of 3) Error Number Error Message PRINTOUT WAS ABORTED NOT ALLOWED IN FABRY PEROT NOT ALLOWED IN S/N UNKNOWN KEYPRESS NUM LINES < NUM REFS NUM LINES > NUM REFS NO REFERENCE SIGNAL GAIN RANGING ERROR INCOMPATIBLE HARDWARE...
Page 276 Reference Error Messages Table 5-24. General SCPI Error Messages (1 of 3) Error Number Description “No errors” –100 “Command error (unknown command)“ –101 “Invalid character“ –102 “Syntax error“ –103 “Invalid separator“ –104 “Data type error“ –105 “GET not allowed“ –108 “Parameter not allowed“...
Page 277 Reference Error Messages Table 5-24. General SCPI Error Messages (2 of 3) Error Number Description –158 “String data not allowed“ –161 “Invalid block data“ –168 “Block data not allowed“ –170 “Expression error“ –171 “Invalid expression“ –178 “Expression data not allowed“ –200 “Execution error“...
Page 278 Reference Error Messages Table 5-24. General SCPI Error Messages (3 of 3) Error Number Description –310 “System error“ –321 “Out of memory” –350 “Too many errors“ –400 “Query error“ –410 “Query INTERRUPTED“ –420 “Query UNTERMINATED“ –430 “Query DEADLOCKED“ –440 “Query UNTERMINATED after indef resp“ Query was unterminated after an indefinite response.
Page 279: Connector Interfaces (Order Separately)
Reference Connector interfaces (order separately) Connector interfaces (order separately) Keysight Part Number Description FC connector interface (FC/ 81000FI 81000HI E-2000 connector interface 81000KI SC connector interface LC connector interface 81000LI 81000MI MU connector interface 81000NI FC connector interface (FC/ APC with narrow key)
Page 280: Power Cords
Argentinia 8120-6979 Chile 8120-8376 China 8120-8871 Brazil, Thailand * Part number shown for plug is the industry identifier for the plug only. Number shown for cable is the Keysight Technologies part number for the complete cable including the plug. 7-18...
Page 281: For Assistance And Support
Reference For Assistance and Support For Assistance and Support Please click on the following link: http://www.keysight.com/find/assist 7-19...
Page 282 Reference For Assistance and Support 7-20...
Page 283 Index ASNR, 44 AVERAGE annotation, 7 average wavelength, 3, 7 Avg WL key, 7, 8 Numerics 1 nm annotation, 27, 30 BAR OFF softkey, 11 BAR ON softkey, 11 ABORt programming command, 100 bit error rate, 25 ABORT softkey, 39 block diagram, 5 ac power cables, 6 BROAD annotation, 9...
Page 284 Index Cmd_opc subroutine, 29 dispersion. See calibration, measurements colon, 24 display commands annotation. See annotation combining, 24 cursor, 6 common, 23 modes, 3 measurement instructions, 23 resolution, 4, 6, 9 non sequential, 12, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, scrolling through, 6 38, 39, 81, 101, 102 setting update rate, 14...
Page 285 96, 2 FNIdentity function, 29 integration limits, 9 FP TEST softkey, 31 FPERot programming command, 58–63 FREQuency programming command, 17, 47, 66 front panel Keysight Technologies offices, 19 adapters, 17 labels, 14 lockout, 3 fuse laser values, 8...
Page 286 Index linewidth, 2 relative wavelength, 18 List by Power repetitive data formats, 27 menu map, 6 signal-to-noise, 25, 28 mode, 9 single acquisition, 14 softkey, 6, 23 SONET format present, 27, 35 List by WL speed, 13, 9, 26, 84 key, 6 total power, 8 menu map, 7...
Page 287 Index key, 20 key, 2, 9, 3 menu map, 8 menu map, 8 PRESet programming command, 46, 55, 92, 96 key, 20 PREV PK softkey, 5 menu map, 7 PREV WL softkey, 5 *OPC, 29, 3, 7 PREVious programming command, 73 OPTICAL INPUT connector, 3, 6, 14 Print output queue, 22, 27...
Page 288 Index for service, 11 SONET, 27, 35 RF modulation, 35 specifications, 2, 5 RIGHT programming command, 74 and wideband mode, 9 *RST, 3, 29, 8 definition of terms, 2 operating, 11 spurious signals suppressing, 15 S/N AUTO annotation, 25 *SRE, 10 S/N softkey, 28 standard S/N USER annotation, 25...
Page 289 Index UPDATE softkey, 14 uppercase letters, 24 USER softkey, 28 USER WL softkey, 28 UW softkey, 13 VAC annotation, 37 VACuum programming command, 82 VACUUM softkey, 9, 38 vacuum, measurements in, 37 VERSion programming command, 98 *WAI, 13 wave number, 13 wavelength definition of, 3 input range, 2...
Page 291 This information is subject to change without notice. © Keysight Technologies 2000 – 2014 Edition 3, November 2014 www.keysight.com...

Keysight 86120C User Manual

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