Keysight N5185A Getting Started Manual

Mxg analog and mxg vector signal generators

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MXG Signal Generator

N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal

Generators

This manual provides documentation for the N5185A and N5186A running on the Linux operating system.

GETTING STARTED GUIDE

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Page 1 MXG Signal Generator N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal Generators This manual provides documentation for the N5185A and N5186A running on the Linux operating system. GETTING STARTED GUIDE...
Page 2: Safety Notices
Notices commercial computer software or DOCUMENT OR ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. SHOULD commercial computer software KEYSIGHT AND THE USER HAVE A documentation. No additional © Keysight Technologies, Inc. SEPARATE WRITTEN AGREEMENT government requirements beyond 2023-2024 WITH WARRANTY TERMS those set forth in the EULA shall...
Page 3 Information on preventing instrument damage can be found at: http://keysight.com/find/PreventingInstrumentRepair Is your product software up-to-date? Periodically, Keysight releases software updates to fix known defects and incorporate product enhancements. To search for software updates for your product, go to the Keysight Technical Support website at: http://www.keysight.com/find/techsupport...
Page 4 If you discover a cybersecurity issue that you suspect may involve Keysight's proprietary software, or third-party software supplied by Keysight as part of a product, or that may affect the operation of Keysight products, we encourage you to report it to us using this form: https://www.keysight.com/us/en/about/quality-and-security/security/product-and-solution-cyber-security/report-...
Page 5: Table Of Contents
Packaging the Instrument 23 Instrument Markings 25 Quick Start 29 Boot-up Time 30 N5185A/N5186A Instrument Hosted Webpages 31 Interface Map 33 Verify Operation of the Signal Generator 34 Run a Self Test 34 Run Alignments 35 N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 6 USB-portable Licenses 62 Network Licenses 62 Configuring LAN 63 Hostname 63 IP Address & Gateway 63 System Maintenance 64 Backup 64 USB Connections 65 Removable Memory 67 Overview 68 SSD Removal and Installation 68 N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 7 Contents Firmware Updates 69 Instrument Security Information 70 N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 8 Contents N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 9: Safety And Maintenance Information
N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal Generators Getting Started Guide Safety and Maintenance Information The following topics can be found in this section: “Warnings, Cautions, and Notes” on page 10 “Protecting against electrostatic discharge” on page 12 “Regulatory Compliance” on page 13 “Unpack and Inspect the Instrument”...
Page 10: Warnings, Cautions, And Notes
This marking on the product (for example, at the RF power and AC power ports) indicates that the user should refer to instructions in the documentation before using those features. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 11: General Safety Considerations
The main power cord can be used as the system disconnecting device. It disconnects the mains circuits from the mains supply. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 12: Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Additional Information About ESD For more information about ESD and how to prevent ESD damage, contact the Electrostatic Discharge Association (http://www.esda.org). The ESD standards developed by this agency are sanctioned by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 13: Regulatory Compliance
Instrument Markings) then the following statement applies. South Korean Class A EMC Declaration This equipment has been conformity assessed for use in business environments. In a residential environment this equipment may cause radio interference. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 14: Unpack And Inspect The Instrument
Remove the instrument from the packaging container and ensure that all accessories are included. Inspect the instrument and accessories for damage. If the contents appear damaged, notify your local Keysight Technologies Inc. representative. The instrument is shipped in a container which prevents damage from static.
Page 15: Verify N5185A/N5186A Shipment Contents
— Contact the nearest Keysight Technologies office. — Keep the shipping materials for the carrier’s inspection. — If you must return the N5185A/N5186A MXG to Keysight Technologies, use the original (or comparable) shipping materials. See “Returning an Instrument for Service” on page...
Page 16: Before Applying Power
Note the external markings described in the “Instrument Markings” on page Use only the power cord supplied with the chassis. Keysight power cords ensure continuity between the chassis grounding-type power plug and the safety ground terminal at the power outlet.
Page 17: Power Requirements
Altitude (m) 4600 m Samples of this product have been type tested in accordance with the Keysight Environmental Test Manual and verified to be robust against the environmental stresses of Storage, Transportation and End-use; those stresses include but are not limited to temperature, humidity, shock, vibration, altitude and power line conditions.
Page 18: Instrument Cooling
For example, avoid the situation where the exhaust air from another instrument feeds into the air intake for this instrument. — The N5185A/N5186A MXG has multiple air intake/exhaust fans. Looking at the instrument display, these fans are located on the left hand side of the instrument, drawing cool air in from the left and pushing hot air out from the right side of the instrument.
Page 19: Prepare And Power Up The Instrument
In the following figure, the N5186A MXG is shown. The steps to prepare and power up the instrument are same for N5185A and N5186A. 3. Allow the MXG to warm up for at least 30 minutes before using. Also, see “Boot-up Time”...
Page 20: Instrument Maintenance
Instrument Maintenance Instrument Maintenance Cleaning the instrument To remove dirt or dust from the external case of the N5185A/N5186A MXG, clean the case using a dry or slightly-dampened cloth only. Cleaning Connectors Cleaning connectors with alcohol shall only be done with the instrument power cord removed, and in a well-ventilated area.
Page 21: Where To Get Technical Help
Safety and Maintenance Information Where to Get Technical Help Where to Get Technical Help To contact Keysight for sales and technical support, refer to support links on the following Keysight websites. For product-specific information, support, software, and documentation updates: http://www.keysight.com/find/n5185a http://www.keysight.com/find/n5186a...
Page 22: Returning An Instrument For Service
Returning an Instrument for Service Returning an Instrument for Service Calling Keysight Technologies Keysight Technologies has offices around the world to provide you with complete support for your instrument. To obtain servicing information or to order replacement parts, contact the nearest Keysight Technologies office listed below.
Page 23: Service Options
Returning an Instrument for Service Service Options Keysight Technologies offers several optional maintenance plans to service your instrument after the warranty has expired. Call your Keysight Technologies office for full details. If you want to service the instrument yourself after the warranty expires, you can download the service documentation that provides all necessary troubleshooting and maintenance information from the Keysight web page.
Page 24 Safety and Maintenance Information Returning an Instrument for Service Step Notes 5. Mark the shipping container “FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE” to assure careful handling. 6. Retain copies of all shipping papers. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 25: Instrument Markings
This symbol indicates the surface can be hot. This symbol indicated the product is sensitive to electrostatic discharge. This symbol identifies the Protective Conductor terminal. This symbol indicates the equipment is protected throughout by double or reinforced insulation. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 26 The UK conformity mark is a UK government owned mark. Products showing this mark comply with all applicable UK regulations. The Keysight email address is required by EU directives applicable to our product. The CSA mark is a registered trademark of the CSA International.
Page 27 GB 18455-2001 as required by the China RoHS regulations for paper/fiberboard packaging. This mark indicates product has been designed to meet the requirements of "IP x y", where "x" is the solid particle protection and "y" is the liquid ingress protection. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 28 Safety and Maintenance Information Instrument Markings N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 29: Quick Start
N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal Generators Getting Started Guide Quick Start Use this guide to unpack and set up the N5185A / N5186A MXG. The following topic can be found in this section: “Boot-up Time” on page 30 “N5185A/N5186A Instrument Hosted Webpages”...
Page 30: Boot-Up Time
Boot-up Time Once AC power is applied to the instrument and the On/Off switch is pressed, the N5185A/N5186A spends a period of time running boot-up tasks (such as hardware initialization). During this time, the PathWave Signal Generation screen is displayed: The displayed messages give a rough indication of progress through the boot-up process.
Page 31: N5185A/N5186A Instrument Hosted Webpages
Home screen of N5186A: N5185A/N5186A Instrument Hosted Webpages N5185A and N5186A provide instrument-hosted webpages to allow you to control and configure your instrument remotely using these webpages. You can access these webpages from a browser using either the hostname or IP address of your instrument.
Page 32 — Upload Files - Transfers data from the browser or another application to the instrument. The default password is Keysight. File are uploaded to the top of the file structure. You can use ’This Computer’ and ’All Formats’ to find the uploaded files as shown in the sample screen below.
Page 33: Interface Map
PathWave applications), and the graphical Home screen (for channel-specific settings). The user interface options marked with * in the figure above are applicable only to the N5186A. These are not available in the N5185A user interface. All other options are available in both N5185A and N5186A.
Page 34: Verify Operation Of The Signal Generator
Verify Operation of the Signal Generator Verify Operation of the Signal Generator To verify the operation of the N5185A / N5186A MXG, run a Self Test and Internal Alignments. The frequency range of the N5185A / N5186A depends on the option ordered: —...
Page 35: Run Alignments
“Run Alignments” on page 35 “Generate and View an Output Signal” on page If there are failures, run Alignments (below), then the Self Test again. If Self Test continues to fail, contact Keysight for help in resolving the issue, at: https://www.keysight.com/find/assist Run Alignments 1.
Page 36 Verify Operation of the Signal Generator The internal alignments calibration will ensure optimal operation of the N5185A/N5186A. An alignment takes approximately 4 minutes per channel for an 8 GHz unit to complete. (An Internal Alignment done message is displayed at the bottom of the screen when the process is complete.)
Page 37: Generate And View An Output Signal
The following measurement uses a N5186A MXG to generate the 2 GHz signal and Keysight Signal Analyzer to analyze it. You may use any frequency depending upon the signal analyzer used. These steps are also applicable to the N5185A MXG.
Page 38: Shutting Down The Instrument
Quick Start Shutting Down the Instrument Repeat the above steps if you are using N5185A/N5186A MXG with additional channels. Open the link and click on Technical Support to access the Measurement guide on making basic and 5G NR measurements. https://www.keysight.com/us/en/product/N5186A/N5186A.html Shutting Down the Instrument Power down the instrument using the front panel power button.
Page 39: Related Documentation
— Help (detailed information about features and settings; HTML format) — Data Sheet (features and specifications; PDF format) — Configuration Guide (options, accessories, and standard configurations; PDF format) — Measurement Guide (procedural information; PDF format) N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 40 Quick Start Related Documentation N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 41: Front And Rear Panel Features
N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal Generators Getting Started Guide 3 Front and Rear Panel Features This section describes the following features of N5185a / N5186A: “Front Panel Features” on page 42 “Rear Panel Features” on page 46...
Page 42: Front Panel Features
Front Panel Features Front Panel Features N5185A Analog MXG and N5186A Vector MXG can have 1, 2, or 4 RF Out ports, depending on the options ordered. (Although the port connectors are normally located on the front panel, with Option 1EM they are relocated to the rear panel.)
Page 43: Preset
— Return the display to the home screen. — Close a numeric or alphanumeric configuration window without applying any new settings. — If the instrument is under remote control, restore local control and dismiss the displayed remote-lockout window. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 44: Rf On/Off
Channel 2, which is not enabled, is unaffected. The purpose of the displayed triangle symbols is to alert the user that a global output power setting is over-riding ithe power settings for individual channels. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 45: Rf Out 1-4 Ports
Dark = Off). Yellow indicates that RF output power is Off, but only because the RF On/Off toggle switch (or the RF Out (All) switch on the home screen) is overriding individual channel settings. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 46: Rear Panel Features
Front and Rear Panel Features Rear Panel Features Rear Panel Features The following table describes the rear panel features of the N5185A / N5186A MXG. Name Type Description RF OUT 2 Type N female Rear Panel RF Outputs (Option 1 EM);...
Page 47: Rear-Panel Rf Out Ports
(n = 1 or 2). TRIG 1-5 ports (CH2-4) The input/output TRIG ports for channels 2 to 4 can accept or generate programmable timing signals generated by trigger n (n= 1 to 5). N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 48: Lan Port
(n = 1 to 3). CH1 TRIG 1-5 The input/output TRIG ports for channel 1 can accept or generate programmable timing signals generated by trigger n (n= 1 to 5). N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 49: Instrument Firmware, Licenses, And System Settings
Instrument Firmware, Licenses, and System Settings This chapter describes how to install the firmware and licenses for your N5185A / N5186A. It also includes information about changing some of the system settings. The following topics can be found in this chapter: “Instrument Firmware”...
Page 50: Instrument Firmware
System > Settings > Instrument Information > General, as shown below. Is Your Product Software Up-To-Date? Periodically, Keysight releases firmware updates to fix known defects and incorporate product enhancements. To search for firmware updates for your product, visit the following links and select the Drivers, Firmware, and Software tab: https://www.keysight.com/us/en/product/N5185A/N5185A.html...
Page 51: Upgrading The Instrument Firmware
Upgrading Firmware via USB 1. Copy the installer file to a USB drive. 2. Plug the USB drive into one of the available N5185A/N5186A USB ports. There is one USB port on the front panel and two USB ports on the rear panel.
Page 52 1. Ensure that the N5185A/N5186A is connected to the network. 2. Open an Internet browser on your PC and type the IP address of N5185A/N5186A to access the Home page of the Instrument hosted Web 3. From the Header navigation bar of the webpage, click Update Firmware.
Page 53 6. Click OK to acknowledge the displayed message. Figure 4-4 Update Firmware webpage 7. The Upload Complete message is displayed on the webpage when the installer file is uploaded successfully to the instrument. Then the firmware upgrade starts on the instrument. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 54 4 channel instruments can take significantly longer because 4x as many FPGAs need to be updated. After the first bootup, the instrument should boot up normally thereafter and no longer need to update any FPGA firmware. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 55: Licensing Options
Instrument Firmware, Licenses, and System Settings Licensing Options Licensing Options Three license types are available for N5185A/N5186A: 1. Hardware option licenses (fixed, perpetual licenses only). For example, Option 503 is for a frequency range of 9 kHz to 3 GHz.
Page 56: Fixed Licenses
USB portable licenses are available as well.) Fixed licenses are obtained (as downloadable files) from Keysight, and must be installed on the N5185A/N5186A. The license is configured to run only on one specific instrument, identified by its Host ID.
Page 57 Instrument Firmware, Licenses, and System Settings Licensing Options Figure 4-9 Selecting the license file 5. Click Add Now. Figure 4-10 Adding the license file 6. The following notification is displayed that the license has been added to the instrument. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 58: Installing A Fixed License Via The Instrument's Web Ui
1. Ensure that the N5185A/N5186A is connected to the network. 2. Open an Internet browser on your PC and type the IP address of N5185A/N5186A to access the Home page of the Instrument hosted Web 3. From the Header navigation bar of the webpage, click Upload Files.
Page 59 Upload Files webpage 6. The Upload Complete message is displayed on the webpage when the license file is uploaded successfully to the instrument. The location for the uploaded file is the root directory of the instrument. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 60 Then select Browse to navigate to the root directory of your instrument where the license file is uploaded. Figure 4-16 Accessing the License Manager 8. Select the license file and then click Select. Figure 4-17 Selecting the license file N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 61 Adding the license file The following notification is displayed that the license has been added to the instrument. Figure 4-19 License install notification 10. Reboot the MXG using the soft reboot or power button. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 62: Usb-Portable Licenses
Keysight) into one of the USB ports of the N5185A/N5186A. The dongle assigns a specific Host ID to the N5185A/N5186A. As this Host ID is referenced in the installed license, the software is enabled to run (so long as the dongle remains attached to the N5185A/N5186A).
Page 63: Configuring Lan
IP Address, Subnet mask, and Gateway manually. On the system menu, go to Instrument Settings > I/O Configration > Networking. Under LAN Configuration, select Manual to make the addresses editable, as illustrated below. Figure 4-21 LAN Configuration N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 64: System Maintenance
USB connectors. Also, you should perform backups at times when the instrument is not being used for normal operations, as it may impact the instrument's overall performance. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 65: Usb Connections
The USB Type B port (labeled as #3 in the illustration below) is a USB Test and Measurement Class device port. Specifically, the device class is the USBTMC-USB488 subclass. This can be used to control the N5185A/N5186A from a separate PC.
Page 66 Instrument Firmware, Licenses, and System Settings USB Connections N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 67: Removable Memory
N5185A MXG Analog and N5186A MXG Vector Signal Generators Getting Started Guide Removable Memory The following topics can be found in this section: “Overview” on page 68 “SSD Removal and Installation” on page 68 “Firmware Updates” on page 69 “Instrument Security Information” on page 70...
Page 68: Overview
Keysight provides a removable Solid State Drive (SSD) for your N5185A/ N5186A MXG. The SSD is mounted in a receptacle on the rear panel of the N5185A/N5186A chassis and can be easily inserted or removed. This is convenient when multiple people are using the same N5185A/N5186A and they do not want to interfere with the other person’s project, or when the instrument is used in a...
Page 69: Firmware Updates
Removable Memory Firmware Updates Firmware Updates Refer to “Upgrading the Instrument Firmware” on page 51 to know how to upgrade the instrument’s firmware. N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 70 Removable Memory Instrument Security Information Instrument Security Information Information on the instrument security features and the instrument volatility can be found at: http://www.keysight.com/find/security N5185A and N5186A Getting Started Guide...
Page 71 This information is subject to change without notice. © Keysight Technologies 2023-2024 Edition 1, November 2024 N5185-90002 www.keysight.com...

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N5186a