Boonton 4500B Peak Power Meter - Manual (Page 20)

Boonton 4500B RF Peak Power Analyzer
General Information 1-4
Color Display Waveforms, control menus, measurement values and related text are displayed on
an 8.4-inch diagonal, 640 x 480 pixel, VGA color LCD. Display element colors are user-selectable
to maximize clarity.
Dual Independent Channels. When equipped with the optional second measurement channel, the
instrument can display two pulsed signals and two external trigger signals simultaneously. Each
channel is calibrated and all channel parameters are channel-independent.
Balanced Diode Sensors. The balanced diode sensor configuration provides high sensitivity and
even-order harmonic suppression. Low VSWR minimizes mismatch errors. Frequency Calibration
factors traceable to NIST standards are stored in each power sensor‘s EEPROM and downloaded
to the instrument. A thermal sensor in each power sensor tracks temperature variations.
Waveform Envelope and Persistence. The waveform envelope can be displayed and the infinite
persistence display mode can be used with any waveform.
Built-In Precision Calibrator. A 1 GHz step calibrator, traceable to NIST, enhances measurement
accuracy and reliability. The user-selectable automatic calibration routine calibrates the sensor and
instrument in steps over the full dynamic range. The calibrator also provides a versatile 1 GHz
pulse modulated test signal.
Adjustable Averaging. Random repetitive sampling and averaging with an exponential filter
(performed on each point of the waveform) reduces noise contribution and provides accurate,
stable measurements. The number of repetitions to be averaged can be adjusted to the smallest
value that achieves the desired noise suppression, thereby avoiding excessive averaging delays.
Automatic Waveform Analysis. The instrument can measure fifteen pulse parameters related to
power, time and/or frequency. All programmed measurements are made automatically and
displayed in text mode. Measurement information is available directly, eliminating the need for
interpretation by the user.
Single-Shot Measurements. The 50 MHz sampling rate yields a 5 MHz single-shot bandwidth (10
samples per pulse) for capturing and analyzing infrequent events in the time domain.
USB Ports. A USB port connector is supplied on the front and rear panels. The port can be used
with any USB compatible memory device to store data. The instrument can store its setup
configuration, reference waveforms, trace data or screen images in the USB memory. Stored
waveforms can be recalled into a reference channel and used for channel math or marker
measurements. The image and data files can be read and displayed by a PC or output to a
peripheral device. A USB mouse can be used to navigate the Windows desktop.
Self-Test and Diagnostics. An automatic self-diagnostic routine can be initiated at any time to
isolate and identify a faulty module. Error reports direct the user to the relevant instrument module
or sensor.
GPIB Bus Control. All instrument functions except power on/off can be controlled remotely via
the parallel GPIB bus interface. Setup of interface parameters is menu driven; front panel
indicators keep the user informed of bus activity. Both SCPI and 4500A emulation languages are
provided.
Stored Configurations. For applications in which the same instrument configurations are used
repeatedly complete setups can be stored and recalled by user defined filename.