Boonton 4530 Peak Power Meter User Manual - Manual (Page 72)

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Chapter 3 Boonton Electronics
Operation 4530 Series RF Power Meter
6. The slope adjustment has no effect on the output voltage when the force setting is 0.000 volts. If a voltage other
than zero volts was chosen for setting the offset in step 2, it will be necessary to iteratively repeat steps 2 through
5 to achieve convergence upon the desired transfer line. If you are calibrating the recorder output to a “custom”
transfer line (the output voltages desired are not exactly equal to the “force” settings), modify steps 3 and 5 by
substituting your desired output voltage for the force setting in the equations.
7. Verify the output voltage for several voltage levels by forcing a voltage, and checking the DVM reading. An
optimally calibrated output should be within about 5mV at all points, and 8mV worst case. This allows some room
for time and temperature drift while still staying within the 20mV absolute calibrated accuracy specification.
8. Once it has been verified that the recorder output calibration is acceptable, it should be saved to the instrument’s
non-volatile EEPROM calibration memory using the Save Cal command. Once this has been performed, the slope
and zero offset adjustment settings will become permanent, and will be reloaded whenever instrument power is
turned on.
3.14 FIRMWARE UPDATE
The 4530 Series RF Power Meter uses field reprogrammable “flash” memory to store the operating firmware. From time
to time, Boonton Electronics may release new firmware versions for the instrument which add new features, enhance
performance, or extend operating capabilities. Firmware is automatically updated to the latest version any time the
power meter is returned for factory service or calibration, but it is also possible to download firmware from the Boonton
Electronics website (
www.boonton.com ), and install the firmware into the instrument via the serial port on most
personal computers (Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP, and NT).
To update instrument firmware, the following steps should be followed:
1. Locate the software update executable file (the filename will be something like: upd4530_000425.exe). If you
downloaded the update file from the web or via email, a file icon should be embedded in the message, or the file
should be saved in your default directory for downloads or email attachments.
2. Connect a nine-pin serial port extension cable (DB9 M-F) from your computer's serial communication port (COM1)
to the 4530's RS-232 connector on the rear panel. The cable should be a “straight-through type” - DO NOT use a
null modem cable or adapter! (If your computer only has COM2 available, see special instructions below).
3. From the main menu select:
Utilities > Sys-Tests > DnldFlash [ENTER]
Then, when prompted, press [ENTER] again to confirm the download.
The instrument will re-boot with the 4530 Downloader menu for setting serial communication parameters.
4. Execute the update file by double-clicking on the filename or file icon from your browser or email client. If you save
the file to disk, you can also execute the file from Windows Explorer, by typing the filename (or the full pathname)
at a command prompt (“MS-DOS”) window, or from the RUN selection in the Windows Startup menu.
5. The program will immediately attempt to establish serial communication with the 4530. If successful, it will report
the baud rate and serial parameters used and begin loading the new software.
The progress of loading and programming will be reported on your computer's display and on the 4530's front
panel. It takes about 6 minutes to complete the download. When finished, the word “Done.” will appear. The
program has terminated at this point and it is safe to close the window.
If the 4530 does not restart at the end of the loading process, turn the power off and on to force a restart. From the
main menu select Utilities > Sys-Tests > SystemInf [ENTER]. Two Software date codes should be displayed: a