E8257D opt 520 UNX

[mysterymeat]

Is anyone else having problems with the Low Phase Noise mode? I've got 4 of them at the moment, and cannot access this mode on 3 of them.  While I was on the phone with one of Agilent's  technicians, he had the same problem with one of theirs. 

[CalibratorJ]

Hate to ask it, but what do you mean by "access" it?

If I am not mistaken, and I usually am, the UNX output option is a generic spec for the Phase Noise output of the generator at specific frequencies and output levels. There isn't anything to turn on or off.....

Or maybe I am wrong.... which could be the case - but our "company" owns a lot of these and as far as I know, there is no "turning it on" or "accessing" it.

*EDIT* Ah, cool. You DO have to enable the integrated dividers. Learn something new everyday! I've never actually used one in manual mode before, only with automation which I guess does it for you.

If you can wait til Monday, I can check on one of my sister labs and let you know.

[RFCAL]

you are correct--we do not access anything--option unx is just a better spec and shows on the TME PSG program as a seperate test for UNX.

[mysterymeat]

It is, and according to the E8257D User's Guide, page 148:  The PSG's low band phase noise can be improved below 250 MHz by using the Low Phase Noise Below 250 MHz softkey.

That is what will not work on 3 of the 4 units I'm looking at.

[CalibratorJ]

From what I saw in the manual, it is a marked as a filter button below 250 Mhz and actual Phase Noise below 2 GHz. Have to find some time to go over to the other lab and check it out.

[CalibratorJ]

The 250 MHz button works on the unit I tried.  (Page 148)

The one on pg 149 isn't listed in the generator I checked though. Maybe firmware revisions or something did away with the button and it automatically switches to the better option at the selected frequencies?

Correction to my earlier post, below 250 it's marked as Phase Noise. The filter button is below 2 GHz.

Either way, dunno. Agilent does some crazy stuff with their firmware updates and module upgrades......

[Bryan]

It's an option change with serial # prefix >4928.  I forget the menu structure to access it as I have only looked at one of them so far.

[mysterymeat]

According to Agilent, the hardware was not installed in TIs w/o OPT 1EH, below serial # prefix xx4928. 

Thanks for the feedback.

[CalibratorJ]

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely make a note of it, as we will start seeing more on the UNX ones soon. Kinda hard to do Phase Noise if you don't know how to turn it on 

[ralphmb123]

In an E8257 that has UNX low phase noise there is  low phase noise option that is accessed to allow improved phase noise below 250 mhz. To access this push freqency, more, RF path, then select improved phase noise below 250 mhz.