Agilent 86120C Multi-Wavelength Meter User’s Guide
 Second Edition 86120-90C03 August
 Characterize laser lines easily
Agilent 86120C-At a Glance
 Program the instrument for automatic measurements
Print measurement results
 Measurement accuracy-it’s up to you
 There is no output laser aperture
General Safety Considerations
 WA R N I N G
 Viii
 Contents
 Performance Tests
 Contents-3
Page
 Getting Started
 Getting Started
 Measurement accuracy-it’s up to you
 Inspect the Shipment
 Line Power Requirements
Connect the Line- Power Cable
 Connect a Printer
 Instrument firmware version
Turn on the Agilent 86120C
 Converting feet to meters
Enter Your Elevation
 Definition of standard air
Select Medium for Wavelength Values
 Turn Off Wavelength Limiting
 Returning the Instrument for Service
 Preparing the instrument for shipping
 Returning the Instrument for Service
 Returning the Instrument for Service
 Returning the Instrument for Service
Page
 Making Measurements
 Making Measurements
 This section includes
Measuring Wavelength and Power
 To display peak wavelength and power
Peak WL mode
 Measuring Wavelength and Power
 To display multiple laser lines
List by WL or Power modes
 Total power and average wavelength
 Limiting the wavelength measurement range
To display average wavelength and total power
To limit the wavelength range
 To measure broadband devices
Measuring broadband devices and chirped lasers
 To see the graphical display
Graphical display of optical power spectrum
Agilent 86120C graphical display
 To control the power bar
Power bar
Instrument states
To save an instrument state
 Displayed units
Changing the Units and Measurement Rate
To change the units of measure
Available Units
 Measurement rate
 To change the measurement speed
Continuous or single measurements
To select single measurement acquisition
 Defining Laser- Line Peaks
 To define laser- line peaks
 If too many lines are identified
 Measuring Laser Separation
 Channel separation
 To measure channel separation
 To measure flatness
Measuring flatness
 Measuring Laser Drift
 If measurement updating stops or the values become blanked
To measure drift
 Measuring Laser Drift
 Signal-to-noise display
Measuring Signal- to- Noise Ratios
 Location of noise measurements
 Repetitive data formats
Automatic interpolation
 To measure signal- to- noise
 Signal-to-noise with averaging display
Measuring Signal- to- Noise Ratios with Averaging
 Press List by WL or List by Power
To measure signal- to- noise with averaging
 To characterize a Fabry- Perot laser
Measuring Fabry- Perot FP Lasers
 P
 PWR
 Measuring Modulated Lasers
 Prbs modulation graph showing raised noise floor
 To measure total power exceeding 10 dBm
Measuring Total Power Greater than 10 dBm
 Calibrating Measurements
 To select the medium for light
To enter the elevation
 To create a hardcopy
Printing Measurement Results
 Choosing the Right Connector
Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements
 Basic components of a connector
 Universal adapters to Diamond HMS-10
 Inspecting Connectors
 Clean, problem-free fiber end and ferrule
 Damage from improper cleaning
 Measuring insertion loss and return loss
 Visual inspection of fiber ends
Cleaning Connectors
 Cleaning Accessories
To clean a non- lensed connector
Dust Caps Provided with Lightwave Instruments
 Universal adapters
To clean an adapter
 Cleaning Connections for Accurate Measurements
 Programming
 Types of commands
Where to begin…
 Addressing and Initializing the Instrument
Remote mode and front- panel lockout
Initialize the instrument at start of every program
 To change the Gpib address
Set single acquisition mode
 Making Measurements
 Making Measurements
 Unit
Commands are grouped in subsystems
 Commands for Capturing Data
 Measurement instructions give quick results
MEASure command
Different Forms of MEASure
 FETCh command
Read command
 Return single or multiple measurement values
CONFigure command
 ARRay and the Scpi standard
 Or, the *WAI command could be used
 Measure delta, drift, and signal- to- noise
 Measurements are returned as strings
Format of returned data
Determine the number of data points
Data can be corrected for elevation and vacuum
 Monitoring the Instrument
 Status Byte register
Status registers
 Monitoring the Instrument
 Bits in Operation Status Register
OPERation Status and QUEStionable Status registers
 Standard Event Status register
Bits in Questionable Status Register
 Enabling register bits with masks
 Queues
Error queue
Output queue
 Sending a command
Scpi command are grouped in subsystems
Reviewing Scpi Syntax Rules
Use either short or long forms
 Examples of Short Forms
Combine commands in the same subsystem
Equivalent Short Form
You can use upper or lowercase letters
 Sending common commands
Combine commands from different subsystems
Adding parameters to a command
White space
 Suffix Multipliers
28E2 280E-1 28000m 028K 28E-3K
 Querying data
Program message terminator
 Example Programs
Errormsg subroutine
Many subroutines are repeated in the examples
Setese subroutine
 Errmngmt subroutine
FNIdentity function
Cmdopc subroutine
Tempo subroutine
 Example 1. Measure a DFB laser
OFF Timeout
 Fnend
 Example 2. Measure WDM channels
 COM /Instrument/ @Mwm Output @Mwm *ESEIVAL00110100,2
 Query the number of data points
Example 3. Measure WDM channel drift
 Turn off drift reference state
 CmdopcSUB CmdopcSetcmd$
 Query number of data points
Example 4. Measure WDM channel separation
 Next
 Turn signal-to-noise ratio on
 Next Stop
 Example 6. Increase a source’s wavelength accuracy
 Set wavelength of tunable laser source
 10. Programming Commands 1
Lists of Commands
 10. Programming Commands 2
 10. Programming Commands 3
 Frequency DISPlayMARKerMAXimumNEXT
10. Programming Commands 4
 AIR SENSeDATA?
 ∆ WL
11. Keys Versus Commands 1
 11. Keys Versus Commands 2
 Lists of Commands
 Programming Commands
 12. Notation Conventions and Definitions
Programming Commands
 CLS
Common Commands
 Query Response
13. Event Status Enable Register
Example
 14. Standard Event Status Register
ESR?
 IDN?
 OPC
 RST
15. Conditions Set by *RST Reset 1
 SAV
15. Conditions Set by *RST Reset 2
 SRE
16. Service Request Enable Register
 Integer from 0 to 63 or from 128 to
 17. Status Byte Register
STB?
 TRG
 WAI
 Measurement Instructions
 POWer? FREQuency? WAVelength? WNUMber?
 CONFigure command
MEASureARRay SCALar POWer?
Displays the highest power signal
MINimum Displays the lowest power signal DEFault
 88346500E+000
 MINimum
MEASureARRay SCALar POWerFREQuen- cy?
 MAXimum Resolution fast update
DEFault Current marker position
MINimum Resolution normal DEFault Current resolution
 MEASureARRay SCALar POWerWAVe- length?
 MEASSCALPOWWAV? MAX is sent
 MEASureARRay SCALar POWerWNUMber?
 If the MEASSCALPOWWNUM? 6451 command is sent, and a
 FREQuency POINts
CALCulate1 Subsystem
 DATA?
 Frequency = 181,6915 THz + 2, 9993,613378 GHz = 192,5280 THz
 CALCulate1 Subsystem
 TRANsformFREQuencyPOINts
Non-sequential command
Constant Description MINimum 525 MAXimum 15,047
3-12 for more information
 For normal update
 STATe
CALCulate2 Subsystem
STATe STARt FREQuency WAVelength WNUMber
FREQuency WAVelength WNUMber
 Weighted average wave number is returned
POWer
Constant Description FREQuency
Average frequency is returned
 Syntax
PEXCursion
Attribute
Summary
 PTHReshold
POINts?
Constant Value MINimum MAXimum 40 dB
 PWAVerageSTATe
DEFault 10 dB
 CALCulate2 Subsystem
 WLIMitSTATe
 3-12for more information
WLIMitSTARtFREQuency
 WLIMitSTARtWAVelength
 WLIMitSTARtWNUMber
 WLIMitSTOPFREQuency
 WLIMitSTOPWAVelength
 WLIMitSTOPWNUMber
 CALCulate3 Subsystem
DIFFerence STATe MAXimum MINimum PRESet REFerence
CLEar COUNt STATe
 WAVelength? FREQuency? WNUMber?
WAVelength? FREQuency? WNUMber? POWer? SIGMa
REFerence FREQuency WAVelength WNUMber STATe
 ASNRCLEar
 Constant Description MINimum MAXimum 900
ASNRCOUNt
 Tion on selecting measurements
ASNRSTATe
 Completed
Argument Description POWer
Is completed
 DELTaPRESet
DELTaPOWerSTATe
 DELTaREFerenceFREQuency
DELTaREFerencePOWer?
Constant
 DELTaREFerenceWAVelength
 Measurement
DELTaREFerenceWNUMber
 An absolute frequency unnormalized
DELTaWAVelengthSTATe
 DELTaWPOWerSTATe
 DRIFtDIFFerenceSTATe
 DRIFtMAXimumSTATe
Imum power and frequency
 DRIFtMINimumSTATe
Imum power or frequency
 DRIFtREFerenceRESet
DRIFtPRESet
 DRIFtREFerenceSTATe
 DRIFtSTATe
 FPERotFWHM?
FPERotSTATE
Argument Description WAVelength
Modes
 FPERotMEAN?
 FPERotMODESPACing?
 Watts
FPERotPEAK?
 Argument Description
FPERotPOWer?
DBm DBM
Watts WATTs
 FPERotSIGMa?
 PRESet
 Selects user-entered reference frequency
Snrauto
 SNRREFerenceFREQuency
 SNRREFerenceWAVelength
 SNRREFerenceWNUMber
 SNRSTATe
 CONFigure Measurement Instruction
 PREVious RIGHt
DISPlay Subsystem
GRAPhics STATe
 MARKerMAXimumLEFT
MARKerMAXimum
 MARKerMAXimumPREVious
MARKerMAXimumNEXT
 WINDowGRAPhicsSTATe
MARKerMAXimumRIGHt
 FETCh Measurement Instruction
 IMMediate
HCOPy Subsystem
 MEASure Measurement Instruction
 Read Measurement Instruction
 DEVice ELEVations MEDium OFFSet MAGNitude
SENSe Subsystem
 Constant Description NARRow
CORRectionDEVice
As DFB lasers and modes of FP lasers
BROad
 0Description
CORRectionELEVation
 Selects wavelength values in standard air
CORRectionMEDium
VACuum Selects wavelength values in a vacuum
 CORRectionOFFSetMAGNitude
 For 30 or 40 seconds
 000,+1.48632800E+000,+1.50488300E+000
 STATus Subsystem
CONDition? ENABle EVENt? PTRansition NTRansition
 OPERation QUEStionableCONDition?
 OPERation QUEStionableENABle
 OPERation QUEStionableEVENt
 OPERation QUEStionableNTRansition
 OPERation QUEStionablePTRansition
 18. Preset Values
 HEADers?
SYSTem Subsystem
 ERRor
 Can only be sent as a query
HELPHEADers?
 19. Instrument Conditions 1
 19. Instrument Conditions 2
 20. Scpi Version Numbers
VERSion
 TRIGger Subsystem
 ABORt
 INITiateCONTinuous
 INITiateIMMediate
 Unit Subsystem
POWer
 108
 Performance Tests
 Calibration Cycle
Performance Tests
 Test 1. Absolute Wavelength Accuracy
Be damaged when total input power exceeds 18 dBm
 Test 2. Sensitivity
 Test 3. Polarization Dependence
 Test 4. Optical Input Return Loss
Procedure Standard instruments flat contacting connectors
 Regulatory Information
 FC/APC patchcord loss
 Polarization sensitivity
Test 5. Amplitude Accuracy and Linearity
 Linearity = Power Meter Reading 86120C Power Reading offset
 21. Linearity Data Values
Page
 Specifications and Regulatory Information
 Specifications and Regulatory Information
 Wavelength
Definition of Terms
Amplitude
 Sensitivity
Input Power
Selectivity
Maximum Number
 Display resolution 001 nm
Specifications-NORMAL Update Mode
 Sensitivity
Amplitude
Selectivity
 Measurement Cycle Time
Input Return Loss
Measurement Applications
 Specifications-FAST Update Mode
 Amplitude
 Fast update mode characteristic S 2 measurements-per-second
 Operating Specifications
Operating Specifications
 Laser Safety
Laser Safety Information
Please pay attention to the following laser safety warnings
 Acoustic Noise Emission Geräuschemission
Compliance with Canadian EMC Requirements
 Declaration of Conformity
 Front view of instrument Rear view of instrument
Product Overview
 Product Overview
 Reference
 Reference
22. Instrument Preset Conditions 1
 Key Pressed Turned On
22. Instrument Preset Conditions 2
 Menu Maps
 Appl’s Menu
 There is no menu associated with this key
Display List by Power Menu
 Display List by WL Menu Delta On Menu
 There is no menu associated with this key
 System Print Menu
 System Setup Menu
 23. Instrument Specific Error Messages 1
Error Messages
 23. Instrument Specific Error Messages 2
 23. Instrument Specific Error Messages 3
 Error Number Description
24. General Scpi Error Messages 1
 213 Init ignored
24. General Scpi Error Messages 2
 24. General Scpi Error Messages 3
 Front-Panel Fiber-Optic Adapters
 Power Cords
 Agilent Technologies Service Numbers
Page
 Index
 Index
 Index-3
 Index-4
 Index-5
 Index-6
 Index-7
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Page
 Agilent Technologies