Chapter 2 367
Performance Verification Tests
47. Tracking Generator Non-Harmonic Spurious Outputs: Agilent E4401B and E4411B (Option
1DN or 1DQ)
75 Ω outputs only: Measure only at start frequencies of 1 MHz and
greater.
3. Press SGL SWP on the microwave analyzer to activate a single sweep
and wait for the sweep to finish. Press PEAK SEARCH to locate the
largest spurious response.
4. Verify that the marked signal is not the fundamental or a harmonic
of the fundamental by performing the following steps:
NOTE The following steps are for an Agilent 8563E microwave analyzer, the
steps may be different if you are using another microwave analyzer.
a. Divide the marker frequency by the fundamental frequency (the
analyzer center frequency setting). For example, if the marker
frequency is 30.3 MHz and the fundamental frequency is 10 MHz,
dividing 30.3 MHz by 10 MHz yields 3.03.
b. Round the number calculated in step a to the nearest whole
number. In the example above, 3.03 should be rounded to 3.
Values less than 1 should be rounded up to 1.
c. Multiply the fundamental frequency by the number calculated in
step b. Following the example, multiplying 10 MHz by 3 yields
30 MHz.
d. Calculate the difference between the marker frequency and the
frequency calculated in step c above. Continuing the example, the
difference would be 300 kHz.
e. Due to span accuracy uncertainties in the microwave analyzer,
the marker frequency might not equal the actual frequency. Given
the marker frequency, check if the difference calculated in step d
is within the appropriate tolerance:
For marker frequencies <5 MHz, tolerance = ±200 kHz
For marker frequencies <55 MHz, tolerance = ±750 kHz
For marker frequencies >55 MHz, tolerance = ±10 MHz
f. If the difference in step d is within the indicated tolerance, the
signal in question is the fundamental signal (if the number in
step b = 1) or a harmonic of the fundamental (if the number in
step b >1). This response should be ignored.
5. Verify that the marked signal is a true response and not a random
noise peak by pressing SINGLE to trigger a new sweep and press
PEAK SEARCH. A true response will remain at the same frequency
and amplitude on successive sweeps but a noise peak will not.
If the marked signal is not the fundamental or a harmonic of the
fundamental and is a true response, continue with step 7.
6. If the marked signal is either the fundamental or a harmonic of the
fundamental or a noise peak, move the marker on the microwave