FIFO Buffer Tester

The FIFO Tester is a C# program that illustrates how to use the FIFO buffer and the Fast CW sweep features of the N5264A Measurement Receiver. This program simultaneously writes data in, and reads data from, the FIFO buffer. The data can then be parsed, stored on the PC, and analyzed using your own programming code.

The source code for this project is installed to the Program Files/ FIFO_Tester folder.

Installation

  1. Install this program on your client PC. It does NOT run on the PNA.

  2. Download FIFOTester.msi to a location on your PC that will control the N5264A.

  3. Double-click the *.msi file and follow the prompts.

  4. A FIFO Tester Icon is setup on the PC desktop. Click the icon to start the program.

Configuration Requirements

    1. From the PNA, copy c:\program files\agilent\network analyzer\automation\pnaproxy.msi to the client PC.

    2. Double-click the file to install.

    3. To the PNA user accounts, add the same user name/password that is used on the PC. Learn how in the PNAHelp file - User Accounts.

    1. Click Utility, then System, then Configure, then SICL/GPIB/SCPI

    2. Check SICL Enabled

    3. Check Automatically Enable on Startup to have the SICL Enabled checkbox selected automatically when the PNA is rebooted.

 

 

Using the FIFO Tester

FIFO Tester dialog box help

API

Select whether to connect using COM or SCPI. Scroll up to see requirements for each.

PNA Network Name - Type the full computer name of the N5264A. To find this:

  1. On the PNA desktop, right-click the My Computer icon

  2. Click Properties

  3. Click the Computer Name tab at the top of the dialog box.

Traces  Select which measurements to make. Data for ALL receivers are measured simultaneously. Data for each selected measurement is saved to the FIFO buffer in the following order: R, A, B, C, D, A/R, B/R, C/R, D/R.  This 'order' information is required to parse the data when reading it from your PC.

IFBW  Select the IFBW of the measurement receivers. Larger IFBW settings result in faster, but slightly less accurate, measurements.

Point Avg  Each measurement is sampled and averaged by the selected count before storing in the FIFO buffer.

Main External Trigger  To externally trigger each measurement, select Enable, then select the level or edge to be used to trigger the N5264A. When Point Avg is enabled, one trigger signal causes all of the required points to be measured and averaged.

Test Plan

Fast CW  CW measurements are made very quickly for the specified number of points. Data is not displayed and there is NO interference from the PNA computer or firmware.

Fast CW Point Count  The number of measurements that will be made for each receiver. Depending on the number of selected measurements, some of these selections will gather more data than can be stored in the FIFO buffer.

Near Field/Far Field: Much slower than Fast CW, the program creates a list of frequency segments from 8.4 GHz to 22 GHz.  

Near Field/Far Field

Test Port Count  Number of test ports measured as separate acquisitions.

Polarizations  Number of antenna polarizations measured.

Electronic Beam States  Number of electronic beam states measured.

Frequencies  Number of frequencies measured.

Sample Grid 100x100  For near field antenna measurements, this simulates making 10,000 separate frequency sweeps for each position of the grid.

Theta +/-30deg Elevation +/-30deg in 1 degree increment  For far field antenna measurements, this simulates making 3,600 separate frequency sweeps for each position of the grid.

 

External Source Setup   The program can control up to two external sources, which must be already configured through the PNA. Provide the Names of these sources as they are configured.

Update Bars

Total Points  The number of selected receivers times the number of data points.

Points Taken   Number of data points measured.

Estimated Time  The amount of time the measurement, storage, and reading of data SHOULD take based on the selected receivers times the number of data points.  

For Near/Far Field measurements, experiment to see how long it takes to make the measurements. Also, each of these estimated times is limited by how fast you can move the antenna, and how fast you can switch the polarizations, beam states, test ports, and move any external sources to a new frequency.

Time Elapsed  The measured amount of time.

Note: This program simultaneously writes data in, and reads data from, the FIFO buffer.

FIFO Count  Shows the amount of buckets in the FIFO in numerical format. This compares to FIFO Contents, which show the total amount in graphical format.

FIFO Contents   Shows the amount of data that is stored in the FIFO buffer. This bar retracts as data is read from the FIFO buffer. The progress bar is scaled to the size of the total number of data points in the sweep. The maximum size of the FIFO is 4 GB.

Measurement Progress  Shows the progress of the measurements regardless of how much of the data has actually been emptied from the FIFO.

Progress - This shows how much data has been transferred from the PNA to the FIFO tester over the LAN. When this bar is complete, then the entire measurement has been completed and all data has been transferred over LAN to the client PC.

Graticule area  Shows the amplitude of ALL of the receivers in Log Mag format as they are measured.