SC5511A - SignalCore Inc.
Contents
1. 9 C mp tational TIME 9 Internal EEPROM 9 Modes of RE a acento ise beate aed ade nant ido aa 9 Sweep Function 10 List Function 10 Sweep Direction 10 Sweep Waveform 10 Dwell Time 10 List Cycles 11 Trigger Sources 11 Hardware Trigger Modes 11 SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 i Trigger Out Modes 11 COMMUNICATION Interfaces cin caccesscsndites sjcasentevancesvbass yatensegesninensuatevaneuevbonesvusevavessevansdeenensaate eases 11 SPI Interface 12 USB Interface 12 Defa lt Startup Mode erret sauces ec uen Ne eL Uca de LEUR 12 Setting the SC5511A Configuration Registers c Table 5 Configuration registers 13 Table 6 Register 0x01 INTIALIZE 1 Byte cccccccccsssccceesseceeeessececeeeeeeseesseeeesesseeeeeesaeeeseesaeeeeees 14 Table 7 Register Ox02 SET SYS ACTIVE 1 Byte ccccccccsscccecssececeessececeeseseceesseeeseeseeeseesaeeeeeees 15 Table 8 Register 0x03 SYNTH MODE 1 Byte cccccccccsssccceessececeessececeesseeecseaeeeseesaeeeseesaeeeseees 15 Table 9 Register 0 04 MODE 1 Byte ccccccccssscccsessececeesseeeeeeeececeesaeeeceesaeeeceesaeeeseeaeeeeees 15 Table 10 Register 0x05 LIST MODE CONFIG 1 Byte2. enne 15 Table 11 Register 0x06 LIST START FREQ 5 Byte ener 16 Table 12 Register 0x07 LIST STOP FREQ 5 Bytes ssessesssseeseeeeenenen enne nnne 17 Table 13 Register 0x08 LIST STEP FREQ 5 Bytes enne 17 Table 14 Register 0x09 LIST DWELL TIME 4 Bytes nnne 17 Table 15 Register OxOA LIST CYCLE COUNT 4 17 Table 16 Register OxOB Reserved eoe ence dex Ver spas ee resa rase eere auos 17 Table 17 Register OxOC LIST BUFFER POINTS 4 17 Table 18 Register OxOD LIST BUFFER WhRITE 5 Bytes enne 17 Table 19 Register OxOE LIST BUF MEM TRNSFER 1 Byte 18 Table 20 Register OxOF LIST SOFT TRIGGER 1 18 Table 21 Register 0x10 RF FREQUENCY 5 Bytes nnne 18 Table 22 Register 0x11 LEVEL 2 Bytes esses eene ener 18 Table 23 Register 0x12 ENABLE 1 Byte cccccccscccccsssceceesseceeseeeeeseesseseeeesseeeeeeaeeeeesseeeeeses 18 Table 24 Register 0x013 Reserved 1 Byte ccccccccssscccsesseceseeseeeeeeeeeecsesaeseceesaeeeceesaeseseesaeeesees 19 Table 25 Register 0x14 AUTO LEVEL DISABLE 1 Byte rens 19 Table 26 Register 0x15 RF MODE 1 Byte ener enne nnne nnns enne 19 Table 27 Register 0 1
3. Free memory for i 0 i lt MAXDEVICES i free device list i free device list Done with the device list Do something with the device Close the device status sc5511a close device dev handle 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 28 Function Definition Input Description Example sc5511a_reg_write intscb511a reg write scb511a device handle t dev handle unsigned char reg byte unsigned long long int instruct word scb511a device handle t dev handle handle to the opened device unsigned char reg byte register address unsigned long long int instruct word the data for the register scb511a reg write writes the instruct word data to the register specified by the reg byte See the register maps for more information To set the power level to 2 00 dBm int status sc5511a reg write dev handle RF POWER 200 Function Definition Input Description Example 5 5511 reg read intscb511a reg read sc5511a device handle t dev handle unsigned char reg byte unsigned long long int instruct word unsigned int receivedWord scb511a device handle t dev handle handle to the opened device unsigned char reg byte The address byte of the register to write to unsigned long long int instruct word the data for the register unsigned long long int received word data to be received 5 5511 reg read reads the data requested by the instruct word data to the register
4. Recycling Information All products sold by SignalCore eventually reach the end of their useful life SignalCore complies with EU Directive 2012 19 EU regarding Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WEEE Warnings Regarding Use of SignalCore Products 1 2 PRODUCTS FOR SALE BY SIGNALCORE INCORPORATED ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS NOR TESTED FOR A LEVEL OF RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO AHUMAN IN ANY APPLICATION INCLUDING THE ABOVE RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS FITNESS OF COMPILERS AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION INSTALLATION ERRORS SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS HARDWARE AND OR SOFTWARE UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES OR ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER COLLECTIVELY TERMED SYSTEM FAILURES ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A RISK OF HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH SHOULD NO
5. 31 24 39 32 Frequency Word Hz 39 32 7 0 Time 500us 7 0 15 8 Time 500us 15 8 LIST DWELL TIME 0X09 23 16 Time 500us 23 16 31 24 Time 500us 31 24 7 0 Count Word 7 0 15 8 Count Word 15 8 LIST_CYCLE_COUNT OX0A 23 16 Count Word 23 16 31 24 Count Word 31 24 SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 13 RESERVED OXOB 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open mode 7 0 Points Word 7 0 LIST BUFFER POINTS OXOC 15 8 Points Word 15 8 7 0 Frequency Word Hz 7 0 15 8 Frequency Word Hz 15 8 LIST BUFFER WRITE OXOD 23 16 Frequency Word Hz 23 16 31 24 Frequency Word Hz 31 24 39 32 Frequency Word Hz 39 32 LIST BUF MEM XFER OXOE Open Open Open Open Open Open Open mode LIST SOFT TRIGGER OXOF Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open 7 0 Frequency Word Hz 7 0 15 8 Frequency Word Hz 15 8 RF FREQUENCY 0x10 23 16 Frequency Word Hz 23 16 31 24 Frequency Word Hz 31 24 39 32 Frequency Word Hz 39 32 7 0 RF Power Word 7 0 RF LEVEL 0 11 15 8 Sign Bit RF Power Word 14 8 RF_OUT_ENABLE 0x12 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Mode RESERVED 0X13 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open AUTO LEVEL DISABLE 0x14 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Mode RF_ALC_MODE 0x15 7 0 Open Open
6. 5 5511 list cycle count sets the number of sweep cycles to perform before stopping To repeat the sweep continuously set the value to O 5 5511 list buffer points intscb511a list buffer points sc5511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int list points scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int list points handle to the opened device number of points of the list buffer 5 5511 list buffer points sets the number of list points in the list buffer to sweep or step through The list points must be smaller or equal to the points in the list buffer 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 31 Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description sc5511a_list_buffer_write int sc5511a_list_buffer_write sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned long long int freq sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned long long int freq handle to the opened device frequency in Hz sc5511a_list_buffer_write writes the frequency buffer sequentially If frequency value 0 the buffer pointer is reset to position O and subsequent writes will increment the pointer Writing OxFFFFFFFFFF will terminate the sequential write operation and sets the list_buffer_points variable to the last pointer value sc5511a_list_buffer_transfe
7. Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description sc5511a_list_stop_freq int sc5511a_list_stop_freq sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev handle unsigned long long int freq sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned long long int freq handle to the opened device frequency in Hz scb511a list stop freq sets the sweep stop frequency 5 5511 list step freq intsc5511a list step freq scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned long long int freq 5 5511 deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned long long int freq handle to the opened device frequency in Hz scb511a list step freq sets the sweep step frequency 5 5511 list dwell time int scb511a list dwell time scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int dwell time scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int dwell time handle to the opened device Time in 500 us increments sc5511a list dwell time stet the sweep list dwell time at each frequency point Dwell time is in 500 us increments 1 500 us 2 1 ms etc 5 5511 list cycle count int scb511a list cycle count sc5511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int cycle count scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned int cycle count handle to the opened device number of cycles
8. However others may wish for simpler product integration using higher level function libraries and not having to program registers directly The functions provided in the SC5511A API dynamic linked library scb511a dll are e scb511a search devices e scb511a open device e sc5511a_CloseDevice e 5 551 reg write e 5 551 reg read e sc5511a_initialize e 5 5511 set frequency e 5 5511 set synth mode e 5 5511 set rf mode e 5 5511 list mode config e 5 5511 list start freq e 5 5511 list stop freq e 5 5511 list step freq e 5 5511 list dwell time e 5 5511 list cycle count e 5 5511 list buffer points e 5 5511 list buffer write e 5 5511 list buffer transfer e 5 5511 list soft trigger e 5 5511 set power level e scb511a set output e scb511a auto level disable e 5 5511 set alc mode e 5 5511 set standby e 5 5511 set clock reference e 5 5511 set reference dac e 5 5511 set alc dac e 5 5511 store default state e 5 5511 rf2 standby e scb511a set rf2 frequency e 5 5511 get rf parameters e 5 5511 get device status 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 26 e sc5511a_get_device_info e sc5511a_list_buffer_read e sc5511a_get_alc_dac Each of these functions is described in more detail on the following pages For C C development the constants types and function prototypes are contained in the C header file sc5511a h These constants and types are us
9. Register 0x03 SYNTH_MODE 1 Byte 0 WO Lock Mode 2 0 harmonic offset mode 1 fracN PLL offset mode 1 WO Loop Gain 2 0 Normal loop gain for better close in phase noise 1 low loop gain for better far out phase noise and spur suppression 7 2 WO Unused 6 Set all bits to O Table 9 Register 0x04 RF MODE 1 Byte 0 RF Mode 1 0 Single fixed tone mode This mode must be set to change the frequency value via register Ox1A 1 Sweep list mode In this mode writing to register 0x10 will be unresponsive This register must be called first for sweep list triggering to function 7 1 Unused 7 Set all bits to O Table 10 Register 0x05 LIST MODE CONFIG 1 Byte 0 WO SSS Mode 1 O List mode Device gets its frequency points from the list buffer uploaded via the LIST BUFFER WRITE register OxOD 1 Sweep mode The device computes the frequency points using the Start Stop and Step frequencies 1 WO Sweep Direction 1 Forward In the forward direction the sweeps starts from the lowest start frequency or starts at the beginning of the list buffer 1 Reverse In the reverse direction the sweep starts with the stop frequency and steps down toward the start frequency or starts at the end and steps toward the beginning of the buffer 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 15 2 wo Tri
10. Reserved 7 Table 25 Register 0x14 AUTO LEVEL DISABLE 1 Byte 0 WO RF1Auto leveling 1 0 power is leveled on frequency change 1 power is not leveled on frequency change with explicitly calling register 0x11 RF LEVEL 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to 0 Table 26 Register 0x15 RF ALC MODE 1 Byte 0 WO RF1 ALC mode 1 0 Amplitude is corrected using ALC closed loop 1 Amplitude is corrected opened loop 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to O Table 27 Register 0x16 RF_STANDBY 1 Byte 0 WO RF1 standby 1 1 puts the RF1 channel into standby Standby powers down all circuitry associated with ch1 thus reducing power consumption 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to 0 Table 28 Register 0x17 REFERENCE MODE 1 Byte ray 0 WO Lock to external 1 instructs the device to lock to external source reference source No attempt will be made unless a reference source is detected 1 WO Reference out select 1 O Outputs a 10 MHz signal 1 Outputs a 100 MHz signal 7 2 WO Unused 6 Set all bits to 0 Table 29 Register 0x18 REFRENCE_DAC_VALUE 2 Bytes 13 0 WO DAC Value 14 14 bit word to set adjust the internal 10 MHz TCXO frequency 15 14 WO Unused 2 Set all bits to 0 Table 30 Register 0x18 ALC_DAC_VALUE 2 Bytes 13 0 WO D
11. gt SignalCore PRESERVING SIGNAL INTEGRITY C5511A 100 MHz to 20 GHz RF Signal Source USB SPI and RS 232 Interfaces Operating amp Programming Manual 2013 2015 SignalCore Inc support signalcore com CONTENTS Important Information ssesossssossesosssscssecssssssssscesesessescssessssssossesesssseseesessseese WAN aY ERTEILEN 1 Copyright amp Trademarks 2 2 Ea eie AEE fe Re RE NC RENE dcs 2 International Materials Declarations 2 0 eecceeececessseceeececeeeeeceaeeeeaaeseeaeeceaeeessaeseeaaecseaeeseaeeessaeeneaaeeeeneeee 2 CE European Union EMC amp Safety Compliance Declaration esee nnns 2 Recycling Information iE ee ie te Ee e REG rete Ee Res TUS 3 Warnings Regarding Use of SignalCore Products esses sees esee ener nnne 3 Getting Started e e lt UEMREENUGISBm SEE 4 Verifying the Contents of your Shipment sess ener nnne nnne sinere nennen ns 4 Setting Up and Configuring the SCS511A cccccccccssssssseceeececessesseaeseeceecesseeeaeeeeeessesseseeaeseeeessessesenaeees 4 Indicator LEDs Power and Digital lO Connector USB Connector n o Ul Signal Connections Theory and OBBI SE ION ED MAT Genera ON e 8 Amplitude
12. is made by writing to the specific register first and then followed by reading back the requested data Some registers may require instruction data to specify the type of data to return while others do not need any For example the GET_RF_PARAMETERS 0x20 returns sweep dwell time rf1_frequency rf2_frequency etc this depends on the request instruction byte Returned data length is always 5 bytes 40 bits with the first byte being the most significant MSB Not all returned data have 5 valid bytes and for those data the ending bytes are padded with zeros For example for an integer data with first 4 valid bytes the last byte is 0 that is MSB Byte2 Byte1 ByteO zeros It is important that all 5 bytes are read in order to clear the interface buffers A summary of the query registers are list in Table 37 and their details are provided in the tables that follow Table 37 Query registers Register p Register Name Serial Range Bit 7 Bit 6 Bit 5 Bit 4 Bit 3 Bit 2 Bit 1 Bit 0 Address GET RF PARAMETERS 0x20 7 0 Open Open Open Open parameter GET TEMPERATURE 0x21 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open GET DEVICE STATUS 0x22 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open GET DEVICE INFO 0x23 7 0 info 7 0 Buffer Address 7 0 GET LIST BUFFER 0x24 15 8 Open Open Open Open Open Buffer Address 11 8 GET ALC DAC VALUE 0x25 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open GET S
13. sc5511a_set_auto_level_disable int sc5511a_set_auto_level_disable sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned char disable sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned char disable handle to the opened device disable leveling sc5511a_set_auto_level_disable disables the leveling compensation after the frequency is changed for channel RF1 sc5511a_set_alc_mode int sc5511a_set_alc_mode sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned char mode scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char mode handle to the opened device ALC close open scb511a set alc mode set the ALC to close 0 or open 1 mode operation for channel RF1 5 5511 set standby intscb511a set standby sc5511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable 5 5511 deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable handle to the opened device enables disables standby 5 5511 set standby if enabled powers down channel RF1 5 5511 set clock reference int scb511a set clock reference scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char select freq unsigned char lock external scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char select freq handle to the opened device selects 10 MHz or 100 MHz unsigned char lock external locks to external reference 5 5511 set clock reference configure the reference clock behavior 5 5511 set reference dac intscb511a set reference 5511 deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned shor
14. time reveals a sawtooth pattern If triangular is selected the device will sweep linearly from the starting point then reverse its direction after the last highest or lowest frequency and sweep backwards toward the start point mapping out a triangular waveform on a frequency versus time graph Dwell Time The dwell time at each frequency in either sweep or list modes is determined by writing to the LIST DWELL TIME register The dwell time step increment is 500 us However the recommended minimum dwell time is 1 ms which allows sufficient time for the signal to settle before a measurement is made Due to the size limitation of the onboard RAM it is not possible to have a pre calculated configuration parameters list that could be used to program the various functions of the device decreasing the setup time of the device for frequency change As a result for each frequency change the configuration parameters are dynamically computed This overhead computational time to handle the mathematics triggers timers and interrupts may increase the effective frequency settling time close 500 us The amplitude computational time alone is close to 350 us If the sweep is over a narrow range it is best to disable the automatic power leveling feature allowing faster frequency sweeps By default whenever the frequency is changes the device re computes a set of new parameters to set the ALC Over short range frequencies the parameters are similar so the a
15. 17 RO Operate loop gain 1 O normal 1 low loop gain 16 RO Operate lock mode 1 O harmonic 1 fracN 15 RO status rf2 1 Rf2 pll locked 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 22 Table 41 e 5 Bytes 14 RO PII status ref TCXO 1 1 the 10 MHz TCXO is locked 13 RO PII status ref VCXO 1 1 the 100 MHz VCXO is locked 12 RO Pll_status crs_aux 1 1 the auxiliary crs loop fracN lock is locked 11 RO Pll_status crs_ref 1 1 the ref source for the crs loop is locked 10 RO PII status fine 1 1 the DDS based fine loop is locked 9 RO PII status crs 1 1 the crs harmonic loop is locked 8 RO PII status sum 1 1 themain loop is locked 7 0 RO Invalid data 8 0 Register 0x23 DEVICE INFO 1 Byt 2 0 WO Device Status 3 Writing this register will place the requested contents into the output buffer Contents are immediately available for USB read The contents occupy effectively four bytes In the case of SPI contents are transferred to the serial output buffer so a second query to the SERIAL OUT BUFFER register is required to transfer its contents and also to clear the output buffer Obtain the product serial number 1 Obtain the hardware revision 2 Obtain the firmware revision 3 Obtain the manufacture date 7 3 WO Unused 39 8 Data Data for the requested parameter Product
16. 5b511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned short freq scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned short freq handle to the opened device frequency in MHz 5 5511 set rf2 frequency sets the frequency for channel RF2 5 5511 get rf parameters intscb511a get rf parameters sc5511a device handle t dev handle rf params t rf params scb511a device handle t dev handle rf params t rf params handle to the opened device rf params 5 5511 get rf parameters gets the current RF parameters such as RF1 frequency RF2 frequency and sweep start frequency etc 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 34 Function Definition Input Description Example sc5511a_get_device_status int sc5511a_get_device_status sc5511a_device_handle_t dev_handle device_status_t device_status sc5511a_device_handle_t dev_handle device_status_t device_status handle to the opened device current device status sc5511a_get_device_status gets the current device status such as the PLL lock status sweep modes and other operating conditions Code showing how to use function device status t dev_status dev status int status device status t malloc sizeof device status t scb511a get device status dev handle dev status if dev status pll status ref 100 pll 1 printf The 100 MHz is phase locked in else printf The 100 MHz is not phase locked n Function Definition Input Output Descript
17. 6 STANDBY 1 Byte cccccccccccsssccceessececeesececeeseeeeceesaeeeceesaeeeseeaeeeseses 19 Table 28 Register 0x17 REFERENCE MODE 1 Byte uses enne 19 Table 29 Register 0x18 REFRENCE DAC VALUE 2 Bytes nnne 19 Table 30 Register 0x18 DAC VALUE 2 19 Table 31 Register Ox01A Reserved 1 Byte cccccccsssccceesssceceesececeeeeeeceesaeeeceesaeeeceesaesesecaeeeeees 20 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 ii Table 32 Register OX1B STORE DEFAULT STATE 1 Byte 20 Table 33 Register OxO1C Reserved 1 Byte ccccccccssscccesssececeeseeeeeeaececeeseeeceesaeeeseesaeeeseesaeeeeeees 20 Table 34 Register OxO1D Reserved 1 Byte cccccecsescccecsssceceesseceeeeseeeeceesseeeceesaeeeceesaeeeseesaeeeeeses 20 Table 35 Register OxO1E RF2 STANDBY 1 Byte sseessessseeeer enne enne nnne 20 Table 36 Register OXO1F RF2 FREQUENCY 2 Bytes sess nnne 20 Querying the SC5511A Query Registers Table 372 QUERY TERISCORS ie ea cadens seanaevaaascbuensbesneeniededeeveeneye 21 Table 38 Register 0 20 GET RF PARAMETERS 1 Byte 5 Bytes 21 Table 39 Register 0x21 GET TEMPERATURE 1 byte 5 22 Table 40 Regi
18. A Phone 512 501 6000 Fax 512 501 6001
19. AC Value 14 14 bit word to set adjust the ALC DAC value This SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 19 is useful to make output adjustment The current ALC DAC value can be read back via register 0x25 15 14 WO Unused 2 Set all bits to 0 Table 31 Register 0x01A Reserved 1 Byte 7 0 WO Reserved 7 Table 32 Register 0x1B STORE DEFAULT STATE 1 Byte 7 0 WO Reserved 8 Set all bits to O Calling this register will store the current configuration into memory On reset or power up these values are read from memory and set as the default values Some of the values are gt 1 parameters gt RF2 parameters gt List mode configuration gt mode gt List mode parameters Table 33 Register 0x01C Reserved 1 Byte 7 0 WO Reserved 7 Table 34 Register 0x01D Reserved 1 Byte 7 0 WO Reserved 7 Table 35 Register 0 01 RF2 STANDBY 1 Byte 0 WO RF2 standby 1 1 puts the RF2 channel into standby Standby powers down all circuitry associated with ch2 thus reducing power consumption 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to 0 Table 36 Register 0 01 RF2 FREQUENCY 2 Bytes 14 0 WO Frequency MHz 14 Frequency word in MHz 25 to 3000 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 20 QUERYING THE SC5511A QUERY REGISTERS These are request for data registers in that a request for certain data
20. ERIAL OUT BUF 0x26 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Table 38 Register 0x20 GET RF PARAMETERS 1 Byte 5 Bytes 3 0 WO Parameters 4 Data specifies the parameter to retrieve Current RF1 freq 5 valid bytes return 1 Sweep Start Freq 5 valid bytes return 2 Sweep Stop Freq 5 valid bytes return 3 Sweep Step Freq 5 valid bytes return 4 Sweep Dwell Time 4 valid bytes return 5 Sweep Cycle Count 4 valid bytes return 6 Sweep List Buffer Points 4 valid bytes return 7 Current RF2 Freq 2 valid bytes return 7 4 WO Unused 4 Set all bits to O 39 0 RO Data 40 Returned data with varying sizes of unsigned type 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 21 Table 39 Register 0x21 GET TEMPERATURE 1 byte 5 Bytes 7 0 WO Unused 8 Set all to 0 39 8 RO Valid flatten float type 40 The data is returned in unsigned integer form of temperature flatten float type To recast the unsigned integer back to float use float temp float amp read_in_unsigned_int_var 7 0 WO Invalid data 8 zeros Table 40 Register 0x22 DEVICE STATUS 1 Byte 5 Bytes 7 0 WO Unused 8 Set all bits to O Sets up the read back buffer with contents of the current device status Contents are immediatel
21. Open Open Open Open Open Mode RF_STANDBY 0x16 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Mode Ref Out Lock REFERENCE_MODE 0x17 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Select Enable 7 0 DAC word 7 0 REFERENCE_DAC_SETTING 0x18 15 8 Open Open DAC word 13 8 7 0 DAC word 7 0 ALC DAC VALUE 0x19 15 8 Open Open DAC word 13 8 RESERVED Ox1A 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open STORE DEFAULT STATE Ox1B 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open RESERVED Ox1C 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open RESERVED Ox1D 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open RF2 STANDBY Ox1E 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open 7 0 Frequency Word MHz 7 0 RF2 FREQENCY Ox1F 15 8 Frequency Word MHz 15 8 The following tables provide details of each of the registers These registers are the same for all modes of communication The USB API functions provided are simply wrappers that properly set up the data bits of these registers to simplify programming Table 6 Register 0x01 INTIALIZE 1 Byte Bit Type Name Width Description 0 WO Mode 1 0 Re initialize device with current settings 1 Re initialize device to power up state 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to O 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 14 Table 7 Register 0x02 SET SYS ACTIVE 1 Byte 0 WO Mode 1 turns off access LED 1 turns on access LED 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to 0 Table 8
22. PURPOSE CUSTOMER S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF SIGNALCORE INCORPORATED SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER SIGNALCORE INCORPORATED WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA PROFITS USE OF PRODUCTS OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF This limitation of the liability of SignalCore Incorporated will apply regardless of the form of action whether in contract or tort including negligence Any action against SignalCore Incorporated must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues SignalCore Incorporated shall not be liable for any delay in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control The warranty provided herein does not cover damages defects malfunctions or service failures caused by owner s failure to follow SignalCore Incorporated s installation operation or maintenance instructions owner s modification of the product owner s abuse misuse or negligent acts and power failure or surges fire flood accident actions of third parties or other events outside reasonable control 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 1 Copyright amp Trademarks Under the copyright laws this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording storing in an information retrieval system or translating in whole or in
23. Serial Number 32 bit unsigned Hardware Revision typecast to 32 bit float Firmware Revision typecast to 32 bit float Manufacture Date unsigned 32 bit 31 24 Year last two digits 23 16 Month 15 8 Day 7 0 Hour 7 0 WO Invalid data zeros Table 42 Register 0x24 GET LIST BUFFER 2 bytes 5 bytes 15 0 WO Buffer Address 16 The data point 0 2047 to read 39 0 Frequency in Hz The data is returned in unsigned 5 bytes Must be converted to unsigned long long int Table 43 Register 0x25 GET DAC VALUEX 1 byte 5Bytes c 7 0 WO Used 16 zeros 39 24 RO Dac Value 16 The data is returned in unsigned 2 bytes Must be converted to unsigned short 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 23 23 0 RO Invalid data 24 zeros Table 44 Register 0x26 SERIAL_OUT_BUFFER 5 Bytes 5 Bytes 39 0 WO Serial Out Buffer 40 Set all bits to 0 Use of this register is only available for the SPI interface 39 0 RO Request Data 40 The data clocked back are the contents requested by the 0x20 to 0x25 registers 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 24 USB INTERFACE The 5 5511 has a full speed USB interface that works in parallel with the SPI RS232 interface Both interfaces are active at the same time if the USB inter
24. T BE SOLELY RELIANT UPON ANY ONE COMPONENT DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE TO AVOID DAMAGE INJURY OR DEATH THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BACK UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS BECAUSE EACH END USER SYSTEM IS CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM SIGNALCORE TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MAY USE SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY SIGNALCORE THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS WHENEVER SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 3 GETTING STARTED Unpacking All SignalCore products ship in antistatic packaging bags to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge ESD Under certain conditions an ESD event can instantly and permanently damage several of the components found in SignalCore products Therefore to avoid damage when handling any SignalCore hardware you must take the following precautions e Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by touching a grounded metal object e Touch the antistatic bag to a grounded metal object before removing the hardware from its packaging N e Never touch exposed s
25. The frequency will stop at the last point of the sweep list 1 Return to start The frequency will return and stop at the beginning point of the sweep or list after a cycle 6 WO Trigger Output 1 No trigger output 1 Puts a trigger pulse on the TRIGOUT pin 7 WO Trigger Out Mode 1 Puts out a trigger pulse at each frequency change right after all internal devices are configured 1 Puts out a trigger pulse at the completion of each sweep list cycle Table 11 Register 0x06 LIST START FREQ 5 Byte Bit Type Name Width Description 39 0 WO List Start Frequency 40 Sets the start frequency for a sweep Start frequency should always be lower than the stop frequency The Sweep Direction bit 1 of register 0x05 should be used to determine where the sweep should begin C5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 16 Table 12 Register 0x07 LIST_STOP_FREQ 5 Bytes 39 0 WO List Stop Frequency 40 Sets the stop frequency for a sweep Stop frequency should always be greater than the start frequency The Sweep Direction bit 1 of register 0x05 should be used to determine where the sweep should begin Table 13 Register 0x08 LIST STEP FREQ 5 Bytes 39 0 WO List Step Frequency 40 Sets the step frequency for a sweep Step size should not exceed the difference between the start and stop frequencies Table 14 R
26. angular Waveform 1 Sawtooth waveform Frequency returns to the beginning frequency upon reaching the end of a sweep cycle 1 Triangular waveform Frequency reverses direction at the end of the list and steps back towards the beginning to complete a cycle 3 WO Soft Hardware Trigger 1 Software trigger Software trigger can only be used to start and stop a sweep list cycle It does not work for step on trigger mode 1 Hardware trigger A high to low J transition on the TRIGIN pin will trigger the device It can be used for both start stop or step on trigger functions 4 WO Step on Trigger 1 0 Start Stop behavior The sweep starts and continues to step through the list for the number of cycles set dwelling at each step frequency for a period set by the LIST DWELL TIME register The sweep list will end on a consecutive trigger 1 Step on trigger This is only available if hardware triggering is selected The device will step to the next frequency on a trigger Upon completion of the number of cycles set by the LIST_CYCLE_COUNT register the device will exit from the stepping state and stop Further triggering will set the device back into the stepping state To exit the stepping state and stop before reaching the end of a cycle a software trigger must to be sent or a change in the RF mode to single fixed tone needs to be made WO Return to Start 1 5 0 Stop at end of sweep list
27. byte 1 where byte 4 is the most significant byte Table 45 shows the valid data bytes associated with each of the querying registers while Table 46 shows the valid bytes associated with the requested contents of the register Table 45 Valid returned data bytes Register Name Address Register Code Hex Byte4 Byte 3 Byte 2 Byte 1 Byte 0 GET_RF_PARAMETERS 0x20 valid valid valid valid valid GET_TEMPERATURE 0x21 valid valid valid valid GET_DEVICE_STATUS 0x22 valid valid valid valid GET_DEVICE_INFO 0x23 valid valid valid valid WEN GET_LIST_BUFFER 0x24 valid valid valid valid valid GET_ALC_DAC_VALUE 0x25 valid valid O Table 46 Return Valid Data for GET_RF_PARAMETERS Register Data Return Name Data Sent Byte 4 Byte 3 Byte 2 Byte1 Byte 0 RF1 Frequency 0x00 valid valid valid valid valid List Start Frequency 0x01 valid valid valid valid valid List Stop Frequency 0x02 valid valid valid valid valid List Step Frequency 0x03 valid valid valid valid valid Sweep Dwell Time 0x04 valid valid valid valid invalid Sweep Cycles 0x05 valid valid valid valid invalid Sweep Buffer Points 0x06 valid valid valid valid invalid RF1 Power Level 0x07 valid valid valid valid invalid RF2 Frequency 0x08 valid valid invalid invalid invalid While all return data for the GET_RF_PARAMETERS Register 0x20 are unsigned integers t
28. cognized Writing OxFFFFFFFFFF to this register at any time will terminate the write process and stops the pointer increment The value at which the pointer stops is the new count of list frequency points unless it is overwritten by register LIST BUFFER POINTS Table 19 Register OxOE LIST BUF MEM TRNSFER 1 Byte N c 0 Transfer Direction 0 Transfers the contents of the list buffer into EEPROM memory The size of the transfer is set by the list frequency points 1 Transfers the contents from EEPROM memory to the list buffer in RAM 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to 0 Table 20 Register OxOF LIST_SOFT_TRIGGER 1 Byte 7 0 WO Soft Trigger 8 Set all bits to Calling this register provides a soft trigger to the device Table 21 Register 0x10 RF FREQUENCY 5 Bytes 39 0 WO RF1 frequency word 40 Sets the RF1 frequency in Hz Table 22 Register 0x11 RF LEVEL 2 Bytes 14 0 RF1 Power Level Sets the RF1 Power level in hundreds of dB To set to 10 25 dB write 1025 to this register 15 WO Sign bit 1 0 positive number 1 negative number Table 23 Register 0x12 RF ENABLE 1 Byte 0 RF1 enable 0 disables the output power 1 enables the output power 7 1 WO Unused 7 Set all bits to O SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 18 Table 24 Register 0x013 Reserved 1 Byte 7 0 WO
29. ecially for sweeps less than a couple of 100 MHz it is recommended that the automatic leveling of the power be turned off This will prevent the SC5511A from having to compute a fresh set of the ALC parameters at each frequency point Typically the un calibrated power level does not change by more than a couple of dB over 100 MHz range See device register 0x14 for details on turning on and off this automatic leveling feature Internal EEPROM The SC5511A contains an EEPROM whose memory space is divided into calibration and operating data spaces The calibration data space contains SC5511A device information such as serial number hardware revision firmware revision and production date In addition this space holds the calibration data for frequency tuning and amplitude control The operating data space contains the default startup configuration of the device such as the single fixed tone mode frequency and sweep list mode operation It also holds the list mode configuration parameters such as sweep behavior saw or triangular waveform software or hardware trigger start stop step frequencies dwell time sweep list cycles etc Space is allocated for 2048 frequency points that the user may choose to store for list mode operation The internal EEPROM is not directly accessible for users to store data Modes of RF Generation The SC5511A has both single fixed tone and list mode operation for channel 1 In single fixed tone mode it operates as a no
30. ed by the device reading a byte back from the device will confirm that because the device will only return data upon full execution of the instruction although this is not necessary Reading the Device Registers Directly Valid data is only available to be read back after writing one of the query registers such as 0x20 As soon as one of these registers is written data is available on the device to be read back through USB When SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 25 reading the device the MSB is returned as the first byte for a total of five bytes Valid data starts on the first byte and if the data is less than 5 bytes the tail bytes are padded with zeros USB Driver API The SC5511A USB driver provided by SignalCore is based on libusb 1 0 www libusb org and its API library is available for the Windows and Linux operating systems Source code for both platforms is available upon request by emailing support signalcore com The API functions are nothing more than register wrappers called through the USB bulk transfer function The C C API library functions are summarized in the list below and each function description is provided in the API description section SignalCore s philosophy is to provide products to our customers whose lower hardware functions are easily accessible For experienced users who wish to use direct low level control of frequency and gain settings having the ability to access the registers directly is a necessity
31. ed char loop gain handle to the opened device set synth loop gain set lock mode of RF1 scb511a set synth mode sets synthesizer mode of RF1 The loop gain adjust the PLL unsigned char lock mode bandwidth to shape the phase noise The loop gain set to low 1 suppresses the far out phase noise as well as spurs The default state is normal 0 The lock mode select either the harmonic circuitry or fractional N circuitry as the offset loop of the hybrid loop architecture 5 5511 set rf mode 5 5511 set rf mode sc5511a device handle t handle unsigned char rf mode scb511a device handle t dev handle unsigned char rf mode handle to the opened device set RF mode of RF1 scb511a set rf mode sets RF1 to fixed tone or sweep 5 5511 list mode config intscb511a list mode config scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle const list mode t list mode scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle const list mode t list mode handle to the opened device list mode setup scb511a ListModeConfig configures the list mode behavior See the document for more information on the modeConfig structure 5 5511 list start freq intsc5511a list start freq scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned long long int freq scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned long long int freq handle to the opened device frequency in Hz scb511a list start freq sets the sweep start frequency 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 30
32. eful not only as an include for developing applications using the SC5511A API but also for writing device drivers independent of those provided by SignalCore API Description The prototype functions listed below are found in the sc5511a h header file and the functions are contained in the dynamic linked library sc5511a dll for the Windows operating system Function Definition Output Description Function Definition Input Return Description Function Definition Input Description sc5511a_search_devices int sc5511a_search_devices char serial_numberList char serialNumberList 2 D array pointer list sc5511a_search_devices searches for SignalCore SC5511A devices connected to the host computer and returns int the number of devices found and it also populates the char array with their serial numbers The user can use this information to open specific device s based on their unique serial numbers See sc5511a_open_device function on how to open a device sc5511a_open_device sc5511a_device_handle_t sc5511a_open_device char dev_serial_num char dev_serial_num serial number string device_handle unsigned int number for the sc5511a_device_handle_t sc5511a_open_device opens the device and turns the front panel active LED on if it is successful It returns a handle to the device for other function calls sc5511a_close_device int sc5511a_close_device sc5511a_device_handle_t dev ha
33. egister 0x09 LIST DWELL TIME 4 Bytes 31 0 WO List Dwell Time 32 Set the dwell time at each step frequency The Dwell time is incremented in 500 us increments For example to produce a 10 ms dwell time the value written to this register is 20d Table 15 Register 0x0A LIST CYCLE COUNT 4 Bytes 31 0 WO List Cycle Count 32 0 Cycle forever This will set the device to cycle forever Not O will set the number of cycles the device will sweep or step though the list then stop This applies for both start stop and step trigger modes Table 16 Register 0x0B Reserved 7 0 WO Reserved 7 Table 17 Register 0x0C LIST BUFFER POINTS 4 Bytes 31 0 WO Number of Buffer Points 32 Sets the number of frequency points to step through in the buffer list The number must be equal to or less than the buffer length This number will overwrite the count determined from the LIST BUFFER WRITE register Table 18 Register OxOD LIST BUFFER WRITE 5 Bytes 39 0 WO Buffer Frequency 40 Writing this register stores the frequency point 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 17 into the list buffer held in RAM Writing Ox0000000000 to this buffer resets the pointer to buffer location 0 and flags the device to store data written to this register Consecutive non zero writes to this register will increase the buffer counter up to 2047 Further writes beyond this point are not re
34. en ALC i J a Harmonic FracN Step Gen Step Gen 25 MHz RF2 Step Gen OUT vu 9 i VCXO TCXO 10 E Figure 2 Block diagram of the SC5511A RF Generation The SC5511A is a 100 MHz to 20 GHz low phase noise and low spur synthesizer using a hybrid architecture comprising of phase lock harmonic generation and a DDS functions Coarse tuning is accomplished by PLL and harmonic generators while fine tuning is accomplished with the variable modulus DDS providing exact frequency generation Isolation between the internal oscillators their mixed IF products harmonics and inter modulation products is accomplished by internal EMI sealed cavities A hybrid architecture with well shielded cavities improves the overall phase noise performance and reduces the spurious signal content of this compact size frequency synthesizer Signals are synthesized from an internal 10 MHz TCXO reference clock or an external 10 MHz reference The SC5511A has 2 independent channels channel 1 frequency range is from 100 MHz to 20 GHz with frequency resolution of 1 Hz while the range on channel 2 is from 25 MHz to 3 GHz with 25 MHz step Channel 1 has calibrated power level adjustment but this feature is not available on channel 2 Furthermore list and sweep modes are only available for cha
35. er lengths vary depending on the register they vary in lengths of 2 to 6 bytes with the first byte being the register address followed by the data associated with that register The CS pin must be asserted low for a minimum period of 1 ps Ts see Figure 4 before data is clocked in and must remain low for the entire register write The clock rate may be as high as 5 0 MHz Tc 0 2 us however if the external SPI signals do not have sufficient integrity due trace issues the rate should be lowered 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 36 CLK DATA 8 Bit Command Reg Address Byte N MSB Byte N 1 LSB cs 4 Figure 4 SPI timing As mentioned above the SPI architecture limits the byte rate due to the fact that after every byte transfer the input and output SPI buffers need to be cleared and loaded respectively by the device SPI engine Data is transferred between the buffers and the internal registers The time required to perform this task is indicated by which is the time interval between the end of one byte transfer and the beginning of another The recommended minimum time delay for is 1 us The number of bytes transferred depends on the register It is important that the correct number of bytes is transferred for the associated device registe
36. f the module is listed in Table 3 Table 3 Pinout of the SC5511A USB communication connector Pin Number USB Function Description 1 VBUS Vcc 5 Volts 2 D Serial data 3 D Serial data 4 ID Not used 5 GND Device ground also tied to connector shell 4 Signal Connections All signal connections ports on the SC5511A are SMA type Exercise caution when fastening cables to the signal connections Over tightening any connection can cause permanent damage to the device RF OUT This port outputs the tunable RF signal from channel 1 of the source The CHANNEL 1 connector is SMA female The nominal output impedance is 50 RF OUT This port outputs the tunable RF signal from channel 2 of the source The CHANNEL2 connector is SMA female The nominal output impedance is 50 REF OUT This port outputs the internal 10 MHz reference clock The connector is SMA female This port is AC coupled with a nominal output impedance of 50 O REF IN This port accepts an external 10 MHz reference signal allowing an external source to synchronize the internal reference clock The connector is SMA female This port is AC coupled with a nominal input impedance of 50 Q Maximum input power is 13 dBm 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 6 The condition of your system s signal connections can significantly affect measurement A N accuracy and repeatability Improperly mated connections or dirty damaged or worn connect
37. face is available on the device USB Configuration The SC5511A USB interface is USB 2 0 compliant running at Full Speed capable of 12 Mbits per second transfer rates The interface supports three transfer or endpoint types e Control Transfer e Interrupt Transfer e Bulk Transfer The endpoint addresses are provided in the C language header file and are listed below Define SignalCore USB Endpoints define SCI ENDPOINT IN INT define SCI ENDPOINT OUT INT define SCI ENDPOINT IN BULK define SCI ENDPOINT OUT BULK Define for Control Endpoints define USB ENDPOINT IN 0x80 define USB ENDPOINT OUT 0x00 define USB_TYPE_VENDOR 0x02 lt lt 5 Hdefine USB RECIP INTERFACE 0x01 The buffer lengths are sixty four bytes for all endpoint types The user should not exceed this length or the device may not respond correctly This information is provided to aid custom driver development on host platforms other than those that are supported by SignalCore Writing the Device Registers Directly Device register for the SC5511A vary between two bytes and six bytes in length The most significant byte MSB is the command register address that specifies how the device should handle the subsequent configuration data The configuration data likewise needs to be ordered MSB first that is transmitted first Input and output buffers of six bytes long are sufficient on the host To ensure that a register instruction has been fully execut
38. failure to do so will cause the interfaces to misinterpret the incoming data leaving the device in a stalled state A summary of the configuration registers are provided in Table 5 and each register is explained in detail in the tables following it Table 5 Configuration registers Register Name Register Serial Bit7 Bit6 Bit 5 Bit4 Bit 3 Bit 2 Bit 1 Bit 0 Address Range INITIALIZE 0x01 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Mode Enable SET SYSTEM ACTIVE 0x02 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open active LED SYNTH_MODE 0X03 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open ines 2 P P P P P P gain mode RF_MODE 0X04 7 0 Open Open Open Open Open Open Open mode LIST_MODE_CONFIG 0X05 7 0 Trig out Trig out Return Step on hw Saw Tri Sweep SSS mode enable to start trigger tigger wave dir mode 7 0 Frequency Word H2 7 0 15 8 Frequency Word Hz 15 8 LIST_START_FREQ 0X06 23 16 Frequency Word H2 23 16 31 24 Frequency Word H2 31 24 39 32 Frequency Word H2 39 32 7 0 Frequency Word H2 7 0 15 8 Frequency Word Hz 15 8 LIST_STOP_FREQ 0X07 23 16 Frequency Word H2 23 16 31 24 Frequency Word H2 31 24 39 32 Frequency Word H2 39 32 7 0 Frequency Word H2 7 0 15 8 Frequency Word Hz 15 8 LIST_STEP_FREQ 0X08 23 16 Frequency Word Hz 23 16 31 24 Frequency Word Hz
39. he RF1 power level is returned as a 4 byte flattened float which needs to be re casted back to a float using float amp 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 38 CALIBRATION amp MAINTENANCE The SC5511A is factory calibrated and ships with a certificate of calibration SignalCore strongly recommends that the SC5511A be returned for factory calibration every 12 months or whenever a problem is suspected The specific calibration interval is left to the end user and is dependent upon the accuracy required for a particular application Should any customer need to reload calibration data for their SC5511A SignalCore offers free support through support signalcore com SignalCore will provide copy of the archived calibration data along with instructions on how to upload the file to the SC5511A The SC5511A requires no scheduled preventative maintenance other than maintaining clean reliable connections to the device as mentioned in the Getting Started section of this manual There are no serviceable parts or hardware adjustments that can be made by the user 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 39 REVISION NOTES Rev 0 1 Development release Rev 1 0 Initial Release April 23 2015 Rev 1 0 1 Corrected table 43 for register 25 May 13 2015 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 5 ry 8 nalCore PRESERVING SIGNAL INTEGRITY SignalCore Inc 13401 Pond Springs Rd Suite 100 Austin TX 78729 US
40. he Setting the SC5511A Configuration Registers section provides information on the number of data bytes and their contents for an associated register There is a minimum of 1 data byte for each register even if the data contents are zeros Register Address Byte 1 Byte 0 Figure 5 Single 3 byte transfer buffer Reading the SPI Bus Data is simultaneously read back during a SPI transfer cycle Requested data from a prior command is available on the device SPI output buffers and these are transferred back to the user host via the SDO SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 37 pin To obtain valid requested data would require querying the SERIAL_OUT_BUFFER which requires 6 bytes of clock cycles 1 byte for the device register 0x26 and 5 empty bytes MOSI to clock out the returned data MISO An example of reading the device status from the device is shown in Figure 6 TL O O O 0x20 0 01 oxee Ve y y X f Invalid Invalid Invalid lt Byte4 Byte3 Byte2 Byte1 Byte0 o 1 jo p o J Request for List Start Frequency from the GET_RF_PARAMETERS register Clock the data out with 5 byte write to register 0x26 Figure 6 Reading queried data In the above example valid data is present in the first 4 bytes byte 4 down to
41. ignal pins Due to the inherent performance degradation caused by ESD protection circuits in the RF path the device has minimal ESD protection against direct injection of ESD into the RF signal pins e When not in use store all SignalCore products in their original antistatic bags Remove the product from its packaging and inspect it for loose components or any signs of damage Notify SignalCore immediately if the product appears damaged in any way Verifying the Contents of your Shipment Verify that your SC55114A kit contains the following items Quantity Item 1 5 5511 20 GHz Signal Source 1 Software Installation USB Flash Drive may be combined with other products onto a single drive Setting Up and Configuring the SC5511A 600 699 7609 6991 9 6097 609 609 TOA use o a Figure 1 Front view of the 5511 showing user I O locations The SC5511A is a core module based RF signal source with all I O connections and indicators located the front face of the module as shown in Figure 1 Each location is discussed in further detail below 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 4 O Indicator LEDs The SC5511A provides visual indication of important modes There are three LED indicators on the unit Their behavior under different operating conditions is shown in Table 1 Table 1 LED indicator states LED Color Definition STATUS Green Power good and all oscillators pha
42. ion Function Definition Input Output Description Function Definition Input Output Description 5 5511 get device info intsc5511a get device info scb511a device handle t dev handle device info t info scb511a device handle t dev handle device info t device info handle to the opened device device information scb511a get device info obtains the device information such as serial number hardware revision firmware revision and manufactured date sc5511a list buffer read intscb511a list buffer read sc5b511a device handle t dev handle unsigned int address unsigned long long int freq scb511a device handle t dev handle unsigned int address handle to the opened device buffer offset address unsigned long long int freq frequency 5 5511 list buffer read reads the frequency at an offset address of the list buffer 5 5511 get alc dac intscb511a get alc adc sc5511a device handle t dev handle unsigned short dac value scb511a device handle t dev handle unsigned short dac value handle to the opened device DAC value scb511a sc5511a get alc adc retrieves the current value of the ALC DAC which set the power level of channel RF1 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 35 SERIAL PERIPHERAL INTERFACE SPI The SPI interface is implemented using 8 bit length physical buffers for both the input and output hence they need to be read and cleared before consec
43. itions for all SignalCore products are also provided on our corporate website Please visit http signalcore com for more information This product is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment SignalCore will at its option repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period This warranty includes parts and labor Before any equipment will be accepted for warranty repair or replacement a Return Material Authorization RMA number must be obtained from a SignalCore customer service representative and clearly marked on the outside of the return package SignalCore will pay all shipping costs relating to warranty repair or replacement SignalCore strives to make the information in this document as accurate as possible The document has been carefully reviewed for technical and typographic accuracy In the event that technical or typographical errors exist SignalCore reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to possessors of this edition Please contact SignalCore if errors are suspected In no event shall SignalCore be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN SIGNALCORE INCORPORATED MAKES NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
44. mplitude variation may be acceptable If automatic power leveling is turned on allow for a minimal dwell time of 2 5 ms 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 10 List Cycles The number of repeat cycles for a sweep or list is set by writing the LIST_CYCLE_COUNT register Writing the value O to the register will cause the device to repeat the sweep list forever until a trigger is sent or the RF mode is changed to single fixed tone mode via the RF MODE register Upon completion of the a cycle the frequency may be set to end on the last frequency point or return back the starting point This is cycle ending behavior is configured with bit 5 of the LIST MODE CONFIG register Trigger Sources The device may be set up for software or hardware triggering This is defined in bit 4 of the LIST MODE CONFIG register If software trigger is selected writing the LIST SOFT TRIGGER register will trigger the device to perform the sweep list function defined in the LIST MODE CONFIG register The device may also be triggered via pin 21 the hardware trigger pin TRIGIN Hardware trigger occurs on a high to low transition state of this pin Hardware Trigger Modes The device may be triggered to start a sweep or list then uses the next trigger to stop it In triggered start stop mode alternating triggers will start and stop the sweep list In this mode start triggering will always return the frequency point to the beginning of the sweep list It does not co
45. ndle sc5511a_device_handle_t dev_handle sc5511a_close_ device closes the device associated with the device handle and turns off handle to the device to be closed the active LED on the front panel if it is successful SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 27 Example Code exercise the functions that open and and close the PXle device include sc5511a h Declaring define MAXDEVICES 50 sc5511a device handle t dev handle device handle int num of devices the number of device types found char device list 2D to hold serial numbers of the devices found int status status reporting of functions device list char malloc sizeof char MAXDEVICES MAXDEVICES serial numbers to search for i20 i MAXDEVICES i device list i char malloc sizeof char SCI SN LENGTH SCI SN has 8 char num of devices sc5511a search devices device list searches for SCI for device type if num of devices 0 printf No signal core devices found or cannot not obtain serial numbers n for i 0 i lt MAXDEVICES i free device list i free device list return 1 printf n There are Xd SignalCore s USB devices found Mn Mn num of devices SCI PRODUCT NAME while i lt num_of_devices printf Device d has Serial Number s Nn i 1 device list i i sc5511a_OpenDevice open device dev handle sc5511a_open_device device_list
46. nnel 1 A typical use of the 2 channels is to drive LO ports of mixers for a dual stage downconverter where the first RF stage is tunable and the second IF stage is fixed 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 8 Amplitude Control The output level of the SC5511A is controlled through the automatic leveling control ALC circuitry The ALC can operate in close or open loop The advantages of the close loop over the open loop operation are that the power levels are more stable and accurate The disadvantage of the close loop is that it increases the AM noise of the carrier sideband Although this AM noise is typically lower than the phase noise it may have impact on some applications In such applications it is best to operate the ALC in open loop Fine amplitude adjusts can be made by changing the ALC DAC value Computational Time The ALC control is accomplished by controlling the ALC DAC and the output step attenuator The settings of these two components are dynamically calculated based on the level required and a large set of calibration values Similarly to change frequency would require four phase lock loops to be programmed and their settings are dynamically calculated based on a set of calibration values The computational effort to compute these settings is great Typical computational time and setting up for frequency change is approximately 250 us while it is about 350 us to compute and set up the ALC For faster frequency changes esp
47. ntinue from where it had left off from a stop trigger The device may also be triggered to step to the next frequency with each start trigger This is known as the triggered step mode Software triggering cannot perform the step trigger function This can only be done through hardware triggering When hardware step triggering has started performing a software trigger or changing the RF mode to single fixed tone will take the device out of step trigger state before a cycle is completed Trigger Out Modes The device can be set to send out a high to low transition signal when the configuration of a frequency by the device is completed that is it has completed all necessary computations and has successfully written data to the appropriate components This trigger pulse can be sent on the completion of every step frequency or on the last frequency of a sweep cycle This trigger signal is present on pin 20 TRIGOUT Communication Interfaces USB interface is common on the SC5511A while an alternative interface option is SPI RS232 As both the SPI and RS232 utilize the same internal communication device and thus the same connector pins only one option is possible C5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 11 SPI Interface In addition to the 4 wire SPI CS SDO SDI and SCLK signal lines there is also an alternative serial ready SRDY line Upon reception of a register command the device takes time to execute the command instruction such as se
48. ors can degrade measurement performance Clean out any loose dry debris from connectors with clean low pressure air available in spray cans from office supply stores If deeper cleaning is necessary use lint free swabs and isopropyl alcohol to gently clean inside the connector barrel and the external threads Do not mate connectors until the alcohol has completely evaporated Excess liquid alcohol trapped inside the connector may take several days to fully evaporate and may degrade measurement performance until fully evaporated N Tighten all SMA connections to 5 in Ib 56 N cm max 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 7 THEORY AND OPERATION Despite its small size the SC5511A is an instrument grade high performance synthesizer with easy to program register level control It functions as a standard synthesized CW source with the added capability of a sweep list mode that makes it ideal for applications ranging from automated test systems to telecommunication equipment to scientific research labs Being small and modular it is the ideal solution system integration applications that require a high performance RF source In addition it could be used as a general purpose lab source Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the device and the following sub sections provide details to its operation FILT BANK mm RF1 Ene step gli ne gi i OUT Bag G
49. part without the prior written consent of SignalCore Incorporated SignalCore Incorporated respects the intellectual property rights of others and we ask those who use our products to do the same Our products are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws Use of SignalCore products is restricted to applications that do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others n u SignalCore signalcore com and the phrase preserving signal integrity are registered trademarks of SignalCore Incorporated Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies International Materials Declarations SignalCore Incorporated uses a fully RoHS compliant manufacturing process for our products Therefore SignalCore hereby declares that its products do not contain restricted materials as defined by European Union directive 2002 95 EC EU RoHS in any amounts higher than limits stated in the directive This statement is based on the assumption of reliable information and data provided by our component suppliers and may not have been independently verified through other means For products sold into China we also comply with the Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products China RoHS In the current stage of this legislation the content of six hazardous materials must be explicitly declared Each of those ma
50. r int sc5511a_list_buffer_transfer sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned char transfer_mode scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle handle to the opened device unsigned char transferMode transfer to EEPROM or RAM 5 5511 list buffer transfer transfers the frequency list buffer from RAM to EEPROM or vice versa 5 5511 list soft trigger intsc5511a list soft trigger scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle 5 5511 list soft trigger triggers the device when it is configured for list mode and soft handle to the opened device trigger is selected as the trigger source 5 5511 set level int scb511a set level scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle float power level scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle float power level handle to the opened device level in dBm scb511a set power level set the power output level of RF1 5 5511 set output intscb511a set output scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable handle to the opened device enables the output 5 5511 set output enables or disable the output RF1 SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 32 Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description
51. r because once the first byte MSB containing the device register address is received the device will wait for the desired number of associated data bytes The device will hang if an insufficient number of bytes are written to the register In order to clear the hung condition the device will need an external hard reset The time required to process a command is also dependent on the command itself Measured times for command completions are between 50 us 600 us after reception To change the frequency with auto leveling turned on requires the most computational time The computational time to change frequencies is approximately 250 us and to computational time to change power level is approximately 350 ps Writing the SPI Bus The SPI transfer size in bytes depends on the register being targeted The MSB byte is the command register address as noted in the Setting the C5511A Configuration Registers section The subsequent bytes contain the data associated with the register As data from the host is being transferred to the device via the SDI MOSI line data present on its SPI output buffer is simultaneously transferred back MSB first via the SDO MISO line The data return is invalid for most transfers except for those registers querying for data from the device See Reading the SPI Bus section below for more information on retrieving data from the device Figure 5 shows the contents of a single 3 byte SPI command written to the device T
52. rmal synthesizer where the user writes the frequency RF FREQUENCY register to change the frequency In list mode the device is triggered to automatically run through a set of frequency points that are either entered directly by the user or pre computed by the device based on user parameters Configuration of the device for list mode operation is accomplished by setting up the LIST MODE CONFIG register SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 9 Sweep Function When frequency points are generated based on the start stop step set of frequencies this is in the context of this product known as putting the device into sweep When the sweep function is enabled the frequency points are incrementally stepped with a constant step size either in a linearly increasing or linearly decreasing fashion List Function The list function requires that the frequency points are read in from a list provided by the user The user will need to load the frequency points into the list buffer via the LIST BUFFER WRITE register or have the device read the frequency points from the EEPROM into it Sweep Direction The sweep can be chosen to start at the beginning of a list and incrementally step to the end of the list or vice versa Sweep Waveform The list of frequency points may be swept in a saw tooth manner or triangular manner If sawtooth is selected upon reaching the last frequency point the device returns back to the starting point Plotting frequency versus
53. se locked STATUS Orange Channel powered down or RF Output Disabled STATUS Red One or more oscillators off lock STATUS Off Power fault Device is open green closed off this indicator is also ACTIVE Green Off user programmable see register map 2 Power and Digital IO Connector The SC5511A is power through a rectangular connector from Samtec whose part number is TFM 115 01 L D RA It also serves as the digital connector interface for RS232 SPI trigger and other digital signals The pinout of this connector viewed from the front of the module is listed in Table 2 Table 2 Pinout of the SC5511A Power and Control I O connector Pin Number SPI Function RS 232 Function 24 MISO TxD 28 CTS 27 MOSI RxD 26 CS_b RTS 25 SERIAL READY 30 CLK CLK 16 SPI MODE BAUD SELECT 14 Device Reset_B 22 Used Input 21 Trigger in 20 Trigger out SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 5 19 RF1 PLL status 17 Do not connect 2 4 6 Supply 12V Typ 1 3 5 11 15 23 29 GND 7 8 9 10 12 13 18 Not internally connected 3 USB Connector The SC5511A uses a mini USB Type B connector for USB communication and a micro HDMI for SPI or RS 232 communication depending on the version ordered to communicate with the device The USB port uses the standard USB 2 0 protocol found on most host computers The pinout of this connector viewed from the front o
54. specified by the reg byte Data is returned on received word See the register maps for more information To read the status of the device unsigned long long int frequency int status sc5511a reg read dev handle GET DEVICE STATUS 0x00 amp frequency Function Definition Input Description 5 5511 init device int 5 5511 init device scb511a device handle t dev handle bool mode scb511a device handle t dev handle handle to the opened device bool mode Set the mode of initialization 5 5511 init device initializes resets the device Mode 1 resets the device to the default power up state Mode 0 resets the device but leaves it in its current state 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 29 Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description sc5511a_set_freq int sc5511a_set_frequency scb511a device handle t dev_handle unsigned long long int freq scb511a device handle t dev handle unsigned long long int frequency handle to the opened device frequency in Hz 5 5511 set frequency sets RF1 frequency scb511a set synth mode scb511a set synth mode sc5511a device handle t dev handle unsigned char loop gain unsigned char lock mode sc5511a device handle t dev handle unsign
55. ster 0x22 DEVICE STATUS 1 Byte 5 22 Table 41 Register 0x23 DEVICE INFO 1 Byte 5 Bytes nnne 23 Table 42 Register 0x24 GET LIST BUFFER 2 bytes enne 23 Table 43 Register 0x25 GET DAC VALUE 2 23 Table 44 Register 0x26 SERIAL OUT BUFFER 5 Bytes ccccscccccssceceessececeesseeeeecseeeeseeseeeeeeees 24 USB EE I Scr ZD USB MERETUR 25 Writing the Device Registers Directly ccccessssccccecessessceeeecececeesesaaeeeeecesessesaeaecesecssessessaeeeeeeseseeees 25 Reading the Device Registers Directly 25 USB Driver API e AE 26 API Descriptio E REED 27 Serial Peripheral Interface SPI sccssssssscccsssssseccccessssececcacsseecessaassesesssesees 36 Writing the SPI BUS Ee utu eet e eiue rte etx de a NN YER EEES 37 Reading the SPI BUS dieses cu A 37 Calibration amp Maintenance ccccceccccscscsccccscsccccccececsccccscecsccccecscaccccscececsesees 39 Revision Notes cccccececececcccccccccccccccccacccccccecccccscececcccccccccccccccccscscscscscccscsceses4O 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 iii IMPORTANT INFORMATION Warranty The warranty terms and cond
56. t dac value scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned short dac value handle to the opened device DAC value to be written scb511a set reference dac set the DAC value that controls the TCXO frequency SC5511A User Manual Rev 1 0 1 33 Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description Function Definition Input Description sc5511a_set_alc_dac int sc5511a_set_alc_dac sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned short dac_value sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle unsigned short dac_value handle to the opened device DAC value to be written sc5511a_set_alc_dac set the value of the ALC DAC to make amplitude adjustments sc5511a_store_default_state int sc5511a_store_default_state sc5511a_deviceHandle_t dev_handle scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle 5 5511 store default state stores the current configuration into EEPROM memory as handle to the opened device the default state upon reset or power up 5 5511 set standby intscb511a set standby sc5511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable scb511a deviceHandle t dev handle unsigned char enable handle to the opened device enable the device to go in standby mode scb511a standby powers down channel RF2 scb511a set rf2 frequency int 5 5511 set rf2 frequency sc
57. terials and the categorical amount present in our products are shown below PASTE GRECE ZR RR ue A E RER Hexavalent Polybrominated Polybrominated Lead Mercury Cadmium Model Pb Hg Cd Chromium biphenyls diphenyl ethers s Cr VI PBB PBDE C5511A v v v v v v indicates that the hazardous substance contained in all of the homogeneous materials for this product is below the limit requirement in SJ T11363 2006 An X indicates that the particular hazardous substance contained in at least one of the homogeneous materials used for this product is above the limit requirement in SJ T11363 2006 CE European Union EMC amp Safety Compliance Declaration The European Conformity CE marking is affixed to products with input of 50 1 000 VAC or 75 1 500 VDC and or for products which may cause or be affected by electromagnetic disturbance The CE marking symbolizes conformity of the product with the applicable requirements CE compliance is a manufacturer s self declaration allowing products to circulate freely within the European Union EU 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 2 SignalCore products meet the essential requirements of Directives 2014 30 EU EMC and 2014 35 EU product safety and comply with the relevant standards Standards for Measurement Control and Laboratory Equipment include EN 61326 1 2013 and EN 55011 2009 for EMC and EN 61010 1 for product safety
58. tting a new frequency While the device is busy the SRDY line will go low and returns high upon execution completion Detailed SPI read and write operations are discussed in detail in the Serial Peripheral Interface SPI section USB Interface The 5 5511 has a built in USB controller configured in client mode The transfer types supported by the device are control interrupt and bulk More information on the use of the USB interface and its software API are provided in the USB Interface section Default Startup Mode The factory power up state for the device is detailed in Table 4 The default state can be changed to the current state of either channel programmatically allowing the user to power up the device in the last saved state without having to reprogram Table 4 Factory default power up state CH1 CH2 Frequency 12 GHz 1 5 GHz Power 0 00 dBm Max RF Output Enabled NA ALC Mode Closed Loop NA Standby Disabled Enabled Auto Level Enabled NA Ref Out Select 10 MHz Ext Ref Lock Disabled 5 5511 User Manual Rev 1 0 1 12 SETTING THE SC5511A CONFIGURATION REGISTERS These are write only registers to configure the device The registers vary in length to reduce redundant data and improving the communication speed especially for SPI and RS232 interfaces Furthermore for SPI and RS232 interfaces it is vitally important that the length of data written to a register is exact because
59. utive bytes can be transferred to and from them The process of clearing the SPI buffer and decisively moving it into the appropriate register takes CPU time so a time delay is required between consecutive bytes written to or read from the device by the host The chip select pin CS must be asserted low before data is clocked in or out of the product Pin CS must be asserted for the entire duration of a register transfer Once a full transfer has been received the device will proceed to process the command and de assert low the SRDY pin The status of this pin may be monitored by the host because when it is de asserted low the device will ignore any incoming data The device SPI is ready when the previous command is fully processed and SRDY pin is re asserted high It is important that the host either monitors the SRDY pin or waits for 750 us between register writes There are 2 SPI modes 0 and 1 The default mode is 1 where data is clocked in and out of the device on the rising edge of the clock signal In mode data is clocked in and out on the falling edge To select mode O pin 16 of the interface connector must be pulled low to ground as the device is powered on or as the reset line pin 14 is toggle low high If pin 16 is pulled high or left unconnected mode 1 is select CLK Q0 d Gy ly Gy AP UP me X X XX Xm CS Figure 3 SPI Mode 0 shown Register writes are accomplished in a single write operation Register buff
60. y available for USB read The contents occupy effectively the lower two bytes In the case of SPI contents are transferred to the serial output buffer so a second query to the SERIAL OUT BUFFER register is required to transfer its contents and also to clear the output buffer 39 RO List Config Trig Out 1 Mode 38 RO List Config Trig Out 1 Enable 37 RO List Config Return to 1 Start 36 RO List Config Step Trig 1 35 RO List Config HW Trig 1 34 RO List Config Waveform 1 Tri Saw 33 RO List Config Sweep Dir 1 32 RO List Config SSS mode 1 31 30 RO Reserved 2 29 RO Operate Over Temp 1 Device temperature above threshold of 75 C 28 RO Operate 1 mode 1 1 1 list sweep 27 RO Operate list running 1 1 device triggered and running list sweep mode 26 RO Operate ref out select 1 0 10 MHz 1 100 MHz 25 RO Operate ext ref detect 1 1 reference source at ref port 24 RO Operate ext ref lock 1 1 lock to external sources is enabled 23 RO Operate RF1_enable 1 1 RF1 output is enabled 22 RO Operate alc mode 1 closed 1 opened 21 RO Operate auto level 1 O enabled 1 disabled 20 RO Operate rf1 standby 1 standby disabled 1 standby enabled 19 RO Operate rf2_standby 1 standby disabled 1 standby enabled 18 RO Operate device access 1 1 device is accessed
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