Aeroflex 3412 - The [Source] Subsystem - an Introduction

4-31
The [SOURce] subsystem — an introduction
The SOURce subsystem contains commands that cover all aspects of
frequency, modulation, power and sweeping
The [SOURce] subsystem consists of:
• The [FREQuency] subsystem, which controls frequency parameters of the carrier and sweep
signals
• The [LIST] subsystem, which controls list mode sweeping
• The [MODulation]:AM subsystem, which controls all aspects of AM modulation
• The [MODulation]:BURst subsystem, which controls external and internal burst control,
attenuation and profiles
• The [MODulation]:FM subsystem, which controls all aspects of FM modulation
• The [MODulation]:IQ subsystem, which controls all aspects of internal and external IQ
generation, including RTBB (digital modulation, DM) and ARB
• The [MODulation]:PM subsystem, which controls all aspects of pulse modulation
• The [MODulation]:PULM subsystem, which turns pulse modulation on or off
• The [POWer] subsystem, which sets all aspects of carrier and sweep levels
• The [SWEep] subsystem, which controls the generation of frequency and power sweep signals
Each of these subsystems is dealt with separately in the following sections.
The [SOURce] subsystem effectively controls the switching and configuration of internal and
external signal sources and modulation paths within the instrument. Fig. 4-1 on page 4-19 is a
representation of the OUTput and [SOURce] commands and their relationship to the sources.
You can see from this that the [SOURce] commands control:
the configuration of signal sources: [SOURce][:MODulation]:<modn>:EXTernal
[SOURce][:MODulation]:<modn>:INTernal;
the selection of signal sources: [SOURce][:MODulation]:<modn>:SOURce;
and switching modulation paths: [SOURce][:MODulation]:<modn>:STATe.
Note that Fig. 4-1 does not necessarily represent the actual hardware in the instrument.
The menu structure of the [SOURce] subsystem is as follows:
[SOURce]
:FREQuency Carrier frequency
:LIST List mode sweep
[:MODulation] Carrier modulation...
:AM[1]|2 ...AM
:BURst ...burst
:FHOPping ...frequency hopping
:FM[1]|2 ...FM
:IQ ...IQ, ARB, RTBB
:PM[1]|2 ...phase
:PULM ...pulse
:POWer RF level
:SWEep Carrier/power sweep