Agilent Technologies 8163A - The Prepare Multi Frame Lambda Scan Function

Lambda Scan Applications The Agilent 816x VXIplug&play Instrument Driver
Agilent 8163A/B, 8164A/B & 8166A/B Mainframes, Fifth Edition 241
The Prepare Multi Frame Lambda Scan Function
The Prepare Multi Frame Lambda Scan (hp816x_prepareMfLambdaScan)
function prepares a Lambda Scan operation for multiple Mainframes.
That is, it prepares an operation where a Agilent 8164A/B Lightwave
Measurement System with a back-loadable Tunable Laser module and up
to 100 Power Meter Channels located in different Mainframes are
installed. The function performs a wavelength sweep where the Tunable
Laser module and Power Sensors are co-ordinated with each other.
The Prepare Multi Frame Lambda Scan (hp816x_prepareMfLambdaScan)
function must be called before a Multi Frame Lambda Scan is executed.
Use the return values of this function (Number of Datapoints and Number
of Power Arrays) to allocate arrays for the Execute Multi Frame Lambda
Scan (hp816x_executeMfLambdaScan) function.
The function scans all mainframes to find back-loadable Tunable Laser
Sources. The function scans each mainframe in the order that they were
originally registered by the Register Mainframe function
(hp816x_registerMainframe). The first back-loadable Tunable Laser Source
found will perform the sweep operation.
To obtain a higher precision, the Tunable Laser Source is set 1 nm before
the Start Wavelength, this means, you have to choose a Start Wavelength
1 nm greater than the minimum possible wavelength. Also, the wavelength
sweep is actually started 90 pm before the Start Wavelength and ends 90
pm after the Stop Wavelength, this means, you have to choose a Stop
Wavelength 90 pm less than the maximum possible wavelength.
Triggers coordinate the Tunable Laser module with all Power Meters. The
function sets for the lowest possible averaging time available for the
installed Power Meters and, then, sets the highest possible sweep speed
for the selected Tunable Laser module sweep. All mainframes must be
connected to the GPIB bus and have their Input Trigger Connector
connected to the Output Trigger Connector of the Agilent 8164A/B
Lightwave Measurement System mainframe that the Tunable Laser
module is installed in.
If one of the following circumstances occurs, the "parameter mismatch"
error will be returned:
1 If one Power Meter is out of the specification at 1550 nm, the error
"powermeter wavelength does not span 1550nm" will be returned. For
example, the HP 81530A Power Sensor and the HP 81520A Optical Head
are out of specification at 1550 nm. Remove the Power Meter that is out
of specification at 1550 nm from the mainframe.