How to Use a Variable Optical Attenuator module Setting Attenuation and/or Power Levels
Agilent 8163A/B, 8164A/B, and 8166A/B User’s Guide, Fourth Edition 199
How to Use the Power Control Feature
81566A/67A/76A/77A Attenuator modules incorporate Power Control
functionality that automatically corrects for power changes at its
input to maintain your desired output power.
This feature is designed to compensate, for example, for output power
drift by the source.
When Power Control is On:
•If P
actual
deviates by more than 0.1 dB from your desired P
SET
value, the Attenuator module automatically restores P
SET
at the
maximum possible filter transition speed of 12 dB/s.
• Input power is measured using your set Averaging Time.
• To avoid ‘hunting’, and consequent wear on the filter motor
mechanism in response to an unstable source, for differences
between P
SET
and P
actual
greater than 0.01 dB, but less than 0.1 dB,
P
SET
is updated approximately every 30 s.
• The Attenuator module does not respond to a power difference of
0.01dB or less. Such a change is regarded as noise.
• If the attenuation is driven beyond 0 dB, Exp (“Excessive Power”) is
displayed. There is now insufficient input power for the Attenuator
to maintain your desired P
SET
.
Power Control On/Off To enable or disable Power Control, select the [Pwr Ctrl] parameter.
When Power Control is On the Attenuator’s status display includes
‘PC’.
The Menu item <Pwr Control> is functionally equivalent to the
[Pwr Control] parameter.
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