Model 3580A 
Table 4-4.  Ramp Generator Instructions. 
INSTR 
DESCRIPTION 
(L)RESET 2 
In 
the 
Single  and  Repetitive  sweep  modes, 
the 
(L)RESET 
2 .instruction  resets 
the 
Ramp Genera-
tor. 
When  the Ramp Generator 
is 
reset, its 
output 
is 
0 V. 
In 
the 
Manual  sweep  mode, 
the 
(L)RESET 
2  instruction 
is 
given  continuously.  The  Ramp 
Generator 
then 
functions  as  a 
X1 
amplifier and 
receives  its  input from 
the 
MANUAL  VERNIER 
potentiometer. 
(H)SFWD  When 
the 
(H)SFWD  (Slow  Forward)  instruction 
is 
given, 
the 
Ramp  Generator  sweeps 
in 
a  positive 
direction from 0 V 
to 
+ 5 V. The sweep time 
is 
as 
indicated 
by 
the 
SWEEP TIME setting. 
(L)FFWD  When 
the 
(L)FFWD  (Fast  Forward)  instruction 
is 
given, 
the 
Ramp  Generator  sweeps 
in 
a  positive 
direction 
at 
20 
to 
25 
times 
the 
panel-selected rate. 
(H)FBWD  When 
the 
(H)FBWD (Fast Backward) instruction is 
given, 
the 
Ramp 
Generator  sweeps  in  a  negative 
direction 
(+ 
5 V 
to 
0 
V) 
at 
20 
to 
25 
times 
the 
panel-selected rate. 
4-77.  The  Step  Back  Control circuit 
is 
a  "programmable 
inverter"  which  receives  a  negative  de  input voltage  and 
provides an  inverted or non-inverted output, depending on 
the  state 
of 
the 
COMP 
instruction line.  The  negative 
de 
"step-back  voltage"  applied 
to 
the  Step  Back  Control 
circuit 
is 
controlled by the FREQ 
SP 
AN 
and BANDWIDTH 
settings.  The  magnitude 
of 
this  voltage  determines  the 
"step-back  distance"  described  in  Figure  4-11. 
As 
the 
frequency  span 
is 
narrowed  or  bandwidth is widened, the 
magnitude 
of 
the  step  back voltage  increases  causing the 
step back distance 
to 
increase. When the 
COMP 
instruction 
line is high, the instruction is COMP(-). This means 
that 
the 
output 
of 
the  Step  Back  Control  circuit 
is 
a negative 
de 
voltage 
that 
is 
equal in magnitude 
to 
the applied step-back 
voltage.  When  the 
COMP 
instruction  line 
is 
low,  the 
instruction is  COMP(+). 
When 
the COMP(+) instruction 
is 
given,  the  outpu.t  polarity 
is 
changed  from  negative  to 
positive  and the  magnitude 
of 
the  voltage  is  decreased 
to 
0.75  times  the  applied step-back  voltage.  For example, 
if 
the applied step-back voltage is - 1 V de and the instruction 
is COMP(-), the output 
of 
the Step Back Control circuit is 
- 1 V  de. 
If 
the  instruction is  changed  to 
COMP 
(+),  the 
output changes 
to+ 
0.75 V de. 
4-78.  The  Step  Back  Comparator  is  a  high  impedance 
differential  amplifier  circuit  controlled  by  the 
(H)BCMP 
(Begin  Comparison)  illstruction  line  from  the  Digital 
Controller. 
When 
the  Begin  Comparison instruction is 
not 
given 
(BCMP 
line  low),  switch 
Sl 
is 
closed  and  the 
non-inverting  ( 
+) 
port 
of 
the  comparator 
is 
grounded. 
Capacitor 
Cl 
7  then  charges  to  the  ramp  voltage  through 
R34.  When  the 
Begin 
Comparison  instruction  is  given, 
switch 
Sl 
opens  and  the  instantaneous  ramp  voltage 
is 
retained by 
Cl 
7.  With 
Sl 
open, the polarity 
of 
the charge 
on 
Cl 
7 
is 
such that 
Cl 
7 serves 
as 
a bucking supply. Thus, 
as 
the Ramp Generator sweeps forward 
or 
backward from the 
point at which 
Sl 
opens, only the change in  voltage 
il' 
felt 
Section IV 
at  the  non-inverting  port 
of 
the  comparator. 
If, 
for 
example,  the 
BCMP 
instruction 
is 
given 
when  the  ramp 
voltage 
is 
+ 4 V  and  the  ramp  voltage  then decreases  to 
+ 3 
V, 
the voltage  at the non-inverting port 
is 
- 1 V. When 
the  voltage  at  the  non-inverting  port slightly  exceeds  the 
positive or negative  step-back voltage 
at 
the inverting port, 
the output 
of 
the comparator changes states and the 
CCMP 
(Comparison  Complete)  qualifier 
is 
met.  This indicates to 
the  Digital  Controller 
that 
the Ramp Generator has swept 
the  required distance  from the point 
at 
which the compari-
son began. 
4-79.  In  the  Adaptive  Sweep  routine,  the 
COMP 
(-)and 
BCMP 
instructions  are 
given 
when  the  Ramp  Generator 
begins  sweeping  backward. At the time the 
BCMP 
instruc-
tion 
is 
given,  the  output 
of 
the  Step  Back  Comparator 
is 
high. 
As 
the  ramp  voltage  decreases,  the  voltage  at  the 
non-inverting  input  becomes increasingly  negative  until  it 
slightly  exceeds  the  negative  step-back  voltage  at  the 
inverting port. The output 
of 
the comparator then 
goes 
low 
and the 
CCMP 
qualifier 
is 
met. The  COMP(+) and 
BCMP 
instructions  are  given  when the Ramp  Generator is  sweep-
ing 
forward.  In  this  case,  the  output 
of 
the comparator 
is 
low  when  the 
BCMP 
instruction 
is 
given. 
As 
the  ramp 
voltage  increases,  the  voltage  at  the  non-inverting  port 
becomes  increasingly  positive  until 
it 
slightly  exceeds  the 
positive  step-back  voltage  at  the  inverting  port.  At  that 
time,  the  output 
of 
the  comparator  goes  high  and  the 
CCMP 
qualifier 
is 
met. 
4-80. 
Delay 
Circuit.  The  Delay  Circuit 
is 
a  monostable 
multivibrator which provides a 3 ms 
to 
3 sec.  delay  period 
in  response  to  the  Initiate Delay  (IDLY) instruction from 
the  Digital Controller. At the end 
of 
the delay  period, the 
Delay  Circuit produces a "delay over" flag  (DLYO) which 
serves 
as 
a qualifier input to the Digital Controller. 
4-81.  The 
purpo~e 
of 
the 3 ms 
to 
3 sec.  delay period is 
to 
allow time for the  IF Filter to settle between fast and slow 
sweeps in the Adaptive  Sweep  routine. The  delay  period 
is 
determined by the BANDWIDTH setting. 
As 
the bandwidth 
is 
narrowed, the response time 
of 
the 
IF 
Filter increases and 
a longer delay period 
is 
required. 
4-82.  Control 
Sequence. 
Figure  4-13 
is 
an 
ASM 
Chart 
showing  the  control  sequence  for  the  8-state  Adaptive 
Sweep  routine.  Each  state 
of 
the  Digital  Controller 
is 
represented by a rectangular Instruction Block followed by 
one  or two trapezoidal-shaped Qualifier Blocks. Items listed 
in  the  Instruction  Block 
of 
a  given  state  indicate  the 
instruction(s) given by the controller 
in 
that state. Items in 
the  Qualifier Blocks 
of 
a given  state indicate the qualifiers 
that must be met before the controller can increment to the 
next state. 
4-83. 
The 
routine  begins with the Digital Controller asyn-
chronously  reset  to  State 
'/J 
by  an  End 
of 
Sweep  (LEOS) 
command. The  EOS command 
is 
momentary and does 
not 
prevent the controller from incrementing 
to 
the next state. 
State 
'/J 
is 
a 
"dummy" 
state where no instructions are given. 
4-11