Pulse Analyzer Measurement Guide : Pulse Analyzer (Option 421) : Setting Amplitude Parameters
 
Setting Amplitude Parameters
Amplitude-related parameters are set using the AMPLITUDE Menu.
Setting Amplitude Reference Level
The amplitude reference level is typically an absolute reference level set at the top of the graticule for the power level being measured. Signal levels above this set value will be outside of the display range and may overdrive and saturate the input circuit (refer to Indications of Excessive Signal Level). To set the current amplitude reference level:
1. To automatically set an optimum reference level, press AMPLITUDE > AUTO REF LEVEL.
2. To manually set the reference level, press AMPLITUDE > REF LEVEL, then enter the desired reference level in dBm.
Note 
Select AUTO ATTEN coupling of the attenuator setting and AUTO REF LEVEL to help ensure that harmonics and spurs are not introduced into the measurements.
Setting Amplitude Range and Scale
This setting applies to most analyzer modes of instrument operation and allows you to set the y-axis graticule scale.
1. Press AMPLITUDE > SCALE/DIV and enter the desired number of units per division (dB/division).
2. Set the desired y-axis amplitude units. Currently, dBm is the only available selection.
Reference Level Offset for External Loss or External Gain
To obtain accurate measurements, you can compensate for any external attenuation or gain by using a reference level offset. The compensation factor is in dB. External attenuation can be created by using an external cable or an external high power attenuator. External gain is typically from an amplifier.
To adjust the reference or amplitude level for either gain or loss:
1. Press AMPLITUDE > REF LEVEL OFFSET.
2. Enter a positive dB value to account for gain or enter a negative dB value to account for loss.
3. The new reference level offset value will be displayed on the instrument and the y-axis and trace amplitude is adjusted accordingly.
Attenuator Functions
The spectrum analyzer includes a step attenuator at the RF input. This attenuator is used to reduce large signals to levels that make best use of the analyzer’s dynamic range. By default, the auto attenuation automatically adjusts the attenuator as a function of the reference level. In the AMPLITUDE menu, the ATTEN LEVEL allows manual adjustment of the input attenuation. When auto attenuation is selected, both the reference level and the attenuation are increased. The following actions, listed in decreasing order of effectiveness, can facilitate the detection of low-level CW signals:
• Decrease the reference level and attenuation. Refer to AMPLITUDE Menu.
• Turn on the preamplifier.
• Reduce RBW and or VBW (RBW/VBW = 10 is often optimal for this purpose). Refer to Setting Bandwidth Parameters.
• Use trace averaging if VBW is already set to 1 Hz. Refer to Setting Trace Parameters
Preamplifier
The preamplifier can be turned on and off by toggling PRE AMP via the status panel or the AMPLITUDE menu. Figure: 1. Preamplifier Off 2. Preamplifier On shows the noise floor with the preamplifier off (1) and on (2). Note that when the preamplifier is turned on, the noise floor drops significantly and a low-level signal is exposed. In order to use the preamplifier, the attenuation must be lower than 20 dB. If the preamplifier is turned on when the attenuation is greater than or equal to 20 dB, the attenuation will automatically drop to 10 dB. When AUTO ATTEN is toggled on, the REF LEVEL must be set to –40 dBm or lower to enable the preamplifier. The below image shows the effect of the preamplifier in a frequency sweep to illustrate how a signal can be exposed from the analyzer noise.
1. Preamplifier Off
2. Preamplifier On
Indications of Excessive Signal Level
The instrument has built-in features to help prevent input overload. These include auto attenuation and reference level. The instrument will also indicate when a received signal is too high for the current setup by displaying an “ADC Overrange” notification in the title bar (Figure: ADC Overrange). Before proceeding with the measurements, adjust the reference level, the attenuation level, and disable the preamplifier if necessary. Adjusting the resolution bandwidth and frequency range may also help when measuring small signals that are near large signals.
ADC Overrange
AMPLITUDE Menu
 
AMPLITUDE Menu
 
REF LEVEL
The reference level is the top graticule line on the measurement display. If the reference level offset is not zero, the offset reference level is displayed at this location. Pressing the plus (+) or minus (–) control increments the value by 10. The plus/minus (+/-) button on the keypad toggles between positive and negative values.
AUTO REF LEVEL
Auto reference level automatically adjusts the reference level to place the highest signal amplitude at about two graticule lines from the top based on the position of the trace at the time the button is pressed.
SCALE/DIV
The scale can be set from 1 dB per division to 15 dB per division. The default setting is 10 dB. Pressing the plus (+) or minus (–) control changes the value by 1.
Y AXIS UNIT
Selects the y-axis amplitude units of dBm, dBW dBV, dBmV, dBµV or dBA.
REF LEVEL OFFSET
Reference level offset compensates for the presence of external input attenuation or gain. The offset is applied to all amplitude related parameters and to measurements such as the y-axis scale and marker measurements. The default offset value is 0 dB. Pressing the plus (+) or minus (–) control increments the value by 10. The plus/minus (+/-) button on the keypad toggles between positive and negative values. Refer to Reference Level Offset for External Loss or External Gain.
PRE AMP
Turns the low-noise front-end preamplifier on or off. To ensure accurate measurement results, the largest signal into the instrument input when the preamplifier is turned on should be less than –40 dBm. The preamplifier cannot be turned on if auto attenuation is on and the reference level is above –40 dBm. Refer to Preamplifier.
AUTO ATTEN
Input attenuation can be either tied to the reference level (on) or manually selected (off). When input attenuation is tied to the reference level, attenuation is increased as higher reference levels are selected to make sure the instrument input circuits are not saturated by large signals that are likely to be present when high reference levels are required.
ATTEN LEVEL
When auto attenuation is off, the attenuation value can be set manually to a resolution of 5 dB. Pressing the plus (+) or minus (–) control increments the value by 10.
IMPEDANCE
Select either 50 ohm, 75 ohm, or Other impedance value. Selecting 75 ohm selects the 7.5 dB loss of the Anritsu 12N50-75B adapter. For other adapters, select Other and enter the appropriate loss (0 dB is the default loss). Note that loss values are also applied to the relevant units.
CUSTOM IMP LOSS
Sets a user-defined impedance loss value, if option “other” is selected for impedance.