The MG362x1A fully supports the IEEE-802.3 standard. Most MG362x1A front panel functions (except power on/off) can be remotely controlled via a network server and an Ethernet connection. The MG362x1A software supports the TCP/IP network protocol.

Ethernet uses a bus or star topology where all of the interfacing devices are connected to a central cable (bus), or are connected to a hub. Ethernet uses the CSMA/CD access method to handle simultaneous transmissions over the bus. CSMA/CD stands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection. This standard enables network devices to detect simultaneous data channel usage, called a collision, and provides for a contention protocol. When a network device detects a collision, the CSMA/CD standard dictates that the data will be retransmitted after waiting a random amount of time. If a second collision is detected, the data is again retransmitted after waiting twice as long.

The TCP/IP setup requires the following:

Interface between the signal generator and other devices on the network is via a category five (CAT-5) interface cable connected to a network. This cable uses four twisted pairs of copper insulators terminated into an RJ45 connector. CAT-5 cabling is capable of supporting frequencies up to 100 MHz and data transfer speeds up to 1 Gbps, which accommodates 1000Base-T, 100Base-T, and 10Base-T networks. CAT-5 cables are based on the EIA/TIA 568 Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard developed by the Electronics Industries Association.

The instrument can be remotely programmed using the raw sockets over TCP/IP protocol. The NI-VISA™ I/O library is used on the server side to facilitate the communications. The SCPI or MG362x1A command sets listed in the MG362x1A programming manual (10370-10385) apply to LAN programming as well.

To run the following example, you must have NI-VISA 2.5 or later installed on the controller PC and you must select the VISA library (visa32.dll) as a reference in a Visual Basic project. Both the MG362x1A instrument and the host PC must be connected to the network.

Interface between the instrument and other devices on the network is via a category five (CAT‑5) interface cable connected to a network. This cable uses four twisted pairs of insulated copper wires terminated into an RJ45 connector. CAT‑5 cabling is capable of supporting frequencies up to 100 MHz and data transfer speeds up to 1 Gbps, which accommodates 1000Base‑T, 100Base‑T, and 10Base‑T networks. CAT‑5 cables are based on the EIA/TIA 568 Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard developed by the Electronics Industries Association. A pinout diagram is shown in Table: 8‑pin Ethernet RJ45 Connector Pinout Diagram.

Integrated into the RJ45 connector are two LEDs. The amber LED indicates the presence of LAN voltages (a live LAN connection) while the green LED flashes to show that LAN traffic is present. The instrument IP address and its HOSTNAME are set via the System menu (upper left corner) and accessing the ETHERNET or WIFI settings menu.

TCP/IP connectivity requires setting up the parameters described at the beginning of this section. The following is a brief overview of how to set up a general LAN connection on the MG362x1A.

The MG362x1A provides automated signal generator operation via the GPIB, and Ethernet. The following paragraphs provide information about the interface connections, cable requirements, and setting up the remote operating parameters.

Interface between the signal generator and other devices on the GPIB is via a 24-wire interface cable. This cable uses connector shells having two connector faces. These double-faced connectors allow for the parallel connection of two or more cables to a single device. The only interconnection required for GPIB operation is between the signal generator and the controller. This interconnection is via a standard GPIB cable. The Anritsu part number for GPIB cables of proper length is 2100-1, -2, or -4 (1, 2, or 4 meters in length).

The GPIB can accommodate up to 15 instruments at any one time. To achieve design performance on the bus, proper timing and voltage level relationships must be maintained. If either the cable length between separate instruments or the cumulative cable length between all instruments is too long, the data and control lines cannot be driven properly and the system may fail to perform.

Cable length restrictions: No more than 15 instruments installed on the bus and the total cumulative cable length (in meters) may not exceed two times the number of bus instruments or 20 meters—whichever is less.

The default GPIB address is five as shown in Figure: Configure GPIB Menu. To change the GPIB address:

Press: System Menu| REMOTE | GPIB PRIMARY ADDRESS

Type the new GPIB address and then press the ENTER button.