User`s guide

Agilent E6432A Microwave Synthesizer User’s Guide 3-73

Soft Front Panel Help

List Dialog Box

Switch/blanking time is established by the following criteria:

• 350 us for all frequencies 560 MHz or less

• 350 us for all frequencies above 560 MHz with long switch/blanking

mode set (long blanking is typically used when external leveling is

enabled or when using low ALC bandwidth)

• 150 us for all frequencies above 560 MHz with normal

switch/blanking mode set

• 50 us for all frequencies above 560 MHz with power-only mode set

• 20 ms is added, to each of the times listed above, any time the step

attenuator (Option 1E1) is changed

Once switch/blanking time is completed, the settling time begins.

Settling time is user-definable and can be adjusted between a minimum

and maximum value; longer periods of settling time can be specified in

order to gain additional accuracy. Both switch/blanking time and

settling time are used every time a new frequency or power is set up in

the synthesizer. (For more information, refer to “Settling Time” on page

3-43.)

In summary, there is a delay time that is required by the synthesizer to

change between frequencies or power or both. This delay time is a

combination of the switch/blanking time and settling time. The

switch/blanking time is dependent on the criteria listed above while the

settling time is user-definable and dependent on the accuracy required

of the final signal. If RF blanking is on during switch/blanking time,

you do not see the effects on the RF output, but if RF blanking is off

during switch/blanking time, you see all of the effects on the signal that

might include spurious signals, harmonics, and other glitches. Whether

RF blanking is on or off has no effect on settling time, it only affects the

RF output during switch/blanking time.