EX7000 SERIES MICROWAVE SWITCH ASSEMBLIES WITH LXI-COMPLIANT LAN INTERFACE USER’S MANUAL P/N: 82-0121-000 Release June 10th, 2013 VTI Instruments Corp.
VTI Instruments Corp. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Certification .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Limitation of Warranty .............................................................................................
www.vtiinstruments.com Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 25 Rear Panel View ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Trigger Bus Connectors.................................................................................................................................
VTI Instruments Corp. INDEX .........................................................................................................................................................................
www.vtiinstruments.com CERTIFICATION VTI Microwave, a business unit of VTI Instruments Corp. (VTI) certifies that this product met its published specifications at the time of shipment from the factory.
VTI Instruments Corp. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Declaration of Conformity According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014 MANUFACTURER’S NAME VTI Instruments Corp. MANUFACTURER’S ADDRESS 2031 Main Street Irvine, California 92614-6509 PRODUCT NAME Microwave Switch Assembly with LAN Interface MODEL NUMBER(S) EX7000 Series Microwave Switch Assemblies PRODUCT OPTIONS All PRODUCT CONFIGURATIONS All VTI Instruments Corp.
www.vtiinstruments.com GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Review the following safety precautions to avoid bodily injury and/or damage to the product. These precautions must be observed during all phases of operation or service of this product. Failure to comply with these precautions, or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual, violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of the product. Service should only be performed by qualified personnel.
VTI Instruments Corp. SUPPORT RESOURCES Support resources for this product are available on the Internet and at VTI Instruments customer support centers. VTI Microwave A VTI Instruments Business Unit World Headquarters VTI Instruments Corp.
www.vtiinstruments.com SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The EX7000 series of modular microwave switch assemblies consist of standard products as well as custom factory configured enclosures. All are rack mountable and range in size from 1U to 4U.
VTI Instruments Corp. EX72SF: High-Density 26 GHz Modular Microwave Switching, Latch with Self-Terminating Options SW 1 1 C SW 2 2 1 C SW 3 2 1 C SW 4 2 1 C SW 5 2 1 C SW 6 2 1 C 2 VTI Microwave A V XI Tech nol ogy B usin ess U ni t EX7 2SF M T 1588 LAN POWER SW7 SW8 SW9 SW10 SW11 SW12 FIGURE 1-2: EX72SF (SHOWN WITH A FULL COMPLIMENT OF AGILENT SWITCHES) The EX72SF is a 2U (3.
www.vtiinstruments.com INTERACTIVE CONTROL As LXI-compliant devices, EX7000s have an embedded web server running which provides a Java applet for interactively configuring the box for its specific configuration as well as allowing for the direct control of components. A functional list of the actual components within the enclosure is stored on-board in non-volatile memory.
VTI Instruments Corp. Each driver board is capable of recognizing and controlling either latching or non-latching switch modules. A programmable delay (per driver board) dictates the amount of time allocated to relay settling times and current cutoffs (for latching relays). Each driver board has a single programmable delay parameter. The programmable delay for any board should be set to the maximum value required by any component connected to that board.
www.vtiinstruments.com EX7000 SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS EX71HD EX72SF EX7400 CONNECTORS Host interface Trigger bus GP digital I/O AC power RESET 17.28” (48.2 cm) width x 14.24” (61.6 cm) depth* x 1.72” (4.5 cm) height 17.25” (48.2 cm) width x 14.09” (61.6 cm) depth* x 3.28” (8.9 cm) height 17.25” (48.2 cm) width x 14.09” (61.6 cm) depth* x 6.56” (17.
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www.vtiinstruments.com EX71HD DIMENSIONAL DIAGRAM 17.28 in 438.91 m m 18.28 in 464.31 m m VTIMicrowave DIGITAL I/O ETHERN ET TRIGGER BU S RESET 90-264 VAC 50 / 60 Hz 25VA MAX. 10 /1 00 BA SE-T 14.24 in 361.61 m m 15.24 in 387.01 m m SW 1 1.72 in 43.69 m m SW 2 SW 3 SW 4 SW 5 SW 6 SW 7 SW 8 SW 9 SW 10 SW 11 SW 12 VTIMicrowave 1588 LAN POWER 2.73 in EX71HD 69.22 m m EX72SF DIMENSIONAL DIAGRAM 17.25 in 438.15 m m 18.25 in 463.55 m m GP I/O VTIMicrowave 14.
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www.vtiinstruments.com SECTION 2 PREPARATION FOR USE OVERVIEW This section provides a step-by-step process for setting up the EX7000 series assemblies for use. For simplicity, the EX7000 series assemblies, including the EX71HD, EX72SF, EX72CC, and EX7400 will be referred to as EX7000 in this section. It covers hardware installation, input connections, and software installation.
VTI Instruments Corp. EX7000 HARDWARE SETUP To properly set up the EX7000 for use, the following cabling connections must be made: • • The ac power cord, supplied with the EX7000 must be plugged into any standard ac outlet providing 90 V ac to 264 V ac at 47 Hz to 63 Hz. A connection between the Host PC/LAN Switch and the EX7000 LAN port must be made. An unshielded Cat 5e Ethernet cable of less than 100 m in length should be used to make this connection.
www.vtiinstruments.com LInC-U Installation To install LInC-U as a discovery tool for the EX7000’s embedded webpage, insert the VTI Instruments Corp. Drivers and Product Manuals CD into the host PCs CD-ROM and, using Windows Explorer, navigate to the :\EX Platforms Requisites directory. Next, run the VTI_LInC-U_setup.exe program. Once installation begins, simply follow the on-screen instructions. Java Installation Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is required to access the SFP page of the EX7000.
VTI Instruments Corp. 1) 2) 3) 4) Restore the EX7000’s Default Network Settings Determine PCs Network Settings Set the EX7000 to Auto IP or Set theEX7000 to Static IP Restore the Host PCs Network Settings Restore the EX7000’s Default Network Settings It may be the case that the EX7000 is in an unknown network configuration. The EX7000 can be returned to its default state by pressing the Reset Button located at the rear of the chassis. 1) Power off the EX7000.
www.vtiinstruments.com 5) Determine if the PC is set to use auto or static IP. Figure 2-4 shows examples of both auto and static IP address configurations. FIGURE 2-4: DYNAMIC (LEFT) AND STATIC (RIGHT) IP ADDRESS CONFIGURATIONS 6) If set to use a static IP, record the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for use later. Select Obtain an IP address automatically to establish a connection to the EX7000. Click the OK button and proceed to Set theEX7000 to Static IP.
VTI Instruments Corp. Set theEX7000 to Static IP 1) Disconnect all network connections from the PC except for the connection between the PC and the EX7000. 2) Apply power to the EX7000 and wait for the LAN LED to turn green. 3) Discover EX7000 using Bonjour as described in the Section 4, Web Page Operation. The steps taken previously should ensure that discovery works. 4) Once connected to the embedded web interface, click on the Network Configuration link in the command menu.
www.vtiinstruments.com DRIVER INSTALLATION To monitor and/or control the EX7000’s instruments programmatically (via a user generated program or through tools such as HP VEE, National Instrument’s Switch Executive, etc.), two additional components must be installed: the IVI Shared Components library and the provided VTI Instruments instrument driver.
www.vtiinstruments.com SECTION 3 BASIC OPERATION INTRODUCTION The EX7000 Series modular microwave switch assemblies require only ac power and a LAN connection to a PC or network. The PC must have an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, installed. The embedded web page in each EX7000 allows easy access and control of the internal microwave components.
VTI Instruments Corp. Trigger Bus Connectors The EX7000 provides an LXI compatible trigger bus connector set on the rear panel of the instrument. Both connectors have the same pin assignments and are wired in parallel. For more information on the LXI Trigger Bus and creating an appropriate cable, please visit www.lxistandard.org and refer to LXI Standard Revision 1.2 and LXI Trigger Bus Cable and Terminator Specifications Rev 1.1. Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Trigger Bus Connectors Signal Pin +3.
www.vtiinstruments.com When enabled as an output, each channel also has the ability to generate a 1 µs pulse upon command. An example application of this pulse is to use the EX7000 to externally trigger another piece of test equipment. The specific operation of the pulse depends on the static level programmed for that channel. When a channel is programmed with a static level of high, the pulse will be low-going. When a channel is programmed with a static level of low, the pulse will be high-going.
VTI Instruments Corp. Reset Button The reset button, accessible through a hole in the rear panel of the EX7000, implemented according to the LXI LAN Configuration Initialize (LCI) Mechanism specification, can be used to restore default network settings. This is useful for recovery from an incorrect or unknown network configuration. There are three modes of operation for this button which are based on the time the reset button has been depressed.
www.vtiinstruments.com Installation is in the reverse order. Carefully insert the multi-pin connector end of the switch into the opening, turning the switch module to arrange the two alignment pins to be on the top side of the switch. Insert straight back until the blind mating connector alignment pins engage. Once these alignment pins are engaged, press firmly until the switch slides in flush with the EX71HD front panel. Insert and tighten the four 2-56 hex head cap screws.
VTI Instruments Corp. have the same square mounting plate as the multi-throw switches so they require a special carrier for mounting in the lower round openings. NOTE Before proceeding with the removal and/or installation of any microwave switch modules in an EX7000, turn the ac power switch to the OFF position and remove the ac power cord. To remove a SPDT switch from the enclosure, simply remove the two pan head Philips screws from each side of the individual switch faceplate.
www.vtiinstruments.com EX7400 Generally speaking, most EX7400 models will have their switches mounted internally and are not intended for easy field upgrades or repairs. Please contact the VTI Microwave in the event of a failure.
www.vtiinstruments.com SECTION 4 WEB PAGE OPERATION INTRODUCTION To open the embedded web page, start the LInC-U utility by navigating to Start → Programs → VTI Instruments Corporation → LInC-U Utility → LInC-U Utility. Once the utility is run, LInC-U will scan the network to discover all LAN-based VTI instruments. Once the scan is complete, the Discovery Devices tab will appear and show the instruments that were discovered, as shown in Figure 4-1.
VTI Instruments Corp. GENERAL WEB PAGE OPERATION When initial connection is made to the EX7000, the instrument home page, Index, appears (see Error! Reference source not found.).
www.vtiinstruments.com Entry This type of page displays and accepts changes to the configuration of the instrument. The Time Configuration page is an example of an entry page. Use of the entry-type web pages in the EX7000 are governed by a common set of operational characteristics: • • • Pages initially load with the currently-entered selections displayed. Each page contains a Submit button to accept newly entered changes.
VTI Instruments Corp. SOFT FRONT PANEL An example of the EX7000 SFP page can be seen in Figure 4-4. By accessing this page, the various switch modules, attenuators, and other devices connected to the EX7000 can be viewed, identified, and commanded. Monitor and Control Tab By default, the SFP opens to the Monitor and Control view. From this view, the user can see the RF devices installed in the EX7000.
www.vtiinstruments.com • established a session with the EX7000, all other sessions established after that will be “Monitor Only” sessions until the previous session has ended. o Synchronous Mode: In this mode, the user can manipulate the RF components in the EX7000 in real time. As the user clicks a port or sets a value and it affects the EX7000 at that time. o Asynchronous Mode: In this mode, the user may manipulate all RF components, but the actions do not occur until after the Apply button is clicked.
VTI Instruments Corp. Device Info Tab If the Device Info tab is clicked, information regarding the EX7000 mainframe is available as well as the version of the SFP, firmware, and configuration. FIGURE 4-6: DEVICE INFORMATION WEB PAGE NETWORK CONFIGURATION The EX7000 Network Configuration page can be seen in Figure 4-7. By default, the EX7000 will attempt to locate a DHCP server. If one is found, the IP address assigned by the DHCP server will be assumed, along with subnet masks, gateway, etc.
www.vtiinstruments.com If a static IP address assignment is preferred, one can be optionally assigned via the embedded web page interface. This is done by clicking the Network Configuration link, disabling DHCP and Auto IP, enabling Static, and then assigning a static IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address, and, optionally, up to three DNS servers (see Figure 4-7). NOTE The 169.254/16 subnet is reserved by the IANA for Auto IP usage. It should not be used for either DHCP or static IP configurations.
VTI Instruments Corp. NOTE If problems are experienced connecting to the EX7000, please refer to the Network Troubleshooting process in Section 2. TIME CONFIGURATION This entry page is used to change the time configuration of the EX7000. As the EX7000 has no notion of “wall clock” or calendar time and no battery-backed clock or any other mechanism to retain time between reboots and power-cycles, the time must be set by the user.
www.vtiinstruments.com FIGURE 4-9: SNTP CONFIGURATION PAGE NOTE Specifying SNTP or NTP servers by hostname requires that the instrument be set to DNS, either by DHCP or Static IP. If a PTP master or an SNTP server is not available, time can be configured manually by the user by selecting Manual in the Time Source drop menu, clicking the Set Time checkbox, and then entering the time appropriately. Once the time information has been entered, click the Submit button.
VTI Instruments Corp. FIGURE 4-10: LXI SYNCHRONIZATION WEB PAGE • IEEE 1588 Parameters o PTP Grandmaster Clock MAC: indicates the MAC address of the device on the network to which all other IEEE 1588 compliant devices are synchronized. o PTP Parent Clock MAC: indicates the MAC address of the device to which the EX7000 is synchronized. On a LAN that consists of multiple subnets, this indicates the MAC address of the parent clock on that particular subnet.
www.vtiinstruments.com DEVICE IDENTIFY This action page is used to identify the EX7000 that is being commanded in the current session. When the Turn on button is pressed, the LAN LED located on the front panel of the EX7000 will blink. When the Turn off button is pressed, the LAN LED returns to its normal operation. FIGURE 4-11: DEVICE IDENTIFY WEB PAGE UPGRADE This action page is used to upgrade the embedded firmware of the EX7000.
VTI Instruments Corp. Perform the following steps to conduct a firmware upgrade: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Delete cookies from Internet browser. Delete Java cache on host PC. Perform a Reboot or a power cycle. Connect to the EX7000 via the embedded web page. Click on the Upgrade link. Click on the Browse button and select the firmware image file to be uploaded to the instrument. 7) Click the Submit button to initiate the upgrade process.
www.vtiinstruments.com 3) When the Internet Options window appears, click on the Delete button in the Browsing history section. 4) When the Delete Browsing History window appears, click on the Delete cookies… button. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click the Yes button to remove the cookies present on the host PC.
VTI Instruments Corp. Clearing Java Cache Once the cookies have been deleted from the host PC, the Java cache should be deleted next. For Java version 6, the cache can be removed by performing the following steps: 1) Navigate to the Control Panel (Start → Settings → Control Panel). 2) Double click the Java icon in the Control Panel. 3) When the Java Control Panel opens, click on the Settings button in the Temporary Internet Files section of the window.
www.vtiinstruments.com 4) When the Temporary Internet Files window opens, click the Delete Files… button. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click to OK button delete the cache. RESET/REBOOT The Reset action page is used to return the EX7000 to a known communication state. Pressing the Reset button will cause the EX7000 to terminate all active sessions, leaving only the current session viable.
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www.vtiinstruments.com SECTION 5 THEORY OF OPERATION INTRODUCTION This section expands on the description of the internal operation of the EX7000 and explains how to best use them. A full understanding of this operation is not required to operate and use the EX7000. A functional block diagram is provided below. FIGURE 5-1: FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM SYSTEM OVERVIEW Using the drivers provided with the EX7000, commands are issued from the host PC to the DCB.
VTI Instruments Corp. RDBs can either be commanded one board at a time or several RDBs may be commanded simultaneously. The RDB has 72 relay control drive lines capable of sinking 200 mA and twelve very high-current reset lines capable of sinking 800 mA. They are divided into three banks, each can be powered separately. Each bank consists of four 20-pin connectors.
www.vtiinstruments.com Additionally, the RDB of the EX7300 and EX7400 may have varying quantities of open-collector and TTL drive lines, depending on the model ordered. This property is linked to the relay drive connector banks, as illustrated in Figure 5-2. The following table indicates how banks are used according the part number assigned.
VTI Instruments Corp. power supply capable of sustaining the high-current requirement. The user must allow an appropriate amount of time after the Relay Control Drive bit changes state for the relay to settle. This is typically between 10 ms to 30 ms. T (settle) Drive x Drive y FIGURE 5-4: CONTINUOUS OPERATION MODE Pulse Mode Connecting latching devices to any bank of the RDB will dictate that bank must be operating in pulse mode.
www.vtiinstruments.com APPENDIX A EX7000 SYSTEM CONFIGURATOR INTRODUCTION All products in the EX7000 series share common programmatic characteristics. Each can be controlled using an IVISwitch class-compliant driver, the VTEXSwitch driver, which universally controls all VTI Instruments switch product family models. To achieve this architecture, each switch product carries its own device configuration file (DCF) which fully describes an instrument’s components and their interconnectivity.
VTI Instruments Corp. Opening an Existing Configuration To open an existing DCF, select Open from the File menu, then navigate to the location of the DCF to open. The System Configurator will then populate the System Explorer pane with various inherent items. If the DCF exists on an EX7000, enter the IP address of the device in the address bar, as shown in Figure A-2, then click on the Connect button. Once the configurator opens, select Get current configuration from the Target menu.
www.vtiinstruments.com then it must be added manually by selecting Add Component Library under the Add menu. Use the browser to navigate to and select the “EX7000_library” file. FIGURE A-4: ADD MENU OPTIONS Saving a Configuration To save changes made to a DCF, select Save from the File menu. An explorer window will appear allowing the user to specify where the file will be saved. The DCF will be saved with a “.dcf” file extension. This should not be changed.
VTI Instruments Corp. Relays To add a relay to an EX7000 system, select Add Relay from the Add menu. The Add new relay prompt will appear. Select the relay type that will be used and provide a name for this component, then click the Add button to add this component to the EX7000 system. Continue to add relays in this manner until all relay have been defined, then close the prompt. Once the Add new relay prompt is closed, the added relays will appear in the Relays folder in the System Explorer.
www.vtiinstruments.com Dive Line Selector Reset Dive Line Selector Wire Drop Menus FIGURE A-7: RELAY PROPERTIES WINDOW NOTE Latching and non-latching relays cannot be tied to the same RDB bank of relay drive lines (bank 0: Kn_1 to Kn_24, bank 1: Kn_25 to Kn_48, and bank 2: Kn_49 to Kn_72). For more information, please refer to the Open-Collector vs. TTL Drive Lines section in Section 5.
VTI Instruments Corp. FIGURE A-8: ATTENUATOR PROPERTIES WINDOW Parallel I/O Ports To add a parallel IO port to the system, select Add Parallel IO Port under the Add menu. The parallel I/O properties window will appear as in Figure A-9. From here, the user can assign the port a reference designator (i.e.
www.vtiinstruments.com FIGURE A-10: WIRE TYPE PROPERTIES WINDOW Once a wire type has been defined, a wire can added to the system. This is done by selecting Add Wire from the Add menu to bring up the Add new wire prompt. From here, select the wire type that will be used for the new wire and enter a name for the wire. Once this information has been provided, click on the Add button to add the wire to the system.
VTI Instruments Corp. IN1 OUT1 1 C 1 2 C 2 SW 3 SW 1 1 C K1_2 K1_13 K1_14 K1_19 K1_20 W2 K1_8 W1 K1_7 K1_1 W3 2 W2 SW 2 W3 1 C W4 2 SW 4 IN2 OUT2 ParallelPort_1 Attenuator_1 K1_25 K1_42 K1_47 K1_32 FIGURE A-12: CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE When a new system is created, it contains “TTL1” in the Parallel I/O Groups folder and references the default component library.
www.vtiinstruments.com FIGURE A-14: ADDING A 7202-20 RELAY AS “SW1” Next, a wire type will be defined followed by the creation of wire connections to relays. To define a wire type, select Add wire type from the Add menu. In this example, the wire type will be called “Fifty_Ohm”. After entering the name, the Add button is clicked and the prompt is closed. When selected in the System Explorer, the impedance and bandwidth of the wire appears.
VTI Instruments Corp. FIGURE A-17: CONFIGURED RELAYS — SW1 THROUGH SW4 Note that the First drive line for each switch already matches the example circuit. As the relays were added, the System Configurator determined the ports available and automatically added the relays to the available drive lines. If necessary, the relays can be tied to other drive lines by changing the value in the First drive line drop menu. At this point, the relays have been fully configured.
www.vtiinstruments.com The parallel port, the final component in the example system, can now be added. Add the port by selecting Add Parallel IO Port in the Add menu. Enter “ParallelPort_1” for the name, then enter “6” in the Number of drive lines text field. Note that, when selected, the System Configurator did not assign the component to the desired drive line (K1_37 rather than K1_42). Change this by selecting “K1_42” from the First drive line drop menu.
www.vtiinstruments.com APPENDIX B ONBOARD MEMORY MEMORY LISTINGS AND CLEARING PROCEDURES The following table provides information regarding memory contained in the EX7000. Protocol for clearing the memory is also included. Component Volatile? No Yes Contains Firmware Time Config Network Config DCF Runtime Data No FPGA No None No Latching Config Yes Go to webpage, upgrade using Erase.
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www.vtiinstruments.com INDEX A Auto IP ...................................................................................19, 36 B Bonjour...................................................................................21, 22 C configuration table ........................................................................12 configurator ...................................................................... 11, 29, 30 connectors digital I/O connector.........................................................
VTI Instruments Corp. S scan lists .......................................................................................12 SNTP ............................................................................................38 software installation......................................................................18 Java runtime environment ......................................................19 specifications connectors ..............................................................................