4/14/2020 PDW Definitions

PDW Definitions
This section defines the available types of streaming Pulse Data Words (PDW):

The signal generator requires data in little endian order. This means that the bytes for each field and
the bytes within each word must be organized as little endian.

Format 0 (Null)
Format 1 (Full Setup)
PDW format 1 is the full setup specification, specifying every parameter that a PDW can control. It consists of 7 32-
bit words. If streaming is to occur over the fast control port, this is the format (Format 1) to use along with other
setup requirements:

using an address so that the instrument recognizes that it is streaming data

making the connection to the proper data lines
performing an FCP data path alignment to avoid meta-stability issues that can lead to bit errors

Some descriptions in the Details/Formulae column contain pseudocode examples. These

examples require modification to use within a programming environment.

Field Name Word(s) Bits Details/Formulae

Real Time PDW 0-1 3 1: Default full setup type

Format

Marked 2 0: No operation
Operation 1: First PDW after Reset
For more information on when to use this selection, se
Scenario Time in the Glossary.
2: Reset Time. For this operation, the rest of the PDW
content is ignored

The PDW that follows must be set with 1 a

the Marked Operation.

3: Reserved

Frequency 47 The CW frequency. This is the start frequency of a Chirp

FIELD = floor(frequencyHz*1024 + 0.5)
Resolution: 1/1024 Hz

Phase 12 The phase of the CW frequency.

FIELD = floor((phaseDeg*2^12)/360 + 0.5)
Range: 0 deg – 360 deg
Resolution: 0.087890625 deg

Pulse Start Time 2-3 64 The start (50% of rise power) of the pulse with respect to
scenario trigger event.
FIELD = pulseStartTimePicoSeconds
Range: 0 ps to 213.504 days
Field Resolution: 1 ps

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Field Name Word(s) Bits Details/Formulae

Pulse Width 4 32 The width of the pulse (50% of rise power to 50% of fall
power).
FIELD = PulseWidthNanoSeconds
Range: 4 ns to 4.294967295 s
Field Resolution: 1 ns
Resolution: 2 ns

Relative Power 5 15 Linear scaling of the output in Volts rms.

Voltage_Ratio = (1+M/2^10) * 2^(E-26)
E=FIELD[14:10]
M=FIELD[9:0]
Example:

The simplified equation where Gain is a linear

scale value (1 = 0 dB). This example only
rounds down.
Gain = 2^(E-26) * (1+M/2^10)
E = floor(log2(Gain)+26)
M = floor((Gain/2^(E-26)-1)*2^10)

The specified range of this value can be determined usin

the SCPI command
[:SOURce]:POWer:RELative:RANGe:TABLe?
Range: -161.6 dB to 31.07 dB
Resolution: 0.0085 dB
To calculate in C++ (pseudocode example—see also
associated code):
FIELD = convertToFloatingPoint(voltageGain
-26, 10, 5, true, err) ;
To calculate in MATLAB (pseudocode example—see also
associated code):
FIELD = convertRelPow(voltageGain, -26, 10
5)

Markers 12 Different Markers that can be sent to SMB Connectors. T

least significant bit is marker 1.
Markers begin at a multiple of 8 ns (see Quantized Scena
Time) at the beginning of the transition time.

Pulse Mode 2 0: Reserved

1: RF Off
2: Enable Pulse
3: Reserved

Phase Control 1 0: Phase coherent

1: Phase continuous

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Field Name Word(s) Bits Details/Formulae

Band Adjust 2 This allows adjustment of how the Frequency bands are
selected
0: Use CW switch points
1: Use upper band switch points
2: Use lower band switch points
3: Reserved

Chirp Control 6 3 0: Stitched Ramp Chirp

The stitched ramp shape starts at the beginning of the PD
play time and ramps until a new PDW plays. It is not
synchronized to any pulse and should therefore only be u
in CW (non-pulsed) PDWs.
1: Triangle Chirp
The triangle shape is synchronous with the pulse, if a pul
is used. The slope is reversed mid-way through the pulse
width.
3: Ramp Chirp
The ramp shape is synchronous with the pulse, if a pulse
used.
Requires Options UT1 and WC2, or Options UNT and W
For the N5191A with Option WC2, it requires that the
Frequency Upper Limit be set to 6.89 GHz.

Frequency/Phase 9 512 selections for Frequency/Phase Coding setups.

Coding Setup Configured in Pulse/Chirp hard key menu.
Select
Requires Option UT1 or Option UNT.

Chirp Rate 17 The slope of the chirp (frequency sweep) that starts from
CW frequency.
Chirp Rate = FIELD[12:0]*2^(2*FIELD[16:13])*6
(2^-38) GHz/ns
FIELD[12:0] is in two’s complement form (signed)
Range: +/- 95.9765625 THz/us
Resolution: 21.827872842550278 Hz/us
To calculate in C++ (pseudocode example—see also
associated code):
chirpPdwClosestM2N(chirpRateHzPerMicroseco
21.827872842550278, FIELD);
To calculate in MATLAB (pseudocode example—see also
associated code):
FIELD =
convertChirpPdw(chirpRateHzPerMicrosecond,
21.827872842550278)
Requires Options UT1 and WC2, or Options UNT and W
For the N5191A with Option WC2, it requires that the
Frequency Upper Limit be set to 6.89 GHz.

Frequency Band 3 0: Band Map A

Map 6: Band Map B
All other values reserved

Format 2 (Marked/Marker Setup)

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