HF2

User Manual
50 MHz Lock-in Amplifier
HF2 User Manual
Zurich Instruments AG
Revision 24.10
Copyright © 2008-2024 Zurich Instruments AG

The contents of this document are provided by Zurich Instruments AG (ZI), "as is". ZI makes no
representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this
publication and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time
without notice.

LabVIEW is a registered trademark of National Instruments Inc. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The
MathWorks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

Table of Contents
Declaration of Conformity
1. Change Log 3
2. Getting Started 5
2. 1. Quick Start Guide 5
2. 2. Inspect the Package Contents 6
2. 3. Handling and Safety Instructions 7
2. 4. Software Installation 9
2. 5. Connecting to the Instrument 16
2. 6. Software Update 24
2. 7. Troubleshooting 25
3. Functional Overview 30
3. 1. Features 30
3. 2. Front Panel Tour 32
3. 3. Back Panel Tour 33
3. 4. Ordering Guide 34
3. 5. Operating Modes 35
4. Tutorials 40
4. 1. HF2LI First Time User 40
4. 2. Simple Loop 44
4. 3. Dynamic Signals 47
4. 4. External Reference 51
4. 5. Noise Measurement 53
4. 6. Amplitude Modulation 54
4. 7. Frequency Modulation 57
4. 8. Phase-locked Loop 60
4. 9. Automatic Gain Control 63
4. 10. Imaging 68
5. Functional Description LabOne User Interface 72
5. 1. User Interface Overview 72
5. 2. Saving and Loading Data 82
5. 3. Lock-in Tab 94
5. 4. Lock-in Tab (HF2-MF option) 101
5. 5. Numeric Tab 108
5. 6. Plotter Tab 110
5. 7. Scope Tab 111
5. 8. Data Acquisition Tab 116
5. 9. Spectrum Analyzer Tab 122
5. 10. Sweeper Tab 125
5. 11. Auxiliary Tab 132

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

Table of Contents
5. 12. Inputs/Outputs Tab 133
5. 13. DIO Tab 134
5. 14. Config Tab 135
5. 15. Device Tab 139
5. 16. File Manager Tab 141
5. 17. PID Tab 142
5. 18. PLL Tab 150
5. 19. MOD Tab 155
5. 20. Multi Device Sync Tab 158
5. 21. Real-time Tab 160
5. 22. HF2CA Tab 160
5. 23. HF2TA Tab 161
5. 24. ZI Labs Tab 162
5. 25. Upgrade Tab 163
6. Communication and Connectivity 164
6. 1. Instrument Connectivity Overview 164
6. 2. ziServer’s Text-based Interface 167
6. 3. Connecting to ziServer over insecure or networks behind firewalls 174
7. Device Node Tree 176
7. 1. Introduction 176
7. 2. Reference Node Documentation 179
8. Real-time Option 212
8. 1. Installation of the Real-time Development Environment 212
9. Specifications 216
9. 1. General Specifications 216
9. 2. Analog Interface Specifications 217
9. 3. Digital Interface Specifications 221
9. 4. Performance Diagrams 223
9. 5. Ground and Earth Scheme 229
9. 6. Reference Images 230
9. 7. Test Specifications 231
10. Signal Processing Basics 232
10. 1. Principles of Lock-in Detection 232
10. 2. Signal Bandwidth 234
10. 3. Discrete-Time Filters 235
10. 4. Full Range Sensitivity 236
10. 5. Sinc Filtering 237
10. 6. Zoom FFT 239

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

Table of Contents
11. HF2CA Current Amplifier Data Sheet 240
11. 1. Key Features 240
11. 2. Specifications 240
11. 3. Functional Description 242
11. 4. Applications 244
11. 5. Cable Recommendation 246
12. HF2TA Current Amplifier Data Sheet 247
12. 1. Key Features 247
12. 2. Specifications 247
12. 3. Functional Description 250
12. 4. Applications 251
12. 5. Performance Tests 254
12. 6. Cable Recommendation 257

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

CE Declaration of Conformity

The manufacturer

Zurich Instruments
Technoparkstrasse 1
8005 Zurich
Switzerland
declares that the product
HF2 Series (HF2LI, HF2IS), 50 MHz, 210 MSamples/s
is in conformity with the provisions of the relevant Directives and Regulations of the Council of the
European Union:

Directive / Regulation Conformity proven by compliance with the

standards
2014/30/EU EN 61326-1:2006,
(Electromagnetic compatibility [EMC]) EN 55011:2007
(Group 1, Class A and B equipment)
2014/35/EU EN 61010-1:2010,
(Low voltage equipment [LVD]) EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019,
EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019/AC:2019-04
2011/65/EU, as amended by 2015/863 and EN IEC 63000:2018
2017/2102
(Restriction of the use of certain hazardous
substances [RoHS])
(EC) 1907/2006 -
(Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and
Restrictions of Chemicals [REACH])

Zurich, October 20th, 2022

Flavio Heer, CTO

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

UKCA Declaration of Conformity

The manufacturer

Zurich Instruments
Technoparkstrasse 1
8005 Zurich
Switzerland
declares that the product
HF2 Series (HF2LI, HF2IS), 50 MHz, 210 MSamples/s

is in conformity with the provisions of the relevant UK Statutory Instruments:

Statutory Instruments Conformity proven by compliance with the standards

S.I. 2016/1091 EN 61326-1:2006,
(Electromagnetic EN 55011:2007
Compatibility Regulations) (Group 1, Class A and B equipment)
S.I. 2016/1101 EN 61010-1:2010,
(Electrical Equipment EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019,
(Safety) Regulations) EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019/AC:2019-04
S.I. 2012/3032 EN IEC 63000:2018
(Restriction of the Use of
Certain Hazardous
Substances Regulations)

Zurich, October 20th, 2022

Flavio Heer, CTO

Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 1. Change Log

1. Change Log
1.1. Release 24.10
Release date: 31-Oct-2024
 Consistent spectral measurement across Sweeper, Scope, Data Acquisition, and Spectrum tools.

1.2. Release 24.07

Release date: 31-Jul-2024
 Oscilloscope: The Scope module of LabOne offers now Uniform averaging in addition to already
available Exponential averaging.

1.3. Release 24.04

Release date: 30-Apr-2024

1.4. Release 24.01

Release date: 31-Jan-2024
 Sweeper: The sweeper grid now includes the exact start and stop sweeping points.

1.5. Release 23.10

Release date: 31-Oct-2023
 Sweeper: Setting the start and stop points of the sweep parameter from the x-axis cursors in the
Sweeper tab.

1.6. Release 23.06

Release date: 30-Jun-2023

1.7. Release 23.02

Release date: 28-Feb-2023
 LabOne API: Added support of Python 3.11.
 Sweeper Module: Improved phase unwrap feature.
 LabOne: Dropped support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 as they have reached their end of life.

1.8. Release 22.08

Release date: 31-Aug-2022
 LabOne UI: Improved the Spectral Density feature of Sweeper tab.

3 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 1.9. Release 22.02

1.9. Release 22.02

Release date: 28-Feb-2022
 LabOne Software: 'Flat Top' window function for FFT mode of Scope, DAQ, and Spectrum.
 LabOne API: Support of Python 3.10.

1.10. Release 21.08

Release date: 31-Aug-2021
 User Manual: HTML version available in LabOne user interface and online documentation.
 LabOne Software: Support for GNU/Linux and macOS on ARM64 and Apple M1 processors.

1.11. Release 21.02

Release date: 28-Feb-2021
 LabOne API: Added online Programming Manual and Documentation.
 Sweeper: Simultaneous display of standard and X-Y plots to visualize Nyquist and Bode plots at
the same time.
 Sweeper: Improved rendering of sweeps with more than 2000 points.

1.12. Release 20.07

Release date: 20-Aug-2020
 LabOne: Trends plots to track readings from the Math sub-tab over time.
 LabOne: Device Information report in Device tab.
 LabOne: Improved colormaps available for 2D plots.
 PID Advisor: clamp maximum advised bandwidth to hardware limits to guard against instability.

1.13. Release 20.01

Release date: 28-Feb-2020
 LabOne: added linear fit to the Math sub-tab of Sweeper and DAQ tabs.
 LabOne: histogram data can be saved in CSV format.
 LabOne: added option to display a normal or Rice distribution fit in Plotter tab.
 LabOne: improved importing of saved SVG figures to main vector graphics editors.

4 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 2. Getting Started

2. Getting Started
This first chapter guides you through the initial set-up of your HF2 Instrument in order to make your
first measurements. This chapter comprises of:
 Quick start guide
 Package content and accessories list
 Software installation instructions
 Powering-on the device, connecting the device via USB, and performing basic operation checks
on the instrument
 List of essential handling and safety instructions

This chapter is delivered as a hard copy with the instrument upon delivery. It is also the first chapter
of the HF2 User Manual.

2.1. Quick Start Guide

This page addresses all the people who have been impatiently awaiting their new gem to arrive and
want to see it up and running quickly. Please proceed with the following steps:
1. Check the package content. Besides the Instrument there should be a country-specific
power cable, a USB cable and a hard copy of the user manual Getting Started.
2. Check the Handling and Safety Instructions in Handling and Safety Instructions.
3. Download and install the latest LabOne software from the Zurich Instruments homepage
http://www.zhinst.com/downloads/. More detailed instructions are found in Software
Installation.
4. Connect the Instrument to the power line, turn it on and connect it to the PC using the USB
cable. The front panel LED will show a steady blue color. If the LED does not turn blue, please
contact Zurich Instruments for assistance.
5. Start the LabOne User Interface. The default web browser will open and display your
instrument in a start screen as shown below. Use Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera for best
user experience.

6. Click the Open button on the bottom right of the page. The default configuration will be
loaded and the first measurements can be taken. If the user interface does not start up
successfully, please refer to Connecting to the Instrument.
7. The HF2LI User Manual is included in a LabOne installation and can be accessed in Windows
10 via 1 Start Menu → Zurich Instruments → User Manual HF2 - LabOne.

If any problems occur whilst setting up the instrument and software please see the Troubleshooting
at the end of this chapter. After use it is recommended to shut down the instrument using the soft
power button on the front panel instrument or by clicking on the button at the bottom left of the
user interface screen before turning the power switch on the back panel of the instrument.

Once the Instrument is up and running we recommend going through some of the Tutorials.
Moreover, Functional Overview provides a general introduction to the various tools and settings tabs
with tables in each section providing a detailed description of every UI element as well. For specific
application know-how the blog section of the Zurich Instruments website will serve as a valuable
resource that is constantly updated and expanded.

5 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 2.2. Inspect the Package Contents

1. Under Windows 7 and 8, the User Manual can be found in Start Menu → All programs /
All apps → Zurich Instruments → User Manual HF2 - LabOne. ↩

2.2. Inspect the Package Contents

If the shipping container appears to be damaged, keep the container until you have inspected the
contents of the shipment and have performed basic functional tests.

Please verify:
 You have received 1 Zurich Instruments HF2 Instrument
 You have received 1 power cord with a power plug suited to your country
 You have received 1 USB cable
 A printed version of the "Getting Started" section
 Additional cables have been added to the delivery if an HF2 pre-amplifier has been delivered at
the same time
 The line voltage selector on the HF2 Instrument power inlet indicates the correct line voltage of
your country (115 V/60 Hz, or 230 V/50 Hz). While Zurich Instruments configures the power system
when an instrument is initially delivered, no liability derives from potential wrong configuration or
incorrect configuration at any point in time during the lifetime of the instrument
 The "Next Calibration" sticker on the rear panel of the Instrument indicates approximately 2 years
ahead in time. Zurich Instruments recommends calibration intervals of 2 years
 The serial number of the instrument are displayed on a sticker on the back panel
 For Japanese users only: you are supposed to operate the HF2 Instruments with an external 100
V to 110 V transformer in order to have reliable measurement results. Please verify having
received the transformer included in your delivery.
Table 2.1: Package contents for the HF2 Instrument

the power cord (e.g. EU norm)

the USB cable

the power inlet with selected 230 V/

50 Hz power system Power inlet with
selected 230 V/50 Hz power system
(red circle) and fuse holder. Requires
2 x 20 mm fast-acting fuses with 800
mA current limit. To extract the fuse
holder use a small screwdriver in the
indicated spot (red arrow) to lift it out
of the casing

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 2.3. Handling and Safety Instructions

the power inlet with selected 230 V/

60 Hz power system (red circle) and
fuse holder. Requires 2 x 20 mm fast-
acting fuses with 800 mA current
limit. To extract the fuse holder use a
small screwdriver in the indicated
spot (red arrow) to lift it out of the
casing

the S/N sticker on the back panel of

the instrument
the "Next Calibration" sticker on the
back panel of the instrument
Japanese users only: 100 V to 110 V
transformer

Carefully inspect your HF2 Instrument. If there is mechanical damage or the instrument does not
seem to operate after the Software Installation, please consult the Handling and Safety Instructions
and the Troubleshooting, then notify the Zurich Instruments support team at [email protected]
as soon as possible.

2.3. Handling and Safety Instructions

The HF2LI Instrument is a sensitive piece of electronic equipment, and under no circumstances
should its casing be opened, as there are high-voltage parts inside which may be harmful to human
beings. There are no serviceable parts inside the instrument. Do not install substitute parts or
perform any unauthorized modification to the product. Opening the instrument immediately voids
the warranty provided by Zurich Instruments.

Do not use this product in any manner not specified by the manufacturer. The protective features of
this product may be affected if it is used in a way not specified in the operating instructions.

The following general safety instructions must be observed during all phases of operation, service,
and handling of the instrument. The disregard of these precautions and all specific warnings
elsewhere in this manual may negatively affect the operation of the equipment and its lifetime.

Zurich Instruments assumes no liability for the user’s failure to observe and comply with the
instructions in this user manual.
Table 2.2: Safety Instructions

Ground the The instrument chassis must be correctly connected to earth ground by means
instrument of the supplied power cord. The ground pin of the power cord set plug must be
firmly connected to the electrical ground (safety ground) terminal at the mains
power outlet. Interruption of the protective earth conductor or disconnection
of the protective earth terminal will cause a potential shock hazard that could
result in personal injury and potential damage to the instrument. For more
information on the ground and earth scheme, refer to section Ground and
Earth Scheme.
Measurement This equipment is of measurement category I (CAT I). Do not use it for CAT II, III,
category or IV. Do not connect the measurement terminals to mains sockets.
Maximum ratings The specified electrical ratings for the connectors of the instrument should not
be exceeded at any time during operation. Please refer to the Specifications for
a comprehensive list of ratings.

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 2.3. Handling and Safety Instructions

Do not service or There are no serviceable parts inside the instrument.

adjust anything
yourself
Software Frequent software updates provide the user with many important
updates improvements as well as new features. Only the last released software version
is supported by Zurich Instruments.
Overseas travel Changing the power system without changing the orientation of the fuse holder
will damage the fuses and may make the instrument behave unpredictably.
Warnings Instructions contained in any warning issued by the instrument, either by the
software, the graphical user interface, the notes on the instrument or
mentioned in this manual, must be followed.
Notes Instructions contained in the notes of this user manual are of essential
importance for correctly interpreting the acquired measurement data.
High voltage When measuring devices with high inductance, take adequate measures to
transients due to protect the Signal Input connectors against the high voltages of inductive load
inductive loads switching transients. These voltages can exceed the maximum voltage ratings
of the Signal Inputs and lead to damage.
Location and This instrument or system is intended for indoor use in an installation category
ventilation II and pollution degree 2 environment as per IEC 61010-1. Do not operate or
store the instrument outside the ambient conditions specified in the
Specifications section. Do not block the ventilator opening on the back or the
air intake on the chassis side and allow a reasonable space for the air to flow.
Cleaning To prevent electrical shock, disconnect the instrument from AC mains power
and disconnect all test leads before cleaning. Clean the outside of the
instrument using a soft, lint-free cloth slightly dampened with water. Do not use
detergent or solvents. Do not attempt to clean internally.
AC power For continued protection against fire, replace the line fuse only with a fuse of
connection and the specified type and rating. Use only the power cord specified for this
mains line fuse product and certified for the country of use. Always position the device so that
its power switch and the power cord are easily accessible during operation.
Main power Unplug product from wall outlet and remove power cord before servicing. Only
disconnect qualified, service-trained personnel should remove the cover from the
instrument.
RJ45 sockets The four RJ45 sockets on the back panel labeled "Peripheral ZCtrl 1/2" and
"ZSync In/Out" are not intended for Ethernet LAN connection. Connecting an
Ethernet device to these sockets may damage the instrument and/or the
Ethernet device.
Operation and Do not operate or store the instrument outside the ambient conditions
storage specified in the Specifications section.
Handling Handle with care. Do not drop the instrument. Do not store liquids on the
device, as there is a chance of spillage resulting in damage.
Safety critical Do not use this equipment in systems whose failure could result in loss of life,
systems significant property damage or damage to the environment.

If you notice any of the situations listed below, immediately stop the operation of the instrument,
disconnect the power cord, and contact the support team at Zurich Instruments, either through the
website form or through email.
Table 2.3: Unusual Conditions

Fan is not working Switch off the instrument immediately to prevent overheating of
properly or not at all sensitive electronic components.
Power cord or power Switch off the instrument immediately to prevent overheating, electric
plug on instrument is shock, or fire. Please exchange the power cord only with one for this
damaged product and certified for the country of use.
Instrument emits Switch off the instrument immediately to prevent further damage.
abnormal noise, smell, or
sparks
Instrument is damaged Switch off the instrument immediately and ensure it is not used again
until it has been repaired.

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 2.4. Software Installation

Table 2.4: Symbols

Earth ground
Chassis ground
Caution. Refer to accompanying documentation
DC (direct current)

2.4. Software Installation

The HF2 Series Instrument is operated from a host computer with the LabOne software. To install
the LabOne software on a computer, administrator rights may be required. In order to simply run the
software later, a regular user account is sufficient. Instructions for downloading the correct version
of the software packages from the Zurich Instruments website are described below in the platform-
dependent sections. It is recommended to regularly update to the latest software version provided
by Zurich Instruments. Thanks to the Automatic Update check feature, the update can be initiated
with a single click from within the user interface, as shown in Software Update.

2.4.1. Installing LabOne on Windows

The installation packages for the Zurich Instruments LabOne software are available as Windows
installer .msi packages. The software is available on the Zurich Instruments Download Center.
Please ensure that you have administrator rights for the PC on which the software is to be installed.
See LabOne compatibility for a comprehensive list of supported Windows systems.

2.4.2. Windows LabOne Installation

1. The HF2 Series Instrument should not be connected to your computer during the LabOne
software installation process.
2. Start the LabOne installer program with a name of the form LabOne64-XX.XX.XXXXX.msi by
a double click and follow the instructions. Windows Administrator rights are required for
installation. The installation proceeds as follows:
 On the welcome screen click the Next button.

Figure 2.1: Installation welcome screen

 After reading through the Zurich Instruments license agreement, check the "I accept the
terms in the License Agreement" check box and click the Next button.
 Review the features you want to have installed. For the HF2 Instrument the "HF2 Series
Device", "LabOne User Interface" and "LabOne APIs" features are required. Please install
the features for other device classes as well, if required. To proceed click the Next button.

9 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 2.4. Software Installation

Figure 2.2: Custom setup screen

 Select whether the software should periodically check for updates. Note, the software will
still not update automatically. This setting can later be changed in the user interface. If you
would like to install shortcuts on your desktop area, select "Create a shortcut for this
program on the desktop". To proceed click the Next button.

Figure 2.3: Automatic update check

 Click the Install button to start the installation process.
 Windows may ask up to two times to reboot the computer if you are upgrading. Make sure
you have no unsaved work on your computer.

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 2.4. Software Installation

Figure 2.4: Installation reboot request

 During the first installation of LabOne, it is required to confirm the installation of some
drivers from the trusted publisher Zurich Instruments. Click on Install.

Figure 2.5: Installation driver acceptance

 Click OK on the following notification dialog.

Figure 2.6: Installation completion screen

3. Click Finish to close the Zurich Instruments LabOne installer.
4. You can now start the LabOne User Interface as described in LabOne Software Start-up and
choose an instrument to connect to via the Device Connection dialog shown in Device
Connection dialog.

Warning
Do not install drivers from another source other than Zurich Instruments.

2.4.3. Start LabOne Manually on the Command Line

After installing the LabOne software, the Web Server and Data Server can be started manually using
the command-line. The more common way to start LabOne under Windows is described in LabOne
Software Start-up. The advantage of using the command line is being able to observe and change
the behavior of the Web and Data Servers. To start the Servers manually, open a command-line
terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell (Windows) or Bash (Linux)). For Windows, the current
working directory needs to be the installation directory of the Web Server and Data Server. They are

11 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 2.4. Software Installation

installed in the Program Files folder (usually: C:\Program Files) under \Zurich Instruments\LabOne in
the WebServer and DataServer folders, respectively. The Web Server and Data Server ( ziServer ) are
started by running the respective executable in each folder. Please be aware that only one instance
of the Web Server can run at a time per computer. The behavior of the Servers can be changed by
providing command line arguments. For a detailed list of all arguments see the command line help
text:

$ ziWebServer --help

For the HF2 Data Server:

$ ziServer --help

One useful application of running the Webserver manually from a terminal window is to change the
data directory from its default path in the user home directory. The data directory is a folder in which
the LabOne Webserver saves all the measured data in the format specified by the user. Before
running the Webserver from the terminal, the user needs to ensure there is no other instance of
Webserver running in the background. This can be checked using the Tray Icon as shown below.

Figure 2.7: LabOne Tray Icon in Windows 11

The corresponding command line argument to specify the data path is --data-path and the
command to start the LabOne Webserver with a non-default directory path, e.g., C:\data is

C:\Program Files\Zurich Instruments\LabOne\WebServer> ziWebServer --data-path "C:

\data"

Windows LabOne Uninstallation

To uninstall the LabOne software package from a Windows computer, one can open the "Apps &
features" page from the Windows start menu and search for LabOne. By selecting the LabOne item
in the list of apps, the user has the option to "Uninstall" or "Modify" the software package as shown
in Figure 2.8.

Figure 2.8: Uninstallation of LabOne on Windows computers

Warning
Although it is possible to install a new version of LabOne on a currently-installed version, it is highly
recommended to first uninstall the older version of LabOne from the computer and then, install the
new version. Otherwise, if the installation process fails, the current installation is damaged and
cannot be uninstalled directly. The user will need to first repair the installation and then, uninstall it.

12 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 2.4. Software Installation

In case a current installation of LabOne is corrupted, one can simply repair it by selecting the option
"Modify" in Figure 2.8. This will open the LabOne installation wizard with the option "Repair" as
shown in Figure 2.9.

Figure 2.9: Repair of LabOne on Windows computers

After finishing the repair process, the normal uninstallation process described above can be
triggered to uninstall LabOne.

2.4.4. Installing LabOne on macOS

LabOne supports both Intel and ARM (M-series) architectures within a single universal disk image
(DMG) file available in our Download Center.
 Download and double-click the DMG file to mount the image.

 The image contains a single LabOne application with all services needed.
 Once the application is started, a labone icon will appear in the menu bar. It allows the user to
easily open a new session and shows the status of all services.

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 2.4. Software Installation

2.4.5. Uninstalling LabOne on macOS

To uninstall LabOne on macOS, simply drag the LabOne application to the trash bin.

2.4.6. Application Content

The LabOne application contains all resources available for macOS. This includes:
 The binaries for the Web Server and Data Servers.
 The binaries for the C, MATLAB, and LabVIEW APIs.
 An offline version of the user manuals.
 The latest firmware images for all instruments.
To access this content, right-click on the LabOne application and select "Show Package Contents".
Then, go into Contents/Resources.

Note
Since the application name contains a space, one needs to escape it when using the command line
to access the contents: cd /Applications/LabOne\ XX.XX.app/Contents/Resources

2.4.7. Start LabOne Manually on the Command Line

To start the LabOne services like the data server and web server manually, one can use the
command line.

The data server binary is called ziServer (ziServer for HF2 instruments) and is located at
Applications/LabOne\ XX.XX.app/Contents/Resources/DataServer/.

The web server binary is called ziWebServer and is located at Applications/LabOne\

XX.XX.app/Contents/Resources/DataServer/.

Note
No special command line arguments are needed to start the LabOne services. Use the --help
argument to see all available options.

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 2.4. Software Installation

2.4.8. Installing LabOne on Linux

2.4.9. Requirements
Ensure that the following requirements are fulfilled before trying to install the LabOne software
package:
1. LabOne software supports typical modern GNU/Linux distributions (Ubuntu 14.04+, CentOS
7+, Debian 8+). The minimum requirements are glibc 2.17+ and kernel 3.10+.
2. You have administrator rights for the system.
3. The correct version of the LabOne installation package for your operating system and
platform have been downloaded from the Zurich Instruments Download Center:

LabOneLinux<arch>-<release>.<revision>.tar.gz,

Please ensure you download the correct architecture (x86-64 or arm64) of the LabOne installer. The
uname command can be used in order to determine which architecture you are using, by running:

uname -m

in a command line terminal. If the command outputs x86_64 the x86-64 version of the LabOne
package is required, if it displays aarch64 the ARM64 version is required.

2.4.10. Linux LabOne Installation

Proceed with the installation in a command line shell as follows:
1. Extract the LabOne tarball in a temporary directory:

tar xzvf LabOneLinux<arch>-<release>-<revision>.tar.gz

2. Navigate into the extracted directory.

cd LabOneLinux<arch>-<release>-<revision>

3. Run the install script with administrator rights and proceed through the guided installation,
using the default installation path if possible:

sudo bash install.sh

The install script lets you choose between the following three modes:
 Type "a" to install the Data Server program, the Web Server program, documentation and
APIs.
 Type "u" to install udev support (only necessary if HF2 Instruments will be used with this
LabOne installation and not relevant for other instrument classes).
 Type "ENTER" to install both options "a" and "u".
4. Test your installation by running the software as described in the next section.

2.4.11. Running the Software on Linux

The following steps describe how to start the LabOne software in order to access and use your
instrument in the User Interface.
1. Check whether the HF2 Data Server is already running using the "ziService" program:

$ ziService status

If udev support was installed, the HF2 Data Server program "ziServer" should already be
running. If not, start the Data Server manually at a command prompt:

$ ziServer

If udev support was installed, then the HF2 Data Server program is automatically started
upon plugging in the HF2’s USB cable and powering the instrument.
You should be able to access your instrument. In case of problems please consult the
Troubleshooting at the end of this chapter. 2. Start the Web Server program at a command
prompt:

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

$ ziWebServer

2. Start an up-to-date web browser and enter the 127.0.0.1:8006 in the browser’s address bar
to access the Web Server program and start the LabOne User Interface. The LabOne Web
Server installed on the PC listens by default on port number 8006 instead of 80 to minimize
the probability of conflicts.
3. You can now start the LabOne User Interface as described in LabOne Software Start-up and
choose an instrument to connect to via the Device Connection dialog shown in Device
Connection dialog.

Danger
Do not use two Data Server instances running in parallel; only one instance may run at a time.

If your command log window is flooded with messages after starting the HF2LI Data Server stop the
program; it is likely that another instance of the Data Server is already running. Verify whether a Data
Server is already running as described above using the ziService program.

2.4.12. Uninstalling LabOne on Linux

The LabOne software package copies an uninstall script to the base installation path (the default
installation directory is /opt/zi/). To uninstall the LabOne package please perform the following
steps in a command line shell:
1. Navigate to the path where LabOne is installed, for example, if LabOne is installed in the
default installation path:

$ cd /opt/zi/

2. Run the uninstall script with administrator rights and proceed through the guided steps:

$ sudo bash uninstall_LabOne<arch>-<release>-<revision>.sh

2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

The Zurich Instruments HF2LI Instrument is operated using the LabOne software. After installation
of LabOne, the instrument is ready to be connected to a PC by the USB cable. The LabOne software
is controlled via a web browser once suitable physical and logical connections to the instrument
have been made.

Note
The following web browsers are supported (latest versions)

2.5.1. LabOne Software Architecture

The Zurich Instruments LabOne software gives quick and easy access to the instrument from a host
PC. LabOne also supports advanced configurations with simultaneous access by multiple software
clients (i.e., LabOne User Interface clients and/or API clients), and even simultaneous access by
several users working on different computers. Here we give a brief overview of the architecture of
the LabOne software. This will help to better understand the following chapters.

The software of Zurich Instruments equipment is server-based. The servers and other software
components are organized in layers as shown in Figure 2.10.
 The lowest layer running on the PC is the LabOne Data Server, which is the interface to the
connected instrument.
 The middle layer contains the LabOne Web Server, which is the server for the browser-based
LabOne User Interface.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

 The graphical user interface, together with the programming user interfaces, are contained in the
top layer.
The architecture with one central Data Server allows multiple clients to access a device with
synchronized settings. The following sections explain the different layers and their functionality in
more detail.

Figure 2.10: LabOne Software architecture

2.5.2. LabOne Data Server

The LabOne Data Server program is a dedicated server that is in charge of all communication to and
from the device. The Data Server can control a single or also multiple instruments. It will distribute
the measurement data from the instrument to all the clients that subscribe to it. It also ensures that
settings changed by one client are communicated to other clients. The device settings are therefore
synchronized on all clients. The HF2 Data Server is started automatically (on Windows via ziService,
on Linux via udev) whenever a HF2 Instrument is connected to a PC via USB. On a PC, only a single
instance of a LabOne Data Server should be running.

2.5.3. LabOne Web Server

The LabOne Web Server is an application dedicated to serving up the web pages that constitute the
LabOne user interface. The user interface can be opened with any device with a web browser. Since
it is touch enabled, it is possible to work with the LabOne User Interface on a mobile device - like a
tablet. The LabOne Web Server supports multiple clients simultaneously. This means that more than
one session can be used to view data and to manipulate the instrument. A session could be running
in a browser on the PC on which the LabOne software is installed. It could equally well be running in
a browser on a remote machine.

With a LabOne Web Server running and accessing an instrument, a new session can be opened by
typing in a network address and port number in a browser address bar. In case the Web Server runs
on the same computer, the address is the localhost address (both are equivalent):

 127.0.0.1:8006
 localhost:8006

In case the Web Server runs on a remote computer, the address is the IP address or network name
of the remote computer:

 192.168.x.y:8006
 myPC.company.com:8006

The most recent versions of the most popular browsers are supported: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
and Opera.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

2.5.4. LabOne API Layer

The instrument can also be controlled via the application program interfaces (APIs) provided by
Zurich Instruments. APIs are provided in the form of DLLs for the following programming
environments:
 MATLAB
 Python
 LabVIEW
 .NET
 C
The instrument can therefore be controlled by an external program, and the resulting data can be
processed there. The device can be concurrently accessed via one or more of the APIs and via the
user interface. This enables easy integration into larger laboratory setups. See the LabOne
Programming Manual for further information. Using the APIs, the user has access to the same
functionality that is available in the LabOne User Interface.

2.5.5. LabOne Software Start-up

This section describes the start-up of the LabOne User Interface which is used to control the HF2
Series Instrument. If the LabOne software is not yet installed on the PC please follow the
instructions in Software Installation. If the device is not yet connected please find more information
in Visibility and Connection.

The LabOne User Interface start-up link can be found under the Windows 10/11 Start Menu. As
shown in Figure 2.11, click on Start Menu → Zurich Instruments LabOne. This will open the User
Interface in a new tab in your default web browser and start the LabOne Data Server and LabOne
Web Server programs in the background. A detailed description of the software architecture is found
in LabOne Software Architecture.

Figure 2.11: Link to the LabOne User Interface in the Windows 11 Start Menu
LabOne is an HTML5 browser-based program. This simply means that the user interface runs in a
web browser and that a connection using a mobile device is also possible; simply specify the IP
address (and port 8006) of the PC running the user interface.

Note
By creating a shortcut to Google Chrome on your desktop with the Target path\to\chrome.exe -
app=http://127.0.0.1:8006 set in Properties you can run the LabOne User Interface in Chrome in
application mode, which improves the user experience by removing the unnecessary browser
controls.

After starting LabOne, the Device Connection dialog Figure 2.12 is shown to select the device for the
session. The term "session" is used for an active connection between the user interface and the
device. Such a session is defined by device settings and user interface settings. Several sessions
can be started in parallel. The sessions run on a shared LabOne Web Server. A detailed description
of the software architecture can be found in the LabOne Software Architecture.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

Figure 2.12: Device Connection dialog

The Device Connection dialog opens in the Basic view by default. In this view, all devices that are
available for connection are represented by an icon with serial number and status information. If
required, a button appears on the icon to perform a firmware upgrade. Otherwise, the device can be
connected by a double click on the icon, or a click on the button at the bottom right of the
dialog.

In some cases it’s useful to switch to the Advanced view of the Device Connection dialog by clicking
on the "Advanced" button. The Advanced view offers the possibility to select custom device and UI
settings for the new session and gives further connectivity options that are particularly useful for
multi-instrument setups.

Figure 2.13: Device Connection dialog (Advanced view)

The Advanced view consists of three parts:
 Data Server Connectivity
 Available Devices
 Saved Settings
The Available Devices table has a display filter, usually set to Default Data Server, that is accessible
by a drop-down menu in the header row of the table. When changing this to Local Data Servers, the
Available Devices table will show only connections via the Data Server on the host PC and will
contain all instruments directly connected to the host PC via USB or to the local network via 1GbE.
When using the All Data Servers filter, connections via Data Servers running on other PCs in the
network also become accessible. Once your instrument appears in the Available Devices table,
perform the following steps to start a new session:
1. Select an instrument in the Available Devices table.
2. Select a setting file in the Saved Settings list unless you would like to use the Default
Settings.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

3. Start the session by clicking on

Note
By default, opening a new session will only load the UI settings (such as plot ranges), but not the
device settings (such as signal amplitude) from the saved settings file. In order to include the device
settings, enable the Include Device Settings checkbox. Note that this can affect existing sessions
since the device settings are shared between them.

Note
In case devices from other Zurich Instruments series (UHF, HF2, MF, HDAWG, PQSC, GHF, or SHF) are
used in parallel, the list in Available Devices section can contain those as well.

The following sections describe the functionality of the Device Connection dialog in detail.

2.5.6. Data Server Connectivity

The Device Connection dialog represents a Web Server. However, on start-up the Web Server is not
yet connected to a LabOne Data Server. With the Connect/Disconnect button the connection to a
Data Server can be opened and closed.

This functionality can usually be ignored when working with a single HF2 Instrument and a single
host computer. Data Server Connectivity is important for users operating their instruments from a
remote PC, i.e., from a PC different to the PC on which the Data Server is running or for users working
with multiple instruments. The Data Server Connectivity function then gives the freedom to connect
the Web Server to one of several accessible Data Servers. This includes Data Servers running on
remote computers, and also Data Servers running on an MF Series instrument.
In order to work with a UHF, HF2, HDAWG, PQSC, GHF, or SHF instrument remotely, proceed as
follows. On the computer directly connected to the instrument (Computer 1) open a User Interface
session and change the Connectivity setting in the Config tab to "From Everywhere". On the remote
computer (Computer 2), open the Device Connection dialog by starting up the LabOne User Interface
and then go to the Advanced view by clicking on on the top left of the dialog. Change the
display filter from Default Data Server to All Data Servers by opening the drop-down menu in the
header row of the Available Devices table. This will make the Instrument connected to Computer 1
visible in the list. Select the device and connect to the remote Data Server by clicking on .
Then start the User Interface as described above. In case you use UHF or MF Instruments in parallel
with the HF2, please also refer to the UHF or MF documentation.

Note
When using the filter "All Data Servers", take great care to connect to the right instrument, especially
in larger local networks. Always identify your instrument based on its serial number in the form
DEV0000, which can be found on the instrument back panel.

2.5.7. Available Devices

The Available Devices table gives an overview of the visible devices. The first column of the list holds
the Enable button controlling the connection between the device and a Data Server. For HF2 series
instruments, this button is always greyed out since this connection is always established
automatically. The second column indicates the serial number and the third column shows the
instrument type (HF2, UHF, or MFLI). The fourth column indicates shows the host name of the
LabOne Data Server controlling the device. The next column shows the interface type. For HF2
series instruments the type is always USB. The LabOne Data Server will scan for the available
devices and interfaces once per second. If a device has just been switched on or physically
connected it may take up to 20 s before it becomes visible to the LabOne Data Server. If an interface
is physically connected but not visible please read Device Connectivity. The last column indicates
the status of the device which in the case of HF2 series instruments is always "Connected"
Table 2.5: Device Status Information

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

Connected The device is connected to a LabOne Data Server, either on the same PC
(indicated as local) or on a remote PC (indicated by its IP address). The user
can start a session to work with that device.
Free The device is not in use by any LabOne Data Server and can be connected by
clicking the Open button.
In Use The device is in use by a LabOne Data Server. As a consequence the device
cannot be accessed by the specified interface. To access the device, a
disconnect is needed.
Device FW upgrade The firmware of the device is out of date. Please first upgrade the firmware
required/available as described in Software Update.
Device not yet ready The device is visible and starting up.

2.5.8. Saved Settings

Settings files can contain both UI and device settings. UI settings control the structure of the
LabOne User Interface, e.g. the position and ordering of opened tabs. Device settings specify the
set-up of a device. The device settings persist on the device until the next power cycle or until
overwritten by loading another settings file.

The columns are described in Table 2.6. The table rows can be sorted by clicking on the column
header that should be sorted. The default sorting is by time. Therefore, the most recent settings are
found on top. Sorting by the favorite marker or setting file name may be useful as well.
Table 2.6: Column Descriptions

Allows favorite settings files to be grouped together. By activating the stars adjacent to
a settings file and clicking on the column heading, the chosen files will be grouped
together at the top or bottom of the list accordingly. The favorite marker is saved to the
settings file. When the LabOne user interface is started next time, the row will be
marked as favorite again.
Name The name of the settings file. In the file system, the file name has the extension .md.
Date The date and time the settings file was last written.
Comment Allows a comment to be stored in the settings file. By clicking on the comment field a
text can be typed in which is subsequently stored in the settings file. This comment is
useful to describe the specific conditions of a measurement.
Device The instrument type with which this settings file was saved.
Type

Special Settings Files

Certain file names have the prefix "last_session_". Such files are created automatically by the
LabOne Web Server when a session is terminated either explicitly by the user, or under critical error
conditions, and save the current UI and device settings. The prefix is prepended to the name of the
most recently used settings file. This allows any unsaved changes to be recovered upon starting a
new session.
If a user loads such a last session settings file the "last_session_" prefix will be cut away from the
file name. Otherwise, there is a risk that an auto-save will overwrite a setting which was saved
explicitly by the user.

The settings file with the name "Default Settings" contains the default UI settings. See button
description in Table 2.7.
Table 2.7: Button Descriptions

Open The settings contained in the selected settings file will be loaded. The button
"Include Device Settings" controls whether only UI settings are loaded, or if device
settings are included.
Include Device Controls which part of the selected settings file is loaded upon clicking on Open. If
Settings enabled, both the device and the UI settings are loaded.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

Auto Start Skips the session dialog at start-up if selected device is available. The default UI
settings will be loaded with unchanged device settings.

Note
The user setting files are saved to an application-specific folder in the directory structure. The best
way to manage these files is using the File Manager tab.

Note
The factory default UI settings can be customized by saving a file with the name "default_ui" in the
Config tab once the LabOne session has been started and the desired UI setup has been
established. To use factory defaults again, the "default_ui" file must be removed from the user
setting directory using the File Manager tab.

Note
Double clicking on a device row in the Available Devices table is a quick way of starting the default
LabOne UI. This action is equivalent to selecting the desired device and clicking the Open button.

Double clicking on a row in the Saved Settings table is a quick way of loading the LabOne UI with
those UI settings and, depending on the "Include Device Settings" checkbox, device settings. This
action is equivalent to selecting the desired settings file and clicking the Open button.

2.5.9. Tray Icon

When LabOne is started, a tray icon appears by default in the bottom right corner of the screen, as
shown in the figure below. By right-clicking on the icon, a new web server session can be opened
quickly, or the LabOne Web and Data Servers can be stopped by clicking on Exit. Double-clicking the
icon also opens a new web server session, which is useful when setting up a connection to multiple
instruments, for example.

Figure 2.14: LabOne Tray Icon in Windows 10/11

2.5.10. Messages
The LabOne Web Server will show additional messages in case of a missing component or a failure
condition. These messages display information about the failure condition. The following paragraphs
list these messages and give more information on the user actions needed to resolve the problem.

Lost Connection to the LabOne Web Server

In this case the browser is no longer able to connect to the LabOne Web Server. This can happen if
the Web Server and Data Server run on different PCs and a network connection is interrupted. As
long as the Web Server is running and the session did not yet time out, it is possible to just attach to
the existing session and continue. Thus, within about 15 seconds it is possible with Retry to recover
the old session connection. The Reload button opens the Device Connection dialog shown in Figure
2.12. The figure below shows an example of the Connection Lost dialog.

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 2.5. Connecting to the Instrument

Figure 2.15: Dialog: Connection Lost

Reloading...

If a session error cannot be handled, the LabOne Web Server will restart to show a new Device
Connection dialog as shown in Figure 2.12. During the restart a window is displayed indicating that
the LabOne User Interface will reload. If reloading does not happen the same effect can be triggered
by pressing F5 on the keyboard. The figure below shows an example of this dialog.

Figure 2.16: Dialog: Reloading

No Device Discovered

An empty "Available Devices" table means that no devices were discovered. This can mean that no
LabOne Data Server is running, or that it is running but failed to detect any devices. The device may
be switched off or the interface connection fails. For more information on the interface between
device and PC see Visibility and Connection. The figure below shows an example of this dialog.

Figure 2.17: No Device Discovered

2.5.11. Device Connectivity

The device can be connected to a host computer by Universal Serial Bus (USB).The HF2 Instrument
will then connect to the Data Server on the host PC. If the Data Server is not yet up and running, it is
started up automatically when plugging in the USB connection. An instrument can be connected to
one Data Server only, but a single Data Server and host computer can connect to several
instruments at once.

If the host computer is in a local TCP/IP network, it’s possible to control the device remotely and
even from several computers simultaneously. Also in this remote configuration, there is a single
LabOne Data Server connected to the instrument. This Data Server runs on the computer
connected to the instrument via USB. The Data Server can serve one or more remote clients in the
network. All clients can access the same measurement data. Changes in instrument settings done
by one client will be seen by all other clients.

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 2.6. Software Update

Figure 2.18: Connectivity

Figure 2.18 shows some examples of possible configurations of PC-to-device connectivity.
 Server on PC 1 is connected to device 1 (USB) and device 2 (USB).
 Server on PC 2 is connected to device 3 (USB).
 Server on PC 3 is connected to device 4.
 The devices 1, 2, and 3 are all visible to PC 1 and PC 2 over TCP/IP.

2.6. Software Update

2.6.1. Overview
It is recommended to regularly update the LabOne software on the HF2LI Instrument to the latest
version. In case the Instrument has access to the internet, this is a very simple task and can be done
with a single click in the software itself, as shown in Updating LabOne using Automatic Update
Check. If you use one of the LabOne APIs with a separate installer, don’t forget to update this part of
the software, too.

2.6.2. Updating LabOne using Automatic Update Check

Updating the LabOne software is done be downloading and installing the latest LabOne software
from the Zurich Instruments downloads page, as shown in Software Installation. In case
"Periodically check for updates" has been enabled during the LabOne installation and LabOne has
access to the internet, a notification will appear on the Device Connection dialog whenever a new
version of the software is available for download. This setting can later be changed in the Config tab
of the LabOne user interface. In case automatic update check is disabled, the user can manually
check for updates at any time by clicking on the button in the Device Connection
dialog. In case an update is found, clicking on the button "Update Available" shown in Figure 2.19 will
start a download the latest LabOne installer for Windows or Linux, see Figure 2.20. After download,
proceed as explained in Software Installation to update LabOne.

Figure 2.19: Device Connection dialog: LabOne update available

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 2.7. Troubleshooting

Figure 2.20: Download LabOne MSI using Automatic Update Check feature

2.7. Troubleshooting
This section aims to help the user solve and avoid problems while using the software and operating
the instrument.

2.7.1. Common Problems

Your HF2 Series Instrument is an advanced piece of laboratory equipment which has many more
features and capabilities than a traditional lock-in amplifier. In order to benefit from these, the user
needs access to a large number of settings in the LabOne User Interface. The complexity of the
settings might overwhelm a first-time user, and even expert users can get surprised by certain
combinations of settings. To avoid problems, it’s good to use the possibility to save and load settings
in the Config Tab. This allows one to keep an overview by operating the instrument based on known
configurations. This section provides an easy-to-follow checklist to solve the most common
mishaps.
Table 2.8: Common Problems
Problem Check item
The software cannot be installed or uninstalled Please verify you have administrator/root rights.
The software cannot be updated Please use the Modify option in Windows Apps &
Features functionality. In the software installer
select Repair, then uninstall the old software
version, and install the new version.
The Instrument does not turn on Please verify the power supply connection and
inspect the fuse. The fuse holder is integrated in
the power connector on the back panel of the
instrument.
The HF2 Instrument turns on but delivers Please verify the power system setting on the
obviously wrong measurements back panel of the device is set to the power
system of your country (110 V / 60 Hz, 220 V / 50
Hz). Make sure the fuse holder is set to the
correct power supply position. This means that
the wanted power supply label, 230 V or 115 V,
must be positioned beside the edge of the
power socket (e.g. not beside the power switch).
The HF2 Instrument performs poorly in a if no 100 V to 110 V transformer is used, the
country with 100 V supply system (e.g. Japan) internal power supplies might be below
specifications and some circuits might perform
worse than specification. Users in countries with
100 V supply system are warmly recommended
to use an external transformer (delivered with
the instrument).

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 2.7. Troubleshooting

Problem Check item

The HF2 Instrument shows limited data although the host computer requirements are
throughput on USB not particularly demanding, highest
performance in USB throughput will require a
performing desktop. The USB might be limiting
the data throughput, please see Maximum
sample readout rate for more details. Many
concurrent transfers on the USB will limit the
individual transfer. In particular the Scope
should be turned off when not needed by the
application. The status of the USB transfer can
be monitored in the STATUS_TAB.
The Instrument performs poorly in single-ended the signal inputs of the instrument might be set
operation to differential operation. Please ensure that
differential input mode is turned off in the Lock-
in Tab or In / Out Tab.
The HF2 Instrument has a high input noise floor the USB cable connects the Instrument ground
to computer ground, which might inject some
unwanted noise to the measurements results. In
order to decouple the computer from the
Instrument consider using an electrically
isolating USB range extender supporting 480
Mbit/s data transfer rate. Zurich Instruments
recommends the models USB 2.0 Ranger 2201
(Icron technologies) and U-Link USB 2.0
extender (Sewell). The power supply delivered
with the range extender may need to be
exchanged with a more stable power supply for
optimum noise performance.
The Instrument performs poorly at low the signal inputs of the instrument might be set
frequencies to AC operation. Please verify to turn off the AC
switch in the Lock-in Tab or In / Out Tab.
The Instrument performs poorly during the demodulator filters might be set too wide
operation (too much noise) or too narrow (slow response)
for your application. Please verify if the
demodulator filter settings match your
frequency versus noise plan.
The Instrument performs strangely when it is easily possible to turn on more signal
working with the HF2-MF Multi-frequency generators than intended. Check the generated
Option Signal Output with the integrated oscilloscope
and check the number of simultaneously
activated oscillator voltages.
The Instrument performs close to specification, After 2 years since the last calibration, a few
but higher performance is expected analog parameters are subject to drift. This may
cause inaccurate measurements. Zurich
Instruments recommends re-calibration of the
Instrument every 2 years.
The Instrument measurements are Please check the Status Tab to see if there is
unpredictable any active warning (red flag), or if one has
occurred in the past (yellow flag).
The Instrument does not generate any output verify that signal output switch has been
signal activated in the Lock-in Tab or in the In / Out
Tab.
The Instrument locks poorly using the digital I/O make sure that the digital input signal has a high
as reference slew rate and clean level crossings.
The Instrument locks poorly using the auxiliary the input signal amplitude might be too small.
analog inputs as reference Use proper gain setting of the input channel.

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 2.7. Troubleshooting

Problem Check item

The sample stream from the Instrument to the Check the communication (COM) flags in the
host computer is not continuous status bar. The three flags indicate occasional
sample loss, packet loss, or stall. Sample loss
occurs when a sampling rate is set too high (the
instrument sends more samples than the
interface and the host computer can absorb).
The packet loss indicates an important failure of
the communications to the host computer and
compromises the behavior of the instrument.
Both problems are prevented by reducing the
sample rate settings. The stall flag indicates that
a setting was actively changed by the system to
prevent UI crash.
The Instrument is connected but there is no check the clock fail (CF) flag in the status bar.
communication to the computer This abnormal situation can occur if "Clk 10
MHz" is selected as Clock Source but no clock
signal is fed to the Instrument. If Internal clock
source is selected and the flag is still active,
then the situation might indicate a serious
hardware failure. In this case contact Zurich
Instruments support team at
[email protected].
The LabOne User Interface does not start Verify that the LabOne Data Server
(ziServer.exe) and the LabOne Web Server
(ziWebServer.exe) are running via the Windows
Task Manager. The Data Server should be
started automatically by ziService.exe and
the Web Server should be started upon clicking
"Zurich Instruments LabOne" in the Windows
Start Menu. If both are running, but clicking the
Start Menu does not open a ne User Interface
session in a new tab of your default browser
then try t create a new session manually by
entering 127.0.0.1:8006 i the address bar of
your browser.
The user interface does no start or starts but Verify that the ziServer HF2 Instrumen has been
remains idle started and are running on your host computer.
The user interface is slow an the web browser Make sure that the hardwar acceleration is
process consumes a lot of CPU power enabled for the web browser that is used for
LabOne. Fo the Windows operating system, the
hardware acceleration can be enable in
Control Panel → Display → Screen
Resolution. Go t Advanced Settings and then
Trouble Shoot. In case you use a NVIDI graphics
card, you have to use the NVIDIA control panel.
Go to Manage 3 Settings, then Program Settings
and select the program that you want t
customize.

2.7.2. Location of the Log Files

The most recent log files of the LabOne Web and Data Server programs are most easily accessed by
clicking on in the LabOne Device Connection dialog of the user interface. The Device
Connection dialog opens on software start-up or upon clicking on in the Config tab of
the user interface.

The location of the Web and Data Server log files on disk are given in the sections below.

Windows

The Web and Data Server log files on Windows can be found in the following directories.

 HF2 Data Server (ziServer.exe) started by the service (ziService.exe):

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 2.7. Troubleshooting

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Temp\Zurich
Instruments\LabOne\ziServerLog
 HF2 Data Server started manually:
C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Temp\Zurich Instruments\LabOne\ziServerLog
 LabOne Web Server (ziWebServer.exe):
C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Temp\Zurich Instruments\LabOne\ziWebServerLog

Note
The C:\Users\[USER]\AppData folder is hidden by default under Windows. A quick way of
accessing it is to enter %AppData%\.. in the address bar of the Windows File Explorer.

Figure 2.21: Using the

Linux and macOS

The Web and Data Server log files on Linux or macOS can be found in the following directories.

 HF2 Data Server (ziServer) started manually:

/tmp/ziServerLog_[USER]
 HF2 Data Server if started automatically (Linux only, by the Zurich Instruments udev rule):
/tmp/ziServerLog_root
 LabOne Web Server (ziWebServer):
/tmp/ziWebServerLog_[USER]

2.7.3. Prevent web browsers from sleep mode

It often occurs that an experiment requires a long-time signal acquisition; therefore, the setup
including the measurement instrument and LabOne software are left unattended. By default, many
web browsers go to a sleep mode after a certain idle time which results in the loss of acquired data
when using the web-based user interface of LabOne for measurement. Although it is recommended
to take advantage of LabOne APIs in these situations to automate the measurement process and
avoid using web browsers for data recording, it is still possible to adjust the browser settings to
prevent it from entering the sleep mode. Below, you will find how to modify the settings of your
preferred browser to ensure a long-run data acquisition can be implemented properly.

Edge

1. Open Settings by typing edge://settings in the address bar

2. Select System from the icon bar.
3. Find the Never put these sites to sleep section of the Optimized Performance tab.
4. Add the IP address and the port of LabOne Webserver, e.g., 127.0.0.1:8006 or
192.168.73.98:80 to the list.

Chrome

1. While LabOne is running, open a tab in Chrome and type chrome://discards in the address
bar.
2. In the shown table listing all the open tabs, find LabOne and disable its Auto Discardable
feature.
3. This option avoids discarding and refreshing the LabOne tab as long as it is open. To disable
this feature permanently, you can use an extension from the Chrome Webstore.

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 2.7. Troubleshooting

Firefox

1. Open Advanced Preferences by typing about:config in the address bar.

2. Look for browser.tabs.unloadOnLowMemory in the search bar.
3. Change it to false if it is true.

Opera

1. Open Settings by typing opera://settings in the address bar.

2. Locate the User Interface section in the Advanced view.
3. Disable the Snooze inactive tabs to save memory option and restart Opera.

Safari

1. Open Debug menu.

2. Go to Miscellaneous Flags.
3. Disable Hidden Page Timer Throttling.

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 3. Functional Overview

3. Functional Overview
This chapter helps you to quickly get acquainted with the main features, the panels, and the
operating modes of the HF2 Series. A product selector is provided listing the key features of the
products in order to support the selection and ordering. This section is intended as overview and
therefore has a coarse level of detail without containing detailed descriptions.

3.1. Features

Figure 3.1: HF2 functional diagram

The HF2 Instrument as in Figure 3.1 consists of 4 high-frequency analog blocks, 2 low-frequency
auxiliary blocks, the internal digital processing block (light-blue), and the hardware interfaces
(mostly available on the back panel of the instrument).

The signal to be measured is connected to one of the two high-frequency analog inputs where it is
amplified to a defined range, filtered, and digitized at very high speed. The resulting samples are fed
into the digital signal processing block for demodulation by means of up to 8 dual-phase
demodulators. The demodulators output samples flow into the embedded RISC processor for
further processing or to be sent to the host computer. The samples are also sent to the auxiliary
outputs in order to be available on the front panel of the HF2 Instrument.

The numerical oscillators generate sine and cosine signal pairs that are used for the demodulation
of the input samples and also for the generation of the high-frequency output signals. For this
purpose, the Output Mixers generate a weighted sum of the generator outputs to generate the
multi-frequency signal that can be used a stimulation signal. The 2 high-frequency output stages
provide analog to digital conversion, signal scaling (range), add of an external AC or DC signal, and a
synchronization signal.

3.1.1. Operating Modes

 Internal reference mode
 External reference mode
 Auto reference mode
 Dual-channel operation
 Dual-harmonic mode
 Multi-harmonic mode
 Arbitrary frequency mode

30 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 3.1. Features

3.1.2. High-frequency Analog Inputs

 2 low-noise high-frequency inputs
 Differential & single-ended operation (A, -B, A-B)
 Variable input range
 Variable input impedance
 AC/DC coupling

3.1.3. High-frequency Analog Outputs

 2 low-noise high-frequency outputs
 Large output range
 Variable output range settings
 1 synchronization signal for each output
 1 adder signal for each output

3.1.4. Auxiliary Analog Input/Outputs

 4 auxiliary high-speed outputs
 2 auxiliary high-speed inputs
 User defined signal on auxiliary output

3.1.5. Demodulators & Reference

 Up to 8 dual-phase demodulators
 Up to 8 programmable numerical oscillators
 Programmable demodulators filters
 Very-high resolution internal reference
 64-bit resolution demodulator outputs

3.1.6. Measurement Tools

 Spectroscope
 Numerical
 Oscilloscope
 Frequency response analyzer
 FFT spectrum analyzer

3.1.7. User-programmable Embedded Processor (Option)

 Microblaze 32-bit RISC
 64 MHz operation allows implementation of real-time control loops
 32-bit floating-point unit
 64 kB internal memory (maximum program size)
 64 MB external memory DDR2

3.1.8. Other Interfaces

 USB 2.0 high-speed 480 Mbit/s host interface
 DIO: 32-bit digital input-output port
 ZSync: 2 ports for inter-instrument synchronization bus (ZI proprietary)
 ZCtrl: 2 ports for control/power bus for external pre-amplifiers (ZI proprietary)
 Clock input connector (10 MHz)

3.1.9. Software Features

 The LabOne User Interface, a powerful browser-based graphical interface
 ziServer multi-mode multi-connection server
 ziAPI for extended programmability in C, LabVIEW, MATLAB, and Python - programming examples
included
 Console: text interface to connect virtually any programming language

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 3.2. Front Panel Tour

3.2. Front Panel Tour

The front panel BNC connectors and control LEDs are arranged in 5 sections as shown in Figure 3.2
and Figure 3.3 and listed in Table 3.1. The HF2LI and HF2IS have the same connectors and connector
functionality on their front and back panel.

Figure 3.2: HF2LI front panel

Figure 3.3: HF2IS front panel

Table 3.1: HF2 Series front panel description
Position Label / Description
Name
A Signal Input 1 single-ended input
+ In
B Signal Input 1 negative input (when not used, has to be internally shorted to ground
- In Diff with switch on graphical user interface)
C Signal Input 1 this LED indicates that the input signal saturates the A/D converter
Over
D Signal Input 2 single ended input / reference input for external reference mode
/ Ref + In
E Signal Input 2 negative input (when not used, has to be internally shorted to ground
/ Ref - In Diff with switch on graphical user interface)
F Signal Input 2 this LED indicates that the input signal saturates the A/D converter
Over
G Signal Output the signal applied to the connector is added (analog add) to the output
1 Add signal
H Signal Output high-frequency output
1 Out
I Signal Output the output signal before the output gain stage for use as
1 Sync synchronization or monitoring signal; the amplitude voltage calculates
as ratio of the corresponding output amplitude and its range setting
J Signal Output this LED indicates that the signal output is turned on
1 On
K Signal Output the signal applied to the connector is added (analog add) to the output
2 Add signal
L Signal Output high-frequency output
2 Out
M Signal Output the output signal before the output gain stage for use as
2 Sync synchronization or monitoring signal; the amplitude voltage calculates
as ratio of the corresponding output amplitude and its range setting
N Signal Output this LED indicates that the signal output is turned on
2 On

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 3.3. Back Panel Tour

Position Label / Description

Name
O Y/θ 1 / Aux 2 this connector provides either the quadrature signal of the
demodulator (Y1), the phase (θ1), or an auxiliary output signal Aux 2
P X/R 1 / Aux 1 this connector provides either the in-phase signal of the demodulator
(X1), the magnitude (R1), or an auxiliary output signal Aux 1
Q Y/θ 2 / Aux 4 this connector provides either the quadrature signal of the
demodulator (Y2), the phase (θ2), or an auxiliary output signal Aux 4
R X/R 2 / Aux 3 this connector provides either the in-phase signal of the demodulator
(X2), the magnitude (R2), or an auxiliary output signal Aux 3
S Power instrument mains power-on LED

3.3. Back Panel Tour

The back panel is the main interface for power, control, service and connectivity to other ZI
instruments. Please refer to Figure 3.4 and Table 3.2 for the detailed description of the items.

Figure 3.4: HF2 Series back panel

Table 3.2: HF2 Series back panel description
Position Label / Description
Name
A - ventilator (important: keep clear from obstruction)
B Earth 4 mm banana jack connector for earth ground purpose, electrically
ground connected to the chassis and the earth pin of the power inlet
C Power inlet power inlet with On/Off switch
D Power select between 115 V and 230 V power system
system
E ZCtrl 1 peripheral pre-amplifier power & control bus 1 - attention: this is not an
Ethernet plug, connection to an Ethernet network might damage the
instrument
F ZCtrl 2 peripheral pre-amplifier power & control bus 2 - attention: this is not an
Ethernet plug, connection to an Ethernet network might damage the
instrument
G Aux In 1 auxiliary high-sampling rate input 1
H Aux In 2 auxiliary high-sampling rate input 2
I DIO 0 digital input/output 0
J DIO 1 digital input/output 1
K DIO digital input/output 0-31
L Clock In clock input (10 MHz)
M ZSync In inter-instrument synchronization bus input - attention: this is not an
Ethernet plug, connection to an Ethernet network might damage the
instrument
N ZSync Out inter-instrument synchronization bus output - attention: this is not an
Ethernet plug, connection to an Ethernet network might damage the
instrument
O USB host computer connection

33 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 3.4. Ordering Guide

3.4. Ordering Guide

The HF2 Series is a product line comprising an impedance spectroscope and a digital lock-in
amplifier covering advanced requirements for laboratory equipment. The HF2 Series provides best-
in-class performance, wide operation range, intuitive handling and excellent accuracy. The HF2IS
Impedance Spectroscope is controlled with the ziControl user interface which is described in the
ziControl Edition of the HF2 User Manual.
Table 3.3 provides an overview of the available products in the HF2 Series. Upgradeable features are
options that can be purchased anytime without need to send the instrument to Zurich Instruments -
the upgradeable features consist of a firmware upgrade.
Table 3.3: HF2 Series product codes for ordering
Product Product name Description Upgrade in the
code field possible
HF2LI HF2LI Lock-in Amplifier base lock-in amplifier -
HF2LI-MF HF2LI-MF Multi- option yes
frequency
HF2LI-PLL HF2LI-PLL Dual Phase- option yes
locked Loop
HF2LI-PID HF2LI-PID Quad PID option yes
Controller
HF2LI-MOD HF2LI-MOD AM/FM option yes
Modulation
- - - -
HF2PLL HF2PLL Phase-locked bundle of the HF2LI plus the HF2LI- -
Loop PLL and the HF2LI-PID options
- - - -
HF2IS HF2IS Impedance base impedance spectroscope -
Spectroscope
HF2IS-MF HF2IS-MF Multi- option yes
frequency
- - - -
HF2TA HF2TA Current low-noise transimpedance amplifier yes
Amplifier

Table 3.4: Product selector

Feature HF2LI HF2LI + HF2LI- HF2IS HF2IS +
MF HF2IS-MF
Internal reference mode yes yes yes yes
External reference mode yes yes - -
Auto reference mode yes yes - -
Dual-channel operation yes yes yes yes
(2 independent
measurement units)
Sinusoidal generators 2 2 2 2
Superposed output 1 up to 6 up to 4 up to 8
sinusoidals per generator
Dual-harmonic mode yes yes - -
Multi-harmonic mode - yes - -
Arbitrary frequency mode - yes yes yes
Number of demodulators 6 6 4 8

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 3.5. Operating Modes

Feature HF2LI HF2LI + HF2LI- HF2IS HF2IS +

MF HF2IS-MF
Simultaneous freq. 2/4 6/- 4/- 8/-
supported
(fundamentals/
harmonics)
Signal input select switch - yes yes yes
matrix
Oscillator select switch - yes - -
matrix
50 MHz, 210 MS/s, 0.8 μs yes yes yes yes
TC
DSP technology 128 bit 128 bit 128 bit 128 bit
Dynamic reserve 120 dB 120 dB - -
Lock-in range 50 MHz 50 MHz - -
USB 2.0 480 Mbit/s yes yes yes yes
Instrument software LabOne User LabOne User ziControl, ziControl,
Interface, ziAPI, Interface, ziAPI, ziAPI, ziServer ziAPI, ziServer
ziServer software ziServer software software software
Frequency response yes yes yes yes
analyzer
Oscilloscope yes yes yes yes

3.5. Operating Modes

3.5.1. Internal Reference Mode
The internal reference mode takes advantage of the internal HF generators inside the HF2
Instrument. There are 6 frequency generators in the HF2LI and up to 8 frequency generators in the
HF2IS. The output of these generators are added numerically inside the instrument avoiding
complicated external analog signal adders and the resulting signal is fed to the device under test.
The internal reference mode is the preferred mode as the signal recovery works at its best as the
generated frequency is known inside of the instrument. The signal acquisition works immediately
and there is no delay lock-time.

The internal reference mode is supported with single-channel and dual-channel operation. This is
possible as the HF2 Instrument includes 2 independent measurement units that are working
autonomously. Each of the measurement units provides analysis for one fundamental and 2
harmonic frequencies in parallel (sometimes called dual-harmonic mode). In total, the HF2LI can
measure 2 fundamental and 4 harmonic frequencies, while the HF2IS can measure 4 frequencies.
The number of frequencies increases with the multi-frequency options.

The demodulator samples are available in analog format on the auxiliary outputs of the HF2
Instrument and digitally on the connected computer transferred over the USB interface. The
auxiliary outputs generate an analog signal after a linear digital to analog conversion at high sample
rate. There are 2 pairs of analog signals allowing to output any 2 of the demodulation sample
streams. All demodulator streams are available on the computer and can be further analyzed or
stored in the local drives.

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 3.5. Operating Modes

Figure 3.5: HF2 internal reference mode / single-channel

Figure 3.6: HF2 internal reference mode / dual-channel

3.5.2. External Reference Mode

The external reference mode uses external reference sources to recover the signal of interest inside
the HF2 Instrument. In this mode, the internal frequency generators are not used to stimulate the
DUT. As the signal reference is an arbitrary periodic signal, a certain amount of time is required for
the HF2LI to lock on the reference and to be able to recover the signal of interest reliably. This lock
time depends on several parameters, but most important on the level and phase noise of the
reference.

The external reference mode is supported with single-channel and dual-channel operation. This is
possible as the HF2 Instruments includes 2 independent measurement units that are working
autonomously. In single-channel mode, the reference can be fed into the Input 2/Ref connector on
the front panel. This alternative provides an unmatched capability to use references with small
amplitudes as they can be amplified by the signal path of Input 2. In dual-channel operation, the
external TTL references are fed into the HF2 by means of the DIO0 and DIO1 connectors on the back
panel.

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 3.5. Operating Modes

Figure 3.7: HF2 external reference mode / single-channel

Figure 3.8: HF2 external reference mode / dual-channel

3.5.3. Auto Reference Mode

The auto reference mode makes use of the internal PLLs to recover the reference frequency directly
from the signal coming from the DUT. In this mode, the internal frequency generators are not used to
stimulate the DUT. As the reference is inherently contained in the sampled signal, a dedicated PLL is
able to lock on the frequency and to recover the reference and the signal of interest. This process is
suited for signals with enough amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio. Further the reference recovery
requires a certain amount of time that depends on several parameters like the level and the phase
noise of the measured signal.

The auto reference mode is supported with single-channel and dual-channel operation. This is
possible as the HF2 Instrument includes 2 independent measurement units that are working
autonomously. In dual-channel mode it is sufficient to connect the signals captures at the DUTs to
the Input 1 and Input 2 connectors of the HF2 Instrument. The HF2 Series support both single-ended
and differential input signals ideal for fixed and floating ground applications.

37 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 3.5. Operating Modes

Figure 3.9: HF2 auto reference mode / dual-channel

3.5.4. Multi-frequency Operation

The multi-frequency operation is the powerful extension provided by the HF2 Series increasing the
number of frequencies that can be analyzed in parallel. Moreover, the multi-frequency considerably
expands the multiplexing options the user has with respect of input channels and demodulator
clocks. Please note that the HF2IS-MF is different than the HF2LI-MF (see Table 3.4) as different
features and different number of demodulators are activated.

For the HF2LI the multi-harmonic mode and the arbitrary frequency mode are distinguished. In
multi-harmonic mode it is possible to analyze a signal at the fundamental frequency and at 5
harmonics at the same time, and the arbitrary frequency mode is the extension to analyze a signal
of interest at 6 completely independent frequencies.

For the HF2IS only the arbitrary frequency mode is relevant.

Figure 3.10: HF2 multi-harmonic mode

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 3.5. Operating Modes

Figure 3.11: HF2 arbitrary frequency mode

39 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 4. Tutorials

4. Tutorials
The tutorials in this chapter aim to help users perform their initial measurements with HF2 lock-in
amplifiers using the LabOne User Interface. The tutorials require some basic laboratory equipment
and equipment handling knowledge. For the tutorials, you’ll need the following material:
 1 USB 2.0 cable (supplied with your HF2 Instrument)
 3 BNC cables (2 optional)
 1 male shorting cap (optional)
 1 oscilloscope (optional)
 1 T-piece (optional)

Note
For all tutorials, you must have the LabOne software package installed as described in the Getting
Started Chapter. Start up the user interface as described in Connecting to the Instrument.

4.1. HF2LI First Time User

This tutorial covers basic operation of the HF2LI lock-in amplifier with the LabOne User Interface.

The LabOne User Interface is provided as the primary interface to the HF2LI but it is not the only
program that can run the instrument. Typically, the user will use LabOne UI to set up the instrument
and then either use LabOne UI to take the measurements or run (possibly concurrently) some
custom programs.

Note
This tutorial aims to give a walk-through of the main features of the LabOne User Interface. Please
also see User Interface Overview for an overview of the UI’s layout and Functional Description
LabOne User Interface in general for a thorough description of all the available settings available in
LabOne UI for your instrument.

4.1.1. The Lock-in Tab

Figure 4.1: The Lock-in tab

Figure 4.2: The Lock-in MF tab

Open the Lock-in tab by clicking on the Lock-in icon on the left side of the user interface. If you find
the Lock-in MF tab, it means that the instrument has the HF2-MF option installed. Lock-in Tab
provides the full documentation of the Lock-in tab while Lock-in Tab (HF2-MF option) describes the
Lock-in MF tab.

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 4.1. HF2LI First Time User

The Signal Inputs section contains a Range that can be set to a value between 1 mV and 1.6 V, the
largest amplification of the input signal is achieved for 1 mV. The input has protection diodes that
clip signals with amplitude above 5 V.

Warning
Please respect the compliance to the maximum ratings Maximum ratings to prevent damage to the
instrument.

The AC button sets the coupling type: AC coupling has a cutoff frequency of 1 kHz. The AC coupling
consists of a blocking capacitor between two input amplifier stages: this means that a DC signal
larger than 5 V will saturate the front amplifier even if AC coupling is enabled. The Diff Differential
mode button sets single-ended/differential measurement mode: in the differential mode, the
voltage difference between the +In and -In is amplified whereas in single-ended mode, the voltage
at the +In connector is amplified. The 50 Ω button toggles the input impedance

between low (50 Ω) and high (approx 1 MΩ) input impedance. 50 Ω input impedance should be
selected for signal frequencies above 10 MHz to avoid artifacts generated by multiple signal
reflections within the cable. With 50 Ω input impedance, one will expect a reduction of a factor of 2 in
the measured signal if the signal source also has an output impedance of 50 Ω.

Next, one finds the Oscillators section used to control the frequency for the demodulation with an
internal reference. For the purpose of this tutorial, set the frequency of oscillator 1 to 1 MHz.

Under the section Demodulators the user can select which harmonics and filter bandwidths to use
for demodulation. It is not uncommon to need to measure different harmonics (integer multiples of
the fundamental frequency, in this case 1 MHz). Select the harmonic (Harm) to 1 for the first
demodulator (the first line), set the filter order to 4 (this corresponds to a filter steepness of 24 dB/
oct or 80 dB/dec, an attenuation of 104 for a tenfold frequency increase) and type 10 Hz into the BW
control (the digital filters of the HF2 are described in Discrete-Time Filters). Users are sometimes
interested in the second harmonic that may be generated by nonlinear processes in their device
under test: select harmonic 2 for the second demodulator and type the same values for the filter
order and BW as in the previous case. You can also measure the same fundamental harmonic with a
larger bandwidth: set harmonic to 1, order to 24 dB/oct and BW to 1 kHz for the third demodulator.
Measuring with different bandwidths can provide the signal average and transient values. Click on
the enable button next to the filters to read out the values from the 3 demodulators.

Next, set the Trigger to Continuous and the Rate to 7.20 kSa/s (rate settings can only be sub-
multiples of 460 kSa/s, the maximum readout rate for one demodulator): in this case, the HF2LI will
send the demodulated signal sampled at this rate through the USB. Due to the finite bandwidth of
the USB connection the maximum cumulative demodulator sample rate is 700 kSa/s, which can be
split over the active demodulators, see Maximum sample readout rate. In this example we’re using 3
active demodulators, therefore, since the sample rates are sub-multiples of 460 kSa/s the maximum
possible readout rate for each demodulator is 230 kSa/s. Note that, according to the Nyquist
sampling theorem , the sampling rate should be at least twice as fast as the maximum frequency
present in the signal, in order to reconstruct the demodulated signal (this is not important if you only
need one data point or the standard deviation of the demodulated signal). Since the low-pass filters
do not have an infinite roll-off (the attenuation is not infinite past the filter’s 3 dB frequency), it is
common to set the sampling rate to about 8 times higher than the filter bandwidth.

Next, we configure the HF2 to output a 1 MHz signal on its Signal Output 1/Out connector. In case
you have the HF2-MF Option installed, go to the Signal Outputs section, set the excitation amplitude
Amp (Vpk) to 100 mV and the output range to be the smallest possible but at least twice as large as
than the amplitude for minimum harmonic distortion. Connect Signal Output 1 to Signal Input 1 +In
with a BNC cable and click on the On button in the LabOne Signal Outputs section of Output 1. With
the HF2-MF Option installed, first go the Output Amplitudes section, set the signal amplitude Amp 1
(Vpk) of demodulator 7 to 100 mV and enable the button next to the amplitude field. Connect Signal
Output 1 to Signal Input 1 +In with a BNC cable and click on the On button in the LabOne Signal
Outputs section of Output 1.

4.1.2. The Numeric Tab

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 4.1. HF2LI First Time User

Figure 4.3: The Numeric Tab

In the Numeric tab, you should read 71 mV RMS for the R component of demodulator 1,
(demodulating at 1 MHz). The RMS corresponds to the 100 mV divided by √2. The phase value will
depend on the BNC cable length (for lengths shorter than one meter, the phase is approximately a
few degrees). Demodulator 3 (also at 1 MHz) will show the same amplitude, but the digits fluctuate
more, since the measurement bandwidth and therefore the noise, is larger. Demodulator 2 reads
only a few MUV because at 2 MHz (the second harmonic) there is only a little component of the
signal, coming from the harmonic distortion of the HF2LI output and input stages.

4.1.3. The Plotter Tab

Now open the Plotter tab. Here one can display the demodulated values over time. Select Enabled
Demods R from the Presets and click on Run/Stop to start the acquisition. The demodulated traces
for these three demodulators are displayed, offset to one another: as before, demodulators 1 and 3
have the same average value, but a larger noise amplitude is clearly visible in the third trace. In Plot
Functionality you can find a detailed description of the functions of the plot window. For instance
you can find there ways to change the horizontal and vertical scales, to remove offsets in the plot,
and to use the cursors for exact measurements. The amount of stored data depends on the set
Window Length in the Settings sub-tab.

4.1.4. The Scope Tab

Figure 4.4: The Scope

Let us proceed to the Scope tab. The Scope can be used to display the signal at the signal inputs
and outputs of the HF2LI. It has a 2048 point wave memory that is useful for visualizing the raw
signal. It also replaces the need for an external oscilloscope. Select Signal Input 1 in the Vertical
section of the Control sub-tab, Signal Output 1 as the Signal in the Trigger sub-tab and press the
Run/Stop button. The 1 MHz input signal is visible as 10 full cycles if the Sampling Rate is set to 210
MS, 10 μs in the Control sub-tab. Decreasing the sampling rate to display a longer time interval
should be done carefully because it may lead to aliasing: for instance setting the sampling rate to 26
kSa/s, 80 ms, will produce a correctly looking sinusoidal, but at the wrong frequency. The BW Limit
button in the Advanced sub-tab may reduce aliasing effects without removing them completely.
The update rate of the oscilloscope frames is controlled by the Holdoff time in the Trigger sub-tab:
the minimum interval between two traces is 10 ms. This is a low value which increases the load of

42 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 4.1. HF2LI First Time User

the USB bandwidth and may lead to USB sample loss - therefore avoid using small hold off values if
not needed.

You can go from the time domain display to a frequency domain display by selecting the Freq
Domain FFT Mode in the Control sub-tab. The frequency resolution is coarse because the time trace
contains 2048 points. Averaging of the Fourier power spectra can be enabled to increase the SNR
ratio.

4.1.5. The Sweeper Tool

Next is the Sweeper tool: it turns the HF2LI into a frequency response analyzer, giving the transfer
function of a device under test in the form of a Bode plot. In AFM applications this is useful to easily
identify the resonance frequency of a cantilever as well as the phase delay. The sweeper tool can
also be used to sweep parameters other than frequency: phase, time constant, amplitude and
auxiliary output voltage.
As a frequency sweeper example, we will execute a logarithmic sweep of 100 points between 1 kHz
and 1 MHz. In the Horizontal section, set the sweep range Start to 1 kHz and Stop to 1 MHz, 100
points and enable the Log Sweep. Click on Run/Stop for continuous sweeping or on Single for a
single sweep. Toggle the AC input coupling in the Lock-in settings, and observe the attenuation in
the response at 1 kHz in AC coupling, since the AC coupling has a cutoff frequency of approximately 1
kHz. In the History sub-tab, the measurement that is displayed can be saved to a data file in ASCII
format. There it is also possible to declare one out of several measured traces as a reference by
selecting the trace in the list and clicking on Reference. The selected trace then appears below the
list, and next to it there is the enable button for the reference mode. In reference mode, all traces in
the plot are divided by the reference trace.

During the logarithmic sweep the NEPBW (noise equivalent power bandwidth) is adjusted for each
frequency point and displayed under the Filters BW field under the Lock-in tab. The adjustment is
due to the fact that the sweep is logarithmic and the sweep frequency steps are not equally spaced.
In order to account for all signal power (and power densities), the measurement bandwidth must be
changed accordingly. This can be done automatically by going from Application Mode to Advanced
mode in the Settings sub-tab, and there selecting Auto as the Bandwidth Mode. For an explanation
of the NEPBW, see Signal Bandwidth chapter. Note that in this configuration, if the signal to noise
ratio is large, there will not be any effect when disabling Auto BW, since the noise signal is negligible
when measured with (almost) any NEP bandwidth. Averaging can also help to improve the signal-to-
noise ratio during the sweep.

As an example of noise measurement, disconnect the BNC cable from Signal Output 1 and connect
it to Signal Output 2. In the Lock-in tab, turn off the Signal Output 1, and generate a 100 kHz / 100 mV
excitation Signal Output 2 (remember to turn on the output in the Signal Outputs section). In the
frequency sweeper perform a single sweep with Auto BW enabled. A relatively wide peak will appear
at 100 kHz, as the measurement was performed with wide NEPBW. Switch the X scaling to Manual
and zoom into the region around 100 kHz; click the Copy From Range button to use the new
boundaries for the sweep as selected in the graph and again perform a single sweep. The peak at
100 kHz will appear narrow, reflecting the change in the measurement bandwidth.

43 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 4.2. Simple Loop

4.1.6. The Spectrum Tab

The Spectrum tool (more information (see Zoom FFT)) allows the user to measure the frequency
spectrum around a specific frequency: this is done by performing the Fourier transform of the
demodulated X and Y (or in-phase and quadrature) components of the signal (more precisely of the
quantity X+jY, where j is the imaginary unit). This method is called zoomFFT. The frequency resolution
that can be achieved in this way is given by the sampling rate divided by the number of recorded
samples, and is therefore much higher than the frequency resolution obtained in the Scope tab. The
zoomFFT approach is more efficient than the FFT on raw samples in which one digitizes a long time
trace, performs the Fourier transform and retains only the portion of the frequency spectrum of
interest while discarding the rest.

We continue from the previous section with the BNC connecting Signal Output 2 to Signal Input 1,
and 100 mV, 100 kHz sine wave. In the Lock-in tab, set the oscillator 1 frequency to 101 kHz. Set the
Demodulator 1 parameters to filter order 4, filter bandwidth 500 Hz, and Data transfer rate 7.2 kSa/s.
In the Spectrum tab, enable Filter Compensation and select Demodulator 1 for Signal Input. A peak
appears at 1 kHz to the left of the center frequency. Increasing the number of lines in FFT will result
in a finer frequency resolution. The Filter compensation button compensates for the demodulator
filter, by dividing the measured spectrum by the demodulator filter transfer function. This is why the
input signal does not appear attenuated despite being outside the filter bandwidth (1 kHz and 500
Hz respectively).

4.1.7. The Auxiliary Tab

The Auxiliary tab controls the 4 Auxiliary Outputs on the right side of the HF2LI front panel, as well as
the 2 Auxiliary Inputs on the rear panel. Aux Output 1 is represented by the first line of controls in the
Aux Output section. In order to output the lock-in signal on this connector, select Demod R from the
Signal drop-down menu and set the channel (i.e., the demodulator number) to 1. Set the Scale factor
to 10 V/VRMS: you should read 0.712 V in the output Value (V) field, which corresponds to the
amplitude of the signal as you can read it in the Numeric tab multiplied by the scale factor. If one is
interested in small variations of the signal amplitude, an offset can be applied to the output: type –
0.712 in Offset (V) or click on the button next to the Offset field: Value (V) should now read 0.

4.2. Simple Loop

4.2.1. Preparation
In this tutorial you generate a signal with the HF2 Instrument and measure that generated signal
with the same Instrument. This is done by connecting Signal Output 1/Out with Signal Input 1/+In
with a BNC cable. This tutorial shows a single-ended operation, meaning that there is no signal going
into the Signal Input 1/-In connector. For proper operation, the Channel 1 must be set to single-
ended operation, or alternatively the Input 1 - connector must be shorted to ground using a male
shorting cap. Optionally it is possible to connect the generated signal at Output 1 to an oscilloscope
by using a T-piece and an additional BNC cable.

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 4.2. Simple Loop

Figure 4.5: Tutorial

Note
This tutorial is both for HF2LI Lock-in Amplifier and HF2IS Impedance Spectroscope users.

Connect the cables as described above. Make sure the HF2 unit is powered on, and then connect
the HF2 to your computer with a USB 2.0 cable. Finally launch LabOne (Start Menu/Programs/Zurich
Instruments/LabOne User Interface HF2).

4.2.2. Generate the Test Signal

Apply the following settings in order to generate a 2.5 MHz signal of 0.5 V amplitude on Signal
Output 1/Out.
 Open the Lock-in tab and set frequency of Oscillator 1 to 2.5 MHz: click on the field, enter "2.5 M"
or "2.5E6" and press <TAB> on your keyboard to confirm the data
 In the Output 1 section, set the Range drop-down of 1 V
 Without HF2-MF option: In the Output 1 section, set the amplitude to 0.5 V by entering 0.5
followed by a <TAB>
 With HF2-MF option: In the Output Amplitudes section, set Amp 1 (Vpk) of demodulator 7 to 0.5 V
by entering 0.5 followed by a <TAB>.
 By default all physical outputs of the HF2 are inactive to prevent damage to connected circuits.
Now turn on the main output switch by clicking on the button labeled "On".
 If you have an oscilloscope connected to the setup, you are able to see your generated signal
Table 4.1: Settings: generate the test signal

Output 1 range 1V
Oscillator 1 Frequency 2.5 MHz
Demodulator 7 Amp 1 0.5 V
Output 1 ON

4.2.3. Acquire the Test Signal

Next, you adjust the input parameters in order to acquire signals with the appropriate input range. To
do this, you switch the signal source and the trigger of the Scope to Signal Input 1. Then you adjust
the Signal Input 1 range to 1 V.
Table 4.2: Settings: acquire the test signal

Scope Signal Input Signal Input 1

Scope Trigger Signal Signal Input 1
Scope Sampling Rate 210 MS, 10 us
Run / Stop RUN
Signal Input 1 range 1V
Signal Input 1 AC / 50 / Diff ON / OFF / OFF

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 4.2. Simple Loop

Figure 4.6: LabOne UI displaying the acquired signal

The Scope displays the measured signal at Input 1. Having set the input range to 1 V ensures that no
signal clipping occurs. If you try and set the input range to 0.3 V you see the effect in the Scope
window. Note how the red "Over" LEDs on the front panel of the HF2 indicates the error condition
and the set OV (OVI) status flag on the right-bottom corner of the window. Set back the input range
to 1 V and then clear the flag by clicking . The Scope is a very handy tool to quickly check settings
before proceeding to more advanced measurements, please refer to Scope Tab for a full description
of features available in the Scope.

4.2.4. Measure the Test Signal

Next you use the demodulators of the HF2 to measure acquired test signal. You will use the Numeric
and the Plotter tab from the LabOne user interface. First apply the following settings (choose any of
the demodulators 1 to 6).
Table 4.3: Settings: measure the test signal

Filter BW 3 dB 7 Hz (approximated to 6.8 Hz)

Filter order 2
Data transfer rate 100 Hz (approximated to 112 Hz)
Data transfer enable (En) ON

These settings set the demodulation filter to second-order low-pass operation with a 7 Hz
bandwidth. The corresponding time constant can be obtained easily by clicking on the label on top
of the bandwidth setting column according to Equation 3 provided in Signal Processing Basics. The
output of the demodulator filter is read out with 100 Hz, implying that 100 data samples are sent to
the host PC per second. These samples are viewed in the Numeric and Plotter tab that we examine
next.

The Numeric tool provides the space for 6 measurement panels corresponding to the 6
demodulators. Each of the panels has the option to display the samples in Cartesian (X,Y) or polar
format (R,THETA). The unit of the (X,Y,R) values is VRMS.

Figure 4.7: LabOne UI Numeric tab

If you wish to play around with the settings, you could now change the amplitude of the generated
signal, and observe the effect on the demodulator output.

Next, we’ll have a look at the tab. This tab provides a time plot of the demodulator outputs. It is
possible to plot up to 6 signals continuously as (X,Y) or (R,THETA) pairs, to set different scales, or to
make detailed measurements with 2 cursors. For a detailed description of the functionality available
in the Plotter please see Plotter Tab and Plot Functionality.

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 4.3. Dynamic Signals

Figure 4.8: LabOne Plotter view with plot of demodulator 1 output (TC = 10 ms)

4.2.5. Different Filter Settings

As last step of this tutorial you change the filter settings and see the effect on the measurement
results. For instance you change the time constant of the integration to 2 seconds.
Table 4.4: Settings: changing the filter settings

Time constant (TC) 2s

Filter slope 12 dB/Oct
Resulting measurement bandwidth (BW) \~51 mHz

Increasing the time constant increases the integration time of the demodulators smoothing out the
demodulator outputs. This averages the noise over time and the output of the filters is more stable.
This manifests itself in a smoother curve of the demodulator data but also in a larger number of
stable digits in the Numeric tab.

Figure 4.9: LabOne Plotter displaying the data of two demodulators with different time
constants

4.3. Dynamic Signals

4.3.1. Preparation
In this tutorial we generate a test signal of 2.5 MHz with an amplitude modulated at a frequency of 1
Hz. Then we measure the test signal using two different filter settings.

Figure 4.10: Tutorial dynamic signals setup

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 4.3. Dynamic Signals

Note
This tutorial can be performed both on the HF2LI Lock-in Amplifier and
on the HF2IS Impedance Spectroscope and will use the Input
connector. The generation of multi-frequency signals is simple on the
HF2LI with the HF2-MF option or on the HF2IS, where there is no need to
make use of the ADD connector.

Connect the cables as described above. Make sure the HF2 unit is powered on, and then connect
the HF2 to your computer with a USB 2.0 cable. Finally launch LabOne (Start Menu/Programs/Zurich
Instruments/LabOne User Interface).

4.3.2. Generate the Test Signal

In this section you generate a 2.5 MHz sinusoidal signal whose amplitude oscillates at 1 Hz. This is
also called the beat signal. In order to obtain this test signal you add two sinusoids of the same
amplitude but with a 1 Hz difference in the frequency.
Table 4.5: Settings: generate the test signal

Output 1 range 1 V / ON
Output 2 range 1 V / ON
Oscillator 1 frequency 2'500'000 Hz
Demodulator 7 Amp 1 0.3 V / ON
Oscillator 2 frequency 2'500'001 Hz
Demodulator 8 Amp 2 0.3 V / ON
Signal Output 1 Add ON

When connecting an oscilloscope to the Output 1 connector, you should be able to observe the
superposition of the 2 sinusoids. To see the acquired signal inside the LabOne User Interface switch
to the Scope tab. The Scope view looks like this with the following settings.
Table 4.6: Settings: acquire the test signal

Scope Signal input Signal Input 1

Scope Trigger signal Signal Input 1
Scope sampling rate 6.4 kSa, 320 ms
Run/Stop Run
Signal Input 1 range 1V
Signal Input 1 AC / 50 / Diff ON / OFF / OFF

Figure 4.11: LabOne UI displaying the acquired signal

The beat signal has a maximum amplitude of 0.6 V, thus it falls within the set range of 1 V. The range
setting will prevent any higher voltage than what is set - even if 2 sinusoidals of 0.7 V amplitude each
would be added like done in this section, the output would be clipping at 1 V which is the set range.

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 4.3. Dynamic Signals

Try to change the output range to 0.1 V, and see how the output voltage is changed to prevent
inconsistent settings.

4.3.3. Measure the Test Signal

First you change to the Plotter tab, set the scale in order to view an interesting set of data, and set
the demodulator filters to a low time constant to measure the amplitude of the 2.5 MHz signal (Hull
curve).
Table 4.7: Settings: filter with a low time constant

Time constant (TC) 10 ms (approximated to 10.2 ms)

Filter order 2
Resulting measurement bandwidth (BW 3dB) \~10 Hz
Data transfer rate 100 Hz (approximated to 112 Hz)
Data transfer enable (En) ON

These settings set the demodulation low-pass filter to a 10 ms time constant (the corresponding
bandwidth is around 10 Hz) and the filter slope to second order. The output of the filter is sampled at
a rate of 100 Hz, and the samples are sent to the host computer.

Figure 4.12: LabOne UI displaying the measured signal

If you stop the acquisition by pressing the button "Run/Stop" you can conveniently measure the
amplitude of the 1 Hz signal by using the 2 cursors C1 and C2: 394.4 mVRMS, half period 498.1 ms. You
can achieve higher measurement precision by using a even lower time constant (e.g. 1 ms),
increasing the readout rate (e.g. 1.8 kHz), and zooming into the Plotter view.

Next you use a high time constant to separate the 2 original sinusoids even though they are
superposed in one signal. In the Lock-in tab apply the following settings.
Table 4.8: Settings: filter with a high time constant

Time constant (TC) 2s

Filter order 2
Resulting measurement bandwidth (BW 3dB) \~35 mHz
Data transfer rate 100 Hz (approximated to 112 Hz)
Data transfer enable (En) ON

These settings set the demodulation low-pass filter to a time constant of 2 s, with a resulting
measurement bandwidth of 35 mHz. With these settings the HF2 is able to distinguish between the
signal component at 2'500'000 Hz and the signal component at 2'500'001 Hz as the measurement
bandwidth is considerably less than the frequency spacing of the 2 signal components. The output
of the demodulator is stable after a settling time.

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 4.3. Dynamic Signals

Figure 4.13: LabOne UI displaying the measured signal

The output of the demodulator does not show any oscillations like before: the numerical value is 214
mVRMS. If you switch to the oscilloscope view, you see that the signal at Input 1 is still beating as
before, while the demodulator filter is set such to ignore the interferer at 2'500'001 Hz. Try to switch
off the interferer.
Table 4.9: Settings: remove the interferer

Signal output 2 ON/OFF OFF

The time it takes to settle depends on various parameters like filter setting and switch-off timing.
The difference in amplitude of the measurement at 2'500'000 Hz with or without interferer is in the
range of 50 μV. With different filter settings it is possible to do better than that.

Consider this: you have 2 signals with relevant amplitude (0.3 V) interfering with each other as their
frequency is very close (1 Hz at 2.5 MHz). The power of lock-in amplification consists of extracting the
relevant signal energy at exactly one frequency. The "immunity" from nearby interferer is the
capability to ignore them. This a simple definition of the dynamic reserve.

4.3.4. Filter Setting Discussion

This section aims to summarize a few basic concepts of filtering in connection with lock-in
amplification. In this tutorial, you have used different filter settings to measure different signal
properties.
Table 4.10: Settings: filter with a high time constant
Time Measurement Measurement Changes Example
constant bandwidth noise upon steady
state
change
Low setting High, capability to More noise in Fast BW = 10 kHz, capability to
detect fast events measurement adaptation of detect events at 2-5 kHz,
result result prone to pick-up noise
High Low, capability to Less noise in Slow BW = 50 mHz, exact
setting determine the measurement adaptation of determination of steady
steady state result result state - events more
frequent than 0.1 Hz are
filtered

Filtering constitutes a trade-off between measurement speed and measurement accuracy. In order
to measure fast events, it is necessary to open up the filters allowing also more noise in the
measurement result. The opposite is to measure with narrow filters which increases the signal-to-
noise ratio, but limits the capability to detect the changes in the signal of interest. This trade-off is in
common with any lock-in amplifier. The power of the HF2 is that it allows to do both at the same time
thanks to the multiple demodulators per input channel.

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 4.4. External Reference

4.4. External Reference

4.4.1. Preparation
In this tutorial we generate a test signal with the HF2 and use it as a reference signal for
demodulation in the same way as we would do it with a reference signal coming from an external
source.

This is done by connecting the Output 2 connector with the Input 2+ connector with a BNC cable.
This tutorial shows a single-ended operation, meaning that there is no signal going into the Input 2-
connector. Optionally, it is possible to connect the generated signal from Output 2 to an oscilloscope
by using a T-piece and an additional BNC cable. The Output 1 connector is to be connected to the
Input 1+ connector. This allows you to check the generated reference signal. The measurement
setup is shown in the following figure.

Figure 4.14: Tutorial external reference setup

Make sure the HF2 unit is powered on, and then connect the HF2 to your computer with a USB 2.0
cable. Finally, launch LabOne (Start Menu/Programs/Zurich Instruments/LabOne User Interface
HF2).

4.4.2. Generate the Reference Signal

In this section you generate a 1.0 MHz signal with a 1 V amplitude on Output 2 for use as the external
reference. The settings for generating the reference signal are shown in the following table.
Table 4.11: Settings: generate the reference signal

Output 2 range 1V
Demodulator 8 Amplitude 2 1.0 V / ON
Oscillator 2 frequency 1 MHz
Signal input 2 range / AC / Diff / 50 1.2 V / ON / OFF / OFF

When connecting an oscilloscope to the Output 2 connector, you should be able to observe the
sinusoid. Alternatively, you can look at the signal in the LabOne UI Scope with the following settings.
Table 4.12: Settings: acquire the reference signal

Scope Signal Input Signal Input 2

Scope Trigger Signal Signal Input 2
Scope Sampling rate 53 MSa, 39 us

Note
In the Scope tab set the Horizontal Mode to Freq Domain FFT in order to see the frequency
spectrum of the signal. This will also set a logarithmic Y scale by default. An Exponential Moving
Average can be enabled in the Avg Filter field to reduce the noise floor in the display.

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 4.4. External Reference

4.4.3. Activate the External Reference Mode

In this section we activate the external reference mode. Based on the external reference, we
demodulate a separate signal of interest.
Table 4.13: Settings: generate the signal of interest

Output 1 range 1V
Demodulator 7 Amp 1 1.0 V / ON
Oscillator 1 frequency 1 MHz
Demodulator 1 En/Rate ON / 100 Hz
Signal Input 1 range / AC / 50 / Diff 1.3 V / ON / OFF / OFF

The external reference mode makes use of demodulators 7 and 8. These two demodulators can not
be used for measurement. They serve as phase sensitive detectors to set up phase-locked loops
locking an external reference and an internal oscillator. Demodulator 7 is assigned to oscillator 1, and
demodulator 8 is assigned to oscillator 2. Previously we have chosen oscillator 2 as the source of the
reference signal on Signal Output 2. Now we want lock oscillator 1 to this reference. In order to
achieve that, we set the Mode field of demodulator 7 to ExtRef. In the drop-down selector in the
Input column of demodulator 7, select Signal Input 2.

Figure 4.15: LabOne UI enabling external reference mode

Once the external reference mode has been enabled, the frequency of oscillator 1 changes
continuously, adapting to the frequency of the external reference signal. This can be verified by
changing the frequency of oscillator 2 and noting how the frequency of oscillator 1 follows. A green
light next to the oscillator frequency field indicates that the instrument has locked to an external
reference.

In the demodulation process, the measurement signal is not multiplied directly with the external
reference signal. Instead, the measurement signal is multiplied with newly generated reference
signal from the internal oscillator, using only the frequency and phase information of the external
reference. The continuous toggling of the oscillator frequency shows that the newly generated
reference is continuously adjusted to the external reference.

4.4.4. Change External Reference Input

In this section you will modify the setup to use DIO 0 as the external reference instead of Signal
Input 2. This is useful in practice since it means that the two sensitive Signal Inputs of the
Instrument remain available for actual measurements. The modified setup is shown on Figure 4.16.
Note that the DIO 0 connector is located on the back panel of the HF2 Instrument.

Figure 4.16: Tutorial external reference using DIO 0 setup

It is important to make sure that DIO 0 is configured as an input before connecting anything to it.
This can done using the DIO tab in LabOne. Note that the button to the right of bits 7...​0 should be
off.

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 4.5. Noise Measurement

When using the DIO 0 as the external reference signal, it should be taken into account that this is a
digital I/O, which should be operated at TTL levels. Therefore the Aux 1 output is connected to the
Add connector of Output 2, to provide a DC shift of the test signal and thus make it TTL compatible.
The settings used for generating the test signal are shown in the following tables. The resulting
signal will have a DC offset of 1.5 V and an amplitude of 1 V and will thus oscillate between 0.5 V and
2.5 V, which is TTL compatible.
Table 4.14: Settings: generate the test signal

Signal Output 1 range 1V

Signal Output 1 On / Add ON / ON
Demodulator 8 Amp 2 1.0 V / ON
Oscillator 2 Frequency 1 MHz

Table 4.15: Settings: generate the DC shift

Aux 1 Signal Manual

Aux 1 Offset 1.5 V

Figure 4.17: Configuring DIO 0 as reference input

Finally use the Input drop-down selector for demodulator 7 in the Lock-in tab and set it to "DIO 0".
This makes oscillator 1 lock on DIO 0. The frequency of oscillator 1 should start updating similarly to
what was described in Activate the External Reference Mode .

4.5. Noise Measurement

Lock-in amplifiers can be used to measure the noise on a signal. By quantifying the noise of a
system one can estimate the maximum achievable performance.

4.5.1. How Does a Lock-in Measure Noise?

A lock-in amplifier measures the signal amplitude close to a given reference frequency with a
defined bandwidth around this reference frequency. The noise in an input signal near the reference
frequency appears as noise in the lock-in amplifier signal output.

The noise is the standard deviation of the measured X or Y value and is measured by first calculating
the average, Xavg, over a defined period of time. Then, this signal, Xavg, is subtracted from the X value
to get the deviation. Finally, the RMS (root-mean-square) is calculated, corresponding to the total
noise power of the input signal within a defined bandwidth around the reference frequency. The
value is correct for input noise with Gaussian distribution of the noise power, which is normally the
case.

Most of the times the noise spectral density is of interest, which is the normalization of the Xnoise
made independent of the filter bandwidth. To calculate the noise spectral density from the
calculated RMS noise, one needs to divide the measured value by the square root of the bandwidth
√BW. The noise spectral density has the units V/√Hz.

The related equations are Xnoise = RMS(X - Xavg)/√BW, and Ynoise = RMS(Y - Yavg)/√BW respectively.
The X and Y noise are expected to be identical.

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 4.6. Amplitude Modulation

4.5.2. Measuring the Noise of the HF2LI/HF2IS

A LabVIEW example (ziExample-HF2-Noise.vi) is available to measure the noise in an input signal. To
measure the equivalent input noise of the HF2, remove all BNC connectors from the input of the
device and apply the following settings in the LabOne UI.
Table 4.16: Settings: Measure HF2 Noise

Signal Input 1 range / AC / Diff / 50 0.01 V / ON / OFF / ON

Demodulator 1 Low-Pass Filter BW 3dB = 100 Hz, Order = 4
Oscillator 1 Frequency 1 MHz
Signal Output 1 switch OFF

Run the example, ziExample-HF2-Noise.vi. Make sure that the correct Demodulator is selected. The
noise spectral density should now show a value close to 5 nV/√Hz. By changing the settings in the
user interface, the noise behavior of the device can be analyzed in more detail. For example,
changing the reference frequency to 10 kHz will slightly increase the spectral noise density, because
of flicker noise that is larger at lower frequencies and generally present in all electronic circuits.

4.6. Amplitude Modulation

Note
This tutorial is addressed to HF2LI lock-in amplifier users that have purchased both HF2-MF multi-
frequency and HF2-MOD AM/FM modulation options.

Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) refer to the modulation of an oscillating
signal s
s(t)=Acos(ωt+φ)s{\left(
(t) =A cos (ωt + φ) , the so-called
t \right) carrier.
=}A\cos\left(
A and ωt
ωt+φ\omega
\omega
+ φ are tthe
+ tamplitude
\varphi
+ \varphi
\right)
and the phase of
the signal, respectively. Figure 4.18 depicts the phasor representation of s(t). The phasor follows a
circle with radius A, and the phase wraps around after a full revolution of 360°. The signal s(t) is the
projection of the phasor on the abscissa.

In the case of AM signals, the amplitude A, i.e. the phasor length, is time dependent, as in Figure
4.18(b). In the case of FM signals, the phase offset φ\varphi
φ is time dependent and the phasor has a
constant amplitude, see Figure 4.18(c).

Amplitude and frequency modulation, best known from radio transmission, are also common lock-in
detection techniques.

Figure 4.18: A sinusoidal signal represented as a phasor: the signal corresponds to the
projection on the x axis. Amplitude (b) and frequency (c) modulated signals affect the
amplitude of the phasor or its phase

4.6.1. What is Amplitude Modulation?

In the time domain, amplitude modulation of the carrier signal produces a variation of the carrier
amplitude proportional to the amplitude of the modulating signal. For example, when the amplitude
of a carrier with a frequency ffc=ωc/
c = ωc /2π is modulated by a signal with frequency f
fm=ωm/
m = ωm /2π (where
ffm<fcf_m
m < fc ), the
<resulting
f_c signal 2πf_c=\omega_c
has the form / 2\pi 2πf_m=\omega_m / 2\pi

s(t) = [A + M sin(ωm t)]sin(ωc t + φ)

s(t)=[A+Msin(ωmt)]sin(ωct+φ)=Asin(ωct+φ)+M2cos[(ωc−ωm)t+φ]−M2cos[(ωc+ωm)t+φ](1)\begin{e
M M (1)
= Asin(ωc t + φ) + cos[(ωc − ωm )t + φ] − cos[(ωc + ωm )t + φ]
2 2

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 4.6. Amplitude Modulation

where A and M are the amplitudes of the fast and slow modulations respectively and φ\varphi
φ the phase
offset. There is no restriction on the magnitude of MM
M compared to AA
A . The information of interest is
encoded in these three parameters, A, M and φ\varphi
φ.

In the frequency domain, the AM signal s(t) is composed of three frequencies: the carrier at fcf_{c}
fc and
two additional sidebands at ffc−fmf_{c}
c − fm and f
fc+fmf_{c}
c -+
f_{m}
fm , as shown
+ f_{m}
in Equation 1. The two sidebands have
equal amplitude M/2, half of the modulating signal, and the carrier amplitude is independent on the
modulation amplitude.

The traditional way of measuring an AM signal is called double (or tandem) demodulation and
requires two lock-in amplifiers: the first one demodulates the signal at fcf_{c}
fc with a bandwidth that is at
least as large as fmf_{m}
fm (but smaller than ffc−fmf_{c}
c − fm ). This -isf_{m}
to ensure that the full amplitude of the
modulation signal is retained. The demodulated signal after the first lock-in becomes

after A + M sin(ωm t)
s(t)⋅cos(ωct)→filteringafterd1(t)=A+Msin(ωmt)2cos(φ)(2)\begin{equation} \tag{2} s(t)(2)
\cdot cos(\ome
s(t) ⋅ cos(ωc t) d1 (t) = cos(φ)
filtering 2

In d
d1(t)d_{1}\left(
1 (t) , the two sidebands
t \right)are now located at the same frequency fmf_{m}
fm , while the carrier appears as
a DC component. When the demodulated signal d d1(t)d_{1}\left(
1 (t) is fed to a second
t \right)
lock-in amplifier, the result
of the second demodulation at fmf_{m}
fm is proportional to McosφM\cos\varphi
M cos φ .

In order to recover the amplitude MM

M it is necessary to measure the φ\varphi
φ so one can divide the result by
the factor cos
c φ . To measure the phase one can use a third lock-in to demodulate s(t) at the carrier
frequency ofcf_{c}
fc with a bandwidth smaller than fmf_{m}
fm as shown in Figure 4.19.
sφ\cos\varphi
Instead of using a tandem configuration, the HF2-MOD option allows the user to demodulate
directly at the three frequencies fcf_{c}
fc and ffc±fmf_{c}
c ± fm simultaneously.
\pm f_{m} The three parameters A, M and φ\varphi
φ can
be measured and displayed with a single instrument.

Internally, the HF2LI generates the phases ωct\omega_{c}t

ωc t and ωmt\omega_{m}t
ωm t from which it produces ((ωc−ωm)t\left(
ωc − ωm ) t , ωct\omega_{c}t
ωc t \omega_{c} - \o
and ((ωc+ωm)t\left(
ωc + ωm ) t . This\omega_{c} + \omega_{m}
ensures the correct \right)t for the demodulations of the
phase relationship
sidebands.

Figure 4.19: Comparison between tandem demodulation and the HF2-MOD option of an
AM modulated signal

4.6.2. Generate the Test Signal

In this tutorial, you are going to generate an AM signal with a carrier frequency of 1 MHz and a
modulation frequency of 100 kHz. The signal is generated at Signal Output 2 and is demodulated by
the first lock-in unit by feeding it into Signal Input 1. The HF2-MOD option requires the HF2-MF Multi-
frequency option because each modulated signal requires at least two oscillators. Note that
changing the Modulation tab settings will modify some of the settings found in the Lock-in MF tab.
The reader is kindly referred to MOD Tab.

Start by enabling the Signal Output 2 in the Lock-in MF tab and disabling all demodulator Output
Amplitudes. This will ensure that only the desired components of the amplitude-modulated signal
appear on the output.
Table 4.17: Settings: generate the AM signal

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 4.6. Amplitude Modulation

Signal Output 2 Enable ON

Signal Output Amplitudes Demodulators 1-8 OFF

In the Modulation tab, in the MOD 2 section, select the following parameters:
Table 4.18: Settings: generate the AM signal

Carrier Oscillator (Osc)/Frequency Osc 1 / 1 MHz

Sideband 1 Oscillator (Osc)/Frequency Osc 2 / 100 kHz
Carrier Mode AM
Generation Carrier/Modulation Amplitude 200 mV / 100 mV
Generation Carrier/Modulation Enable ON / ON
MOD 2 Enable ON

This generates an AM signal with two sidebands of equal amplitude. To look at this signal, connect
Signal Output 2 to Signal Input 1 of the HF2LI. Select the correct input parameters: in the Lock-in tab,
for Signal Input 1, make sure Differential mode and 50 Ω are disabled. Then click on the auto range
button In the Scope tab, select Source to be Signal Input 1, Trigger to be Signal Output 2 and click
on Run to activate the Scope. Observe how the carrier amplitude is modulated at 100 kHz as seen in
. In Frequency Domain FFT mode, the plot shows three peaks: the carrier at 1 MHz and two
sidebands at 0.9 and 1.1 MHz (see the cursors in the frequency domain representation in Figure 4.21).

Figure 4.20: Time domain representation of the AM signal generated by MOD2

measured with the LabOne Scope

Figure 4.21: Frequency domain representation of the AM signal generated by MOD2

measured with the LabOne Scope

4.6.3. Measure the Test Signal

In the Modulation tab, in the MOD 1 section, select the following parameters:
Table 4.19: Settings: measure the AM signal

56 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 4.7. Frequency Modulation

Carrier oscillator (Osc) 1

Sideband 1 oscillator (Osc) 2
Carrier Mode AM
Low-pass Filter BW (Carrier) 10 Hz
Low-pass Filter BW (Sideband 1) 10 Hz
MOD 1 Enable ON
Demod 1, 2, 3 Data Transfer Enable (Lock-in tab) ON

This sets the correct demodulation of the AM signal with the two sidebands. In the Numeric tab, look
at the amplitude of the carrier, 142 mVRMS and of the two sidebands, 35 mVRMS each, one quarter of
the carrier amplitude: this corresponds to a modulation index of 50%.

4.7. Frequency Modulation

Note
This tutorial is addressed to HF2LI lock-in amplifier users that have purchased both HF2-MF multi-
frequency and HF2-MOD AM/FM modulation options.

4.7.1. What is Frequency Modulation?

In frequency modulation (FM), the amplitude of the modulating signal is proportional to the
instantaneous frequency deviation from a fixed frequency. In the simplest case shown in Figure
4.22(a), the modulated signal
ωp
s(t)=Acos[ωct+ωpωmsin(ωmt)+φ](3)\begin{equation}
s(t) = Acos[ωc t + sin(ωm \tag{1}
t) + φ] s(t) = A cos[\omega_c t+\frac{\omega_
(1)
ωm

is produced when a carrier signal of frequency ffc=ωc/

c = ωc /2π is modulated by a sinusoidal modulation
with frequency ffm=ωm/
m = ω m /2π . The maximum 2πf_{c}
variation = \omega_{c}/2\pi
of the frequency around the carrier frequency,
2πf_{m}
the peak frequency = \omega_{m}/2\pi
deviation, is ffp=ωp/
p = ω p /2π . The physical information is encoded in the parameters
A , fpf_{p}
AA fp and φ\varphi
φ. 2πf_{p} = \omega_{p}/2\pi

Because the frequency is the time derivative of the phase (divided by 2π2\pi
2π ) and the phase is the
argument of the cosine in Equation 1, we can define the instantaneous frequency as

f (t) = fc +
f(t)=fc+fpcos(2πfmt)(4)\begin{equation} fp cos(2πf
\tag{2} t) f_c + f_p cos(2\pi f_m t) \end{equation}
f(t)m= (2)

The spectrum of the FM signal of Equation 1 is more complicated than in the case of amplitude
modulation. It consists of the carrier and a series of pairs of sidebands at multiple integers of fmf_{m}
fm
around the carrier frequency, see Figure 4.22(d). The amplitudes of the carrier and sidebands are
given by mathematical functions called Bessel functions usually indicated by JnJ_{n}
Jn ) evaluated at the
modulation index h h=fp/
= fp /fm . For instance, the n-th pair of sidebands is located symmetrically about
c ± nfm andfmh
fm at ffc±nfmf_{c}
fmf_{m} =n
its\pm f_{p}/f_{m}
f_{m}
amplitude is JJn(h)J_{n}\left(
n (h) . h \right)

A peculiarity of the Bessel functions is that they oscillate around zero: even for the carrier, as the
modulation index is increased, its amplitude JJ0(h)J_{0}\left(
0 (h) decreases, crossing
h \right)zero at h
h≈2.41h
≈ 2.41 and
\approx 2.41
then it
increases in amplitude (in anti-phase) before reaching zero again at h h≈5.52h
≈ 5.52 .\approx 5.52

At low modulation indexes, the amplitude of higher sidebands is very low and can thus be ignored:
this is called the narrow-band approximation. In this limit (it is customary to assume h
h<0.2h
< 0.2 ),<only
0.2
the two sidebands at ffc±fmf_{c}
c ± fm have non-negligible
\pm f_{m} amplitude and the signal s(t) can be approximated
by

s~(t) = A[J0 (h)sin(ωc t + φ) − J1 (h)cos[(ωc + ωm )t + φ] + J1 (h)cos[(ωc − ωm )t + φ]]

s~(t)=A[J0(h)sin(ωct+φ)−J1(h)cos[(ωc+ωm)t+φ]+J1(h)cos[(ωc−ωm)t+φ]](5)\begin{equation} (3) \tag{3}

The first term is the carrier, the other two are the lower and upper sidebands. The problem of finding
h (and the peak amplitude fpf_{p}
fp ) reduces now to comparing the amplitude of the first pair of sidebands

57 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 4.7. Frequency Modulation

and the carrier to the ratio JJ1(h)/

1 (h) /J0 (h) . A plot of the ratio JJ1(h)/
1 (h) /J0 (h) and JJ2(h)/
2 (h) /J0 (h) is shown in
Figure 4.22(e). J0(h)J_{1}{\left( h \right)/J_{0}\left(
J0(h)J_{1}{\left(
h \right)}
J0(h)J_{2}{\left(
h \right)/J_{0}\left(
h \right)/J_{0}\left(
h \right)}

Even though s ~(t) looks very similar to an AM signal, there is a subtle but substantial difference: the
s~(t)
phases of the\ sidebands are offset with respect to that of the carrier. This results in the sidebands
being in quadrature with the carrier. For example, assume that φ\varphi
φ = 0: demodulating s ~(t) with the
s~(t)
t
carrier signalisin
s (ωc t) gives the DC component (the carrier) but no sidebands; on the \ other hand,
demodulatingli with the quadrature cos c (ωc t) , only the two sidebands at fmf_{m}
fm are observed
t and no
carrier is present. Because of this, FM
dn(ωct) o detection can be done in a similar way as AMidetection
scheme, using\ the tandem configurations(ωct)described previously in Amplitude Modulation. l
e
{s \ d
si c e
}n o {
\\ s s
ll \ }
ee l \
ff e l
tt f e
(( t f
t\ ( t
\o \ (
rm o t
ie m \
gg e r
ha g i
t_ a g
){ _ h
c { t
} c )
t }
Figure\ 4.22: (a) A simple frequency
t modulated signal, (b) its instantaneous frequency,
r \
(c) the frequency domain spectrum of a FM signal is composed of an infinite series of
i
sidebands, here depicted forr h = 0.35, (d) n-th Bessel function versus h, (e) ratio J_1_(h)
/ J_0_(h)
g (red line), J_2_(h)
i / J_0_(h)(blue line), slope 0.5 line (black dashed line)
h g
The HF2-MOD AM/FM Modulation option permits direct generation and demodulation of an FM
t h
signal. For demodulation, this option enables measurement of the parameters A, fpf_{p} fp , and φ\varphi
φ.
) t
)
Internally the HF2LI calculates the peak frequency fpf_{p}
f with the method described above, from the
p
ratio JJ1(h)/
1 (h) /J0 (h) , proportional to the carrier and first sideband amplitude. Since this method is valid
only for narrow-band frequency
J0(h)J_{1}{\left( modulation, users
h \right)/J_{0}\left( are advised to work at small values of the
h \right)}
modulation index h < 1.

Another, intuitive way of demodulating an FM signal would be to use the PLL to track the frequency
deviation Δf
Δf\Delta
and to ffurther demodulate this signal. However, using sideband demodulation with the
HF2-MOD AM/FM Modulation option provides a better signal-to-noise ratio. This is because the
signal can be averaged over several modulation cycles while keeping the bandwidth small.

4.7.2. Generate the Test Signal

In this tutorial, you are going to generate an FM signal with a carrier frequency of 1 MHz, a
modulation frequency of 100 kHz, and a modulation index of 0.1. The signal is generated at Signal
Output 2 and is demodulated by the first lock-in unit by feeding it into Signal Input 1.
Start by enabling the Signal Output 2 in the Lock-in MF tab and disabling all demodulator Output
Amplitudes. This will ensure that only the desired components of the frequency-modulated signal
appear on the output.
Table 4.20: Settings: generate the AM signal

Signal Output 2 Enable ON

Signal Output Amplitudes Demodulators 1-8 OFF

In the Modulation tab, in the MOD 2 section, select the following parameters:

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 4.7. Frequency Modulation

Table 4.21: Settings: generate the FM signal

MOD 2 Enable ON
Carrier Oscillator (Osc)/Frequency Osc 1 / 1 MHz
Sideband 1 Oscillator (Osc)/Frequency Osc 2 / 100 kHz
Carrier Mode/Enable FM / ON
Generation Carrier Amplitude/Enable 100 mV / ON
Generation Index 0.1

This generates an FM signal consisting of a carrier and two sidebands at ffc±fmf_{c}

c ± fm . To look
\pm f_{m}
at this
signal, connect Signal Output 2 to Signal Input 1 of the HF2 Instrument. Select the correct input
parameters in the Lock-in tab: for Signal Input 1, make sure Differential and 50 Ω are turned off. Then
click the auto range button. In the Scope tab, select Signal Input 1 as Source, Signal Output 2 as
Trigger, and click on Run/Stop to activate the Scope. Observe that the carrier amplitude is constant.
The periodic frequency variation is hardly visible. In Frequency Domain FFT mode, the plot shows the
carrier at 1 MHz and the two sidebands. You can increase the frequency resolution by selecting a
smaller Sampling Rate and larger time scale in the Horizontal section of the Scope.

Figure 4.23: Time domain representation of the FM signal generated by MOD2

measured with the LabOne Scope

Figure 4.24: Frequency domain representation of the FM signal generated by MOD2

measured with the LabOne Scope

4.7.3. Measure the Test Signal

In the Modulation tab, in the MOD 1 section, select the following parameters:
Table 4.22: Measure the FM signal

MOD 1 Enable ON
Carrier oscillator (Osc) 1
Sideband 1 oscillator (Osc) 2
Carrier Mode FM
Low-pass Filter BW (Carrier) 10 Hz
Low-pass Filter BW (Sideband 1) 10 Hz

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 4.8. Phase-locked Loop

Demod 1, 2, 3 Data Transfer Enable (Lock-in tab) ON

This sets the correct demodulation of the FM signal. In the Numerical tab, look at the amplitude of
the carrier, 71 mVRMS. You can also see that the two sidebands have an amplitude of 3.5 mVRMS.
This corresponds approximately to the carrier amplitude multiplied by the ratio JJ1(h)/
1 (h) /J0 (h) , see
Figure 4.22(e) for our modulation index of h=0.1. Note that the phases of the two J0(h)J_{1}{\left(
sidebands are 180°h \right)/J_{0}
apart, which is typical for FM.

4.8. Phase-locked Loop

Note
This tutorial is applicable to HF2 Instruments with the HF2-PID Quad PID Controller option installed.

4.8.1. Goals and Requirements

This tutorial explains how to track the resonance frequency shift of a resonator using a phase-
locked loop (PLL). To follow this tutorial, one needs to connect a resonator between Signal Output 1
and Signal Input 1.

4.8.2. Preparation
Connect the cables as shown in the figure below. Make sure that the HF2 Instrument is powered on
and connected by USB to your host computer or by Ethernet to your local area network (LAN) where
the host computer resides. After starting LabOne the default web browser opens with the LabOne
graphical user interface.

Figure 4.23: PLL connection with HF2 Instrument

The tutorial can be started with the default instrument configuration (e.g. after a power cycle) and
the default user interface settings (e.g. as is after pressing F5 in the browser).

4.8.3. Determine the Resonance of the Quartz

In this section you will learn first how to find the resonance of your resonator with the Sweeper Tab
tool. In the Sweeper tab, one can start by defining a frequency sweep across the full instrument
bandwidth and narrow down the range using multiple sweeps in order to find the resonance peak of
interest. In our case, we know already that the resonance lies at around 1.8 MHz which saves us
some time in finding the peak, knowing that its Q factor is rather high. The Sweeper tab and Lock-in
tab settings are shown in the table below.

Note
The table below applies to instruments without the HF2-MF Multi-frequency option installed. With
the option installed, the output amplitude needs to be configured in the Output Amplitudes section
of the Lock-in tab.

Table 4.23: Settings: sweep the measurement frequency

Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
Lock-in All Signal Outputs 1 Amp (V) 100.0 m / ON

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 4.8. Phase-locked Loop

Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State

Lock-in All Signal Outputs 1 Output 1 ON
Lock-in All Signal Inputs 1 50 Ω ON
Lock-in All Signal Inputs 1 Diff OFF
Lock-in All Demodulators 1 Osc 1
Lock-in All Demodulators 1 Input Sig In 1
Lock-in All Data Transfer 1 Enable ON
Sweeper Control Horizontal Sweep Param. Osc 1 Frequency
Sweeper Control Vertical Axis Groups Signal Type / Channel Demod Θ / 1
Sweeper Control Vertical Axis Groups Add Signal click
Sweeper Control Vertical Axis Groups Signal Type / Channel Demod R / 1
Sweeper Control Vertical Axis Groups Add Signal click
Sweeper Control Horizontal Start (Hz) 1M
Sweeper Control Horizontal Stop (Hz) 3M
Sweeper History Length 2
Sweeper Control Settings Dual Plot ON
Sweeper Control Settings Run/Stop ON

We use demodulator 1 to generate the sweep signal and to demodulate the signal transmitted
through the resonator. The Lock-in settings ensure that the oscillator used both for the generation
and the measurement is the same (oscillator 1). In addition, the input must be set to Signal Input 1 in
accordance with the connection diagram.

Once the Sweeper button is clicked, the Sweeper will repeatedly sweep the frequency
response of the quartz oscillator. The History Length of 2 allows you to keep one previous sweep on
the screen while adjusting the sweep range. You can use the zoom tools to get a higher resolution on
the resonance peak. To redefine the start and stop frequencies for a finer sweeper range, just click
the button. This will automatically paste the plot frequency range into the Start and
Stop fields of the Sweeper frequency range.

Note
The sweep frequency resolution will get finer when zooming in horizontally using the
button even without changing the number of points.

When a resonance peak has been found, you should get a measurement similar to the solid lines in
the two figures below. The resonance fitting tool allows us to easily determine resonance
parameters such as Q factor, center frequency, or peak amplitude. To use the tool, place the two X
cursors to the left and right of the resonance, open the Math sub-tab of the Sweeper tab, select
"Resonance" from the left drop-down menu, and click on . Repeat this operation, once with the
demodulator amplitude as the active trace in the plot, and once with the demodulator phase (see
Vertical Axis Groups). The tool will perform a least-squares fit to the response function of an LCR
circuit. In the limit of large Q factors, this corresponds to a fit to the square root of a Lorentzian
function for the amplitude, and to an inverse tangent for the phase. The exact fitting functions are
documented in the section called "Cursors and Math".

The fitting curves are added as dashed lines to the plot as shown in Figure 4.24 and Figure Figure
4.25. Since the two fits are independent, they may lead to different results if the resonance
significantly deviates from a simple LCR circuit model, which often is the case if there is capacitive
coupling between the leads. In this case, the fit to the phase curve which is clearly better than that
to the amplitude curve yields a Q factor of about 12,800, and a center frequency of 1.8428 MHz.

The phase in Figure 4.25 follows a typical resonator response going from +90° to –90° when passing
through the resonance on a 50 Ω input. Directly at the resonance, the measured phase is close to 0°.
We will use this value as a phase setpoint for the PLL. After having completed the Sweeper
measurements, turn off sweeping by clicking on . This will release the oscillator frequency
from the control by the Sweeper.

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 4.8. Phase-locked Loop

Figure 4.24: Amplitude of the resonator’s frequency response measured with the
LabOne Sweeper. Solid line are measurement data, dashed line is a fit to the response
function of an LCR circuit model using the resonance fitting tool.

Figure 4.25: Phase of the resonator’s frequency response measured with the LabOne
Sweeper. Solid line are measurement data, dashed line is a fit to the response function
of an LCR circuit model using the resonance fitting tool.

4.8.4. Resonance Tracking with the PLL

Now we know the resonance frequency and the phase measured at this frequency. We can track the
drift in resonance frequency by locking on to this phase, hence the name phase-locked loop (PLL).
The phase-locked loop is available in the PLL tab. There are two PLL controllers in each HF2 Series
instrument. For this tutorial, we will use PLL 1. We first set up the basic PLL 1 fields as shown in the
table below, using the values from the previous measurement.
Table 4.24: Settings: set up the phase-locked loop
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
PLL PLL 1 Mode PLL
PLL PLL 1 Auto Mode PID Coeff
PLL PLL Input 1 Setpoint (deg) 0.0
PLL PLL Output 1 Output Oscillator Frequency / 1
PLL PLL Output 1 Center Freq (Hz) 1.8428 M
PLL PLL Output 1 Lower / Upper Limit (Hz) –10k / +10 k

The upper and lower frequency (or range) relative to the Center Frequency should be chosen narrow
enough so that the phase of the device follows a monotonous curve with a single crossing at the
setpoint, else the feedback controller will fail to lock correctly. Now, we need to find suitable
feedback gain parameters (P, I, D) which we do using the Advisor. Set the Target BW (Hz) to 1.0 kHz.
The target bandwidth should be at least as large as the expected bandwidth of the frequency
variations. In the present case, the resonator frequency is practically stable, so 1 kHz bandwidth is
largely enough. Click on the button to have the Advisor find a set of feedback gain
parameters using a numerical optimization algorithm. Figure 4.26 shows a typical view of the PLL tab
after the Advisor has finished. The Advisor tries to match or exceed the target bandwidth in its
simulation. The achieved bandwidth can be read from the BW (Hz) field, or directly from the 3 dB
point of the simulated Bode plot on the right. The Phase Margin value of the simulation is displayed

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 4.9. Automatic Gain Control

in the PM (deg) field and should exceed 45° to ensure stable feedback operation without
oscillations. Once you are satisfied with the Advisor results, click on the button to
transfer the feedback gain parameters to the physical PLL controller. To start PLL operation, click on
the Enable button at the top of the PLL tab.
Table 4.25: Settings: set up and run the PID Advisor
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
PLL Advisor Advisor 1 Target BW (Hz) 1k
PLL Advisor DUT Model 1 DUT Model Resonator Frequency
PLL Advisor DUT Model 1 Res Frequency (Hz) 1.8 M
PLL Advisor DUT Model 1 Q 12.8 k
PLL Advisor Advisor 1 Advise click

Figure 4.26: Settings and Advisor simulation in the PLL tab (typical – parameters may
differ from the example)
When the PLL is locked, the green indicator next to the label Error/PLL Lock will be switched on. The
actual frequency shift is shown in the field Freq Shift (Hz).

Note
At this point, it is recommended to adjust the signal input range by clicking the Auto Range
button in the Lock-in tab. This often increases the signal-to-noise ratio which helps the PLL to lock
to an input signal.

The easiest way to visualize the frequency drift is to use the Plotter tool. The frequency can be
added to the display by using the Tree Selector to navigate to Demodulator 1 → Sample and
selecting Frequency. The frequency noise increases with the PLL bandwidth, so for optimum noise
performance the bandwidth should not be higher than what is required by the experiment. The
frequency noise also scales inversely with the drive amplitude of the resonator.

4.9. Automatic Gain Control

Note
This tutorial is applicable to HF2 Instruments with the HF2-PID Quad PID Controller option installed.

4.9.1. Goals and Requirements

This tutorial explains how to set up a PID controller for automatic gain control. We use the PID
Advisor to simulate the step response of a feedback loop and the Data Acquisition tool to capture
the physical step response of the loop. We perform the test using a quartz resonator between Signal
Output 1 and Signal Input 1.

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 4.9. Automatic Gain Control

4.9.2. Preparation
Connect the cables as illustrated below. Make sure the HF2 Instrument is powered on, and then
connect the HF2 Instrument through the USB to your PC, or to your local area network (LAN) where
the host computer resides. After starting LabOne the default web browser opens with the LabOne
graphical user interface.

Figure 4.27: PID connection with HF2 instrument

The tutorial can be started with the default instrument configuration (e.g. after a power cycle) and
the default user interface settings (e.g. as is after pressing F5 in the browser).

4.9.3. Automatic Gain Control

In this section you will learn how to control the output amplitude of your device under test with a PID
controller. We will use a quartz resonator driven at its resonance frequency by the signal generator
of the instrument, and measured with a demodulator.

If you are continuing from the Phase-locked Loop, then you can just leave the PLL enabled.
Otherwise, you should know how to generate an excitation signal at the required frequency and how
to measure the signal amplitude that you want to control. The device-under-test does not need to
be a resonator.

As shown in the frequency response curve below, we are measuring an amplitude of about 4.0 mV at
the peak of the resonance while driving with 100 mVpk. The goal is to have this amplitude
programmable by the user on the fly.

Figure 4.28: Amplitude of the resonator’s frequency response measured with the
LabOne Sweeper. Solid line are measurement data, dashed line is a fit to the response
function of an LCR circuit model using the resonance fitting tool.
For setting up automatic gain control, open the PID tab in which the four available PID controllers
are represented in different side-tabs. We’ll use PID 3 for this tutorial. We’ll define the Input of the
controller as the measured lock-in R signal, and the Output as the drive amplitude. The settings are
shown in the table below.

Note
The table below applies to instruments without the HF2-MF Multi-frequency option installed. With
the option installed, the Output 1 Amplitude channel needs to be set to the number of the
demodulator used to generate the signal in the Output Amplitudes section of the Lock-in tab.

Table 4.26: Settings: Set up the PID controller

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 4.9. Automatic Gain Control

Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State

PID PID 3 Mode PID
PID PID Input 3 Demod R / 1
PID PID Input 3 Setpoint (V) 10 m
PID PID Output 3 Output 1 Amplitude
PID PID Output 3 Center (V) 0.5
PID PID Output 3 Lower/Upper Limit (V) –0.5/+0.5
PID PID Output 3 Range 0.5

The next step is to select the proper feedback gain parameters (P, I, D). On the HF2 instrument we
can do this with the help of the PID Advisor. Based on a set of mathematical models for the device
under test (DUT), it can simulate the step response for a certain set of feedback gain values. The PID
Advisor numerically optimizes the feedback gain parameters to obtain a step response that
matches or exceeds a user-specified target bandwidth.

The list of available DUT models is found in PID Tab. In case your DUT is not well described by one of
the models, the methods presented here are nonetheless useful to implement certain heuristic
tuning method such as the Good Gain method (Finn Haugen, Telemark University College, Norway,
2010), as they enable measurement of the closed-loop step response.

The PID Advisor offers an efficient graphical tool for setting the feedback gain parameters manually.
To access it, enable the Advanced Mode in the Display sub-tab and select PID from the Transfer
Function menu. Three cursor lines will be added to the display section which represent the
frequency dependence of the P, I, and D part of the PID controller transfer function. The cursors can
be dragged, allowing you to define a target Bode plot. If you enable the Advisor Link button , the
feedback gain parameters derived from the cursors are linked with the simulation parameters from
the Advisor from where they can be transferred to the instrument.

Figure 4.29: Graphical setting of the PID parameters using the cursors. The three cursor
lines with negative, zero, and positive slope correspond to the frequency dependence
of the P, I, and D parts of the controller, respectively.

4.9.4. Simulating the Device Under Test

In the Advisor sub-tab, select "Resonator Amplitude" as the model of the DUT. This model is
characterized by four parameters: delay, gain, center frequency, and Q. The latter two can easily be
determined from a frequency response measurement in the Sweeper tab using the resonance
fitting tool available in the Math sub-tab as described in Determine the Resonance of the Quartz. We
obtain a Q factor of \~12,800 and a center frequency of 1.8428 MHz. The delay value represents extra
delays such as those coming from cables (typically 4 to 5 ns per meter). Since we use short cables
these are negligible and we can leave the delay parameter at 0 s. The gain value parametrizes overall
signal gain or attenuation between PID controller output and input, including unit conversion. In our
case, measuring an R amplitude of 4.0 mVrms on resonance while the drive amplitude is set to 100
mVpk, we have a gain of 0.040.

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 4.9. Automatic Gain Control

With the Mode selector in the Advisor sub-tab, you can define which of the feedback gain
parameters the Advisor uses for his optimization. E.g., when you select PI advise mode, P and I
parameters are varied but D is fixed at the value presently set. In this way you can choose the most
efficient way of using the Advisor: you can have everything be done by the Advisor, you can control
some of the parameters manually and have the Advisor deal with the rest, or you do all the
adjustments manually and use the Advisor only to simulate the outcome.
We leave the D parameter at 0 and let the Advisor run in PI mode. Enter a target BW of 1 kHz and
click on the button. The Advisor will suggest some values for P and I. The BW field
indicates the bandwidth of the simulated loop, with a green lamp showing that the target bandwidth
was reached or exceeded. The PM field shows the phase margin, with a green lamp indicating a
stable feedback loop.

In the given example, the resonator has a bandwidth of about 140 Hz, so the target bandwidth of 1
kHz is just about within reach. However, in order to reach this value, the corresponding demodulator
filter bandwidth may need adjustment. It should be larger than the target bandwidth, but not larger
than necessary in order to avoid excessive noise. When enabling Auto Bandwidth (the checkbox next
to the Filter BW field in the Demodulator Settings), the PID Advisor selects a suitable demodulator
bandwidth which later will be transferred automatically to the demodulator.

The Bode plot on the right-hand side of the tab corresponds to the simulated closed-loop frequency
response based on the P, I, and D gain values and the DUT model presently set in the Advisor sub-
tab. In order to show the simulated closed-loop step response for our example as in Figure 4.30, set
Display to Step Response in the Display sub-tab.

Note
In case a demodulator measurement is selected as the PID input, the Advisor will control the
corresponding demodulator filter bandwidth, but not the filter order. If you encounter problems with
oscillating feedback, bear in mind that low-order filters often lead to more stable feedback loop
behavior because of their smaller delay.

Table 4.27: Settings: set up and run the PID Advisor

Tab Sub- Section # Label Setting / Value /
tab State
PID Advisor Advisor 3 Target BW (Hz) 1k
PID Advisor Advisor 3 Advise Mode PI
PID Advisor Demodulator 3 Filter BW / Auto ON
Settings Bandwidth
PID Advisor DUT Model 3 DUT Model Resonator Amplitude
PID Advisor DUT Model 3 Delay 0.0 s
PID Advisor DUT Model 3 Gain 0.040
PID Advisor DUT Model 3 Center Frequency 1.8 M
PID Advisor DUT Model 3 Q 12.8 k
PID Display 3 Display Step Response
PID Advisor Advisor 3 Advise ON

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 4.9. Automatic Gain Control

Figure 4.30: Closed-loop step response simulated with the PID Advisor

4.9.5. Measuring the Step Response

Once you are satisfied with the Advisor results, click on the button to transfer the
feedback gain parameters to the physical PID controller represented on the left. Enable the PID
controller and check, e.g. using the Plotter Tab, whether demodulator 1 R has settled at the setpoint
of 10 mV. Toggling the setpoint in the PID tab will then immediately be visible as a step in the Plotter.
To capture the step response, the Data Acquisition Tab is the tool of choice. Open the DAQ tab and
configure the trigger in the Settings and Grid sub-tabs according to the table below. .Settings: set up
the Data Acquisition tool
Table 4.28: Settings: set up the Data Acquisition tool

Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State

DAQ Settings Trigger Settings Trigger Signal Demod 1 R
DAQ Settings Trigger Settings Level (V) 11 m
DAQ Settings Trigger Settings Hysteresis (V) 0
DAQ Settings Horizontal Delay (s) –1 m
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Mode Linear
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Duration (s) 5m
Lock-in All Data Transfer 1 Rate (Hz) / Enable 100 k / ON

We also increased the demodulator data transfer rate to get a high time resolution for this
measurement. Start the Data Acquisition tool by clicking on Any time you toggle the
setpoint across the Trigger Level (e.g. from 10 mV to 12 mV), a single trace will be recorded and
displayed in the DAQ tab as shown in the figure below.

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Figure 4.31: Closed-loop step response measured with the Data Acquisition tool
Comparing Figure 4.31 with Figure 4.30 demonstrates the excellent quantitative match between
simulation and measurement.

4.10. Imaging
Note
This tutorial is applicable to all HF2 Instruments.

4.10.1. Goals and Requirements

This tutorial explains how to capture and display an imaging signal, i.e., a signal structured in lines
and frames that can be built up to a 2-dimensional data set. To follow this tutorial, one will require a
3rd-party programmable arbitrary waveform generator to generate a realistic imaging signal with line
triggers, or access to a real imaging signal including line triggers or EOL triggers e.g. from an atomic
force microscope.

4.10.2. Preparation
Connect the cables as shown in the figure below. Make sure that the HF2 Instrument is powered on
and connected by USB to your host computer . After starting LabOne the default web browser opens
with the LabOne graphical user interface.

Figure 4.31: Setup for the imaging tutorial with HF2 Instrument
The tutorial can be started with the default instrument configuration (e.g. after a power cycle) and
the default user interface settings (e.g. as is after pressing F5 in the browser).

4.10.3. Imaging Signal Properties

In this section we discuss the properties of the external signal used in this tutorial. It is most
illustrative to discuss the imaging functionality based on a realistic signal generated by an arbitrary
waveform generator (AWG), or even a real imaging signal. The imaging functionality of the instrument
can also be tried out without external equipment, but it’s not easily possible to generate a nicely
structured imaging signal with the HF2 instrument alone. In order to facilitate the phase-locking

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between AWG and lock-in, an AWG with digital modulation capability and a possibility to output the
phase reference signal separately from the AWG signal is helpful. Examples are the UHFAWG and
the HDAWG from Zurich Instruments.
We will assume the following scanning parameters: a line scanning frequency of about 200 Hz and a
line number of 256. We will furthermore assume that the imaging signal on the AWG signal output is
an amplitude-modulated signal at a fixed carrier frequency of 300 kHz. This signal is wired to the
Signal Input 1 +In connector of the HF2 instrument. The carrier phase reference, a square wave at
300 kHz with about 1 Vpk amplitude, is generated on the AWG marker output 1 and is connected to
the lock-in reference input DIO 1. At the start of each line, the AWG generates a rising edge of a TTL
signal generated on its marker output 2. This line trigger signal is connected to the DIO 0 connector
of the HF2 instrument. The minimum trigger signal width required to correctly trigger the data
acquisition is equal to the inverse demodulator sample rate used. The reason is that the state of the
is DIO 0 connector is transferred to the host computer together with the demodulator data which
limits the time resolution and therefore the minimum trigger pulse width.

4.10.4. Measure the Imaging Signal

For this example, we programmed the AWG to generate a signal with an amplitude varying between
0 and about 0.6 Vrms which builds up to an image of the Zurich Instruments logo. We let the AWG run
continuously, which means it will permanently generate this signal, the line trigger, and the phase
reference signal. Here we will set up the lock-in amplifier with sufficiently high demodulator
bandwidth and sampling rate in order to faithfully measure the imaging signal in external reference
mode.

For locking to the external reference lock-in reference input, we need to select the reference input
signal and change the lock-in amplifier to external reference mode. You can check in the DIO Tab
whether the corresponding input connector shows a toggling signal. Setting up a measurement in
external reference mode is more generally described in External Reference.
Table 4.29: Settings: enable external reference mode
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
Lock-in All Demodulators 7 Signal DIO D1
Lock-in All Demodulators 7 Mode ExtRef

We choose demodulator filter settings and sampling rate sufficiently high to measure the fast
components in the signal up to several 10 kHz. You can find a more general description on selecting
filter constants in Dynamic Signals. The table below shows the settings to be made.
Table 4.30: Settings: configure the demodulator
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
Lock-in All Signal Input 1 Range 1.2 V
Lock-in All Low-pass Filters 1 BW 3 dB 30 kHz
Lock-in All Low-pass Filters 1 Order 8
Lock-in All Data Transfer 1 Rate 220 kSa/s
Lock-in All Data Transfer 1 Enable ON

Now we can monitor the imaging signal as well as the line triggers in the Plotter Tab. Open the
Plotter tab and add the demodulator R signal as well as DIO 0 to the plot.
Table 4.31: Settings: measure imaging signal and line trigger in the Plotter
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
Plotter Control Vertical Axis Groups Tree Selector Demodulators/1/ Sample/R
Plotter Control Vertical Axis Groups Tree Selector Demodulators/1/ Sample/DIO 0
Plotter Control Run / Stop ON

The Plotter should now display the continuously streamed imaging data. The figure below shows in
blue the demodulator R signal, and in green the line trigger signal marking the beginning of each line.
The cursors indicate a line repetition period of about 1.66 ms, and In the following, instead of

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displaying these data in a continuous stream in the Plotter, we would like to capture a full image
frame.

4.10.5. Set up the Grid Mode

The Data Acquisition Tab with its Grid Mode is the suitable tool to capture images. In this section we
go through the configuration of this tool.

The Data Acquisition tool in grid mode acquires 2-dimensional data sets with pre-defined rows and
columns that are defined by a trigger timing for each line, a well-defined line number, and a well-
defined line duration. The acquired data stream can be linearly interpolated to a well-defined
number of data points (e.g. pixels) for each line, or it can be acquired exactly with the transfer rate of
the demodulator in exact mode. It furthermore supports averaging over multiple frames.
Here we select the DIO 0 signal as trigger source in the Settings sub-tab. We set the hold-off time to
0 s to ensure that no triggers are lost in between successive lines. By changing the delay, we can
compensate for a possible misalignment between trigger timing and line start, or to configure the
Data Acquisition tool for a line end trigger, rather than line start trigger.

In the Grid sub-tab, we select a number of rows corresponding to what we have programmed on the
AWG. In Exact (on-grid) mode, we select the number of columns such that the duration is sufficiently
long to capture one line, but shorter than 1 line trigger period so the DAQ tool can re-arm for every
new line. Here we select N = 300 columns, corresponding to a duration of T = 1.36 ms. The two
numbers are related to the demodulator sampling rate fs = 220 kSa/s by T = N/fs.

Finally, we select the 2D display in the Control sub-tab, and we make sure to add demodulator 1 R as
a displayed signal in the Vertical Axis Groups section. The DAQ tab also supports multi-channel
acquisition as more signals, e.g. the phase or other demodulators can be recorded. The table below
summarizes the settings.
Table 4.32: Settings: set up the grid mode
Tab Sub-tab Section # Label Setting / Value / State
DAQ Settings Trigger Settings Trigger Signal Demod 1 DIO 0
DAQ Settings Horizontal Hold off time 0s
DAQ Settings Horizontal Delay 0s
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Mode Exact (on-grid)
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Columns 300
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Duration 1.36 ms (read-only in Exact mode)
DAQ Grid Grid Settings Rows 256
DAQ Control Time Domain Plot Type 2D

In order to capture one fresh frame, we shortly disable the AWG. We arm the Data Acquisition tool by
clicking on to acquire a single frame with the exact number of rows specified before, and
then restart the AWG. The figure below shows the captured image. The acquired data appear as an
entry in the History sub-tab and can easily be saved from there.

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 5. Functional Description LabOne User Interface

5. Functional Description LabOne

User Interface
This chapter gives a detailed description of the functionality available in the LabOne User Interface
(UI) for the Zurich Instruments HF2 Series. LabOne provides a data server and a web server to
control the Instrument with any of the most common web browsers (e.g. Firefox, Chrome, Edge, etc.).
This platform-independent architecture supports interaction with the Instrument using various
devices (PCs, tablets, smartphones, etc.) even at the same time if needed.

On top of standard functionality like acquiring and saving data points, this UI provides a wide variety
of measurement tools for time and frequency domain analysis of measurement data as well as for
convenient servo loop implementation.

5.1. User Interface Overview

5.1.1. UI Nomenclature
This section provides an overview of the LabOne User Interface, its main elements and naming
conventions. The LabOne User Interface is a browser-based UI provided as the primary interface to
the HF2 Series instrument. Multiple browser sessions can access the instrument simultaneously
and the user can have displays on multiple computer screens. Parallel to the UI, the instrument can
be controlled and read out by custom programs written in any of the supported languages (e.g.
LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python, C) connecting through the LabOne APIs.

Figure 5.1: LabOne User Interface (default view)

The LabOne User Interface automatically opens some tabs by default after a new UI session has
been started. At start-up, the UI is divided into two tab rows, each containing a tab structure that
gives access to the different LabOne tools. Depending on display size and application, tab rows can
be freely added and deleted with the control elements on the right-hand side of each tab bar.
Similarly, the individual tabs can be deleted or added by selecting app icons from the side bar on the
left. A click on an icon adds the corresponding tab to the display, alternatively the icon can be
dragged and dropped into one of the tab rows. Moreover, tabs can be moved by drag-and-drop
within a row or across rows.
Table 5.1 gives a brief descriptions and naming conventions for the most important UI items.
Table 5.1: LabOne User Interface features

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Item Position Description Contains

name
side bar left-hand contains app icons for each of the available tabs app icons
side of the UI - a click on an icon adds or activates the
corresponding tab in the active tab row
status bottom of contains important status and warning status indicators
bar the UI indicators, device and session information, and
access to the command log
main center of the accommodates all active tabs – new rows can tab rows, each
area UI be added and removed by using the control consisting of tab bar
elements in the top right corner of each tab row and the active tab area
tab area inside of provides the active part of each tab consisting sections, plots, sub-
each tab of settings, controls and measurement tools tabs, unit selections

Further items are highlighted in Figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2: LabOne User Interface (more items)

5.1.2. Unique Set of Analysis Tools

All instruments feature a comprehensive tool set for time and frequency domain analysis for both
raw and demodulated signals.

The app icons on the left side of the UI can be roughly divided into two categories: settings and
tools.

Settings-related tabs are in direct connection to the instrument hardware, allowing the user to
control all the settings and instrument states.

Tools-related tabs place a focus on the display and analysis of gathered measurement data.

There is no strict distinction between settings and tools, e.g. the Sweeper will change certain
demodulator settings while performing a frequency sweep. Within the tools one can often further
discriminate between time domain and frequency domain analysis. Moreover, a distinction can be
made between the analysis of fast input signals - typical sampling rate of 210 MSa/s - and the
measurement of orders of magnitude slower data - typical sampling rate of - derived for instance
from demodulator outputs and auxiliary inputs. Table 5.2 provides a brief classification of the tools.
Table 5.2: Tools for time domain and frequency domain analysis

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Time Domain Frequency Domain

Fast signals (210 MSa/s) Oscilloscope (Scope tab) FFT Analyzer (Scope tab)
Slow signals (<200 kSa/s) Numeric Spectrum Analyzer (Spectrum tab)
Plotter Sweeper
Data Acquisition -

The following table gives the overview of all app icons. Note that the selection of app icons may
depend on the upgrade options installed on a given instrument.
Table 5.3: Overview of app icons and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Lock-in Quick overview and access to all the settings and properties for signal
generation and demodulation.
Lock-in MF Quick overview and access to all the settings and properties for signal
generation and demodulation.
Files Access settings and measurement data files on the host computer.
Numeric Access to all continuously streamed measurement data as numerical
values.
Plotter Displays various continuously streamed measurement data as traces
over time (roll mode).
Scope Displays shots of data samples in time and frequency domain (FFT)
representation.
DAQ Provides complex trigger functionality on all continuously streamed
data samples and time domain display.
Spectrum Provides FFT functionality to all continuously streamed measurement
data.
Sweeper Sweep frequencies, voltages, and other quantities over a defined range
and display various response functions including statistical operations.
Aux Controls all settings regarding the auxiliary inputs and auxiliary
outputs.
In/Out Gives access to all controls relevant for the Signal Inputs and Signal
Outputs of each channel.
DIO Gives access to all controls relevant for the digital inputs and outputs
including DIO, Trigger Inputs, Trigger Outputs, and Marker Outputs.
Config Provides access to software configuration.
Device Provides instrument specific settings.
PID Features all control, analysis, and simulation capabilities of the PID
controllers.
PLL Features all control, analysis, and simulation capabilities of the phase-
locked loops.
MOD Control panel to enable (de)modulation at linear combinations of
oscillator frequencies.
MDS Synchronize multiple instruments.
HF2CA Remote control of the HF2CA Current Amplifier.
HF2TA Remote control of the HF2TA Current Amplifier.
ZI Labs Experimental settings and controls.

Table 5.4 provides a quick overview over the different status bar elements along with a short
description.
Table 5.4: Status bar description

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Command last Shows the last command. A different formatting (MATLAB, Python, ..) can
log command be set in the config tab. The log is also saved in [User]
\Documents\Zurich Instruments\LabOne\WebServer\Log
Show Log Show the command log history in a separate browser window.
Errors Errors Display system errors in separate browser tab.
Device devXXX Indicates the device serial number.
Identify When active, device LED blinks
Device
MDS grey/green/ Multiple device synchronization indicator. Grey: Nothing to synchronize -
red/yellow single device on the UI. Green: All devices on the UI are correctly
synchronized. Yellow: MDS sync in progress or only a subset of the
connected devices is synchronized. Red: Devices not synchronized or
error during MDS sync.
REC grey/red A blinking red indicator shows ongoing data recording (related to global
recording settings in the Config tab).
CF grey/ Clock Failure - Red: present malfunction of the external 10 MHz reference
yellow/red oscillator. Yellow: indicates a malfunction occurred in the past.
OVI grey/ Signal Input Overload - Red: present overload condition on the signal
yellow/red input also shown by the red front panel LED. Yellow: indicates an
overload occurred in the past.
OVO grey/ Overload Signal Output - Red: present overload condition on the signal
yellow/red output. Yellow: indicates an overload occurred in the past.
COM grey/ Packet Loss - Red: present loss of data between the device and the host
yellow/red PC. Yellow: indicates a loss occurred in the past.
COM grey/ Sample Loss - Red: present loss of sample data between the device and
yellow/red the host PC. Yellow: indicates a loss occurred in the past. A possible
cause for sample loss may be the scope running in parallel.
C Reset status flags: Clear the current state of the status flags
MOD grey/green MOD - Green: indicates which of the modulation kits is enabled.
PID grey/green PID - Green: indicates which of the PID units is enabled. Red: indicates
PID unit is in PLL or ExtRef mode but is not locked. Yellow: indicates PID
unit was not locked in the past.
PLL grey/green PLL - Green: indicates which of the PLLs is enabled.
Full Toggles the browser between full screen and normal mode.
Screen

5.1.3. Plot Functionality

Several tools provide a graphical display of measurement data in the form of plots. These are multi-
functional tools with zooming, panning and cursor capability. This section introduces some of the
highlights.

Plot Area Elements

Plots consist of the plot area, the X range and the range controls. The X range (above the plot area)
indicates which section of the wave is displayed by means of the blue zoom region indicators. The
two ranges show the full scale of the plot which does not change when the plot area displays a
zoomed view. The two axes of the plot area instead do change when zoom is applied.

The mouse functionality inside of a plot greatly simplifies and speeds up data viewing and
navigation.
Table 5.5: Mouse functionality inside plots

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Name Action Description Performed inside

Panning left click on any moves the waveforms plot area
location and move
around
Zoom X axis mouse wheel zooms in and out the X plot area
axis
Zoom Y axis shift + mouse wheel zooms in and out the Y plot area
axis
Window zoom shift and left mouse selects the area of the plot area
area select waveform to be zoomed in
Absolute jump left mouse click moves the blue zoom X and Y range, but outside of
of zoom area range indicators the blue zoom range
indicators
Absolute move left mouse drag- moves the blue zoom X and Y range, inside of the
of zoom area and-drop range indicators blue range indicators
Full Scale double click set X and Y axis to full plot area
scale

Each plot area contains a legend that lists all the shown signals in the respective color. The legend
can be moved to any desired position by means of drag-and-drop.

The X range and Y range plot controls are described in Table 5.6.

Note
Plot data can be conveniently exported to other applications such as Excel or Matlab by using
LabOne’s Net Link functionality, see Section 5.2.6 for more information.

Table 5.6: Plot control description

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Axis scaling Selects between automatic, full scale and manual axis scaling.
mode
Axis Select between linear, logarithmic and decibel axis mapping.
mapping
mode
Axis zoom in Zooms the respective axis in by a factor of 2.
Axis zoom Zooms the respective axis out by a factor of 2.
out
Rescale axis Rescale the foreground Y axis in the selected zoom area.
to data
Save figure Generates PNG, JPG or SVG of the plot area or areas for dual plots to
the local download folder.
Save data Generates a CSV file consisting of the displayed wave or histogram
data (when histogram math operation is enabled). Select full scale to
save the complete wave. The save data function only saves one shot at
a time (the last displayed wave).
Cursor Cursors can be switch On/Off and set to be moved both independently
control or one bound to the other one.
Net Link Provides a LabOne Net Link to use displayed wave data in tools like
Excel, MATLAB, etc.

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Cursors and Math

The plot area provides two X and two Y cursors which appear as dashed lines inside of the plot area.
The four cursors are selected and moved by means of the blue handles individually by means of
drag-and-drop. For each axis, there is a primary cursor indicating its absolute position and a
secondary cursor indicating both absolute and relative position to the primary cursor.

Cursors have an absolute position which does not change upon pan or zoom events. In case a cursor
position moves out of the plot area, the corresponding handle is displayed at the edge of the plot
area. Unless the handle is moved, the cursor keeps the current position. This functionality is very
effective to measure large deltas with high precision (as the absolute position of the other cursors
does not move).

The cursor data can also be used to define the input data for the mathematical operations
performed on plotted data. This functionality is available in the Math sub-tab of each tool. The Table
5.7 gives an overview of all the elements and their functionality. The chosen Signals and Operations
are applied to the currently active trace only.

Note
Cursor data can be conveniently exported to other applications such as Excel or MATLAB by using
LabOne’s Net Link functionality, see Section 5.2.6 for more information.

Table 5.7: Plot math description

Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Source Select from a list of input sources for math operations.
Select
Cursor Loc Cursor coordinates as input data.
Cursor Area Consider all data of the active trace inside the rectangle defined by
the cursor positions as input for statistical functions (Min, Max,
Avg, Std).
Tracking Display the value of the active trace at the position of the
horizontal axis cursor X1 or X2.
Plot Area Consider all data of the active trace currently displayed in the plot
as input for statistical functions (Min, Max, Avg, Std).
Peak Find positions and levels of up to 5 highest peaks in the data.
Trough Find positions and levels of up to 5 lowest troughs in the data.
Histogram Display a histogram of the active trace data within the x-axis range.
The histogram is used as input to statistical functions (Avg, Std).
Because of binning, the statistical functions typically yield different
results than those under the selection Plot Area.
Resonance Display a curve fitted to a resonance.
Linear Fit Display a linear regression curve.
Operation Select from a list of mathematical operations to be performed on
Select the selected source. Choice offered depends on the selected
source.
Cursor Loc: X1, Cursors positions, their difference and ratio.
X2, X2-X1, Y1, Y2,
Y2-Y1, Y2 / Y1
Cursor Area: Min, Minimum, maximum value, average, and bias-corrected sample
Max, Avg, Std standard deviation for all samples between cursor X1 and X2. All
values are shown in the plot as well.
Tracking: Y(X1), Trace value at cursor positions X1 and X2, the ratio between these
Y(X2), ratioY, two Y values and their difference.
deltaY
Plot Area: Min, Minimum, maximum value, difference between min and max,
Max, Pk Pk, Avg, average, and bias-corrected sample standard deviation for all
Std samples in the x axis range.

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Peak: Pos, Level Position and level of the peak, starting with the highest one. The
values are also shown in the plot to identify the peak.
Histogram: Avg, A histogram is generated from all samples within the x-axis range.
Std, Bin Size, The bin size is given by the resolution of the screen: 1 pixel = 1 bin.
(Plotter tab only: From this histogram, the average and bias-corrected sample
SNR, Norm Fit, standard deviation is calculated, essentially assuming all data
Rice Fit) points in a bin lie in the center of their respective bin. When used in
the plotter tab with demodulator or boxcar signals, there
additionally are the options of SNR estimation and fitting statistical
distributions to the histogram (normal and rice distribution).
Resonance: Q, A curve is fitted to a resonator. The fit boundaries are determined
BW, Center, Amp, by the two cursors X1 and X2. Depending on the type of trace
Phase, Fit Error (Demod R or Demod Phase) either a Lorentzian or an inverse
tangent function is fitted to the trace. The Q is the quality factor of
the fitted curve. BW is the 3dB bandwidth (FWHM) of the fitted
curve. Center is the center frequency. Amp gives the amplitude
(Demod R only), whereas Phase returns the phase at the center
frequency of the resonance (demod Phase only). The fit error is
given by the normalized root-mean-square deviation. It is
normalized by the range of the measured data.
Linear Fit: A simple linear least squares regression is performed using a QR
Intercept, Slope, decomposition routine. The fit boundaries are determined by the
R² two cursors X1 and X2. The parameter outputs are the Y-axis
intercept, slope and the R²-value, which is the coefficient of
determination to determine the goodness-of-fit.
Add Add the selected math function to the result table below.
Add All Add all operations for the selected signal to the result table below.
Clear Clear selected lines from the result table above.
Selected
Clear All Clear all lines from the result table above.
Copy Copy selected row(s) to Clipboard as CSV
Unit Prefix Adds a suitable prefix to the SI units to allow for better readability
and increase of significant digits displayed.
CSV Values of the current result table are saved as a text file into the
download folder.
Net Link Provides a LabOne Net Link to use the data in tools like Excel,
MATLAB, etc.
Help Opens the LabOne User Interface help.

Note

The standard deviation is calculated using the formula 1N−1∑i=1N(xi−xˉ)2\sqrt \frac{1}{N-1}\sum_{i=1}^

1 N
ˉ)2 for the unbiased
N −1 ∑i=1 (xi − x
estimator of the sample standard deviation with a total of N samples xix_i
xi and an arithmetic average
x
xˉ\bar{x}
ˉ . The formula above is used as-is to calculate the standard deviation for the Histogram Plot Math
tool. For large number of points (Cursor Area and Plot Area tools), the more accurate pairwise
algorithm is used (Chan et al., "Algorithms for Computing the Sample Variance: Analysis and
Recommendations", The American Statistician 37 (1983), 242-247).

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Note
The fitting functions used in the Resonance Plot Math tool depend on the selected signal source.
The demodulator R signal is fitted with the following function:
f
R(f)=C+Aff2+(Qf0)2(f2−f02)2(6)\begin{equation}\tag{1} R(f)=C+A\frac{f}{\sqrt{f^2+\left(\frac{Q}
R(f ) = C + A (1)
2
2
f 2 + ( fQ0 ) (f 2 − f02 )

where CCC accounts for a possible offset in the output, AA

A is the amplitude, QQ
Q is the quality factor and
f0 is the center frequency. The demodulator ϕ\phi
f0f_0 ϕ signal s fitted with the following function:
2
ϕ(f)=tan−1(Q1−(ff0)2ff0)(7)\begin{equation}\tag{2}
1 − ( ff0 )\phi(f)=tan^{-1}\left(Q\frac{1-\left(\frac{f}{f_0
−1
ϕ(f ) = tan Q f
(2)
f0

using the same parameters as above.

Tree Selector

The Tree selector allows one to access streamed measurement data in a hierarchical structure by
checking the boxes of the signals that should be displayed. The tree selector also supports data
selection from multiple instruments, where available. Depending on the tool, the Tree selector is
either displayed in a separate Tree sub-tab, or it is accessible by a click on the button.

Figure 5.3: Tree selector with Display drop-down menu

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Vertical Axis Groups

Vertical Axis groups are available as part of the plot functionality in many of the LabOne tools. Their
purpose is to handle signals with different axis properties within the same plot. Signals with
different units naturally have independent vertical scales even if they are displayed in the same plot.
However, signals with the same unit should preferably share one scaling to enable quantitative
comparison. To this end, the signals are assigned to specific axis group. Each axis group has its own
axis system. This default behavior can be changed by moving one or more signals into a new group.

Figure 5.4: Vertical Axis Group in Plotter tool

The tick labels of only one axis group can be shown at once. This is the foreground axis group. To
define the foreground group click on one of the group names in the Vertical Axis Groups box. The
current foreground group gets a high contrast color.

Select foreground group

Click on a signal name or group name inside the Vertical Axis Groups. If a group is empty the
selection is not performed.

Split the default vertical axis group

Use drag-and-drop to move one signal on the field [Drop signal here to add a new group]. This signal
will now have its own axis system.
Change vertical axis group of a signal
Use drag-and-drop to move a signal from one group into another group that has the same unit.
Group separation
In case a group hosts multiple signals and the unit of some of these signals changes, the group will
be split in several groups according to the different new units.

Remove a signal from the group

In order to remove a signal from a group drag-and-drop the signal to a place outside of the Vertical
Axis Groups box.

Remove a vertical axis group

A group is removed as soon as the last signal of a custom group is removed. Default groups will
remain active until they are explicitly removed by drag-and-drop. If a new signal is added that match
the group properties it will be added again to this default group. This ensures that settings of default
groups are not lost, unless explicitly removed.

Rename a vertical axis group

New groups get a default name "Group of ...". This name can be changed by double-clicking on the
group name.
Hide/show a signal
Uncheck/check the check box of the signal. This is faster than fetching a signal from a tree again.

Figure 5.5: Vertical Axis Group typical drag and drop moves.
Table 5.8: Vertical Axis Groups description

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Vertical Manages signal groups sharing a common vertical axis. Show or hide
Axis Group signals by changing the check box state. Split a group by dropping
signals to the field [Drop signal here to add new group]. Remove
signals by dragging them on a free area.
Rename group names by editing the group label. Axis tick labels of the
selected group are shown in the plot. Cursor elements of the active
wave (selected) are added in the cursor math tab.
Signal Type HW Trigger Select signal types for the Vertical Axis Group.
Demod X, Y,
R, Theta
Frequency
Aux Input 1,
2
Channel integer value Selects a channel to be added.
Signal integer value Selects signal to be added.
Add Signal Adds a signal to the plot. The signal will be added to its default group.
It may be moved by drag and drop to its own group. All signals within a
group share a common y-axis. Select a group to bring its axis to the
foreground and display its labels.
Window 2 s to 12 h Window memory depth. Values larger than 10 s may cause excessive
Length memory consumption for signals with high sampling rates. Auto scale
or pan causes a refresh of the display for which only data within the
defined window length are considered.

Trends

The Trends tool lets the user monitor the temporal evolution of signal features such as minimum and
maximum values, or mean and standard deviation. This feature is available for the Scope , Spectrum,
Plotter, and DAQ tab. Using the Trends feature, one can monitor all the parameters obtained in the
Math sub-tab of the corresponding tab.

The Trends tool allows the user to analyze recorded data on a different and adjustable time scale
much longer than the fast acquisition of measured signals. It saves time by avoiding post-processing
of recorded signals and it facilitates fine-tuning of experimental parameters as it extracts and
shows the measurement outcome in real time.

To activate the Trends plot, enable the Trends button in the Control sub-tab of the corresponding
main tab. Various signal features can be added to the plot from the Trends sub-tab in the Vertical
Axis Groups . The vertical axis group of Trends has its own Run/Stop button and Length setting
independent from the main plot of the tab. Since the Math quantities are derived from the raw
signals in the main plot, the Trends plot is only shown together with the main plot. The Trends
feature is only available in the LabOne user interface and not at the API level.

Figure 5.6: Top: main plot of the Scope tab showing the signal trace. Bottom:
corresponding Trends plot tracking an average, standard deviation, and difference
signal derived from the cursor positions in the main plot.

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5.2. Saving and Loading Data

5.2.1. Overview
In this section we discuss how to save and record measurement data with the HF2 Series
Instrument using the LabOne user interface. In the LabOne user interface, there are 3 ways to save
data:
 Saving the data that is currently displayed in a plot
 Continuously recording data in the background
 Saving trace data in the History sub-tab
Furthermore, the History sub-tab supports loading data. In the following, we will explain these
methods.

5.2.2. Saving Data from Plots

A quick way to save data from any plot is to click on the Save CSV icon at the bottom of the plot
to store the currently displayed curves as a comma-separated value (CSV) file to the download
folder of your web browser. Clicking on will save a graphics file instead.

5.2.3. Recording Data

The recording functionality allows you to store measurement data continuously, as well as to track
instrument settings over time. The Config Tab gives you access to the main settings for this function.
The Format selector defines which format is used: HDF5, CSV, or MATLAB. The CSV delimiter
character can be changed in the User Preferences section. The default option is Semicolon.

The node tree display of the Record Data section allows you to browse through the different
measurement data and instrument settings, and to select the ones you would like to record. For
instance, the demodulator 1 measurement data is accessible under the path of the form Device
0000/Demodulators/Demod 1/Sample. An example for an instrument setting would be the filter
time constant, accessible under the path Device 0000/Demodulators/Demod 1/Filter Time
Constant.

The default storage location is the LabOne Data folder which can, for instance, be accessed by the
Open Folder button . The exact path is displayed in the Folder field whenever a file has been
written.

Clicking on the Record checkbox will initiate the recording to the hard drive. In case of demodulator
and boxcar data, ensure that the corresponding data stream is enabled, as otherwise no data will be
saved.

Figure 5.7: Browsing and inspecting files in the LabOne File Manager tab
In case HDF5 or MATLAB is selected as the file format, LabOne creates a single file containing the
data for all selected nodes. For the CSV format, at least one file for each of the selected nodes is
created from the start. At a configurable time interval, new data files are created, but the maximum
size is capped at about 1 GB for easier data handling. The storage location is indicated in the Folder
field of the Record Data section.

The File Manager Tab is a good place to inspect CSV data files. The file browser on the left of the tab
allows you to navigate to the location of the data files and offers functionalities for managing files in
the LabOne Data folder structure. In addition, you can conveniently transfer files between the folder
structure and your preferred location using the Upload/Download buttons. The file viewer on the
right side of the tab displays the contents of text files up to a certain size limit. Figure 5.7 shows the
Files tab after recording Demodulator Sample and Filter Time Constant for a few seconds. The file
viewer shows the contents of the demodulator data file.

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Note
The structure of files containing instrument settings and of those containing streamed data is the
same. Streaming data files contain one line per sampling period, whereas in the case of instrument
settings, the file usually only contains a few lines, one for each change in the settings. More
information on the file structure can be found in the LabOne Programming Manual.

5.2.4. History List

Tabs with a history list such as Sweeper Tab, Data Acquisition Tab , Scope Tab, Spectrum Analyzer
Tab support feature saving, autosaving, and loading functionality. By default, the plot area in those
tools displays the last 100 measurements (depending on the tool, these can be sweep traces, scope
shots, DAQ data sets, or spectra), and each measurement is represented as an entry in the History
sub-tab. The button to the left of each list entry controls the visibility of the corresponding trace in
the plot; the button to the right controls the color of the trace. 1Double-clicking on a list entry allows
you to rename it. All measurements in the history list can be saved with . Clicking on the
button (note the dropdown button ) saves only those traces that were selected by a
mouse click. Use the Control or Shift button together with a mouse click to select multiple traces.
The file location can be accessed by the Open Folder button . Figure 5.10.8 illustrates some of
these features. Figure 5.8 illustrates the data loading feature.

Figure 5.8: History sub-tab features. The entries "My measurement 1" etc. were
renamed by the user. Measurement 1, 2, 3, 4 are currently displayed in the plot because
their left-hand-side button is enabled. Clicking on Save Sel would save "My
measurement 3" and "My measurement 4" to a file, because these entries were
selected (gray overlay) by a Control key + mouse click action.
Which quantities are saved depends on which signals have been added to the Vertical Axis Groups
section in the Control sub-tab. Only data from demodulators with enabled Data Transfer in the Lock-
in tab can be included in the files.

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The history sub-tab supports an autosave functionality to store measurement results continuously
while the tool is running. Autosave directories are differentiated from normal saved directories by
the text "autosave" in the name, e.g. sweep_autosave_000. When running a tool continuously
( button) with Autosave activated, after the current measurement (history entry) is
complete, all measurements in the history are saved. The same file is overwritten each time, which
means that old measurements will be lost once the limit defined by the history Length setting has
been reached. When performing single measurements ( button) with Autosave activated,
after each measurement, the elements in the history list are saved in a new directory with an
incrementing count, e.g. sweep_autosave_001, sweep_autosave_002.

Data which was saved in HDF5 file format can be loaded back into the history list. Loaded traces are
marked by a prefix "loaded " that is added to the history entry name in the user interface. The
createdtimestamp information in the header data marks the time at which the data were
measured.
 Only files created by the Save button in the History sub-tab can be loaded.
 Loading a file will add all history items saved in the file to the history list. Previous entries are
kept in the list.
 Data from the file is only displayed in the plot if it matches the current settings in the Vertical
Axis Group section the tool. Loading e.g. PID data in the Sweeper will not be shown, unless it is
selected in the Control sub-tab.
 Files can only be loaded if the devices saving and loading data are of the same product family.
The data path will be set according to the device ID loading the data.
Figure 5.9 illustrates the data loading feature.

Figure 5.9: History data loading feature. Here, the file sweep_00000.h5 is loaded by
drag-and-drop. The loaded data are added to the measurements in the history list.

5.2.5. Supported File Formats

HDF5

Hierarchical Data File 5 (HDF5) is a widespread memory-efficient, structured, binary, open file
format. Data in this format can be inspected using the dedicated viewer HDFview. HDF5 libraries or
import tools are available for Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C, R, Octave, Origin, Igor Pro, and others. The
following example illustrates how to access demodulator data from a sweep using the h5py library in
Python:

import h5py
filename = 'sweep_00000.h5'

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f = h5py.File(filename, 'r')
x = f['000/dev3025/demods/0/sample/frequency']

The data loading feature of LabOne supports HDF5 files, while it is unavailable for other formats.

MATLAB

The MATLAB File Format (.mat) is a proprietary file format from MathWorks based on the open HDF5
file format. It has thus similar properties as the HDF5 format, but the support for importing .mat files
into third-party software other than MATLAB is usually less good than that for importing HDF5 files.

SXM

SXM is a proprietary file format by Nanonis used for SPM measurements.

5.2.6. LabOne Net Link

Measurement and cursor data can be downloaded from the browser as CSV data. This allows for
further processing in any application that supports CSV file formats. As the data is stored internally
on the web server it can be read by direct server access from other applications. Most up-to-date
software supports data import from web pages or CSV files over the internet. This allows for
automatic import and refresh of data sets in many applications. To perform the import the
application needs to know the address from where to load the data. This link is supplied by the
LabOne User Interface. The following chapter lists examples of how to import data into some
commonly used applications.

The CSV data sent to the application is a snap-shot of the data set on the web server at the time of
the request. Many applications support either manual or periodic refresh functionality.

Since tabs can be instantiated several times within the same user interface, the link is specific to
the tab that it is taken from. Changing the session on the LabOne User Interface or removing tabs
may invalidate the link.

Supported applications:
 Excel
 MATLAB
 Python
 C#.NET
 Igor Pro
 Origin

Excel

These instructions are for Excel 2010 (English). The procedure for other versions may differ.
1. In Excel, click on the cell where the data is to be placed. From the Data ribbon, click the "From
Text" icon. The "Import Text File" dialog will appear.

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2. In LabOne, click the "Link" button of the appropriate Math tab. Copy the selected text from
the "LabOne Net Link" dialog to the clipboard (either with Ctrl-C or by right clicking and
selecting "Copy").

3. In Excel, paste the link into the "File name" entry field of the "Import Text File" dialog and click
the "Open" button. This will start the text import wizard. Ensure that the "Delimited" button is
checked before clicking the "Next" button.

4. In the next dialog, select the delimiter character corresponding to that selected in LabOne
(this can be found in the "Sessions" section of the Config tab). The default is semicolon. Click
the "Next" button.

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5. In the next dialog, click on "Finish" and then "OK" in the "Import Data" dialog. The data from
the Math tab will now appear in the Excel sheet.

6. The data in the sheet can be updated by clicking the "Refresh All" icon. To make updating the
data easier, the "Import text file" dialog can be suppressed by clicking on "Properties".

7. Deactivate the check box "Prompt for file name on refresh".

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MATLAB

By copying the link text from the "LabOne Net Link" dialog to the clipboard, the following code
snippet can be used in MATLAB to read the data.

textscan(urlread(clipboard('paste')),'%s%s%f%s%d%s%s','Headerlines',
4,'Delimiter', ';')

Python

The following code snippet can be used in Python 2 to read the LabOne Net Link data, where "url" is
assigned to the text copied from the "LabOne Net Link" dialog.

import csv
import urllib2
url = "http://127.0.0.1:8006/netlink?id=c0p5t6p1cfplotmath&ziSessionId=0"
webpage = urllib2.urlopen(url)
datareader = csv.reader(webpage)
data = []
for row in datareader:
data.append(row)

C#.NET

The .NET Framework offers a WebClient object which can be used to send web requests to the
LabOne WebServer and download LabOne Net Link data. The string with comma separated content
can be parsed by splitting the data at comma borders.

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using System;
using System.Text;
using System.Net;

namespace ExampleCSV
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
try
{
WebClient wc = new WebClient();
byte[] buffer = wc.DownloadData("http://127.0.0.1:8006/netlink?
id=c0p1t6p1cfplotmath&ziSessionId=0");
String doc = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(buffer);
// Parse here CSV lines and extract data
// ...
Console.WriteLine(doc);
} catch (Exception e) {
Console.WriteLine("Caught exception: " + e.Message);
}
}
}
}

Igor Pro

These instructions are for Igor Pro 6.34A English. The procedure for other versions may differ.
1. For Igor Pro, the CSV separator has to be the comma. Set this in the LabOne Config tab as
follows:

2. In Igor Pro, select the menu "Data→Load Waves→Load Waves...".

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 5.2. Saving and Loading Data

3. In the "Load Waves" dialog, click the "File..." button and paste the link text from the "LabOne
Net Link" dialog into the entry field. Then click the "Tweaks..." button to open the "Load Data
Tweaks" dialog.

4. Adjust values as highlighted below and click "Return". The "Loading Delimited Data" dialog will
appear.

5. Click the "Load" button to read the data.

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6. The data will appear in the Igor Pro main window.

Origin

These instructions are for Origin 9.1 English. The procedure for other versions may differ.
1. Open the import wizard by clicking on the icon highlighted below.

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2. Ensure that the ASCII button is selected. Click the "..." button. See screenshot below. The
"Import Multiple ASCII" dialog will appear.

3. Paste the link text from the "LabOne Net Link" dialog into the entry field highlighted below.
Then click "Add File(s)" followed by "OK".

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4. Back in the "Import Wizard - Source" dialog click "Finish".

5. The data will appear in the Origin main window.

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 5.3. Lock-in Tab

1. Among the mentioned tools, the Scope is exceptional: it displays the most recent acquisition,
and its display color is fixed. However, the Persistence feature represents a more specialized
functionality for multi-trace display. ↩

5.3. Lock-in Tab

This tab is the main lock-in amplifier control panel. Users with instruments with HF2-MF Multi-
frequency option installed are kindly referred to Lock-in Tab (HF2-MF option)

5.3.1. Features
 Functional block diagram with access to main input, output and demodulator controls
 Parameter table with main input, output and demodulator controls
 Control elements for 6 configurable demodulators
 Auto ranging, scaling, arbitrary input units for both input channels
 Control for 2 oscillators
 Settings for main signal inputs and signal outputs
 Flexible choice of reference source, trigger options and data transfer rates

5.3.2. Description
The Lock-in tab is the main control center of the instrument and open after start up by default.
Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following
icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.9: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Lock-in Quick overview and access to all the settings and properties for
signal generation and demodulation.

The default view of the Lock-in tab is the parameter table view. It is accessible under the side tab
labeled All and provides controls for all demodulators in the instrument. Moreover, for each

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individual demodulator there is a functional block diagram available. It is accessible under the side
tab labeled with the corresponding demodulator number.

Parameter Table

The parameter table (see Figure 5.10) consists of 4 vertical sections: Signal Inputs, Oscillators,
Demodulators and Signal Outputs. The Demodulators sections gives access to all the settings of
demodulators 1 to 6 that can be used for measurement, and of demodulators 7 and 8 that can be
used for external referencing. Demodulators 1 to 3 (4 to 6) are connected to Signal Input 1 (2).

Figure 5.10: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab - Parameter table (All)
The Signal Inputs section allows the user to define all relevant settings specific to the signal
entered as for example input coupling, range, etc. Some of the available options like phase
adjustment and the trigger functionality are collapsed by default. It takes one mouse click on the "+"
icon in order to expand those controls. On the right-hand side of the Lock-in tab the Signal Outputs
section allows defining signal amplitudes, offsets and range values.
Below the Scaling field there is the AC/DC button and the 50 Ω/ 1 MΩ . The AC/DC button sets the
coupling type: AC coupling has a high-pass cutoff frequency that can be used to block large DC
signal components to prevent input signal saturation during amplification. The 50 Ω/ 1 MΩ button
toggles the input impedance between low (50 Ω) and high (approx. 1 MΩ ) input impedance. With 50
Ω input impedance, one will expect a reduction of a factor of 2 in the measured signal if the signal
source also has an output impedance of 50 Ω. Next to the 50 Ω button, there is the Diff button which
switches the Signal Input between a single-ended measurement on the + Input and a differential
measurement on the + and - Inputs.

The Oscillator section indicates the frequencies of both internal oscillators . Where the Mode
indicator shows Manual, the user can define the oscillator frequency manually defined by typing a
frequency value in the field. In case the oscillator is referenced to an external source, the Mode
indicator will show ExtRef and the frequency field is set to read-only. External reference requires a
PLL to do the frequency mapping onto an internal oscillator. Successful locking is indicated by a
green light right next to the frequency field. When the Modulation unit or the PID controller
determine the frequency value of an oscillator, MOD or PID are indicated in the Mode field and the
user cannot change the frequency manually.

In the following, we discuss the Demodulators settings in more detail. The block diagram displayed
in Figure 5.11 indicates the main demodulator components and their interconnection. The
understanding of the wiring is essential for successfully operating the instrument.

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 5.3. Lock-in Tab

Figure 5.11: Demodulator block diagram without HF2-MF Multi-frequency option.

The first 6 lines in the Demodulators section represent the demodulators available for
measurements. The Mode column is read-only set to internal reference (Demod). The 7th and 8th
line represent a additional demodulators that are reserved for the exclusive use as phase detectors
when the mode is switched to external reference (ExtRef). In ExtRef mode, the user can select from
a number of different inputs to be used as external reference signal. However, the demodulators 7
and 8 do not produce any output data that could be used for measurements. In the Input Signal
column one selects the signal that is taken as input for a given demodulator among the two Signal
Inputs. For each demodulator an additional phase shift can be introduced to the associated
oscillator by entering the phase offset in the Phase column. This phase is added both to the
reference channel and to the output of the demodulator. Hence, when the frequency is generated
and detected using the same demodulator, signal phase and reference phase change by the same
amount and no change will be visible in the demodulation result. Demodulation of frequencies that
are integer multiples of any of the oscillator frequencies is achieved by entering the desired factor in
the Harm column. The result of the demodulation, i.e. the amplitude and phase can be read e.g.
using the Numeric tab which is described in Numeric Tab.

In the middle of the Lock-in tab is the Low-Pass Filters section where the filter order can be selected
in the drop-down list for each demodulator and the filter bandwidth (BW 3dB) can be chosen by
typing a numerical value. Alternatively, the time constant of the filter (TC) or the noise equivalent
power filter bandwidth (BW NEP) can be chosen by clicking on the column’s header. For example,
setting the filter order to 4 corresponds to a roll off of 24 dB/oct or 80 dB/dec i.e. an attenuation of
104 for a tenfold frequency increase. If the Low-Pass Filter bandwidth is comparable to or larger than
the demodulation frequency, the demodulator output may contain frequency components at the
frequency of demodulation and its higher harmonics. In this case, the additional Sinc Filter should
be enabled. It attenuates those unwanted harmonic components in the demodulator output. The
Sinc Filter is useful when measuring at low frequencies, since it allows one to apply a Low-Pass
Filter bandwidth closer to the demodulation frequency, thus speeding up the measurement time.

The data transfer of demodulator outputs is activated by the En button in the Data Transfer section
where also the sampling rate (Rate) for each demodulator can be defined.

The Trigger section next to the Data Transfer allows for setting trigger conditions in order to control
and initiate data transfer from the Instrument to the host PC by the application of logic signals (e.g.
TTL) to either DIO 0 or 1 on the instrument back panel.

In the Signal Outputs section the On buttons are used to activate the Signal Outputs. This is also
the place where the output amplitudes for the Signal Outputs can be set in adjustable units (Vpk,
Vrms, or dBm). The Range drop-down list is used to select the proper output range setting. By
enabling the Add button, one can add an external analog signal which is applied to the Add input to
the Signal Output.

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Block Diagram

The block diagram view of the main instrument functions is also sometimes called the "Graphical
Lock-in Tab". A set of indexed side tabs in the Lock-in Tab give access to a block diagram for each
demodulator. The block diagrams are fully functional and provide the user with a visual feedback of
what is going on inside the instrument. All control elements that are available in the Parameter Table
detailed in the previous section are also present in the graphical representation.

The block diagram in Figure 5.12 shows the signal path through the instrument for the case when the
internal oscillator is used as reference. The Signal Inputs and Reference/Internal Frequency are
shown on the left-hand side. The actual demodulation, i.e. the mixing and low-pass filtering is
represented in the center of the tab. On the bottom right the user can set Signal Output parameters.
On the top right there are the settings related to the output of the measurement data, either by
digital means (PC Data Transfer) or by analog means (Auxiliary Outputs 1 to 4).

Figure 5.12: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab - Graphical Lock-in tab in Internal
Reference mode
The block diagram in Figure 5.13 shows the signal path through the instrument for the case when an
external reference is used. This setting is only available for demodulators 7 and 8. In order to map an
external frequency to oscillator 1/2 go to the Reference section of demodulator 7/8 and change the
mode to ExtRef. This demodulator will then be used as a phase detector within a phase locked loop.
The software will choose the appropriate filter settings according to the frequency and properties of
the reference signal.

Figure 5.13: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab - Graphical Lock-in tab in External
Reference mode

5.3.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.10: Lock-in tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Range 1 mV to 1.5 V Defines the gain of the analog input amplifier. The range should
exceed the incoming signal by roughly a factor two including a
potential DC offset.
The instrument selects the next higher available range relative to
a value inserted by the user. A suitable choice of this setting
optimizes the accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio by ensuring that
the full dynamic range of the input ADC is used.
On ON / OFF Enable Signal Input.
Auto Automatic adjustment of the Range to about two times the
maximum signal input amplitude measured over about 100 ms.
Scaling numeric Applies an arbitrary scale factor to the input signal.
value

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Measurement unit acronym Defines the physical unit of the input signal. Use *, / and ^
Unit operators, e.g., m or m/s^2.
The value in this field modifies the readout of all measurement
tools in the user interface. Typical uses of this field is to make
measurements in the unit before the sensor/transducer, e.g. to
take an transimpedance amplifier into account and to directly
read results in Ampere instead of Volts.
Coupling OFF: DC Defines the input coupling for the Signal Inputs. AC coupling
coupling inserts a high-pass filter.
ON: AC
coupling
50 Ω OFF: 1 MΩ Switches between 50 Ω (ON) and 1 MΩ (OFF).
ON: 50 Ω
Diff ON: Switches between single ended (OFF) and differential (ON)
Differential measurements.
voltage input
OFF: Single
ended
voltage input
Mode Indicates how the frequency of the corresponding oscillator is
controlled (manual, external reference, PLL, PID). Read only flag.
Manual The user setting defines the oscillator frequency.
ExtRef An external reference is mapped onto the oscillator frequency.
PLL The HF2-PLL option controls the oscillator frequency.
PID The HF2-PID option controls the oscillator frequency.
Frequency (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Frequency control for each oscillator.
Locked ON / OFF Oscillator locked to external reference when turned on.
Mode Select the reference mode (manual or external reference) or
indicate the unit that uses the demodulator (e.g. PLL).
Manual Default lock-in operating mode with manually set reference
frequency.
ExtRef The demodulator is used for external reference mode and tracks
the frequency of the selected reference input. The demodulator
bandwidth is set automatically to adapt to the signal properties.
Mod The demodulator is used by the HF2-MOD option, e.g. for the
direct demodulation of carrier and sideband signals.
Osc oscillator Connects the selected oscillator with the demodulator
index corresponding to this line. Number of available oscillators
depends on the installed options.
Harm 1 to 1023 Multiplies the demodulator's reference frequency with the
integer factor defined by this field.
If the demodulator is used as a phase detector in external
reference mode (PLL), the effect is that the internal oscillator
locks to the external frequency divided by the integer factor.
Demod Freq 0 to 50 MHz Indicates the frequency used for demodulation and for output
(Hz) generation.
The demodulation frequency is calculated with oscillator
frequency times the harmonic factor. When the HF2LI-MOD
option is used linear combinations of oscillator frequencies
including the harmonic factors define the demodulation
frequencies.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Phase (deg) -180° to 180° Phase shift applied to the reference input of the demodulator.
When the HF2LI-MF option is used, the phase shift is also applied
to the Signal Outputs.
Zero Adjust the phase of the demodulator reference automatically in
order to read zero degrees at the demodulator output.
This action maximizes the X output, zeros the Y output, zeros the
Θ output, and leaves the R output unchanged.
Signal Selects the signal source to be associated to the demodulator.
Sig In 1 Signal Input 1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
Sig In 2 Signal Input 2 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
Aux In 1 Auxiliary Input 1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
This input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 20
kHz.
Aux In 2 Auxiliary Input 2 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
This input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 20
kHz.
DIO D0 DIO D0 is connected to the corresponding demodulator. This
input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 2
MHz.
DIO D1 DIO D1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator. This input
is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the External
Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 2 MHz.
Order Selects the filter roll off between 6 dB/oct and 48 dB/oct.
1 1st order filter 6 dB/oct
2 2nd order filter 12 dB/oct
3 3rd order filter 18 dB/oct
4 4th order filter 24 dB/oct
5 5th order filter 30 dB/oct
6 6th order filter 36 dB/oct
7 7th order filter 42 dB/oct
8 8th order filter 48 dB/oct
TC/BW Select Defines the display unit of the low-pass filters: time constant (TC)
in seconds, noise equivalent power bandwidth (BW NEP) in Hz, 3
dB bandwidth (BW 3 dB) in Hz.
TC Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using time constant (s)
of the filter.
BW NEP Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the noise
equivalent power bandwidth (Hz) of the filter.
BW 3 dB Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the 3 dB cut-off
frequency (Hz) of the filter.
TC/BW Value numeric Defines the low-pass filter characteristic in the unit defined
value above.
Sinc ON / OFF Enables the sinc filter.
When the filter bandwidth is comparable to or larger than the
demodulation frequency, the demodulator output may contain
frequency components at the frequency of demodulation and its
higher harmonics. The sinc is an additional filter that attenuates
these unwanted components in the demodulator output.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Filter Lock Makes all demodulator filter settings equal (order, time constant,
bandwidth).
Enabling the lock copies the settings from demodulator 1 to all
other demodulators. With locked filters, any modification to a
filter setting is applied to all other filters, too. Releasing the lock
does not change any setting.
Enable ON / OFF Enables the data acquisition and streaming of demodulated
Streaming samples to the host computer for the corresponding
demodulator. The streaming rate is defined in the field on the
right hand side. Enabling a stream activates a corresponding
element in the numeric tab and allows for demodulated samples
to be visualized and analyzed in any of the LabOne measurement
tools. Note: increasing number of active demodulators increases
load on physical connection to the host computer.
Rate (Sa/s) 0.22 Sa/s to Defines the demodulator sampling rate, the number of samples
410 kSa/s that are sent to the host computer per second. A rate of about
7-10 higher as compared to the filter bandwidth usually provides
sufficient aliasing suppression.
This is also the rate of data received by LabOne Data Server and
saved to the computer hard disk. This setting has no impact on
the sample rate on the auxiliary outputs connectors. Note: the
value inserted by the user may be approximated to the nearest
value supported by the instrument.
Demodulator Makes all demodulator sampling rates equal.
Sampling Rate
Lock Enabling the lock copies the settings from demodulator 1 to all
other demodulators. With locked sampling rates, any modification
to a sampling rate is applied to all other sampling rate fields, too.
Releasing the lock does not change any setting.
Trigger Selects the acquisition mode of demodulated samples.
Continuous trigger means data are streamed to the host
computer at the Rate indicated.
Continuous Selects continuous data acquisition mode. The demodulated
samples are streamed to the host computer at the Rate indicated
on the left hand side. In continuous mode the numerical and
plotter tools are continuously receiving and display new values.
DIO 0 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 0
triggering.
DIO 1 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 1
triggering.
DIO 0\|1 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 0 and 1
triggering.
Trigger Mode Defines the edge or level trigger mode for the selected Trigger
input. Note: this field only appears when a non-continuous trigger
is selected in the Trigger field.
Rising Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on rising edge of the
selected Trigger input.
Falling Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on falling edge of the
selected Trigger input.
Both Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on both edges of the
selected Trigger input.
High Selects continuous sample acquisition mode on high level of the
selected Trigger input. In this selection, the sample rate field
determines the frequency in which demodulated samples are
sent to the host computer.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Low Selects continuous sample acquisition mode on low level of the
selected Trigger input. In this selection, the sample rate field
determines the frequency in which demodulated samples are
sent to the host computer.
Amplitude Unit Vpk, Vrms Select the unit of the displayed amplitude value.
Amplitude ON / OFF Enables individual output signal amplitude.
Enable
When the HF2LI-MF option is used, it is possible to generate
signals being the linear combination of the available demodulator
frequencies.
On ON / OFF Main switch for the Signal Output corresponding to the blue LED
indicator on the instrument front panel.
Range Defines the maximum output voltage that is generated by the
corresponding Signal Output. This includes the potential multiple
Signal Amplitudes and Offsets summed up. Select the smallest
range possible to optimize signal quality.
This setting ensures that no levels or peaks above the setting are
generated, and therefore it limits the values that can be entered
as output amplitudes. Therefore selected output amplitudes are
clipped to the defined range and the clipping indicator turns on. If
50 Ω target source or differential output is enabled the possible
maximal output range will be half.
10 mV Selects output range ±10 mV.
100 mV Selects output range ±100 mV.
1V Selects output range ±1 V.
10 V Selects output range ±10 V.
Offset -range to Defines the DC voltage that is added to the dynamic part of the
range output signal.
Add ON / OFF The signal supplied to the add input is added to the signal output.
Output -range to Defines the output amplitude for each demodulator frequency as
range rms or peak-to-peak value. A negative amplitude value is
equivalent to a phase change of 180 degree. Demodulator 7 is the
signal source for Signal Output 1, demodulator 8 is the source for
Signal Output 2.

5.4. Lock-in Tab (HF2-MF option)

This tab is the main lock-in amplifier control panel for HF2LI Instruments with the HF2-MF Multi-
frequency option installed. Users with instruments without this option installed are kindly referred
to Lock-in Tab.

5.4.1. Features
 Functional block diagram with access to main input, output and demodulator controls
 Parameter table with main input, output and demodulator controls
 Controls for 6 (HF2LI) or 8 (HF2IS) individually configurable demodulators
 Auto ranging, scaling, arbitrary input units for both input channels
 Control for 6 oscillators
 Settings for main signal inputs and signal outputs
 Choice of reference source, trigger options and data transfer rates

5.4.2. Description
The Lock-in tab is the main control center of the instrument and open after start up by default.
Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following
icon will open a new instance of the tab.

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Table 5.11: App icon and short description

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Lock-in MF Quick overview and access to all the settings and properties for
signal generation and demodulation.

The default view of the Lock-in tab is the parameter table view. It is accessible under the side tab
labeled All and provides controls for all demodulators in the instrument. Moreover, for each
individual demodulator there is a functional block diagram available. It is accessible under the side
tab labeled with the corresponding demodulator number.

Parameter Table

Figure 5.14: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab with HF2-MF Multi-frequency option.
The Signal Inputs section allows the user to define all relevant settings specific to the signal
entered as for example input coupling, range, etc. Some of the available options like phase
adjustment and the trigger functionality are collapsed by default. It takes one mouse click on the "+"
icon in order to expand those controls. On the right-hand side of the Lock-in tab the Signal Outputs
section allows to define signal amplitudes, offsets and range values.

The Scaling field below the Range field can be used to multiply the Signal Input data for instance to
account for the gain of an external amplifier. In case there is a transimpedance gain of 10 V/A applied
to the input signal externally, then the Scaling field can be set to 0.1 and the Units field can be set to
A in order to show the actual current readings through the entire user interface.

There are two buttons below the Scaling field that can be toggled: the AC/DC button and the 50 Ω/ 1
MΩ . The AC/DC button sets the coupling type: AC coupling has a high-pass cutoff frequency that
can be used to block large DC signal components to prevent input signal saturation during
amplification. The 50 Ω/ 1 MΩ button toggles the input impedance between low (50 Ω) and high
(approx. 1 MΩ ) input impedance. With 50 Ω input impedance, one will expect a reduction of a factor
of 2 in the measured signal if the signal source also has an output impedance of 50 Ω.

The Oscillator section indicates the . Where the Mode indicator shows Manual the user can define
the oscillator frequency manually defined by typing a frequency value in the field. In case the
oscillator is referenced to an external source the Mode indicator will show ExtRef and the frequency
field is set to read-only. External reference requires a PLL to do the frequency mapping onto an
internal oscillator. Successful locking is indicated by a green light right next to the frequency field.

The next section contains the Demodulators settings. The block diagram displayed in Figure 5.15
indicates the main demodulator components and their interconnection. The understanding of the
wiring is essential for successfully operating the instrument.

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Figure 5.15: Demodulator block diagram with HF2-MF Multi-frequency option.

In the Input Signal column one defines the signal that is taken as input for the demodulator. A wide
choice of signals can be selected: Signal Inputs, the Trigger Inputs, the Auxiliary Inputs and Auxiliary
Outputs. This allows to use the instrument for many different measurement topologies.

For each demodulator an additional phase shift can be introduced to the associated oscillator by
entering the phase offset in the Phase column. This phase is added both, to the reference channel
and the output of the demodulator. Hence, when the frequency is generated and detected using the
same demodulator, signal phase and reference phase change by the same amount and no change
will be visible in the demodulation result. Demodulation of frequencies that are integer multiples of
any of the oscillator frequencies is achieved by entering the desired factor in the Harm column. The
demodulator readout can be obtained using the Numeric tab which is described in Numeric Tab.

In the middle of the Lock-in tab is the Low-Pass Filters section where the filter order can be selected
in the drop down list for each demodulator and the filter bandwidth (BW 3dB) can chosen by typing a
numerical value. Alternatively the time constant of the filter (TC) or the noise equivalent power filter
bandwidth (BW NEP) can be chosen by clicking on the column’s header. For example, setting the
filter order to 4 corresponds to a roll off of 24 dB/oct or 80 dB/dec i.e. an attenuation of 104 for a
tenfold frequency increase. If the Low-Pass Filter bandwidth is comparable to or larger than the
demodulation frequency, the demodulator output may contain frequency components at the
frequency of demodulation and its higher harmonics. In this case, the additional Sinc Filter can be
enabled. It attenuates those unwanted harmonic components in the demodulator output. The Sinc
Filter is also useful when measuring at low frequencies, since it allows to apply a Low-Pass Filter
bandwidth closer to the demodulation frequency, thus speeding up the measurement time.

The data transfer of demodulator outputs is activated by the En button in the Data Transfer section
where also the sampling rate (Rate) for each demodulator can be defined.

The Trigger section next to the Data Transfer allows for setting trigger conditions in order to control
and initiate data transfer from the Instrument to the host PC by the application of logic signals (e.g.
TTL) to either Trigger Input on the back panel.

Block Diagram

The block diagram view of the main instrument functions is also sometimes called the "Graphical
Lock-in Tab". Depending on how many demodulators are available in the instrument a set of
numbered side tabs are available giving access to a Graphical Lock-in Tab for each demodulator. The
block diagrams are fully functional and provide the user with a visual feedback of what is going on
inside the instrument. All control elements that are available in the Parameter Table detailed in the
previous section are also present in the graphical representation.

The block diagram in Figure 5.16 describes the signal path throughout the instrument for the case
when the internal oscillator is used as reference. The Signal Inputs and Reference/Internal
Frequency are described on the left side, the core of demodulation with the mixer and low-pass

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filter is located in the center of the tab and the Signal Outputs, the Auxiliary Outputs as well as the
data transfer to the PC is sketched on the right.

Figure 5.16: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab - Graphical Lock-in tab in Internal
Reference mode
The block diagram in Figure 5.17 describes the signal path throughout the instrument for the case
when an external reference is used. This setting is only available for demodulator 7/8. In order to
map an external frequency to any of the oscillators, go to the Reference section of demodulator 7/8
and change the mode to ExtRef. This demodulator will then be used as a phase detector within the
phase-locked loop. The software will choose the appropriate filter settings according to the
frequency and properties of the reference signal. Once a demodulator is used to map an external
frequency on to one of the internal oscillators, it is no longer available for other measurements.

Figure 5.17: LabOne User Interface Lock-in tab - Graphical Lock-in tab in External
Reference mode

5.4.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.12: Lock-in MF tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Range 1 mV to 1.5 V Defines the gain of the analog input amplifier. The range should
exceed the incoming signal by roughly a factor two including a
potential DC offset.
The instrument selects the next higher available range relative to
a value inserted by the user. A suitable choice of this setting
optimizes the accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio by ensuring that
the full dynamic range of the input ADC is used.
On ON / OFF Enable Signal Input.
Auto Automatic adjustment of the Range to about two times the
maximum signal input amplitude measured over about 100 ms.
Scaling numeric Applies an arbitrary scale factor to the input signal.
value
Measurement unit acronym Defines the physical unit of the input signal. Use *, / and ^
Unit operators, e.g., m or m/s^2.
The value in this field modifies the readout of all measurement
tools in the user interface. Typical uses of this field is to make
measurements in the unit before the sensor/transducer, e.g. to
take an transimpedance amplifier into account and to directly
read results in Ampere instead of Volts.
Coupling OFF: DC Defines the input coupling for the Signal Inputs. AC coupling
coupling inserts a high-pass filter.
ON: AC
coupling
50 Ω OFF: 1 MΩ Switches between 50 Ω (ON) and 1 MΩ (OFF).

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
ON: 50 Ω
Diff ON: Switches between single ended (OFF) and differential (ON)
Differential measurements.
voltage input
OFF: Single
ended
voltage input
Mode Indicates how the frequency of the corresponding oscillator is
controlled (manual, external reference, PLL, PID). Read only flag.
Manual The user setting defines the oscillator frequency.
ExtRef An external reference is mapped onto the oscillator frequency.
PLL The HF2-PLL option controls the oscillator frequency.
PID The HF2-PID option controls the oscillator frequency.
Frequency (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Frequency control for each oscillator.
Locked ON / OFF Oscillator locked to external reference when turned on.
Mode Select the reference mode (manual or external reference) or
indicate the unit that uses the demodulator (e.g. PLL).
Manual Default lock-in operating mode with manually set reference
frequency.
ExtRef The demodulator is used for external reference mode and tracks
the frequency of the selected reference input. The demodulator
bandwidth is set automatically to adapt to the signal properties.
Mod The demodulator is used by the HF2-MOD option, e.g. for the
direct demodulation of carrier and sideband signals.
Osc oscillator Connects the selected oscillator with the demodulator
index corresponding to this line. Number of available oscillators
depends on the installed options.
Harm 1 to 1023 Multiplies the demodulator's reference frequency with the
integer factor defined by this field.
If the demodulator is used as a phase detector in external
reference mode (PLL), the effect is that the internal oscillator
locks to the external frequency divided by the integer factor.
Demod Freq 0 to 50 MHz Indicates the frequency used for demodulation and for output
(Hz) generation.
The demodulation frequency is calculated with oscillator
frequency times the harmonic factor. When the HF2LI-MOD
option is used linear combinations of oscillator frequencies
including the harmonic factors define the demodulation
frequencies.
Phase (deg) -180° to 180° Phase shift applied to the reference input of the demodulator.
When the HF2LI-MF option is used, the phase shift is also applied
to the Signal Outputs.
Zero Adjust the phase of the demodulator reference automatically in
order to read zero degrees at the demodulator output.
This action maximizes the X output, zeros the Y output, zeros the
Θ output, and leaves the R output unchanged.
Signal Selects the signal source to be associated to the demodulator.
Sig In 1 Signal Input 1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
Sig In 2 Signal Input 2 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Aux In 1 Auxiliary Input 1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
This input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 20
kHz.
Aux In 2 Auxiliary Input 2 is connected to the corresponding demodulator.
This input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 20
kHz.
DIO D0 DIO D0 is connected to the corresponding demodulator. This
input is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the
External Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 2
MHz.
DIO D1 DIO D1 is connected to the corresponding demodulator. This input
is only available on demodulators 7 and 8 used for the External
Reference mode. The input bandwidth is limited to 2 MHz.
Order Selects the filter roll off between 6 dB/oct and 48 dB/oct.
1 1st order filter 6 dB/oct
2 2nd order filter 12 dB/oct
3 3rd order filter 18 dB/oct
4 4th order filter 24 dB/oct
5 5th order filter 30 dB/oct
6 6th order filter 36 dB/oct
7 7th order filter 42 dB/oct
8 8th order filter 48 dB/oct
TC/BW Select Defines the display unit of the low-pass filters: time constant (TC)
in seconds, noise equivalent power bandwidth (BW NEP) in Hz, 3
dB bandwidth (BW 3 dB) in Hz.
TC Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using time constant (s)
of the filter.
BW NEP Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the noise
equivalent power bandwidth (Hz) of the filter.
BW 3 dB Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the 3 dB cut-off
frequency (Hz) of the filter.
TC/BW Value numeric Defines the low-pass filter characteristic in the unit defined
value above.
Sinc ON / OFF Enables the sinc filter.
When the filter bandwidth is comparable to or larger than the
demodulation frequency, the demodulator output may contain
frequency components at the frequency of demodulation and its
higher harmonics. The sinc is an additional filter that attenuates
these unwanted components in the demodulator output.
Filter Lock Makes all demodulator filter settings equal (order, time constant,
bandwidth).
Enabling the lock copies the settings from demodulator 1 to all
other demodulators. With locked filters, any modification to a
filter setting is applied to all other filters, too. Releasing the lock
does not change any setting.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Enable ON / OFF Enables the data acquisition and streaming of demodulated
Streaming samples to the host computer for the corresponding
demodulator. The streaming rate is defined in the field on the
right hand side. Enabling a stream activates a corresponding
element in the numeric tab and allows for demodulated samples
to be visualized and analyzed in any of the LabOne measurement
tools. Note: increasing number of active demodulators increases
load on physical connection to the host computer.
Rate (Sa/s) 0.22 Sa/s to Defines the demodulator sampling rate, the number of samples
410 kSa/s that are sent to the host computer per second. A rate of about
7-10 higher as compared to the filter bandwidth usually provides
sufficient aliasing suppression.
This is also the rate of data received by LabOne Data Server and
saved to the computer hard disk. This setting has no impact on
the sample rate on the auxiliary outputs connectors. Note: the
value inserted by the user may be approximated to the nearest
value supported by the instrument.
Demodulator Makes all demodulator sampling rates equal.
Sampling Rate
Lock Enabling the lock copies the settings from demodulator 1 to all
other demodulators. With locked sampling rates, any modification
to a sampling rate is applied to all other sampling rate fields, too.
Releasing the lock does not change any setting.
Trigger Selects the acquisition mode of demodulated samples.
Continuous trigger means data are streamed to the host
computer at the Rate indicated.
Continuous Selects continuous data acquisition mode. The demodulated
samples are streamed to the host computer at the Rate indicated
on the left hand side. In continuous mode the numerical and
plotter tools are continuously receiving and display new values.
DIO 0 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 0
triggering.
DIO 1 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 1
triggering.
DIO 0\|1 Samples are sent to the host computer depending on DIO 0 and 1
triggering.
Trigger Mode Defines the edge or level trigger mode for the selected Trigger
input. Note: this field only appears when a non-continuous trigger
is selected in the Trigger field.
Rising Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on rising edge of the
selected Trigger input.
Falling Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on falling edge of the
selected Trigger input.
Both Selects triggered sample acquisition mode on both edges of the
selected Trigger input.
High Selects continuous sample acquisition mode on high level of the
selected Trigger input. In this selection, the sample rate field
determines the frequency in which demodulated samples are
sent to the host computer.
Low Selects continuous sample acquisition mode on low level of the
selected Trigger input. In this selection, the sample rate field
determines the frequency in which demodulated samples are
sent to the host computer.
Amplitude Unit Vpk, Vrms Select the unit of the displayed amplitude value.
Amplitude ON / OFF Enables individual output signal amplitude.
Enable
When the HF2LI-MF option is used, it is possible to generate
signals being the linear combination of the available demodulator
frequencies.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Amplitude (V) -range to Defines the output amplitude for each demodulator frequency as
range rms or peak-to-peak value.
A negative amplitude value is equivalent to a phase change of 180
degree. Linear combination of multiple amplitude settings on the
same output are clipped to the range setting. Note: the value
inserted by the user may be approximated to the nearest value
supported by the Instrument.
On ON / OFF Main switch for the Signal Output corresponding to the blue LED
indicator on the instrument front panel.
Range Defines the maximum output voltage that is generated by the
corresponding Signal Output. This includes the potential multiple
Signal Amplitudes and Offsets summed up. Select the smallest
range possible to optimize signal quality.
This setting ensures that no levels or peaks above the setting are
generated, and therefore it limits the values that can be entered
as output amplitudes. Therefore selected output amplitudes are
clipped to the defined range and the clipping indicator turns on. If
50 Ω target source or differential output is enabled the possible
maximal output range will be half.
10 mV Selects output range ±10 mV.
100 mV Selects output range ±100 mV.
1V Selects output range ±1 V.
10 V Selects output range ±10 V.
Offset -range to Defines the DC voltage that is added to the dynamic part of the
range output signal.
Add ON / OFF The signal supplied to the add input is added to the signal output.

5.5. Numeric Tab

The Numeric tab provides a powerful time domain based measurement display as introduced in
Unique Set of Analysis Tools. It is available on all HF2LI instruments.

5.5.1. Features
 Display of demodulator output data and other streamed data, e.g. auxiliary inputs, demodulator
frequencies
 Graphical and numerical range indicators
 Polar and Cartesian formats
 Support for Input Scaling and Input Units

5.5.2. Description
The Numeric tab serves as the main numeric overview display of multiple measurement data. The
display can be configured by both choosing the values displayed and also rearrange the display tiles
by drag-and-drop. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed,
clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.13: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Numeric Access to all continuously streamed measurement data as
numerical values.

The numeric tab (see Figure 5.18) is divided into a display section on the left and a configuration
section on the right. The configuration section is further divided into a number of sub-tabs.

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 5.5. Numeric Tab

Figure 5.18: LabOne UI: Numeric tab

The numeric tab can be deployed to display the demodulated signal, phase, frequency as well as the
signal levels at the auxiliary inputs. By default, the user can display the demodulated data either in
polar coordinates (R, Θ) or in Cartesian coordinates (X, Y) which can be toggled using the presets. To
display other measurement quantities as available from any of the presets simply click on the tree
tab next to the preset tab. The desired display fields can be selected under each demodulator’s
directory tree structure.

5.5.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.14: Numeric tab: Presets sub-tab
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Select a Select numerical view based on a preset. Alternatively, the
Preset displayed value may also selected based on tree elements.
Demods Polar Shows R and Phase of all demodulators.
Enabled Demods Shows R and Phase of enabled demodulators.
Polar
Demods Cartesian Shows X and Y of all demodulators.
Enabled Demods Shows X and Y of enabled demodulators.
Cartesian
Demods R Shows R of all demodulators.
Unpopulated Shows no signals.
Manual If additional signals are added or removed the active preset
gets manual.

For the Tree sub-tab please see the section called "Tree Selector".
Table 5.15: Numeric tab: Settings sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Name text label Name of the selected plot(s). The default name can be changed to
reflect the measured signal.
Mapping Mapping of the selected plot(s)
Lin Enable linear mapping.
Log Enable logarithmic mapping.
dB Enable logarithmic mapping in dB.
Scaling Manual/Full Scaling of the selected plot(s)
Scale
Zoom To Adjust the zoom to the current limits of the displayed histogram
Limits data.
Start Value numeric value Start value of the selected plot(s). Only visible for manual scaling.
Stop Value numeric value Stop value of the selected plot(s). Only visible for manual scaling.

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5.6. Plotter Tab

The Plotter is one of the powerful time-domain measurement tools as introduced in Unique Set of
Analysis Tools and is available on all HF2LI instruments.

5.6.1. Features
 Vertical axis grouping for flexible axis scaling
 Polar and Cartesian data format
 Histogram and Math functionality for data analysis
 4 cursors for data analysis
 Support for Input Scaling and Input Units

5.6.2. Description
The Plotter serves as graphical display for time domain data in a roll mode, i.e. continuously without
triggering. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the
following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.16: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Plotter Displays various continuously streamed measurement data as
traces over time (roll mode).

The Plotter tab (see Figure 5.19) is divided into a display section on the left and a configuration
section on the right.

Figure 5.19: LabOne UI: Plotter tab

The Plotter can be used to monitor the evolution of demodulated data and other streamed data
continuously over time. Just as in the numeric tab any continuously streamed quantity can be
displayed, for instance R, Θ, X, Y, frequency, and others. New signals can be added by either using the
presets in the Control sub-tab or by going through the tree and selecting the signals of interest in
the tree structure. The vertical and horizontal axis can be displayed in Lin, Log or dB scale. The
Plotter display can be zoomed in and out with the magnifier symbols, or through Man (Manual), Auto
(Automatic) and FS (Full Scale) button settings (see also Plot Functionality. The maximum duration
data is kept in the memory can be defined through the window length parameter in the Settings
sub-tab. The window length also determines the file size for the Record Data functionality.

Note
Setting the window length to large values when operating at high sampling rates can lead to memory
problems at the computer hosting the data server.

The sampling rate of the demodulator data is determined by the Rate value in Sa/s set in the Lock-in
tab . The Plotter data can be continuously saved to disk by clicking the record button in the Config
tab which will be indicated by a green Recording (REC) LED in the status bar. See Saving and Loading
Data for more information on data saving.

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5.6.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.17: Plotter tab: Control sub-tab
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Run/Stop Start and stop continuous data plotting (roll mode)
Select a Select a pre-defined group signals. A signal group is defined by
Preset a common unit and signal type.
They should have the same scaling behavior as they share a y-
axis. Split a group if the signals have different scaling
properties.
Enabled Demods R Selects the amplitude of all enabled demodulators.
Enabled Demods Selects X and Y of all enabled demodulators.
Cartesian
Enabled Demods Selects amplitude and phase of all enabled demodulators.
Polar
Unpopulated Shows no signals.
Manual Selects the signals as defined in the tree sub-tab.

For the Vertical Axis Groups, please see the table "Vertical Axis Groups description" in the section
called "Vertical Axis Groups".

For the Math sub-tab please see the table "Plot math description" in the section called "Cursors and
Math".

5.7. Scope Tab

The Scope is a powerful time domain and frequency domain measurement tool as introduced in
Unique Set of Analysis Tools and is available on all HF2 Series instruments.

5.7.1. Features
 One input channel with 2 kSa of memory
 14 bit nominal resolution
 Fast Fourier Transform (FFT): up to 100 MHz span, spectral density and power conversion, choice
of window functions
 Sampling rates from 6.4 kSa/s to 210 MSa/s; up to 10 μs acquisition time at 210 MSa/s or 320 ms
at 6.4 kSa/s
 4 signal sources; up to 13 trigger sources and 2 trigger methods `
 Independent hold-off and trigger level settings

5.7.2. Description
The Scope tab serves as the graphical display for time domain data. Whenever the tab is closed or
an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of
the tab.
Table 5.18: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Scope Displays shots of data samples in time and frequency domain
(FFT) representation.

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 5.7. Scope Tab

Figure 5.20: LabOne UI: Scope tab - Time domain

The Scope tab consists of a plot section on the left and a configuration section on the right. The
configuration section is further divided into a number of sub-tabs. It gives access to a single-
channel oscilloscope that can be used to monitor a choice of signals in the time or frequency
domain. Hence the X axis of the plot area is time (for time domain display, Figure 5.20) or frequency
(for frequency domain display, Figure 5.22). It is possible to display the time trace and the associated
FFT simultaneously by opening a second instance of the Scope tab.

The Scope records data from a single channel at up to 210 MSa/s. The channel can be selected
among the two Signal Inputs and the two Signal Outputs. The Scope records data sets of up to 2 kSa
samples in the standard configuration, which corresponds to an acquisition time of 10 μs at the
highest sampling rate.

Figure 5.21: Illustration of how the Scope output is generated in BW Limitation and
decimation mode when the sampling rate is reduced from the default of 210 MSa/s to
52.5 MSa/s
The frequency domain representation is activated in the Control sub-tab by selecting Freq Domain
FFT as the Horizontal Mode. It allows the user to observe the spectrum of the acquired shots of
samples. All controls and settings are shared between the time domain and frequency domain
representations.

The Scope supports averaging over multiple shots. The functionality is implemented by means of an
exponential moving average filter with configurable filter depth. Averaging helps to suppress noise
components that are uncorrelated with the main signal. It is particularly useful in combination with
the Frequency Domain FFT mode where it can help to reveal harmonic signals and disturbances
that might otherwise be hidden below the noise floor.

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 5.7. Scope Tab

Figure 5.22: LabOne UI: Scope tab - Frequency domain

The Trigger sub-tab offers all the controls necessary for triggering on different signal sources. When
the trigger is enabled, then oscilloscope shots are acquired whenever the trigger conditions are met.
Trigger and Hysteresis levels can be indicated graphically in the plot. A disabled trigger is equivalent
to continuous oscilloscope shot acquisition.

5.7.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.19: Scope tab: Control sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Run/Stop Runs the scope/FFT continuously.
Mode Freq Domain Switches between time and frequency domain display.
(FFT)
Time Domain
Sampling 6.4 kSa/s to Defines the sampling rate of the scope. The numeric values are
Rate 210 MSa/s rounded for display purposes. The exact values are equal to the base
sampling rate divided by 2^n, where n is an integer.
Duration The scope shot length in time is given by the number of samples in
the shot divided by the sampling rate.
Signal Signal Output Selects the source for the scope input.
Input 2
Signal Input 1
Signal Input 2
Signal Output
1
Average Enable averaging filter which obtains and displays the average of
Filter scope shots continuously. Depending on the Scope Mode, the source
data for averaging is either the Time or the FreqFFT trace.
Off Averaging is turned off.
On Consecutive scope shots are averaged and the outcome is displayed.
Weight integer value Define the weight function for exponential averaging which
corresponds to the number of scope shots required to reach 63%
settling. Twice the number of shots yields 86% settling. The
improvement in resolution is limited by the square root of the weight
parameter.
Averages integer value The number of shots to average on the device before returning the
data.
Reset Reset the averaging filter.
Averaging Select the averaging method between Uniform and Exponential.
Method
Exponential Apply exponential weight on the scope shots while averaging.
Uniform Apply uniform weight on the scope shots while averaging.
Count integer value Displays the number of scope shots that have been averaged.

For the Vertical Axis Groups, please see the table "Vertical Axis Groups description" in the section
called "Vertical Axis Groups".

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Table 5.20: Scope tab: Trigger sub-tab

Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Trigger grey/green/yellow When flashing, indicates that new scope shots are being
captured and displayed in the plot area. The Trigger must not
necessarily be enabled for this indicator to flash. A disabled
trigger is equivalent to continuous acquisition. Scope shots with
data loss are indicated by yellow. Such an invalid scope shot is
not processed.
Signal Selects the trigger source signal.
Off Switches the scope off.
Continuous A new waveform is acquired and displayed after the hold off time.
The trigger source is ignored.
Signal Inputs 1/2 A new waveform is acquired and displayed when the respective
Signal Input is matching the trigger condition.
Signal Outputs 1/2 A new waveform is acquired and displayed when the respective
Signal Output is matching the trigger condition.
Oscillators 1-8 A new waveform is acquired and displayed when the respective
Oscillator is matching the trigger condition.
DIO 0/1 A new waveform is acquired and displayed when the respective
DIO signal is matching the trigger condition.
Slope Falling edge Select the signal edge that should activate the trigger.
trigger
Rising edge
trigger
Level (%) numeric Defines the trigger level relative to signal full scale.
percentage value
(negative values
permitted)
Holdoff (s) numeric value Defines the time before the trigger is rearmed after a recording
event.
Plot Type Select the plot type.
None No plot displayed.
2D Display defined number of grid rows as one 2D plot.
Row Display only the trace of index defined in the Active Row field.
2D + Row Display 2D and row plots.
Active Row integer value Set the row index to be displayed in the Row plot.
Track ON / OFF If enabled, the active row marker will track with the last recorded
Active Row row. The active row control field is read-only if enabled.
Palette Solar Select the colormap for the current plot.
Viridis
Inferno
Balance
Turbo
Grey
Colorscale ON / OFF Enable/disable the colorscale bar display in the 2D plot.
Mapping Mapping of colorscale.
Lin Enable linear mapping.
Log Enable logarithmic mapping.
dB Enable logarithmic mapping in dB.
Scaling Full Scale/ Scaling of colorscale.
Manual/Auto

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Clamp To ON / OFF When enabled, grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max
Color region are painted with Min or Max color equivalents. When
disabled, Grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max
values are left transparent.
Start numeric value Lower limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.
Stop numeric value Upper limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.

Table 5.21: Scope tab: Advanced sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
FFT Window Cosine Several different FFT windows to choose from. Each window
squared (ring- function results in a different trade-off between amplitude
down) accuracy and spectral leakage. Please check the literature to find
the window function that best suits your needs.
Rectangular
Hann
Hamming
Blackman
Harris
Flat Top
Exponential
(ring-down)
Cosine (ring-
down)
Resolution mHz to Hz Spectral resolution defined by the reciprocal acquisition time
(Hz) (sample rate, number of samples recorded).
Power ON / OFF When activated, applies power correction to the spectrum to
Correction compensate for the shift that the window function causes. Power
correction is useful for noise measurements to correct the noise
floor. When deactivated, amplitude compensation is applied which
corrects the peak amplitudes of coherent tones.
Absolute ON / OFF Shifts x-axis labeling to show the absolute frequency in the center
Frequency as opposed to 0 Hz, when turned off.
Spectral ON / OFF Calculate and show the spectral density. If power is enabled the
Density power spectral density value is calculated. The spectral density is
used to analyze noise.
Power ON / OFF Calculate and show the power value. To extract power spectral
density (PSD) this button should be enabled together with Spectral
Density.
Persistence ON / OFF Keeps previous scope shots in the display.
The color scheme visualizes the number of occurrences at certain
positions in time and amplitude by a multi-color scheme.
BW Limit ON / OFF Select between scope sample decimation and averaging. Averaging
avoids aliasing but may conceal single-sample peaks.
Rate Streaming rate of the scope channels. The streaming rate can be
adjusted independent from the scope sampling rate. The maximum
rate depends on the interface used for transfer. Note: scope
streaming requires the DIG option.

Table 5.22: Scope tab: History sub-tab

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
History History Each entry in the list corresponds to a single trace in the history. The
number of traces displayed in the plot is limited to 20. Use the toggle
buttons to hide or show individual traces. Use the color picker to change
the color of a trace in the plot. Double click on a list entry to edit its name.
Length integer Maximum number of records in the history. The number of entries displayed
value in the list is limited to the 100 most recent ones.
Clear All Remove all records from the history list.
Clear Remove selected records from the history list.
Load file Load data from a file into the history. Loading does not change the data
type and range displayed in the plot, this has to be adapted manually if
data is not shown.
Name Enter a name which is used as a folder name to save the history into. An
additional three digit counter is added to the folder name to identify
consecutive saves into the same folder name.
Auto Save Activate autosaving. When activated, any measurements already in the
history are saved. Each subsequent measurement is then also saved. The
autosave directory is identified by the text "autosave" in the name, e.g.
"sweep_autosave_001". If autosave is active during continuous running of
the module, each successive measurement is saved to the same directory.
For single shot operation, a new directory is created containing all
measurements in the history. Depending on the file format, the
measurements are either appended to the same file, or saved in individual
files. For HDF5 and ZView formats, measurements are appended to the
same file. For MATLAB and SXM formats, each measurement is saved in a
separate file.
File Select the file format in which to save the data.
Format
Save Save the traces in the history to a file accessible in the File Manager tab.
The file contains the signals in the Vertical Axis Groups of the Control sub-
tab. The data that is saved depends on the selection from the pull-down
list. Save All: All traces are saved. Save Sel: The selected traces are saved.

For the Math sub-tab please see the table "Plot math description" in the section called "Cursors and
Math".

5.8. Data Acquisition Tab

The Data Acquisition tool is one of the powerful time domain measurement tools as introduced in
Unique Set of Analysis Tools and is available on all HF2LI instruments . This tab used to be named
Software Trigger tab in previous versions of the LabOne software.

5.8.1. Features
 Time-domain and frequency domain display for all continuously streamed data
 Capture and color scale display of imaging data
 Frame averaging and pixel interpolation
 Automatic trigger level determination
 Display of multiple traces
 Adjustable record history
 Mathematical toolkit for signal analysis

5.8.2. Description
The Data Acquisition tab features display and recording of shot-wise and imaging data sets upon a
trigger event. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking
the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.23: App icon and short description

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 5.8. Data Acquisition Tab

Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
DAQ Provides complex trigger functionality on all continuously streamed
data samples and time domain display.

The Data Acquisition tab (see Figure 5.23) is divided into a display section on the left and a
configuration section on the right. The configuration section is further divided into a number of sub-
tabs.

Figure 5.23: LabOne UI: Data Acquisition tab

The Data Acquisition tool brings the trigger functionality of a scope with FFT capability to the
demodulator signals and other streamed data. The user can choose between a variety of different
trigger and display options in the time and frequency domain.

Use the Control sub-tab to configure which signals are measured, both in time and in frequency
domain. Measurement signals can be added to the Vertical Axis Groups section as described in
Vertical Axis Groups. There is one vertical axis group for each the time domain and the frequency
domain data.

The trigger condition is configured in the Settings sub-tab. Among the selection of Trigger Types
provided here, Edge and Pulse are applicable to analog trigger sources such as demodulator data,
auxiliary voltages, or oscillator frequencies. The trigger time resolution is enhanced above the
sampling rate of the analog data by using interpolation. Instead of manually setting a Trigger Level,
you can click on to have LabOne find a value by analyzing the data stream. In case of noisy
trigger sources, both the Bandwidth and the Hysteresis setting can help preventing false trigger
events. The Bandwidth setting provides a configurable low-pass filter applied to the trigger source.
When enabling this function, be sure to choose a sufficiently high bandwidth to resolve the signal
feature that should be triggered upon, i.e., the signal edge or pulse. The Bandwidth setting does not
affect the recorded data.

For trigger sources with a slowly varying offset, the Tracking Edge and Tracking Pulse Trigger Types
provide continuous adjustment of the Level and Hysteresis. In Tracking mode, the Bandwidth setting
plays a different role than for the Edge and Pulse trigger types. Here, the Bandwidth should be
chosen sufficiently low to filter out all fast features and only let pass the slow offset. The Trigger
Types HW Trigger and Digital are used for TTL signals on the DIO lines. Using the Bits and Bit Mask
setting, complex multi-bit trigger conditions on the DIO lines can be defined. The timing resolution
for digital triggers is given by the demodulator sample rate because the state of the DIO line is
transferred together with demodulator data.

The Horizontal section of the Settings sub-tab contains the settings for shot Duration and Delay
(negative delays correspond to pre-trigger time). Also minimum and maximum pulse width for the
Pulse and Tracking Pulse trigger types are defined here.

The Grid sub-tab provides imaging functionality to capture and display two-dimensional data sets
organized in frames consisting of rows and columns. By default, the number of rows is 1, which
means the Data Acquisition tool operates similar to a scope. With a Rows setting larger than 1, every
newly captured shot of data is assigned to a row until the number of rows is reached and the frame
is complete. After completion of a full frame, the new data either replace the old or averaging is
performed, according to the selected Operation and Repetitions setting. On the horizontal axis, the
Duration of a shot is divided into a number of samples specified with the Columns setting. The Mode
settings provides the functionality for post-processing of the streamed data for interpolation,
resampling, and alignment with the trigger event. This is particularly helpful when capturing data
from several sources, e.g. demodulators and PID controllers. As illustrated in Figure 5.24, in such
situation the streamed data don’t lie on the same temporal grid by default. This can be changed by
setting Mode to Linear or Nearest. In these modes, the streams from several sources will be up-
sampled to match the sampling rate and temporal grid of the fastest data stream. This means data
processing after saving becomes more convenient, however note that the actual streamed data rate
is not increased, and the data don’t gain in time resolution. A two-dimensional color scale image of

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the data can be enabled and controlled in the Display section. The display features configurable
scaling, range, and color scale.

With enabled grid mode, the data of a completed frame after averaging appear as a list entry in the
History sub-tab. See History List for more details on how data in the history list can be managed and
stored.

Figure 5.24: Samples from different sources configured with different rates:
demodulator 1 at 2N kSa/s, demodulator 2 at N kSa/s and PID Error 1 at M kSa/s (N not
divisible by M). Although each stream consists of equidistantly spaced samples in time,
the sample timestamps from different streams are not necessarily aligned due to the
different sampling rates

5.8.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.24: DAQ tab: Control sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Run/Stop Start and stop the Data Acquisition tool
Single Run the Data Acquisition tool once (record Count trigger events)
Force Forces a single trigger event.
Triggered grey/green When green, indicates that new trigger shots are being captured
and displayed in the plot area.

For the Vertical Axis Groups, please see the table "Vertical Axis Groups description" in the section
called "Vertical Axis Groups".
Table 5.25: DAQ tab: Settings sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Trigger Source signal for trigger condition. Navigate through the tree view
Signal that appears and click on the required signal.
Trigger Type Select the type of trigger to use. Selectable options depend on the
selected trigger signal.
Continuous Continuous triggering.
Edge Analog edge triggering based on high and low level. Hysteresis on the
levels and low-pass filtering can be used to reduce the risk of wrong
trigger for noisy trigger signals.
Digital Digital triggering on the 32-bit DIO lines. The bit value defines the
trigger condition. The bit mask controls the bits that are used for
trigger evaluation. When using a Positive Edge trigger setting, a
trigger event occurs as soon as the equality (DIO Value)AND(Bit Mask)
= (Bits)AND(Bit Mask) is fulfilled (and was not previously fulfilled). In
order to trigger on DIO0 set bit value to 1 and bit mask to 1; to trigger
on DIO1 set bit value to 2 and bit mask to 2.
Pulse Triggers if a pulse on an analog signal is within the min and max pulse
width. Pulses can be defined as either low to high then high to low
(positive), the reverse (negative) or both.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Tracking Edge Edge triggering with automatic adjustment of trigger levels to
compensate for drifts. The tracking speed is controlled by the
bandwidth of the low-pass filter. For this filter noise rejection can
only be achieved by level hysteresis.
HW Trigger Trigger on one of the four trigger inputs. Ensure that the trigger level
and the trigger coupling is correctly adjusted. The trigger input state
can be monitored on the plotter.
Tracking Pulse triggering with automatic adjustment of trigger levels to
Pulse compensate for drifts. The tracking speed is controlled by the
bandwidth of the low-pass filter. For this filter noise rejection can
only be achieved by level hysteresis.
Pulse Type Positive/ Select between negative, positive or both pulse forms in the signal to
Negative/ trigger on.
Both
Trigger Positive/ Triggers when the trigger input signal is crossing the trigger level from
Edge Negative/ either high to low, low to high or both. This field is only displayed for
Both trigger type Edge, Tracking Edge and Event Count.
Bits 0 to 2^32-1 Specify the value of the DIO to trigger on. All specified bits have to be
set in order to trigger. This field is only displayed for trigger type
Digital.
Bit Mask 0 to 2^32-1 Specify a bit mask for the DIO trigger value. The trigger value is bits
AND bit mask (bitwise). This field is only displayed for trigger type
Digital.
Level full signal Specify the trigger level value.
range
Find Automatically find the trigger level based on the current signal.
Hysteresis full signal The hysteresis is important to trigger on the correct edge in the
range presence of noise. The hysteresis is applied below the trigger level for
positive trigger edge selection. It is applied above for negative trigger
edge selection, and on both sides for triggering on both edges.
Count integer Number of trigger events to record (in Single mode)
number
Trigger 0% to 100% The percentage of triggers already acquired (in Single mode)
progress
Bandwidth 0 to 0.5 * Bandwidth of the low-pass filter applied to the trigger signal. For
(Hz) Sampling edge and pulse trigger use a bandwidth larger than the signal
Rate sampling rate divided by 20 to keep the phase delay. For tracking
filter use a bandwidth smaller than signal sampling frequency divided
by 100 to just track slow signal components like drifts.
Enable ON / OFF Enable low-pass filtering of the trigger signal.
Hold Off positive Hold off time before the trigger is rearmed. A hold off time smaller
Time (s) numeric value than the duration will lead to overlapping trigger frames.
Hold Off integer value Number of skipped triggers until the next trigger is recorded again.
Count
Delay (s) -Duration to Time delay of trigger frame position (left side) relative to the trigger
Duration edge. For delays smaller than 0, trigger edge inside trigger frame (pre
trigger). For delays greater than 0, trigger edge before trigger frame
(post trigger)
Refresh 100 mHz to 10 Set the maximum refresh rate for plot updates. The actual refresh
Rate Hz rate depends on other factors such as the hold-off time and
duration.
Pulse Min 0 to Duration Minimum pulse width to trigger on.
(s)
Pulse Max 0 to Duration Maximum pulse width to trigger on.
(s)

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Window Cosine Several different FFT windows to choose from. Depending on the
squared (ring- application it makes a huge difference which of the provided window
down) function is used. Please check the literature to find out the best
trade off for your needs.
Rectangular
Hann
Hamming
Blackman
Harris
Flat Top
Exponential
(ring-down)
Cosine (ring-
down)
Power ON / OFF When activated, applies power correction to the spectrum to
Correction compensate for the shift that the window function causes. Power
correction is useful for noise measurements to correct the noise
floor. When deactivated, amplitude compensation is applied which
corrects the peak amplitudes of coherent tones.
Absolute ON / OFF Shifts x-axis labeling to show the demodulation frequency in the
Frequency center as opposed to 0 Hz, when turned off.
Spectral ON / OFF Calculate and show the spectral density. If power is enabled the
Density power spectral density value is calculated. The spectral density is
used to analyze noise.

Table 5.26: DAQ tab: Grid sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Mode Select resampling method for two-dimensional data recording.
Off Two-dimensional data recording is disabled.
Nearest Resampling is performed using substitution by closest data point.
Linear Resampling is performed using linear interpolation.
Exact (on-grid) Adjust the duration so that the grid distance matches the maximal
sampling rate of the selected signals. This allows for on-grid
sampling of measurement data. If a signal uses lower sampling rate
it will be up-sampled by linear interpolation.
On Grid Green or When green, indicates that all the captured data is aligned to the
Sampling yellow grid. When yellow, indicates that some data is not aligned to the
grid and is interpolated. This can happen when one or more data
sources have different sampling rates, or when a sampling rate
changes.
Operation Select row update method.
Replace New row replaces old row.
Average The data for each row is averaged over a number of repetitions.
Std The data for each row is the standard deviation over a number of
repetitions.
Columns numeric value Number of columns. The data along the horizontal axis are
resampled to a number of samples defined by this setting.
Duration up to 1000 s Recording length for each triggered data set. In exact sampling
mode the duration is a read-only field. The duration is then defined
by the maximal sampling rate and column size.
Rows numeric value Number of rows

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Scan Select the scan direction and mode
Direction
Forward Scan direction from left to right
Reverse Scan direction from right to left
Bidirectional Alternate scanning in both directions
Repetitions numeric value Number of repetitions used for averaging
Row-wise ON / OFF Enable row-wise repetition. With row-wise repetition, each row is
repetition calculated from successive repetitions before starting the next
row. With grid-wise repetition, the entire grid is calculated with
each repetition.
Waterfall ON / OFF Enable to show the 2D plot in waterfall mode. It will always update
the last line.
Overwrite ON / OFF Enable to overwrite the grid in continuous mode. History will not be
collected. A history element will only be created when the analysis
is stopped.
Plot Type Select the plot type.
None No plot displayed.
2D Display defined number of grid rows as one 2D plot.
Row Display only the trace of index defined in the Active Row field.
2D + Row Display 2D and row plots.
Active Row integer value Set the row index to be displayed in the Row plot.
Track Active ON / OFF If enabled, the active row marker will track with the last recorded
Row row. The active row control field is read-only if enabled.
Palette Solar Select the colormap for the current plot.
Viridis
Inferno
Balance
Turbo
Grey
Colorscale ON / OFF Enable/disable the colorscale bar display in the 2D plot.
Mapping Mapping of colorscale.
Lin Enable linear mapping.
Log Enable logarithmic mapping.
dB Enable logarithmic mapping in dB.
Scaling Full Scale/ Scaling of colorscale.
Manual/Auto
Clamp To ON / OFF When enabled, grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max
Color region are painted with Min or Max color equivalents. When
disabled, Grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max values
are left transparent.
Start numeric value Lower limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.
Stop numeric value Upper limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.

Table 5.27: DAQ tab: History sub-tab

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 5.9. Spectrum Analyzer Tab

Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
History History Each entry in the list corresponds to a single trace in the history. The
number of traces displayed in the plot is limited to 20. Use the toggle
buttons to hide or show individual traces. Use the color picker to change
the color of a trace in the plot. Double click on a list entry to edit its name.
Length integer Maximum number of records in the history. The number of entries displayed
value in the list is limited to the 100 most recent ones.
Clear All Remove all records from the history list.
Clear Remove selected records from the history list.
Load file Load data from a file into the history. Loading does not change the data
type and range displayed in the plot, this has to be adapted manually if
data is not shown.
Name Enter a name which is used as a folder name to save the history into. An
additional three digit counter is added to the folder name to identify
consecutive saves into the same folder name.
Auto Save Activate autosaving. When activated, any measurements already in the
history are saved. Each subsequent measurement is then also saved. The
autosave directory is identified by the text "autosave" in the name, e.g.
"sweep_autosave_001". If autosave is active during continuous running of
the module, each successive measurement is saved to the same directory.
For single shot operation, a new directory is created containing all
measurements in the history. Depending on the file format, the
measurements are either appended to the same file, or saved in individual
files. For HDF5 and ZView formats, measurements are appended to the
same file. For MATLAB and SXM formats, each measurement is saved in a
separate file.
File Select the file format in which to save the data.
Format
Save Save the traces in the history to a file accessible in the File Manager tab.
The file contains the signals in the Vertical Axis Groups of the Control sub-
tab. The data that is saved depends on the selection from the pull-down
list. Save All: All traces are saved. Save Sel: The selected traces are saved.

For the Math sub-tab please see the table "Plot math description" in the section called "Cursors and
Math".

5.9. Spectrum Analyzer Tab

The Spectrum Analyzer is one of the powerful frequency domain measurement tools as introduced
in Unique Set of Analysis Tools and is available on all HF2 Series instruments.

5.9.1. Features
 Fast, high-resolution FFT spectrum analyzer
 Signals: demodulated data (X+iY, R, Θ, f and dΘ/dt/(2π) ), PID, Boxcar, Auxiliary Inputs, and more
 Variable center frequency, frequency resolution and frequency span
 Auto bandwidth
 Waterfall display
 Choice of 4 different FFT window functions
 Continuous and block-wise acquisition with different types of averaging
 Detailed noise power analysis
 Support for Input Scaling and Input Units
 Mathematical toolbox for signal analysis

5.9.2. Description
The Spectrum Analyzer provides frequency domain analysis of demodulator data. Whenever the tab
is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new
instance of the tab.

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Table 5.28: App icon and short description

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Spectrum Provides FFT functionality to all continuously streamed
measurement data.

The Spectrum tab (see Figure 5.25) is divided into a display section on the left and a configuration
section on the right. The configuration section is further divided into a number of sub-tabs.

Figure 5.25: LabOne UI: Spectrum analyzer tab

The Spectrum Analyzer allows for spectral analysis of all the demodulator data by performing the
fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the complex demodulator data samples X+iY (with i as the imaginary
unit). The result of this FFT is a spectrum centered around the demodulation frequency, whereas
applying a FFT directly on the raw input data would produce a spectrum centered around zero
frequency. The latter procedure corresponds to the Frequency Domain operation in the Scope Tab.
The main difference between the two is that the Spectrum Analyzer tool can acquire data for a
much longer periods of time and therefore can achieve very high frequency resolution around the
demodulation frequency. By default, the spectrum is displayed centered around zero. Sometimes
however it is convenient to shift the frequency axis by the demodulation frequency which allows one
to identify the frequencies on the horizontal axis with the physical frequencies at the signal inputs.
This can be done by activating Absolute Frequency on the Settings sub-tab.

By default, the display section contains a line plot of the spectrum together with a color waterfall
plot of the last few acquired spectra. The waterfall plot makes it easier to see the evolution of the
spectrum over time. The display layout as well as the number of rows in the color plot can be
configured in the Settings sub-tab.

Data shown in the Spectrum tab have passed a low-pass filter with a well-defined order and
bandwidth. This is most clearly noted by the shape of the noise floor. One has to take care that the
selected frequency span, which equals the demodulator sampling rate, is 5 to 10 times higher than
the filter bandwidth in order to prevent measurement errors due to aliasing. The Auto Bandwidth
button adjusts the sampling rate so that it suits the filter settings. The Spectrum tab features
FFT display of a selection of data available in the Signal Type drop-down list in addition to the
complex demodulator samples X+iY. Looking at the FFT of polar demodulator values R and Theta
allows one to discriminate between phase noise components and amplitude noise components in
the signal. The FFT of the phase derivative dΘ/dt provides a quantitative view of the spectrum of
demodulator frequencies. That is particularly useful in conjunction with the PLL or the ExtRef
functionalities. The FFT of the frequency samples then provide a quantitative view of what
frequency noise components are present in the reference signal and also helps to find the optimal
PLL bandwidth to track the signal. Note that many of the signals in the Signal Type list are real-
valued, rather than complex-valued. Their spectra are single-sided with minimum frequency of 0 Hz.

5.9.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.29: Spectrum tab: Settings sub-tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Run/Stop Run the FFT spectrum analysis continuously
Single Run the FFT spectrum analysis once
Center Freq numeric value Demodulation frequency of the selected demodulator used as
(Hz) input for the spectrum. For complex FFT(X+iY) the demodulation
frequency defines the center frequency of the displayed FFT.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Frequency numeric value Set the frequency span of interest for the complex FFT. A FFT
Span (Hz) based on real input data will display half of the frequency span
up to the Nyquist frequency.
Auto Automatic adjustment of the demodulator bandwidths to obtain
Bandwidth optimal alias rejection for the selected frequency span which is
equivalent to the sampling rate. The functionality is only available
if the spectrum is enabled.
Start numeric value Indicates the start frequency of the FFT.
Frequency (Hz)
Stop numeric value Indicates the end frequency of the FFT.
Frequency (Hz)
Refresh Rate numeric value Set the maximum plot refresh rate. The actual refresh rate also
(Hz) depends on other parameters such as FFT length. In overlapped
mode the refresh rate defines the amount of overlapping.
Overlapped ON / OFF Enable overlapped FFTs. If disabled, FFTs are performed on
FFT distinct abutting data sets. If enabled, the data sets of
successive FFTs overlap based on the defined refresh rate.
Power ON / OFF Calculate and show the power value. To extract power spectral
density (PSD) this button should be enabled together with
spectral density.
Spectral ON / OFF Calculate and show the spectral density. If power is enabled the
Density power spectral density value is calculated. The spectral density
is used to analyze noise.
Filter ON / OFF Spectrum is corrected by demodulator filter transfer function.
Compensation Allows for quantitative comparison of amplitudes of different
parts of the spectrum.
Power ON / OFF When activated, applies power correction to the spectrum to
Correction compensate for the shift that the window function causes.
Power correction is useful for noise measurements to correct
the noise floor. When deactivated, amplitude compensation is
applied which corrects the peak amplitudes of coherent tones.
Absolute ON / OFF Shifts x-axis labeling to show the demodulation frequency in the
Frequency center as opposed to 0 Hz, when turned off.
FFT length numeric value The number of samples used for the FFT. Values entered that are
not a binary power are truncated to the nearest power of 2.
Sampling 0% to 100% The percentage of the FFT buffer already acquired. The progress
Progress includes the number of rows and averages.
FFT Duration numeric value Indicates the length in time of the samples used for a single FFT.
(s)
Window Cosine Several different FFT windows to choose from. Depending on the
squared (ring- application it makes a huge difference which of the provided
down) window function is used. Please check the literature to find out
the best trade off for your needs.
Rectangular
Hann
Hamming
Blackman
Harris
Flat Top
Exponential
(ring-down)
Cosine (ring-
down)
Resolution (Hz) mHz to Hz Spectral resolution defined by the reciprocal acquisition time
(sample rate, number of samples recorded).

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Rows numeric value Number of rows
Averages numeric value Number of FFT averaged for each row. Setting the value to 1 will
disable any averaging.
Waterfall ON / OFF Enable to show the 2D plot in waterfall mode. It will always
update the lowest line.
Overwrite ON / OFF Enable to overwrite the grid in continuous mode. History will not
be collected. A history element will only be created when the
analysis is stopped.
Plot Type Select the plot type.
None No plot displayed.
2D Display defined number of grid rows as one 2D plot.
Row Display only the trace of index defined in the Active Row field.
2D + Row Display 2D and row plots.
Active Row integer value Set the row index to be displayed in the Row plot.
Track Active ON / OFF If enabled, the active row marker will track with the last recorded
Row row. The active row control field is read-only if enabled.
Palette Solar Select the colormap for the current plot.
Viridis
Inferno
Balance
Turbo
Grey
Colorscale ON / OFF Enable/disable the colorscale bar display in the 2D plot.
Mapping Mapping of colorscale.
Lin Enable linear mapping.
Log Enable logarithmic mapping.
dB Enable logarithmic mapping in dB.
Scaling Full Scale/ Scaling of colorscale.
Manual/Auto
Clamp To Color ON / OFF When enabled, grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max
region are painted with Min or Max color equivalents. When
disabled, Grid values that are outside of defined Min or Max
values are left transparent.
Start numeric value Lower limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.
Stop numeric value Upper limit of colorscale.
Only visible for manual scaling.

For the Math sub-tab please see the table "Plot math description" in the section called "Cursors and
Math".

5.10. Sweeper Tab

The Sweeper is a highly versatile measurement tool available on all HF2LI instruments. The Sweeper
enables scans of an instrument parameter over a defined range and simultaneous measurement of
a selection of continuously streamed data. In the special case where the sweep parameter is an
oscillator frequency, the Sweeper offers the functionality of a frequency response analyzer (FRA), a
well-known class of instruments.

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5.10.1. Features
 Full-featured parametric sweep tool for frequency, phase shift, output amplitude, DC output
voltages, etc.
 Simultaneous display of data from different sources (Demodulators, PIDs, auxiliary inputs, and
others)
 Different application modes, e.g. Frequency response analyzer (Bode plots), noise amplitude
sweeps, etc.
 Different sweep types: single, continuous (run / stop), bidirectional, binary
 Persistent display of previous sweep results
 XY Mode for Nyquist plots or I-V curves
 Normalization of sweeps
 Auto bandwidth, averaging and display normalization
 Support for Input Scaling and Input Units
 Phase unwrap
 Full support of sinc filter

5.10.2. Description
The Sweeper supports a variety of experiments where a parameter is changed stepwise and
numerous measurement data can be graphically displayed. Open the tool by clicking the
corresponding icon in the UI side bar. The Sweeper tab (see Figure 5.26) is divided into a plot section
on the left and a configuration section on the right. The configuration section is further divided into
a number of sub-tabs.
Table 5.30: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Sweeper Sweep frequencies, voltages, and other quantities over a defined range
and display various response functions including statistical operations.

Figure 5.26: LabOne UI: Sweeper tab

The Control sub-tab holds the basic measurement settings such as Sweep Parameter, Start/Stop
values, and number of points (Length) in the Horizontal section. Measurement signals can be added
in the Vertical Axis Groups section. A typical use of the Sweeper is to perform a frequency sweep
and measure the response of the device under test in the form of a Bode plot. As an example, AFM
and MEMS users require to determine the resonance frequency and the phase delay of their
oscillators. The Sweeper can also be used to sweep parameters other than frequency, for instance
signal amplitudes and DC offset voltages. A sweep of the Auxiliary Output offset can for instance be
used to measure current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. The XY Mode allows one to use a measured
signal, rather than the sweep parameter, on the horizontal axis. This is useful to obtain Nyquist plots
in impedance measurements, or to display an I-V curve in a four-probe measurement of a nonlinear
device.

For frequency sweeps, the sweep points are distributed logarithmically, rather than linearly, between
the start and stop values by default. This feature is particularly useful for sweeps over several
decades and can be disabled with the Log checkbox. The Sweep Mode setting is useful for
identifying measurement problems caused by hysteretic sample behavior or too fast sweeping
speed. Such problems would cause non-overlapping curves in a bidirectional sweep.

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Note
The Sweeper actively modifies the main settings of the demodulators and oscillators. So in
particular for situations where multiple experiments are served maybe even from different control
computers great care needs to be taken so that the parameters altered by the sweeper module do
not have unwanted effects elsewhere.

The Sweeper offers two operation modes differing in the level of detail of the accessible settings:
the Application Mode and the Advanced Mode. Both of them are accessible in the Settings sub-tab.
The Application Mode provides the choice between six measurement approaches that should help
to quickly obtain correct measurement results for a large range of applications. Users who like to be
in control of all the settings can access them by switching to the Advanced Mode.

In the Statistics section of the Advanced Mode one can control how data is averaged at each sweep
point: either by specifying the Sample count, or by specifying the number of filter time constants
(TC). The actual measurement time is determined by the larger of the two settings, taking into
account the demodulator sample rate and filter settings. The Algorithm settings determines the
statistics calculated from the measured data: the average for general purposes, the deviation for
noise measurements, or the mean square for power measurements. The Phase Unwrap features
ensures continuity of a phase measurement curve across the PM180 degree boundary. Enabling the
Sinc Filter setting means that the demodulator Sinc Filter gets activated for sweep points below 50
Hz in Auto and Fixed mode. This speeds up measurements at small frequencies as explained in the
Sinc Filtering.

In the Settling section one can control the waiting time between a parameter setting and the first
measurement. Similarly to the Statistics setting, one has the choice between two different
representations of this waiting time. The actual settling time is the maximum of the values set in
units of absolute time and a time derived from the demodulator filter and a desired inaccuracy (e.g. 1
m for 0.1%). Let’s consider an example. For a 4th order filter and a 3 dB bandwidth of 100 Hz we
obtain a step response the attains 90% after about 4.5 ms. This can be easily measured by using the
Data Acquisition tool as indicated in Figure 5.27. It is also explained in Discrete-Time Filters. In case
the full range is set to 1 V this means a measurement has a maximum error caused by imperfect
settling of about 0.1 V. However, for most measurements the neighboring values are close compared
to the full range and hence the real error caused is usually much smaller.

In the Filter section of the Advanced mode, the Bandwidth Mode setting determines how the filters
of the activated demodulators are configured. In Manual mode, the current setting (in the Lock-in
tab) remains unchanged by the Sweeper. In Fixed mode, the filter settings can be controlled from
within the Sweeper tab. In Auto mode, the Sweeper determines the filter bandwidth for each sweep
point based on a desired ω suppression. The ω suppression depends on the measurement
frequency and the filter steepness. For frequency sweeps, the bandwidth will be adjusted for every
sweep point within the bound set by the Max Bandwidth setting. The Auto mode is particularly
useful for frequency sweeps over several decades, because the continuous adjustment of the
bandwidth considerably reduces the overall measurement time.

Figure 5.27: Demodulator settling time and inaccuracy: measurement carried out with
the Data Acquisition tool to illustrate the settling time for a 4
By default the plot area keeps the memory and display of the last 100 sweeps represented in a list in
the History sub-tab. See History List for more details on how data in the history list can be managed
and stored. With the Reference feature, it is possible to divide all measurements in the history by a
reference measurement. This is useful for instance to eliminate spurious effects in a frequency
response sweep. To define a certain measurement as the reference, mark it in the list and click on
. Then enable the Reference mode with the checkbox below the list to update the plot

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display. Note that the Reference setting does not affect data saving: saved files always contain raw
data.

Note
The Sweeper can get stuck whenever it does not receive any data. A common mistake is to select to
display demodulator data without enabling the data transfer of the associated demodulator in the
Lock-in tab.

Note
Once a sweep is performed the sweeper stores all data from the enabled demodulators and
auxiliary inputs even when they are not displayed immediately in the plot area. These data can be
accessed at a later point in time simply by choosing the corresponding signal display settings (Input
Channel).

5.10.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.31: Sweeper tab: Control sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Run/Stop Runs the sweeper continuously.
Single Runs the sweeper once.
Copy From X- Takes over start and stop value from the X-axis.
Axis
Copy From X- Takes over start and stop value from X-cursors. Button is disabled
Cursors when one or both X cursors are not visible.
Start (unit) numeric value Start value of the sweep parameter. The unit adapts according to
the selected sweep parameter.
Stop (unit) numeric value Stop value of the sweep parameter. The unit adapts according to
the selected sweep parameter.
Length integer value Sets the number of measurement points.
Progress 0 to 100% Reports the sweep progress as ratio of points recorded.
Sweep Param Selects the parameter to be swept. Navigate through the tree view
that appears and click on the required parameter. The available
selection depends on the configuration of the device.
Sweep Mode Select the scanning type, default is sequential (incremental
scanning from start to stop value)
Sequential Sequential sweep from Start to Stop value
Binary Non-sequential sweep continues increase of resolution over
entire range
Bidirectional Sequential sweep from Start to Stop value and back to Start again
Reverse Reverse sweep from Stop to Start value
X Distribution Linear / Selects between linear and logarithmic distribution of the sweep
Logarithmic parameter.
Remaining numeric value Reporting of the remaining time of the current sweep. A valid
number is only displayed once the sweeper has been started. An
undefined sweep time is indicated as NaN.
Invert Y Axis ON / OFF The xy-plot is displayed with inverted y-axis. This mode is used for
Nyquist plots that allow for displaying -imag(z) on the y-axis and
real(z) on the x-axis.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
X Signal Selects the signal that defines the x-axis for xy-plots. The
available selection depends on the configuration of the device.
Displaying the selected signal source will result in a diagonal
straight line.

For the Vertical Axis Groups, please see the table "Vertical Axis Groups description" in the section
called "Vertical Axis Groups".
Table 5.32: Sweeper tab: Settings sub-tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Filter Application Mode: preset configuration. Advanced Mode: manual
configuration.
Application The sweeper sets the filters and other parameters automatically.
Mode
Advanced The sweeper uses manually configured parameters.
Mode
Application Select the sweep application mode
Parameter Only one data sample is acquired per sweeper point.
Sweep
Parameter Multiple data samples are acquired per sweeper point of which
Sweep the average value is displayed.
Averaged
Noise Multiple data samples are acquired per sweeper point of which
Amplitude the standard deviation is displayed (e.g. to determine input noise).
Sweep For accurate noise measurement, the signal amplitude R is
replaced by its quadrature components X and Y.
Freq Response Narrow band frequency response analysis. Averaging is enabled.
Analyzer
3-Omega Optimized parameters for 3-omega application. Averaging is
Sweep enabled.
FRA (Sinc The sinc filter helps to speed up measurements for frequencies
Filter) below 50 Hz in FRA mode. For higher frequencies it is
automatically disabled. Averaging is off.
Impedance This application mode uses narrow bandwidth filter settings to
achieve high calibration accuracy.
Precision Choose between a high speed scan speed or high precision and
accuracy.
Low -> fast Medium accuracy/precision is optimized for sweep speed.
sweep
High -> Medium accuracy/precision takes more measurement time.
standard
speed
Very high -> High accuracy/precision takes more measurement time.
slow sweep
Bandwidth Automatically is recommended in particular for logarithmic
Mode sweeps and assures the whole spectrum is covered.
Auto All bandwidth settings of the chosen demodulators are
automatically adjusted. For logarithmic sweeps the measurement
bandwidth is adjusted throughout the measurement.
Fixed Define a certain bandwidth which is taken for all chosen
demodulators for the course of the measurement.
Manual The sweeper module leaves the demodulator bandwidth settings
entirely untouched.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Time Defines the display unit of the low-pass filter to use for the sweep
Constant/ in fixed bandwidth mode: time constant (TC), noise equivalent
Bandwidth power bandwidth (NEP), 3 dB bandwidth (3 dB).
Select
TC Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using time constant of
the filter.
Bandwidth Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the noise
NEP equivalent power bandwidth of the filter.
Bandwidth 3 Defines the low-pass filter characteristic using the cut-off
dB frequency of the filter.
Time numeric value Defines the measurement bandwidth for Fixed bandwidth sweep
Constant/ mode, and corresponds to either noise equivalent power
Bandwidth bandwidth (NEP), time constant (TC) or 3 dB bandwidth (3 dB)
depending on selection.
Order numeric value Selects the filter roll off to set on the device in Fixed and Auto
bandwidth modes. It ranges from 1 (6 dB/octave) to 8 (48 dB/
octave).
Max numeric value Maximal bandwidth used in auto bandwidth mode. The effective
Bandwidth bandwidth will be calculated based on this max value, the
(Hz) frequency step size, and the omega suppression.
BW Overlap ON / OFF If enabled the bandwidth of a sweep point may overlap with the
frequency of neighboring sweep points. The effective bandwidth
is only limited by the maximal bandwidth setting and omega
suppression. As a result, the bandwidth is independent of the
number of sweep points. For frequency response analysis
bandwidth overlap should be enabled to achieve maximal sweep
speed.
Omega numeric value Suppression of the omega and 2-omega components. Large
Suppression suppression will have a significant impact on sweep time
(dB) especially for low filter orders.
Min Settling numeric value Minimum wait time in seconds between a sweep parameter
Time (s) change and the recording of the next sweep point. This parameter
can be used to define the required settling time of the
experimental setup. The effective wait time is the maximum of
this value and the demodulator filter settling time determined
from the Inaccuracy value specified.
Inaccuracy numeric value Demodulator filter settling inaccuracy defining the wait time
between a sweep parameter change and recording of the next
sweep point. The settling time is calculated as the time required
to attain the specified remaining proportion [1e-13, 0.1] of an
incoming step function. Typical inaccuracy values: 10 m for highest
sweep speed for large signals, 100 u for precise amplitude
measurements, 100 n for precise noise measurements. Depending
on the order the settling accuracy will define the number of filter
time constants the sweeper has to wait. The maximum between
this value and the settling time is taken as wait time until the next
sweep point is recorded.
Settling Time numeric value Calculated wait time expressed in time constants defined by the
(TC) specified filter settling inaccuracy.
Algorithm Selects the measurement method.
Averaging Calculates the average on each data set.
Standard Calculates the standard deviation on each data set.
Deviation
Average Power Calculates the electric power based on a 50 Ω input impedance.
Count (Sa) integer Sets the number of data samples per sweeper parameter point
number that is considered in the measurement. The maximum between
samples, time and number of time constants is taken as effective
calculation time.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Count (s) numeric value Sets the time during which data samples are processed. The
maximum between samples, time and number of time constants
is taken as effective calculation time.
Count (TC) 0/5/15/50/100 Sets the effective measurement time per sweeper parameter
TC point that is considered in the measurement. The maximum
between samples, time and number of time constants is taken as
effective calculation time.
Phase ON / OFF Allows for unwrapping of slowly changing phase evolutions
Unwrap around the +/-180 degree boundary.
Spectral ON / OFF Selects whether the result of the measurement is normalized
Density versus the demodulation bandwidth.
Sinc Filter ON / OFF Enables sinc filter if sweep frequency is below 50 Hz. Will improve
the sweep speed at low frequencies as omega components do
not need to be suppressed by the normal low-pass filter.

Table 5.33: Sweeper tab: History sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
History History Each entry in the list corresponds to a single trace in the history. The
number of traces displayed in the plot is limited to 20. Use the toggle
buttons to hide or show individual traces. Use the color picker to change
the color of a trace in the plot. Double click on a list entry to edit its name.
Length integer Maximum number of records in the history. The number of entries
value displayed in the list is limited to the 100 most recent ones.
Clear All Remove all records from the history list.
Clear Remove selected records from the history list.
Load file Load data from a file into the history. Loading does not change the data
type and range displayed in the plot, this has to be adapted manually if
data is not shown.
Name Enter a name which is used as a folder name to save the history into. An
additional three digit counter is added to the folder name to identify
consecutive saves into the same folder name.
Auto Save Activate autosaving. When activated, any measurements already in the
history are saved. Each subsequent measurement is then also saved. The
autosave directory is identified by the text "autosave" in the name, e.g.
"sweep_autosave_001". If autosave is active during continuous running of
the module, each successive measurement is saved to the same directory.
For single shot operation, a new directory is created containing all
measurements in the history. Depending on the file format, the
measurements are either appended to the same file, or saved in individual
files. For HDF5 and ZView formats, measurements are appended to the
same file. For MATLAB and SXM formats, each measurement is saved in a
separate file.
File Select the file format in which to save the data.
Format
Save Save the traces in the history to a file accessible in the File Manager tab.
The file contains the signals in the Vertical Axis Groups of the Control sub-
tab. The data that is saved depends on the selection from the pull-down
list. Save All: All traces are saved. Save Sel: The selected traces are saved.
Reference Use the selected trace as reference for all active traces.
Reference ON / OFF Enable/disable the reference mode.
On
Reference name Name of the reference trace used.
name

For the Math sub-tab please see the table "Plot math description" in the section called "Cursors and
Math".

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5.11. Auxiliary Tab

The Auxiliary tab provides access to the settings of the Auxiliary Inputs and Auxiliary Outputs; it is
available on all HF2 Series instruments.

5.11.1. Features
 Monitor signal levels of auxiliary input connectors
 Monitor signal levels of auxiliary output connectors
 Auxiliary output signal sources: Demodulators, PLLs and manual setting
 Define Offsets and Scaling for auxiliary output values
 Control auxiliary output range limitations

5.11.2. Description
The Auxiliary tab serves mainly to monitor and control the auxiliary inputs and outputs. Whenever
the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will
open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.34: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Aux Controls all settings regarding the auxiliary inputs and auxiliary
outputs.

The Auxiliary tab (see Figure 5.28) is divided into three sections. The Aux Input section gives two
graphical and two numerical monitors for the signal amplitude applied to the auxiliary inputs on the
back panel. In the middle of the tab the Aux Output section allows to associate any of the measured
signals to one of the 4 auxiliary outputs on the instrument front panel. With the action button next to
the Offset values the effective voltage on the auxiliary outputs can be automatically set to zero. The
analog output voltages can be limited to a certain range in order to avoid damaging the parts
connected to the outputs.

Note
Please note the change of units of the scaling factor depending on what measurement signal is
chosen.

Two Aux Output Levels on the right provides 4 graphical and 4 numerical indicators to monitor the
voltages currently set on the auxiliary outputs.

Figure 5.28: LabOne UI: Auxiliary tab

5.11.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.35: Auxiliary tab
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
Auxiliary Input -10 V to 10 V Voltage measured at the Auxiliary Input.
Voltage
Signal Select the signal source to be represented on the Auxiliary
Output.
X Select the demodulator X component for auxiliary output.

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 5.12. Inputs/Outputs Tab

Control/Tool Option/Range Description

Y Select the demodulator Y component for auxiliary output.
R Select the demodulator magnitude component for auxiliary
output.
Θ Select the demodulator phase component for auxiliary
output.
PLL 1 df Select the PLL 1 delta frequencies result. HF2LI-PLL option
needs to be installed.
PLL 2 df Select the PLL 2 delta frequencies result. HF2LI-PLL option
needs to be installed.
PID 1 Out Select the PID 1 controller's output. HF2LI-PID option needs
to be installed.
PID 2 Out Select the PID 2 controller's output. HF2LI-PID option needs
to be installed.
PID 3 Out Select the PID 3 controller's output. HF2LI-PID option needs
to be installed.
PID 4 Out Select the PID controller's output. HF2LI-PID option needs to
be installed.
Manual Manually define an auxiliary output voltage using the offset
field.
Channel index Select the channel according to the selected signal source.
Scale numerical value Multiplication factor to scale the signal. Auxiliary Output Value
= Signal*Scale + Offset
Auto-zero Automatically adjusts the Offset to set the Auxiliary Output
Value to zero.
Offset numerical value Add the specified offset voltage to the signal after scaling.
in Volts Auxiliary Output Value = Signal*Scale + Offset
Value -10 V to 10 V Voltage present on the Auxiliary Output. Auxiliary Output
Value = Signal*Scale + Offset.

5.12. Inputs/Outputs Tab

The In / Out tab provides access to the settings of the Instrument’s main Signal Inputs and Signal
Outputs. It is available on all HF2 Series instruments.

5.12.1. Features
 Signal input configuration
 Signal output configuration

5.12.2. Description
The In / Out tab gives access to the same settings as do the left-most and the right-most sections
of the Lock-in tab. It is mainly intended to be used on small screens that can not show the entire the
Lock-in tab at once. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed,
clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.36: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
In/Out Gives access to all controls relevant for the Signal Inputs and Signal
Outputs of each channel.

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 5.13. DIO Tab

The In / Out tab contains one section for the signal inputs and one for the signal outputs. All of the
corresponding connectors are placed on the instrument front panel. The In / Out tab looks
differently depending on whether the HF2-MF Multi-frequency option is installed or not.

Figure 5.29: LabOne UI: Inputs/Outputs tab (base configuration)

Figure 5.30: LabOne UI: Inputs/Outputs tab (with HF2-MF Multi-frequency option)

5.12.3. Functional Elements

All functional elements are equivalent to the ones on the Lock-in tab. See the Lock-in Tab or Lock-in
MF Tab for a detailed description of the functional elements.

5.13. DIO Tab

The DIO tab provides access to the settings and controls of the digital I/O as well as the Trigger
channels and is available on all HF2 Series instruments.

5.13.1. Features
 Monitor and control of digital I/O connectors
 Control settings for external reference and triggering

5.13.2. Description
The DIO tab is the main panel to control the digital inputs and outputs as well as the trigger levels
and external reference channels . Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type
is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.37: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
DIO Gives access to all controls relevant for the digital inputs and outputs
including DIO, Trigger Inputs, Trigger Outputs, and Marker Outputs.

Figure 5.31: LabOne UI: DIO tab

The Digital I/O section provides numerical monitors to observe the states of the digital inputs and
outputs. Moreover, with the values set in the Output column and the Drive button activated the
states can also be actively set in different numerical formats.

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 5.14. Config Tab

With the Sync Bit 1,0 setting it’s possible to activate a TTL synchronization signal on one of the DIO
BNC connectors on the instrument back panel.

5.13.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.38: Digital input and output channels, reference and trigger
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
QA Result grey/yellow/red Red: present overflow condition on the DIO interface during
Overflow readout. Yellow: indicates an overflow occurred in the past. An
overflow can happen if readouts are triggered faster than the
maximum possible data-rate of the DIO interface.
DIO bits label Partitioning of the 32 bits of the DIO into 4 buses of 8 bits
each. Each bus can be used as an input or output.
DIO input numeric value in Current digital values at the DIO input port.
either Hex or Binary
format
DIO output numeric value in Digital output values. Enable drive to apply the signals to the
either hexadecimal output.
or binary format
DIO drive ON / OFF When on, the corresponding 8-bit bus is in output mode.
When off, it is in input mode.
Format Select DIO view format.
Hexadecimal DIO view format is hexadecimal.
Binary DIO view format is binary.
Clock Select DIO internal or external clocking.
Internal 64 MHz The DIO is internally clocked with a fixed frequency of 64 MHz.
Clk Pin 68 The DIO is externally clocked with a clock signal connected to
DIO Pin 68.
Available frequency range 1 Hz to 64 MHz.
Sync Bit 1 Select a demodulator reference signal to be applied on DIO 1.
Off DIO output 1 (BNC connector) is not used for sync output and
is free for other purposes.
Demod 1 to 8 Reference signal of the selected demodulator is output on
DIO 1. Note: there is a 166 ns delay between the sync on DIO 1
and the front panel outputs (sync on DIO 1 comes first) which
leads to a relevant phase shift at high frequencies.
Sync Bit 0 Select a demodulator reference signal to be applied on DIO 0.
Off DIO output 0 (BNC connector) is not used for sync output and
is free for other purposes.
Demod 1 to 8 Reference signal of the selected demodulator is output on
DIO 0. Note: there is a 166 ns delay between the sync on DIO 0
and the front panel outputs (sync on DIO 0 comes first) which
leads to a relevant phase shift at high frequencies.
Delay (s) This delay adds an offset that acts only on the trigger/marker
output. The total delay to the trigger/marker output is the
sum of this value and the value of the output delay node.

5.14. Config Tab

The Config tab provides access to all major LabOne settings and is available on all HF2LI
instruments.

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5.14.1. Features
 define instrument connection parameters
 browser session control
 define UI appearance (grids, theme, etc.)
 store and load instrument settings and UI settings
 configure data recording

5.14.2. Description
The Config tab serves as a control panel for all general LabOne settings and is opened by default on
start-up. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the
following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.39: App icon and short description
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
Config Provides access to software configuration.

The Config tab (see Figure 5.32) is divided into four sections to control connections, sessions,
settings, user interface appearance and data recording.

Figure 5.32: LabOne UI: Config tab

The Connection section provides information about connection and server versions. Access from
remote locations can be restricted with the connectivity setting.

The Session section provides the session number which is also displayed in the status bar. Clicking
on Session Dialog opens the session dialog window (same as start up screen) that allows one to load
different settings files as well as to connect to other instruments.

The Settings section allows one to load and save instrument and UI settings. The saved settings are
later available in the session dialog.

The User Preferences section contains the settings that are continuously stored and automatically
reloaded the next time an HF2 Series instrument is used from the same computer account.
For low ambient light conditions the use of the dark display theme is recommended (see Figure
5.33).

Figure 5.33: LabOne UI: Config tab - dark theme

The Record Data section contains all settings necessary to obtain hard copies of measurement
data. The tree structure (see Tree Selector section) provides access to a large number of signals and
instrument settings. Use the View Filter in order to reduce the tree structure to the most commonly
used nodes such as the demodulator sample nodes. Whenever the Record button is enabled, all
selected nodes get saved continuously in MATLAB, comma-separated value (CSV), or other
supported file formats. For each selected node at least one file gets generated, but the data may be
distributed over several files during long recordings. See Saving and Loading Data for more
information on data saving. The quickest way to inspect the files after recording is to use the File
Manager tab described in File Manager Tab. Apart from the numerical data and settings, the files
contain timestamps. These integer numbers encode the measurement time in units of the
instrument clock period 1/(210 MHz). The timestamps are universal within one instrument and can
be used to align the data from different files.

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5.14.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.40: Config tab
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
About Get information about LabOne software.
Web Server string Web Server version and revision number
Version and
Revision
Host default is localhost: IP-Address of the LabOne Web Server
127.0.0.1
Port 4 digit integer LabOne Web Server TCP/IP port
Data Server string Data Server version and revision number
Version and
Revision
Host default is localhost: IP-Address of the LabOne Data Server
127.0.0.1
Port default is 8004 TCP/IP port used to connect to the LabOne Data Server.
Connect/ Connect/disconnect the LabOne Data Server of the
Disconnect currently selected device. If a LabOne Data Server is
connected only devices that are visible to that specific
server are shown in the device list.
Status grey/green Indicates whether the LabOne User Interface is connected
to the selected LabOne data server. Grey: no connection.
Green: connected. Red: error while connecting.
Connectivity From Everywhere Forbid/Allow to connect to this Data Server from other
computers.
Localhost Only
File Upload drop area Drag and drop files in this box to upload files. Clicking on the
box opens a file dialog for file upload.
Supported files: Settings (*.xml).
Session Id integer number Session identifier. A session is a connection between a
client and LabOne Data Server.
Session Open the session manager dialog. This allows for device or
Manager session change. The current session can be continued by
pressing cancel.
File Name selection of available Save/load the device and user interface settings to/from
file names the selected file on the internal flash drive. The setting files
can be downloaded/uploaded using the Files tab.
Include Enable Save/Load of particular settings.
No Include Settings Please enable settings type to be included during Save/
Load.
Include Device Enable Save/Load of Device settings.
Include UI Enable Save/Load of User Interface settings.
Include UI and Enable Save/Load of User Interface and Device settings.
Device
Include Preferences Enable loading of User Preferences from settings file.
Include UI, Device Enable Save/Load of User Interface, Device and User
and Preferences Preferences.
Save Save the user interface and device setting to a file.
Load Load the user interface and device setting from a file.
Display Dark Choose theme of the user interface.
Theme
Light

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Plot Print Dark Choose theme for printing SVG plots.
Theme
Light
Plot Grid None Select active grid setting for all SVG plots.
Dashed
Solid
Plot Select rendering hint about what tradeoffs to make as the
Rendering browser renders SVG plots. The setting has impact on
rendering speed and plot display for both displayed and
saved plots.
Auto Indicates that the browser shall make appropriate tradeoffs
to balance speed, crisp edges and geometric precision, but
with geometric precision given more importance than
speed and crisp edges.
Optimize Speed The browser shall emphasize rendering speed over
geometric precision and crisp edges. This option will
sometimes cause the browser to turn off shape anti-
aliasing.
Crisp Edges Indicates that the browser shall attempt to emphasize the
contrast between clean edges of artwork over rendering
speed and geometric precision. To achieve crisp edges, the
user agent might turn off anti-aliasing for all lines and
curves or possibly just for straight lines which are close to
vertical or horizontal.
Geometric Precision Indicates that the browser shall emphasize geometric
precision over speed and crisp edges.
Resampling Select the resampling interpolation method. Resampling
Method corrects for sample misalignment in subsequent scope
shots. This is important when using reduced sample rates
with a time resolution below that of the trigger.
Linear Linear interpolation
PCHIP Piecewise Cubic Hermite Interpolating Polynomial
Show ON / OFF Displays a list of keyboard and mouse wheel shortcuts for
Shortcuts manipulating plots.
Dynamic Tabs ON / OFF If enabled, sections inside the application tabs are
collapsed automatically depending on the window width.
Graphical Collapsed Select the display mode for the graphical elements. Auto
Mode format will select the format which fits best the current
Auto window width.
Expanded
Log Format .NET Choose the command log format. See status bar and [User]
\Documents\Zurich Instruments\LabOne\WebServer\Log
Telnet
MATLAB
Python
CSV Delimiter Tab Select which delimiter to insert for CSV files.
Comma
Semicolon
CSV Locale System locale. Use Select the locale used for defining the decimal point and
the symbols set in digit grouping symbols in numeric values in CSV files. The
the language and default locale uses dot for the decimal point and no digit
region settings of the grouping, e.g. 1005.07. The system locale uses the symbols
computer set in the language and region settings of the computer.

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Default locale. Dot
for the decimal point
and no digit
grouping, e.g. 1005.07
HDF5 Saving Multiple files. Each For HDF5 file format only: Select whether each
measurement goes measurement should be stored in a separate file, or
in a separate file whether all measurements should be saved in a single file.
Single file. All
measurements go in
one file
Auto Start ON / OFF Skip session manager dialog at start-up if selected device is
available.
In case of an error or disconnected device the session
manager will be reactivated.
Update ON / OFF Display a reminder on start-up if the LabOne software
Reminder wasn't updated in 180 days.
Update Check ON / OFF Periodically check for new LabOne software over the
internet.
Drive Select the drive for data saving.
PC Storage Drive Storage of the PC on which the LabOne Web Server is
running.
Format HDF5 File format of recorded and saved data.
MATLAB
CSV
Open Folder Open recorded data in the system File Explorer.
Folder path indicating file Folder containing the recorded data.
location
Save Interval Time in seconds Time between saves to disk. A shorter interval means less
system memory consumption, but for certain file formats
(e.g. MATLAB) many small files on disk. A longer interval
means more system memory consumption, but for certain
file formats (e.g. MATLAB) fewer, larger files on disk.
Queue integer number Number of data chunks not yet written to disk.
Size integer number Accumulated size of saved data in the current session.
Record ON / OFF Start and stop saving data to disk as defined in the
selection filter. Length of the files is determined by the
Window Length setting in the Plotter tab.
Writing grey/green Indicates whether data is currently written to disk.
Display filter or regular Display specific tree branches using one of the preset view
expression filters or a custom regular expression.
Tree ON / OFF Click on a tree node to activate it.
All Select all tree elements.
None Deselect all tree elements.

For more information on the tree functionality in the Record Data section, please see Tree Selector.

5.15. Device Tab

The Device tab is the main settings tab for the connected instrument and is available on all HF2
Series instruments.

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5.15.1. Features
 Option and upgrade management
 External clock referencing (10 MHz)
 Instrument connectivity parameters
 Device monitor

5.15.2. Description
The Device tab serves mainly as a control panel for all settings specific to the instrument that is
controlled by LabOne in this particular session. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of
the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.41: App icon and short description
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
Device Provides instrument specific settings.

The Device tab (see Figure 5.34) is divided into four sections: general instrument information,
configuration, communication parameters, and a device monitor.

Figure 5.34: LabOne UI: Device tab

The Information section provides details about the instrument hardware and indicates the installed
upgrade options. This is also the place where new options can be added by entering the provided
option key.

The Configuration section allows one to change the reference from the internal clock to an external
10 MHz reference. The reference is to be connected to the Clock Input on the instrument back panel.

The Communication section serves to display the current data transfer rate over the USB interface.

Note
Packet loss on command streaming over TCP or USB: command packets should never be lost as it
creates an invalid state.

The Device Monitor section is collapsed by default and generally only needed for servicing. It
displays vitality signals of some of the instrument’s hardware components.

5.15.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.42: Device tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Serial 1-4 digit number Device serial number
Type string Device type
Hardware integer number Hardware revision of the instrument
Installed short names for Options that are installed on this device.
Options each option
Install Click to install options on this device. Requires a unique feature
code and a power cycle after entry.

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
More Display additional device information in a separate browser tab.
Information
Upgrade Display available upgrade options.
Device Options
Clock Source 10MHz reference clock source.
Internal The internal 10MHz clock is used as the frequency and time
base reference.
Clk 10MHz An external 10MHz clock is intended to be used as the
frequency and time base reference. Provide a clean and stable
10MHz reference to the appropriate back panel connector.
Power Alert Check 115 V/230 V settings if active. Active if 5 V supply drops
below 4.8 V.
Interface Active interface between device and data server. In case
multiple options are available, the priority as indicated on the
left applies.
Data received USB data rate: Current USB data rate from the device to the
(MB/s) host PC
USB FIFO Level USB FIFO level: Indicates the USB FIFO fill level inside the
(%) device. When 100%, data is lost

5.16. File Manager Tab

5.16.1. Features
 Quick access to measurement files, log files and settings files
 File preview for settings files and log files

5.16.2. Description
The File Manager tab provides standard tools to see and organize the files relevant for the use of the
instrument. Files can be conveniently copied, renamed and deleted. Whenever the tab is closed or
an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of
the tab.
Table 5.43: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Files Access settings and measurement data files on the host
computer.

The Files tab (see Figure 5.35) provides three windows for exploring. The left window allows one to
browse through the directory structure, the center window shows the files of the folder selected in
the left window, and the right window displays the content of the file selected in the center window,
e.g. a settings file or log file.

Figure 5.35: LabOne UI: File Manager tab

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 5.17. PID Tab

5.16.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.44: File tab
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
New Folder Create new folder at current location.
Rename Rename selected file or folder.
Delete Delete selected file(s) and/or folder(s).
Copy Copy selected file(s) and/or folder(s) to Clipboard.
Cut Cut selected file(s) and/or folder(s) to Clipboard.
Paste Paste file(s) and/or folder(s) from Clipboard to the selected
directory.
Upload Upload file(s) and/or folder(s) to the selected directory.
Download Download selected file(s) and/or folder(s).

5.17. PID Tab

The PID tab is only available if the HF2-PID Quad PID Controller option is installed on the HF2 Series
Instrument (the installed options are displayed in the Device tab).

Note
Some settings in the PID tab are interdependent with settings that are accessible from other tabs. If
the PID output controls a certain variable, e.g. Signal Output Offset, this variable will be shown as
read-only where it appears in other tabs (i.e. in the Lock-in tab for this case).

5.17.1. Features
 Four fully programmable proportional, integral, derivative (PID) controllers
 PID Advisor with multiple DUT models, transfer function, and step function modeling
 More than 5 kHz regulation bandwidth
 Input parameters: demodulator data, auxiliary inputs, oscillator frequency
 Output parameters: output amplitudes, oscillator frequencies, auxiliary outputs and DIO

5.17.2. Description
The PID tab is the main control center for the feedback loop controllers in the instrument. Whenever
the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will
open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.45: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
PID Features all control, analysis, and simulation capabilities of the
PID controllers.

The PID tab (see Figure 5.36) consists of four identical side-tabs, each of them providing access to
the functionality of one of the four PID controllers and the associated PID Advisor.

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Figure 5.36: LabOne UI: PID tab

With their variety of different input and output connections, the LabOne PID controllers are
extremely versatile and can be used in a wide range of different applications including laser locking
or high-speed SPM. Figure 5.37 shows a block diagram of all PID controller components, their
interconnections and the variables to be specified by the user.

Figure 5.37: PID controller block diagram

Setting up a Control Loop

Depending on the application there are a number of ways to set up a control loop. Let’s consider a
few different approaches and see how the Advisor can help to reduce the effort and improve on the
result and understanding of the setup.

Manual Setup

In cases where the transfer function of the device under test (DUT) is unknown and only little noise
couples into the system from the environment, a manual approach is often the quickest way to get
going. For manual configuration of a new control loop it is recommended to start with a small value
for P and set the other parameters (I, D) to zero. By enabling the controller one will then immediately
see if the sign of P is correct and if the feedback is acting on the correct output parameter for
instance by checking the numbers (Error, Shift, Out) displayed in the PID tab. A stepwise increase of
the integral gain I will then help to zero the PID error signal completely. Enabling the derivative gain D
can increase the speed of the feedback loop, but it can also cause an instable feedback loop
behavior . Monitoring the PID error in the Plotter Tab in parallel can be a great help at this stage. The
math tools offered by the Plotter allow us to display the standard deviation and the average value of
the error. These values should be minimized by tweaking the PID parameters and the associated
histogram should have a symmetric (ideally Gaussian) envelope.

In order to characterize the feedback loop quantitatively, you can measure the step response in the
Data Acquisition Tab. To do that measurement, change the PID setpoint manually after you have
configured the DAQ Trigger level half way in between the old and new setpoint. DAQ Delay and
Duration are chosen to roughly match the expected bandwidth. For a step response curve with fine
time resolution, the PID data rate should be high enough.

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PID Advisor

For many experimental situations the external device or DUT can be well approximated by a simple
model. The LabOne PID Advisor allows you to simulate the behavior of a number of different DUT
types in a feedback loop and choose feedback gain parameters based on the simulation. The DUTs
are characterized by a model function with a number of parameters found on the Advisor sub-tab.
All models include a setting for the delay that occurs outside the instrument. Depending on the
targeted servo bandwidth, the external delay can often be the limiting factor and should be sensibly
chosen.

Note
The delay specified for each model is the earliest possible response to a stepwise change of the
instrument output to be seen on the instrument input. It describes the causality of the system and
does not affect the shape of the DUT transfer function. Standard coaxial cables cause a signal delay
of about 5 ns/m.

The most simple approach to modeling is to assume a DUT with a unity transfer function by using All
Pass. The low-pass filters allow for limiting the bandwidth, to set an overall gain and a damping for
the second order filter. With a Gain set to 1 and a Delay set to 0, All Pass can be used to model the
PID controller independent of the external device. Resonator Frequency is a model that applies well
in situations with a passive external component, e.g. a AFM cantilever or a quartz resonator, whose
frequency should be tracked by a PLL over time. In cases where the amplitude of the resonator
signal needs to be stabilized with a second control loop (automatic gain control), the Resonator
Amplitude model is the right choice. Setting the resonance frequency and the Q factor, both can be
obtained before by a frequency scan over the resonance using the Sweeper Tab, allows the Advisor
to estimate the gain and low-pass behavior of the resonator. Internal PLL is used whenever an
external oscillating signal is provided that shall be followed by one of the internal oscillators. The
VCO setting describes a situation where the input variable of the DUT is a voltage and the output is a
frequency. The gain parameter specifies how much voltage change on the input causes how much
frequency shift on the VCO output. In case the frequency of the VCO can be tracked by using the
external reference mode, one can easily measure this gain with the Sweeper Tab by scanning the
Auxiliary Output voltage and displaying the resulting oscillator frequency. The gain is given by the
slope of the resulting line at the frequency of interest.

With a model and parameters set to best describe the actual measurement situation, one can now
continue by defining a target bandwidth for the entire control loop and the Advise Mode, i.e. the
feedback gain parameters that shall be used for the control operation. Whenever the input signal is
derived from one of the demodulators it is convenient to activate the box next to target bandwidth.
With that in place the Advise algorithm will automatically adjust the demodulator bandwidth to a
value about 5 times higher than the target bandwidth in order to avoid to be limited by
demodulation speed. The Advisor algorithm will now calculate a target step response function that it
will try to achieve by adjusting the feedback gain parameters in the next step. Before doing so in
case of a newly set up DUT model, the algorithm will first try to estimate the PID parameters by
using the Ziegler-Nichols method. When there has been a previous run, the user can also change the
parameters in the model manually which will the be used as new start parameters of the next Advise
run. Starting from the initial parameters, the Advisor will then perform a numerical optimization in
order to achieve a least-squares fit of the calculated step response to a target step response
determined from the Target Bandwidth. The result is numerically characterized by an achieved
bandwidth (BW) and a phase margin (PM). Moreover, the large plot area on the right can be used to
characterize the result by displaying transfer functions, magnitude and phase, and step responses
between different signal nodes inside the loop. Once the modeling is completed one can copy the
resulting parameters to the physical PID by clicking on .
Table 5.46: DUT transfer functions
Name Function Parameters
All pass H(s) = g
H(s)=gH(s)=g
1. Gain gg
g

Low-pass 1st 1 ωn
H(s)=g1tcs+1=gωns+ωnH(s)=g\frac{1}{t_c
H(s) = g tc s+1 = g s+ω n
s + 1} = g\frac{\omega_n}{s +\omeg
1. Gain gg
g
2. Filter bandwidth (BW) ff−3dB=ωn/
−3dB =
ωn /2π 2πf_{-3dB}=\omega_n

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 5.17. PID Tab

Name Function Parameters

2
Low-pass 2nd ω
H(s)=gωn2s2+2ωnζs+ωn2H(s)=g\frac{\omega^2_n}{s^2+2\omega_n\zeta s+\om
H(s) = g s2 +2ωnnζs+ω2
n 1. Gain gg
g
2. Resonance frequency ffres=ωn/
res =
ωn /2π 2πf_{res}=\omega_n/2
3. Damping ratio ζ\zeta
ζ with f−3dB=2ζfresf_{-3dB}
f−3dB =
2ζfres

tc
Resonator H(s) = −360∘ tc s+1
H(s)=−360∘tctcs+1H(s)=
with ttc=12πBW=2Q2πfrest_c=\frac{1}{2\pi
c = -360^{\circ} \frac{t_c}{t_c s+1} BW}=\frac{2Q}{2\p
frequency 1 2Q 1. Resonance frequency fresf_{res}
fres
2πBW = 2πfres 2. Quality factor QQ
Q

Resonator ω/(2Q)
H(s)=gω/
H(s) = g s+ω/(2Q) with ω=2πfres\omega=2\pi
ω = 2πfres f_{res}
amplitude (2Q)s+ω/ 1. Gain gg
g
2. Resonance
(2Q)H(s)=g\frac{\omega / (2Q)}{s+\omega /(2Q)} frequency fresf_{res}
fres
3. Quality factor QQ
Q

∘
Internal PLL = − 360
H8s)=−360∘sH8s)=-\frac{360^\circ}{s}
H8s) s
∘
VCO = g s(t360
c s+1)
1
H(s)=g360∘s(tcs+1)H(s)=g\frac{360^\circ}{s(t_c
H(s) with ttc=12πfrest_c=\frac{1}{2\pi
c = 2πfres f_{res}}
s+1)}
1. Gain gg
g (Hz/V)
2. Bandwidth (BW) f−3dBf_{-3dB}
f−3dB

Note
It is recommended to use the Advisor in a stepwise approach where one increases the free
parameters from P to PI, to PID . This can save time because it prevents optimizing into local minima.
Also it can be quite illustrative to see which of the feedback parameters leads to which effect in the
feedback behavior.

Note
The low-pass filter in the differential part is implemented as an exponential moving average filter
described by y
yt=(1−α)⋅yt−1+αxty_t=(1-\alpha)\cdot
t = (1 − α) ⋅ yt−1 + αxt with α = 2−dshif t , xtx_t
α=2−dshift\alphaxy_{t-1}+\alpha
= 2^{-dshift}
t the filter x_t yty_t
input, and yt the filter output.
The default value for dshift is 0 which corresponds to a disabled filter. On the UI the filter properties
can be changed in units of bandwidth or a time constant.

In case the feedback output is a voltage applied to sensitive external equipment it is recommended
to make use of the center value and the upper and lower limit values. This will guarantee that the
output stays in the defined range even when the lock fails and the integrator goes into saturation.

5.17.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.47: PID tab: PID section
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Enable ON / OFF Enable the PID controller
Input Select input source of PID controller
Demodulator X Demodulator cartesian X component
Demodulator Y Demodulator cartesian Y component
Demodulator R Demodulator magnitude component
Demodulator Demodulator phase
Theta
Aux Input Auxiliary Input

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Aux Output Internal value of Auxiliary Output
Modulation Index Modulation depth
Dual Frequency Used in dual frequency tracking applications
Tracking \|
Z(i+1)\|-\|Z(i)\|
Demod X(i+1)-X(i) Used in dual frequency tracking applications
Demod \|Z(i+1)- Used in dual frequency tracking applications
Z(i)\|
Oscillator Oscillator frequency
Frequency
Input index Select input channel of PID controller.
Channel
Setpoint Defines the source of the PID setpoint value.
Mode
Fixed Setpoint is manually set.
Aux Input 1 Setpoint is supplied by Auxiliary Input 1.
Aux Input 2 Setpoint is supplied by Auxiliary Input 2.
PID Output 4 Setpoint is supplied by the output of another PID.
Setpoint numeric value PID controller setpoint
Filter BW numeric value Bandwidth of the demodulator filter used as an input.
Filter Order Selects the filter roll off between 6 dB/oct and 48 dB/oct of the
current demodulator.
1 1st order filter 6 dB/oct
2 2nd order filter 12 dB/oct
3 3rd order filter 18 dB/oct
4 4th order filter 24 dB/oct
5 5th order filter 30 dB/oct
6 6th order filter 36 dB/oct
7 7th order filter 42 dB/oct
8 8th order filter 48 dB/oct
Harmonic 1 to 1023 Multiplier of the for the reference frequency of the current
demodulator.
Output Select output of the PID controller
Output 1 Feedback to the main signal output amplitude 1
Amplitude
Output 2 Feedback to the main signal output amplitude 2
Amplitude
Oscillator Feedback to any of the internal oscillator frequencies
Frequency
Aux Output Feedback to any of the 4 Auxiliary Output's Offset
Offset
DIO (int16) Feedback to the DIO as a 16 bit word
Output index Select output channel of PID controller.
Channel
Center numeric value After adding the Center value to the PID output, the signal is
clamped to Center + Range and Center - Range.
Range numeric value Set the range of the PID controller output relative to the center
Default numeric value Set the value for the default output if the PID is disabled.
Out

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Control/ Option/Range Description

Tool
Default ON / OFF Enable the default value when PID is off.
Out Enable
P numeric value PID proportional gain P
I numeric value PID integral gain I
D numeric value PID derivative gain D
Rate RT load PID sampling rate and update rate of PID outputs. Needs to be set
dependent substantially higher than the targeted loop filter bandwidth.
The numerical precision of the controller is influenced by the loop
filter sampling rate. If the target bandwidth is below 1 kHz is starts
to make sense to adjust this rate to a value of about 100 to 500
times the target bandwidth. If the rate is set too high for low
bandwidth applications, integration inaccuracies can lead to non
linear behavior.
Error numeric value Error = Set point - PID Input
Shift numeric value Difference between the current output value Out and the Center.
Shift = P*Error + I*Int(Error, dt) + D*dError/dt
To Advisor Copy the current PID settings to the PID Advisor.

Table 5.48: PID tab: Advisor sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Advise Calculate the PID coefficients based on the used DUT model and the
given target bandwidth. If optimized values can be found the
coefficients are updated and the response curve is updated on the
plot.
Only PID coefficients specified with the advise mode are optimized.
The Advise mode can be used incremental, means current
coefficients are used as starting point for the optimization unless
other model parameters are changed in-between.
Progress The percentage of design algorithm already done when the Advisor is
in progress.
Target BW numeric value Target bandwidth for the closed loop feedback system which is used
(Hz) for the advising of the PID parameters. This bandwidth defines the
trade-off between PID speed and noise.
Advise Select the PID coefficients that are optimized. The other PID
Mode coefficients remain unchanged but are used during optimization. This
enables keeping selected coefficients at a fixed value while
optimizing the rest.
The advise time will increase significantly with the number of
parameters to be optimized.
P Only optimize the proportional gain.
I Only optimize the integral gain.
PI Only optimize the proportional and the integral gain.
PID Optimize the proportional, integral, and derivative gains.
Filter BW numeric Defines the low-pass filter characteristic of the selected
Value demodulator input.
Auto ON / OFF Adjusts the demodulator bandwidth to fit best to the specified target
Bandwidth bandwidth of the full system. If disabled, a demodulator bandwidth
too close to the target bandwidth may cause overshoot and
instability.
In special cases the demodulator bandwidth can also be selected
smaller than the target bandwidth.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Filter Order Selects the filter roll off between 6 dB/oct and 48 dB/oct of the
modelled demodulator.
1 1st order filter 6 dB/oct
2 2nd order filter 12 dB/oct
3 3rd order filter 18 dB/oct
4 4th order filter 24 dB/oct
5 5th order filter 30 dB/oct
6 6th order filter 36 dB/oct
7 7th order filter 42 dB/oct
8 8th order filter 48 dB/oct
Harmonic 1 to 1023 Multiplier of the for the reference frequency of the modelled
demodulator.
DUT Model Type of model used for the external device to be controlled by the
PID.
A detailed description of the transfer function for each model is
found in the previous section.
All Pass The external device is modelled by an all pass filter. Parameters to be
configured are delay and gain.
LP 1st The external device is modelled by a first-order low-pass filter.
Parameters to be configured are delay, gain and filter bandwidth.
LP 2nd The external device is modelled by a second-order low-pass filter.
Parameters to be configured are delay, gain, resonance frequency
and damping ratio.
Resonator The external device is modelled by a resonator. Parameters to be
Frequency configured are delay, center frequency and quality factor.
Internal PLL The DUT is the internal oscillator locked to an external signal through
a phase-locked loop. The parameter to be configured is the delay.
VCO The external device is modelled by a voltage controlled oscillator.
Parameters to be configured are delay, gain and bandwidth.
Resonator The external device is modelled by a resonator. Parameters to be
Amplitude configured are delay, gain, center frequency and quality factor.
Delay numeric value Parameter that determines the earliest response for a step change.
This parameter does not affect the shape of the DUT transfer
function.
Gain numeric value Parameter that determines the gain of the DUT transfer function.
BW (Hz) numeric value Parameter that determines the bandwidth of the first-order low-pass
filter respectively the bandwidth of the VCO.
Damping numeric value Parameter that determines the damping ratio of the second-order
Ratio low-pass filter.
Res Freq numeric value Parameter that determines the resonance frequency of the of the
modelled resonator.
Q numeric value Parameter that determines the quality factor of the modelled
resonator.
P numeric value Proportional gain P coefficient used for calculation of the response
of the PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.
I numeric value Integral gain I coefficient used for calculation of the response of the
PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
D numeric value Derivative gain D coefficient used for calculation of the response of
the PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.
BW (Hz) numeric value Simulated bandwidth of the full close loop model with the current
PID settings. This value should be larger than the target bandwidth.
Target BW green/red Green indicates that the target bandwidth can be achieved. For very
LED high PID bandwidth the target bandwidth might be only achieved
using marginal stable PID settings. In this case, try to lower the
bandwidth or optimize the loop delays of the PID system.
PM (deg) numeric value Simulated phase margin of the PID with the current settings. The
phase margin should be greater than 45 deg for internal PLL and 60
deg for all other DUT for stable conditions. An Infinite value is shown
if no unity gain crossing is available to determine a phase margin.
Stable LED green/red Green indicates that the phase margin is fulfilled and the PID system
should be stable.
To PID Copy the PID Advisor settings to the PID.

Table 5.49: PID tab: Display sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Advanced ON / OFF Enables manual selection of display and advice properties. If
Mode disabled the display and advise settings are automatically with
optimized default values.
Display Select the display mode used for rendering the system frequency or
time response.
Bode Display the Bode magnitude plot.
Magnitude
Bode Phase Display the Bode phase plot.
Step Resp Display the step response plot.
Start (Hz) numeric Start frequency for Bode plot display. For disabled advanced mode
value the start value is automatically derived from the system properties
and the input field is read-only.
Stop (Hz) numeric Stop frequency for Bode plot display. For disabled advanced mode
value the stop value is automatically derived from the system properties
and the input field is read-only.
Start (s) numeric Start time for step response display. For disabled advanced mode
value the start value is zero and the field is read-only.
Stop (s) numeric Stop time for step response display. For disabled advanced mode
value the stop value is automatically derived from the system properties
and the input field is read-only.
Transfer Selection of the displayed transfer function of the loop. 2 presets
Function and a manual selection are possible. In closed loop configuration all
Selector elements from output to input will be included as feedback
elements.
System From Setpoint to System Output.
PID From Setpoint to PID Output.
Manual Any transfer function in the open or closed loop can be visualized.
Response In Start point for the plant response simulation for open or closed
loops. In closed loop configuration all elements from output to input
will be included as feedback elements.
Demod Start point is at the demodulator input.
Input
Setpoint Start point is at the setpoint in front of the PID.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
PID Output Start point is at PID output.
Instrument Start point is at the instrument output.
Output
DUT Output Start point is at the DUT output and instrument input.
Response End point for the plant response simulation for open or closed loops.
Out In closed loop configuration all elements from output to input will be
included as feedback elements.
PID Output End point is at PID output.
Instrument End point is at the instrument output.
Output
DUT Output End point is at the DUT output and instrument input.
Demod End point is at the demodulator input.
Input
System End point is at the output of the controlled system.
Output
Closed-Loop ON / OFF Switch the display of the system response between closed or open
loop.
TC Mode ON / OFF Enables time constant representation of PID parameters.
Set Limits ON / OFF Switch the writing of PID limits when 'To PID' is pressed. Only applies
in case of internal PLL.
Advisor Link Automatically copy cursor values displayed below to the PID advisor.
To enable cursor helpers, switch Advanced Mode on and set Display
to Bode Magnitude with PID Transfer Function. Cursors will be
displayed in Log and dB axis scale combinations.
P Cursor value representing PID proportional gain P. Drag the plot
cursor with the mouse pointer or directly insert numerical value here.
I Cursor value representing PID integral gain I. Drag the plot cursor
with the mouse pointer or directly insert numerical value here.
D Cursor value representing PID derivative gain D. Drag the plot cursor
with the mouse pointer or directly insert numerical value here.

5.18. PLL Tab

The PLL tab allows convenient setup of a two independent phase-locked loop for high-speed
tracking of frequency modulated signals. This tab is only available when the HF2-PLL Dual Phase-
locked Loop option is installed on the HF2 Instrument (see Information section in the Device tab).

Note
Demodulators that are used by an active PLL are set to read-only values on the Lock-in tab.

5.18.1. Features
 Two fully programmable 50 MHz phased-locked loops
 Programmable PLL center frequency and phase setpoint
 50 kHz PLL bandwidth
 Programmable PLL phase detector filter settings and PID controller parameters
 PLL Advisor for model-based parameter suggestion and transfer function analysis
 Auto-zero functions for center frequency and setpoint
 Advanced 2-ω PLL mode (requires HF2-MF option)

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5.18.2. Description
The PLL tab offers a convenient way to set up a phase-locked loop. In this way the frequency of an
external signal can be mapped onto one of the instrument’s internal oscillators. An advisor
functionality based on mathematical models helps the user finding and optimizing the PID
parameters and quickly optimizing the servo bandwidth for the application. Whenever the tab is
closed or an additional one of the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new
instance of the tab.
Table 5.50: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
PLL Features all control, analysis, and simulation capabilities of the
phase-locked loops.

The PLL tab (see Figure 5.38) is divided into two side-tabs corresponding to the two PLL units. It
contains a settings section on the left and an advisor section with graphical display on the right.

Figure 5.38: LabOne UI: PLL tab

Figure 5.39 shows a block diagram of the PLL with its components, their interconnections and the
variables to be specified by the user. The demodulator is slightly simplified for this sketch. Its full
block diagram is given in Demodulator block diagram (without HF2-MF option) or Demodulator block
diagram (HF2-MF option).

Figure 5.39: Phase-Locked Loop block diagram (components simplified)

In a typical work flow to set up a PLL one would first define the center frequency, frequency range,
and the phase setpoint in the left section. If the frequency is not know beforehand, it can often be
measured using the Sweeper or Spectrum tool. Then one would set a target bandwidth in the
Advisor sub-tab and subsequently click on the button, and then enable the PLL. If the
Error field now displays very small values, the phase lock has been successful. One can now iterate
the process and e.g. play with the target bandwidth in the PLL Advisor to calculate a new set of
feedback parameters. Displaying the oscillator frequency in the Plotter along with a Histogram and
Math function (e.g. standard deviation) can help to characterize residual phase deviations and
further improve lock performance by manual tweaking.

Note
The frequency range in the PLL Settings section should exceed the target bandwidth by at least a
factor of 5 to 10.

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Note
PLL 1 uses demodulator 7 as phase detector, and PLL 2 uses demodulator 8. The Input selection
determines which signal is connected to the corresponding demodulator. This setting is the same as
the Input Signal setting in the Lock-in tab.

5.18.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.51: PLL tab: PLL section
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Enable ON / OFF Enable the PLL
Input Sig In 1/2, Aux Select the input signal of the PLL controller
In 1/2, DIO
D0/1
Center Freq (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Center frequency of the PLL oscillator. The PLL frequency shift is
relative to this center frequency.
Auto Center ON / OFF The PLL Center Frequency is determined automatically. In this
Frequency mode, the instrument sweeps the operating range until it finds a
suitable frequency. Note: Auto Center Frequency works only for
open loop systems. Closed loop systems require manual mode.
Range numeric value Set the frequency range of the PLL controller output relative to
the center frequency
Harmonic 1, 2 Set the harmonic used in the phase detector. A setting of 2
means the PLL generates a sub-harmonic of the external
reference.
TC (s) numeric value Filter time constant of the demodulator used as the phase
detector.
Auto TC Enable ON / OFF When On, the PLL is running at full bandwidth. Use manual mode
(off) for low-noise performance.
Filter BW (Hz) numeric value Filter bandwidth of the demodulator used as the phase detector.
Filter Order 1-8 Filter order of the demodulator used as the phase detector.
Setpoint (deg) numeric value Phase set point in degrees (i.e. PID setpoint). Controls the phase
difference between the input signal and the generated signal.
Automated ON / OFF If turned on together with Auto TC Enable and Auto Center
adjustment of Frequency, the PLL is in ExtRef mode
PID coefficients
P numeric value PID proportional gain P
I numeric value PID integral gain I
D numeric value PID derivative gain D
Rate (Hz) numeric value Current sampling rate of the PLL control loop.
Note: The numerical precision of the controller is influenced by
the loop filter sampling rate. If the target bandwidth is below 1
kHz is starts to make sense to adjust this rate to a value of about
100 to 500 times the target bandwidth. If the rate is set too high
for low-bandwidth applications, integration inaccuracies can
lead to nonlinear behavior.
Error (deg) numeric value Current phase error of the PLL (Set Point - PID Input).
PLL lock LED grey/green Indicates when the PLL is locked.
The PLL error is sampled at 5 Sa/s and its RMS value is
calculated. If the result is smaller than 5 degrees the loop is
considered locked.
Freq Shift (Hz) numeric value Current frequency shift of the PLL (Oscillator Freq - Center Freq).
To Advisor Copy the current PLL settings to the PLL Advisor.

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Table 5.52: PLL tab: Advisor sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Advise Calculate PID coefficients based on application mode and given
settings.
Only PID coefficients specified with the advise mode are optimized.
The Advise mode can be used incremental, means current
coefficients are used as starting point for the optimization unless
other model parameters are changed in-between.
Progress The percentage of design algorithm already done when the Advisor is
in progress.
Target BW numeric Target bandwidth for the PLL closed loop feedback system which is
(Hz) value used for the advising of the PID parameters. This bandwidth defines
the trade-off between PLL speed and phase noise.
Advise Select the PID coefficients that are optimized. The other PID
Mode coefficients remain unchanged but are used during optimization. This
enables holding selected coefficients at a fixed value while optimizing
the rest.
The advise time will increase significantly with the number of
parameters to be optimized.
P Only optimize the proportional gain.
I Only optimize the integral gain.
PI Only optimize the proportional and the integral gain.
PID Optimize the proportional, integral, and derivative gains.
DUT Model The model to use for the parameter calculation.
Harmonic 1 to 1023 Multiplier of the for the reference frequency of the modelled
demodulator.
TC (s) numeric Defines the low-pass filter time constant of the selected demodulator
value input.
Auto ON / OFF Adjusts the demodulator bandwidth to fit best to the specified target
Bandwidth bandwidth of the full system. If disabled, a demodulator bandwidth
too close to the target bandwidth may cause overshoot and
instability.
In special cases the demodulator bandwidth can also be selected
smaller than the target bandwidth.
Filter BW numeric Defines the low-pass filter characteristic of the selected demodulator
Value input.
Filter Order Selects the filter roll off between 6 dB/oct and 48 dB/oct of the
modelled demodulator.
1 1st order filter 6 dB/oct
2 2nd order filter 12 dB/oct
3 3rd order filter 18 dB/oct
4 4th order filter 24 dB/oct
5 5th order filter 30 dB/oct
6 6th order filter 36 dB/oct
7 7th order filter 42 dB/oct
8 8th order filter 48 dB/oct
P numeric Proportional gain P coefficient used for calculation of the response of
value the PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
I numeric Integral gain I coefficient used for calculation of the response of the
value PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.
D numeric Derivative gain D coefficient used for calculation of the response of
value the PID model. The parameter can be optimized with PID advise or
changed manually. The parameter only gets active on the PID after
pressing the button To PLL.
Rate (Hz) RT load PID sampling rate used for simulation.
dependent
The advisor will update the rate to match with the specified target
bandwidth. A sampling rate close to the target bandwidth and
excessive higher bandwidth will results in a simulation mismatch.
BW (Hz) numeric Simulated bandwidth of the full close loop PLL with the current PID
value settings. This value should be larger than the target bandwidth.
Target BW green/red Green indicates that the target bandwidth can be achieved. For very
LED high PLL bandwidth the target bandwidth might be only achieved
using marginal stable PID settings.
PM (deg) numeric Simulated phase margin of the PID with the current settings. The
value phase margin should be greater than 45 deg for stable conditions. An
Infinite value is shown if no unity gain crossing is available to
determine a phase margin.
Stable LED green/red Green indicates that the phase margin is fulfilled and the PID system
should be stable.
To PLL Copy the PLL Advisor settings to the PLL.

Table 5.53: PLL tab: Display sub-tab

Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
Advanced ON / OFF Enables manual selection of display and advice properties. If disabled
the display and advise settings are automatically with optimized
default values.
Display Select the display mode used for rendering the system frequency or
time response.
Bode Display the Bode magnitude plot.
Magnitude
Bode Phase Display the Bode phase plot.
Step Resp Display the step response plot.
Start (Hz) numeric Start frequency for Bode plot display. For disabled advanced mode
value the start value is automatically derived from the system properties
and the input field is read-only.
Stop (Hz) numeric Stop frequency for Bode plot display. For disabled advanced mode
value the stop value is automatically derived from the system properties
and the input field is read-only.
Start (s) numeric Start time for step response display. For disabled advanced mode the
value start value is zero and the field is read-only.
Stop (s) numeric Stop time for step response display. For disabled advanced mode the
value stop value is automatically derived from the system properties and
the input field is read-only.
Response Start point for the plant response simulation for open or closed loops.
In In closed loop configuration all elements from output to input will be
included as feedback elements.
Demod Input Start point is at the demodulator input.
Setpoint Start point is at the setpoint in front of the PID.
PID Output Start point is at PID output.

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Control/ Option/ Description

Tool Range
Instrument Start point is at the instrument output.
Output
DUT Output Start point is at the DUT output and instrument input.
Response End point for the plant response simulation for open or closed loops.
Out In closed loop configuration all elements from output to input will be
included as feedback elements.
PID Output End point is at PID output.
Instrument End point is at the instrument output.
Output
DUT Output End point is at the DUT output and instrument input.
Demod Input End point is at the demodulator input.
System End point is in front of the PID error calculation (Setpoint-System
Output Output).
Closed- ON / OFF Switches the display of the system response between closed or open
Loop loop.
TC Mode ON / OFF Switch between display of gain parameters (I, D) and time constants
(Ti, Td) for the integral and differential parts. The following relations
hold: I=P/Ti, D=P*Td.

5.19. MOD Tab

The MOD tab provides access to the settings of the amplitude and frequency modulation units. This
tab is only available when the HF2-MOD AM/FM Modulation is installed on the Instrument (see
Information section in the Device tab).

Note
The HF2-MOD AM/FM Modulation requires the HF2-MF Multi-frequency option.

5.19.1. Features
 Phase coherently add and subtract oscillator frequencies and their multiples
 Control for AM and FM demodulation
 Control for AM and narrow-band FM generation
 Direct analysis of higher order carrier frequencies and sidebands

5.19.2. Description
The MOD tab offers control in order to phase coherently add and subtract the frequencies of
multiple numerical oscillators. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the same type is
needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.54: App icon and short description
Control/ Option/ Description
Tool Range
MOD Control panel to enable (de)modulation at linear combinations of
oscillator frequencies.

The MOD tab (see Figure 5.40) is divided into two horizontal sections, one for each modulation unit.

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Figure 5.40: LabOne UI: MOD tab

The modulation units are designed for experiments involving multiple frequencies. For many of such
experiments the associated spectrum reveals a dominant center frequency, often called the carrier,
and one or multiple sidebands symmetrically placed around the carrier. Typical examples are
amplitude modulated (AM) signals with one carrier and two sidebands separated from the carrier by
the AM modulation frequency. Another example is frequency modulation (FM) where multiple
sidebands to the left and right of the carrier can appear. The relative amplitude of the sideband for
both AM and FM depends on the modulation depth, which is often expressed by the modulation
index.

The classical approach of analyzing such signals (in particular when only analog instruments are
available) is to use a configuration called tandem demodulation. This is essentially the serial
cascading of lock-in amplifiers. The first device is referenced to the carrier frequency and outputs
the in-phase component. This is then fed into the subsequent lock-in amplifiers in order to extract
the different sideband components. There are several downsides to this scheme:
 The quadrature component of the first lock-in tuned to the carrier has to be continuously zeroed
out by adjusting the reference phase. Otherwise a serious part of the signal power is lost for the
analysis which usually leads to a drop in SNR.
 The scheme scales badly in terms of the hardware resources needed, in particular if multiple
sideband frequencies need to be extracted.
 Every time a signal enters or exits an instrument the SNR gets smaller (e.g. due to the instrument
inputs noise). Multiple such steps can deteriorate signal quality significantly.
All these shortcomings are nicely overcome by providing the ability to generate linear combinations
of oscillator frequencies and use these combinations as demodulation references.

The MOD tab contains two sections MOD 1 and MOD 2. Both are identical in all aspects except that
MOD 1 is linked to demodulators 1, 2 and 3, whereas MOD 2 is linked to demodulators 4, 5, and 6.
Each of the MOD units can make use of up to 3 oscillators, which can be even referenced to an
external source by using ExtRef or a PLL. Figure 5.41 gives an overview of the different components
involved and their interconnections.

Figure 5.41: Modulation Option block diagram

For convenience the UI provides access to presets for AM and FM in the Mode column. In Manual
Mode all settings can be chosen freely.

Note
Whenever a MOD unit is enabled, all the settings in the Lock-in tab that are controlled by this unit
will be set to read-only.

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Note
When using the Sweeper to vary a parameter of a MOD unit, it is recommended to manually set the
minimum settling time to 500 ms (Settings sub-tab, Advanced Mode). Otherwise the measurement
may yield invalid data.

On top of signal analysis the HF2-MOD AM/FM Modulation can also be utilized for signal generation.
The Generation section provides all the necessary controls to adjust the carrier and sideband
amplitudes.

Note
FM signals are generated by coherent superposition of the carrier signal with two sideband
frequencies on either side that have the same amplitudes but opposite phases. The phase shift is
achieved by using negative amplitudes as displayed in the Lock-in tab. This FM generation method
approximates true FM as long as the modulation index is well below 1, i.e. higher-order sidebands
can be neglected. For a modulation index of 1 true FM provides more than 13% of signal power in the
second and higher order sidebands.

More details regarding AM and FM signal analysis and generation can be found on the Zurich
Instruments web page.

5.19.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.55: MOD tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Enable ON / OFF Enable the modulation
Mode AM/FM/manual Select the modulation mode.
Mode Enabling of the first sideband and selection of the position of
the sideband relative to the carrier frequency for manual mode.
Off First sideband is disabled. The sideband demodulator behaves
like a normal demodulator.
C+M First sideband to the right of the carrier
C-M First sideband to the left of the carrier
Mode Enabling of the second sideband and selection of the position of
the sideband relative to the carrier frequency for manual mode.
Off Second sideband is disabled. The sideband demodulator
behaves like a normal demodulator.
C+M Second sideband to the right of the carrier
C-M Second sideband to the left of the carrier
Frequency (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Sets the frequency of the carrier.
Frequency (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Frequency offset to the carrier from the first sideband.
Frequency (Hz) 0 to 50 MHz Frequency offset to the carrier from the second sideband.
Carrier oscillator index Select the oscillator for the carrier signal.
Sideband 1 oscillator index Select the oscillator for the first sideband.
Sideband 2 oscillator index Select the oscillator for the second sideband.
Harm 1 to 1023 Set harmonic of the carrier frequency. 1=Fundamental
Harm 1 to 1023 Set harmonic of the first sideband frequency. 1 = fundamental
Harm 1 to 1023 Set harmonic of the second sideband frequency. 1 =
fundamental

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Control/Tool Option/ Description

Range
Demod Freq 0 to 50 MHz Carrier frequency used for the demodulation and signal
(Hz) generation on the carrier demodulator.
Demod Freq 0 to 50 MHz Absolute frequency used for demodulation and signal
(Hz) generation on the first sideband demodulator.
Demod Freq 0 to 50 MHz Absolute frequency used for demodulation and signal
(Hz) generation on the second sideband demodulator.
Channel Signal Input 1, Select Signal Input for the carrier demodulation
Signal Input 2
Channel Signal Input 1, Select Signal Input for the sideband demodulation
Signal Input 2
Phase -180° to 180° Phase shift applied to the reference input of the carrier
demodulator and also to the carrier signal on the Signal Outputs
Phase -180° to 180° Phase shift applied to the reference input of the sideband
demodulator and also to the sideband signal on the Signal
Outputs
Zero Adjust the carrier demodulator's reference phase automatically
in order to read zero degrees at the demodulator output.
This action maximizes the X output, zeros the Y output, zeros
the Θ output, and leaves the R output unchanged.
Zero Adjust the sideband demodulator's reference phase
automatically in order to read zero degrees at the demodulator
output.
This action maximizes the X output, zeros the Y output, zeros
the Θ output, and leaves the R output unchanged.
Order 1 to 8 Filter order used for carrier demodulation
Order 1 to 8 Filter order used for sideband demodulation
TC/BW Value numeric value Defines the low-pass filter characteristic in the unit defined
above for the carrier demodulation
TC/BW Value numeric value Defines the low-pass filter characteristic in the unit defined
above for the sideband demodulation
Signal Output 1, 2 or both Select Signal Output 1, 2 or none
Carrier (V) -range to range Set the carrier amplitude
Modulation (V) -range to range Set the amplitude of the first sideband component.
Modulation (V) -range to range Set the amplitude of the second sideband component.
Index -range to range In FM mode, set modulation index value. The modulation index
equals peak deviation divided by modulation frequency.
Peak Dev (Hz) -range to range In FM mode, set peak deviation value.
Enable FM ON / OFF In FM mode, choose to work with either modulation index or
Peak Mode peak deviation. The modulation index equals peak deviation
divided by modulation frequency.
Enable ON / OFF Enable the signal generation for the first sideband
Enable ON / OFF Enable the signal generation for the second sideband
Enable ON / OFF Enable the carrier signal

5.20. Multi Device Sync Tab

The Multi Device Sync (MDS) tab gives access to the automatic timing synchronization of
measurement data from multiple HF2 instruments. This functionality and tab is available on all HF2
instruments.

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5.20.1. Features
 Automatic timing synchronization across instruments
 Periodic check of synchronization
 Selectable instrument subgroup
 Status display

5.20.2. Description
The Multi Device Sync tab contains the controls and status information for synchronized
measurements on multiple instruments. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the
same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.56: App icon and short description
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
MDS Synchronize multiple instruments.

The Multi Device Sync tab shown in Figure 5.42 consists of the Available Devices section, a Status
section, and a wiring diagram.

Figure 5.42: LabOne UI: Multi Device Sync tab

The Multi Device Synchronization feature provides an automated functionality to remove the clock
offset of separate HF2 instruments. This enables a correct simultaneous display of their data in the
Plotter Tab and helps when analyzing recorded data. In multi-channel applications that require sub-
microsecond timing precision, the user can therefore benefit from having synchronized data from
the start, rather than having to manually measure and compensate the clock offset in post-
processing.

The first prerequisite for automatic synchronization is that all instruments are connected to the
same LabOne Data Server (see Connecting to the Instrument).

These connections are automatically established with all HF2 instruments physically connected to
the same host computer. Once all instruments are connected, they are selectable in the Tree
Selector of a newly opened Plotter tab allowing you to visualize their data simultaneously, though by
default these data are not synchronized yet. The settings of multiple instruments can be accessed
in parallel by opening a new Web Server session for each of them. This is done by opening a new
browser tab and connecting to localhost:8006 or 127.0.0.1:8006, respectively, and then double-
clicking the respective instrument entry in the Available Devices list. With multiple instruments
connected to the same Data Server, tabs that are available for several instruments will feature a
device selector as shown in Figure 5.43.

Figure 5.43: Example of the device selector for the Device tab
The second prerequisite for automatic synchronization is correct cabling of the instruments
explained in the diagram in Figure 5.44. The instruments need to be arranged in the form of a "daisy-
chain" where the ZSync Out connector of the first instrument is connected to the ZSync In
connector of the second instrument, and so forth.

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Figure 5.44: Cabling for automatic synchronization of multiple HF2 instruments

Once the cabling and the connectivity is set up correctly, automatic synchronization is started in the
Multi Device Sync tab by checking the Enable button on the instruments in the Available Devices
list, and then clicking on . The sequence assignment of the instruments (Leader, Follower
1, Follower 2,...) can be defined by the order in which the Enable button is clicked. This assignment
has to agree with the way the cabling is made. The Message display on the right will then report on
the progress, and the Sync Status LED will turn green if the synchronization was successful. In that
case, visualizing a time-dependent measurement of multiple instruments in the Plotter will
demonstrate the timing synchronization.

5.20.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.57: Multi Device Sync tab
Control/Tool Option/ Description
Range
Start Sync Start the automatic synchronization of the selected devices.
Sync Status Indicates the status of the synchronization within this group.
Green: synchronization successful. Yellow: synchronization in
progress. Red: error (see message).
Message Displays a status message of the synchronization group.
Cabling This image shows how to connect the devices for device
synchronization.
Phase Reset phases of all oscillators on all synchronized devices.
Synchronization
Identify Device Make device's front LED blink

5.21. Real-time Tab

Note
The Real-time Tab is unavailable in the LabOne UI. Please use ziControl to work with the Real-time
Option.

5.22. HF2CA Tab

The HF2CA tab provides remote control over the HF2CA Current Amplifier which is available as an
accessory to the HF2LI Lock-in amplifier. The HF2CA tab dynamically adapts its content depending
on whether or not a HF2CA is connected to one of the ZCtrl connectors of the HF2LI.

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5.22.1. Features
 Input impedance range from 10 V/A to 1 M V/A (R1, R2)
 Input mode differential or single-ended (Diff, Single)
 Input signal coupling mode (AC, DC)
 Output stage gain (G=1 or G=10)

5.22.2. Description
The HF2CA tab contains an interactive circuit diagram allowing the user to control the input
settings, grounding, and gain of the preamplifier. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of
the same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.58: App Icon and short description
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
HF2CA Remote control of the HF2CA Current Amplifier.

The HF2CA tab consists of two side-tabs corresponding to the two ZCtrl inputs of the HF2
instrument. Each side-tab is horizontally divided into two identical sections corresponding to the
two Signal Inputs of the HF2CA as shown in Figure 5.45.

Figure 5.45: HF2CA tab

Additional HF2CA specification can be found in the HF2CA Current Amplifier Data Sheet.

5.22.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.59: HF2CA tab
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Single ON / OFF Switch between differential and single-ended input
configurations
R (Ω) 10, 100, 1k, 10k, 100k, Select input impedance
1M, Inf
DC ON / OFF Switch between DC and AC coupling after the first
amplification stage
G1 / G2 1, 10 Set the voltage gain of the second amplification stage

5.23. HF2TA Tab

The HF2TA tab provides remote control over the HF2TA Current Amplifier which is available as an
accessory to the HF2LI Lock-in amplifier. The HF2TA tab dynamically adapts its content depending
on whether or not a HF2TA is connected to one of the ZCtrl connectors of the HF2LI.

5.23.1. Features
 Input offset +/- 10 V
 Transimpedance gain from 100 V/A to 100 MV/A (R1, R2)

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 Input signal coupling mode (AC, DC)

 Addition gain (1, 10)
 Total gain display (R1*G, R2*G)
 Input Shield (GND, EXT Bias)
 Auxiliary output +/- 10 V

5.23.2. Description
The HF2TA tab contains an interactive circuit diagram allowing the user to control the input settings,
grounding, gain and offset of the preamplifier. Whenever the tab is closed or an additional one of the
same type is needed, clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.
Table 5.60: App Icon and short description
Control/Tool Option/Range Description
HF2TA Remote control of the HF2TA Current Amplifier.

The HF2TA tab contains two side-tabs corresponding to the two ZCtrl inputs of the HF2 instrument.
Each side-tab is horizontally divided into three sections as shown in Figure 5.46. The two upper
sections are identical and correspond to the two Signal Inputs of the HF2TA. The lowest section
contains the setting of the Aux Output voltage of the HF2TA.

Figure 5.46: HF2TA tab

Detailed HF2TA specifications can be found in the HF2TA Current Amplifier Data Sheet.

5.23.3. Functional Elements

Table 5.61: HF2TA tab
Control/ Option/Range Description
Tool
Input Shield GND, Ext Bias Select the shield of Input 1 and 2 to be either grounded or
biased by an external voltage
Offset (V) -10 mV to +10 mV Set the offset voltage applied to the current input.
R1 / R2 (V/A) 100, 1k, 10k, 100k, 1M, Set the transimpedance gain of the amplifier
10M, 100M
DC ON / OFF Switch between DC and AC coupling after the first
amplification stage
G1 / G2 1, 10 Set the voltage gain of the second amplification stage
Aux Output -10 V to +10 V Set the auxiliary output voltage of the HF2TA

5.24. ZI Labs Tab

The ZI Labs tab contains experimental LabOne functionalities added by the ZI development team.
The settings found here are often relevant to special applications, but have not yet found their
definitive place in one of the other LabOne tabs. Naturally this tab is subject to frequent changes,
and the documentation of the individual features would go beyond the scope of this user manual.
Clicking the following icon will open a new instance of the tab.

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Table 5.62: App Icon and short description

Control/Tool Option/Range Description
ZI Labs Experimental settings and controls.

5.25. Upgrade Tab

The Upgrade tab serves as a source of information about the possible upgrade options for the
instrument in use. The tab has no functional purpose but provides the user with a quick link to
further information about the upgrade options online.

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6. Communication and Connectivity

This chapter describes the different possibilities to interface with an HF2 Instrument. The HF2
Series was designed with the concept that "the computer is the cockpit"; there are no controls on
the front panel of the HF2 Instrument, instead the user has the freedom to configure and stream
data from the instrument directly from their computer. The aim of this approach is to give the user
the freedom to choose where they connect to, and how they control, their HF2 Instrument. The user
can connect directly from a computer connected to the HF2 Instrument via USB or remotely from a
different computer on the network, away from their experimental setup. Then, on either computer,
the user can configure and retrieve data from their HF2 Instrument via a number of different
interfaces, i.e. via the LabOne UI and/or their own custom programs. In this way the user can decide
which connectivity setup and combination of interfaces best suits their experimental setup and
data processing needs.

We first provide an overview of how the user connects an HF2 Instrument to a PC in Instrument
Connectivity Overview and then give an overview of how to quickly modify instrument settings using
the text-based console in ziServer’s Text-based Interface. Finally, at the end of this chapter, we
explain how to connect to an HF2 instrument over a public network, Connecting to ziServer over
insecure or networks behind firewalls.

Note
It is also possible to configure and obtain data from an HF2 Instrument via one of our APIs. Currently
LabVIEW, Matlab, Python or C are available. These topics are covered in a separate document, The
LabOne Programming Manual.

Note
New users could benefit by first familiarizing themselves with the instrument using the LabOne UI,
see Tutorials.

Note
Programming using the Real-time Option (ziRTK) is dealt with in Real-time Option.

6.1. Instrument Connectivity Overview

The HF2 Series supports a server-based connectivity methodology for multi-user, multi-device
operation. This means that it is possible to operate more than one HF2 Instrument from a single
computer, that multiple users may access the same instrument, and that an instrument may be
made available on a local area network. Server-based means that all communication between the
user and the HF2 is via a computer program called a server, in our case ziServer. The ziServer
program recognizes the device and manages all communication between the instrument and the
host computer over the USB connection on one side, and the different available interfaces on the
other side.

Before going into more detail, the terminology used in this chapter is explained.
 Host computer: The computer that is directly connected to the HF2 by USB. An HF2 can only be
connected to one host computer, but to multiple remote computers on a local area network via
ziServer running on the host.
 ziServer: A computer program that runs on the host computer and manages settings on, and
data transfer to and from the HF2 by receiving commands from clients. It always has the most
up-to-date configuration of the device and ensures that the configuration is synchronized
between different clients.
 Remote computer: A computer, available on the same network as the host computer, that can
communicate with the HF2 via the ziServer program running on the host.
 Client: A computer program that communicates with the HF2 via the server. The client can be
running either on the host or the remote computer.


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API (Application Programming Interface): a collection of functions and data structures which
enable communication between software components. In our case, the various APIs (e.g.,
LabVIEW, MATLAB®) for the HF2 provide functions to configure the device and receive measured
experimental data.
 Interface: Either a client or an API.
 TCP/IP: Network communication protocols. In our case, ziServer communicates to the base API
(ziAPI) using TCP/IP. This can happen either locally (entirely on the host computer) or between the
host computer and remote computers.
 GUI (Graphical User Interface): A computer program that the user can operate via images as
opposed to text-based commands.
 Modules: Software components that provide a unified interface to APIs to perform high-level
common tasks such as sweeping data.
An overview of HF2 Instrument connectivity is shown in Figure 6.1.

Figure 6.1: Instrument Connectivity

6.1.1. Physical Connectivity: Host and Remote Computers

In a commonly used configuration, the HF2 Instrument is connected to a host computer where both
the server and the clients (denoted by the orange boxes in Figure 6.1) run. The ziServer program acts
as bridge from the instrument to the various clients. For example, a user may use two clients in
parallel: the LabOne UI to configure the device and their own program created using the LabVIEW
API to plot custom results streamed from the instrument. Both these clients communicate data via
the same instance of ziServer and ziServer ensures that both clients are always updated with the
current instrument configuration. Note however, that any combination of clients shown in Figure 6.1
may be used in parallel, limited only by the performance of the host computer and by the load from
requests to ziServer. In this configuration, the top and bottom block of Figure 6.1 (denoted by the
light blue box) are both running on the host computer.
Sometimes, the user wishes to use a client to control the HF2 on a remote computer. In this case,
the software in the top block of Figure 6.1 runs on the remote computer, connecting via TCP/IP over
the local area network to the instance of ziServer running on the host computer (which is connected
to the HF2 via USB).

In total, there are three possibilities of physically connecting to an HF2 Instrument:

 On the host computer, i.e., all the software (ziServer, interfaces) is running on the same computer
that is connected to the instrument via USB. This is the simplest and most common setup.


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On a remote computer connected to the host computer over a secure local area network. If a
private network is available this is a simple setup, ziServer only needs to allow remote
connections, see Enabling a Remote Connection to ziServer.
 On a remote computer connected to the host computer over a public, insecure network.

As you can now imagine, there are many possibilities to connect to an HF2 instrument. The following
methods of connecting with HF2 Instruments are supported:
 Connection to and operation of an HF2 Instrument from multiple clients on different computers
in parallel with automatic background update of instrument settings on all connected clients.
 Connection to and operation of up to 16 HF2 Instruments from a single host computer.
 Connection to and Operation of multiple remote HF2 Instruments that are connected on a TCP/IP
LAN via a (or multiple) host computer(s), the number of which is limited by the performance of
the remote computer. Note, there can only be one instance of ziServer running for one HF2
Instrument.

6.1.2. Software Connectivity: ziServer

The ziServer program provides a gateway to your HF2 Instrument from any of the programming
interfaces described in this chapter. The ziServer program recognizes the device and manages all
communication between the instrument and the host computer over the USB connection on one
side, and the different available interfaces on the other side. Since ziServer is responsible for all
communication to the instrument, it’s important that only one instance of ziServer is running at any
one time. This is how you can check that only one instance of ziServer is running, or is indeed
running at all:
 Windows: Open Windows Task Manager with CTRL-SHIFT-ESC and check that both the processes
ziServer.exe and ziService.exe are running.
 Linux: Either check manually that the process ziServer is running or alternatively use the
`ziService` command

$ ziService status

in a terminal. You should see the output:

Status : ziServer is running.

Enabling a Remote Connection to ziServer

In order to enable connections to ziServer from a remote computer, the node /zi/config/open
must be set to 1. To set this in the LabOne UI go to the Config Tab and under the Connectivity setting
enable "From Everywhere".

6.1.3. Instrument Communication: The Node Hierarchy

In order to communicate with an HF2 Instrument via text-based commands, it is necessary to
understand how the settings and measurement data of the instrument are accessed. All settings of
the HF2 Instrument are organized in a file-system-like hierarchical structure. This means that it is
possible to plot a consistent tree of nodes, where the instrument settings are leaves of the tree. It is
also possible to browse branches inside the tree as if the user were navigating in a file-system. This
hierarchy is used, no matter which interface you use when performing measurements.

An example demonstrating the hierarchy is the representation of the first demodulator on the
device, given by the node:

/devX/demods/0

which, as we’ve already noted, is very similar to a path on a computer’s file-system. Note that, the
top level of the path is the device that you are connected to. The demodulators are then given as a
top-level *_node__ under your device-node and the node of the first demodulator is indexed by 0.
This path represents a branch in the node hierarchy which, in this case, if we explore further, has the
following nodes:

/devX/demods/0/adcselect
/devX/demods/0/order
/devX/demods/0/timeconstant
/devX/demods/0/rate

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/devX/demods/0/trigger
/devX/demods/0/oscselect
/devX/demods/0/harmonic
/devX/demods/0/phaseshift
/devX/demods/0/sinc
/devX/demods/0/sample

These nodes are *_leaves, the most bottom-level nodes which represent a setting of an instrument
or a field that can be read to retrieve measurement data. For example, /devX/demods/0/adcselect
is the leaf that controls the setting corresponding to the choice of signal input for the first
demodulator. To set the index of the signal input the user writes to this node. The leaf /devX/
demods/0/sample is the leaf where the demodulator’s output (timestamp, demodulated x-value,
demodulated y-value) are written at the frequency specified by /devX/demods/0/rate. In order to
obtain the demodulator output you read the values from this node by *_polling this node. Polling a
node sends a request from the client to ziServer to obtain the data from the node at that particular
point in time.
Device Node Tree provides a full reference of nodes on HF2 Instruments and details which settings
or measurement data they correspond to, whether they are read-only and, if they are writable, which
values they may take (e.g., boolean, integer, floating point).

Note
The numbering on the front panel of the HF2 Instrument and the block numbering on the LabOne UI
generally start with 1, whereas the underlying instrument using the programming interfaces has a
numbering notation starting with 0.

Note
A useful method to learn about paths in your HF2 Instrument is to look at the output of the history in
the bottom of the LabOne UI. The status line always shows the last applied command and you can
view the entire history by clicking the "Show History" button. You will find paths like

/devx/sigins/0/ac = 1

after you switched on the AC mode for signal input 1, or

/devx/demods/1/rate =
7200.000000

after setting the readout rate of demodulator 2 to 7.2 kHz.

You can obtain a list of nodes available on your instrument as a text-file in the LabOne UI by saving
the instrument settings. Go to the Config tab in the Settings section click the Save button.

Note
We recommend that users who want to program their HF2 Instruments first familiarize themselves
with the node hierarchy by browsing nodes via ziServer’s text-based interface described in the next
chapter. The text-based interface is an indispensable tool for HF2 programmers.

6.2. ziServer’s Text-based Interface

The text-based interface is the simplest and most direct way of communicating with an HF2
Instrument and doesn't require any previous programming experience. Browsing the text interface
physically happens within ziServer and since it makes use of TCP/IP sockets the user can also
connect remotely over a network connection via telnet or ssh. In contrast to the LabOne UI, this is a
geeky way of using an HF2 Instrument.
After connecting to the text-based interface via telnet, you find yourself in a DOS or Unix terminal-
like program, where you can browse instrument settings in the node hierarchy (Instrument

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Communication: The Node Hierarchy). The terminal responds to known command syntax like ls (list
all nodes in the current directory) and cd (select path to navigate in the directory hierarchy).
The text interface is a very powerful tool for users programming an HF2 Instrument with other
interfaces such as Zurich Instrument’s LabVIEW or MATLAB® API. It is a convenient way to verify the
instrument’s node paths and check that values have been set correctly by the interface you are
actually programming with. It is also helpful for budding HF2 hackers who can use it to browse the
node hierarchy and familiarize themselves with its structure.

Note
In theory, it would be possible to use the text-based interface to communicate with an HF2
Instrument from an arbitrary programming environment. However, this would require the
implementation of a socket connection and a parser, and there is no exception handling should a
command fail. Also, since it’s a text interface, as opposed to a binary interface, data transfer is
slower. Therefore, in general, we strongly encourage the user to instead use one of the existing
binary interfaces documented later in this chapter as their primary programming interface.

6.2.1. Getting Started with the Text-based Interface

Preparation

The purpose of this section is to get quickly acquainted with the text interface to the ziServer. For
this you will need to have installed LabOne (see Software Installation) and have your HF2 Instrument
connected to your host computer via USB. In order to access the text-based interface within
ziServer, a telnet or SSH client providing a console is required.

Figure 6.2: Setup for using the text-based interface

Connecting to ziServer on Windows

Zurich Instruments recommends to use the freeware PuTTY as a telnet client. PuTTY has to be
configured with the following settings to connect with ziServer.
Table 6.1: PuTTY settings on Windows

Terminal category, Implicit CR in every LF set

Session category, Host Name localhost
Session category, Port 8005
Session category, Connection type Telnet

Users connecting to a remote ziServer (a ziServer which is not running on the local machine, but on
the host computer available on the LAN) have to configure the host name accordingly (e.g.
computer.domain.com) after allowing remote connections to ziServer, see Software Connectivity:
ziServer.

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Figure 6.3: PuTTY configuration to connect to ziServer

Save the session settings with a suitable name, so that you can connect faster next time. After
pressing the Open button, the following screen will appear: this message confirms successful
connection to the ziServer. If the screen does not appear, or the text is missing, please check
whether ziServer is running (Windows task manager, see Software Connectivity: ziServer) or check
your PuTTY settings.

Figure 6.4: PuTTY successful ziServer connection

Connecting to ziServer on Linux

You may connect to a running ziServer from the host computer by invoking telnet in a shell:

user@zi:~$ telnet localhost 8005

Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
ziServer V19.05 revision 62216/Linux, (c) 2008-2021 Zurich Instruments AG

Or by using netcat:

user@zi:~$ nc localhost 8005

ziServer V19.05 revision 62216/Linux, (c) 2008-2021 Zurich Instruments AG

A Tour of the Text-based Interface

We start our tour with some basic commands. After successful connection, it’s nice to see which
instruments are connected to ziServer. An ls will do the job. This yields the information that we have
a ZI node (the node for ziServer) and a DEVX node (denoting your HF2 Instrument). The DEVX is the
serial number of the HF2 Instrument in front of you. Let’s select the ziServer node with cd zi, list
the nodes with ls, and then read all values of the node inside the /ZI/ tree with / ?. Not very
impressive so far.

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Figure 6.5: PuTTY tour: check server version

Let us move into the DEVX hierarchy by using the relative path cd ../devx (it’s also possible to
specify absolute paths, e.g., cd /devx/ and investigate the structure of the node hierarchy with the
ls command). This lists all the leaves inside of your device. Each leaf represents a setting that can
be made inside of the instrument or a field that can be read to retrieve measurement data. The first
level hierarchy inside the instrument is displayed in Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6: PuTTY tour: first instrument hierarchy

This list gives a top-level insight into an HF2 Instrument showing its building blocks such as
DEMODS (demodulators), OSCS (oscillators), SIGINS (signal inputs), SIGOUTS (signal outputs),
SCOPES (oscilloscopes), AUXINS (auxiliary inputs), AUXOUTS (auxiliary outputs), CPUS (integrated
processors), and so on. The branches and leaves that you see will depend on the options installed in
your device: for instance, you will not see PLLS if you do not have the HF2PLL option installed.

It is time to dive into one branch of the instrument. Let us take oscillator 0: type cd oscs, then ls to
see the branches at that level, then type cd 0 to select the first oscillator, then list the leaves at that
level, and use * ? to return the values of all leaves. We see for instance that /DEVX/OSCS/0/FREQ
has a value of 2.5 MHz, see Figure 6.7.

It is now possible to check that the LabOne UI actually has the same value in the corresponding
field. Note, that the block numbering notation inside of the GUI starts with 1, whereas the underlying
instrument has a numbering notation starting with 0. It is also possible to change the frequency of
the lock-in channel 1 inside of the GUI to 2.1 MHz, and then check the value inside the text interface
by typing * ?. You notice that the settings changes are transparent to all clients connected to a
ziServer. You can always rely on setting and data consistency.

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Figure 6.7: PuTTY tour: leaves of an oscillator

Next, to change the value of the oscillator frequency, for instance to 4.5 MHz, type freq 4500000.
The same effect can be achieved by using the absolute path /DEV8/OSCS/0/FREQ 4500000. Please
note that the value in the GUI has changed from 2.1 MHz to 4.5 MHz in the meantime.

The wildcard symbol * can simplify life when many similar settings need to be made. Lets for
instance check the frequency of all oscillators at once: type cd .., and then */freq ?, and then
change all frequencies to 3.6 MHz with \*/freq 3600000. This is where the text interface is
becoming pretty powerful.

Figure 6.8: PuTTY tour: using the wildcard symbol

One word on scripting. It is possible to manually compile several settings in a file using the syntax
path value, then to copy-paste them into the terminal window. The sequence will be recognized by
the ziServer and all defined settings will be made.

Note, another useful method to learn about the paths in your HF2 Instrument is to look at the
bottom of the LabOne UI after changing configuration (see this note). The complete command
history of a session is stored in the LabVIEW Data directory, file
com.zhinst.ziControlStatusLog.txt.

This concludes getting started with text-based programming. Zurich Instruments hopes you found it
useful, and hopes you are going to perform some tutorials in Tutorials. Thank you for measuring with
Zurich Instruments.

6.2.2. Command Reference

Commands

A complete lists of all available commands in the text-based interface can be viewed in the interface
by typing help.

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Note
The text-based interface is case insensitive.

Nodes, Leaves and Paths

Every setting of the instrument is represented by a leaf as a terminal of a tree of nodes. There are
also leaves which are not settings, but for instance used to retrieve data from the instrument. For
each leaf there is a path and the related value.

path_list = path [path]

path = [/|/..|*]name[/name|*|**]

In the syntax above a name is a string, and the path is a list of names separated by a slash. If a path
starts with a slash, it is an absolute path starting at the root of the hierarchy. The asterisk is a
wildcard meaning all nodes at a given hierarchy, and two points in a row means one hierarchy higher.

Navigation and Trees

The navigation inside the text interface is performed with the sel/cd/ls/tr commands.

sel or cd [?|..|path]
ls [path]
tr [path]
info [path]

The command cd ? feedbacks the current path, cd .. moves up one tree level, cd path moves
down one tree level. sel and cd are equivalent commands. ls lists the tree available on the current
path, ls path lists the tree available on the specified path, tr lists the complete tree on the current
path, tr path lists the complete tree on the specified path, info feedbacks the help string of the
current path, and info path reports the help string of a given path.

Get and Set Node Values

The values of nodes are read and changed with the following syntax.

path ?
path_list value

The command path ? returns the value of path, path value sets the specified node to value, and
path_list value sets several nodes to value. Some examples:

about/* ? // return values of leaves at path

devx/demods/0/* ?
/zi/config/* ?

/devx/demods/0/adcselect ? // return value at path

/devx/demods/0/adcselect 0 // set value of leaf

/devx/demods/0/adcselect /devx/demods/1/adcselect 1
// multiple set value

Subscriptions

The ziServer provides a mechanism to automatically send all changes to a leaf to a subscribed
client. This mechanism efficiently informs a client whenever a setting or a data of the instrument
has changed without the need of active polling. It is possible to subscribe to single leaves, or full
trees.

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When a value of a subscribed leaf changes, the updated value is sent to the client. Most often
samples, error and status nodes are subscribed. If one needs to maintain a user interface, then this
can be done using subscriptions.
If you subscribe or unsubscribe from a node which is not a leaf, the subscription propagates to all
nodes of the subtree. For example, you could first subscribe a subtree and then unsubscribe
specific nodes within this subtree and still receive events for all nodes except for unsubscribed
ones.

subs path_list // subscribe

unsubs path_list // unsubscribe

path value // return value for subscribed leaf

The following sequence illustrates subscribe and unsubscribe commands following each other,
where turquoise leafs denote subscribed leafs.

Initial state - no leaf is After subscribing the root After unsubscribing the
subscribed node node 1

The first image shows the initial state with no leaf subscribed. This state corresponds to a newly
initiated ziServer session. After subscribing the root node, all leafs become subscribed. Then it is for
instance possible to unsubscribe node 1 in order to leave just the leafs below node 2 subscribed.

Scripting

It is possible prepare a sequence of commands in a text editor and copy-paste them into the
terminal session. The console will send all commands to the ziServer and the server will interpret
them one by one.

Note
Use the right-mouse button in order to copy-paste into a Windows Putty session.

cd [.zinode]#/DEVX#
SIGOUTS/*/ON 0
SIGOUTS/0/RANGE 1
SIGOUTS/0/AMPLITUDES/0 1
SIGOUTS/0/ENABLES/* 0
SIGOUTS/0/ENABLES/0 1
OSCS/0/FREQ 300000
SIGINS/0/RANGE 10
DEMODS/0/ORDER 2
DEMODS/0/RATE 1000

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6.3. Connecting to ziServer over insecure or networks

behind firewalls
If you want to connect to the ziServer over insecure, public networks like the public internet, you
need to consider that the TCP/IP connection to the ziServer is unsecured. Also many firewalls will
not allow traffic to port 8005. There are two common solutions to this problem. Either a VPN or a ssh
port tunneling/forwarding. In this section ssh port tunneling/forwarding is described.

6.3.1. SSH port forwarding

You can use ssh to connect to a remote computer and use this connection to tunnel ziServer traffic
between the local and remote computer.

To illustrate how port forwarding works, let us use an example. Suppose you have two buildings. In
Lab #1, there is the lab with computers residing in the subnet 10.1.1.* and the HF2 is connected to
one of these computers. At your Home, there are office computers residing in the subnet 10.2.2.*.
The computers in Lab #1 are running the ziServer application that uses an unencrypted TCP/IP
session to communicate data with, e.g., the LabOne UI at your home. The firewall of the Lab and your
Home might not permit this connection to be initiated. There are two kinds of port forwarding: local
and remote forwarding. They are also called outgoing and incoming tunnels, respectively. Local port
forwarding forwards traffic coming to a local port to a specified remote port. For example, all traffic
coming to port 1234 on the client could be forwarded to port 8005 on the server (host).

The value of localhost is resolved after the Secure Shell connection has been established – so when
defining local forwarding (outgoing tunnels), localhost refers to the server (remote host computer)
you have connected to. Remote port forwarding does the opposite: it forwards traffic coming to a
remote port to a specified local port. For example, all traffic coming to port 1234 on the server (host)
could be forwarded to port 8005 on the client (localhost).

Figure 6.9: Secure connectivity

6.3.2. Local port forwarding

Accessing a service (in this example ziServer port TCP/8005) on a machine in the laboratory (10.1.1.)
from your machine at home (1​0.2.2.), simply by connecting to the server work.example.org at work:

$ssh [email protected] -L 10000:172.16.10.10:8005

We see the ziServer is available on the loop back interface only, listening on port TCP/10000:

$ netstat -tunelp | grep 10000

tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:10000 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 1000 71679 12468/ssh

From your home machine, you should be able to connect to the machine at work:

$ telnet localhost 10000

By specifying localhost and port 10000 in the LabOne UI you can connect with the LabOne UI. Note
that port 10000 is chosen arbitrarily.

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6.3.3. Local port forward for anyone at home

If you want other people on your home subnet to be able to reach the machine at work by SSH, add
the global option -g:

$ ssh [email protected] -L 10000:172.16.10.10:22 -g

We now see the service is available on all interfaces on your home computer (10.2.2.5), available for
anyone to connect to on the local subnet:

$ netstat -tunelp | grep 10000 tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:10000 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 1000 72265
12543/ssh

Anyone on your local subnet should be able to connect to the machine at work by doing this:

$ telnet 10.2.2.5 10000

By specifying host 10.2.2.5 and port 10000 in the LabOne UI you can connect with the LabOne UI.

6.3.4. Remote port forwarding

Giving access to a ziServer (port TCP/8005) on your home machine (10.2.2.5) to people at work:

$ ssh [email protected] -R 10000:10.2.2.5:8005

We see on our server at work (on the loop back interface on port TCP/10000) that we have access to
our SSH server at home:

work.example.org$ netstat -tunelp | grep 10000 tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:10000 0.0.0.0:*

LISTEN 0 73719534 3809/1

People logged in on the machine work.example.org now should be able to SSH into your home
machine by doing:

work.example.org$ telnet localhost 10000

6.3.5. Remote port forwarding for anyone at work

If you want everybody on the subnet at work to be able to SSH into your home machine, there is no -
g option for remote forward, so you need to change the SSH configuration of work.example.org,
add to sshd_config:

GatewayPorts yes

Connect just as before:

home$ ssh [email protected] -R 10000:10.2.2.5:8005

Now, it is listening on all interfaces on the server at work:

work.example.org$ netstat -tunelp | grep 10000 tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:10000 0.0.0.0:*

LISTEN 0 73721060 4426/1

Anyone at work can now connect to your home machine by SSH via the server:

anyone.example.org$ telnet work.example.org 10000

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7. Device Node Tree

This chapter contains reference documentation for the settings and measurement data available on
HF2LI Instruments. Whilst Functional Description describes many of these settings in terms of the
features available in the LabOne User Interface, this chapter describes them on the device level and
provides a hierarchically organized and comprehensive list of device functionality.

Since these settings and data streams may be written and read using the LabOne APIs (Application
Programming Interfaces) this chapter is of particular interest to users who would like to perform
measurements programmatically via LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, .NET or C.

Please see:
 Introduction for an introduction of how the instrument’s settings and measurement data are
organized hierarchically in the Data Server’s so-called "Node Tree".
 Reference Node Documentation for a reference list of the settings and measurement data
available on HF2 Instruments, organized by branch in the Node Tree.

7.1. Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of how an instrument’s configuration and output is organized by
the Data Server.

All communication with an instrument occurs via the Data Server program the instrument is
connected to (see LabOne Software Architecture for an overview of LabOne’s software
components). Although the instrument’s settings are stored locally on the device, it is the Data
Server’s task to ensure it maintains the values of the current settings and makes these settings (and
any subscribed data) available to all its current clients. A client may be the LabOne User Interface or
a user’s own program implemented using one of the LabOne Application Programming Interfaces,
e.g., Python.

The instrument’s settings and data are organized by the Data Server in a file-system-like hierarchical
structure called the node tree. When an instrument is connected to a Data Server, its device ID
becomes a top-level branch in the Data Server’s node tree. The features of the instrument are
organized as branches underneath the top-level device branch and the individual instrument
settings are leaves of these branches.

For example, the auxiliary outputs of the instrument with device ID "dev2006" are located in the tree
in the branch:

/dev1000/auxouts/

In turn, each individual auxiliary output channel has its own branch underneath the "AUXOUTS"
branch.

/dev1000/auxouts/0/
/dev1000/auxouts/1/
/dev1000/auxouts/2/
/dev1000/auxouts/3/

Whilst the auxiliary outputs and other channels are labelled on the instrument’s panels and the User
Interface using 1-based indexing, the Data Server’s node tree uses 0-based indexing. Individual
settings (and data) of an auxiliary output are available as leaves underneath the corresponding
channel’s branch:

/dev1000/auxouts/0/demodselect
/dev1000/auxouts/0/limitlower
/dev1000/auxouts/0/limitupper
/dev1000/auxouts/0/offset
/dev1000/auxouts/0/outputselect
/dev1000/auxouts/0/preoffset
/dev1000/auxouts/0/scale
/dev1000/auxouts/0/value

These are all individual node paths in the node tree; the lowest-level nodes which represent a single
instrument setting or data stream. Whether the node is an instrument setting or data-stream and

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which type of data it contains or provides is well-defined and documented on a per-node basis in
the Reference Node Documentation section in the relevant instrument-specific user manual. The
different properties and types are explained in Node Properties and Data Types .
For instrument settings, a Data Server client modifies the node’s value by specifying the appropriate
path and a value to the Data Server as a (path, value) pair. When an instrument’s setting is changed
in the LabOne User Interface, the path and the value of the node that was changed are displayed in
the Status Bar in the bottom of the Window. This is described in more detail in Exploring the Node
Tree.

Module Parameters
LabOne Core Modules, such as the Sweeper, also use a similar tree-like structure to organize their
parameters. Please note, however, that module nodes are not visible in the Data Server’s node tree;
they are local to the instance of the module created in a LabOne client and are not synchronized
between clients.

7.1.1. Node Properties and Data Types

A node may have one or more of the following properties:

Read Data can be read from the node.

Write Data can be written to the node.
Setting The node corresponds to a writable instrument configuration. The data of these nodes
are persisted in snapshots of the instrument and stored in the LabOne XML settings
files.
Streaming A node with the read attribute that provides instrument data, typically at a user-
configured rate. The data is usually a more complex data type, for example
demodulator data is returned as ZIDemodSample. A full list of streaming nodes is
available in the Programming Manual in the Chapter Instrument Communication. Their
availability depends on the device class (e.g. MF) and the option set installed on the
device.

A node may contain data of the following types:

Integer Integer data.

Double Double precision floating point data.
String A string array.
Integer As for Integer, but the node only allows certain values.
(enumerated)
Composite For example, ZIDemodSample. These custom data types are structures whose
data type fields contain the instrument output, a timestamp and other relevant instrument
settings such as the demodulator oscillator frequency. Documentation of custom
data types is available in

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7.1.2. Exploring the Node Tree

In the LabOne User Interface
A convenient method to learn which node is responsible for a specific instrument setting is to check
the Command Log history in the bottom of the LabOne User Interface. The command in the Status
Bar gets updated every time a configuration change is made. Figure 7.1 shows how the equivalent
MATLAB command is displayed after modifying the value of the auxiliary output 1’s offset. The
format of the LabOne UI’s command history can be configured in the Config Tab (MATLAB, Python
and .NET are available). The entire history generated in the current UI session can be viewed by
clicking the "Show Log" button.

Figure 7.1: When a device’s configuration is modified in the LabOne User Interface, the
Status Bar displays the equivalent command to perform the same configuration via a
LabOne programming interface. Here, the MATLAB code to modify auxiliary output 1’s
offset value is provided. When "Show Log" is clicked the entire configuration history is
displayed in a new browser tab.

In a LabOne Programming Interface

A list of nodes (under a specific branch) can be requested from the Data Server in an API client using
the listNodes command (MATLAB, Python, .NET) or ziAPIListNodes() function (C API). Please see
each API’s command reference for more help using the listNodes command. To obtain a list of all
the nodes that provide data from an instrument at a high rate, so-called streaming nodes, the
streamingonly flag can be provided to listNodes. More information on data streaming and
streaming nodes is available in the LabOne Programming Manual.
The detailed descriptions of nodes that is provided in Reference Node Documentation is accessible
directly in the LabOne MATLAB or Python programming interfaces using the "help" command. The
help command is daq.help(path) in Python and ziDAQ('help', path) in MATLAB. The
command returns a description of the instrument node including access properties, data type, units
and available options. The "help" command also handles wildcards to return a detailed description
of all nodes matching the path. An example is provided below.

daq = zhinst.core.ziDAQServer('localhost', 8004, 6)

daq.help('/dev2006/auxouts/0/offset')
# Out:
# /dev1000/auxouts/0/offset#
# Add the specified offset voltage to the signal after scaling. Auxiliary
Output
# Value = (Signal+Preoffset)*Scale + Offset
# Properties: Read, Write, Setting
# Type: Double
# Unit: V

7.1.3. Data Server Nodes

The Data Server has nodes in the node tree available under the top-level /ZI/ branch. These nodes
give information about the version and state of the Data Server the client is connected to. For
example, the nodes:
 /ZI/ABOUT/VERSION
 /ZI/ABOUT/REVISION
are read-only nodes that contain information about the release version and revision of the Data
Server. The nodes under the /ZI/DEVICES/ list which devices are connected, discoverable and visible
to the Data Server.

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The nodes:
 /ZI/CONFIG/OPEN
 /ZI/CONFIG/PORT
are settings nodes that can be used to configure which port the Data Server listens to for incoming
client connections and whether it may accept connections from clients on hosts other than the
localhost.

Nodes that are of particular use to programmers are:

 /ZI/DEBUG/LOGPATH - the location of the Data Server’s log in the PC’s file system,
 /ZI/DEBUG/LEVEL - the current log-level of the Data Server (configurable; has the Write
attribute),
 /ZI/DEBUG/LOG - the last Data Server log entries as a string array.

The Global nodes of the LabOne Data Server are listed in the Instrument Communication chapter of
the LabOne Programming Manual

7.2. Reference Node Documentation

This section describes all the nodes in the data server’s node tree organized by branch.

7.2.1. AUXINS
/dev..../auxins/n/averaging

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Averaging of the samples.

/dev..../auxins/n/sample

Properties: Read, Stream

Type: ZIAuxInSample
Unit:

Auxiliary input samples.

/dev..../auxins/n/values/n

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: V

Input 0 value.

/dev..../auxins/n/values/1

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: V

Input 1 value.

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7.2.2. AUXOUTS
/dev..../auxouts/n/demodselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Source demodulator.

/dev..../auxouts/n/offset

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: V

Value to be added to the output. The offset value is applied after scaling.

/dev..../auxouts/n/outputselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Signal to be given out.

-1 Manual
0 X
1 Y
2 R
3 Theta
4 PLL 1 (with installed PLL option))

/dev..../auxouts/n/scale

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit:

Scaling of the signal which is given out.

/dev..../auxouts/n/value

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: V

Output value.

7.2.3. CLOCKBASE
/dev..../clockbase

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

Provides clockbase value for the device

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7.2.4. CPUS
/dev..../cpus/n/output

Properties: Read
Type: ZIVectorData
Unit:

Node containing the standard output stream written by the real time program.

/dev..../cpus/n/program

Properties: Write
Type: String
Unit:

Node to write user programs to.

/dev..../cpus/n/userregs/n

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

General purpose register.

/dev..../cpus/n/workload

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit:

Usage of the processor-time.

7.2.5. DEMODS
/dev..../demods/n/adcselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Index

Selects the index of the signal input for the demodulator.

0 Signal input 0
1 Signal input 1
2 Aux Input 0
3 Aux Input 1
4 DIO 0
5 DIO 1

/dev..../demods/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the demodulator data stream.

0 Demodulator stream off
1 Demodulator stream on

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/dev..../demods/n/freq

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Frequency to of the demodulator.

/dev..../demods/n/harmonic

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Harmonic

The harmonic of the base frequency to be used. Selecting 1 chooses the fundamental frequency.

/dev..../demods/n/order

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Order

Selects the order of the low-pass filter.

1 6 dB/oct slope
2 12 dB/oct slope
3 18 dB/oct slope
4 24 dB/oct slope
5 30 dB/oct slope
6 36 dB/oct slope
7 42 dB/oct slope
8 48 dB/oct slope

/dev..../demods/n/oscselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Index of the oscillator used to demodulate the signal.

/dev..../demods/n/phaseshift

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg

The phase shift of the demodulator.

/dev..../demods/n/rate

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz

The number of output values sent to the computer per second.

/dev..../demods/n/sample

Properties: Read, Stream

Type: ZIDemodSample
Unit:

Samples of the demodulator are given out at this node.

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/dev..../demods/n/sinc

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value enabling Sinc filter functionality.

0 Sinc filtering disabled
1 Sinc filtering enabled

/dev..../demods/n/timeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Sets the time constant of the low-pass filter. The time constant is set for each stage of the low-pass
filter. The total time constant and bandwidth depends on the selected order.

/dev..../demods/n/trigger

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: bit-coded

Sets the trigger- and gating-functionality of the demodulator. The triggers are configured by the bits
of an integer. When multiple bits/triggers are set, they are or-ed. If trigger is set to 0 then
demodulator data is sent continuously.
1 "b0": DIO0 rising edge
2 "b1": DIO0 falling edge
4 "b2": DIO1 rising edge
8 "b3": DIO1 falling edge
16 "b4": DIO0 high
32 "b5": DIO0 low
64 "b6": DIO1 high
128 "b7": DIO1 low

7.2.6. DIOS
/dev..../dios/n/decimation

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Decimation for the sample rate of the DIO.

/dev..../dios/n/drive

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Selects if the outputs should be driven.

0 Drive off
1 Drive lower 8 bits
2 Drive higher 8 bits
3 Drive all 16 bits

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/dev..../dios/n/extclk

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Selects whether an external clock source should be used. The external clock needs to be applied to
the DIO connector when this node is set to 1.
0 Internal clock
1 External clock

/dev..../dios/n/input

Properties: Read, Stream

Type: ZIDIOSample
Unit:

Samples of the input.

/dev..../dios/n/output

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Bits to output.

/dev..../dios/n/syncselect​0

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Source to output the sync signal on bit 0.

/dev..../dios/n/syncselect1

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Source to output the sync signal on bit 1.

7.2.7. FEATURES
/dev..../features/code

Properties: Write
Type: String
Unit:

Node providing a mechanism to write feature codes.

/dev..../features/devtype

Properties: Read
Type: String
Unit:

Node providing a string about the type of device.

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/dev..../features/options

Properties: Read
Type: String
Unit:

Node giving information on enabled options. Reading this node returns a string containing a
newline-separated list of all installed options.

/dev..../features/serial

Properties: Read
Type: String
Unit:

Node providing the serial number of the device.

7.2.8. MODS
/dev..../mods/n/carrier/amplitude

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Gain

Carrier amplitude. Fraction of the output range added to the output signal. Multiply this value with
the range setting to obtain voltage in V.

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the carrier data stream.

0 Demodulator stream off
1 Demodulator stream on

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/harmonic

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Harmonic

Harmonic of the carrier frequency. Selecting 1 chooses the fundamental frequency.

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/inputselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Signal Input for the carrier demodulation.

0 Sig In 1
1 Sig In 2

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/dev..../mods/n/carrier/order

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Order

Filter order for carrier demodulation.

1 6 dB/oct slope
2 12 dB/oct slope
3 18 dB/oct slope
4 24 dB/oct slope
5 30 dB/oct slope
6 36 dB/oct slope
7 42 dB/oct slope
8 48 dB/oct slope

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/oscselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Index of the oscillator used to demodulate the signal.

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/phaseshift

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg

The phase shift of the carrier demodulator.

/dev..../mods/n/carrier/timeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Sets the time constant of the carrier low-pass filter. The time constant is set for each stage of the
low-pass filter. The total time constant and bandwidth depends on the selected order.

/dev..../mods/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the modulation.

0 Modulation Off
1 Modulation On

/dev..../mods/n/freqdev

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: V

In FM mode, set peak deviation value.

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/dev..../mods/n/freqdevenable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

In FM mode, enable peak deviation.

0 Peak deviation off
1 Peak deviation on

/dev..../mods/n/index

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit:

In FM mode, set modulation index value. The modulation index equals peak deviation divided by
modulation frequency.

/dev..../mods/n/mode

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Modulation mode.
0 Amplitude modulation
1 Frequency modulation
2 Manual

/dev..../mods/n/output

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Modulation output.
0 none
1 1
2 2
3 1 and 2

/dev..../mods/n/rate

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz

The number of output values sent to the computer per second.

/dev..../mods/n/rawfmcoeff

Properties: Read, Write

Type: Double
Unit:

Frequency Modulation Coefficient. This node is only active in FM-mode (MODE=3)

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/dev..../mods/n/rawmode

Properties: Read, Write

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Modulation mode.
0 Off
1 Amplitude modulation
2 Frequency demodulation
3 Frequency modulation

/dev..../mods/n/rawsideband

Properties: Read, Write

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Sideband selector.
0 Both
1 Upper
2 Lower

/dev..../mods/n/sample

Properties: Read, Stream

Type: ZIDemodSample
Unit:

Modulation Samples.

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/amplitude

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Gain

Sideband amplitude, Fraction of the output range added to the output signal. Multiply this value
with the range setting to obtain voltage in V.

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the sideband data stream.

0 Demodulator stream off
1 Demodulator stream on

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/harmonic

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Harmonic

Harmonic of the sideband frequency. Selecting 1 chooses the fundamental frequency.

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/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/inputselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Signal Input for the sideband demodulation.

0 Sig In 1
1 Sig In 2

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/mode

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Sideband selector.
0 Off
1 C+M
2 C-M

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/order

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Order

Filter order for sideband demodulation.

1 6 dB/oct slope
2 12 dB/oct slope
3 18 dB/oct slope
4 24 dB/oct slope
5 30 dB/oct slope
6 36 dB/oct slope
7 42 dB/oct slope
8 48 dB/oct slope

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/oscselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Index of the oscillator used to demodulate the signal.

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/phaseshift

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg

The phase shift of the sideband demodulator.

/dev..../mods/n/sidebands/n/timeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Sets the time constant of the sideband low-pass filter. The time constant is set for each stage of the
low-pass filter. The total time constant and bandwidth depends on the selected order.

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/dev..../mods/n/trigger

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: bit-coded

Sets the trigger- and gating-functionality of the demodulator.

1 "b0": DIO0 rising edge
2 "b1": DIO0 falling edge
4 "b2": DIO1 rising edge
8 "b3": DIO1 falling edge
16 "b4": DIO0 high
32 "b5": DIO0 low
64 "b6": DIO1 high
128 "b7": DIO1 low

7.2.9. OSCS
/dev..../oscs/n/freq

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Frequency to of the oscillator.

7.2.10. PIDS
/dev..../pids/n/center

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]

Sets the output center point.

/dev..../pids/n/d

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]/[INPUT Unit]*s

Proportional gain for differentiator. Sets the proportional gain for the differentiated error signal.
Negative feedback corresponds to a negative gain.

/dev..../pids/n/demod/adcselect

Properties: Read, Write

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Index

Selects the index of the signal input for the demodulator.

0 Signal input 0
1 Signal input 1
2 Aux Input 0
3 Aux Input 1
4 DIO 0
5 DIO 1

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/dev..../pids/n/demod/harmonic

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Harmonic

The harmonic of the base frequency to be used. Selecting 1 chooses the fundamental frequency.

/dev..../pids/n/demod/order

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Order

Selects the order of the low-pass filter.

1 6 dB/oct slope
2 12 dB/oct slope
3 18 dB/oct slope
4 24 dB/oct slope
5 30 dB/oct slope
6 36 dB/oct slope
7 42 dB/oct slope
8 48 dB/oct slope

/dev..../pids/n/demod/timeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Sets the time constant of the low-pass filter. The time constant is set for each stage of the low-pass
filter. The total time constant and bandwidth depends on the selected order.

/dev..../pids/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enable PID controller.

0 OFF
1 ON

/dev..../pids/n/error

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]

Shows the error value. The calculated error is : ERROR = SETPOINT - IN.

/dev..../pids/n/i

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]/[INPUT Unit]/s

Proportional gain for integrator. Sets the proportional gain for the integrated (accumulated) error
signal. Negative feedback corresponds to a negative gain.

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/dev..../pids/n/input

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Selects the input for the PID.

0 Demodulator X value [Vrms]
1 Demodulator Y value [Vrms]
2 Demodulator R value [Vrms]
3 Demodulator Theta value [deg]
4 Auxiliary Input [V]
5 Auxiliary Output (as input) [V]
6 Modulation Index [0,1]
7 Dual Frequency Tracking |Z(n+)| - |Z(n)| [Vrms]
8 Demodulator x(n+1) - x(n) [Vrms]
9 Demodulator |z(n+1) - z(n)| [Vrms]
10 Oscillator Frequency [Hz]

/dev..../pids/n/inputchannel

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

If applicable, selects the channel of the selected INPUT. Sets the input channel index for the
selected INPUT, i.e. 0,1,2 etc.. The available channels depend on the input type.

/dev..../pids/n/monitoroffset

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit:

Offset for the monitor output.

/dev..../pids/n/monitorscale

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit:

Scale for the monitor output.

/dev..../pids/n/output

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Selects the output for the PID.

0 Signal Output 1 [Vrms]
1 Signal Output 2 [Vrms]
2 Oscillator frequency [Hz]
3 Auxiliary Output (manual mode) [V]
4 DIO [5 Volt TTL]

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/dev..../pids/n/outputchannel

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

If applicable, selects the channel of the selected OUTPUT. Sets the input channel index for the
selected OUTPUT, i.e. 0,1,2 etc.. The available channels depend on the output type

/dev..../pids/n/outputdefault

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit:

If OUTPUTDEFAULTENABLE is set, this node specifies the value to be applied.

/dev..../pids/n/outputdefaultenable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

If OUTPUTDEFAULTENABLE is set, the value specified by OUTPUTDEFAULT will be applied when the
PID is switched off.
0 OFF
1 ON

/dev..../pids/n/p

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]/[INPUT Unit]

Proportional gain. Sets the proportional gain for the error signal. Negative feedback corresponds to
a negative gain.

/dev..../pids/n/range

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]

Sets the output range. The limits for the output are : OUT = [CENTER - RANGE,CENTER + RANGE]
with RANGE > 0.0.

/dev..../pids/n/rate

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Samples/s

Control update rate.

/dev..../pids/n/setpoint

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: [INPUT Unit]

Target settle point.

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/dev..../pids/n/setpointselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Set point selection.

0 Manual Setpoint
1 Auxiliary Input 1
2 Auxiliary Input 2
3 PID n

/dev..../pids/n/shift

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: [OUTPUT Unit]

Shows the output shift. The calculated output value is : OUT = CENTER + SHIFT.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/active

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: Boolean

Indicates whether TipProtect is active.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/activethreshold

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg²

Threshold for the active state. Threshold for PLL error² when TipProtect is active, i.e. when waiting to
re-enable the PID controller.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/activetimeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Time constant when TipProtect is active. Time constant for low-pass filtering the PLL error² when
TipProtect is active, i.e. when waiting to re-enable the PID controller.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enable TipProtect for the PID controller.

0 OFF
1 ON

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/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/inactivethreshold

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg²

Threshold for the inactive state. Threshold for PLL error² when TipProtect is inactive, i.e. when
waiting to disable the PID controller.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/inactivetimeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Time constant when TipProtect is inactive. Time constant for low-pass filtering the PLL error² when
TipProtect is inactive, i.e. when waiting to disable the PID controller.

/dev..../pids/n/tipprotect/pll

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Selects a PLL for TipProtect.

7.2.11. PLLS
/dev..../plls/n/adcselect

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Index

Selects an input for the PLL.

0 Signal Input 1
1 Signal Input 2
2 Aux Input 1
3 Aux Input 2
4 DIO 0
5 DIO 1

/dev..../plls/n/adcthreshold

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Threshold for edge detection. Full scale corresponds to -4096 and 4095.

/dev..../plls/n/autocenter

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches auto-center.
0 Auto-center off
1 Auto-center on

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/dev..../plls/n/autopid

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches external PID.

0 External PID off
1 External PID on

/dev..../plls/n/autotimeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches external time constant control.

0 External time constant off
1 External time constant on

/dev..../plls/n/auxavg

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Delta frequency averaging control.

/dev..../plls/n/d

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: 1/deg

Derivative gain of the PID.

/dev..../plls/n/demodselect

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Source demodulator.

/dev..../plls/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the PLL.

0 PLL off
1 PLL on

/dev..../plls/n/error

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: deg

Error of the PLL.

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/dev..../plls/n/freqcenter

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Selects a center frequency.

/dev..../plls/n/freqdelta

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Frequency deviation from center frequency.

/dev..../plls/n/freqrange

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Selects a frequency range for the PLL.

/dev..../plls/n/harmonic

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: Harmonic

The harmonic of the base frequency to be used. Selecting 1 chooses the fundamental frequency.

/dev..../plls/n/i

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz^2/deg

Integral gain of the PID controller.

/dev..../plls/n/locked

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Lock indicator for the PLL.

0 PLL not locked
1 PLL locked

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/dev..../plls/n/order

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Order

Selects the order of the low-pass filter.

1 6 dB/oct slope
2 12 dB/oct slope
3 18 dB/oct slope
4 24 dB/oct slope
5 30 dB/oct slope
6 36 dB/oct slope
7 42 dB/oct slope
8 48 dB/oct slope

/dev..../plls/n/oscselect

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: Index

Index of the oscillator used.

/dev..../plls/n/p

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Hz/deg

Proportional gain of the PID controller.

/dev..../plls/n/rate

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Samples/s

Update rate information.

/dev..../plls/n/setpoint

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: deg

The setpoint in degrees of the PLL.

/dev..../plls/n/timeconstant

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

The external time constant.

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7.2.12. SCOPES
/dev..../scopes/n/bwlimit

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

The bandwidth-limit for the scope.

0 BW-limit off
1 BW-limit on

/dev..../scopes/n/channel

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Index

Selects the channel for which scope data should be provided.

0 Signal Input 1
1 Signal Input 2
2 Signal Output 1
3 Signal Output 2

/dev..../scopes/n/enable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Enables the scope.

0 Scope off
1 Scope on

/dev..../scopes/n/time

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit:

Timescale of the scope wave (logarithmic decimation). Determines the decimation of the sample
rate. The following formulas apply: span = 2^val * 10 us, sample rate = 210 MSamples/2^val

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/dev..../scopes/n/trigchannel

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Index

Selects the channel which should be used as source for the scope's trigger.
-2 Continuous
-1 Off
0 Oscillator 7 phase
1 Signal Input 2
2 Signal Output 1
3 Signal Output 2
4 Oscillator 1 phase
5 Oscillator 2 phase
6 Oscillator 3 phase
7 Oscillator 4 phase
8 Oscillator 5 phase
9 Oscillator 6 phase
11 Oscillator 8 phase
12 DIO 0
13 DIO 1

/dev..../scopes/n/trigedge

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Selects whether the scope should trigger on rising or falling edge.

0 Falling edge
1 Rising edge

/dev..../scopes/n/trigholdoff

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: s

Time to wait for re-arming the trigger after one occurred.

/dev..../scopes/n/triglevel

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer
Unit: LSB

Level at which a trigger is raised. Full scale is covered by min and max values

/dev..../scopes/n/wave

Properties: Read, Stream

Type: ZIScopeWave
Unit:

Samples of scope-waveforms.

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7.2.13. SIGINS
/dev..../sigins/n/ac

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value setting for AC coupling of the Signal Input.

0 DC coupling
1 AC coupling

/dev..../sigins/n/diff

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value switching differential input mode.

0 Single-ended inputs
1 Differential inputs

/dev..../sigins/n/imp5​0

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value enabling 50 Ohm input impedance termination.

0 High impedance
1 50 Ohm impedance

/dev..../sigins/n/range

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: V

Voltage range for the signal input.

7.2.14. SIGOUTS
/dev..../sigouts/n/add

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches the output adder on and off.

0 Adder off
1 Adder on

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/dev..../sigouts/n/amplitudes/n

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Gain

Fraction of the output range added to the output signal. Multiply this value with the range setting to
obtain voltage in V.

/dev..../sigouts/n/enables/n

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Switches a channel in the mixer on and off.

0 Channel off (unconditionally)
1 Channel on (unconditionally)
2 Channel off (will be turned off on next change of sign from negative to positive)
3 Channel on (will be turned on on next change of sign from negative to positive)

/dev..../sigouts/n/offset

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: Gain

Offset added to the Signal Output. Multiply this value with the range setting to obtain offset voltage
in V.

/dev..../sigouts/n/on

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches the output on and off.

0 Output off
1 Output on

/dev..../sigouts/n/range

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: V

Selects the output range for the Signal Output.

0.01 0.01 V range
0.1 0.1 V range
1 1 V range
10 10 V range

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/dev..../sigouts/n/waveforms/n

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit:

Waveforms for a channel in the mixer. For hardware revisions 1.4 and lower, the output signal range
for rectangular output is limited to 1 V.
0 Sine
1 Square

7.2.15. STATS
/dev..../stats/bytesreceived

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: Bytes

Total amount of bytes received via USB.

/dev..../stats/bytessent

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: Bytes

Total amount of bytes sent via USB.

/dev..../stats/meanmsgcnt

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Messages/Second

Average message-count.

/dev..../stats/meanpollcnt

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Polls/Second

Average poll-count.

/dev..../stats/physical/1v2

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Volts

Actual voltage of the 1.2 Volts supply.

/dev..../stats/physical/1v8

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Volts

Actual voltage of the 1.8 Volts supply.

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/dev..../stats/physical/2v5

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Volts

Actual voltage of the 2.5 Volts supply.

/dev..../stats/physical/3v3

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Volts

Actual voltage of the 3.3 Volts supply.

/dev..../stats/physical/5v​0

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Volts

Actual voltage of the 5.0 Volts supply.

/dev..../stats/physical/overtemperature

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Too high FPGA temperature detected during session.

0 No overtemperature
1 Overtemperature detected

/dev..../stats/physical/temp

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Degrees Celsius

Actual temperature.

7.2.16. STATUS
/dev..../status/adc​0max

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

The maximum value on Signal Input 1 (ADC0) during 100 ms.

/dev..../status/adc​0min

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

The minimum value on Signal Input 1 (ADC0) during 100 ms.

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/dev..../status/adc1max

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

The maximum value on Signal Input 2 (ADC1) during 100 ms.

/dev..../status/adc1min

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

The minimum value on Signal Input 2 (ADC1) during 100 ms.

/dev..../status/echoread

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

32 bits written to ECHOWRITE node are echoed here.

/dev..../status/echowrite

Properties: Write
Type: Integer
Unit:

32 bits written to this node will be echoed back via ECHOREAD node.

/dev..../status/fifolevel

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Percent

Percentage of TX FIFO used.

/dev..../status/flags/adcclip/n

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating that this ADC-channel is clipping.

0 no clipping
1 clipping

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/dev..../status/flags/binary

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: bit-coded

A binary representation of all flags. When multiple flags are set the values are or-ed.
1 "b0": PLL unlocked
2 "b1": HF clock unlocked
4 "b2": FX2 RX error
8 "b3": Package loss
16 "b4": Output 1 clipped
32 "b5": Output 2 clipped
64 "b6": Input 1 clipped
128 "b7": Input 2 clipped
256 "b8": Scope skipped a shot
512 "b9": FX2 TX buffer almost full
1024 "b10": 0
2048 "b11": PLL unlocked (version without de-bouncing)
4096 "b12": FX2 TX package lost
1048576 "b20": PLL 1 locked
2097152 "b21": PLL 2 locked

/dev..../status/flags/dcmlock

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating if the internal digital clock manager (DCM) has locked.
0 DCM locked
1 DCM not locked

/dev..../status/flags/demodsampleloss

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating that demodulator data has been lost.

0 no demodulator data lost
1 demodulator data lost

/dev..../status/flags/fx2rx

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating if the device receives data via USB.

0 Device receives
1 Device does not receive

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/dev..../status/flags/mixerclip/n

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating that this mixer-channel is clipping.

0 no clipping
1 clipping

/dev..../status/flags/pkgloss

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating that the device lost data when sending via USB.
0 no packet loss
1 packets are lost

/dev..../status/flags/plllock

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating if the internal PLL for clock generation has locked.
0 PLL locked
1 PLL not locked

/dev..../status/flags/scopeskipped

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Flag indicating that scope data has been skipped. This happens when too much data is being sent
over USB.
0 no data skipped
1 data skipped

/dev..../status/time

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: s

The current timestamp.

7.2.17. SYSTEM
/dev..../system/activeinterface

Properties: Read
Type: String
Unit:

Node providing the active interface of the device.

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/dev..../system/extclk

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value switching from internal to external clock. When using external clock, make sure that a
clock generator is connected to the Clock In connector.
0 Internal clock
1 External clock

/dev..../system/hwrevision

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit:

The revision of the main-board.

/dev..../system/properties/negativefreq

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Device does support negative frequencies.

0 Negative frequencies not supported.
1 Negative frequencies supported.

/dev..../system/properties/freqresolution

Properties: Read
Type: Integer
Unit: bits

Frequency resolution of the device.

/dev..../system/properties/maxfreq

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Maximum oscillator frequency of the device.

/dev..../system/properties/maxtimeconstant

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: s

Maximum filter time constant of the device.

/dev..../system/properties/minfreq

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: Hz

Minimum oscillator frequency of the device.

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/dev..../system/properties/mintimeconstant

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: s

Minimum filter time constant of the device.

/dev..../system/properties/timebase

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: s

Time base of the device.

/dev..../system/syncenable

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value enabling multi-device timestamp synchronization over ZSync. When synchronizing
timestamps between devices make sure that an appropriate cable is connected between the ZSync
ports of the leader and follower devices.
0 Default
1 Timestamp synchronization enabled

/dev..../system/syncreset

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Boolean value activating timestamp reset over ZSync. When synchronizing timestamps between
devices make sure that an appropriate cable is connected between the ZSync ports of the leader
and follower devices.
0 Default
1 Timestamp reset activated

/dev..../system/synctime

Properties: Read
Type: Double
Unit: s

The timestamp to load when timestamp reset is activated.

7.2.18. ZCTRLS
/dev..../zctrls/n/camp/available

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

1 when HF2CA is connected to the corresponding ZCtrl port.

0 HF2CA is not connected
1 HF2CA is connected

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/dev..../zctrls/n/camp/dc

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches between AC coupling and DC coupling.

0 AC coupling
1 DC coupling

/dev..../zctrls/n/camp/gain

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Gain

Switches between factor 1 and 10 gain.

1 Factor 1 gain
10 Factor 10 gain

/dev..../zctrls/n/camp/r

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Ohm

Chooses a value for the shunt-resistor.

0 open, high ohmic
10 10 Ohm
100 100 Ohm
1000 1 kOhm
10000 10 kOhm
100000 100 kOhm
1000000 1 MOhm

/dev..../zctrls/n/camp/singleended

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches between differential and single-ended input.

0 Differential inputs
1 Single-ended inputs

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/n/currentgain

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Gain

Chooses a value for the current gain.

100 Factor 100
1000 Factor 1 k
10000 Factor 10 k
100000 Factor 100 k
1000000 Factor 1 M
10000000 Factor 10 M
100000000 Factor 100 M

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/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/n/dc

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches between AC and DC Mode.

0 AC Mode
1 DC Mode

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/n/offset

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: V

Adjust offset value.

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/n/voltagegain

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Gain

Chooses a value for the voltage gain.

1 1x
10 10 x

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/available

Properties: Read
Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

1 when HF2TA is connected to the corresponding ZCtrl port.

0 HF2TA is not connected
1 HF2TA is connected

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/biasout

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Double
Unit: V

Switches between internal and external bias.

/dev..../zctrls/n/tamp/extbias

Properties: Read, Write, Setting

Type: Integer (enumerated)
Unit: Boolean

Switches the external bias.

0 External bias off
1 External bias on

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 8. Real-time Option

8. Real-time Option
The Real-time option provides the capability to execute programs written in the C programming
language on the RISC microprocessor of the HF2 Instrument with predictable latency and comes
with an extensive programming environment.

This chapter describes:

 Installation of the Real-time programming environment, in Installation of the Real-time
Developmente Environment. See Installation on Windows and Installation on Linux for the
installation process on Windows and Linux, respectively. Accessing the Documentation explains
where to find the documentation in HTML format.

Note
RT programming can be used only if the HF2LI-RT / HF2IS-RT option has been purchased and
activated. This option is no further available for purchase from Zurich Instruments.

Note
The LabOne User Interface does not have a tab for configuring and working with the Real-time
Option. Please use the ziControl graphical user interface to use the Real-time Option and refer to the
ziControl Edition of the HF2 User Manual for more details.

Note
The Real-time Option programming reference guide is also available as HTML. The HTML
documentation is bundled with the Real-time installation zip-file available from the Zurich
Instruments download page.

8.1. Installation of the Real-time Development

Environment
In this section we describe the installation process of the HF2’s real-time development environment,
see Installation on Windows for Windows and Installation on Linux for Linux. The real-time
development environment is available from the Zurich Instruments download page.

Note
The RT development environment does not include a special editor. Please use an editor of your
choice, for example:
 notepad++ or PSPad on Windows,
 emacs, vim, etc. on Linux.

8.1.1. Installation on Windows

Software Requirements

To use the compilation tools on Windows the RT development environment requires the 32-bit
version of Cygwin which provides a Linux-like environment. Cygwin is free and open source software,
for more details see the Cygwin website. The only Cygwin package necessary is the make package.
Installation of Cygwin is also detailed below.

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 8.1. Installation of the Real-time Development Environment

Note
Even if your PC is natively 64-bit, the 32-bit version of Cygwin is required to run the compiler tools
distributed with the RT development environment.

Installation Steps

1. Download the 32-bit version of Cygwin and run the Setup executable.

2. Go through the installation and, if possible, use default installation settings. There is one
mandatory development package that must be installed in addition to the default installation.
The package is called make. Select the package at the end of the installation. Select devel,
then package make and select it in order to install it (see screenshots below).

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 8.1. Installation of the Real-time Development Environment

3. When the Cygwin installation has been finished, download the ziRTK software bundle and
unzip it in your Cygwin home folder.
The home folder is located at: [Cygwin installation path]\home
The default path is: C:\cygwin\home
4. Now open the Cygwin shell by clicking either by navigating to the Cygwin start menu entry or
by clicking on the Desktop icon.
5. Navigate into the extracted directory. The install script is called "install.sh".
cd ziRTK-Win-[VERSION]
6. Run the install script and go through the guided installation.
bash install.sh
Alternatively, you can also give executable rights to the install script and run it directly.
If possible, use default installation paths.

Note
You need not edit your code inside Cygwin, it’s just used for compilation and loading your real-time
programs onto the HF2 Instrument.

8.1.2. Installation on Linux

Software Requirements

Officially, only Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is supported, but it should be possible to run the tools on any recent
Linux distribution. The program GNU make is required to compile the examples. Since the RT tools
were compiled on a 32-bit architecture, you need the package ia32_libs installed on a 64-bit
architecture in order to execute 32-bit programs on a 64-bit architecture. On a Debian-based
system, both packages can be installed with:

sudo apt-get install ia32_libs make

Installation Steps

1. Before you begin with the ziRTK installation make sure that the development package "make"
is installed.
sudo apt-get install make
2. Extract the ziRTK bundle in a temporary directory.
tar xzf ziRTK-[build number]-linux.tar.gz
3. Navigate into the extracted directory. The install script is called "install.sh".
cd ziRTK-Linux-[VERSION]
4. Run the install script with root rights and go through the guided installation.
sudo bash install.sh
Alternatively, you can also give executable rights to the install script and run it directly.
If possible, use default installation paths.

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 8.1. Installation of the Real-time Development Environment

8.1.3. Accessing the Documentation

The developers of Zurich Instruments now happily recommend you to browse remaining examples
and reference documentation in HTML format, which duplicates the following section of the user
manual. You can find the HTML version of the documentation in

[INSTALLPATH]/ziRTK/doc/html/index.html,

which is typically found at

C:\cygwin\usr\share\zi\ziRTK-XX.XX\doc\html\index.html

on Windows or

/opt/zi/ziRTK/doc/html/index.html

on Linux.

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 9. Specifications

9. Specifications
Warning

Unless otherwise stated, all specifications apply after 30 minutes of instrument warm-up.

Warning

Important changes in the specification parameters are explicitly noted in the revision history of this
document.

9.1. General Specifications

Table 9.1: General and storage
Parameter min typ max
storage temperature –25 °C – 65 °C
storage relative humidity (non- – – 95%
condensing)
operating temperature 5 °C – 40 °C
operating relative humidity (non- – – 90%
condensing)
specification temperature 18 °C – 28 °C
power consumption – – 60 W
operating environment IEC61010, indoor location, installation category II, pollution
degree 2
operating altitude up to 2000 meters
power supply AC line 110–120/220–240 V, 50/60 Hz
power supply Japan requires external 100 V to 110 V transformer (50/60 Hz) for
operation according to specification
dimensions with handles and 45 x 34 x 10 cm, 17.7 x 13.6 x 4.0 inch, 19 inch rack compatible
feet
weight 6.2 kg
recommended calibration 2 years
interval

Table 9.2: Maximum ratings

Parameter min typ max
damage threshold HF inputs (Input 1, Input 2) –5 V – 5V
damage threshold HF outputs (Output 1, Output 2) –12 V – 12 V
damage threshold Add inputs (Add 1, Add 2) –12 V – 12 V
damage threshold Sync output (Sync 1, Sync 2) –12 V – 12 V
damage threshold auxiliary outputs –12 V – 12 V
damage threshold auxiliary inputs –12 V – 12 V
damage threshold digital I/O (including DIO 0 and DIO 1 BNC connectors) 0V – 5V
damage threshold Clock input 0V – 5V

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 9.2. Analog Interface Specifications

Table 9.3: Host system requirements

Parameter Description
supported Windows operating Windows 10, 11 on x86-64
systems
supported macOS operating macOS 10.11+ on x86-64 and ARMv8
systems
supported Linux distributions GNU/Linux (Ubuntu 14.04+, CentOS 7+, Debian 8+) on x86-64
and ARMv8
supported processors x86-64 (Intel, AMD), ARMv8 (e.g., Raspberry Pi 4 and newer,
Apple M-series)

Table 9.4: Maximum sample readout rate

Active Maximum Comments
demodulators sample
readout rate
1 460 kSamples/s To achieve highest rates, it is advised to remove all other
data transfer that loads the USB. It is recommended to
2–3 230 kSamples/s check the sample loss flag (in the status tab) from time to
4–6 115 kSamples/s time when using high readout rate settings.

7–8 57 kSamples/s

Note
The sample readout rate is the rate at which demodulated samples are transferred from the
Instrument to the host computer. This rate has to be set to at least 2 times the signal bandwidth of
the related demodulator in order to satisfy the Nyquist sampling theorem. As the total rate is limited
by the USB interface, the maximum rate becomes smaller when the number of active demodulators
is increased. This is summarized in the table above for HF2LI / HF2PLL (6 demodulators) and HF2IS
(8 demodulators). An up-to-date and performing host computer is required to achieve these rates.

9.2. Analog Interface Specifications

Table 9.5: HF signal inputs
Parameter min typ max
connectors front-panel single-ended/
differential BNC
input impedance (low value) – 50 Ω –
input impedance (high value) 500 kΩ 1 MΩ –
input frequency range 0.7 μHz – 50
MHz
input A/D conversion 14 bit, 210 MSamples/s
input noise amplitude (> 10 kHz, AC coupling, 50 Ω and 1 MΩ), for – 5 nV/ –
detailed information see Figure 9.5 √Hz
input amplitude accuracy (5 MHz), for detailed information see – – 5%
Figure 9.10
input amplitude accuracy (10 MHz), for detailed information see – – 10%
Figure 9.10
input amplitude stability – – 0.2 %/
°C
input DC offset (<1 V input range) – – 20 mV
input DC offset (>1 V input range) – – 2%
input bias current – note: the bias current can lead to a DC offset – 100 nA 6 μA
voltage with input impedance high

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 9.2. Analog Interface Specifications

Parameter min typ max

input range settings 1 mV – 1.5 V
input full range sensitivity (10 V lock-in amplifier output) 1 nV – 1.5 V
input range (AC) with AC coupling –0.6 V – 0.6 V
input range (AC) with DC coupling –1.5 V – 1.5 V
input range (common mode) –3.0 V – 3.0 V
input range (AC + common mode) –3.3 V – 3.3 V
dynamic reserve – 100 dB 120 dB
common mode rejection (CMRR), for detailed information see – 75 dB –
Figure 9.9
AC coupling cutoff frequency – 1 kHz -

Table 9.6: Reference

Parameter min typ max
internal reference frequency rangeInternal reference 0.7 – 100 MHz
μHz
internal reference frequency resolution 0.7 – –
μHz
internal reference phase range –180 – 180 °
°
internal reference phase resolution 0.1 μ° – –
internal reference acquisition time (lock time) instantaneous
internal reference orthogonality – 0° –
external reference at Input 2/Ref, signal type arbitrary, active at rising edge
external reference at Input 2/Ref, frequency rangeExternal 1 Hz – 50 MHz
reference
external reference at Input 2/Ref, amplitude – note: for low- 100 – 1V
swing input signals the gain should be set to full-swing range to mV
achieve best performance
external reference at Input 2/Ref, amplitude (using HF2LI-PLL 10 – 1V
option) – note: for low-swing input signals the gain should be mV
set to full-swing range to achieve best performance
external reference at Input 2/Ref, reference acquisition time – – 100 reference cycles
(lock time) or 1.2 ms whatever is
larger
external reference at DIO0/DIO 1, signal type digital TTL versus ground
external reference at DIO0/DIO1, frequency range 1 Hz – 2 MHz
external reference at DIO0/DIO1, high level 2.0 V – 5V
external reference at DIO0/DIO1, low level 0V – 0.8 V
external reference at DIO0/DIO1, reference acquisition time – – 100 reference cycles
(lock time) or 1.2 ms whatever is
larger
external reference at AUXIN1/AUXIN2, signal type sine or rectangular
external reference at AUXIN1/AUXIN2, frequency range 1 Hz – 20 kHz
external reference at AUXIN1/AUXIN2, amplitude 0.5 V – 1V
external reference at AUXIN1/AUXIN2, reference acquisition – – 100 reference cycles
time (lock time)
auto reference at Input 1/Input 2, signal type AC signal with zero crossings, AC
input setting
auto reference at Input 1/Input 2, frequency range 1 Hz – 50 MHz

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 9.2. Analog Interface Specifications

Parameter min typ max

auto reference at Input 1/Input 2, reference acquisition time – – 100 reference cycles
(lock time) or 1.2 ms whatever is
larger

Table 9.7: Demodulators

Parameter Description
demodulator number HF2IS: 4 dual-phase, 8 dual-phase with multi-
frequency kit
HF2LI: 6
HF2PLL: 6
demodulator harmonic setting range 1 to 1023
demodulator filter time constant 0.8 μs to 580 s
demodulator filter slope / roll-off 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48 dB/oct, consisting of up
to 8 cascaded critical damping filters
demodulator output resolution X, Y, R, THETA with 64-bit resolution
demodulator output rate (readout rate), for on Aux outputs: 921 kSamples/s
detailed specifications refer to Table 9.4
on USB to host PC: maximum cumulative 700
kSamples/s
demodulator measurement bandwidth 83 μHz to 200 kHz
demodulator harmonic rejection max –90 dB
demodulator sinc filter operating range 0.1 Hz to 10 kHz

Table 9.8: HF signal outputs

Parameter min typ max
connectors front-panel single-ended
BNC
output impedance (Out and Sync) 50 Ω
input impedance (Add) 1 MΩ
output frequency range DC – 50
MHz
output frequency range with 10 V amplitude. see also Figure 9.11 DC – 5 MHz
output D/A conversion 16 bit, 210 MSamples/s
output amplitude ranges (restrictions apply for high amplitudes and ±10 mV, ±100 mV, ±1 V, ±10
high frequencies, see Figure 9.11) V
output maximum current – – 100
mA
output amplitude accuracy @ 3 MHz, < 5 V (restrictions apply for high – – 1%
amplitudes and high frequencies, see Figure 9.11)
output total harmonic distortion THD (1 V, < 10 MHz), see Figure 9.12 –50 dB – –
output total harmonic distortion THD (0.1 V, < 10 MHz), see Figure 9.12 –60 dB – –
output noise amplitude (frequencies > 10 kHz), 50 Ω termination – 25 nV/ –
√Hz
output phase noise @ 10 MHz, BW = 0.67 Hz, offset 100 Hz –100 – –
dBc/Hz
output phase noise @ 10 MHz, BW = 0.67 Hz, offset 1 kHz –120 – –
dBc/Hz
output offset amplitude (range setting < 1 V) – – 10 mV
output offset amplitude (range setting > 1 V) – – 200
mV

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 9.2. Analog Interface Specifications

Parameter min typ max

input Add signal range –10 V – +10 V
input Add signal bandwidth DC – 50
MHz
output Sync signal range (effective range = ±1 * set_amplitude / –1 V – 1V
set_range)
output synchronization signal resolution – 30 μV –

Table 9.9: Auxiliary Inputs and Outputs

Parameter Description
auxiliary output connectors front-panel single-ended BNC
auxiliary output impedance 50 Ω
auxiliary output number and type of signals 4, amplitude, phase, frequency, X/Y,
manual
auxiliary output specification ± 10 V, 200 kHz, 16-bit, 921 kSamples/s
auxiliary output resolution 0.3 mV
auxiliary input connectors back-panel single-ended BNC
auxiliary input impedance 1 MΩ
auxiliary input number 2
auxiliary input specification ± 10 V, 100 kHz4, 16-bit, 400 kSamples/s
auxiliary input resolution 0.3 mV
group delay (lag time from HF input to auxiliary 7 μs (typical), 10 μs (maximum)
output)

Table 9.10: Oscillator and clocks

Parameter min typ max
internal oscillator frequency – 10 MHz –
internal oscillator output (sine) –1 V – +1 V
internal oscillator initial accuracy (serial number HF2-DEV1141 – – ±30 ppm
and lower)1
internal oscillator aging (stability; serial number HF2-DEV1141 – – ±5 ppm/
and lower)1 year

internal oscillator temperature stability (23 °C ± 5 °C; serial – – ±30 ppm

number HF2-DEV1141 and lower)1
internal oscillator initial accuracy (serial number HF2-DEV1142 – – ±1.5 ppm
and higher)2
internal oscillator temperature coefficient (23 °C ± 5 °C; serial – – 0.05 ppm/
number HF2-DEV1142 and higher)2 C

internal oscillator phase noise (at 100 Hz) – –125 –

dBc/Hz
internal oscillator phase noise (at 1 kHz) – –140 –
dBc/Hz

UHS (option) oscillator initial accuracy3 – – ±0.5 ppm

UHS (option) oscillator aging (stability)3 – – ±0.4 ppm/

year

UHS (option) oscillator temperature stability (23 °C ± 5 °C)3 – – ±0.03 ppm

UHS (option) oscillator phase noise (at 100 Hz)3 –130 dBc/ – –
Hz

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 9.3. Digital Interface Specifications

Parameter min typ max

UHS (option) oscillator phase noise (at 1 kHz)3 –140 dBc/ – –
Hz

UHS (option) oscillator reference stability (over 30 s)3 0.00005 – –

ppm

UHS (option) oscillator time to reach specification3 – – 60 s

external clock connector back-panel single-ended BNC

external clock input impedance 1 MΩ
external clock input voltage 0V – +3.3 V
external clock frequency 9.98 MHz 10 MHz 10.02 MHz

9.3. Digital Interface Specifications

Table 9.11: Digital interfaces
Parameter Description
host computer connection USB 2.0 high-speed, 480 Mbit/s
ZCtrl pre-amplifier control bus proprietary bus to control external pre-amplifiers
ZSync synchronization bus proprietary bus to locally interconnect ZI instruments
DIO connector 32 bit, general purpose

The DIO connector is a HD 68 pin connector, typically also used by SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 interfaces, 47
mm wide male connector. The DIO port features 16 bits that can be configured byte-wise as inputs
or outputs, as well as 16 input only bits. The digital signals follow the CMOS/TTL specification.

Figure 9.1: DIO HD 68 pin connector

Table 9.12: DIO pin assignment
Pin Name Description Range
specification
68 CLKI clock input, used to latch signals at the digital input ports 5 V CMOS/TTL
- can also be used to retrieve digital signals from the
output port using an external sampling clock
67 DOL DIO output latch, 64 MHz clock signal, the digital outputs 5 V CMOS
are synchronized to the falling edge of this signal
66– DI[31:16] digital input digital input CMOS/
51 TTL level
50– DIO[15:0] digital input or output (set by user) output CMOS 5 V,
35 input is CMOS/TTL
34– GND digital ground –
3
2–1 PWR 5 V supply (100 mA max) –

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 9.3. Digital Interface Specifications

Figure 9.2: DIO input/output architecture

The HF2 Digital I/O Breakout Board provides an easy way to access all pins of the DIO Connector. The
board consists of 68 pin headers and a 68-pin female socket to be connected to the HF2 using a
ribbon cable. For description of the pins, refer to the Table 9.12. The HF2 DIO Breakout Board is
available with Zurich Instruments on demand.

Figure 9.3: HF2 digital I/O breakout board

The internally generated 10 MHz clock is made available for external synchronization at the ZSync
Out RJ45 connector. The clock signal is at pin 1, ground at pin 2. To connect: simply prepare a cable
assembly that allows you to connect the 10 MHz signal from the HF2 to the BNC input of the other
device external clock.

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.4: The pinout of the RJ45 jack

9.4. Performance Diagrams

Many parameters mentioned in Analog Interface Specifications are valid without specific conditions.
Other parameters instead are typical specifications because they depend on several parameters,
such as range settings, and frequency. This section completes the previous chapters with detailed
performance diagrams in order to support the validation of applications.

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.5: HF input noise with AC coupling

Figure 9.6: HF input noise with DC coupling

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.7: HF input total harmonic distortion with AC coupling

Figure 9.8: HF input total harmonic distortion with DC coupling

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.9: HF input common mode rejection ratio

Figure 9.10: HF input bandwidth

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.11: HF output amplitude accuracy

Figure 9.12: HF output total harmonic distortion

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 9.4. Performance Diagrams

Figure 9.13: HF output bandwidth

Figure 9.14: Lock time

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 9.5. Ground and Earth Scheme

Figure 9.15: HF2 signal output phase noise

9.5. Ground and Earth Scheme

Ground loops may introduce noise at the line frequency (mostly 50/60 Hz) and its harmonics, and
aliasing in the demodulated signal that is measurable for frequencies up to 10 MHz. Some lock-in
amplifiers implement a line filter which has the effect to exclude low frequency measurements. This
is not the case for the HF2 Instruments where an effective ground strategy is implemented.

In order to suppress large signal components at line frequency and higher harmonics avoiding
ground loops within the measurement setup is required. Possible reasons for line frequency
components include parasitics resistances between the different signal grounds, inductive coupling
from line transformers and other electrical apparatus into the signal paths, and pre-amplifiers that
generate additional loops.

Counter measures are to break loops using differential wiring, by implementing star ground
connections in the measurement setup, with the main ground closest to the setup as possible,
connect all instrument casing to earth, and using optocouplers and transformers that provide a
galvanic decoupling in the signal path.

The grounding of the HF2 Instrument is implemented connecting analog ground and digital ground
in a star network. This reduces the digital ground noise that flows into the analog domain
considerably. All analog grounds are connected together before they are connected to the digital
ground (e.g. USB ground). All grounds are decoupled by the Earth by means of a 1 MΩ resistor, which
is however generally shorted by a PC connected by means of a USB cable. The earth connection of
the power plug connects at the same time the chassis and the banana plug on the rear Instrument
panel.

Figure 9.16: Instrument ground and earth connection scheme

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 9.6. Reference Images

For applications that require floating ground, it is suggested to make use of the differential inputs by
connecting the BNC shield to the negative BNC connector. The limitation for this strategy is that the
floating ground should not exceed the specified maximum input common mode offset.

Figure 9.17: Differential connection scheme reducing ground loops

When using ZSync to synchronize two HF2 Instruments, the 10 MHz clock may couple into the signal
path and disturb the lock-in measurement at certain frequencies. Below are two measures to
counteract this potential problem.
 Connect the Clock In connectors on the back panel of the instruments with a short BNC cable.
This cable has the sole purpose of connecting the digital grounds of the instruments and has no
effect on the 10 MHz clock.
 Wind the Ethernet cable used to connect the ZSync ports into small coils and/or attach a ferrite
bead to the cable.

9.6. Reference Images

The following figures are intended for advanced users with programming projects on the HF2
Instruments.

Figure 9.18: hf2is block diagram

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 9.7. Test Specifications

Figure 9.19: hf2li block diagram

Figure 9.20: hf2limfk block diagram

9.7. Test Specifications

Users are encouraged to verify that the Instrument performs as specified, not only after shipping
but also to ensure continuous performance over time. Recommended procedures for measuring key
specification parameters are based on the Zurich Instruments ziControl software. For detailed
instructions please refer to the Specifications chapter of the HF2 User Manual (ziControl Edition)
available at https://www.zhinst.com/products/hf2li-lock-amplifier.

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 10. Signal Processing Basics

10. Signal Processing Basics

This chapter provides insights about several lock-in amplifier principles not necessarily linked to a
specific instrument from Zurich Instruments. Since the appearance of the first valve-based lock-in
amplifiers in the 1930s the physics have not changed, but the implementation and the performance
have evolved greatly. Many good lock-in amplifier primers have appeared in the past decades, and
some of them appear outdated now because they were written with analog instruments in mind.
This section does not aim to replace any existing primer, but to complete them with a preferred
emphasis on digital lock-in amplifiers.

The first subsection describes the principles of lock-in amplification, followed by the description of
the function of discrete-time filters. After, we discuss the definition of the full range sensitivity, a
specification parameter particularly important for analog lock-in amplifiers but with somewhat
reduced importance for digital instruments. In the following, we describe the function and use of
sinc filtering in particular for low-frequency lock-in measurements. The last section is dedicated to
the zoom FFT feature. Innovative in the context of lock-in amplifiers, zoom FFT offers a fast and
high-resolution spectral analysis around the lock-in operation frequency.

10.1. Principles of Lock-in Detection

Lock-in demodulation is a technique to measure the amplitude AsA_s As and the phase θ\theta
θ of a periodic
signal with the frequency ωωs=2πfs\omega_s
s = 2πfs by comparing
= 2\pi
thef_s
signal to a reference signal. This technique is
also called phase-sensitive detection. By averaging over time the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a
signal can be increased by orders of magnitude, allowing very small signals to be detected with a
high accuracy making the lock-in amplifier a tool often used for signal recovery. For both signal
recovery and phase-sensitive detection, the signal of interest is isolated with narrow band-pass
filtering therefore reducing the impact of noise in the measured signal.

Figure 10.1 shows a basic measurement setup: a reference VrV_r Vr signal is fed to the device under test.
This reference signal is modified by the generally non-linear device with attenuation, amplification,
phase shifting, and distortion, resulting in a signal V
Vs=Ascos(ωst+θs)V_s
s = As cos(ωs t + θs ) plus
= harmonic
A_s cos(\omega_s t + \theta_s)
components.

Figure 10.1: Basic measurement setup incorporating a lock-in amplifier

For practical reasons, most lock-in amplifiers implement the band-pass filter with a mixer and a low-
pass filter (depicted in Figure 10.2): the mixer shifts the signal of interest into the baseband, ideally
to DC, and the low-pass filter cuts all unwanted higher frequencies.

Figure 10.2: Mixing and low-pass filtering performed by the lock-in amplifier

The input signal Vs(t)V_s(t)

Vs (t) is multiplied by the reference signal V 2e−iωr t , where
Vr(t)=2e−iωrtV_r(t)
r (t) = =ωωr=2πfr\omega_r
\sqrt{2}e^{-i\omega_r
r = 2πfr is the = 2\pit}
f_r
demodulation frequency and i is the imaginary unit. This is the complex representation of a sine and
cosine signal (phase shift 90°) forming the components of a quadrature demodulator, capable of
measuring both the amplitude and the phase of the signal of interest. In principle it is possible to
multiply the signal of interest with any frequency, resulting in a heterodyne operation. However the
objective of the lock-in amplifier is to shift the signal as close as possible to DC, therefore the
frequency of the reference and the signal is chosen similar. In literature this is called homodyne
detection, synchrodyne detection, or zero-IF direct conversion.

The result of the multiplication is the signal

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 10.1. Principles of Lock-in Detection

As i[(ωs −ωr )t+θ]

Vs(t)⋅Vr(t)=Vs(t⋅2e−iωrt=As2ei[(ωs−ωr)t+θ]+As2e−i[(ωs+ωr)t+θ](8) As −i[(ωs +ω\begin{equation}\tag{1} V_s(t)
Vs (t) ⋅ Vr (t) = Vs (t ⋅ 2e−iωr t = e + e r )t+θ]
(1)
2 2

It consists of a slow component with frequency ω

ωs−ωr\omega_s
s − ωr and a fast -component
\omega_r with frequency ω
ωs+ωr\omega_s
s+ +
ωr .

The demodulated signal is then low-pass filtered with an infinite impulse response (IIR) RC filter,
indicated by the symbol ⟨⋅⟩ . The frequency response of the filter F(ω)F(\omega)
F (ω) will let pass the low
frequencies F F(ωs−ωr)F(\omega_s
(ωs − ωr ) \while considerably
- \omega_r)
attenuating the higher frequencies F F(ωs+ωr)F(\omega_s
(ωs + ωr ) . Another + \omega_
way to consider the low-passl filter is an averager.
a
X+iY=⟨Vs(t)⋅2e−iωrt⟩≈F(ωs−ωr)As2ei[(ωs−ωr)t+θ](9) As i[(ωs −ωr )t+θ]
X +niY = ⟨Vs (t) ⋅ 2e−iωr t ⟩ ≈ F (ωs − ωr\begin{equation}\tag{2}
) e X+iY (2)
= \langle V_s(t)
g 2
l
The result after the low-pass filter is the demodulated signal X+iYX+iY
X + iY , where X is the real and Y is the
imaginary part of a signaledepicted on the complex plane. These components are also called in-
\
phase and quadrature components. The transformation of X and Y into the amplitude R and phase θ\thetaθ
Vs (t) can c
information of Vs(t)V_s(t) be performed with trigonometric operations.
d
o the value of the measured signal corresponds to the RMS value of the
It is interesting to note that
signal, which is equivalent t to R
R=As/
= As / 2 .
\ 2R = A_s/\sqrt{2}
Most lock-in amplifiers output
r the values (X,Y) and (R, θ\theta
θ ) encoded in a range of –10 V to +10 V of the
auxiliary output signals. a
n
10.1.1. Lock-in Amplifier g Applications
l
e
Lock-in amplifiers are employed in a large variety of applications. In some cases the objective is
measuring a signal with good signal-to-noise ratio, and then that signal could be measured even
with large filter settings. In this context the word phase sensitive detection is appropriate. In other
applications, the signal is very weak and overwhelmed by noise, which forces to measure with very
narrow filters. In this context the lock-in amplifier is employed for signal recovery. Also, in another
context, a signal modulated on a very high frequency (GHz or THz) that cannot be measured with
standard approaches, is mixed to a lower frequency that fits into the measurement band of the lock-
in amplifier.

One example for measuring a small, stationary or slowly varying signal which is completely buried in
the 1/f noise, the power line noise, and slow drifts. For this purpose a weak signal is modulated to a
higher frequency, away from these sources of noise. Such signal can be efficiently mixed back and
measured in the baseband using a lock-in amplifier. In Figure 10.3 this process is depicted. Many
optical applications perform the up-mixing with a chopper, an electro-optical modulator, or an
acousto-optical modulator. The advantage of this procedure is that the desired signal is measured in
a spectral region with comparatively little noise. This is more efficient than just low-pass filtering the
DC signal.

Figure 10.3: Lock-in measurement of a noisy DC signal

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 10.2. Signal Bandwidth

10.2. Signal Bandwidth

The signal bandwidth (BW) theoretically corresponds to the highest frequency components of
interest in a signal. In practical signals, the bandwidth is usually quantified by the cut-off frequency.
It is the frequency at which the transfer function of a system shows 3 dB attenuation relative to DC
(BW = fcut-off = f-3dB); that is, the signal power at f-3dB is half the power at DC. The bandwidth,
equivalent to cut-off frequency, is used in the context of dynamic behavior of a signals or separation
of different signals. This is for instance the case for fast-changing amplitudes or phase values like in
a PLL or in imaging applications, or when signals closely spaced in frequency need to be separated.

The noise equivalent power bandwidth (NEPBW) is also a useful figure, and it is distinct from the
signal bandwidth. This unit is typically used for noise measurements: in this case one is interested in
the total amount of power that passes through a low-pass filter, equivalent to the area under the
solid curve in Figure 10.4. For practical reasons, one defines an ideal brick-wall filter that lets pass
the same amount of power under the assumption that the noise has a flat (white) spectral density.
This brick-wall filter has transmission 1 from DC to fNEPBW. The orange and blue areas in Figure 10.4
then are exactly equal in a linear scale.

Figure 10.4: Signal bandwidth and noise equivalent power bandwidth

It is possible to establish a simple relation between the fcut-off and the fNEPBW that only depends
on the slope (or roll-off) of the filter. As the filter slope actually depends on the time constant (TC)
defined for the filter, it is possible to establish the relation also to the time constant. It is intuitive to
understand that for higher filter orders, the fcut-off is closer to the fNEPBW than for smaller orders.

The time constant is a parameter used to interpret the filter response in the time domain, and
relates to the time it takes to reach a defined percentage of the final value. The time constant of a
low-pass filter relates to the bandwidth according to the formula
FOTC=\frac{FO}{2\pi f_{cut-off}} \end{equation}
TC=FO2πfcut−off(10) \begin{equation}\tag{3}
TC = (3)
2πfcut−off

where FO is said factor that depends on the filter slope. This factor, along with other useful
conversion factors between different filter parameters, can be read from the following table.
Table 10.1: Summary of conversion factors for bandwidth definitions
filter order filter roll-off FO fcut-off fNEPBW fNEPBW / fcut-off

1st 6 dB/oct 1.0000 0.1592 / TC 0.2500 / TC 1.5708

2nd 12 dB/oct 0.6436 0.1024 / TC 0.1250 / TC 1.2203

3rd 18 dB/oct 0.5098 0.0811 / TC 0.0937 / TC 1.1554

4th 24 dB/oct 0.4350 0.0692 / TC 0.0781 / TC 1.1285

5th 30 dB/oct 0.3856 0.0614 / TC 0.0684 / TC 1.1138

6th 36 dB/oct 0.3499 0.0557 / TC 0.0615 / TC 1.1046

7th 42 dB/oct 0.3226 0.0513 / TC 0.0564 / TC 1.0983

8th 48 dB/oct 0.3008 0.0479 / TC 0.0524 / TC 1.0937

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 10.3. Discrete-Time Filters

10.3. Discrete-Time Filters

10.3.1. Discrete-Time RC Filter
There are many options how to implement digital low-pass filters. One common filter type is the
exponential running average filter. Its characteristics are very close to those of an analog resistor-
capacitor RC filter, which is why this filter is sometimes called a discrete-time RC filter. The
exponential running average filter has the time constant TC TC=τNTC
= τN as = its\tau_N
only adjustable parameter. It
operates on an input signal X Xin[n,]X_{in}\lbrack
in [n, ] defined at discreten, \rbrack
times nT
nTs,
s , (n + 1)Ts , (n + 2)Ts , etc., spaced
at the sampling time TsT_s
Ts . Its output X Xout[n,Ts]X_{out}\lbrack
out [n, Ts ] can be calculated
(n+1)Ts,
n,T_s\rbrack
using the following recursive
formula, (n+2)Tsn T_s , (n+1)T_s , (n+2)T_s

Xout [n, Ts ] = e−Ts /τn Xout [n − 1, Ts ] + (1 − e−Ts /τN\begin{equation}\tag{4}

Xout[n,Ts]=e−Ts/τnXout[n−1,Ts]+(1−e−Ts/τN)Xin[n,Ts](11) )Xin [n, Ts ] X_{out}[n,T_s
(4)

The response of that filter in the frequency domain is well approximated by the formula

H1(ω)=11+i⋅ω⋅τn(12) \begin{equation}\tag{5} 1
H_1(\omega)=\frac{1}{1+i\cdot\omega\cdot\tau_n} \
H1 (ω) = (5)
1 + i ⋅ ω ⋅ τn
The exponential filter is a first-order filter. Higher-order filters can easily be implemented by
cascading several filters. For instance the 4th order filter is implemented by chaining 4 filters with
the same time constant TC TC=τnTC
= τn one=after
\tau_nthe other so that the output of one filter stage is the
input of the next one. The transfer function of such a cascaded filter is simply the product of the
transfer functions of the individual filter stages. For an n-th order filter, we therefore have

Hn(ω)=1(1+i⋅ω⋅τn)n(13) \begin{equation}\tag{6} 1 H_n(\omega)=\frac{1}{(1+i\cdot\omega\cdot\tau_n

Hn (ω) = (6)
(1 + i ⋅ ω ⋅ τn )n

The attenuation and phase shift of the filters can be obtained from this formula. Namely, the filter
∣Hn (ω)∣2 . The filter transmission phase is given
attenuation is given by the absolute value squared ∣Hn(ω)∣2|H_n(\omega)|^2
by the complex argument arg[H
arg[Hn(ω)]arg\lbrack
n (ω)] . H_n(\omega)\rbrack

10.3.2. Filter Settling Time

The low-pass filters after the demodulator cause a delay to measured signals depending on the
filter order and time constant TC
TC=τnTC
= τn . After
= \tau_n
a change in the signal, it will therefore take some time
before the lock-in output reaches the correct measurement value. This is depicted in Figure 10.5
where the response of cascaded filters to a step input signal is shown.

Figure 10.5: Time-domain step response of the demodulator low-pass filter for orders
from 1 to 8.
More quantitative information on the settling time can be obtained from Table 10.2. In this table, you
find settling times in units of the 1st-order filter's time constant (TCTC
TC ) for all filter orders available
with the HF2 Lock-in Amplifier. The values tell the time you need to wait for the filtered demodulator
signal to reach 50%, 63%, 95% and 99% of the final value. This can help in making a quantitatively
correct choice of filter parameters for example in a measurement involving a parameter sweep.

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 10.4. Full Range Sensitivity

Table 10.2: Summary of Filter Settling Times

Filter order 50% 63% (1-1/e) 90% 95% 99%
1st 0.7 · TC 1.0 · TC 2.3 · TC 3.0 · TC 4.6 · TC

2nd 1.7 · TC 2.1 · TC 3.9 · TC 4.7 · TC 6.6 · TC

3rd 2.7 · TC 3.3 · TC 5.3 · TC 6.3 · TC 8.4 · TC

4th 3.7 · TC 4.4 · TC 6.7 · TC 7.8 · TC 10.0 · TC

5th 4.7 · TC 5.4 · TC 8.0 · TC 9.2 · TC 11.6 · TC

6th 5.7 · TC 6.5 · TC 9.3 · TC 10.5 · TC 13.1 · TC

7th 6.7 · TC 7.6 · TC 10.5 · TC 11.8 · TC 14.6 · TC

8th 7.7 · TC 8.6 · TC 11.8 · TC 13.1 · TC 16.0 · TC

10.4. Full Range Sensitivity

The sensitivity of the lock-in amplifier is the RMS value of an input sine that is demodulated and
results in a full scale analog output. Traditionally the X, Y, or R components are mapped onto the 10 V
full scale analog output. In such a case, the overall gain from input to output of the lock-in amplifier
is composed of the input and output amplifier stages. Many lock-in amplifiers specify a sensitivity
between 1 nV and 1 V. In other words the instrument permits an input signal between 1 nV and 1 V to
be amplified to the 10 V full range output.

Figure 10.6: Sensitivity from signal input to signal output

In analog lock-in amplifiers the sensitivity is simple to understand. It is the sum of the analog
amplification stages between in the input and the output of the instrument: in particular the input
amplifier and the output amplifier.

In digital lock-in amplifiers the sensitivity less straightforward to understand. Analog-to-digital

converters (ADC) operate with a fixed input range (e.g. 1 V) and thus require a variable-gain amplifier
to amplify the input signal to the range given by the ADC. This variable-gain amplifier must be in the
analog domain and its capability determines the minimum input range of the instrument. A practical
analog input amplifier provides a factor 1000 amplification, thus 1 V divided by 1000 is the minimum
input range of the instrument.

The input range is the maximum signal amplitude that is permitted for a given range setting. The
signal is internally amplified with the suited factor, e.g. (1 mV)·1000 to result in a full swing signal at
the ADC. For signals larger than the range, the ADC saturates and the signal is distorted – the
measurement result becomes useless. Thus the signal should never exceed the range setting.

But the input range is not the same as the sensitivity. In digital lock-in amplifiers the sensitivity is
only determined by the output amplifier, which is an entirely digital signal processing unit which
performs a numerical multiplication of the demodulator output with the scaling factor. The digital
output of this unit is then fed to the output digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a fixed range of 10
V. It is this scaling factor that can be retrofitted to specify a sensitivity as known from the analog
lock-in amplifiers. A large scaling factor, and thus a high sensitivity, comes at a relatively small
expense for digital amplification.

One interesting aspect of digital lock-in amplifiers is the connection between input resolution and
sensitivity. As the ADC operates with a finite resolution, for instance 14 bits, the minimum signal that
can be detected and digitized is for instance 1 mV divided by the resolution of the ADC. With 14 bits
the minimum level that can be digitized would be 122 nV. How is it possible to reach 1 nV sensitivity
without using a 21 bit analog-to-digital converter? In a world without noise it is not possible.

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 10.5. Sinc Filtering

Inversely, thanks to noise and current digital technology it is possible to achieve a sensitivity even
below 1 nV.

Most sources of broadband noise, including the input amplifier, can be considered as Gaussian
noise sources. Gaussian noise is equally distributed in a signal, and thus generates equally
distributed disturbances. The noise itself can be filtered by the lock-in amplifier down to a level
where it does not impact the measurement. Still, in the interplay with the signal, the noise does have
an effect on the measurement. The input of the ADC is the sum of the noise and the signal
amplitude. Every now and then, the signal amplitude on top of the large noise will be able to toggle
the least significant bits even for very small signals, as low as 1 nV and below. The resulting digital
signal has a component at the signal frequency and can be detected by the lock-in amplifier.

There is a similar example from biology. Rod cells in the human eye permit humans to see in very low
light conditions. The sensitivity of rod cells in the human eye is as low as a single photon. This
sensitivity is achieved in low light conditions by a sort of pre-charging of the cell to be sensitive to
the single photon that triggers the cell to fire an impulse. In a condition with more surround light, rod
cells are less sensitive and need more photons to fire.

To summarize, in digital lock-in amplifiers the full range sensitivity is only determined by the scaling
factor capability of the digital output amplifier. As the scaling can be arbitrary big, 1 nV minimum full
range sensitivity is achievable without a problem. Further, digital lock-in amplifiers exploit the input
noise to heavily increase the sensitivity without impacting the accuracy of the measurement.

10.5. Sinc Filtering

As explained in Principles of Lock-in Detection, the demodulated signal in an ideal lock-in amplifier
has a signal component at DC and a spurious component at twice the demodulation frequency. The
components at twice the demodulation frequency (called the 2ω component) is effectively removed
by regular low-pass filtering. By selecting filters with small bandwidth and faster roll-offs, the 2ω
component can easily be attenuated by 100 dB or more. The problem arises at low demodulation
frequencies, because this forces the user to select long integration times (e.g. >60 ms for a
demodulation frequency of 20 Hz) in order to achieve the same level of 2ω attenuation.

In practice, the lock-in amplifier will modulate DC offsets and non-linearities at the signal input with
the demodulation frequency, resulting in a signal at the demodulation frequency (called ω
component). This component is also effectively removed by the regular low-pass filters at
frequencies higher than 1 kHz.

At low demodulation frequencies, and especially for applications with demodulation frequencies
close to the filter bandwidth, the ω and 2ω components can affect the measurement result. Sinc
filtering allows for strong attenuation of the ω and 2ω components. Technically the sinc filter is a
comb filter with notches at integer multiples of the demodulation frequency (ω, 2ω, 3ω, etc.). It
removes the ω component with a suppression factor of around 80 dB. The amount of 2ω component
that gets removed depends on the input signal. It can vary from entirely (e.g. 80 dB) to slightly (e.g. 5
dB). This variation is not due to the sinc filter performance but depends on the bandwidth of the
input signal.

Figure 10.7: Effect of sinc filtering

Table 10.3: Artifacts in the demodulation signal

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 10.5. Sinc Filtering

Input Demodulation result before Result

signal low-pass filter
Signal at ω DC component Amplitude and phase information (wanted
signal)
2ω component Unwanted component (can additionally be
attenuated by sinc filter)
DC offset ω component Unwanted component (can additionally be
attenuated by sinc filter)

We can observe the effect of the sinc filter by using the Spectrum Analyzer Tool of the HF2 Lock-in
Amplifier. As an example, consider a 30 Hz signal with an amplitude of 0.1 V that demodulated using a
filter bandwidth of 100 Hz and a filter order 8. In addition 0.1 V offset is added to the signal so that we
get a significant ω component.

Figure 10.8 shows a spectrum with the sinc filter disabled, whereas for Figure 10.9 the sinc filter is
enabled. The comparison of the two clearly shows how the sinc options dampens both the ω and 2ω
components by about 100 dB.

Figure 10.8: Spectrum of a demodulated 30 Hz signal without sinc filter

Figure 10.9: Spectrum of a demodulated 30 Hz signal with sinc filter

Note
In order to put the notches of the digital filter to ω and 2ω, the sampling rate of the filter would have
to be precisely adjusted to the signal frequency. As this is technically not feasible, the generated
signal frequency is adjusted instead by a very small amount.

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 10.6. Zoom FFT

10.6. Zoom FFT

The concept of zoom FFT allows the user to analyze the spectrum of the input signal around a
particular frequency by zooming in on a narrow frequency portion of the spectrum. This is done by
performing a Fourier transform of the demodulated in-phase and quadrature (X and Y) components
or more precisely, on the complex quantity X+iY, where i is the imaginary unit. In the LabOne user
interface, this functionality is available in the Spectrum tab.
In normal FFT, the sampling rate determines the frequency span and the total acquisition time
determines the frequency resolution. Having a large span and a fine resolution at the same time
then requires long acquisition times at high sample rates. This means that a lot of data needs to be
acquired, stored, and processed, only to retain a small portion of the spectrum and discard most of
it in the end. In zoom FFT, the lock-in demodulation is used to down-shift the signal frequency,
thereby allowing one to use both a much lower sampling rate and sample number to achieve the
same frequency resolution. Typically, to achieve a 1 Hz frequency resolution at 1 MHz, FFT would
require to collect and process approximately 106 points, while zoom FFT only processes 103 points.
(Of course the high rate sampling is done by the lock-in during the demodulation stage, so the zoom
FFT still needs to implicitly rely on a fast ADC.)

In order to illustrate why this is so and what benefits this measurement tool brings to the user, it is
useful to remind that at the end of the demodulation of the input signal V Vs(t)=Ascos(ωst+τ)V_s(t)=A_s
s (t) = As cos(ωs t + τ ) , cos(\om
the output signal is X + iY = F (ωs − ωr )(As / 2)ei[(ωs −ωr )t+τ ] where F(ω) is the frequency response
X+iY=F(ωs−ωr)
of the filters. (As/
2)ei[(ωs−ωr)t+τ]X+iY=F(\omega_s-\omega_r)(A_s/\sqrt{2})e^{i\lbrack (\omega_s-\o
Since the demodulated signal has only one component at frequency ωs–ωr, its power spectrum
2 2
(Fourier transform modulus squared) has a peak of height (∣A (∣As∣2/
s ∣ /2) ⋅ ∣F (ωs − ωr )∣ at ωs–ωr: this
2)⋅∣F(ωs−ωr)∣2(|A_s|^2/2)\cdot|F(\omega_s-\omega
tells us the spectral power distribution of the input signal at frequencies close to ωr within the
demodulation bandwidth set by the filters F(ω).

Note that:
 the ability of distinguish between positive and negative frequencies works only if the Fourier
transform is done on X+iY. Had we taken X for instance, the positive and negative frequencies of
its power spectrum would be equal. The symmetry relation G(–ω)=G*(ω) holds for the Fourier
transform G(ω) of a real function g(t) and two identical peaks would appear at ±|ωs–ωr|.
 one can extract the amplitude of the input signal by diving the power spectrum by |F(ω)|2, the
operation being limited by the numerical precision. This is implemented in LabOne and is
activated by the Filter Compensation button: with the Filter Compensation enabled, the
background noise appears white; without it, the effect of the filter roll-off becomes apparent.
The case of an input signal containing a single frequency component can be generalized to the case
of multiple frequencies. In that case the power spectrum would display all the frequency
components weighted by the filter transfer function, or normalized if the Filter Compensation is
enabled.
When dealing with discrete-time signal processing, one has to be careful about aliasing which
occurs when the signal frequencies higher than the sampling rate ω are not sufficiently suppressed.
Remember that ω is the user settable readout rate, not the 2 GSa/s sampling rate of the GHFLI
input. Since the discrete-time Fourier transform extends between –ω/2 and +ω/2, the user has to
make sure that at ±ω/2 the filters provide the desired attenuation: this can be done either by
increasing the sampling rate or resolving to measure a smaller frequency spectrum (i.e. with a
smaller filter bandwidth).

Similarly to the continuous case, in which the acquisition time determines the maximum frequency
resolution (2π/T
2π/ if T is the acquisition time), the resolution of the zoom FFT can be increased by
increasing the
T2 number
\pi/T of recorded data points. If N data points are collected at a sampling rate ω,
the discrete Fourier transform has a frequency resolution of ω/N.

239 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual

 11. HF2CA Current Amplifier Data Sheet

11. HF2CA Current Amplifier Data

Sheet
This chapter contains the data sheet of the HF2CA Current Amplifier which is a preamplifier
dedicated to the HF2 Series instruments. This data sheet is distributed only as part of the HF2 User
Manual, and therefore not available separately.

The content of the chapter starts with the list of key features of the preamplifier, and continues with
sections including the specifications, the detailed functional description, several possible
applications, and finally an extended recommendation for 3rd party cables and connectors.

11.1. Key Features

 Current amplifier for high capacitive loads - shunt resistor based
 Voltage amplifier with selectable gain 1 or 10
 Input impedance switchable between 10 V/A and 1 MV/A
 Bandwidth from DC up to 100 MHz
 2 differential amplification channels with switchable AC/DC coupling
 Adjustable output gain of 1 or 10
 Very low noise and small input leakage
 Single connector for power supply and control
The HF2CA current amplifier converts a differential input current to a differential output voltage in a
wide frequency range. This device functions as an active probe and is conveniently placed close to
the measurement setup. It supports applications with high capacitive loads such as dielectric
impedance spectroscopy. When no shunt resistor is selected, the current amplifier works as a
voltage amplifier. The careful design of the HF2CA insures stable operation over the entire frequency
range.

Figure 11.1: HF2CA functional overview

11.2. Specifications
Unless otherwise stated, all specifications apply after 30 minutes of device warming up.
Table 11.1: General
Parameter Description
dimensions 100 x 60 x 25 mm
weight 0.4 kg
storage temperature -20 °C to 65 °C
operating temperature 5 °C to 40 °C

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 11.2. Specifications

Parameter Description
specification temperature 25 °C
specification supply voltage 12 V
connectors 4 SMB inputs, 2 SMB outputs, 1 RJ45 (no Ethernet)

Table 11.2: Specifications

Parameter min typ max
positive supply voltage VDD+ 12 V 15 V 20 V
negative supply voltage VDD- -20 V -15 V -12 V
supply current 60 mA 80 mA 120 mA
frequency response
frequency range DC - 100
MHz
frequency range (AC coupled) 100 Hz - 100
MHz
small signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (0.1 VPP input, 50 pF output load, 100 - -
gain 1) MHz

small signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (0.1 VPP input, 50 pF output load, 25 MHz - -
gain 10)
large signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (1 VPP, 50 pF) 40 MHz - -

input
input voltage noise (10 kHz) - 7 nV/ -
√Hz
input voltage noise (10 MHz) - 6 nV/ -
√Hz
input bias current - 2 pA 10 pA
transimpedance gain (equivalent to input impedance) 10 V/A - 1 MV/A
transimpedance gain accuracy (G=1) - ±0.1 % -
transimpedance gain accuracy (G=10) - ±1 % -
input offset voltage - - 1 mV
common-mode offset range -10 V - 7.5 V
output
output voltage gain 1 - 10
control interface
input high level 2.0 V - 5V
input low level 0V - 0.8 V
all transitions on SDI, SDO, SCK, SLC - - 1 μs
SCK clock period 10 μs - -
SDI data to clock setup tDS 2 μs - -

SDI data hold from clock tDH 1 μs - -

SLC clock to latch setup tLS 1 μs - -

SLC latch hold tLH 10 μs - 20 μs

SCK clock free time tCF 20 μs - -

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 11.3. Functional Description

Figure 11.2: Digital control timing

Some parameters depend on the transimpedance gain settings. The following table provides an
overview. The values in this table are typical values, they depend on the source capacitance, on the
input signal swing, and as well as on the capacitive load on the output of the amplifier.
Table 11.3: Gain dependent parameters
Input impedance Bandwidth / 3dB cut- Maximum input Maximum input
setting off frequency current range current noise
10 V/A 100 MHz ±160 mA 400 pA/√Hz
100 V/A 50 MHz ±16 mA 42 pA/√Hz
1 kV/A 5 MHz ±1.6 mA 5.6 pA/√Hz
10 kV/A 500 kHz ±160 μA 1.3 pA/√Hz
100 kV/A 50 kHz ±16 μA 400 fA/√Hz
1 MV/A 5 kHz ±1.6 μA 128 fA/√Hz

Figure 11.3: Casing dimensions of the HF2CA

11.3. Functional Description

The HF2CA external amplifier can be placed close to the signal source whereas the HF2 Instrument
can be several meters away. Such a setup significantly improves the measurement quality due to
less parasitics effects and to smaller interferences.

The two signal channels of the HF2CA can be used as separate amplification channels, or
alternatively, in differential mode connected to the differential input of the HF2 Instrument.

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 11.3. Functional Description

Figure 11.4: Detailed block diagram

11.3.1. Input and Output

Shunt resistors: HF2CA measures the current between the positive and the negative input terminal
by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor, that is shunted between the inputs (see Figure
11.4) . The supported resistor values are given in Table 11.3 . It is also possible to remove all internal
resistors and to support any custom resistor that is externally connected (see Custom Input
Impedance). When all resistors are removed (infinite impedance), then the HF2CA becomes a voltage
amplifier with selectable gains 1 and 10.

JFET input amplifiers: the HF2CA is based on JFET input amplifiers that provide very low-noise over
a wide frequency range. Additionally, the ultra-low input bias current of typically 2 pA allows for
precise current measurements at small signal amplitudes. The input voltage range of the JFET input
amplifiers is -10 V to 7.5 V for each input which is also the common mode offset range.

Single vs. differential mode: a selectable switch to amplifier ground allows the user to earth the
negative terminal of each input and to operate in single-ended mode without needing external
circuits. Alternatively, when leaving the ground switches open, it is possible to use a differential
input signal or to connect the negative terminals to local ground externally.

AC vs. DC mode: a selectable switch after the input amplifiers allows the user to measure DC or
close to DC signals, or when this is not required, to select AC coupling with a cut-off frequency at 100
Hz and eliminate potential 50/60 Hz noise from the measured signal.

11.3.2. Power Supply and Remote Control

The HF2CA is designed for use with the HF2 Series with its differential signal for improved signal-to-
noise, and a single cable that provides power and control signals. A straight-through (as opposed to
cross-over) Ethernet cable must be used. The cable carries the following signals: - Power: positive
and negative supply, ground - Digital control: SDI digital input signal to control the preamplifier
settings, SDO output signal for device detection (details of function not disclosed to users), SCK
clock signal, and SLC latch signal. SDI, SCK and SLC are used to program the shift registers on the
amplifier and thereby adjust the correct settings. The setting bits are given in Table 11.4. The timing
diagram of the digital interface is given in Figure 11.2. The MSB of the register settings is shifted in
first.
Table 11.4: HF2CA register settings
Register bit Name Description
15 to 10 - unused
9 gain 0: set output gain to 1
1: set output gain to 10
8 dcswitch2 0: set AC coupling for input 2
1: set DC coupling for input 2
7 dcswitch1 0: set AC coupling for input 1
1: set DC coupling for input 1

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 11.4. Applications

Register bit Name Description

6 singleswitch 0: set differential operation
1: set single-ended operation
5 res1m 1: set resistor 1 MV/A
4 res100k 1: set resistor 100 kV/A
3 res10k 1: set resistor 10 kV/A
2 res1k 1: set resistor 1 kV/A
1 res100 1: set resistor 100 V/A
0 res10 1: set resistor 10 V/A

11.4. Applications
 Impedance spectroscopy
 Large capacitive loads
 Wheatstone-bridge configuration
 Preamplifier for HF2IS impedance spectroscope and HF2LI lock-in amplifier

11.4.1. Differential Current Measurement with Common-mode Offset

The resistors at the input of the amplifier can be inserted in a current path as shown in the figures.
With this, fast current transients can measured at large common-mode voltages, which are in the
range from -10 V to 7.5 V are possible. This is used in, e.g., high-energy physics to record the radiation-
induced current in a photo diode.

Figure 11.5: HF2CA differential current measurement

11.4.2. Multi-frequency Impedance Spectroscopy

Figure 11.6: HF2CA impedance spectroscopy

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 11.4. Applications

The HF2CA in combination with the HF2IS impedance spectrometer is the solution to measure
impedance in, for example, flow-through microsystems. The challenge here is to measure the
channel impedance at high frequencies (>10 MHz). The large capacitance occurring at electrode
electrolyte interfaces can lead to stability issues in a transimpedance amplifier. A solution is to use
the electrodes in a Wheatstone bridge configuration with shunt resistors. The HF2CA offers this
solution.
As shown in the figure, electrodes are place on the channel walls of a microfluidic channel (width in
the order of 20 to 50 μm). Electrodes E1 and E2 are stimulated with a sinusoidal voltage, the
electrodes E3 and E4 are connected to the positive amplifier inputs and thus shunted to GND via
resistors R1 and R2. The resulting voltage drops across R1 and R2 are given by the channel
impedance. This impedance varies when a particle or a living cell passes the electrode area. An
analysis at multiple frequencies at the same time (which is supported by the HF2IS and the HF2CA)
allows for concurrently analyzing cell size and dielectric properties. With this information biologists,
e.g. sort their cells and detect cell viability or health.

11.4.3. Impedance Measurement

Figure 11.7: Measure an impedance using the HF2CA

The HF2 in conjunction with the HF2CA can be used to measure impedances at various frequencies.
The connection diagram is shown in the figure above. The impedance of interest, Z, is connected to
the input resistor in the HF2CA preamplifier. For optimal signal-to-noise, the input resistor, R1, is set
to a value close to the impedance Z. The HF2 generates an output signal of amplitude VOut and the
output signal from the preamplifier is connected to the positive input (Input +) of the HF2, which is
here called VIn. With this setup, the impedance Z can be calculated using the following equation:

Z = R(VOut VIn )/VIn

Z=R(VOutVIn)/
VInZ=R(V_{Out} V_{In})/V_{In}
Here we neglected the output resistance, R2, of the HF2 device. The is valid as long as Z>>R1=50
OMEGA. Furthermore, at high frequencies the parasitic capacitances Cp1 and Cp2 will have to be
included in the calculation. At even higher frequencies, Cp1 and Cp2 will be dominant.

11.4.4. Custom Input Impedance

Figure 11.8: HF2CA custom input impedance

Sometimes it is useful to choose a special resistance value in order to optimize the signal to noise
by, e.g. impedance matching. In this case, an external resistor can be used instead of using the

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 11.5. Cable Recommendation

standard values inside the preamplifier. All internal resistors need to be disconnected in this case,
which can be done using the standard preamplifier user interface.

11.5. Cable Recommendation

Table 11.5: HF2CA cable recommendation
Function Connector / cable type Vendor / part number
SMB to BNC connection
SMB to BNC cable BNC jack to SMB plug Farnell / Newark 1351896
SMB to BNC adapter BNC jack to SMB plug Digikey ACX1386-ND
BNC jack to SMB jack Farnell / Newark 4195930
Custom access or cable assembly
Cable Cable type RG-174 Digikey A307-100-ND
Farnell / Newark 1387745
SMB to cable SMB plug to RG-174 cable Tyco Electronics 413985-1
Digikey A4026-ND
Farnell / Newark 2141206
BNC to cable BNC plug to RG-174 cable Tyco Electronics 1-5227079-6
Digikey A32212-ND

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 12. HF2TA Current Amplifier Data Sheet

12. HF2TA Current Amplifier Data

Sheet
This chapter contains the data sheet of the HF2TA Current Amplifier which is a preamplifier
dedicated to the HF2 Series instruments. This data sheet is distributed only as part of the HF2 User
Manual, and therefore not available separately.

The content of the chapter starts with the list of key features of the preamplifier, and continues with
sections including the specifications, the detailed functional description, several possible
applications, information how to test the specified performance, and finally an extended
recommendation for 3rd party cables and connectors.

12.1. Key Features

 50 MHz operation range
 2 independent amplification channels with selectable AC/DC coupling
 Wide range of current gain settings (100 V/A to 100 MV/A)
 Impedance measurements from 1 μΩ to 100 MΩ
 Input offset voltage adjustment
 Voltage output amplifier with selectable gain 1 or 10
 Very low noise and low input leakage
 Single connector for power supply and control
The HF2TA current amplifier converts 2 input currents to output voltages in a frequency range up to
50 MHz. This device is an active probe which can be conveniently placed close to the measurement
setup. It supports most applications where a current must be converted to a voltage. The advanced
design of the HF2TA ensures stability and a smooth operation over the entire frequency range. The
HF2TA transimpedance current amplifier with the HF2 Series signal analyzers allows for very high
performance measurements and insensitivity to interferences thanks to reduced parasitics.

Figure 12.1: HF2TA functional overview

12.2. Specifications
Unless otherwise stated, all specifications apply after 30 minutes of device warming up.
Table 12.1: General
parameter description
dimensions 101 x 78 x 23 mm
weight 0.4 kg

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 12.2. Specifications

parameter description
storage temperature -20 °C to 65 °C
operating temperature 5 °C to 40 °C
specification temperature 25 °C
connectors 3 SMA inputs female, 3 SMA outputs female, 1 RJ45 (no Ethernet)

Table 12.2: Specifications

parameter min typ max
positive supply voltage VDD+ 12 V 13 V 15 V
negative supply voltage VDD- -15 V -13 V -12 V
supply current 50 mA 60 mA 100 mA
frequency response
frequency range DC - 50 MHz
frequency range (AC coupled) 10 Hz - 50 MHz
small signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (0.1 VPP input, 50 pF output - - 50 MHz
load, gain 1)
small signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (0.1 VPP input, 50 pF output - - 50 MHz
load, gain 10)
large signal bandwidth / 3dB cut-off (1 VPP, 50 pF) - - 40 MHz

input
input current range depends on R1, R2, G1, G2
settings
input current noise depends on R1, R2, G1, G2
settings
input voltage noise (10 kHz) - 7 nV/ -
√Hz
input voltage noise (10 MHz) - 5 nV/ -
√Hz
input leakage current - 2 pA 20 pA
input voltage offset compensation range -10 mV - 10 mV
input impedance range (Z // 15 pF) 50 Ω - 70 kΩ
input bias voltage range -10 V - 10 V
input signal level (damage threshold) -5 V - 5V
output
output voltage gain (G1,G2) 1 - 10
transimpedance gain (R1,R2) 100 V/A - 100 MV/
A
transimpedance gain accuracy (R1,R2) - ±1 % -
digital control interface timing
input high level 2.2 V - 5V
input low level 0V - 0.8 V
all transitions on SDI, SDO, SCK, SLC - - 1 μs
SCK clock period 10 μs - -
SDI data to clock setup tDS 2 μs - -

SDI data hold from clock tDH 1 μs - -

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 12.2. Specifications

parameter min typ max

SLC clock to latch setup tLS 1 μs - -

SLC latch hold tLH 10 μs - 20 μs

SCK clock free time tCF 20 μs - -

Figure 12.2: Digital control interface timing

Some parameters depend on the transimpedance gain settings. The following table provides an
overview. The values in this table are typical values, they depend on the source capacitance, on the
input signal swing, and also on the capacitive load on the output of the amplifier.
Table 12.3: Gain dependent parameters 1
input impedance bandwidth / 3dB maximum input maximum input
setting cut-off current range (G=1) current range (G=10)
100 V/A 50 MHz ±10 mA ±1 mA
1 k V/A 50 MHz ±1 mA ±100 μA
10 kV/A 8 MHz ±100 μA ±10 μA
100 kV/A 1.5 MHz ±10 μA ±1 μA
1 MV/A 250 kHz ±1 μA ±100 nA
10 MV/A 25 kHz ±100 nA ±10 nA
100 MV/A 12 kHz ±10 nA ±1 nA

Table 12.4: Gain dependent parameters 2

input impedance input maximum input current measured
setting impedance noise at
100 V/A 50 Ω 150 pA/√Hz 1 MHz
1 k V/A 50 Ω 15 pA/√Hz 1 MHz
10 kV/A 50 Ω 2 pA/√Hz 1 MHz
100 kV/A 100 Ω 500 fA/√Hz 100 kHz
1 MV/A 300 Ω 250 fA/√Hz 100 kHz
10 MV/A 1.6 kΩ 100 fA/√Hz 10 kHz
100 MV/A 70 kΩ 50 fA/√Hz 10 kHz

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 12.3. Functional Description

Figure 12.3: Casing dimensions of the HF2TA

12.3. Functional Description

The HF2TA is an external current preamplifier for the HF2 Series instruments from Zurich
Instruments. The preamplifier can be placed close to the signal source, which significantly improves
the measurement quality due to less parasitics effects and to smaller interferences.

The two signal channels of the HF2TA can be used as separate current amplification channels, or
alternatively, in differential mode connected to the differential input of the HF2 Instrument. The
channels settings can be set independently.

Figure 12.4: Detailed block diagram

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 12.4. Applications

12.3.1. Input and Output

Transimpedance stage: the HF2TA measures the current flowing at the two input terminals. The
current amplifier uses a standard transimpedance stage to convert the current to a voltage output.
The input terminal is matched to 50 Ohms to allow for proper impedance matching at high
frequencies. At high current gains, or low input currents, respectively, the input terminal acts like a
low-impedance virtual ground. The input impedance depends on the gain settings as described in
the table above.

Voltage gain 1 or 1​0: the HF2TA offers a voltage gain of either 1 or 10 after the transimpedance
amplifier. This allows to optimize the signal-to-noise at small amplitudes and high bandwidths. The
transimpedance gain often has to be kept small in order to meet the required bandwidth. A voltage
amplifier helps in this case to improve the measurement quality.

JFET input amplifiers: the HF2TA is based on JFET input amplifiers that provide very low-noise over
a wide frequency range. Additionally, the ultra-low input bias current of typically 2 pA allows for
precise current measurements at small signal amplitudes. The input voltage range of the JFET input
amplifiers is -5 V to 2 V for each input which is also the common mode offset range.

Offset adjustment: the offset of the input amplifier can be manually compensated. For this purpose,
disconnect any signal from the input of the current amplifier and measure the output voltage.
Change the offset voltage until the output is close to zero. All remaining offset should now come
from other sources (like offset current or leakage from the device under test).

AC vs. DC mode: a selectable switch after the input amplifiers allows the user to measure DC
signals, or when this is not required, to select AC coupling with a cut-off frequency at around 10 Hz
to remove the DC offset. When working in AC, make sure that the first amplifier is not saturating. This
can be checked by switching to DC and gain 1.

Aux output: the HF2TA comprises a general purpose low-noise analog output. This output can be
used as a power supply for, e.g., photo diodes. The photo diode is connected to the auxiliary output
and the virtual ground of the input, no additional power supply is needed.
Signal shield voltage: the bias input connector can be used to apply a bias voltage to the signal
shield. This can be used, for instance, to power a remote sensor over the signal shield without
introducing an additional ground loop. If this option is not used, the signal shield should be
conveniently grounded with the control setting "Shield Voltage".

12.3.2. Power Supply and Remote Control

The HF2TA is designed for use with the HF2 Series devices. It has to be connected to the ZCtrl 1/2
connectors of the host device using a single Ethernet cable which provides both power and control
signals. A standard straight-through (as opposed to cross-over) cable must be used. The cable
carries the following signals:
 Power: positive and negative supply, ground
 Digital control: SDI digital input signal to control the preamplifier settings, SDO output signal for
device detection (details of function not disclosed to users), SCK clock signal, and SLC latch
signal. SDI, SCK and SLC are used to program the shift registers on the amplifier and the DAC and
thereby adjust the correct settings.

12.4. Applications
 Low-noise and high-speed current amplification
 Photo diode preamplifier
 Impedance measurement
 Semiconductor testing
 Impedance spectroscopy

12.4.1. Recommended Settings

In order to get the maximum performance out of your HF2TA, the following guidelines should be
followed.
 low and high input current measurement
The HF2TA gain setting should be selected properly in the measurement path. The gain setting
can be set according to Table 12.3. As one can see, each input impedance and G setting has a

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 12.4. Applications

maximum input current range specified. With each recommended input impedance and G
setting, the maximum current will produce the maximum voltage swing of ±1 V at the output of
the HF2TA. At this level the input digitizer of the HF2 input channel will run close to its full
dynamic range which results in the optimal SNR.
 low and high bandwidth measurement
HF2TA is specified to work up to the 3dB bandwidth of 50 MHz. Nevertheless, care must be taken
when selecting input impedance gain settings. Table 12.3 details as well the maximum 3dB signal
bandwidth for each gain setting. For example, with an input current containing frequency
components of less than 12 kHz in frequency, the maximum transimpedance gain of 100 MV/A
can be selected. At 50 MHz, only 100 V/A of transimpedance gain is available. G=10 can also be
selected as well if more gain is required at high input signal frequencies.
 minimize cross-talk and parasitics effects
With the measured impedance placed closely to the input of the HF2TA and the HF2 device, four
point measurement setup can help to minimize parasitic effect as well as the noise pickups from
the cable. Furthermore, using shielded cable can greatly reduce the high frequency noise pickups
from the surrounding environment.
 avoid HF2TA instability
Since HF2TA is a negative feedback amplifier, its feedback loop stability can be sensitive to input
capacitance, especially at low R settings. In order to avoid possible under-damped behavior (i.e.
oscillation) in the measurement, it is recommended to use as high as possible the selected
transimpedance gain R when measuring a capacitive circuit. A short cable to the HF2TA input can
also help to reduce the parasitic capacitance seen at the HF2TA input.

12.4.2. Photo Diode Amplifier with HF2LI

The HF2TA current amplifier is suited to read out the current from a photo diode. The following
figures shows three possible ways to use the device. In the first option, the photo diode is grounded
on one side and connected to the current amplifier on the other side. The recorded signal is
amplified and sent to the HF2 Instrument.

The second option provides a solution when it is necessary to apply a bias voltage across the photo
diode. For this purpose the auxiliary output of the HF2TA can be used. Voltages in the range of
+/-10V and currents up to 10 mA can be delivered by this connector. Alternatively the bias can be
provided by another voltage source.

The third option supports the drive of the photo diode by means of the shield of the signal cable.
This shield can be conveniently driven by the HF2TA by shorting the auxiliary output to the bias
input. This option permits the user to connect the remote sensor with one single coaxial cable and
while avoiding to introduce a ground loop in the system.
All HF2TA settings can be conveniently programmed inside the graphical user interface of the HF2
Instrument.

Figure 12.5: HF2TA photo diode amplifier

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 12.4. Applications

Figure 12.6: HF2TA photo diode amplifier with single coaxial cable

12.4.3. Impedance Measurement with HF2IS

Figure 12.7: Measure an impedance using the HF2TA

The HF2TA current amplifier can be used in conjunction with the HF2IS instrument to measure
impedances in a very wide range at frequencies up to 50 MHz. The connection diagram in the figure
above shows how the impedance of interest Z is connected to the input of the HF2TA. For optimal
amplification versus bandwidth setting, the table in the specification section may be consulted.
Three cases and applications need to be distinguished.

 Measuring an impedance Z > 10 kΩ

For large impedances it is possible to neglect the output resistance of the HF2IS Instrument and
the input resistance of the preamplifier, thus the simple setup provides good accuracy. The HF2IS
generates an output signal of amplitude VOut and the output signal from the preamplifier is
connected to the positive Input 2+ of the HF2, called VIn. With this setup, the impedance Z can be
calculated using the following equation:
Z=R⋅G⋅VOut/
Z = R ⋅ G ⋅ VOut /VIn2
Measuring
 VIn2Z = Ran impedance
\cdot G \cdotZ V_{Out}
< 10 kΩ / V_{In2}
For small impedances and higher precision a four point measurement setup is required. For
accuracy in the range of 1%, the voltage VZ can be measured directly by the second differential
Input 1+ and Input 1- of the HF2. In this case it is important to select the high ohmic input
impedance option (1 MΩ) as otherwise too much current is dissipated in the measurement
instrument. Also the HF2 should be configured for differential measurement. The resulting
impedance Z is calculated using the following equation:
Z=R⋅G⋅VZ/
Z = R ⋅ G ⋅ VZ /VIn2 = R ⋅ G ⋅ VIn1 /VIn2
 Measuring impedances with high accuracy (all values of Z)
VIn2=R⋅G⋅VIn1/
Four point measurement
VIn2Z = R \cdot G \cdot setup
V_{Z}allows the most=accurate
/ V_{In2} R \cdot measurement
G \cdot V_{In1}by taking into account
/ V_{In2}
simultaneously the current flowing through the measured impedance and the voltage drop
caused by the current flow. For an accuracy better than 1%, it is recommended to use a voltage
preamplifier with high-ohmic input stage to measure the voltage across the impedance VZ = VIn1.
Assuming Vin2, R and G are the output, the resistor setting and the gain of the HF2TA,
respectively, the resulting equation to calculate the impedance will be similar to the previous
case:
Z=R⋅G⋅VZ/
Z = R ⋅ G ⋅ VZ /VIn2 = R ⋅ G ⋅ VIn1 /VIn2 (assuming voltage pre-amp gain = 1)
A pictorial representation of how to set up the four-point measurement is shown below.
VIn2=R⋅G⋅VIn1/

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 12.5. Performance Tests

Note that the voltage measurement is made differentially through HF2CA then converted to
single-ended input to the HF2IS while the current measurement remains single-ended
throughout the current measurement path. Both HF2TA and HF2CA can be controlled using the
LabOne UI. When they are connected through Ethernet cables to the back of the HF2IS
instrument, LabOne will automatically add an HF2TA or HF2CA tab as shown in the screen shots
below.

Both HF2TA and HF2CA can operate in AC-coupled or DC input. The HF2TA has a high-pass cutoff
of 10 Hz while the HF2CA has a high-pass cutoff of 100 Hz. It is recommended that no R1 and R2
values are selected for the HF2CA to obtain maximum input impedance (i.e. no signal current loss
through the HF2CA input ports) and therefore the most accurate current measurement.

12.5. Performance Tests

In this section two tests are described that can be used to measure the DC leakage and the AC
noise of the HF2TA. They can be performed by the user to do a sanity check on the validity of the
measurement with HF2TA.
Table 12.5: Necessary equipment

Required equipment Specifications Recommended equipment

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 12.5. Performance Tests

HF2 Instrument No additional installation options HF2LI or HF2IS

required
HF2TA Current HF2TA Specifications HF2TA
Amplifier
Digital multimeter 0.1 mV Resolution, 20 V range Agilent 34410A
SMA to BNC cables 2 x 50 Ω, male-to-male connectors supplied by Zurich
Instruments
Ethernet cable Category 5 or 6 supplied by Zurich
Instruments

The following conditions have to be fulfilled:

1. The test equipment must be connect to the same AC power circuit. If you are unsure of the
AC power circuit distribution, use a common power strip and connect all test equipment into
it. Connecting the test equipment into separate AC power circuits can result in offset voltages
between equipment, which can invalidate the verification test.
2. For accurate results, allow the test equipment to warm up for at least 30 minutes.
3. The HF2 Instrument as well as the HF2TA transimpedance amplifier are controlled by the
LabOne software. Please make sure that the latest version of the LabOne software package is
installed on the host computer. Please refer to the Getting Started for software installation
instructions.

The HF2TA transimpedance amplifier has 2 analog input channels, 2 analog output channels and 1
external bias input and 1 auxiliary output. For the purpose of the following tests, the external bias
input will not be used. The test setup for one channel is equally valid for the other channel.

12.5.1. Input Leakage Test

Definition

This test measures the DC input leakage current of the HF2TA.

Setup

The HF2TA is connected to the HF2 Instrument via the Ethernet cable for the purpose of configuring
the HF2TA. The HF2 Instrument is not used for the measurement.
Table 12.6: HF2TA settings

Ch1 Offset (V) 0.0 V

Ch1 R (V/A) 1 k and 100 M
Ch1 AC OFF
G 1

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 12.5. Performance Tests

Input Shield GND

Aux Output (V) 0.0 V

Measurement

The DC leakage current can be estimated by subtracting the inherent DC offset VO1 of the amplifier
from the total offset VO2 due to both the internal offset and the input leakage. For this test the input
of the HF2TA is left open. Then the output is measured with a digital multimeter as shown . The input
offset VO1 can be estimated by setting the transimpedance resistor R to 1 k. The sum of the input
offset plus leakage VO2 can be estimated by setting the transimpedance resistor R to 100 M. Then,
the approximate leakage can be found by:
∣VO2 −VO1 ∣
IIleakage=∣VO2−VO1∣100
leakage = 100 M Ω MΩI_{leakage} = \frac{\left| V_{O2} - V_{O1} \right|}{100\ M\Omega}

12.5.2. Input Noise Test

Definition

The noise generated by the HF2TA transimpedance amplifier itself can be expressed as input
referred current noise. The following setup description enables users to verify through
measurement if their HF2TA units have indeed the same noise level as specified in Table 12.4

Setup

For this test the HF2TA transimpedance amplifier input is left open. The goal is to refer the total
contribution of out noise from the amplifier itself to the input and not from any other external
circuits. Since the input of the HF2TA is left open, it is only necessary to define the sweep range in
the HF2 instrument since no drive voltage is required.

The HF2 instrument settings for the test are given in the table below.
Table 12.7: HF2 instrument settings

Ch1 Signal Inputs Range auto range

Ch1 Signal Inputs AC/ Diff/ 50 ON
Ch1 Scale 1/R
Filter BW setting type BW NEP (noise equivalent power BW)
Filter BW 1 Hz

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 12.6. Cable Recommendation

Notice that Scale has been set to 1/R where R is the HF2TA transimpedance value. This is to obtain
the noise current referred back to input.

Measurement

The Sweeper will be used for the measurement with the following settings:
Table 12.8: Frequency sweeper settings

Sweep Range Start 1 kHz

Sweep Range Stop 50 MHz
Sweep Range Points 50
Sweep Range Log Sweep ON

To have LabOne choose suitable filtering, averaging, and display settings, simply choose Noise
Amplitude Sweep as the Application in the Settings sub-tab. Set Precision to High and start the
sweep to measure the noise over the specified frequency. After division by the HF2TA
transimpedance gain, the result can then be compared to the values in the input referred noise
table.

12.6. Cable Recommendation

Table 12.9: HF2TA cable recommendation
Function Connector / cable type Vendor / part number
SMA to BNC connection
SMA to BNC cable BNC jack to SMA plug Digikey J3606-ND
SMA to BNC adapter BNC jack to SMA plug Digikey J10098-ND
Farnell / Newark 4195930
BNC plug to SMB plug Farnell / Newark 1654647
Digikey ACX1324-ND
Custom access or cable assembly
Cable Cable type RG-174 Digikey A307-100-ND
Farnell / Newark 1387745
SMA to cable SMA plug to RG-174 cable Digikey A32326-ND
Farnell /Newark 2112459
BNC to cable BNC plug to RG-174 cable Tyco Electronics 1-5227079-6
Digikey A32212-ND
Farnell / Newark 1831701

257 Zurich Instruments HF2 User Manual