Agilent E4406A Vector Signal Analyser

[davorin]

Nice :-) How did you set it up?

At least I could see now the spectrum of a demodulated FM broadcast Station with clear 19kHz pilote tone (o;

[PA0PBZ]

It's a MRF89XA transceiver....but isn't FSK the same as frequency hopping?
 

No, frequency hopping means that the whole carrier jumps (semi) randomly to another channel, FSK stays on the same channel but shifts the carrier a bit around. So while FSK shifts the carrier a little bit around the zero position (a few KHz to 20-30 KHz up and down) when it does frequency hopping it can shift 100's of KHz and starts the FSK from that new position. Anyway, if you can see the carrier and it does not disappear there is no frequency hopping...

[0xfede]

@davorin
The DUT is a commercial product I've designed several years ago. It uses a custom protocol (not developed by me) that has to be mantained for retrocompatibility.
I connected the DUT to the E4406A trough an HP 778D and a 20db PAD. The other port is connected to the Master transceiver (based on an hybrid module and it is not my design).
The 89600 software is quite complex to set up (but very powerful too) and I can't remember all the settings. If you need it I may send you the setup file.
For the differences between FHSS and FSK I'll make a measurement of another device (based on silabs SI103x). I hope I'll have time on Thursday to make some shots.

Best,
0xFEDE

[harha]

Hello
My E4406A has a low frequency drop off at about 200Khz--some have wondered about if the front end  7dB attenuator also have a dc block inbuilt!
I have replaced this attenuator with a pecision narda--and the answer is simple-yes the original made by weinschel have a dc bloc,so now my E4406A goes down to a few Hz.Now using an external dc block when needed.
Hardy

[TSL]

Santa brought an E4406A with the IQ option to my lab to day

I've been reading the docs and checking out its menu's, the only option missing is the IF out !

It needs a new CPU battery so I'll have to wait a few days or so for that to arrive before I take it apart

Haven't yet put a signal into it, just yet. Maybe in the next day or so once I've rebuilt the engineering PC.

[asilva10]

Just received my E4406A today - not much experience in this area.
I would like only to use the Spectrum Analyzer portion to zoom-out details that my current SA (HP8590A) cannot reach at the same accuracy level.

My question is how to eliminate the green trace that basically follows the yellow? I know that they are related to I-Q stuff - someone can help me here with this basic stuff since I am just using the min RF inut port?

[0xfede]

Just push the zoom button (below the screen). Then with the 'next window' button you'll cycle between IQ window and spectrum window.

Best,
0xfede

[asilva10]

Just push the zoom button (below the screen). Then with the 'next window' button you'll cycle between IQ window and spectrum window.

Best,
0xfede

Hi Oxfede,

thank you. I did that and I have full screen with the spectrum but both traces (yellow and green) show up. I would like to see just one. We have some screenshots at this website showing this but I was not to do the same.

[0xfede]

Then click the 'View/Trace' button, 'Trace Display' and select the 'Current' or the 'Average'.

[asilva10]

Then click the 'View/Trace' button, 'Trace Display' and select the 'Current' or the 'Average'.

It worked!!  Thank you!!

[PA5Y]

Hi ?

I have an E4406A and an old version of softplot. The instrument is listed and I appear to get a correct IDN when using the Spectrum analysis tab. I have the instrument set to 192.168.0.106 SCPI Port 2025. These are the settings that I have in softplot. The instrument and the PC that softplot is installed on is connected via a gigabit switch and the NIC is on 192.168.0.60.

Are there any peculiarities that I need to be aware of?

I am also very interested in getting a working version of the VSA software, could you point me in the right direction, I saw some old references earlier in this thread but the links did not work?

Many thanks

Conrad PA5Y (G0RUZ)

PS Windows firewall is configured to allow Softplot

[PA5Y]

Problem solved, I was trying to use the Spectrum Analyser tab in softplot whereas I should have been using the Modulation Analyser tab. All is well.

Regards

Conrad PA5Y

[zmetzing]

Santa brought an E4406A with the IQ option to my lab to day

I've been reading the docs and checking out its menu's, the only option missing is the IF out !

I'm eagerly awaiting my E4406A from the ebays, complete with I&Q baseband inputs. (There's another one on there right now if anyone is interested).

The IF output can be added by following the instructions in this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-e4406a-opt-300-diy-cable/

[zmetzing]

Ahh, she arrived today! Only a 12-bit Digital IF board, but you can't have everything.

Could someone point me to an archived copy of the HP 89601 v12 software? I can't seem to find it anywhere on Keysight's site.. only the new version which doesn't support the E4406A anymore.

Thanks!

[Wuerstchenhund]

Could someone point me to an archived copy of the HP 89601 v12 software? I can't seem to find it anywhere on Keysight's site.. only the new version which doesn't support the E4406A anymore.

Try this:
http://www.keysight.com/main/software.jspx?cc=GB&lc=eng&ckey=1303376&nid=-32408.626685.02&id=1303376

[KE5FX]

Has anyone run across a copy of the N2714A performance verification and adjustment software for the E4406A?

[harha]

Have any tried vsa  89601B-newer version than ver. 12- with E4406A??
Hardy

[Wuerstchenhund]

Have any tried vsa  89601B-newer version than ver. 12- with E4406A??

It doesn't work, and there's no hack I'm aware off to make it work.

[Daxxin]

where download last working version of 89600 for the E4406A?

[PA0PBZ]

where download last working version of 89600 for the E4406A?

You could read the thread, it's not that big...

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-e4406a-vector-signal-analyser/msg645924/#msg645924

[Andrey_UR]

Hello colleagues!

Whether there is an opportunity to prolong the term of work of the 89600 program? I have installed the program a year ago and didn't use it, and now I want to resume work. How do you solve this problem at full-time employment with the E4406A?

Thanks a lot
Andrey

[RCHRDM]

Hello

Does anyone know what the user name and password are for the E4406A?  I am trying to connect an FTP client.

Richard

[S57UUU]

I've just brought home from Hamradio Friedrichshafen an Agilent E4406A. Now playing with it, and quite impressed with both amplitude and frequency accuracy.

I noticed there are two plugged holes marked "I input" and "Q input" on the front panel. A baseband analyzer would be very nice to have, so I searched the web, and found out about the B7C option. But that one has FOUR inputs!
Does installing it include drilling some holes? More probably, a new front panel comes with it.
But then, why the TWO holes? My guess is that there exists some other (simpler/cheaper) baseband option. Looking at the block diagram in the service manual, there are two extra inputs (J8,J9) on the A10 module, with cables marked "to front panel" connected to them. These are connected, via some switches, to the same A/D input as  J7, where the 7.5MHz IF comes in. So, a true quadrature sampling baseband analyzer is not possible using these inputs, but a real signal (I only) baseband analyzer would still be very useful, for example as a backend for "mix to zero" phase noise measurement.

My question is:   is there a version of the firmware that supports such a mode, or maybe this functionality is hidden in some "personality"? I have searched the menus, but found nothing, not even a "grayed out" option anywhere. My firmware is revision A.10.08 from 20070628.

Marko Cebokli

[colorado.rob]

This is a bit of a necropost, but this is *the* thread that comes up when searching Google on the topic of E4406A and the 89600 VSA software.  I just got this working so I thought I would share what was involved.  This will allow one to use unsupported VSA software with their unsupported Agilent E4406A.  I have tried to keep this post informative and within the community guidelines (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/important-hacking-information-on-the-forum/).

I went through the process of setting up 89600 version 12.02.  This is the latest version of the software that can be used with the E4406A.  This version is no longer supported and it is no longer possible to get a license for it.

I have this working on a Linux host, running VirtualBox 6, with a Windows 10 guest.  I could not get this working when using qemu-kvm.  This assumes you are running 64-bit host and guest OSes.

The process I went through was:

 * Download the ckinfo tool which you may be able to find on popular source repositories.
 * Search the interwebs for the VSA 89600 user key.  You may need Google Translate.  These typically show you how to find it by disassembling the executable.  You don't need to actually do that as they typically post the key they found.  It's the same key for all instances.
 * Download the 64-bit registry hack to allow version 12.02 to work with the E4406A from here: https://community.keysight.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/54787-1-5193/e4406+64+Bit+OS.zip
 * Download both version 11 and version 12 of the VSA software from Keysight.
 * Install VSA software version 11 -- I did not install the AgilentIO drivers from this version.
 * Start the software in demo mode.
 * Go to Utilities|License|Modify and copy the site code. (If this key ends in an X, you are running VSA version 12 & you will not be able to generate a license.)
 * Run ckinfo to generate a license (see below).
 * Enter in the "Encrypting Key" output by ckinfo.exe into the Site Key entry.
 * Verify that the options needed are now licensed.
 * Exit the VSA software.
 * Upgrade to version 12 & install the AgilentIO libraries.
 * Apply the 64-bit registry hack (and verify that the entries have been added)
 * Go into the Agilent Connection Expert and set up your device.  If using a LAN, make sure you use "remote instrument name" and not "socket port number".
 * Start VSA version 12. It should detect the instrument.

I ran ckinfo under wine.

Code: [Select]

$ wine ckInfo.exe /createKey site
CrypKey Copy Protection Information v1.14

Key Information...
+ Site Code            : <enter site code for your machine here>
+ User Key             : <enter the user key downloaded from the interwebs>                               
+ Easy Licence?        : No                                                   
+ Number Of Licences   : 1                                                   
+ Network Licence?     : No                                                   
+ Licence Duration     : Unlimited                                           
+ Key Level            : 65535                                               
+ Key Options          : 1-6,8-16                                             

Key Validation - OK
Creating Key   - xxxx
Encrypting Key - xxxx

Press any key to continue...

The "Encrypting Key" is the one you want.

[RCHRDM]

Thanks for this.  I too went through this process and made some notes, as follows.  I have not done this for a while but it seemed to work at the time.


Instructions for Installing Agilent 89601A Vector Signal Analysis Software
(For use with the HP E4406A)

1.   Unzip the “89600_FIX,” “e4406 32 bit 0s,” and “e4406 65 Bit OS” files.
2.   Run “e4406 32 Bit” or “e4406 64 Bit OS” (depending upon your OS) and “e4406” to change the PC’s registration files.
3.   Run the version 12 VSA installer.  It will unzip its contents into the “C:\glacier_cd” directory.
4.   Go to that directory and run “autoplay.”
5.   When the VSA installer starts, choose “Install 8600 Series Software.”
6.   In the “Select Products and Features” window, select “Agilent 89600 VSA” and “Floating License Support.”
7.   After the installer has finished, a “Hardware Support” window will appear.
8.   Select “Agilent I/O libraries” and click “Install Hardware Support.”
9.   After this installation has finished, go to C:\Windows\vsa\licenses and move the “license.lic” file into the “licenses” folder.
10.   Start “LMTOOLS” from programs, Agilent 89600 license support and choose "configuration using license file/”
11.   Point to license file in above folder.
12.   Also check "lmtools ignore license file path...."
13.   The VSA software will now run and recognize the E4406A.