Operational Notes ReadASX V4.2

The Matrix CATV Equipment Control program, referred to as "The Control Program" for short, will operate in two modes: "real" and "simulation." If your computer is equipped with an appropriate IEEE-488 interface card, and if it is connected properly to an operating Model ASX-16 (or later model), "The Control Program" will operate in its "real" mode. In this mode, actual IEEE-488 communications take place, to and from the ASX-16. When "The Control Program" is run, if IEEE-488 communications to the ASX-16 are not possible, a dialog box will appear informing you that the program will enter into simulation mode. If you respond OK, (the only choice) it will simulate all subsequent I/O to the generator. You can pre-select simulation mode by choosing the "Virtual" interface type in the System Setup panel, to avoid error messages and immediately enter simulation. This "simulation" mode is an excellent way to learn to use "The Control Program", because, in this mode, you cannot harm your RF equipment, nor do you need to connect any of your equipment to the computer.

Note that after simulation mode has been entered, to initiate online operation with the generator, it will be necessary to terminate then restart the program, or reload a configuration file from the System Setup screen, or select a frequency plan from the main panel.

Instructions on using all the controls and features of "The Control Program" are contained in its "Help" file. To activate the Help file, Click the mouse on, or tab to any control you want to learn about, then press the "F1" key.

During initialization, the "The Control Program" reads the USER.INI file and initializes operational parameters according to the settings in USER.INI.

In version 2.4 the program was enhanced to call the setup panel if an invalid device name (for IEEE interface, spectrum analyzer, power meter, or frequency counter) or an invalid COM port is detected during initialization. The Setup screen is also called if the number of modules entered does not equal the expected number of modules specified in the USER.INI file. This allows a correct name or a revised number to be selected from the panel and to continue with the initialization without having to restart the initialization procedure. (Note that in most cases a default choice will be proposed if a parameter is missing or invalid.)

The first control panel of "The Control Program" after initialization is complete, is the main ASX16 Control Panel (See Fig. 3) for initiating all operations and calibrations of the ASX16 generator. Modules may be turned on or off in continuous wave (CW) or modulated, attenuation may be set, and control panels for: system setup, manual command entry, AFS-12 filter selection, carrier leveling, re-calibration, and distortion test set up may be selected.

Multiple modules may be selected for control by holding the <CONTROL> key while clicking the channels to be selected. To select a contiguous group of frequencies, click on the first frequency, then hold down the <SHIFT> key and click on the last frequency in the range to be selected, all of the frequencies in that range should be highlighted. To select all modules, click on the Select All Modules button. To control all of the selected modules, use one of the buttons in the Multiple Module Select frame. When the model ASX-16C generator is selected, the module adjustment button are labeled as +/- 2.5, 0.25, and 0.025 dB, for all other model generators these buttons are labeled as +/- 100, 10, and 1 level steps. Consult the on-line help documentation using the F1 function key to access the detailed descriptions of these operations.

A status box at the top center of the screen will display the generator model configured for the program on the first line, and will indicate "Simulation Mode" if unable to communicate with the generator, or if the "Virtual" interface is selected. If other devices such as: AR-12, R-75, or R-76 reach the simulated state, then a message will appear below the generator status line. For some devices such as power meters, spectrum analyzers, and frequency counters, simulation does not go into effect. Instead, a dialog message is issued requesting whether to Retry or Cancel the operation. After a certain number of these messages occur, they will be suppressed and all operations requiring communication will be canceled. The status box will display the fact that Error Messages are Suppressed. Reloading a configuration or plan, or restarting the program will reset it to the normal mode.

To get to this panel select the System Setup option on the top menu bar of the Main Control Panel. (Fig. 3). This panel presents a group of tabs to select from (see Fig. 4a). Fig. 4a illustrates how to select the Remote interface. The list of interfaces is displayed after clicking on the arrow, and the mouse pointer selects the Virtual/Simulation Mode indicating that the program is to be run without any test equipment.

Under the Channel Setup tab the module designations and frequencies are defined. However, it is recommended for now, to use a text editor (e.g. Notepad) to insert or delete modules as this screen does not yet have capabilities to easily insert or delete specific module entries.

The Configuration Options tab allows for entry of the Maximum Output in dBmV - this is an approximate number after compensating for losses due to special circuit components and attenuator pads. This number is used in setting the initial value of attenuation to apply in leveling the generators. The generator model type and IEEE address may be specified here. You can also specify the option to automatically shut off or leave carriers on at start-up (applies to the ASX16B and ASX16C only).

The Frequency Counter tab is used to select the frequency measuring device and the tolerance in PPM for frequency calibration. If the frequency measuring device allows switchable inputs, then the Input Channel control will be activated. Select the appropriate input channel number by clicking on the up or down arrow. The IEEE address of the frequency device can also be specified.

The selection of power measuring devices is entered under the Power Measurement Device tab shown in Fig. 4b. To select a device, click on the arrow in the box to the right of either the Spectrum Analyzer or Power meter. This will cause a list of devices to appear, choose one with the left mouse button. The IEEE addresses of these devices are also entered from this screen. If the 75 ohm box is checked then the conversion factor of 48.6 is used to convert from dbm to dbmv when using the power meter for leveling. If the box is left unchecked then 47 will be used as the conversion factor.

Fig. 4c shows an example of the Multi Freq Plan Setup. These parameters can only be accessed if the user.ini file is loaded. A new frequency plan entry can be defined and added, or an existing one removed or modified. The frequency plan (config), base level, and level configuration files are selected by means of drop down lists as illustrated in Fig 4c for the Level Config file. For modification of an existing plan to take effect, click Edit. See the help file for details of operation (depress function key F1 when in this screen). Also refer to section 2.3 Multi Plan Operation for a more detailed discussion.

If any of the configuration parameters are changed then you will be reminded to save these to a file when you exit this form, or load a new configuration file. If you select Yes, then this Setup screen will be displayed to allow you to Save the data before exiting. Consult the CATV Control Program Help files for how to Save and Load these files.

The base level and frequency trim functions are selected from the "Re-Calibrate" menu.

Base levels have been set at the factory and should rarely need to be re-calibrated. If the RAM containing these stored values becomes corrupted, you can re-load the base levels from a file using the LOAD options on the lower right panel of the Automatic Base Leveling panels. To prevent accidental corruption of the generator’s factory calibrated base levels, most of the newer generators have included a base lockout switch that overrides the base flag clearing command unless the proper code is set (Switches S3 & S4 on the microcontroller board). If the base flag cannot be cleared, a message will display informing you to make sure the switches are set to the proper enable code.

There are 2 base leveling programs. One is fully automatic (Fully Automatic Base Level), which sets the attenuators, finds the lowest level module, and sets all modules to a calculated base level .35 dbmv below the lowest level. The other is entered by selecting "Auto/Manual Calibrate ASX16B Base Levels" where you will be prompted for a level to use for setting the attenuator. It also allows manually adjusting base level for selected modules.

The frequency trim calibration can be selected from the Re-Calibrate panel by selecting "Calibrate ASX16 Frequency Trim Settings", then selecting "Automatic Frequency Trim". The program will try to adjust the frequency within the value entered into the frequency tolerance on the System Setup screen, or to a randomized offset from the specified module frequency if Random On is checked.

If the HP 53181A frequency counter is being used, then either the IEEE address of the frequency counter must be set to that of the frequency counter (the HP 53181A comes set at address 3 from the factory). Note that the software reads frequencies below 100 MHZ from input #1 and frequencies above 100 MHZ from input channel #2. A resistive splitter is recommended to connect the output of the ASX generator to input channels 1 and 2 on the frequency counter to run the automatic frequency trim.

To use the HP 70000 spectrum analyzer, select HP70000 in the Frequency Counter Group in System Setup screen.

To set the carriers to specified level or tilt pattern, select "Carrier Leveling" from the Main Panel. Then select "Set Up Leveling" and enter the target carrier levels for the low and high frequency ends of the spectrum and select Automatic Leveling. If Man Atten Ctl is checked, the attenuators are not adjusted during leveling. This allows control in leveling different frequency segments relative to a common reference level. The selected carriers in the range of the spectrum selected, will automatically be set to the base calibrated power settings (level step 120 for low, 480 for high resolution) prior to performing automatic carrier leveling.

To select the AFS-12 filter from the ASX16 Main panel, select the "AFS-12" button on the upper right of the panel. The filters defined in file AFS0.CFG will be loaded. To load a different configuration, select the Load button, click the pointer on the arrow at the right, select the file in the list and then select OK. The filter frequencies corresponding to the filter numbers will be loaded. To turn on a filter click the mouse pointer on the desired filter frequency in the table at the right side of the panel.

To enter this panel click the mouse pointer on either the ASX Commands button or the "Diag./Manual Entry" menu option on the upper middle portion of the ASX16 Main Panel. A submenu appears in which you can select ASX Generator Commands or Other Devices Entry. If you select ASX Generator Commands the screen shown in Fig. 5 appears. If Other devices Entry is selected, a panel appears which allows you to enter commands for the power measuring device, frequency counter, or AFS or Receiver. Refer to the appropriate manuals for a complete description of the commands.

This screen allows an ASX-16 or ASX-16B command to be entered in the Command box in the upper left of the screen. The most common commands for the generator being used will be listed in the Command list box. Use the scroll bar to bring the command into view or type the first character of the command to immediately scroll to commands that begin with that letter. You may also move through the list with the UP and DOWN arrows. As you highlight each command, a description, syntax definition, and example of how to use the command will be displayed in the box below the command list. By clicking the mouse button on the command, it will be placed in the Command box at the top left with the cursor positioned at the end of the command to allow appending to the command. Some commands require additional data such as a module number and or data such as a step level or attenuation value.

To turn all modules off, insert into the Command box the command: "P0" (note: for commands that accept a module designation such as the "P" and "C" commands, module 0 stands for - all generators).

To set all ASX16B high resolution modules to a power level in the middle of the operating range issue: "FH0,480" then select "SEND".

The RESET command will reset the ASX generator and will also reset the simulation flag so that online communication can resume if any communication problems are resolved. Invoking this command will cause a wait state of 25 seconds to allow the generator to re-initialize. During this time no commands from the screen will be responded to as the generator is not listening to any commands during this period.

A new feature allows entering a range of modules wherever a generator module number may be specified. For a command format such as CMD[module number] (note: the [ ] are not typed) e.g. CMD5, it is now possible to enter CMD[module start] - [module stop] (spaces are not necessary around the -). For example, to turn off modules 5 thru 22 you may use the P command as P5-22. The program will expand this into the commands P5, P6,.....P22 and output each of these in succession. To read the module levels of modules 1-55 you may use LMH1-55 and the results will be returned in the Response list box at the right of the screen. Note that whenever a range command is used, even if no data is to be returned, the expanded commands are displayed in the list box at the right of the screen. To use a command that accepts data as well as a module number, such as the LH[module number],[level change] (changes the step level of a module), enter for example LH20-100,-50 to reduce the step level of modules 20 thru 100 by 50 steps.

The command is highlighted in the control box after it is sent, so that if you wish to send a different command you may just type or select the next command and it will replace the previous one.

The purpose of the Multiple Frequency Plan Control is to allow selecting between multiple frequency bands when either a multiple output generator is being used, multiple generators are to be controlled by a single computer, or frequencies are to be logically grouped in bands in a single output generator for convenience. (Note: for the Multiple Plan control to appear, the USER.INI file must be specially configured. See Setup Notes below).

From the Main panel of the CATV Equipment Control Program, click on the arrow on the list box control on the lower right portion of the screen above the label "Load Frequency Plan" (See Fig. 3). A list of frequency plans should pop up. Click on one of the plans to select it. Note: If you have a multiple output generator, it may be necessary to connect your power measuring device to the appropriate output jack on the Matrix generator to observe the signals in the desired group of carriers.

Note: The attenuator command "A" for the combined mode, sets ALL of the separate band attenuators to the same value. Thus, when switching from a SPLIT mode to COMBINE mode, the attenuator settings for all plans will change. However, when switching between "split" frequency plans, the individual attenuator settings are preserved.

If the Leave Carriers On option (default for ASX-16B) is selected as the Start Up Mode in the configuration files (see System Setup) for each of the frequency plans, then the state of the outputs may be preserved when switching between plans if no ASX commands were issued to disturb the other settings. The status of the above steps is displayed as they occur, in the status box above the Channel Frequency and Status display. When completed successfully, the description (as defined in the first line of the configuration file) of the frequency plan that is in effect will be displayed in the status box.

The easiest way to setup multiple frequency plan operation is to use the Multi Freq Plan Setup tab in the System Setup screen to specify plan characteristics. (Consult help files, or section 2.2.2 ASX16 Setup and Initialization of this guide). The basic format of the multi plan configuration parameters is summarized below (more details can be found in 1.8.2)

Plan Description
The Plan Description is a textual identification of the plan and it can be any sequence of characters and numbers except when specifying a combination of split bands (First 7 characters must be "combine") or a non split generator plan (requires "(" ahead of the plan description). IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the multi frequency-plan mode to control a single output generator without the "split" capability, the SPLIT and COMBINE commands must be disabled for proper operation. In order to disable these commands the plan description for that generator must be enclosed in parenthesis "( )" or Normal is selected in the System Setup, for example: (Plan 1). The System Setup routine will do this automatically if the Normal option is selected.

Configuration File
The configuration file that contains the channel assignments for the plan group is specified after the first "=". This file should reside in the ASX16 directory and use the naming conventions CONFn.CFG, where n is an integer. The easiest way to create a new configuration file is to open another confn.cfg or user.ini file with an editor and edit the channels, then Save As a CONFx.CFG file, where x is a unique value of n (i.e. one that does not already exist). If you also make all of the n’s contiguous (i.e. no gaps) then these files can be viewed and modified via the System Setup screen.

Base Level Data File
File containing base level calibration data. To avoid loading the base levels each time a plan is selected, as in the case of logically grouping frequencies in a single output generator without the "split" feature, the entry NOBLV is entered in place of the name of the base level file.

Attenuator Control Command
The attenuator control is specified next – "A" is the basic attenuator command for single generator configuration and controls all attenuators if unit is equipped with more than one attenuator. A generator equipped with multiple attenuators would have commands such as AA, AB, AC, etc. to control attenuators for split groups A, B, C, etc. The attenuator command for the corresponding band is specified in the Attenuator Control parameter.

ASX Generator Command String
The last parameter can contain a series of ASX generator commands that are automatically executed when a plan is selected. See the next section for more details.

Level Data File
A file containing the carrier level and attenuator settings to be loaded when the plan is selected. To avoid changing any level settings, select the NOLEV entry.

When a series of valid ASX generator commands are inserted in the lines corresponding to a frequency plan in the [Multi Plan] section of the USER.INI file, they are executed when the plan is selected. The syntax for these commands can be found in the ASX-16 or ASX-16B operating manual and also on the ASX Commands screen of the CATV program. Each command must be separated by a ";" Some examples:

After Plan1 frequency assignments and settings are loaded - base levels will not be loaded and the attenuator command that will be used is A (single attenuator generator), all carriers in the generator are turned off (QOFF;P0 commands), the attenuator setting is set to 10 db (A10 command), and carriers 5 and 9 are turned on in CW (C5;C9 commands) No SPLIT or COMBINE command is issued because the Plan Description begins with a "(".

When using the Multi Plan scripting functionality, be aware of a problem with older firmware when setting the levels with the F, or FH commands of carriers that are already being modulated. This may cause disruption of the module levels. This problem has been resolved in microcontrollers manufactured after September 1997, and new EPROMS with the correction are available to upgrade your microcontroller. Until you upgrade your EPROM, one workaround is to turn off all modules in the plan (accomplished by the P* command) before issuing the F, or FH command. (For explanation of the "*" -- wild card character in the P*, FH*, C* commands, see the next section). For example:

(Plan A)=conf2.cfg=NOBLV=A=P*;FH*,480;C* (To turn carriers on in CW at level 480)
Or
(Plan B)=conf2.cfg=NOBLV=A=P*;FH*,480;M* (To turn carriers on in Mod. at level 480)

Most of the generator commands that require actions on a module number (e.g. Cmodule#) can accept the number 0 to indicate that the command should apply to all modules in the generator. However, in many instances it is required to only affect the modules in a plan, which is generally a subset of the frequencies in a generator.

In order to accomplish this, a wild card character "*" has been designated to represent all modules in the currently loaded plan. Thus "C*" will turn on only the modules specified in the plan in CW mode. Note: This feature only works in the Multi Plan configuration, and is not a generator command Keyword.

For Plan2 all modules in the generator will be placed in the low state (QLOW;P0), all modules in the frequency Plan 2 only will be set to level step 500 (FH*,500), and only the modules in Plan2 will be turned on with 100% modulation (M*).

Note: the syntax for specifying a range of modules through the ASX commands screen cannot be used as part of this syntax for entering commands to be executed for a plan.

1. From the Main Panel select the Distortion Tests button or Distort Test from the menu line, then select the AR-12 or R-75/R-76 analyzer option.
2. Select the test to be performed (Cross Modulation, Composite Triple Beat, Composite Second Order, or Carrier to Noise), then select the ASX channel/frequency at which to start.
3. Click on the Automatic Distortion Test button. (Note: for the Automatic Distortion feature to work, the ASX channels must be mapped to the distortion analyzer channels in the USER.INI file. See explanation in Section 1.8.2 for lines 16-20).
4. When all channels are completed a message is displayed reminding you to save the data.
5. To save the data, click on the Save button then select or enter the file name in the dialog box. Select an existing file name to append to that file, or enter a new file name to save the current data in a new file.
6. To print a file to a printer, click on the Print button, select the file to be printed, then click OK (make sure a printer is attached or networked to the PC).
7. To view a saved file, click on View File then open the file to be viewed in the editor.

This feature allows the user to create and run script files of spectrum analyzer commands, select frequency, filter, script to run, control the generator functions and display the results through a single computer screen. The capability to perform computations in the script for calculating distortion measures is also provided. To invoke this form select Distort. Test from the menu line on the Main Panel, then select the Distortion Meas. Script Control item in the menu list. Consult the Distortion Measurement Script Control user guide, or the help file for detailed information on how to set up and use this feature.