Agilent Technologies E6601a Istruzioni per l'installazione e il funzionamento

Agilent

Embedded Automation

with the E6601A Wireless

Communications Test Set

Application Note

Introduction......................................................................................................................2

Overview of the E6601A Test Set .................................................................................3

Features That Simplify Automation ............................................................................4

Developing a Test Program...........................................................................................5

Programming Details .....................................................................................................8

Moving the Test Program into the E6601A’s PC Controller .................................17

Conclusion......................................................................................................................17

Appendix: Sample Test Program for GSM ..............................................................18

Recent innovations in test equipment design have created a new class of “smart

instruments” that give mobile phone manufacturers the ability to streamline

their production lines. The Agilent E6601A Wireless Communications Test Set,

which features an integrated PC with Windows®XP operating system, fits this

category. The E6601A test set has the control and interfacing capability needed

to become the centerpiece of a streamlined and automated test system. With an

embedded automated test program, the E6601A can significantly improve the

test speed, simplify the test system, and help reduce the cost of test.

For test engineers and programmers, this application note demonstrates how to

use the built-in capability of the E6601A test set to develop a simple program for

automated testing. The programming example includes setting up the program-

ming environment and the test set, verifying connectivity, creating a program-

ming flowchart, and writing the test program. Although several programming

environments can be used in this environment, the examples provided in this

application note are created in Visual Studio .NET®.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Agilent E6601A is a one-box test set for mobile phone manufacturing based

on a new platform. An important feature of this new platform is the embedded

PC, which runs the Windows XP Professional®operating system. Test

engineers and programmers now can work in a familiar computing environment

using a keyboard, mouse, and monitor connected to the test set. They can run

any current Windows-compatible program on the test set without having to

convert the code. Furthermore, they can make use of all Windows platform

features such as remote access.

A test set with a built-in PC has other advantages.

• Saves space – Placing a PC and monitor is always challenging on a production

line. Rarely does the rack have adequate space. By combining the PC and

monitor into the test set, the E6601 eliminates this headache. The front panel

can be controlled through automation, with a mouse, or by standard front-

panel buttons.

• Easy to deploy and maintain – An all-in-one solution makes moving and

deployment easy. As no external PC and accessories are needed, production

managers can rearrange or build new production lines more quickly. The test

set is easier to maintain, and there are fewer parts and connections to worry

about. Most regular maintenance, such as software upgrades and daily or

monthly alignment, can even be performed remotely by LAN.

• Helps reduce the expenses associated with buying and operating

equipment – The E6601A saves money by reducing the need for PCs, GPIB

devices and accessories, racks and floor space used for computers, and

computer maintenance costs. Test engineers and programmers also do not

have to use proprietary test development tools and can get started testing

more quickly.

Overview of the

E6601A Test Set

The E6601A has important features that simplify operating the test set and

automating the test environment. Foremost is the embedded Windows XP

computer, which shortens the user’s learning curve; allows remote control of

the test set and sharing of data between test sets; and allows online software

updating, troubleshooting, and support.

Connectivity features also help make the E6601A suitable for system integration

and remote control. Users can control and supervise a test procedure, communi-

cating by means of a LAN, GPIB, USB, or virtual LAN.

•LAN– LAN capability provides instrument connectivity over distances and

allows sequential sharing of instruments among multiple PCs. A LAN is the

recommended method of connecting instruments in new test systems. For the

E6601A, remote control over a LAN is an efficient way to implement remote

troubleshooting and monitoring.

• USB – Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a quick and easy way to connect

instruments to PCs on a bench top. Typically it is used to connect a single

instrument to a PC.

• GPIB – The General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) is a primary instrument IO

device with proven reliability. It is the most common interface for measurement

instruments and can be used in the integration of test systems.

• Virtual LAN – In embedded programs, the E6601A uses an internal LAN

interface to control the test set. In this scenario, the virtual LAN connects the

embedded PC and a test component internally.

Features That Simplify

Automation

Test programs can be developed using either the embedded PC or an external

PC. For best results, Agilent recommends developing and debugging test

programs on an external PC, then uploading the program into the E6601A’s

embedded PC for use in testing. The following instructions apply to test program

development on an external PC. Loading the program into the test set is

explained in a later section.

Set up the programming environment – Many programming environments can

be used with the E6601A, including C++, Visual Basic®, Agilent VEE Pro and

more. Today Visual Studio®is a popular tool for program development, so

the examples given in this application note use the Visual Studio .NET

environment and the Visual Basic programming language. You can learn more

about these programming tools at the Microsoft Web site

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/.

Install IO Libraries Suite – The IO Libraries Suite is an Agilent application for

connectivity. It needs to be installed when you plan to connect instruments to a

PC. The program helps you configure your system to control instruments from

the PC and to transfer data. You can download the suite software from the IO

Libraries Suite Web site: www.agilent.com/find/iolib. Under the Software

menu, select IO Libraries Suite and then IO Libraries Suite 14.1 (or above)

Product Download. After downloading, follow the installation instructions.

Connect and set up the test set – Different options are available for connecting

the external PC used for programming to the E6601A test set.

• GPIB connection

• Connect a GPIB cable from your computer's GPIB interface to the GPIB

connector on the test set's rear panel.

• On the test set’s front panel, under Screens, press the Config key.

• In the Configuration Main window, under Instrument Connections, type

the GPIB address you want.

• LAN connection

There are two ways to connect the PC and the E6601A over a LAN. One

method is to connect the PC to the E6601A directly using a cross-over

cable—in effect, setting up a small, PC-to-test-set-only LAN. The other

method is to connect the PC to the E6601A over an office or other existing

LAN or hub. In this case a regular LAN cable is used. Whichever approach

you choose, the following steps apply.

• Get the IP address of the E6601A

On the E6601A desktop, click Start, then select Run. A Run window pops

up. Input CMD in the command bar, then click OK. A black command

window is displayed. Type ipconfig after the flashing cursor and press the

Enter key. The Windows IP configuration is displayed. The IP address,

which is located under Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection, is the

address for connection.

•On your computer, click on the Agilent IO Control icon in the taskbar and

select Agilent Connection Expert from the pop-up menu. When the Agilent

Connection Expert is launched, select E6601A in the LAN folder. Click the

Change Properties button, which is on the right side of the window. A

Change Configurable Properties of This LAN Device window is displayed.

Type in the IP address of the E6601A, which you located in the previous

step, and then click OK.

Developing a Test

Program

Verify the test connection – On your computer, click on the Agilent IO Control

icon in the taskbar and select Agilent Connection Expert from the pop-up menu.

When the Agilent Connection Expert is launched, instruments connected to the

external PC’s GPIB interfaces should appear automatically. Click on Refresh All

to update the list of instruments on these interfaces.

Now you can verify the test connection by sending some commands to the test

set. See Figure 1.

• Right-click on the test set you want to connect. In this example a LAN is used

to connect to an E6601A. In the pop-up menu, click Send Commands To This

Instrument. The Agilent Interactive IO program opens.

•InAgilent Interactive IO window, type a command—for example, “*IDN?”—

in the Command box. Then, click Send Command and the command will be

sent to the E6601A. Click Read Response and the IDN of the E6601A is

displayed in the Instrument Session History window.

• To close Agilent Interactive IO, click the Connect menu, and then click Exit.

Figure 1. Agilent Connection Expert helps you set up and manage instrument connections.

Access the SCPI command documentation – Unique calibration applications

provide the E6601A test set with technology-specific transmitter and receiver

measurements for calibrating mobile phones. The programming examples in this

application note are based on a configuration for GSM/GPRS mobile phone

testing.

The SCPI command documentation for the E6831A GSM/GPRS Calibration

Application is contained in the GPIB Commands (GSM/GPRS CA) topic which is

part of the E6601A’s online help. This book contains syntax, descriptions,

ranges, *RST settings, test set requirements, and single-line examples of each

command provided in Visual Basic .NET using the VISA COM library. Another

tool for programming is the Agilent E6601A SCPI Discovery tool, which is used

in programming environments such as Visual Studio .NET. This tool makes

programming easy by providing fast access to the entire command structure and

by allowing you to drag the commands you need to the code. See Figure 2. For

more information on the SCPI Discovery tool, please refer to the E6601A Web

page at www.agilent.com/find/e6601a. More detailed use is available in the

built-in help system supplied with the tool.

Figure 2. Agilent E6601A SCPI Discovery is a useful programming tool used in popular environments

such as Visual Studio .NET.

A simple GSM test program is developed according to the programming flowchart

shown below in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Flowchart forE6601A test program development.

Programming Details

Step 1. Reference the IO library – Start Visual Studio .NET and create a new

Visual Basic .NET application. In the Solution Explorer window, right-click

References and click Add Reference. See Figure 4.

Figure 4. Solution Explorer window in Visual Studio .NET.

In the Add Reference dialog box, click the COM tab and scroll down until you

see the VISA COM 3.0 Type Library component. See Figure 5.

Figure 5. Add Reference window in Visual Studio .NET.

Double-click on the VISA COM 3.0 Type Library entry to add the component, and

then click OK to close the Add Reference dialog box.

Step 2. Open the test set connection – Computers communicate with the

test set by sending and receiving messages over an interface. When you use the

Agilent VISA COM library in Visual Basic .NET, the FormattedIO488 object’s

WriteString, WriteNumber, WriteList, or WriteIEEEBlock methods are used for

sending commands and queries. To use the VISA COM library, you must first

open a connection to the test set using the ResourceManager object’s Open

method. After a query is sent, the response is read using the ReadString,

ReadNumber, ReadList, or ReadIEEEBlock methods.

The following Visual Basic .NET statements open the connection to the test set

and send a command to change the brightness of the test set’s display.

Option Explicit On

Option Strict On

Imports Ivi.Visa.Interop

Dim ResManager As New ResourceManager

Dim TestSet As New FormattedIO488

' Open the connection to the test set. Get the "VISA Address" from the

' Agilent Connection Expert (installed with Agilent IO Libraries Suite).

' In this sample, the "VISA Address" used for GPIB interface is

' "GPIB0::14::INSTR"

TestSet.IO = CType(ResManager.Open("GPIB0::14::INSTR"), IMessage)

'If it is a LAN interface, the “VISA Address” is

TestSet.IO = CType(ResManager.Open("TCPIP0::localhost::inst0::INSTR"),

IMessage)

' Send a command.

TestSet.WriteString("DISPlay:BRIGhtness MEDium")

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