SIGNALCORE SC5406B Owner's manual

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.1 i

SC5406B

1 MHz to 3.9 GHz RF Upconverter

Core Module with USB and RS232/SPI

Operating & Programming Manual

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.1 ii 
 
CO N T E N T S 
Important Information 1 
Warranty 1 
Copyright & Trademarks 2 
International Materials Declarations 2 
CE European Union EMC & Safety Compliance Declaration 2 
Recycling Information 3 
Warnings Regarding Use of SignalCore Products 3 
Getting Started 4 
Unpacking 4 
Verifying the Contents of your Shipment 4 
Setting Up and Configuring the SC5406B 4 
Signal Connections 5 
Communication and Supply Connection 6 
Mini-USB Connection 7 
Reset Button (Pin Hole) 7 
Indicator LEDs 7 
SC5406B - Theory of Operation 8 
Overview 8 
Signal Path Description 9 
Local Oscillator Description 11 
Frequency Tuning Modes 13 
Setting the SC5406B to Achieve Best Dynamic Range 13 
Operating the SC5406B Outside Normal Range 14 
SC5406B Programming Interface 15 
Device Drivers 15 
The SC5406B USB Configuration 15 
Writing the Device Registers Directly 16 
Reading the Device Registers Directly 16 
Using the Application Programming Interface (API) 16 

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.1 iii 
 
Setting the SC5406B - Writing USB Configuration Registers Directly 17 
Configuration Registers 17 
Tuning the RF Frequency 17 
Changing the Attenuator Settings 18 
Enabling and Disabling the Internal Tone Generator 18 
Changing the RF Synthesizer Mode 18 
Selecting the IF Filter Path 18 
Enabling the Internal IF Signal Generator. 19 
Setting the Reference Clock Behavior 19 
Adjusting the Reference Clock Accuracy 19 
Setting Spectral Inversion in the RF 19 
Storing Data into the User EEPROM Space 19 
Setting the Phase of the RF Signal 19 
Querying the SC5406B - Writing USB Request Registers Directly 20 
Reading Device Status Data 20 
Reading Temperature Data 21 
Reading Calibration EEPROM Data 22 
Reading User EEPROM Data 22 
Working With Calibration Data 23 
EEPROM Data Content 24 
Frequency Correction 26 
Gain Correction 26 
IF Response Correction 28 
Software API Library Functions 30 
Constants Definitions 31 
Type Definitions 32 
Programming the USB interface 34 
Programming the RS232 interface 49 
Function Definitions and Usage of the RS232 API 49 
Addressing the RS232 Registers Directly 49 

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.1 iv 
 
Writing to the device via RS232 50 
Reading from the device via RS232 50 
Programming the SC5406B Serial Peripheral Interface 51 
The SPI Communication Connector 51 
The SC5406B SPI Architecture 51 
SPI Clock Rates and Modes 52 
Writing Configuration Data via the SPI Bus 54 
Reading Requested Data via the SPI Bus 55 
Calibration & Maintenance 57 
Revision Notes 58 
 
 

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 1

IM P O R T A N T IN F O R M A T I O N

Warranty

This product is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of three years from

the date of shipment. SignalCore will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be

defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.

Before any equipment will be accepted for warranty repair or replacement, a Return Material

Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from a SignalCore customer service representative and

clearly marked on the outside of the return package. SignalCore will pay all shipping costs relating to

warranty repair or replacement.

SignalCore strives to make the information in this document as accurate as possible. The document has

been carefully reviewed for technical and typographic accuracy. In the event that technical or

typographical errors exist, SignalCore reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this

document without prior notice to possessors of this edition. Please contact SignalCore if errors are

suspected. In no event shall SignalCore be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this

document or the information contained in it.

EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, SIGNALCORE, INCORPORATED MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR

IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A

PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR

NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF SIGNALCORE, INCORPORATED SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT

THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. SIGNALCORE, INCORPORATED WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR

DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the

liability of SignalCore, Incorporated will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or

tort, including negligence. Any action against SignalCore, Incorporated must be brought within one year

after the cause of action accrues. SignalCore, Incorporated shall not be liable for any delay in

performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover

damages, defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner’s failure to follow SignalCore,

Incorporated’s installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the product;

owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of

third parties, or other events outside reasonable control.

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 2

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or

translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of SignalCore, Incorporated.

SignalCore, Incorporated respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we ask those who use

our products to do the same. Our products are protected by copyright and other intellectual property

laws. Use of SignalCore products is restricted to applications that do not infringe on the intellectual

property rights of others.

“SignalCore”, “signalcore.com”, and the phrase “preserving signal integrity” are registered trademarks

of SignalCore, Incorporated. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or

trade names of their respective companies.

International Materials Declarations

SignalCore, Incorporated uses a fully RoHS compliant manufacturing process for our products.

Therefore, SignalCore hereby declares that its products do not contain restricted materials as defined by

European Union directive 2002/95/EC (EU RoHS) in any amounts higher than limits stated in the

directive. This statement is based on the assumption of reliable information and data provided by our

component suppliers and may not have been independently verified through other means. For products

sold into China, we also comply with the “Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by

Electronic Information Products” (China RoHS). In the current stage of this legislation, the content of six

hazardous materials must be explicitly declared. Each of those materials, and the categorical amount

present in our products, are shown below:

組成名稱

Model Name

鉛

Lead

(Pb)

汞

Mercury

(Hg)

镉

Cadmium

(Cd)

六价铬

Hexavalent

Chromium

(Cr(VI))

多溴联苯

Polybrominated

biphenyls

(PBB)

多溴二苯醚

Polybrominated

diphenyl ethers

(PBDE)

SC5406B

USB/RS-232/SPI

✓

A ✓indicates that the hazardous substance contained in all of the homogeneous materials for this

product is below the limit requirement in SJ/T11363-2006. An Xindicates that the particular hazardous

substance contained in at least one of the homogeneous materials used for this product is above the

limit requirement in SJ/T11363-2006.

CE European Union EMC & Safety Compliance Declaration

The European Conformity (CE) marking is affixed to products with input of 50 - 1,000 VAC or 75 - 1,500

VDC and/or for products which may cause or be affected by electromagnetic disturbance. The CE

marking symbolizes conformity of the product with the applicable requirements. CE compliance is a

manufacturer’s self-declaration allowing products to circulate freely within the European Union (EU).

SignalCore products meet the essential requirements of Directives 2004/108/EC (EMC) and 2006/95/EC

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 3

(product safety), and comply with the relevant standards. Standards for Measurement, Control and

Laboratory Equipment include EN 61326 and EN 55011 for EMC, and EN 61010-1 for product safety.

Recycling Information

All products sold by SignalCore eventually reach the end of their useful life. SignalCore complies with EU

directive 2002/96/EC regarding Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Warnings Regarding Use of SignalCore Products

(1)

PRODUCTS FOR SALE BY SIGNALCORE, INCORPORATED ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS NOR TESTED FOR A LEVEL OF

RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT

SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO A HUMAN.

(2)

IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE

FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY, COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS,

COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN

APPLICATION, INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF

ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES, TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE),

UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS

THESE ARE HEREAFTER COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A

RISK OF HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE SOLELY RELIANT

UPON ANY ONE COMPONENT DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH, THE USER OR

APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES, INCLUDING BUT NOT

LIMITED TO BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM

SIGNALCORE' TESTING PLATFORMS, AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MAY USE SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS IN

COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY SIGNALCORE, THE USER OR

APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS

WHENEVER SIGNALCORE PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE

APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 4

•Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by touching a grounded metal object.

•Touch the antistatic bag to a grounded metal object before removing the hardware

from its packaging.

•Never touch exposed signal pins. Due to the inherent performance degradation

caused by ESD protection circuits in the RF path, the device has minimal ESD

protection against direct injection of ESD into the RF signal pins.

•When not in use, store all SignalCore products in their original antistatic bags.

GE T T I N G ST A R T E D

Unpacking

All SignalCore products ship in antistatic packaging (bags) to prevent damage from electrostatic

discharge (ESD). Under certain conditions, an ESD event can instantly and permanently damage several

of the components found in SignalCore products. Therefore, to avoid damage when handling any

SignalCore hardware, you must take the following precautions:

Remove the product from its packaging and inspect it for loose components or any signs of damage.

Notify SignalCore immediately if the product appears damaged in any way.

Verifying the Contents of your Shipment

Verify that your SC5406B kit contains the following items:

Quantity

Item

SC5406B USB RF Upconverter

USB flash drive with installation software

Setting Up and Configuring the SC5406B

Figure 1 Front view of the SC5406B connectors.

The SC5406B is a core module-based RF upconverter with all user I/O located on the front face of the

module as shown in Figure 1. Each location is discussed in further detail below.

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 5

Signal Connections

All signal connections (ports) to the SC5406B are SMA-type. Exercise caution when fastening cables to

the SMA connections. Over-tightening any connection can cause permanent damage to the device.

The condition of your system‘s signal connections can significantly affect measurement

accuracy and repeatability. Improperly mated connections or dirty, damaged or worn

connectors can degrade measurement performance. Clean out any loose, dry debris from

connectors with clean, low-pressure air (available in spray cans from office supply stores).

If deeper cleaning is necessary, use lint-free swabs and isopropyl alcohol to gently clean

inside the connector barrel and the external threads. Do not mate connectors until the

alcohol has completely evaporated. Excess liquid alcohol trapped inside the connector may

take several days to fully evaporate and may degrade measurement performance until fully

evaporated.

Tighten all SMA connections to 8.8 in-lb max (100 N-cm max)

RF OUT This port outputs 1 MHz to 3.9 GHz signals from the upconverter. The nominal output

impedance is 50 Ω.

IF IN This port outputs the 70 MHz IF signal from the downconverter. The nominal input

impedance is 50 Ω. Maximum input power is +23 dBm

REF IN This port accepts an external 10 MHz reference signal, allowing an external source to

synchronize the internal reference clock. This port is AC-coupled with a nominal input

impedance of 50 Ω. Maximum input power is +13 dBm.

REF OUT This port outputs the internal 10 MHz or 100 MHz reference clock. If the internal reference

clock is synchronized to an external reference clock through the 10 MHz “ref in”port, this

output port will also be synchronized. This port is AC-coupled with a nominal output

impedance of 50 Ω.

SC5406B Operating & Programming Manual Rev 1.2 6

Communication and Supply Connection

Power and communication to the device is provided through a Molex Milli-GridM2.00mm, 30 position,

male header connector, whose part number is 87833-3020. A suggested receptacle female connector is

the crimp terminal type 51110-3051 or ribbon type 87568-3093 from Molex. The pin definitions of this

I/O connector are listed Table 1 below.

Table 1 Communication IO connector pin definitions

PIN #

Description

PIN #

Description

1,3

12V Supply rail

Device Active

2,4,10,16,

20,24,28

GND

Device Status

5,6,7,8,9,

15,18,21

Reserved, do not connect

Baudrate/Spi Mode

USB+

CTS/. This pin is CTS for RS232 or device

select for SPI

USB-

SPI Clock

USB_VBUS

TX/MISO. This pin is TX for RS232 or MISO

for SPI

Reserved, pull high to 3.3V or

DNC

RX/MOSI. This pin is RX for RS232 or MOSI

for SPI

, logic 0 to reset device

RTS/SRDY. This pin is RTS for RS232 or

serial ready for SPI

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