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4 Agilent N518xA, E8663B, E44x8C, and E82x7D Signal Generators Programming Guide
Getting Started with Remote Operation
Interfaces
LAN Data transfer using the LAN is fast as the LAN handles packets of data. The single
cable distance between a computer and the signal generator is limited to 100 meters
(100Base-T and 10Base-T).
The Agilent MXG is capable of 100Base-T LAN communication. The ESG, PSG and
E8663B are designed to connect with a 10Base-T LAN. Where auto-negotiation is
present, the ESG, PSG, and E8663B can connect to a 100Base-T LAN, but communicate
at 10Base-T speeds. For more information on LAN communication refer to
http://www.ieee.org.
The following protocols can be used to communicate with the signal generator over the
LAN:
• VXI-11 (recommended)
• Sockets
• TELNET
• FTP
The Agilent MXG is LXI Class C compliant. For more information on the LXI standards,
refer to http://www.lxistandard.org/home.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the LAN,
refer to “Using LAN” on page 28.
RS- 232
a
(ESG/PSG/E8663B
Only)
RS-232 is an older method used to communicate with a single instrument; its primary
use is to control printers and external disk drives, and connect to a modem.
Communication over RS-232 is much slower than with GPIB, USB, or LAN because data
is sent and received one bit at a time. It also requires that certain parameters, such as
baud rate, be matched on both the computer and signal generator.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the
RS-232, refer to “Using RS-232 (ESG, PSG, and E8663B Only)” on page 45.
USB
(Agilent MXG
Only)
• The rear panel Mini-B 5 pin connector is a device USB and can be used to connect
a controller for remote operation.
• The Type-A front panel connector is a host USB and can be used to connect a
mouse, a keyboard, or a USB 1.1/2.0 flash drive.
USB 2.0’s 64 MBps communication speed is faster than GPIB (for data transfers, >1 KB)
or RS-232. (For additional information, refer to the Agilent SICL or VISA User’s Guide.)
But, the latency for small transfers is longer.
For more information on connecting the signal generator to the USB, refer to the
“Agilent IO Libraries Suite” on page 5 and the Agilent Connection Expert in the Agilent
IO Libraries Help.
For more information on configuring the signal generator to communicate over the USB,
refer to “Using USB (Agilent MXG)” on page 53.
a.The ESG, PSG, and E8663B’s AUXILIARY INTERFACE connector is compatible with ANSI/EIA232 (RS-232) serial connection but GPIB and
LAN are recommended for making faster measurements and when downloading files. Refer to “Using RS-232 (ESG, PSG, and E8663B Only)”
on page 45 and the User’s Guide.