Synthesizing and Generating I/Q Signals

Learn about the workflow for using Multi-Emitter Generation Software.

Figure 20. Multi-Emitter Generation Software Workflow


  • Multi-Emitter Generation Software system definition—Refer to Selecting a Generation Configuration.
    • Select number of VSTs.
    • Select independent LO or shared common LO (time aligned or phase coherent).
  • Hardware assembly—Refer to Setting up the Multi-Emitter Generation Software System.
    • Install your hardware components.
    • Cable and configure your components.
  • RF system compensation—Refer to Optimizing RF Performance.
    • Cable the VSTs for acquisition RF system compensation and generation RF system compensation.
    • The Instrument Controller System Component (ICsc) runs on the PXIe controller.
    • Run the RF System Compensation InstrumentStudio Plugin.
  • Launch Multi-Emitter Generation Application —Refer to Launching the Multi-Emitter Generation Application.
    • Re-cable the VSTs for generation.
    • Run the MEG Application. The MEG Application must be running for some operations on Multi-Emitter Generation InstrumentStudio Plugin.
  • Launch Multi-Emitter Generation InstrumentStudio panel—Refer to Using the Multi-Emitter Generation InstrumentStudio Panel.
    • Connect to the server (Multi-Emitter Generation Application).
    • Configure the system.
    • Define user waveform files to load with the User Waveform File Manager. You must provide binary files of the waveform data.
  • Multi-Emitter Generation CMD file generation—Refer to the Writing a MEG Command File.
    • Reference the user waveform files in I/Q from memory
    • Format of Multi-Emitter Generation CMD TDMS file
    • One Multi-Emitter Generation CMD TDMS file per RF channel (PXIe-5842/PXIe-7903 pair)
    • Copy CMD TDMS files to RAID.
  • Multi-Emitter Generation InstrumentStudio panel—Refer to Using the Multi-Emitter Generation InstrumentStudio Panel.
    • Select Multi-Emitter Generation CMD TDMS files for each RF channel.
    • Initialize the Multi-Emitter Generation system.
    • Play the MEG command files through the MEG system.
    • Review the error messages.
    • Stop the generation.