Using the Sweep Settings Configuration File

NI-RFPM allows you to create a custom configuration file to specify sweep information used to test a device and to provide specific calibration information. Specifying both the calibration and sweep information in one file enforces NI-RFPM to perform sweeps using the same settings for measurement as used for calibration. NI-RFPM is used to perform S-parameter measurements. For the RF subsystem, NI-RFPM is also used to calibrate the system. For scalar measurements on the RF subsystem, NI-RFPM generates the error coefficients used to perform measurements using the VST.

You can use the NI-RFPM Load Sweep Settings VI or the niRFPM_LoadSweepSettings function to load the configuration file in NI-RFPM.

The format of the configuration file is very specific. Refer to the topics in the Related Information section for more information about the format of the configuration file. If you do not use the correct format, NI-RFPM cannot read the file and returns a syntax error.
Tip NI-RFPM installs an example configuration file, exampleSweepSettings.txt, to Users\Public\Public Documents\National Instruments\NI-RFPM. You can use and modify this example configuration file as necessary.

The configuration file is made up of settings for vector measurements and calibrations, and for scalar calibrations. You can perform two types of sweeps:

  • Simple sweep—contains a set of device-oriented parameters that you provide. NI-RFPM determines the optimal hardware settings to perform the calibration or measurement. When performing a measurement or calibration with a simple sweep, all settings are defined at the DUT reference plane when de-embedding is configured.
    Note You must first turn on coercion to retrieve the proper offset during a simple receiver sweep.
    Note The mmWave subsystem only supports simple sweeps.
  • Override sweep—contains the parameters for simple sweeps plus calibration parameters explicitly set by the user. When performing calibration using an override sweep, all calibration settings are always defined at the blind mate reference plane. During measurement and calibration, all other settings are defined at the DUT reference plane if de-embedding is configured.
Note If you need to define any parameters beyond those specified for a simple sweep in the Specifying Setting Parameters topic, you are creating an override sweep. In this case you must specify all parameters. As the additional parameters are relative to calibration, they are specified at the blind mate level with the exception of RFSAReferenceLevel which is defined at VST reference level.
Note Simple sweeps are not supported with 5534 port modules at this time. If a simple sweep is called and any ports are NI5534_TX or NI5534_RX, you will receive an error.

You can specify multiple sweep settings in the configuration file, and can operate on each sweep setting one at a time by passing the name into the relevant function or VI. NI-RFPM does not go back and re-read the file if you change the sweep you are measuring or calibrating.