Initializing Instruments and Opening a New Session in the RTG Software

Initialize the instruments you want to use and open a new session. Initializing moves RTG from the Idle state to the Inactive state.

  1. Run RTG UI.exe from the <Program Files>\National Instruments\RTG\app folder on the host computer. The RTG User Interface opens.
    Note The server must be running for RTG to receive gRPC commands.
  2. In the instrument tree, select the instrument(s) to use for the session. You can initialize more than one VST instrument in a session. Only supported instruments that have been configured in NI MAX appear in the instrument tree.
    Figure 43. RTG User Interface


    Personality Menu
    Options Menu
    Utilities Menu
    Help Menu
    Instrument Tree
    RTG State
    Initialize Session Button
    Start/Stop Button
    Close Session Button
  3. Click the Personality menu and select Pulse Invariant or Pulse Aware.
  4. Click Initialize Session to initialize all selected instruments.
  5. If using mmWave radio heads with the PXIe-5831/5832, click the Options menu, select the instrument, and click Enable mmWave Heads.
  6. If you want to disable frequency correction, click the Options menu, select the instrument, and click Enable Frequency Correction. Frequency correction is enabled by default.
  7. Click Configuration under each initialized instrument to open the instrument configuration pane.
    Figure 44. Configuration Pane


    Center Frequency Field
    Pulse Repetition Interval Field
    Reference Level Field
    Hardware Trigger Source Selector
    Recommended LO In Frequency Indicator
    Recommended LO In Power Indicator
    Enable/Disable External LO Button
    LO In Frequency Selector
    LO In Power Selector
  8. Enter the value for the VST in the Center Frequency field for each initialized instrument.
  9. Enter the value for the VST in the Reference Level field for each initialized instrument. Refer to Reference Level and Pulse Detection Calibration for more information about configuring this field.
  10. If using predictive mode, enter the Pulse Repetition Interval.
  11. If using a hardware trigger, select a hardware trigger port in the Hardware Trigger Source selector:
    • PFI0
    • PXI_Trig0
    • PXI_Trig1
    • PXI_Trig2
    • PXI_Trig3
    • PXI_Trig4
    • PXI_Trig5
    • PXI_Trig6
    • PXI_Trig7
    Note The hardware trigger source, also known as external trigger in the API, is configured as pxi_trigger_input in the INI file.
  12. Click Calibration under each initialized instrument to access the Calibration pane.
    Figure 45. RTG Calibration Pane
    Minimum Time Delay Indicator
    External Time Delay Field
    Offset Frequency Field
    Minimum Attenuation Indicator
    Output External Attenuation Field
    Target Common Attenuation Field
  13. Update the following settings to manually account for any offset, attenuation, and delay not included in the system self-calibration:
    • External Time Delay
    • Output External Attenuation
    • Offset Frequency
    • Target Common Attenuation