BIRD AT-400 Antenna Tester AT-400 manual

INSTRUCTION BOOK Operator Manual A T -400 Antenna T ester © Copyright 2007 by Bird Ele ctronic Corporation Instruction Book Part Number 920-A T400 Rev G[...]

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i Safety Precautions The following are genera l sa fety precautions that are not necessarily related to any specific part or procedure, and do n ot necess aril y appear elsewhere in this publication . These precautions must be thoroughly understood and applied to all phases of operation and maintenance. Resuscitat ion Personnel working with or ne a[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er ii Shock Hazard Do not attempt to remove the RF transm ission line while RF power is present. Radiated RF power is a potential health haza rd. Safety Symb ols The caution symbol appears on the equipment indicati ng there is impo rtant information in the i nstruction manua l regarding that parti cular area. See page 16 an[...]

iii W arning S t atements The following equipment warnings appear in the text whenever there is a danger to people. Caution S tatements The following equipment cautions appear in the text whenever the equi pment is in danger of damage and are repeated here for emphasis. WARNING Live RF energy. Do not touch or ground the c enter conductor of a live [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er iv Safety Statements USAGE ANY USE OF THIS INSTRUMENT IN A MANNER NOT SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER MAY IMPAIR THE INSTRUMENT’S SAFETY P ROTECTION. USO EL USO DE ESTE INSTRUMENTO DE MANERA NO ESPECIFICADA POR EL FABRICANTE, PUEDE CAUTION 250mW max. input Exceeding the maximum input will cause damage to internal compone[...]

v ANULAR LA PROTECCIÓN D E SEGURIDAD DEL INSTRUMENTO. BENUTZUNG WIRD DAS GERÄT AUF ANDERE W EISE VERWENDET ALS VOM HERSTELLE R BESCHRIEBEN, KANN DIE GERÄTESICHERHEIT BEEINTRÄCHTIGT WERDEN. UTIL ISAT ION TOUTE UTILISATION DE CET INSTRUMENT QUI N’EST PAS EXPLICITEMENT PRÉVUE PAR LE FABRICANT PEUT ENDOMMAGER LE DISPOSITIF DE PROTECTION DE L’I[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er vi WARTUNG ANWEISUNGEN FÜR DIE WARTUNG DES GERÄTES GELTEN NUR F ÜR GESCHULTES FACHPERSONAL. ZUR VERMEIDU NG GEFÄHRLI CHE, ELEKTRISCHE SCHOCKS, SIND WARTUNGSARBEITEN AUSSCHLIEßLICH VON QUALIFIZIERTEM SERVICEP ERSONAL DURCHZUFÜHREN. ENTRENTIEN L’EMPLOI DES INSTRUCTIONS D’ENTRETIEN DOIT ÊTRE RÉSERVÉ A U PERSONN[...]

vii About This Manual About this Manua l Many people read the operators manual only as a last resort. If you are one of th ose people, you should at least read the next two page s so that you can find the information when you do need it. You will also learn where to find valuable time savi ng information. Changes to this Manua l We have made every [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er viii Chapter Layout Introduction— Will hel p you become fam iliar with the parts of the Antenna Te ster, Features Available, and Optional Equipment. Basic Operation— Everyone should read this sectio n! This section will provide th e information required to get the Antenna Tester powered up, and provid es helpful i nf[...]

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x T able of Content s Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Items Supplied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Component[...]

1 Chapter 1 Introduction Items Supplied 1. Bird AT-400 2. AC Mains Adapter 3. Female TNC Connector 4. Field Strength Antenna 5. Instruction B ook (Not Shown) Figure 1 Supplied Items 1 3 4 2[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 2 Component Description Figure 2 Component Description 1. LCD Display Backlit liquid crysta l display. 2. External DC Connector Connect either the ac adapter or the cigarette lighter adapter. External supplies operate the unit and charge the internal battery. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 11 12 13 14[...]

Introduction 3 3. Cursor Keys Lef t Arrow Press in swept frequency mode to move the cursor to the left . Press during da ta entry to erase data. Right Ar row Press in swept frequency mode to move the cursor to the right. Up Arrow Moves the cursor to the maximu m point on the displayed trace. Press during data entry to increase numeric data. Down Ar[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 4 Display Description Figure 3 Display Description Freq MHz Units Manual Scale Auto Scale Audio Off Low Batt VSWR 1.2 1.5 260.00 Mhz 1.35 Busy Limit Trace Sweep Type Meas Units Band VSWR 2.0 1.0 65.00 MHz 520.00 * 260.00 MH z 1.35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 4 7 8 9 10 14[...]

Introduction 5 1. Sweep Rate Indicator Blinks when sweeping. 2. Measurement Unit s Indicates selected measurement units. 3. T race Graphic displ ay of measur ed results acros s selected frequency band. 4. Menu Select Key Labels Defines funct ion of menu selec t keys located below the display. 5. Frequency Band Scale Displays freque ncy band selecte[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 6 Features Swept Fr equency Mo de — Fast scan s hows VSWR, ρ , match efficien cy or return loss across an entire band. A movable cursor c an be used to pinpoint a scan freq uency and the corres ponding measurem ent value is displayed. Single Frequ ency Mode — Provides measurement information in units of Reflection C[...]

Introduction 7 Optional Equipment Automobile Cigarette Lighter Adapter — (P/N 5A2238-1) Connects tester to standard 12 V automotive cigarette lighter jack. Carrying Case — (P/N 5000-030) C onvenient and protective, large enough to carry the te st er, AC adapt er, connecto rs, field strength antenna an d instruction book. V erification Kit — ([...]

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9 Chapter 2 Basic Operations Getting S tarted This section describes initial quick steps to get started. For detailed information regard ing con necting the Anten na Tester refer to that section at the end of this chapter.  Note: This unit is shipped with the batteries not charged . Charge batteries overni ght or for at least 8 hours be fore use[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 10 Blinking Cursor (black squar e) The cursor will be blinking in the selected area, indicating that the parameter for th at area can be changed. Enter Key All data entry, and mode change s accessed using selec t key, require the enter key to be pres sed before they are initiated. Up/Down Arr ow Keys When a function is e[...]

Basic Operations 11 Messages There are five utility messages that can be di splayed to infor m you of equi pment, or proc edural, conditi ons. “Lo Batt” is displayed when battery voltage is less t han 6.6V, refer to maintenance section for ch arging batteries. “Busy” is displayed during mode changes indicating the measurement information is[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 12 Return to Factory Preset s When the Antenna Tester is tu rned on, the various software parameters wil l be set to th e condition th ey were at wh en the tester was turned off. To return the parameters to the factory setting follow the steps below. y The parameters wil l be set to the conditions listed below. y Press t[...]

Basic Operations 13 Set Serial Baud Rate Measurem ent da ta can b e tran sferred betwee n the AT-400 and a personal computer using the serial port and optional interface softwa re. The data can then be used for analysis, printed, or stored. The data transfer rate (bau d rate) between the Antenna Tester and computer must be identical and set to 9600[...]

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15 Chapter 3 Inst allation The following paragraphs wi ll explain how to connect th e Bird Antenna Tester for variou s operations. Refer to the component description diagram on page 2 if needed. Power Supply The AT-400 can u se an external power source. Using t he ac adapter or the 12V c igarette lighter a dapter will also ch arge the battery. Usin[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 16 Connecting the Antenna Antenna leads and the Field Streng th Antenna are connected to the t est port. A known good RF cable can be used to co nnect the antenn a tester direc tly to a coupler box, bypassing th e antenna system l ead. A female TNC conn ector is provided. Other connectors ar e available, see Parts List i[...]

17 Chapter 4 Measure Match Understanding the Opera ting Modes The Antenna Tester is connected and the ope r ating frequency band is selected (s ee basic operation). User selections are customized, the power is on, and the top level menu is displayed (also in basic operation). Now what? Before we explain how to measure the antenna match, a brief dis[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 18 Measurement Unit s Rho (Reflection Coefficient), VS WR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio), Match Efficiency (%), and Return Loss (dB), are different units of measurement that can be used to present the same information. (Simila rly, Celsius and Fahrenheit are different un its of measurem ent used to express the same temper[...]

Measure Match 19 Antenna manu facturers of ten use VSWR for specificat ions. Match Efficien cy is popular for t esting becaus e it is easy t o determine a good match versus a bad mat ch. For example a system with a VSWR of 1.50 would show -13.98 dB Return Loss and 96% Match Efficiency. Auto Scale vs. Manual Scale In swept mode Auto Scali ng se ts t[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 20 In the single frequency mo de Auto Scaling sets the measurement unit scale so the pointer is mid range of the previous reading. The maximu m and minimum scale values are approximately 10% higher or lower than the measured value. This setting is an operator preference based on the mode that best presents the desired in[...]

Measure Match 21 Swept Frequency Select Frequency Band There are two options for selecting the frequency band. The first is simply to enter the st art and stop frequencies. The second is to enter a span frequency, which is the desired width of the band, and a center frequency, that will be used as the center of the band . y Press the MENU key. y Pr[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 22 Select Measurement Unit s Antenna match informa tion can be presented using four different measurement units. Depending on your application, follow the steps below to select Rho, VSWR, %Match or Ret urn Loss. y Press the MENU key. y Press the SWEPT FREQ key. y Press the MEAS UNITS key. y Press the UNITS key. y Press e[...]

Measure Match 23  NOTE: If an out of range value is entered, the minimum (if under-range) or maximu m (if over-range) value will be substituted. If a maxim um value that is lower than the minimum value is entered, the cursor will blink again on th e minimum value wa iting for a correct entry. The actual range depends on the units selected.  N[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 24 comparison. For example, if you save a trace displayed i n VSWR, you can compare it to a trace dis played in %Match. You can also change th e freque ncy band of the new trace to effectively zoom in on a particul ar section of the saved trace. This may be helpful in pinpointing a problem area in a failed limit test. Th[...]

Measure Match 25 y Press the MENU key. y Press the SWEPT FREQ key. y Press the TRACE key. y Press the RECALL TRACE key. y Press the REG-n key for the desired trace, press the MORE RECALL key to access 5-8 and again to acc ess 9-12. If needed, use the ESC key to back up. The saved trace will be displayed and the corresponding register number will be[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 26 or fail will be displayed at the top of the display and an audible tone can be enabled to indicate a fail situa tion. Limit testing is probably the most labor-efficient mode for operating the AT-400. Since al l the software settings are retained when the tester is turn ed off, once th e limit test is set up its simply[...]

Measure Match 27 Using a T race as the Limit The trace you want to use for the limit mus t be saved. You can have the curr ent antenna test ru nning or start it after you set up the limit test. y Press the MENU key. y Press the SWEPT FREQ key. y Press the LIMIT key. y Press the TRACE - > LIMIT key. y Press the REG-n key where the trace is stored[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 28 Clearing a Limit Follow the steps below to clear either an operator defined limit value or a trace limit . The trace wi ll still be stored in memory, the limit value will be erased. y Press the MENU key. y Press the SWEPT FREQ key. y Press the LIMIT key . y Press the CLEAR LIMIT key. The value field will change to off[...]

Measure Match 29 Select Measurement Unit s Antenna match in formation can be presented us ing three different measurement units. Depending on your application, follow the steps below to select Rho, VSWR, %Match or Ret urn Loss. y Press the MENU key. y Press the SINGLE FREQ key. y Press the UNITS key. y Press either the RHO , VSWR , %MAT CH or RETUR[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 30  NOTE: If an out of range va lue is entered, the minimum (if under-range) or maximum (if over-range) value will be substituted. If a maximum value that is lower than the minimum value is entered the cursor wi ll blink again on the minimum value, waiting for a correct entry. The actual range depends on the units sel[...]

31 Chapter 5 Field S trength Field St rength Measurement With the field strength ante nna in stalled, the Antenna Tester can be used to optimize the radiated signal of any transmitter from 65 to 520 MHz. This is a relative measurement. The measurement sensitivity is such that a full scale deflection will occur for a field of 0.22 Volts/Meter at 400[...]

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33 Chapter 6 Mainten ance Cleaning Clean the antenna tester and the display with a soft cloth dampened with mild detergent and water only. Calibration For best performance and ac curacy, the An te nna Tester should be calibrated once ever y 12 months. Return the unit to an authorized Bird Service Center. Charging Batteries Fully charged batteries w[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 34 Operational T ests Power-up There are several operational te sts run at power up. Th e test is displayed only if any of the tests fail. The results are displayed to the right of the test as shown in Figure 12. If you would like the test screen displayed regardless of results, press any key wh ile pr essing the ON key [...]

Maintenance 35 Battery T est The battery test checks the ou tput voltage of the batteries. The result is di splayed in a simulate d analog meter type graphic with the value shown at the top of the display. The scale is set from 6-8V. If the voltage measured is less than 7V you should c harge the batt eries.  NOTE: The AT-400 will shut off if the[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 36 y Press the MENU key. y Press the TEST key. y Press the DISP TEST key. y The test is s tarted. y Press the ESC key to end the test. Self T est The self test is similar to the operational tests run at power up described on page 34, except for the keypad te st. y Press the MENU key. y Press the TEST key. y Press the SEL[...]

Maintenance 37 y To test the keypad, Press each key (except ESC and ON). The value next to Ke ypad is hexadecimal and corresponds to the key presse d. If the value does not change for each key, refer to Troubleshooting in this section. y Press the ESC key to stop the test. Battery Replacement The NiCad batteries need to be replaced when fully charg[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 38 9. Replace the six screws. 10. Run the battery test on page 35 of this section. Fuse Replacement y Follow the steps outlined in Battery Replacement replacing the fuse where re placing the batteries is indicated. CAUTION Replace with only the same type and rating fuse. 315mA 250V Figure 16 Battery / Fuse Replacement P2[...]

Maintenance 39 T r oubleshooting Operator maintenance or servic e is limited to battery and fuse replacement. Any other required service must be performed at at an authorized Bir d Service Center. Refer to the following paragraphs for help in isolating error conditions. The Antenna T ester will not power up. Power for the Antenna Test er can be pro[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 40 ROM, EEPROM, RAM, A/D, TEMPR, PLL T est Fails Ensure the results are valid by repeating the self test or turning the unit off then back on. If the problem persists return the unit for service. Stuck Keys T est Fails If any ch aracters other than 0 are displ ayed next t o stuck keys during power up test, p erform the k[...]

Maintenance 41 to a perfect match. Measurem ent results are not accurate under these circums tances. Th e remedy is to disable the interfering source, if poss ible , or postpone the measurement to a time when the interfer ing source is not operating. Customer Service Any maintenance or service pr ocedure beyond the scope of those in this chapter sh[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 42 Parts List Part Name Part Number AT-400 Complet e 7000A401 Parts Supplied with AT-400 Complete, or instal led when shipped. Battery (6 required) 5A2230 Fuse 5-1976-11 AC Mains Adapter, 115v 5A2229 or AC Mains Adapter, 230v 5A2226 Female N Connector 4240-403 Field Str ength An tenna 5A222 8-3 Instructi on Book 920-AT40[...]

Maintenance 43 Specifications Frequency Range 65 to 520 MHz Frequency Resolution 20 kHz Measurement Range VSWR 1.00 to 100.00 Match Efficiency 0 to 100% Return Loss -32 to 0 dB Rho 0.000 to 1.000 Measurement Speed (Typical) Single Frequency 5 Readings/second Swept Frequency 1 Sweep/second Test Port Impedance 50 Ω nominal Connector (Field Intercha[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Test er 44 Menu S tructure Swept Freq VSWR % Match Return Loss Return Units Manual Scale Auto Scal e Return Single Hold Cont Return Save T race Recall T race Clear Trac e Return Va l u e Tr ace -> Lim Clear Limit Return Band Meas Un its Sweep T ype Trace Limit Rho Audio (ON, OFF) Start / Sto p MHz Center MHz Span MH z Return [...]

Limited W arranty All products manufactured by Seller are warr anted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a peri od of one (1) year, unless otherwise specified, from date of ship ment and to conform to applicable specifications, drawin gs, blueprints and/or samples. Seller’s sole obligation under these warranties shall be to is[...]