Bird Brain AT-400 manual

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

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i Safety Precautions The following are general sa f ety precautions that are not necessarily related to any specific part or procedure, and do not necess a rily appear elsewhere in this publication. These pre cautions must be thoroughly understood and applied to all phases of operation and maintenance. Resuscitation Personnel working with or ne ar [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester ii Shock Hazard Do not attempt to remove the RF transmiss ion line while RF power is present. Radiated RF power is a potential health hazard. Safety Symbol s The caution symbol appears on the equipment indicating ther e is important information in the instructi on manual regarding that particular area . See page 16 and 37[...]

iii War ning S tatements The following equipment warnings appear in the text whenever there is a danger to people. Caution Statements 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 touc h or ground the center conductor of a live RF[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester iv Safety Statements USAGE ANY USE OF THIS INSTRUMENT IN A MANNER NOT SPECIFIED BY T HE MANUFACTURER MAY IMPAIR THE INSTRUMENT’S SAFETY PROT ECTION. 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 DE SEGU RIDAD DEL INSTRUMENTO. BENUTZUNG WIRD DAS GERÄT AUF ANDERE WEISE VERWENDET ALS VOM HERSTELLER BESCHRIEBEN, KANN DIE GERÄTESICHERHEIT BEEINTRÄCHTIGT WERDEN. UTILIS ATIO N TOUTE UTILISATION DE CET INSTRUMENT QUI N’EST PAS EXPLICITEMENT PRÉVUE PAR LE FABRICANT PEUT ENDOMM AGER LE DISPOSITIF DE PROTECTION DE L’IN[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester vi WARTUNG ANWEISUNGEN FÜR DIE WARTUNG DE S GERÄTES GELTEN NUR FÜR GE SCHULTES FACHPERSONAL. ZUR VERMEIDUNG GE FÄHRLICHE, ELEKTRISCHE SCHOCKS, SIND WARTUNGSARBEITEN AUSSCHLIEßLICH VON QUALIFIZIERTEM SERVICEPERSONA L DURCHZUFÜHREN. ENTRENTIEN L’EMPLOI DES INSTRUCTIONS D’ENTRETIEN DOIT ÊTRE RÉSERVÉ AU PERSONNE [...]

vii About This Manual About this Manual Many people read the operators manual only as a last resort. If you are one of th ose pe ople, 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 saving informat ion. Changes to th is Manual We have made every [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester viii Chapter Layout Introduction— Will help you become fam iliar with the parts of the Antenna Tester, Features Available, and Optional Eq uipment. Basic Operation— Everyone should read this section! This section wi ll provide the i nformation requi red to get the Antenna Tester powered up, and provides helpful in for[...]

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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 Tester 2 Component Description Figure 2 Component Description 1. LCD Display Backlit liquid crystal di splay. 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 Left Arrow Press in swept frequency mode to move the cursor to the left . Press during data entry to erase data. Right Arro w Press in swept frequency mode to move the cursor to the right. Up Arrow Moves the cursor to the maximum point on the displayed trace. Press during data entry to increase numeric data. Down Arrow[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 MHz 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 display of measured results across se lected freque ncy band. 4. Menu Select Key Labels Defines functi on of menu select keys located below the display. 5. Frequency Ban d Scale Displays frequency ban d selected[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 6 Features Swept Freq uency Mode — Fast scan s hows VSWR, ρ , match efficiency or return los s across an entire band. A movable cursor can be used to pin point a scan frequen cy and the correspondin g measurem ent value is displayed. Single Freque ncy Mode — Provides measurement information in units of Reflection Coe[...]

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) Convenient an d protective, large enough to carry the te ster , AC adapter, connec tors, field strength antenna and inst ruction book. V erification Kit — (P[...]

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9 Chapter 2 Basic Operations Getting S tarted This section describes initial quick steps t o get started. For detailed information regard ing connec ting the An tenna Tester refer to that section at the end of this chapter.  Note: This unit is shipped with the batteries not charged . Charge batteries overnight or for at least 8 hours before use.[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 10 Blinking Curs or (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 acc essed using select key, require the enter key to be pres sed before they are initiated. Up/Down Arrow Keys When a function is en[...]

Basic Operations 11 Messages There are five utility messages that can be displayed to inform yo u of equip ment, or procedu ral, co nditio ns. “Lo Batt” is displayed when batt ery voltage is less than 6.6V, refer to maintenance section for char ging batteries. “Busy” is displayed during mode changes indicating the measurement information is[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 12 Return to Factory Preset s When the Antenna Tester is tu rned on, the various software parameters will b e set to the condition they were at when the tester was turned off. To return the para meters to the factory setting foll ow the steps below. y The parameters will b e set to the condi tions listed below. y Press th[...]

Basic Operations 13 Set Serial Baud Rate Measuremen t data ca n be tran sferred betwee n the AT-400 and a personal computer using the serial port and optional interface software. The data ca n 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 will explai n how to connect the Bird Antenna Tester for various opera tions. Refer to the component description diagram on page 2 if needed. Power Supply The AT-400 can use an external power source. Using the ac adapter or the 12V cigar ette lighter adapter will also char ge the battery. Using th[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 16 Connecting the Antenna Antenna leads and the Field Strength Antenn a are connected to the test p ort. A known good RF cable can be used to co nnect the ant enna tester direc tly to a coupler box, bypassing the antenna system l ead. A female TNC connect or is provided. Other connectors ar e available, see Parts List in [...]

17 Chapter 4 Measure Match Understanding the Operating Mo des The Antenna Tester is connected and the operating 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 discu[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 units of measurem ent used to express the same temperat[...]

Measure Match 19 Antenna manufactur ers often use VSWR for specificatio ns. Match Efficiency is popular for te sting because i t is easy to determine a good match versus a bad match. For exam ple a system with a VSWR of 1.50 would show -1 3.98 dB Return Loss and 96% Match Efficiency. Auto Scale vs. Manual Scale In swept mode Auto Scaling se ts the [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 a n 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 Pre[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 22 Select Measurement Unit s Antenna match information c an be presented using four different measurement units. Depending on your application, follow the steps below to select Rho, VSWR, %Match or Return 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 eit[...]

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 maximum value that is lower tha n the minimum value is entered, the cursor will blink again on the mi nimum valu e wa iting for a correct entry. The actual range depends on the units selected.  [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 24 comparison. For example, if you save a trace displayed in VSWR, you can compare it to a trace displayed in %Match. You can also change the 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. The de[...]

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 access 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 Tester 26 or fail will be displayed at the top of the display and an audible tone can be enabled to indicate a fail situation. 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 a[...]

Measure Match 27 Using a T race as the Limit The trace you want to use for the limit must be saved. You can have the current antenna test running 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. A[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 28 Clearing a Limit Follow the steps below to clear either an operator defined limit value or a trace limit. The trace will stil l be stored in memory, the limit value will be eras ed. 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 informat ion can be presented using three different measurement units. Depending on your application, follow the steps below to select Rho, VSWR, %Match or Return 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 RETURN [...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 will blink again on the minimum value, waiting for a correct entry. The actual range depends on the units selec[...]

31 Chapter 5 Field Strength Field Strength Measurement With the field strength ante nna instal led, the Antenna Tester can be used to optimize the radiated signal of any transmitter from 65 to 520MHz. This is a relativ e measurement. The measurement sensitivity is such that a full scale deflection will occur for a field of 0.22 Volts/Meter at 400 M[...]

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33 Chapter 6 Maintenanc e 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 cura cy, the An tenna 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 Tester 34 Operational T ests Power-up There are several operational te sts run at power up. The test is displayed only if any of the tests fail. The results are displayed to the right of the test as shown in Figu re 12. If you would like the test screen displayed regardless of results, press any key while pr ess ing the ON key a[...]

Maintenance 35 Battery T est The battery test checks the ou tput voltage of the batteries. The result is displayed in a simulated a nalog me ter type graphic with the value shown at the top of the display. The scale is set from 6-8V. If the voltage measured is l ess than 7V you should ch arge the batteries .  NOTE: The AT-400 will shut off if th[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 36 y Press the MENU key. y Press the TEST key. y Press the DISP TEST key. y The test is star ted. 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 pa ge 34, except for the keypad test. y Press the MENU key. y Press the TEST key. y Press the SELF[...]

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

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 fu se. 315mA 250V Figure 16 Battery / Fuse Replacement P2[...]

Maintenance 39 Tro ubleshooting Operator maintenance or servic e is limited to battery and fuse replacement. Any other required service must be performed at at an authorized Bird Servi ce Center. Refer to the following paragraphs for help in isolating error conditions. The Antenna T ester will not power up. Power for the Antenna Tester can be provi[...]

Bird AT-400 Antenna Tester 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 char acters oth er than 0 are displayed n ext to stu ck keys during power up test, perform the ke[...]

Maintenance 41 to a perfect match. Measurem ent results are not accu rate under these circumstan ces. Th e remedy is to disable the interfering source, if possible , 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 Tester 42 Parts List Part Name Part Number AT-400 Complete 7000A401 Parts Supplied with AT-400 Complete, or installed when shipped. Battery (6 required) 5A2230 Fuse 5-1976-11 AC Mains Adapt er, 115v 5A2229 or AC Mains Adapt er, 230v 5A2226 Female N Connector 4240-403 Field Streng th Antenna 5A2228 -3 Instruction Book 920-AT400 F[...]

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 Tester 44 Menu S tructure Swept Freq VSWR % Match Return Loss Return Units Manual Scale Auto Sca le Return Single Hold Cont Return Save T r ace Recall Trac e Clear Tr ace Return Va l u e Tra ce -> Lim Clear Limit Return Band M eas Units Swe ep T ype T race Limit Rho Audio (ON, OFF) Start / Stop MHz Center MHz Spa n MH z Retur[...]

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