IviPwrMeter Class Driver Overview
This instrument driver provides programming support for the IviPwrMeter Class. The IviPwrMeter class is designed to support the typical power meter as well as common extended functionality found in more complex instruments. The IviPwrMeter class conceptualizes a power meter as an instrument that can measure the average RF power of an input signal and can be applied to several different instruments. The driver contains all the VIs required in the IviPwrMeter specification defined by the IVI Foundation. This driver requires NI-VISA and the IVI Compliance Package to be installed.
The IviPwrMeter class is divided into a base capability group and several extension capability groups. The base capability group is used to configure a power meter for a typical measurement (this includes setting the units, the auto range mode, the auto averaging mode, and the correction frequency), initiating a measurement, and returning a measured value. The base capability group supports both single and dual channel measurements.
The IviPwrMeter class also contains extension groups that configure the advanced trigger settings, the manual range, the averaging count, and the reference oscillator of the power meter. The class also contains extension groups that perform zero correction and calibration.
IviPwrMeter Extension Capability Groups
The IviPwrMeter class driver identifies VIs and properties that belong to an extension group with the following abbreviations. Instrument specific drivers are not required to implement any of the extension capability groups. If you use VIs and properties that belong to extension capability groups, every instrument specific driver that you use must implement those extensions.
| Group Name | Description |
|---|---|
| IviPwrMeterChannelAcquisition | Supports power meters that can perform simultaneous measurements on two or more channels and fetch the measurement from each specified channel. Includes properties for enabling a channel for measurement and VIs for acquiring measurements on a specified channel |
| IviPwrMeterManualRange |
Supports power meters that can manually specify the upper and lower limits of the measurement range. Includes VIs for configuring the measurement range. |
| IviPwrMeterTriggerSource | Supports power meters that can specify a trigger source and a trigger event on which to trigger a measurement. Includes VIs for configuring the trigger source. |
| IviPwrMeterInternalTrigger | Supports power meters that can trigger internally on the measurement signal. It specifies properties to configure the internal trigger event source, trigger level, and the trigger slope. Includes VIs for configuring these properties. |
| IviPwrMeterSoftwareTrigger | Supports power meters that can initiate a measurement based on a software trigger signal. You can send a software trigger to cause the power meter to trigger a measurement. |
| IviPwrMeterAveragingCount | Supports power meters that can filter a signal by averaging it a specified number of times in manual averaging mode. Defines an property and VI to specify the averaging count. |
| IviPwrMeterZeroCorrection | Supports power meters that can perform a zero correction on an input channel. Defines VIs to perform the zero correction. |
| IviPwrMeterDutyCycleCorrection | Supports power meters that perform a duty cycle correction. Includes VIs for enabling and configuring the duty cycle correction. |
| IviPwrMeterCalibration | Supports power meters that can perform calibration for a given power sensor. Defines VIs to perform the calibration. |
| IviPwrMeterReferenceOscillator | Supports power meters that can enable an internal reference oscillator. Defines properties that configure the reference oscillator and the VIs that set these properties. |