Agilent E5070/71B Repairs/Calibration Assistance request - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: w3kq
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 01:20:16 am
content: Greetings,I recently acquired an Agilent E5071B with motherboard issues. I was able to get the unit going, but it's failing some of the External Tests executed in the vba program. The unit fails all of the IF Ranging tests and the 8.5Ghz S12 magnitude test in the Receiver Linearity module. By setting the dataVisible flag to True in the vba program, I am able to view the test results for each of the test. On the Receiver Linearity test failure, I see that the failure is in the S12 amplitude above 6.5Ghz (the phase stays within the test limits at all times).One item which may be of interest: When I first ran these tests at the time I got the unit working, I could get the unit to pass randomly. I noticed that movement around the SMA connectors on the receiver card caused instability in the results. I opened up the receiver module and found 4 of the 6 sma I/O connectors launch pins solder connections cracked/broken, which was allowing the pins to move. I suspect that an attempt to set the internal flash calibrations was made with these issues, and now that it's been repaired, the correction values are off far enough to cause the failures. This is pointing me in the direction that I may have some incorrect "factory" data stored in the flash ram for this unit. All of the csv correction files on the hard drive are within the last year in creation date (2023, even those on the recovery volume :-( ).I would like to know how to read the various factory calibration values back out of flash using the SCPI :Diag commands. The System/Service Menu/Service Functions (password kid) program has a SCPI Functions option which includes a SCPI Explorer tool. You can see all of the various :DIAG commands, along with a brief description of most of them. It appears there are two flash areas in the unit? Some options are listed to load factory correction values, but no explanation of the process and it's not clear what impact using the reads/writes may have... and I don't want to get them mixed up unless I know how to recover.Does anyone have experience saving the current corrections stored in flash to the local hard drive and the process to load new ones using the various correction csv files? I can find nothing, nadda, zero on any of the Service Function features, or information on the SCPI :Diag command set or hardware calibration process for any ENA's.There are also references to the words "carnelian" and "carneros" in some of the :DIAG command descriptions, but I am coming up empty on how those factor into the various parameters and settings for the SCPI commands when attempting to read or write various factory calibration values.I'd also like to know how Agilent and other cal labs determined the values to be used for the flash memory corrections and what tools they used. The latest Keysight tools for servicing the ENA's only goes back to the the E5071C models. It appears the E506x and E5070/1 A's and B's are not supported under the new software (not that I could probably afford to even look at the cost, much less purchase the necessary program and modules).I can share much more as far as measurements/data/guesses but thought it best to be as brief as possible at first.Any pointers, suggestions, data, manuals, calibration procedures, or general condolences for getting into this project in the first place are GREATLY appreciated!Thanks!Rick, W3KQP.S. This is for HOBBY only - no business applications :-)

author: Miek
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 11:20:13 am
content: The adjustment software used to be available athttp://na.support.keysight.com/misc/enab_test/adje507071b.exebut it looks like that's long gone now.I couldn't find the original self-extracting exe, but I still had the contents - I've zipped it up and attached it.

author: Miek
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 11:21:30 am
content: & the manual

author: w3kq
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 03:12:18 pm
content: WOW! Thank you Miek... Christmas came early!I greatly appreciate you taking the time to respond and share these two items!!!!Rick

author: Miek
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2024, 10:13:24 am
content: Also attaching the editcal software needed to run that.

author: GHzLab00
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 05, 2025, 07:43:08 am
content: Hello group,Does anyone has the equivalent adjustment program for the e5071c network analyzer?I found the pdf of the operation manual online and from the listed pictures it looks very similar to the one used for the older e5071b.It should be a VEE program just like for the other network analyzer but it seems to have a few more adjustment procedures.E5071C_Adjustment.pdf(714.45 kB - downloaded 14 times.)Many thanks