Settling Time and Integration Time NF Measurement Setup menu

To set the Settling Time and Integration Time on a Keysight instrument, the exact path depends on whether you are using the modern multi-touch X-Series Signal Analyzers (N90A/B/C using the N9069C Noise Figure Application) or the classic Dedicated Noise Figure Analyzers (N8973A/N8974A/N8975A NFAs).

Method 1: On Modern Keysight X-Series Analyzers (PXA, MXA, EXA)

If you are running the Noise Figure Mode/Application, these parameters are located within the Measurement Setup menu.

Via the Front Panel / Touchscreen:

1. Press the Meas Setup hardware key (or tap it on the screen).

2. Look for the Settling Time or Avg/Integrate Time softkeys on the right side of the display.

   • Note: Depending on the firmware version, Integration Time might be labeled directly as Avg Time or found under an Averaging submenu.

3. Tap the desired parameter, input the value using the numeric keypad, and select the unit (ms or s).

Via SCPI Commands (Remote Control/Python):

If you are automating the measurement using PyVISA, use the following standard SCPI commands:

# Set the Noise Source Settling Time to 10 milliseconds
session.write(":SENSe:NFIgure:SETTling 10ms")

# Set the Integration (Averaging) Time to 100 milliseconds
session.write(":SENSe:NFIgure:AVERage:TIME 100ms")

# Enable averaging to ensure the integration time is enforced
session.write(":SENSe:NFIgure:AVERage:STATe ON")

Method 2: On Legacy Dedicated NFAs (N8973A / N8975A Series)

On the classic physical-button NFAs, the parameters are categorized slightly differently under the system's averaging metrics.

Via the Front Panel:

1. Press the Meas Setup hardkey.

2. To set Integration Time: Press the Averaging softkey. Ensure Averaging is toggled to ON, then select Avg Time to enter your duration (e.g., 100 + ms key).

3. To set Settling Time: Press the More softkey within the setup menu, select System Settings or Calinate/Setup, and locate Settling Time.

Via SCPI Commands:

The command structure for the older legacy units differs slightly from modern X-Series applications:

# Set the settling time for legacy NFAs
session.write(":CORRection:SETTling 10ms")

# Set the integration/averaging time
session.write(":AVERage:TIME 100ms")
session.write(":AVERage:STATe ON")

Quick Verification Rule of Thumb

After changing these settings, look at the bottom or top status bar of your analyzer's screen. If you have set an integration time of 100 ms and a settling time of 10 ms, your total time per point will be at least 220 ms (since it cycles through Hot and Cold states). Ensure your total expected sweep time matches your testing throughput constraints.

Are you scripting this sweep inside a larger automated test framework, or configuring it manually for a specific calibration run?