What’s New in the HDAWG User Manual

Changed the naming of the nodes available in the AWG compiler to be more consistent with the node tree. The following nodes have been renamed: MODULATION/n/MODULATION_MODE(m) to AWGS/n/OUTPUTS/m/MODULATION/MODE; MODULATION/n/GAIN_k(m) to AWGS/n/OUTPUTS/m/GAINS/k.

Removed several nodes available in the AWG compiler to better reflect what is possible to control within the AWG, or because better alternatives exist. The following nodes have been removed: MODULATION/n/GAIN(m), MODULATION/n/HOLD(m). Other undocumented nodes have been removed as well.

Sine generator nodes can now be set within the AWG compiler only if the sine generator is either physically associated with that particular AWG core, or part of the same channel grouping of AWG cores. For example, without channel grouping, it is possible to use the AWG compiler of AWG core index 0 to set the nodes only of sine generator indices 0 and 1.

Introduced the /DEV…​/AWGS/n/SYNCHRONIZATION/ENABLE and /DEV…​/SYSTEM/SYNCHRONIZATION/SOURCE nodes to make it possible to keep waveform playback synchronized across a full QCCS setup, even in the presence of non-deterministic data transfer times.

Manual: Added a section on how to use the synchronization check in the AWG Tab.

Manual: Updated description of available nodes within the sequencer.

AWG: Added a new sequencer command playHold to allow the AWG to hold waveform and marker data for a specified number of samples.

LabOne: Added ability for the device to prevent LabOne changes that are incompatible with the device hardware.

AWG: Added a model to reliably predict feedback latency.

Manual: Added tutorial on the usage of playHold. Added additional documentation on playZero and playHold.

AWG: Improved efficiency of playZero and playHold to use fewer assembly instructions.

AWG: Improved support for alternative hardware components.

AWG: Improved handling of sequencer command setPrecompClear and introduced error reporting for unsupported usage.

Precompensation: Fixed a bug that prevented the integrator of the high-pass compensator of the precompensation option from being cleared when setting the precompClear attribute in the command table.

AWG: Added amplitude registers to the command table, to enable multi-dimensional amplitude sweeps.

AWG: /DEV…​/AWGS/n/ELF/DATA node accepts raw data as 8-, 16-, and 64-bit integer vectors in addition to 32-bit words.

AWG: Fixed a bug in which the ELF file upload would sometimes fail when using long waveforms.

AWG: Fixed a bug that prevented the user from changing grouped mode after running a sequence.

AWG: Fixed a bug in which the command table always required a waveform to make parameter changes.

AWG: Fixed a bug when using grouped mode in which using a transactional set to upload many waveforms at once would cause playback errors.

ZSync/DIO: Fixed a bug in which the DIO bits would sometimes all switch to one when enabling drive node.

QCCS: New Real-Time Logger that logs history of received ZSync and DIO messages facilitating setup of feedback data communication

QCCS: Improved ZSync link stability and deterministic ZSync trigger latency

Precompensation: Increased supported range for high-pass compensation time constant

Add support for disabling Sample Clock Output to reduce radio frequency emission

AWG: New Mixer Calibration modulation mode to support complex modulation including correction of external mixer imperfections

AWG: Reduced memory consumption when compiling sequence programs with long placeholder waveforms

AWG: Increased update rate of /DEV…​/AWGS/n/ENABLE node such that AWG state may be probed within 10 ms (previously >100 ms)

LabOne: Reduced CPU load caused by the LabOne discovery service in networks with many Zurich Instruments devices

LabOne API: Added online Programming Manual and Documentation

Added option to load factory defaults in Device tab

AWG: Sequencer instruction playZero now supports hardware loops through the use of run-time variable arguments

Counter: Improved timestamp resolution to 300 MHz

NEW accessory HDIQ IQ Modulator: 4 RF channels, RF frequency range 4-8 GHz, switchable signal routing for automated mixer calibration

AWG: New FIFO memory architecture for reliable playback of long waveforms from main memory

AWG: New command table feature for memory-efficient sequencing with real-time amplitude/phase changes

AWG: Real-time pseudo-random number generation feature

AWG: New sequencer instruction playZero improving the generation of gaps in signals

AWG: New sequencer instructions placeholder and assignWaveIndex removing the need to upload unnecessary waveform data when using direct waveform upload from API

AWG: Discontinued playWaveIndexed sequencer instruction due to incompatibility with FIFO memory architecture

QCCS: New DIO mode QA Results QCCS and new sequencer instruction setReadoutRegisterAddress for readout result feedback operation in combination with PQSC and HDAWG

QCCS: New sequencer instruction waitZSyncTrigger and getZSyncData for triggering and data communication with PQSC over ZSync

Specifications: doubled sequencer instruction memory to 16,384 instructions per AWG core

AWG: new dual-phase digital IQ modulation at full sampling rate

AWG Sequencer: new instructions resetOscPhase, setSinePhase, and incrementSinePhase for real-time control of digital oscillators

AWG: improved stability and predictability of the sequencer

AWG: consistent alignment of waveform outputs in grouped channel mode in combination with with external triggering

Precompensation Simulator: CSV import of step response measurement signal

LabOne: improved stability of AWG Compiler

LabOne: reduced memory footprint to improve responsiveness when multiple instruments are connected

Math: added linear fit to the Sweeper and DAQ tabs

LabOne: saving of histogram data

LabOne: improved compatibility of saved SVG figures with popular vector graphics editors

NEW option HDAWG-SKW Output Skew Control: 10 ps resolution skew control of Wave signal outputs with 10 ps resolution. HDAWG instruments purchased in 2019 or earlier are equivalent to the HDAWG with the HDAWG-SKW option purchased from 2020 onwards.

Specifications: added Wave output level accuracy and resolution, offset voltage accuracy, RMS voltage noise, overshoot.

Specifications: added Marker output rise time, jitter, skew control range/resolution.

Specifications: added reference clock output jitter and clock initial accuracy.

Specifications: added trigger input threshold hysteresis, min pulse width, input impedance.

Specifications: direct marker output on DIO connector not supported and functionality replaced by setDIO instruction with improved timing control when issued at high rate.

NEW option HDAWG-PC Real-time Precompensation: configurable digital filter for each Wave output to minimize effects of external wiring on the signal

AWG Sequencer: new instruction waitSineOscPhase to align waveform playback with oscillators

AWG Sequencer: improved compilation and uploaded speed

AWG Sequencer: the waveform viewer now supports waveforms up to 10 MSa length.

AWG Sequencer: the sequencer program memory has been increased to 8192 hardware instructions and restricted to the cache memory

Outputs: Marker output delay is now adjustable

Reference clock: faster external clock locking

LabOne: macOS support

LabOne: plots can be saved in PNG or JPEG format

LabOne: support of HDF5 file format

LabOne: add context menus for plots, input fields and device connection dialog

LabOne API: waveform update using vectorWrite replaced by faster and more robust method setVector. Waveforms are now ordered according to the sequence in which they are defined in the sequence program, rather than alphabetically.

LabOne API: waveform update now uses integer format. It’s advised to use the helper functions convert_awg_waveform and parse_awg_waveform to convert to the new format.

Specifications: minimum base sample clock changed to 100 MHz (previously 50 MHz). Lower sampling rates can be achieved using sampling rate division.

Specifications: added documentation of DIOLink as high-speed interface to external controllers for dynamic sequencing

Specifications: added Wave output worst harmonic component, second and third and harmonic distortion

Specifications: added output period jitter

Specifications: added performance diagram for Wave output phase noise

USB 3.0 interface support

Improved alignment of marker and waveform output signals

AWG Sequencer: new instruction playWaveDigTrigger to achieve 50 ns trigger delay to output

AWG Sequencer: new instructions prefetch and prefetchIndexed for improved control over waveform cache memory management

AWG Sequencer: expanded random waveform generation with new instructions randomSeed, randomGauss, and randomUniform

AWG Sequencer: improved speed and stability for large pattern upload

MDS: support of multiple instruments in the same LabOne UI session

MDS: visual device identification via front panel LEDs

Manual check for LabOne update in startup screen

Chinese LabOne tooltips

Specifications: added damage thresholds for all connectors, reduced damage threshold of Reference and Sample Clk In/Out to ±4 V (previously ±5 V)

Specifications: Wave output phase noise (configuration 100 MHz, offset 10 kHz) changed to –135 dBc/Hz (previously –130 dBc/Hz), added phase noise –148 dBc/Hz (configuration 100 MHz, offset 1 MHz)

Specifications: added Wave output spurious free dynamic range 80 dBc

Specifications: added bandwidth 80 MHz of switchable Wave output filter

Specifications: changed Wave output rise time for 1 V step to 800 ps (previously 550 ps), added rise time 450 ps for 0.2 V, and 1100 ps for 5 V step

Specifications: changed maximum trigger delay to 180 ns (previously 270 ns), minimum trigger delay using playWaveDigTrigger instruction is 50 ns