Release Note

Introducing SFRA 5.3.1

Version 5.3.1 of the Sweep Frequency Response Analysis (SFRA)
software application is now available from www.doble.com. Used with
the M5200 and M5400 test instruments, SFRA corrects a problem in
report generation where one of the sub-band plots was missing.

Do I Need to If you are presently using an earlier version of SFRA software and are
not experiencing any problems, there is no need to upgrade. Note that:
Upgrade?
• Version 5.3 fixed a problem with sub-band plots in reports.
• Version 5.3.1 fixes a problem with report generation in Spanish
language mode.
No other changes have been made.

Downloading To download SFRA 5.3.1:

SFRA 5.3.1 1. Open www.doble.com in your browser.
2. Open the Support menu and select the Downloads option.
3. On the Downloads page, click the M5000: SFRA link.
4. Find the M5200/M5300/M5400 SFRA Software Version 5.3.1
section.
5. Click the SFRA Software Version 5.3.1 link and follow the
prompts.

Compatibility

Operating SFRA 5.3.1 is intended for use with Microsoft Windows 7, 8, and 10.
System SFRA 5.3.1 is expected to work under Windows XP, but it has not been
fully tested on Windows XP.

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SFRA Release Note .NET Requirements

Backward Version 5.3.1 of SFRA can open files that were created with any
Compatibility previous version of SFRA.

.NET Before you can install SFRA 5.3.1, you must have installed Microsoft
.NET Framework 3.5, Service Pack 1 or later on the PC. (.NET 3.5 SP1
Requirements is included with Windows 7 and 8 and need not be installed again
unless it has been removed.) An installer for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
is included in the DotNet folder on the SFRA 5.3.1 CD-ROM or
download.

USB Drivers You must install a driver in order to use the USB port on the M5200 and
M5400 instruments. The drivers are stored in the USB Drivers folder
included on the SFRA CD-ROM and in the download package
available on www.doble.com. Read the readme file located in the USB
Drivers folder to identify the driver to install for your instrument.

Critical These instructions concern installation under Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Installation If you do not follow these installation instructions correctly, you will
have to uninstall and reinstall SFRA 5.3.1 at a later time, possibly an
Instructions inconvenient time.
To avoid having to do this, follow these instructions:
1. Ensure that you have administrator privileges to install SFRA 5.3.1
on PCs running Windows 7, 8, or 10. If you do not have these
privileges, get them, or have someone else perform this procedure.
2. Right-click setup.exe (do not double-click the .msi file) and left-click
Run as administrator.

Caution! It is critical that you select Run as administrator. Do not

omit this step!

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SFRA Release Note Ethernet to M5200 or M5400

3. Accept all defaults.

4. If you are installing on a general-use PC, select the Everyone
installation option.
* You can follow these steps to install SFRA 5.3.1 under MS Windows
Vista, but SFRA software is not tested under Vista and compatibility is
not assured.

Installing under Note! SFRA 5.3.1 has not been fully tested under Windows XP.
Windows XP You must have administrator privileges to install SFRA 5.3.1 on PCs
running the Windows XP Operating System.
To install under Windows XP:
1. Double-click setup.exe.
2. Accept all defaults.
3. If you are installing on a general-use PC, select the Everyone
installation option.

Ethernet to SFRA includes two executables that require network access to

discover and operate an Ethernet-connected M5000 instrument.
M5200 or Depending on your PC software configuration, they may need to be
M5400 granted a firewall exception. The locations of the executables for
Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 are as follows:

Windows XP • C:\Program Files\Doble Engineering\SFRA 5.3\SfraApp.exe

• C:\Program Files\Doble Engineering\SFRA 5.3\discover.exe

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SFRA Release Note Problems Fixed

Windows 7, 8, • C:\Program Files (x86)\Doble Engineering\SFRA

and 10 5.3\SfraApp.exe
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Doble Engineering\SFRA
5.3\discover.exe

Problems • SFRA 5.3: Reports that include sub-bands now include all three
bands
Fixed • SFRA 5.3.1: Reports can now be previewed and generated
when running SFRA software in Spanish language mode.

Known
Problems
and
Limitations

SFRA 5.3.1 • Results listed in the Data Grid cannot be removed from the grid
using the Delete key. Previous versions allowed results to be
removed temporarily from the grid view using Delete, and
restored by refreshing the grid.
• The Phase plot y-axis is incorrectly labeled in decibels (should
be degrees) when printed in a report.
• After communication is established between the M5200 or
M5400 instrument and SFRA, if you cycle the power to the
M5200 or M5400 instrument, you must restart SFRA to
re-establish communication.

M5000 Series Damage to Measurement Input Circuitry

In most cases this damage is avoidable!
Under extreme circumstances during a test sweep, enough energy
from the test environment can be imposed on the measurement
circuitry to cause damage to components, resulting in performance
deterioration ranging from negligible to total loss of capability.
Typically, as a result of this type of damage, an Error 953 message is
generated when the next test is performed.
To avoid this problem in most cases, follow proper grounding,
hookup, and test practices. For detailed grounding instructions, please
see the “SFRA_Grounding_AppNote” in the Documentation folder of
your SFRA 5.3.1 CD or download.

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SFRA Release Note Contact Us

M5200 Some M5200 instruments have older USB technology: A few older
M5200 instruments have never been upgraded to full USB serial port
technology and require a custom Doble driver on your PC to simulate a
USB connection. This legacy driver is included on the SFRA 5.3.1 CD
and download, but the legacy driver is NOT compatible with Windows 7
or 8. If you have an older M5200 with the legacy USB interface and you
are using Windows 7 or 8, you must either use the Ethernet connection
option or return the instrument to Doble for USB upgrade.

Contact Us Should you have any questions regarding this software release or any
other Doble Engineering Company SFRA product, please contact
Doble:
Phone: +1-617-926-4900
Fax: +1-617-926-0528
Email: sfra.info@doble.com

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