With Option 7 enabled, you have the ability to blank the frequency values that are displayed on the screen, as shown in Figure: Frequency Blanking Turned On. This extra security measure allows you to use the instrument in any environment with sensitive frequency information blanked from the screen. To enable frequency blanking, navigate to the Reset menu and toggle the Frequency Blanking button to On (Shift‑8 (System), System Options, Reset). The Reset menu and the Frequency Blanking button are shown in Figure: Frequency Blanking Menu.
Frequency Blanking Turned On
Warning
Note that user files can still be stored to an external USB drive, and that frequency information is not blanked in those files. You must therefore ensure that no external USB devices are used to unintentionally store measurement or setup files when working with secure frequencies. Also, frequency information is not blanked from the SCPI commands that are used to remotely control the instrument. It is therefore up to you to ensure that no remote connections are made to the instrument when frequency information is being protected.
Frequency Blanking Menu
After frequency blanking is enabled, you are not able to restore the frequency readouts. This feature was designed as an added security measure to ensure that the sensitive frequency information is protected and cannot be recovered. Following is a list of the security measures that have been taken to protect the frequency information:
1. Turning off frequency blanking presets the instrument (and the frequencies) to the factory default settings.
2. Turning off the instrument presets the instrument to the factory default settings and turns off frequency blanking.
3. Presetting the instrument turns off frequency blanking and restores the factory default settings.
4. Frequency blanking is available only with Option 7 to ensure that user files and calibration files are not stored in the internal memory of the instrument.
When you have completed making your measurements with frequency blanking turned on, simply turn off frequency blanking or turn off the instrument, and you can be assured that your sensitive frequency information cannot be restored or viewed by any other user.
