Best in Test Finalists: RF/microwave instruments—general purpose
-- Test & Measurement World, 12/22/2008 2:00:00 AM
→ 6.6 GHz PXI Express RF Modular Instruments, National Instruments
→ GT-1000A Microwave Power Amplifier, Giga-tronics
→ Model 1830A RF Power Meter, TEGAM
→ R&S FSV Signal and Spectrum Analyzer, Rohde & Schwarz
→ SA2600 Handheld Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer, Tektronix
6.6 GHz PXI Express RF Modular Instruments
National Instruments
www.ni.com
NI’s 6.6-GHz PXI Express RF Modular Instruments offer flexible RF measurements up to 10 times faster than conventional RF instrumentation, according to the company. The software-defined modular instruments—the PXIe-5663 RF vector signal analyzer and the PXIe-5673 RF vector signal generator—are complemented by the PXIe-1075 18-slot high-bandwidth chassis.
The PXIe-5663 performs signal analysis from 10 MHz to 6.6 GHz with up to 50 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth, while the PXIe-5673 delivers signal generation from 85 MHz to 6.6 GHz with up to 100 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. The PXIe-1075 chassis has PCI Express lanes routed to every slot, providing per-slot bandwidth of up to 1 Gbyte/s and total system bandwidth of up to 4 Gbytes/s.
NI says these modular instruments perform many individual WCDMA measurements more than 20 times faster than conventional instruments. With the ability to implement measurements such as adjacent-channel leakage ratio in only 8 ms, engineers can perform full WCDMA device characterizations up to 5 times faster.
The PXIe-5663 vector signal analyzer is priced from $22,999; the PXIe-5673 vector signal generator from $23,999; and the PXIe-1075 chassis from $5999.
GT-1000A Microwave Power Amplifier
Giga-tronics
www.gigatronics.com
The GT-1000A microwave power amplifier offers linear high-power amplification across multi-octive bands for EMC, wireless communications, and defense applications. Its 2-GHz to 20-GHz frequency range allows broadband testing without band switching or having to swap narrow-band amplifiers, resulting in faster and more accurate testing, as well as lower cost and complexity.
You can use the linear GT-1000A for testing RFICs and MMICs or for testing base station transmitters with high crest-factor signals and high peak-to-average power levels. This 10-W solid-state amplifier provides the power required to test limiters and step recovery diodes or for driving traveling wave tubes, magnetrons, and klystrons.
The pulse fidelity of the GT-1000A makes it useful for EW, ECM, radar, and satellite system signal simulation and testing. The noise figure of the GT-1000A is less than 14 dB, while harmonic distortion and spurious content are less than –30 dBc and less than –60 dBc, respectively.
The amplifier can also serve as an ATE system building block for boosting test signals to overcome cable and connector loss when long cable runs are needed in assembly bays, environmental test chambers, or field locations.
US list price for the GT-1000A microwave power amplifier is $39,000.
Model 1830A RF Power Meter
TEGAM
www.tegam.com
Thermistor-based RF power sensors are recognized as the most accurate means for measuring and transferring RF power. The Model 1830A RF power meter reads calibrated RF power with 100-ohm and 200-ohm thermistor power sensors from several manufacturers, and it combines a DC substitution bridge with a 6.5-digit measurement system to provide consistent, normalized RF power readings manually or automatically.
The power meter has a dynamic range that extends from –30 dBm to +14 dBm (0.001 mW to 30 mW) and a frequency range from 100 kHz to 40 GHz. Meter uncertainty is to within ±0.05% of reading, ±0.5 µW (0.1% at 1 mW).
You can use the Model 1830A to calibrate 50-MHz reference outputs and other signal sources. It provides four-digit calibration factor resolution, stored in multiple tables on a per-sensor basis. The thermistor balanced value is adjustable from 50 ohms to 300 ohms, which aids in estimating S22 parameters of RF source outputs. IThe Model 1830A offers heater control for ovenized sensors, along with LXI Class C and USB 2.0 interfaces for remote programmability.
The Model 1830A RF power meter costs $6495.
R&S FSV Signal and Spectrum Analyzer
Rohde & Schwarz
www2.rohde-schwarz.com
The R&S FSV signal and spectrum analyzer provides up to five times the measurement speed—1000 sweeps/s when remotely controlled—and the widest signal analysis bandwidth—optionally 40 MHz—of any commercially available midrange signal and spectrum analyzer, according to Rohde & Schwarz. The instrument boasts total measurement uncertainty of less than 0.4 dB to 7 GHz and a large signal memory of 200 Msamples. FSV models cover frequency ranges of 9 kHz (20 Hz optional) to 3.6 GHz, 7 GHz, 13.6 GHz, and 30 GHz.
The FSV can measure different power levels in a single sweep. In frequency list mode, it can measure up to 300 frequencies, each with different analyzer settings, with a single remote command. Key specifications include phase noise of –110 dBc/Hz at 1 GHz with a 10-kHz offset, displayed average noise level of –155 dBm at 1 GHz and –147 dBm at 30 GHz, and typical third-order intercept of 18 dBm.
A set of power measurement functions and multiple filters and detectors are standard in the base models. Measurement software options include GSM/EDGE, 3GPP WCDMA, LTE, WiMAX, and WLAN.
Prices for the FSV start at $19,850.
SA2600 Handheld Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer
Tektronix
www.tek.com
The SA2600 handheld real-time spectrum analyzer is equipped to assist engineers and technicians with the discovery of interference and the mapping of wireless technologies in a variety of environments, both indoors and outdoors. Outfitted with DPX real-time image-processing technology, the SA2600 provides a live view of RF signals using colors based on frequency of occurrence.
The portability of the SA2600 allows instrument sharing in a laboratory environment and all-day battery operation in the field. A variety of features, such as visual and audio signal strength indicators and integrated GPS measurement mapping with direction-finding vectors, enables the SA2600 to easily locate signal emitters. A touch-screen interface allows fast tuning and zooming in and out on signals.
With 100% probability of intercept for signals of 500 µs or greater and crystal-clear spectrograms, the SA2600 is a useful tool for surveying the RF spectrum, mapping received signal strength, and resolving spectral interference disputes. Key specifications include an input frequency range of 10 kHz to 6.2 GHz and a displayed average noise level of –153 dBm at a resolution bandwidth of 10 Hz.
The SA2600 real-time spectrum analyzer costs $22,900 MSRP.
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