Best in Test Finalists: RF/microwave instruments—application/standard specific
-- Test & Measurement World, 12/22/2008 2:00:00 AM
→ 3500A Portable Radio Communications Test Set, Aeroflex
→ BTS Master and Spectrum Master Analyzers, Anritsu Company
→ DigRF V4 Exerciser/Analyzer, Agilent Technologies
→ IQultra UWB Test System, LitePoint
→ URT Record & Playback System 4.0, Averna
3500A Portable Radio Communications Test Set
Aeroflex
www.aeroflex.com
Weight is an important factor for engineers and technicians performing radio tests in the field. Designed from the ground up to be portable and rugged, the 3500A 1-GHz radio test set weighs less than 8 lb, including the battery. What’s more, Aeroflex claims it is the only handheld test set on the market that can test every component of an installed radio system, including the cables and antennas.
A full set of test functions and up to 7 hr of battery life enable the 3500A to test AM and FM radio transceivers whether on a bench, installed in a vehicle, or in a remote location. By using over-the-air testing techniques, the system can test a radio installed in a vehicle or at a remote site without making a direct connection. A handset helps make voice quality measurements of the transmitter and receiver.
The 3500A measures power, RSSI, frequency error, FM deviation, AM modulation index, SINAD, distortion, and AF level. Optionally, the test set supports a single-channel scope and a spectrum analyzer for extended testing. It is P25-ready for support of Project 25 public safety communications testing as additional features are added.
Base price for the 3500A is $14,995.
BTS Master and Spectrum Master Analyzers
Anritsu Company
www.anritsu.com
The BTS Master multifunction base station analyzer and the Spectrum Master spectrum analyzer are handheld test instruments for conducting tests on Mobile WiMAX signals in the field. Weighing less than 8 lb, the BTS Master and Spectrum Master bring simplicity to field measurements with one-button test capability for most key tests. Previously, field personnel had to carry larger, heavier equipment that were much more difficult to use.
Mobile WiMAX measurement capability for the analyzers comes in three options. The RF measurement option measures the transmitted signal strength and signal shape of a transmitter. It allows the handheld analyzers to conduct channel spectrum, power-vs-time, and ACPR (adjacent channel power ratio) measurements.
Engineers and technicians can use the Mobile WiMAX Demodulator option to analyze OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) signals and display detailed measurements for evaluating transmitter modulation performance. A channel-power monitor measurement is part of the Mobile WiMAX OTA (over-the-air) option and allows a specific channel’s power-over-time and specified interval to be analyzed.
Mobile WiMAX measurement options for the BTS Master and Spectrum Master cost $1250 for the RF option, $1875 for the OTA option, and $6950 for the Demodulator option.
DigRF V4 Exerciser/Analyzer
Agilent Technologies
www.agilent.com
In LTE (long term evolution) and WiMAX devices, the integration of multigigabit serial interconnects in RFICs adds digital and protocol test challenges to wireless physical test of LTE interfaces. Agilent’s RDX (Radio Digital Cross-Domain) platform is the first to enable end-to-end DigRF V4 (Digital Radio Frequency) testing, according to the company.
Two new modules for the RDX tester, the N5343A exerciser and the N5344A analyzer, team with active probes and signal generation and analysis software to enable the turn on, RF and digital functional validation, and system integration of DigRF V4-based semiconductors and systems for LTE and WiMAX mobile handsets. The platform supports data rates of 1456 Mbps and 1248 Mbps and reference clocks at 19.2 MHz, 26 MHz, and 38.4 MHz.
The N5343A DigRF V4 exerciser offers programmable generation of DigRF V4 frames with exact timing, links to Agilent’s Signal Studio software, and connection to the target via SMA connectors.
The N5344A DigRF V4 analyzer offers trigger and storage qualification capabilities on DigRF V4 frames, easy-to-use protocol display with packet viewer, visibility of the data from packet level down to the bit level, and links to Agilent’s vector signal analyzer software.
The N5343A exerciser module and the N5344A analyzer module each cost $15,000.
IQultra UWB Test System
LitePoint
www.litepoint.com
IQultra is a single-box test system designed for testing UWB (ultrawideband) devices. While high-end scopes and spectrum analyzers are able to cover the spectral limits of UWB, they do not provide direct EVM (error vector magnitude) measurements. The IQultra test system covers all six UWB band groups from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz and offers a suite of WiMedia characterization tests, including EVM.
IQultra provides single-band-capture bandwidth greater than 528 MHz (IQultra100) and triple-band-capture bandwidth of 1.6 GHz (IQultra300). The system uses a high-bandwidth vector signal analyzer for transmit tests, along with a built-in attenuator and an external or internal reference device for receive tests.
In addition to EVM, the system’s set of WiMedia characterization tests includes mask measurements, adjacent-channel leakage ratio, and transmit power. Receiver sensitivity measurement requires an attached reference unit. The companion IQsignal software lets users easily control the system and gather resulting test data.
Loaded with LitePoint’s IC-specific production-test software, IQultra can support automated, high-volume product assurance, while performing stringent testing of UWB specifications.
List price for IQultra100 (single-band capture) is $42,300. List price for IQultra300 (triple-band capture) is $55,000.
URT Record & Playback System 4.0
Averna
www.averna.com
Averna says that its URT (Universal Receiver Tester) 4.0 RF signal record and playback system is the most compact in-vehicle RF recording system on the market. The system gives test engineers the ability to reproduce signals and signal conditions, along with related impairments, at will, independent of environmental factors.
The record and playback system in URT 4.0 uses a preamplifier with a built-in low-noise amplifier and AGC (automatic gain control) circuitry to maximize dynamic range and monitor signal strength for mobile measurements. It also employs an FM fading simulator that enables test engineers to capture and play back signal fluctuations difficult to simulate in controlled R&D environments.
By integrating hardware and software, the URT 4.0 system reduces field drive testing (where "expert listeners" subjectively evaluate receiver performance in a moving vehicle), reducing the cost of test. The system empowers radio makers to replicate field test conditions found in any location worldwide, without having to leave the lab.
Turnkey systems for field testing, comprising hardware and software, range from $70,000 to $110,000. Configurations include a shielded case equipped with an eight-slot or 18-slot PXI chassis, preamplifier, dynamic range extender, multimedia hardware and software, and 2-Tbyte external hard drives.
| Go back to the complete list of Best in Test finalists. |
No related content found.
- 0 rated items found.
Datasheets.com Electronic Parts & Inventory Search
185 million searchable parts
- Part Number
- Description
- Inventory
- Products
- Manufacturers
View All Webcasts
