Bright future for the AWG market

The arbitrary waveform generator market is the fastest-growing segment of the market for signal generators.

Mariano Kimbara, Research Analyst, Measurement & Instrumentation, Frost & Sullivan -- Test & Measurement World, 6/1/2011 12:00:00 AM

Danaher test brands address $12 billion market

Over the past few years, there has been an evolving need for test instruments that offer a wider bandwidth without compromising on resolution. Modern communications systems and products are employing a greater number of digital-modulation schemes to transport more data in the same bandwidth, which means they are more likely to generate imprecise levels of transmissions and phase angles. To test these products and systems, manufacturers need high-performance instrumentation, yet most test instruments can deliver either high resolution or high signal speed, but not both.

One key instrument for implementing such tests is the AWG (arbitrary waveform generator), and manufacturers of test equipment are now making investments to expand the bandwidth and resolution AWGs can cover. For example, in March, Agilent Technologies added a high-resolution, wide-bandwidth, 8- or 12-Gsamples/s modular instrument to its portfolio of AWGs. Under certain conditions, the instrument offers an 80-dBc SFDR (spurious-free dynamic range), which represents the highest resolution available.

The potential for growth in the AWG market has been rising since the introduction of the AXIe modular instrumentation standard in November 2009. The proponents of AXIe say it improves timing, triggering, and module-to-module data movement but that its key benefit is in the power per slot that reaches 200 W. “You can integrate different instruments into one platform, so the measurement setup becomes much simpler to end users, and this is definitely a value for them,” said Beate Hoehne, product manager for Agilent Technologies.

Nonetheless, there remains a strong need for instrument manufacturers to offer single boxes in order to simplify test setup, reduce uncertainty, and enable greater portability and easier sharing of test equipment than is possible with an AXIe setup. Another key priority on the high end is pure sample rate (or bandwidth), especially as researchers push the limits with wideband RF, high-speed serial, and advanced optical signals.

“Researchers see the need for more and more bandwidth. We see a lot of emphasis at the 24-Gsamples/s level to support cutting-edge development across all segments,” confirmed Lawrence Wilson, product manager for Tektronix. He added that, “AWGs become especially useful when they are combined with software to simplify waveform creation and fully exploit wideband signal-generating capabilities.”

Today, the AWG market is the fastest-growing segment of the worldwide market for signal generators. The AWG market is projected to exceed $56.7 million in 2011 and reach $62.4 million in 2015. The compound annual growth rate from 2010 to 2015 is estimated to be 3.9%. T&MW

Danaher test brands address $12 billion market A $12 billion market serves as the target for Danaher’s test-and-measurement brands, including Fluke, Tektronix, Fluke Networks, and Tektronix Communications, according to Amir Aghdaei, Danaher group executive and Tektronix president. In an interview May 3 at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, Aghdaei said he expects the market to grow in the 5% to 7% range annually. Danaher’s test business, he added, now accounts for about $2.8 billion in sales, with 75% of that total for instruments, 15% for services, and 10% for software. He noted that 45% of sales are to North America, 20% are to the European Union, and 35% go to the rest of the world. Aghdaei attributed the growth of the test market to the rapid evolution of new products and technologies, exploding bandwidth demand, growing requirements for installation and operation of digital services, and the rise of digital security threats. He said that bandwidth demand has been growing at 60% year over year for 15 years. Specific applications Aghdaei cited included embedded design, with Danaher offering instruments to help designers contend with serial buses (used in 60% of embedded designs) and parallel buses (used in 50% of embedded designs). Another example, he said, is wireless connectivity design incorporating integrated analog, RF, and digital technologies. He noted that 60% of oscilloscope users also use spectrum analyzers and that 83% will be contending with time-varying RF signals.—Rick Nelson, Editorial Director