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Communications Test: 2009 Buyer's Guide
Test Measurement World Staff - July 1, 2009
Our 2009 Buyer's Guide contains more than 60 product and service categories, divided into five main sections with a total of 16 subsections. Each subsection includes hotlinked vendor names.
In this section:
Telecom/Datacom Test RF/Microwave and Wireless Communications Test Fiber-Optic/Electro-Optic Test Third-Party Services: Communications Test
Return to the main 2009 Buyer's Guide page
Sampling of products from the past year
Optical sampling for the next network
As optical network speeds increase to 40 Gbps and then 100 Gbps, the PSO-100 series of optical oscilloscopes can show the signals to you. The USB-based Models PSO-101 (one channel) and PSO-102 (two channels) use a sampling technique that creates a time-stretched copy of the original signal. The scopes convert elongated samples to electrical form before digitizing them, so they can use a sample rate in the tens of megasamples per second while maintaining 500-GHz overall bandwidth.
The oscilloscopes capture samples by using a short pulse that opens an optical gate to capture light. They convert the optical signal to electrical form and digitally process it, measuring jitter, rise time, fall time, eye amplitude, duty-cycle distortion, extinction ratio, and other parameters. EXFO, www.exfo.com.
Software analyzes 20-GHz RF signals
Tektronix’s SignalVu vector-signal-analysis software for its DPO7000 and DPO/DSA70000 digital oscilloscopes combines the signal-analysis engine of Tek’s RSA6100A real-time spectrum analyzer with the triggering capabilities of the oscilloscopes to enable designers to evaluate complex signals up to 20 GHz without using an external downconverter. SignalVu controls all scope-acquisition parameters such as record length, vertical scaling, and sample rate. When a trigger event occurs, SignalVu processes the acquisition for analysis in multiple domains. In addition to providing spectrum analysis, the software can generate spectrograms that display frequency and amplitude changes over time. Time-correlated measurements can be made across the frequency, phase, amplitude, and modulation domains. Tektronix, www.tektronix.com.
System tests converged networks
With the WaveBlade Ethernet 1104 module, VeriWave added four Ethernet ports to its WaveTest network test system. Each port can generate or analyze traffic on 10/100/1000-Gbps Ethernet layer 2 through layer 7, and each supports up to 500 clients. You can use the WaveBlade to connect the WaveTest to wired Ethernet devices, and then use wireless-interface cards to connect the system to IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n networks.
New WaveQoE software lets the WaveTest system measure end-user QoE (Quality of Experience). The software enables users to create profiles and test conditions that generate mixtures of traffic that simulate actual network conditions. WaveQoE controls traffic-carrying applications such as HTTP, FTP, and TCP protocols for data; VoIP for voice; and MPEG-2 for video. VeriWave, www.veriwave.com.
Testers target MIMO, WiMedia, and GPS
LitePoint has launched three systems for testing to four wireless standards. The IQnxnplus offers multistream signal capabilities for WiFi and WiMAX MIMO development. Its modules support frequency ranges of 2.15 to 2.7 GHz, 3.3 to 3.8 GHz, and 4.9 to 6.0 GHz, and its GUIs provide analysis and display capabilities for single, multistream, and beam-forming adaptive-antenna functionality testing.
The IQultra, an error-vector magnitude test system for UWB (ultrawideband) devices, combines a vector signal analyzer with an attenuator for UWB receive testing. The system can capture and analyze all WiMedia band groups (1 to 6) and time frequency codes (1 to 10).
The IQnav for manufacturing test of GPS-equipped devices enables both CNR (carrier-to-noise ratio) measurements and location-fix tests to be performed in a single connection to the device under test. In addition, the IQnav offers synthetic power sweep capabilities where up to six CNR measurements are made simultaneously. LitePoint, www.litepoint.com.
VNA operates to 70 GHz
Able to handle S-parameter measurements on RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave devices, Anritsu’s VectorStar VNA (vector network analyzer) family delivers frequency coverage of 70 kHz to 70 GHz, a dynamic range of 103 dB at 67 GHz, and a measurement speed of 20 µs/point. The VectorStar MS4640A family offers three standard frequency ranges that go to 20 GHz, 40 GHz, and 70 GHz. For true broadband applications such as device modeling, the 70-kHz low-end provides seven octaves of additional information below the traditional 10-MHz low-end cutoff of conventional microwave VNAs.
VectorStar offers a 100-dB dynamic range at 70 GHz. Supplementing the wide dynamic range is the +10-dBm, 0.1-dB receiver compression level at 70 GHz. Anritsu, www.us.anritsu.com.
Test system handles 8x8 MIMO configurations
An 8x8 MIMO test system from Keithley Instruments targets research of RF MIMO technologies such as 4G LTE (long term evolution) and UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband). The MIMO test systems are built on Keithley’s RF instruments, including the Model 2820 RF vector signal analyzers, which have a frequency range of 400 MHz to 6 GHz; Model 2920 RF vector signal generators, which can generate frequencies from 10 MHz to 6 GHz; Model 280111 WLAN 802.11n signal-analysis software; and Model 2895 MIMO synchronization units. The 8x8 system holds signal sampler synchronization to within ±1 ns; sample jitter is less than 1 ns peak-to-peak, and RF-carrier phase jitter is less than 1º peak-to-peak. Keithley Instruments, www.keithley.com.
Enhanced VNAs reduce test costs
Agilent Technologies has introduced 13.5-, 43.5-, and 50-GHz models of both its PNA-X network analyzer and its PNA-X NVNA (nonlinear-vector-network analyzer). Low-noise-amplifier tests typically require separate test stations for small-signal gain/match, distortion, and noise figure. By integrating these tests into one station, the PNA-X reduces the number of stations by as much as 75% and costs by 30%.
The configurable two- or four-port network analyzer uses a single connection for measurements of continuous-wave and pulsed S-parameters, compression, intermodulation distortion, and noise figure. Two built-in high-performance sources offer output power of 16 dBm, harmonics of –60 dBc, and a power-sweep range of 40 dB. Agilent Technologies, www.agilent.com.
Compact spectrum analyzers reach 26.5 GHz
Aeroflex 3250 Series spectrum analyzers serve engineers working in military, communications, satellite, radar, and PMR (portable mobile radio) applications. The series includes four models, each measuring a frequency range beginning at 1 kHz, with the 3251 ranging up to 3 GHz, the 3252 to 8 GHz, the 3253 to 13.2 GHz, and the 3254 to 26.5 GHz. Three traces can be displayed per window and as many as nine markers can be selected with a marker table viewable in an alternate window. The compact instruments support remote control via LAN, GPIB, and RS-232C interfaces.
The 3250 Series includes digital demodulation capabilities for the analysis of 802.11a/b/g wireless networks. Optional measurement personalities include GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, and WiMAX. Aeroflex, www.aeroflex.com.
| In this section: Telecom/Datacom Test RF/Microwave and Wireless Communications Test Fiber-Optic/Electro-Optic Test Third-Party Services: Communications Test Return to the main 2009 Buyer's Guide page |
