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Test and Measurement: Rohde & Schwarz touts new analyzer

New Rohde & Schwarz signal and spectrum analyzer enables cross-correlation of multiple signals

Rohde & Schwarz made the new instrument announcement that it has been teasing for weeks, unveiling its FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer that it says is the first multi-channel signal and spectrum analyzer with multiple input ports and the ability to measure multiple signal sources simultaneously and cross-correlate.

The FSWX’s features include:

-Eight gigahertz of internal bandwidth for analyzing complex waveforms and modulation schemes.

-Low phase noise and RF performance “like no other signal and spectrum analyzer in the market,” according to the company.

-Fast measurement speed and “analysis tools tailored to the user’s needs,” with uses across testing active radio frequency (RF) components, to automotive radar or airborne radar system testing, satellite testing for aerospace and defense uses, and of course, Wi-Fi and cellular testing.

Rohde & SChwarz FSWX
Image: Rohde & Schwarz

-The ability to measure multiple signal sources at the same time, “regardless of whether they operate at the same or different frequencies,” Rohde says. Each port has four gigahertz of analysis bandwidth.

“This opens up a multitude of new measurement scenarios,” Rohde & Schwarz said in a release. The company added that because of the unique internal architecture of the instrument, cross-correlation algorithms can be applied that “effectively [remove] the inherent noise of the measurement instrument” and that the cross-correlation feature is particularly helpful when measuring things likeError Vector Magnitude (EVM) in mobile communications. “The added wideband noise of traditional signal and spectrum analyzers limits the accuracy and dynamic of EVM measurements,” R&S explained. “With the cross-correlation feature, however, the FSWX provides an unobstructed view of the [device under test] for precise EVM analysis.”

“Our team has truly re-imagined signal and spectrum analysis technology with our new FSWX,” said Michael Fischlein, VP of spectrum and network analyzers, EMC and antenna test at Rohde & Schwarz. “They have come up with an innovative architecture and design to empower our customers to tackle complex measurement scenarios in the evolving landscape of wireless communications and radar technology that were previously unattainable. In other words, the FSWX makes measuring the impossible, possible.”

In other test news:

Keysight Technologies said that it is working with AMD on PCIe electrical compliance for pre-production AMD server CPUs. Keysight provided AMD with early access to beta software that allowed the chip company to develop and test a PCIe 6.0-capable server motherboard that operates at up to 64 gigatransfers per second (GT/s). Keysight noted that PCIe 6.0 is expected to be a fundamental enabler for further artificial intelligence hardware development, because it supports faster data transfer, lower latency and better energy efficiency.

That server was showcased at last week’s PCI-SIG Developer’s Conference in Santa Clara, Calif.

Anritsu has added a new microwave synthesizer module to its signal generator product line. The EcoSyn Lite Microwave Synthesizer Module 10 MHz to 20 GHz frequency range and delivers +18 dBm output power. Housed in a portable, compact 4 inch x 4 inch x 0.8 inch form factor ideal for use in space constrained applications which require instrumentation grade CW signal source. compares favorably with some of the bench top signal generators in the market today

-Along similar lines, Rohde & Schwarz also updated and extended the range of its phase noise analyzer and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) tester from up to 50 GHz to up to 56 GHz with its new R&S FSWP-B56G option. That extension is achieved by just pushing a button, the company said—no converter needed. Rohde said that the updates to the tester mean faster measurements and the ability to use external signal sources as local oscillators.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill reports on network test and measurement, AI infrastructure and regulatory issues, including spectrum, for RCR Wireless News. She began covering the wireless industry in 2005, focusing on carriers and MVNOs, then took a few years’ hiatus and returned to RCR Wireless News to write about heterogeneous networks (remember those?) and network infrastructure. Kelly is an Ohio native with a masters degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where she focused on science writing and multimedia. She has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, The Oregonian and The Canton Repository. She lives in northern Virginia, not far from Data Center Alley.