Test and Measurement Channel

Read this white paper to learn how the Agilent 33500B Series Trueform waveform generators can be applied to generate today's complex modulated signals. These Trueform waveform generators offer a very cost-effective solution for generating many modern, complex, baseband IQ digital communication signals and digital wireless protocols like W-CDMA, DVB and OFDM.

This white paper presents the basic idea behind software defined radio (SDR) and provides an overview of the Rohde & Schwarz radios and further details of SDR test and measurement solutions offered by Rohde & Schwarz.

The scope of the subject has expanded in the recent years in terms of its technical evolution and spreading of applications. This application note along with its corresponding white paper 1MA207 show how to use the R&S radar product portfolio to tackle test and measurement tasks in modern radar technology. Target groups are students who want to become familiar with radar issues as well as radar professionals who want to solve certain test and measurement tasks.

Testing at millimeter-wave frequencies brings new and different measurement challenges, so minimizing measurement uncertainty is critical in the development of these new technologies. This white paper discusses the challenges associated with millimeter-wave testing and how to optimize your Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) measurement capability to provide the confidence required to make performance/cost tradeoffs.

Poor de-embedding can lead to both passivity and causality errors. In addition, high fixture loss may affect the accuracy and repeatability of de-embedding. Achieving accurate measurements at these higher frequencies offers the advantage of improved ability to locate discontinuities, impedance changes, and crosstalk issues.

Software-defined RF test system architectures have become increasingly popular over the past several decades. Almost every commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) automated RF test system today uses application software to communicate through a bus interface to the instrument. As RF applications become more complex, engineers are continuously challenged with the dilemma of increasing functionality without increasing test times, and ultimately test cost. While improvements in test measurement algorithms, bus speeds, and CPU speeds have reduced test times, further improvements are necessary to address the continued increase in the complexity of RF test applications.

Higher data rates introduce new challenges for test solutions. There are several 20+ Gbit/s high speed standards (Table 1) that are driving the upper end of the test spectrum to 70 GHz and even 110 GHz. Accurate measurements are needed to better understand higher order harmonics, as will new challenges related to conductor skin effects and dielectric losses on PC boards, along with the design trade-offs related to choices of vias, stackups, and connector pins.