Relying On Those Measurement Tools
By
Jack Browne, MWRF Technical Director
Losing a hard disk can be devastating, especially when all those files are gone without a trace or
a backup system. As with many electronic tools, we come to rely on laptop computers, cellular
telephones, and PDAs so much that they are often taken for granted. In the world of RF and
microwave engineering, the same can be said of test equipment. In the laboratory, it provides
invaluable insights into a new design or prototype. On the production floor, it decides what can
ship and what needs rework. RF/microwave test equipment is a critical part of any company
hoping to succeed in this industry.
Radar measurements can be among the most challenging of RF/microwave measurements
because they involve pulsed signals. Unlike standard CW signals, radar signals must be gated to
be appreciated, since they rely on timing as well as frequency and modulation. The test tools are
not standard, but must have the capability of gating these pulsed signals while capturing phase
and modulation information, and displaying information in the time domain. Many of the
challenges of performing accurate pulsed RF radar measurements are detailed in a new White
Paper from Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.com) called "Perfecting Pulsed RF Radar
Measurements," included in the August 2007 issue of Microwaves & RF and also available from
the Microwaves & RF website at www.mwrf.com/Article/ArticleID/16402/16402.html.
The Agilent-sponsored white paper describes the differences between pulsed RF radar signals
and other RF/microwave signals, and explains why some test equipment falls short when trying
to characterize pulsed RF radar signals. The white paper also details two types of test
instruments, notably the P-Series peak power meters (and its associated power sensors) and the
PSA Series spectrum analyzers, with digital intermediate-frequency (IF) filters, built-in Fast
Fourier Transform (FFT) and software-aided vector-signal-analysis (VSA) capabilities, and how
these two types of instruments can speed and simply measurements on pulsed RF radar
waveforms. The white paper is free, either in the magazine or on the web site. Don't pass up the
chance for a free education.
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Free Brochure Provides Overview of 3GPP LTE
A full-color, 20-page technical brochure offers an overview of the Third Generation Partnership
Program (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications format and how
measurement solutions from Agilent Technologies can meet the needs of LTE device and
components testing. The literature includes coverage of LTE technology, a discussion of the
physical layer, and detailed information on designing LTE systems and circuits. It also explains
how to generate the test signals needed to evaluate these designs, and how to perform LTE signal
analysis and the types of test equipment needed. The brochure (download number 5989-6331EN)
is available for free download from the link at:
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5989-6331EN.pdf
Agilent Technologies
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70th ARFTG Microwave Measurement Symposium
November 27-30, 2007
Tempe Mission Palms Hotel
Tempe, AZ
http://www.arftg.org
2007 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference
December 11-14, 2007
Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand
http://www.apmc2007.org
2008 IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium (with WAMICON)
January 22-24, 2008
Orlando, FL
http://www.radiowireless.org
2008 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
February 3-7, 2008
San Francisco Marriot Hotel
San Francisco, CA
http://www.isscc.org
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