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. |
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 |
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
|
