Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
Keysight Technologies has announced a new capability that adds a high-performance spectrum analyser to its PNA and PNA-X Series microwave vector network analysers (VNAs). This capability reduces test times by a factor of 10 to 500 times. Incorporating this functionality into a VNA simplifies system connections and saves time by putting high-speed spurious measurements in the instrument used to characterise S-parameters, compression and distortion in satellite equipment, defense electronics and commercial wireless devices.
It is often time consuming for engineers to perform spurious measurements, thus forcing tradeoffs between test time and test coverage. With the new high-performance spectrum analyser capability, a Keysight PNA can perform fast spurious searches across a broad frequency band, improving test throughput by as much as 500 times compared to existing approaches. Measurement results are comparable to those obtained with today’s fastest, most sophisticated standalone spectrum or signal analysers.
The VNA also can perform simultaneous spectrum measurements on all test ports. This capability reduces design cycle time by enabling one-connection characterisation of mixers, converters, amplifiers, modules or subsystems. Example measurements include LO, RF and IF feedthrough; harmonics; intermodulation products; and other higher-order mixing products.
In-fixture and on-wafer measurements gain the benefits of VNA calibration and de-embedding, which correct receiver-response errors and also remove cable and fixture effects. The resulting improvement in test accuracy makes it possible to achieve narrower test margins and tighter device specifications.
“The ability to make high-performance spectrum and network measurements in one instrument enables unparalleled insight into the device under test,” said Steven Scheppelmann, PNA marketing manager for Keysight’s Component Test Division. “By replacing a switch matrix and standalone spectrum analyser, this also addresses the increasingly important need to reduce the size of component-characterisation test systems.”
Every Keysight VNA is the ultimate expression of the company’s expertise in linear and nonlinear device characterisation. In R&D and on the production line, the PNA family enables unrivalled excellence in measurements and designs.
