RF Test And Measurement Featured Articles

  1. Guest Column: Noise - Friend And Foe Of Engineers 12/8/2008

    Foe — agreed, but friend? How can noise be appreciated by engineers who labor at the edge of technology when trying to move signals and information as fast as possible from A to B? Isn’t noise something we all want to avoid and eliminate? This column addresses engineers who are interested in exploring the concept of utilizing noise for test and measurement purposes. It discusses how white Gaussian noise can be employed as a versatile signal source. A short introduction discusses causes, sources, and quantities relevant to noise, followed by two application examples that utilize noise: noise as a broadband reference and noise load to determine optimal system operation levels

  2. Guest Column: Time Matters — How Power Meters Measure Fast Signals 9/8/2008

    Modern wireless and cable transmission technologies, as well as radar systems, present demanding challenges for device and system developers. Manufacturers of test and measurement equipment are driven to offer products that fully support today’s needs, while anticipating the requirements of future technologies. Accuracy has always been a critical requirement in the test and measurement world, but modern technologies demand another must-have — highest data acquisition and processing speeds to allow accurate measurements of complex signal waveforms. This article describes the different techniques RF peak power meters employ to meet these challenges

  3. MTT-S 2008: Notes From The Exhibition Floor -- Part 2 7/23/2008
    In this article, we conclude our booth-by-booth tour of the IEEE MTT-S 2008 International Microwave Symposium (IMS), highlighting the products, news, and industry developments from the show.
  4. MTT-S 2008: Notes From The Exhibition Floor -- Part 1 7/16/2008
    In this two-part article series, we will explore the latest technologies and major headlines from the IMS 2008 exhibition floor. Click on the company names below to see what happened at their booths during the show.
  5. Connectivity Options For RF Switch Applications 3/13/2008
    By National Instruments
    When designing an RF switch system, it is easy to focus on the performance of the switch module while neglecting smaller system components such as cables and connectors. However, in order to obtain optimal system performance you must place as much attention on choosing the right cable and connectors for your system as you would on choosing the right switch module. To learn how to choose the right cables and connectors for your system, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various options available...
  6. Analysis Of Complex Modulated Carriers Using Statistical Methods 2/28/2008

    Recent advances in digital techniques have made it possible to measure peak power as well as average power accurately with total dynamic range and modulation bandwidth as the only limiting conditions. This article describes a method for obtaining and using probability functions to analyze the peak power of complex modulated RF signals.