TEST & MEASUREMENT APPLICATION NOTES AND WHITE PAPERS

  • Speeding Up Reflection Measurements On Antenna Systems

    Reflection measurements are a common way of assessing antenna system performance. When a minimum amount of the transmitted signal is reflected, it indicates that the transmission energy can reach the intended coverage. Undesired high reflection causes the system to be inefficient and can damage components. This application note presents solutions for aiding fast and efficient reflection measurements on antenna systems to get it right the first time.

  • Characterization Of An Amplifier With The Combination Of Network And Spectrum Analysis

    The general characterization of complex DUTs such as amplifiers requires the measurement of several parameters. Thanks to its versatility, the R&S® ZNL is an economic solution that can characterize a variety of DUTs both via network analysis and spectrum analysis.

  • Design And Implementation Of A Miniature X-Band Edge-Coupled Microstrip Bandpass Filter

    Microwave bandpass filters are the fundamental component used in many RF/microwave applications to eliminate interference from signals operating at nearby frequencies. This application note presents a straightforward and largely nonmathematical method for designing an edge-coupled, bandpass filter for X-band operations with a combination of filter synthesis, closed-form edge-coupled transmission-line models, and EM analysis using the Microwave Office circuit simulator within Cadence AWR Design Environment software.

  • Power Consumption Analysis With Specialty DC Power Supplies

    Optimizing power consumption is critical for IoT devices running on small, non-rechargeable batteries. Learn how accurate characterization and smart design can extend device lifespans.

  • Linearity Of The JFET And MOSFET When In Saturation Over The Entire Cycle

    Performing RF amplification in a way that is simultaneously linear and efficient has been a challenge in power amplifier (PA) design. Single transistor PAs can either be operated in a linear, but inefficient, current source mode of operation or as efficient, but nonlinear, switches. These techniques use two FETs, but this paper demonstrates that linear amplification can be achieved at high power with an efficiency greater than 60%, using a single FET.

TEST & MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS

The GORE® PHASEFLEX® Series offers the smallest, lightest, internally ruggedized microwave/RF test assemblies for high density interconnection in RF and uW modular applications as well as in high speed digital testing. These assemblies feature ON cable construction and provide consistent, repeatable measurements with electrical performance up to 18, 26.5, 40, or 50 GHz.

The series of GORE® VNA microwave/RF test assemblies from W.L. Gore are designed to provide the most precise VNA measurements in laboratory conditions, setting the standard for vector network analyzers (VNAs) through 70 GHz. These test assemblies deliver the highest accuracy and greatest time intervals between recalibrations for many applications, including those with vector network analyzers, critical measurements, and laboratory testing.

The EVO-RSA-6070A is part of the EVO Series of extended frequency spectrum analyzers from Avcom designed for higher performance and agility in applications with continuously changing requirements. The included SDR-style technology analyzer includes a wide bandwidth receiver and employs FPGA, DSP, and high-performance processors.

The RFvision-3 is a tunable ultra-wideband spectrum processing solution designed for 1 GHz bandwidth RF spectrum recording with advanced pulse processing. This rack-mount (3U) system is based on the DTA-9590W ultra-wideband tuner and DTA-5000 RAID server with 24 TB SSDs. It operates from 500 MHz to 18 GHz (expandable up to 40 GHz) and features 100 MHz instantaneous bandwidth.

The 50S-2133 SMA from JFW is a solid-state, self-terminating 1P8T RF switch designed for economical automated RF testing applications in the 20 – 5,000 MHz frequency range.

Electrostatic discharge testing is utilized worldwide by electronics manufacturers to determine the ESD susceptibility of their devices. It is extremely difficult to estimate the exact cost of ESD loss annually, but it can safely be stated that ESD requires the development and testing of many hardware prototypes and contributes to a high number of warranty claims and loss of consumer confidence if failure occurs in the hands of the customer. Given the high cost in time and materials associated with ESD hardware testing, the ability to simulate the ESD testing process in XFdtd is extremely valuable, allowing engineers to pinpoint locations susceptible to ESD damage and optimize ESD mitigation during the concept and design stage of product development.

The Si894x is a galvanically isolated delta-sigma modulator which outputs a digital signal proportional to the voltage level at the input. 

Radar simulation systems (i.e., RF sources and/or receivers) must perform to an exacting minimum standard if they are to accurately prove the field worthiness of EW systems.