Crowding of the RF spectrum caused by a multitude of wireless communications devices creates challenging issues for RF test equipment manufacturers.
Traditional RF test equipment keeps moving forward in performance. However, more needs to be done as clock rates rise and the line blurs between digital and analog signals.
PC-based hardware plug-in cards are becoming more popular, leaving the PC to perform most of the computational tasks via software.
A software-based approach to T&M is gaining a foothold. Virtual instrumentation and synthetic instruments are the latest trends to suppress testing costs.
The RF ATE industry must develop higher-speed and lower-cost systems, as well as meet the requirements of cellular devices with multiple standards and protocols.
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