Keysight Technologies’ N9041B UXA X-Series signal analyzer, introduced October 4 at European Microwave Week 2016 in London, gives the company a leadership position in analysis bandwidth as well as top operating frequency at which the analysis bandwidth can be applied. The new UXA operates to 110 GHz while offering an analysis bandwidth of 5 GHz with an external scope (1 GHz internally).
In contrast, competitors are offering 2-GHz analysis bandwidths at lower top operating frequencies. For example, Rohde & Schwarz took an early lead in analysis bandwidth with the introduction of the R&S FSW-B2000 hardware option in March 2015. That option to the FSW signal analyzer enabled a 2-GHz analysis bandwidth to 67 GHz by employing an RTO oscilloscope for wideband digitization. The company later expanded the 2-GHz analysis-bandwidth capability to a top operating frequency to 85 GHz.
In addition, National Instruments at EDI CON USA 2016 in September demonstrated a new 802.11ad test solution based on NI’s wideband mmWave transceiver technology. The test solution consists of a vector signal generator and vector signal analyzer operating at 55 to 68 GHz with more than 2 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth. NI said the solution is used by leading automotive and wireless infrastructure researchers to prototype advanced radar and 5G systems.
And finally, at NIWeek in Austin in August, NI described a technique it called “spectral stitching,” which enables multiple vector signal transceivers to be chained together to expand the analysis bandwidth. The company at NIWeek demonstrated four VSTs (each with 1 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth) combined to offer 3.5 GHz of analysis bandwidth.
