Signal Analyser options address phase noise performance

With demand for high-quality graphics and video in applications such as mobile and satellite communications/broadcasting, achieving faster radio communications is reliant on using wider bandwidth radio signals, with a trend towards using microwave and mmWave bands which offer much wider frequency spectrum options.

Ensuring wideband and low error rate radio signals in the microwave and mmWave bands requires the use of transmitters with high dynamic range performance, bringing with it the need for high-dynamic range measuring instruments to optimise designs, in particular, those associated with noise interference.

The Noise Floor Reduction (NFR) option subtracts up to 11dB from the measured internal noise level of the measurement system, to lower the displayed noise floor and support more accurate measurement of very low-level signals than has been possible previously.

In addition, the new 2dB Step Attenuator option can set a 0 to 60dB attenuator with 2dB steps across the entire frequency range for 44.5GHz model, versus a standard specification of 0 to 60dB attenuation in 10dB steps.

This option improves the measurement dynamic range by optimizing the mixer input level even at high frequencies.

These latest options are especially useful for measuring wideband signals and microwave and mmWave signals requiring measurement of spectrum emissions, adjacent channel leakage power, and high-dynamic range signals at Tx ON and OFF.