At this week’s MTT-S Radio & Wireless symposium in San Diego, Calif., Keithley Instruments launched an innovative line of RF test instruments. Combining the benefits of software-defined radio (SDR) architecture with patent-pending synthesizer technology and unique power leveling techniques, Keithley introduced a vector signal generator (VSG), a vector signal analyzer and an RF power meter. The new-generation test instruments have been designed and architected to deliver unrivaled combination of high performance, speed, flexibility, ease of use, and compact size. This can allow users to save time, effort, and money. They are aimed at design, development and manufacturing processes.

While the VSG, model 2910, will be available in March, the vector signal analyzer (model 2810) and portable RF power meter will be offered in summer. According to Keithley, the vector signal generator provides a flexible platform that uses software to adapt as test requirements change and reduces test time with the fastest frequency tuning, amplitude settling, and waveform switching available. In addition, the model 2910 makes generation of RF signals simple for even the novice user with the most intuitive user-interface on the market. Designed with a focus on reliability, all of this comes with a three-year standard warranty, compared to the one-year warranty typically seen with similar products, stated Walter Strickler, director of marketing for Keithley’s Wireless/RF business unit.

Designed to complement the vector signal generator, the vector signal analyzer (model 2810) employs SDR technology to provide high-speed measurement and modulation analysis with the same flexibility, ease of use, and compact size. The model 3500 portable RF power meter is a handheld instrument used for measuring average RF power in both R&D environments as well as in the field.

Whether switching between frequencies, amplitude levels or waveforms, the model 2910 delivers switching speeds that are two to 10 times faster than the best competitors, according to Keithley. Plus, it enables test time reduction through a number of innovations. For example, it settles in 1.5 ms, and the sync-out source-settled indicator is only set when the source is settled. This eliminates the need seen with other instruments to slow down tests by adding wait states to ensure the signal generator has settled. The 64 megasample arbitrary waveform generator supports simultaneous loading of multiple signal waveforms and enables switching between these signals in less than five ms.

In addition to flexibility and versatility, the VSG offers optional built-in signal generation software personalities for key cellular formats targeted at mobile phone testing, including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, W-CDMA, cdmaOne, and cdma2000. Users can easily upgrade to new and emerging standards as they become available. For those signal formats not included in its initial release, the vector signal generator’s arbitrary waveform generator supports downloading of virtually any externally generated signal waveforms with up to 40 MHz of bandwidth. In addition, the model can generate an RF signal with up to a 200 MHz bandwidth from analog baseband in-phase and quadrature signals provided by the users. The bandwidth and architecture of the VSG provide a significant future cost savings because customers do not need to purchase new RF sources as new wireless applications emerge, said the manufacturer.

Other features include intuitive touch screen graphical user interface, choice of graphical or tabular methods to edit waveforms or create new ones, and a comprehensive and easy-to-use help documentation accessible from the front-panel, the remote interface, or CD-ROM. Furthermore, the VSG is easy to control remotely. A built-in 100Base-T Ethernet and USB interface allows direct, high-speed programming and command transfer, while a GPIB interface provides configurability with legacy instruments. Also, the models 2910 and 2810 feature LXI (LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation standard) Class C compliance. They support the physical, programmatic, LAN, and Web portions of the emerging LXI standard. The model 2910 RF vector signal generator starts at $14,500. Availability is the end of March. Pricing for the models 2810 and 3500 will be announced this spring, and availability will be in the summer.

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