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February 1, 2007
Introduction
Today's R&D and manufacturing managers and engineers face a number of significant challenges. Each group also has its own unique set of needs. In manufacturing, for example, engineers need to decrease test times while increasing throughput and yield. Here speed is of the utmost importance. In R&D, on the other hand, being able to solve design challenges faster and with less iteration is paramount. As a consequence, ease-of-use remains an important need in this segment of the product development lifecycle. The problem, of course, is that these "needs" are somewhat at odds with the current state of test and measurement solutions - especially considering that today it often takes multiple pieces of test equipment to properly characterize a device. Characterization is even more complex when that device is located on a wafer. In this case, making the appropriate measurements is not as simple as connecting a cable.
Given the increasing pressure on engineers to speed the R&D process, maximize manufacturing throughput and reduce cost, the need for flexible, highly integrated test and measurement solutions has now been thrust firmly into the spotlight. For engineers developing and manufacturing RF and microwave frequency components, particularly amplifiers, mixers and converters, for the aerospace and defense, satellite, broadband wireless access and wireless communications industries, that need has become all the more acute. Utilizing a new generation of network analyzer that not only delivers the highest performance and accuracy, but that can also be configured for various measurement scenarios, now offers these engineers a viable way to address the challenges they face. It may even be key to their company's competitive advantage.
Defining The Next Generation
While conventional network analyzers can effectively be used to measure active devices like amplifiers, mixers and converters, they fail to provide the accuracy, ease-of-use, and speed that today's R&D and manufacturing engineers crave. Such functionality is extremely important in the wireless communications industry where time-to-market can often make the difference between a company's ultimate success or failure. Consider, for example, that in manufacturing any delay in throughput or decrease in yield can have a tremendous impact on a company's bottom line in terms of both time and cost. Consider also, that use of a conventional network analyzer to perform a range of measurements on number of different components can be a slow and tedious process, complicated by the need to continually re-arrange the test equipment setup. Today's engineers now demand a faster, more efficient alternative.
What's required is a new type of integrated network analyzer - capable of measuring active as well as passive devices - and that offers functionality equivalent to having multiple tools in one box. It must be able to make lots of measurements quickly and with great accuracy. Additionally, it must be defined by the following characteristics:
- High Available Power
This feature is necessary to provide the larger signals needed, for example, to drive an amplifier into its compression region.
- Low Source Harmonics
This feature is beneficial in testing amplifiers for harmonic distortion or intermodulation distortion (IMD) performance. Additionally, the combination of high output power and low harmonics results in simplified setup since it reduces the need for external amplifiers and filters.
- High Stability Level
This characteristic reduces the number of calibrations, thereby saving time and increasing measurement confidence.
- Excellent Gain Compression
The network analyzer's internal receiver should have an excellent specification for receiver compression. This feature is critical to measurement accuracy; especially at high power levels where if the network analyzer is not well specified, it may inadvertently contribute to the measurement of amplifier compression.
- Integrated Pulse Hardware
This feature is key to simplifying the setup for making pulsed S-parameter measurements. With integrated pulse modulators and pulse generators, the need for anything external to the network analyzer to make this measurement is eliminated.
- A Second RF Signal Generator
Having a second RF signal generator inside the network analyzer is important for measuring amplifiers, mixers, and frequency converters. Its purpose is two-fold. First, it provides a convenient and fast local oscillator (LO) signal for exceptionally quick fixed-IF tests of converter and mixers. Second, it can be used as one of the RF signals in an IMD measurement of an amplifier.
- Internal Source-Combining Network
An internal source-combining network saves time by eliminating the need to find and hook up an external combiner with the right frequency range, thereby making it easier for engineers to perform IMD measurements on amplifiers and converters. With the internal combiner, S-parameter and IMD tests on components can be performed without having to change the test setup.
- Configurable Signal Routing Architecture
Having a configurable signal routing architecture provides the engineer with the flexibility to make a range of measurements with multiple pieces of test equipment via a single connection to the DUT. It is no longer necessary therefore to modify the test equipment setup to make additional measurements beyond those that can be done with the network analyzer. For example, an external signal generator with digital modulation capability and a vector signal analyzer can be switched to the inputs and outputs of an amplifier to make additional measurements such as adjacent-channel power ratio (ACPR), error-vector magnitude (EVM), or complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF). The flexible architecture also makes it easy to add external signal-conditioning hardware such as filters and booster amplifiers.
PNA-X: The World's Premier Performance Network Analyzer
The N5242A PNA-X is a new premier performance network analyzer from Agilent Technologies for testing components from 10 MHz to 26.5 GHz. It not only delivers all of the previously detailed functionality, but an unsurpassed combination of speed and accuracy as well. Because it is configurable, it provides engineers with flexibility never before possible. The result is significant: higher levels of test integration, the ability to work with higher frequencies, and reduced setup time, measurement complexity, time to make measurements, and test costs.
Agilent's new PNA-X boasts all of the same core functionality of the existing PNA Series, such as advanced connectivity via LAN, USB and GPIB; an easy to use WindowsÒ-based open architecture; an embedded help system; a frequency converter measurement application (FCA); automatic port extensions; and an optional ECal feature for precision, single connection electronic calibration. It also offers a host of new features which include:
- Highest Performance Network Analyzer
The improved source performance of the PNA-X provides higher output power and low harmonics to simplify setup by reducing the need for external amplifiers and filters. A receiver compression spec of 0.1 dB at +12 dBm improves accuracy at high power levels, while high stability reduces the number of calibrations, thereby saving time and increasing measurement confidence.
- Internal 2nd Source
The PNA-X adds an internal 2nd source for convenient setup and fast, fixed-IF converter tests, and for amplifier tests such as intermodulation distortion. Using the integrated, second source is typically about thirty times faster than using an external source, providing exceptional test throughput. The PNA-X is the only 2-port network analyzer available with an internal second source. With a four-port analyzer, the second source can be used to make match-corrected conversion gain measurements as well as match measurements of all three DUT ports. (see Figure 1).
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FIGURE 1: The second internal source can be used as a fast fixed- or swept-LO signal for conversion loss or conversion gain measurements of frequency converters and mixers. With the four-port PNA-X, the match of all three ports of the DUT can be measured. |
- Configurable Network Analyzer
The PNA-X is the most configurable network analyzer with the highest number of RF access points, built-in combiner and internal pulse modulators and generators for flexible, single connection measurements. It is the only network analyzer with internal pulse modulators and generators for fast, simplified pulse measurements The internal source-combining network eliminates the need to find and hook up external combiners; thereby simplifying measurement setup (see Figure 2).
The PNA-X also provides internal switches for connecting the DUT to external instruments, such as a digitally modulated signal generator and a signal analyzer (see Figure 3).The internal switches allow quick and efficient measurement transitions between S-parameters, IMD, and many other measurements. They also enable alternate measurement paths, re-routing of signal paths and the addition of amplifiers, filters, and attenuators to optimize system setup. The internal pulse modulators and generators enable a simple and fast setup and increase measurement speed by eliminating GPIB control of external pulse generators.
FIGURE 2: In this configuration, the PNA-X's two sources are combined internally and routed out of test-port one for intermodulation-distortion measurements. The second source is turned off for S-parameter measurements. |
FIGURE 3: Internal switches in the PNA-X's test set allow connection of other test equipment to the DUT via the network analyzer's test-port connectors. For example, a digitally modulated source and a vector-signal analyzer can be switched in to measure ACPR, EVM, or CCDF. |
- Improved User Interface
The PNA-X sports a large, touch-screen controlled front-panel display, and an improved front-panel-keypad layout. The large display makes it easy to read multiple measurements at the same time, while the touch screen enables easy operation without a mouse. Additionally, eight soft keys plus a user definable key and a new hard key layout further simplifies the network analyzer's operation.
Using Agilent's new PNA-X network analyzer, today's engineers now have the flexibility and performance they demand. R&D engineers are better able to solve design challenges faster and with less iteration, while manufacturing engineers can realize increased throughput and yield, as well as reduced test costs.
Conclusion
Agilent's new PNA-X premier performance network analyzer is an integrated solution that reduces setup time and the time to make a variety of measurements, while also delivering the highest level of accuracy of any existing network analyzer currently on the market. Its ease-of-use and flexibility now enables engineers to measure a broad range of high-performance, leading-edge components, including amplifiers, mixers and converters, via a single connection. Such features make Agilent's new PNA-X network analyzer the ideal choice for addressing the challenges facing today's R&D and manufacturing managers and engineers developing and manufacturing RF and microwave frequency components for the A/D, satellite, broadband wireless access and wireless communications industries.
About Agilent
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.0 billion in fiscal 2006. Information about Agilent is available on the Web atwww.Agilent.com.
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Contacts:
Janet Smith
Agilent Technologies
+1 970 679 5397
janet_smith@agilent.com
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