Evaluation Engineering - 13

In addition, Keysight launched the
N9021B MXA X-Series Signal Analyzer
to meet the evolving needs of advanced
wireless communications design-validation-and-test and manufacturing engineers. According to Lörner at Rohde
& Schwarz, the R&S SMBV100B vector
signal generator and the R&S FSVA3000
spectrum analyzer provide heavy-lifting
RF test solutions for the production line.
A subsequent article will provide details
on signal- and spectrum-analysis tools.

USB vector network analyzers
Copper Mountain Technologies focuses
on USB vector network analyzers. "We
introduced lower-cost M models of our
Compact Series vector network analyzers, which provide the same great
metrological performance
at a very competitive
price, as an economical option for engineers
who don't need advanced
features in the software,"
said Brian Walker, senior
RF design engineer. "We also
introduced SC models for our
Compact Series vector network
analyzer series with 16-ms measurement speed, more dynamic range, and
higher output power."
Walker said the company's VNAs are
used throughout the lifecycle of many RF
products. "VNAs are used in the design,
manufacturing, and ongoing preventative
maintenance in the field for RF and microwave products, and is a critical measurement tool for all RF applications. Our
customers participate in a wide variety of
applications, such as 5G, IoT, automotive,
defense, and more. Our VNAs are easy
to integrate into a test system, helping
them to work seamlessly in many types
of industries and applications."
Pico Technology also offers USB VNAs
and has been emphasizing education.
"The explosive growth of RF, microwave
and ether-borne applications, particularly
in the 1 to 6 GHz spectrum, is drawing
more engineers, students, technicians,
scientists, educators, and even medical professionals, into a field that they
have not previously had to master," said
Mark Ashcroft, RF business development

manager. "Training in RF, microwave, and
propagation disciplines, whether in design, test and measurement, or field support of RF systems, has needed to spread
rapidly to an ever-wider audience."
He explained, "skills in network, antenna matching, testing, and metrology
are of course central to that. Fortunately,
the low-cost USB vector network analyzer
has brought affordable professional-grade
measurements to educators and students
alike. This enables unprecedented access
to instrumentation and calibration standards to practice techniques and gather
real-world measurements in the classroom or on every desk."

explore and compare errors that can arise.
The kit is provided with a comprehensive
user/training guide, useful instrument
settings files, and typical calibration
standard and de-embed data."
Ashcroft said a trainer can optionally add professional-grade calibration
standards, test leads, and verification
standards. "Expanding the initiative to
cooperation with others, Pico has also
become a Cadence AWR Connected
Partner by integrating the PicoVNA directly to the AWR Design Environment.
A freely downloadable software wizard
provides remote control of the PicoVNA
and single-touch data transfer from live
on-screen measurement directly into your
Microwave Office project-perhaps into
a comparative plot or as measured data
for use in simulation."

From chassis to thermal platforms

Pico Technology
Network Metrology
Training Kit.

Ashcroft continued, "Adding value
and flexibility to the highly successful
PicoVNA 106 6-GHz Vector Network
Analyzer, Pico Technology has recently announced its Network Metrology
Training Kit and two important interfaces to major CAD software products.
Partnered with the PicoVNA, or indeed
any other VNA, Pico's Network Metrology
Training kit provides, in a single carry
or storage case, a variety of passive and
active test networks and low-cost calibration standards and test leads. A teacher
and student need only these to begin the
practice of calibration, measurement, and
feedline elimination techniques and to

Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions,
offers products such as a 6U OpenVPX
chassis platform with a mix of VITA 66.4
optical connectors and VITA 67.3 RF connectors. "The VITA 67 standard brings RF
capability to OpenVPX open-standard
architecture systems," said Justin Moll,
vice president of sales and marketing.
"The products can serve in both prototype
test and deployed systems, addressing applications including radar and C5ISR."
"We are working with board vendors
for backplane/chassis solutions that are
interoperable with their OpenVPX/RF
modules," said Moll. "We've also worked
with government labs and institutions
to provide VITA 67 and OpenVPX chassis platforms for their development. Our
open-frame test enclosure provides easy
prototyping for SOSA/HOST and other
OpenVPX applications utilizing RF.
With a wide range of VITA 67/OpenVPX
backplanes, Pixus can leverage existing
designs for a customized solution for most
applications."
TotalTemp addresses thermal RF test,
and the company has recently introduced
larger sizes of thermal test platforms. For
example, their Model SD288 addresses
fast and efficient testing of larger or multiple RF modules, according to John Booher,
chief technology officer. The platforms
JULY 2020 EVALUATIONENGINEERING.COM

13
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Evaluation Engineering

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