Evaluation Engineering - 16

RF/MICROWAVE TEST

Stasonis, Pickering Interfaces: "Our customers really appreciate the LED switch-path status indicators on our PXI and LXI
products. It allows them to visually see if their code is closing
the correct switch. Our customers who are configuring a large
number of microwave switches and multiplexers into a complex
configuration have found that our Switch Path Manager (SPM)
signal-routing software makes programming their switching
system extremely easy. Once the test engineer has defined the
cabling interconnections, all that is necessary is to program
a particular test point that is to be connected to a particular instrument, and SPM automatically makes the necessary
connections."
Gibson, VTI Instruments: "VTI custom RF interface units
(RFIUs) are switch systems designed to meet customer specifications that require integrating the RF source and measurement instrumentation with the device(s) under test. RFIUs allow
signals to be routed, attenuated, combined, split, filtered, and
amplified. AMETEK provides RFIU customers with a combination of the following services: RF engineering for component
selection and system design; control engineering for signal
routing management; mechanical engineering for enclosure
design, component layout, and temperature control; software
engineering for development of both an LXI-based virtual front
panel and IVI drivers, and complete documentation and test
data for accurate reproduction of the system as needed."

"The ShockLine and VectorStar families
of VNAs ... achieve higher frequency
capabilities in more compact and
cost-efficient packages."
- Wong, Anritsu
Wong, Anritsu: "The ShockLine and VectorStar families of VNAs
take advantage of Anritsu's patented Non-Linear Transmission
Line (NLTL) technology to achieve higher frequency capabilities
in more compact and cost-efficient packages. Many ShockLine
models and VectorStar modules are compact enough to direct
connect to the DUT or on-wafer probe, thus minimizing cable
and fixture losses and maximizing measurement stability.
"ShockLine VNAs also offer Anritsu technology developed for
the high-end VectorStar VNA family to de-embed fixtures and
probes using partial calibration standards with the Universal
Fixture Remove (UFX) option. The NLTL harmonic samplers
provide the highest third-order intercept (TOI) performance
that enables high-performance measurements of active devices
in the VectorStar VNA line.
"The Anritsu ONA solution takes advantage of the NIST traceability (with an in-house calibration lab that characterizes all
the customers' OE modules) for the OE modules for traceable
measurements. The flexibility and upgradability in terms of
frequency for the VNA, the OE module, and the EO convertor
is a considerable advantage to our customers."

16

EVALUATION ENGINEERING JULY 2020

Raju, Ansys: "Ansys is the first to offer a novel solution to accurately model antenna arrays for applications such as 5G
mmWave base stations and microcells, automobile radars, satellite communications, aerospace, naval, etc. Leveraging HFSS
3D Component, the technique is built upon the HFSS Domain
Decomposition method (DDM) for large-scale analysis, and is a
breakthrough technology for solving large and complex arrays. It
eases the burden of matrix factorization and decreases memory
requirements resulting in significantly faster array simulations."
Malatest, Per Vices: "Our products aim to meet the needs of
many customers out of the box; however, some customers do
have strict requirements that are not met by the stock products.
For these customers, we work very closely to leverage the flexibility of our platforms along with our existing IP to help develop
a solution to meet their needs. For our existing customers, this
has resulted in a more cost-effective solution, faster time to
market, and higher performance platform than any alternative."
Smith, LitePoint: "Usually, when we look at the increasing technical requirements of new wireless technologies, it is usually tied
to something related to a more advanced modulation technique
and a race to higher data rates. However, with the emergence of
UWB technology, we find a completely different set of requirements. Instead of jamming gigabits-per-second through the
air, UWB technology (specifically the 802.15.4z IEEE standard
amendment) uses very short pulses to transmit information
that enables a companion device to accurately determine its
relative distance and direction.
"The 'money spec' in UWB is time, or more specifically, timeof-flight (ToF). ToF is not only useful for accurately determining
location, it is more importantly able to provide an additional
layer of security to an application by enabling improved location
authentication. Other wireless technologies (such as Bluetooth)
can be intercepted and rebroadcasted to 'fake' the appearance
of location (aka, a relay hack). This allows a thief to steal your
wireless car key, or even credit-card information, if they can get
physical proximity to your transmitted signal. The time-based
nature of UWB does not allow for this kind of vulnerability. It is
relatively simple to defeat signal-strength (RSSI) authentication
methods. It is very difficult to defeat methods that rely on the
authentication of a time stamp.
"Accurately calibrating and measuring the performance of
UWB devices requires the test equipment being able to very
precisely measure and respond to a device in time. For example,
in 1 ns a radio signal travels approximately 30 cm. In order to
know a location with roughly 10-cm accuracy, the timing precision of the measurement equipment needs to be less than 100
ps. LitePoint's IQgig-UWB test system has a timing architecture
that enables this level of timing and response repeatability."
Keysight: "Modern devices are highly integrated. As a result,
wireless and high-speed-digital engineers often test devices
with more than four ports. In wireless RF, front-end modules
(FEM) for multiband operation and MIMO antennas require
Evaluation Engineering

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