USB power sensors

Anritsu has introduced two microwave USB power sensors that provide accurate average power measurements from 10 MHz to 18 GHz over 60 dB dynamic range.

Employing a 'dual path' architecture to achieve true-RMS measurement similar to a thermal sensor over the entire frequency and dynamic range, the power sensors can measure CW, multi-tone and digitally modulated signals used in commercial and aerospace/defence systems.

The MA24108A and MA24118A can either internally trigger or receive an external trigger signal, allowing them to conduct multi-slot and burst average power measurements of TDD waveforms, typically found in GSM, WiMAX and TD-SCDMA signals.

The series does not require a separate module for triggering. The devices have built-in external trigger circuitry with an MCX connector interface to receive triggers from external stimuli. Incorporating a micro-controller, signal conditioning circuitry, ADC and power supply in the sensor makes it a miniature power meter.

The sensors provide users with three modes of operation - continuous average, scope and time slot. A scope mode allows power measurements to be displayed with respect to capture time of up to 300 ms. It is particularly useful when measuring non-periodic waveforms with video bandwidth up to 50 kHz. The time gating feature enables measurement of a desired portion of a waveform that contains very short duty cycle timing information that otherwise skews average power measurement.