National Instruments PXIe-5665 RF vector signal analyser

A 14 GHz version of the PXIe-5665 high-performance RF vector signal analyser delivers dynamic range and accuracy in a PXI form factor.

The VSA features phase noise and dynamic range, regardless of form factor, including traditional rack-and-stack instruments. Because of its PXI platform, it can deliver measurement speeds up to 20 times faster than box instruments.

It takes advantage of multicore computing and parallel programming through LabVIEW system design software. It also offers peer-to-peer data streaming for signal processing and a flexible multiple input, multiple output architecture for phase-coherent measurements.

These features make it suitable for RF test applications including radar, satellite, radio and harmonic testing.

The analyser offers the same performance as the 3.6 GHz version of the NI PXIe-5665 while extending the capabilities into the 14 GHz range. It consists of the PXIe-5605 downconverter, the PXIe-5653 local oscillator synthesiser and the PXIe-5622, a 150 MS/s intermediate frequency digitiser.

The combination is suitable for spectrum and wideband vector signal analysis over a frequency range of 20 Hz to 14 GHz with analysis bandwidths up to 50 MHz.

It features a third-order intercept point at +24 dBm with an absolute amplitude accuracy of ±0.10 dB as well as an error vector magnitude of 0.33% for a 256 QAM modulated signal. It also delivers a low phase noise of -129 dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset at 800 MHz and an average noise level of -165 dBm/Hz.

Because the analyser joins an industry portfolio of more than 1500 software-defined PXI modular instruments, users can mix and match the VSA with a variety of modules and control an entire automated test system with LabVIEW system design software. Engineers can take advantage of the VSA’s software-defined performance with RF software toolkits for LabVIEW, NI LabWindows/CVI and .NET to test the latest radar, satellite, radio and numerous RF and wireless communication standards including GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, LTE, WLAN and WiMAX.