R&S introduces dedicated phase noise analyser and VCO tester
With the latest model of the R&S FSPN phase noise analyser and VCO tester, Rohde & Schwarz extends the frequency range for measurements from the previous maximum of 26.5 GHz up to 50 GHz.
The R&S FSPN provides both high speed measurements and also accuracy for characterising sources such as synthesizers, VCOs, OCXOs and DROs. Since a trade-off between increasing speed of test and higher accuracy is inevitable, users can choose the setting best suiting their application.
The new R&S FSPN50 covers the frequency range from 1 MHz to 50 GHz and complements the existing 8 and 26.5 GHz models. For engineers both developing and producing high quality oscillators, the R&S FSPN50 supports applications in the Ka band from 26.5 to 40 GHz, and in the Q band (36 to 46 GHz) and in the lower V band up to 50 GHz. Typical applications at these frequencies include commercial point-to-point wireless and microwave communication systems, satellite communications including high throughput satellite services, military satellite and communication systems operating up to 50 GHz, close-range targeting radars, and practically the entire 5G FR2 frequency range from 21.84 GHz to 50.20 GHz.
The phase noise sensitivity of the R&S FSPN is based on two low noise internal local oscillators enabling real-time cross correlation. The user can increase the number of correlations for higher accuracy or reduce them for higher speed. The current cross-correlation sensitivity gain is shown in real-time together with the current result trace. Phase noise and amplitude noise are measured separately and simultaneously, providing both an excellent analysis of phase noise performance, and a direct route for identifying the cause of any problems, without any compromise in measurement speed. Accurate VCO measurements are enabled by three low-noise DC sources. OCXO and DRO technologies as well as VCO can all be measured. For easy remote control and production automation, sequences of SCPI commands can be recorded automatically.
