Product category: Board-Level Instruments
News Release from: Aeroflex | Subject: 3000 series
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 03 October 2003
PXI-based platform heralds new wireless
strategy
The Aeroflex 3000 series is a PXI-based modular test suite for mobile phone and general-purpose wireless test.
The Aeroflex 3000 series is a PXI-based modular test suite for mobile phone and general-purpose wireless test "In June we announced our strategy to migrate to an industry-standard modular product development platform", said Bob Vogel, Vice President, Business Development, Aeroflex Test Solutions
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 21 Nov 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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RF test systems cover cellular, WLAN and WiMAX
Aeroflex has added significant new wireless test capabilities to its PXI 3000 Series modular wireless test platform to aid the rapid production testing of the most popular consumer mobile devices.
RF test platform handles 6GHz
Aeroflex' RF test platform system incorporates PXI 3000 series hardware modules, PXI Studio software with new measurement plug-ins and a new PXI instrument chassis to tie it all together.
"The Aeroflex 3000 series PXI products are a first step in allowing us to leverage our modular designs into other systems and standalone instruments.
The core functionality is portable, which allows us to quickly address the rapidly changing customer testing needs".
"Aeroflex is the first company to bring to market high-performance RF test capability for wireless applications in a PXI-based chassis, an inherently flexible and cost-effective platform", said Bill Burrows, Product Marketing Manager, Aeroflex.
Further reading
Deeper analysis for broadband signals
Aeroflex has added a broad array of new signal measurement capabilities to its Celerity CS35000 Series broadband signal analyser and recorder family (BSA).
Radio tester takes on land mobile radio option
Aeroflex has licensed Trident Micro Systems' Passport protocol for use in its wireless communications test systems.
Software sppeds setup for microwave test systems
Aeroflex has integrated National Instruments' NI TestStand development system into its high-performance synthetic microwave test systems.
"With a long history in systems development, Aeroflex is now extending its vast systems experience into the PXI instrumentation market".
The Aeroflex 3000 series encompasses four PXI modules and supporting applications for signal generation and signal analysis that meet the specific requirements for GSM/Edge and WCDMA/UMTS mobile phone testing.
Applications include automated measurement of parametric performance of terminal transmitter and receiver characteristics; terminal TX and RX alignment and performance characterisation for manufacturing; and research and development.
In addition, the Aeroflex 3000 series expands PXI's speed and modularity into the realm of general-purpose wireless testing.
For example, the new high-performance 3020 2.5GHz signal generator can be used for general-purpose continuous wave (CW) and digital signal generation for wireless device testing and characterisation.
The Aeroflex PXI wireless test suite includes: the 3010 3 GHz RF synthesiser (single-slot 3U); the 3020 2.5GHz digital RF signal generator (two-slot 3U); the 3030 3GHz RF digitiser (two-slot 3U); the 3060 2.5GHz RF combiner (single-slot 3U); a GSM/Edge measurement suite; a UMTS measurement suite; and the IQ Creator waveform creation tool.
The Aeroflex hardware modules are configured and controlled by a device driver implemented using NI-VISA (National Instruments Virtual Instrument Software Architecture).
Each PXI module is provided with a software driver as both a DLL (dynamic link library) for use within the standard environment, and as a set of source code.
With the source code, customers can adapt device drivers to their needs.
In addition to the driver DLL and source, a soft front panel is provided for each module.
The first in a series of PXI modules from Aeroflex, the 3000 series is designed to reduce the cost of test and provide fast, accurate and flexible test capability to the wireless market.
A PXI-based test system is 100 times faster than rack-and-stack systems and allows customers to buy only the capability they need and upgrade to new standards in the future.
The 3010 RF synthesiser module is an industry first for PXI.
It is a high-performance frequency synthesiser with a frequency range of 1.5 to 3.0GHz.
The 3010 can be used as a standalone frequency synthesiser or as the core synthesiser for the Aeroflex 3020 PXI digital RF signal generator or the Aeroflex 3030 PXI RF digitiser module.
Using Aeroflex-patented technology, the 3010 synthesiser provides 1Hz frequency resolution combined with phase noise performance and frequency agility previously only available in benchtop or rack instruments.
The 3010's phase noise is typically -120dBc/Hz.
Its frequency settling times of typically 200ms are ideal for use in high-volume RF component test systems or testing of frequency-hopping radios.
The 3010 is supplied with a VXIpnp driver and soft front panel.
A high-stability variant to 3010, the 3011 includes an OCXO frequency reference.
The 3020 digital RF signal generator module is an industry-first for PXI.
It is a high-performance module designed for complex digital IQ waveform applications in communications systems test.
The 3020 with the 3010 RF synthesiser form a compact digital RF signal generator in three slots in a 3U PXI chassis.
For the first time, system engineers can fully integrate RF source requirements into PXI test systems.
The versatile two-slot 3020 module produces IQ modulated or CW signals between 250MHz and 2.5GHz with an IQ bandwidth of up to 15MHz, while the single slot 3010 module provides a low noise, frequency-agile local oscillator input.
The 3020's performance characteristics are ideal for generating complex modulated signals for research and development or manufacturing.
Modulation linearity for UMTS WCDMA signals is better than 55dB, providing a comfortable margin for measuring mobile transmitters.
The internal arbitrary waveform generator has a 32Msample capacity.
It can be used to store a single long waveform or a collection of smaller waveforms up to the limit of the sample memory.
The 3020 is supported by Aeroflex's IQ Creator for waveform design for common radio systems such as GSM, Edge, UMTS, IS136, IS95 and cdma2000, as well as waveforms for FSK, PSK and QAM modulation.
The 3030 RF digitiser module is a 3GHz precision broadband RF digitiser.
It is the most compact RF digitiser available in PXI.
It also yields higher performance than any similar PXI product available today.
When used in conjunction with the 3010 RF synthesiser module, the 3030 frequency down-converts and digitises RF signals up to 15MHz in the frequency range of 330MHz to 3GHz.
The 3030/3010 combination offers high linearity and low noise performance designed for the analysis of radio signals including WCDMA.
The 3030 outputs a set of amplitude and phase-corrected digital IF or IQ data samples with an amplitude accuracy of typically better than 0.5dB.
The 3030 is supported by a variety of optional signal analysis applications, supplied as measurement libraries for spectrum and vector analysis of common system personalities.
The 3060 RF combiner module is the first PXI module of its type designed specifically for RF component and radio terminal system test.
It is a high-performance, four-port RF combiner covering 300MHz to 2.5GHz in a compact single-slot module.
The 3060 is designed for use in RF test systems in conjunction with the 3020 RF signal generator and the 3030 RF digitiser.
Together these modules enable the development of compact, high-performance, low-cost modular RF test systems.
The RF combiner eliminates the need for extraneous RF combiner and signal routing development in the test fixture, simplifying test system design.
The 3060 provides a single, combined port (UUT port D) from any combination of 3020 RF output modules and 3030 RF digitiser modules connected to ports A, B and C.
At launch, the 3000 series will include application-specific software suites for research and development and manufacturing test for GSM/Edge and WCDMA/UMTS handsets.
The GSM/Edge measurement suite is a complete set of OCX measurement functions to analyse GSM and Edge mobile transmitter performance in conjunction with the 3030 RF digitiser module.
The GSM/Edge measurement suite is a library of ActiveX controls for use in application software development environments such as LabView, LabWindows, Visual C, Visual Basic and C++.
With the 3030 RF digitiser module, it enables precision characterisation of GSM/Edge mobile station transmitters.
The GSM/Edge measurement suite provides ActiveX controls for analysis of all major GSM/Edge signal characteristics, including average RF power, burst profile, modulation quality (either as phase error or error vector magnitude), frequency error and spectrum due to modulation and switching.
The UMTS measurement suite is a complete set of OCX measurement functions to analyse UMTS mobile transmitter performance in conjunction with the 3030 RF digitiser module.
The UMTS measurement suite is a library of ActiveX controls for use in application software development environments such as LabView, LabWindows, Visual C, Visual Basic and C++.
With the 3030 RF digitiser module, it enables precision characterisation of UMTS mobile station transmitters.
The UMTS measurement suite provides ActiveX controls for analysis of all major UMTS signal characteristics, including average RF power, ACLR, peak code domain error, code domain power, EVM and frequency stability.
The 3000 series is available to order today with delivery starting January 2004.
All hardware modules are supplied with VISA plug and play drivers.
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