Aeroflex adds new 3 GHz modular digital RF signal generator to PXI 3000 Series Comprehensive RF Test Platform
(Technology News, 30 Jun 2008 )
Aeroflex has announced the 3020C PXI Modular Digital RF Signal Generator, a new 3 GHz variant to the growing PXI signal generator line. Aeroflex’s comprehensive modular RF test platform, the PXI 3000 Series, has the bandwidth and versatility to seamlessly cover the entire RF test process–from R&D through to manufacturing–in any wireless market from cellular to military/aerospace to RFIC.
Ideal for RF engineers performing communications test, the new 3020C covers the frequency range of 1 MHz to 3 GHz, supporting applications in high frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) bands. The 3020C has wideband width modulation up to 90 MHz for broadband communications standards or multicarrier test applications as well as RF output power from -120 dBm to +6 dBm.
As with all 3020 Series signal generators, the 3020C boasts excellent frequency and level settling times for high speed test applications and a built in dual-channel arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) for supplying complex modulated signals. The 3020C AWG is supplied with a generous 0.5 GB of on board memory supporting up to 128 M x 16 bit I and Q samples. The 3020C can perform high-speed switching in less than 250 microseconds (ms) when in list mode, which minimizes test set up time in automated systems and improves production throughput.
The 3020C is a lower cost option for wideband test applications below 3 GHz than the flagship 3025C module, which offers the same high RF performance, but with an extended frequency range to 6 GHz. Entry level modules 3020A and 3025 continue to provide the best economies for applications between 250 MHz and 2.7 GHz and 80 MHz to 6 GHz respectively where RF modulated signal bandwidths of up to 28 MHz are sufficient.
The 3020C is directly complimentary to the recently introduced 3030C Wideband RF Digitizer. Together they support wideband signal generation and signal analysis for RF component and transceiver testing. The 3020C is used with the 3010 RF synthesizer, which provides a low phase-noise, highly agile local oscillator input, from which modulated and leveled RF output signals are derived. The 3020C is a PXIe (Hybrid compatible module) that can be fitted to PXI chassis’ supporting standard cPCI, PXI-1 or PXI Hybrid slots.
