Vendors unleash flurry of new products
Engineers have more options to test and measure wireless communications systems and devices, as vendors recently released several new devices.
For example, Aeroflex introduced the 3500, a portable radio test-set that tests the radio, cable and antenna in vehicle-based radio systems. The device has a built-in generator and receiver, operates from 2 MHz to 1 GHz and is capable of measuring up to 200 W with an external attenuator. In addition, it performs AM/FM transmitter and receiver tests, including radio frequency (RF) power, RF error, AM modulation, FM deviation, receive signal strength indicator (RSSI), distortion and SINAD/sensitivity. The base configuration costs $14,995.
Another test and measurement product to hit the market is Agilent Technologies’ E6601A, a wireless communication test-set platform the company developed for calibrating mobile handsets in high-volume manufacturing. It has a built-in Windows XP PC architecture so users can develop, download and execute test programs directly into the system. It also offers a new calibration for GSM, GPRS, enhanced GPRS, W-CDMA and HSDPA — available through a software upgrade. The platform without upgrades costs $27,100.
Anritsu also launched a new product, the BTS Master MT8222A battery-operated hand-held analyzer. It is equipped with a spectrum analyzer and cable- and antenna-analysis function so users can evaluate the performance of wideband-CDMA/HSDPA mobile-phone base stations with a single unit. The platform costs $19,000.
Finally, National Instruments introduced the PXI-5661. It is a 2.7 GHz, RF-vector signal analyzer that features 20 MHz of real-time signal or modulation bandwidth. It uses frequency-selective, burst triggering and onboard signal processing to stream data to a PC. The new module also includes a built-in burst trigger that engineers can use to trigger RF acquisitions based on user-programmable power level and bandwidth. It costs $17,999.
RELATED READING
Antenna technology takes flight
August 2006
Mobile Radio Technology
by Mary Rose Roberts
Drive-test surveys back in spotlight
April 2006
Mobile Radio Technology
by Jay M. Jacobsmeyer
TA releases coverage testing guidelines
April 2006
Mobile Radio Technology
By Donny Jackson
This is only a drill: In California, testing technology in a disaster response
August 2006
New York Times
by John Markoff
Verifying talk-back coverage
May 2006
Mobile Radio Technology
by Jay M. Jacobsmeyer
Source: www.mrtmag.com
Test and measurement vendors
AEA Technology ▪ Access Communications ▪ Advanced Communications & Electronics ▪ Advanced Wireless Telecom ▪ Aeroflex ▪ Agilent Technologies ▪ Amerizon Wireless ▪ Anritsu Company ▪ Bird Electronic ▪ Bro-Comm ▪ Brunelle Instruments ▪ Comprod Communications ▪ Doppler Systems ▪ DuraComm ▪ EMR ▪ Fiplex ▪ Fluke ▪ General Dynamics ▪ JFW Industries ▪ Megger ▪ Narda ▪ Microwave-East ▪ Optaphone ▪ Ramsey Electronics ▪ Samlex America ▪ Spantek Radio ▪ Survey Technologies ▪ Tektronix ▪ TelePath ▪ Telewave ▪ Wayne Kerr Electronics ▪ Willtek Communications ▪ Z Technology ▪ For a listing of additional vendors, visit the MRT 2006 Resource guide at www.mrtmag.com/.
