Level Range Extension of the R&S®SMW200A Using an External Amplifier

Testing RF devices, like power amplifiers, requires a certain input power at the device under test (DUT). Sometimes, more power than a signal generator can deliver is needed. This may be the case when devices require higher input power, or when they need to be connected using long cables, which introduce large insertion losses at high frequencies.

In these cases, an external amplifier can be used to deliver the required power to a DUT.

This application note gives a guideline how to increase the power delivered to a DUT by an R&S®SMW200A vector signal generator using an external amplifier.

It covers shifting the power reference plane from the generator output to the DUT input using an R&S®NRP power sensor and mitigating linear and nonlinear distortions using an R&S®FSW signal and spectrum analyzer.