Reverberation Chambers (RVC) have become popular as an alternative to Anechoic Chamber (AC) facilities for electromagnetic emission & immunity tests. This application note describes how to setup Elektra and perform measurements in RVC.

20-Mar-2025 | AN-No. 1EE28

In the fast-paced world of automotive manufacturing, ensuring reliability and precision in radar sensors is paramount. Rohde & Schwarz provides advanced production testing solutions for automotive radar sensors and empowers tier 1 suppliers to deliver exceptional performance, safety and efficiency.

13-Mar-2025

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.

12-Mar-2025 | AN-No. 1GP143

The shift from internal combustion engine (ICE) automobiles to electric vehicles (EV) has come with an array of new subsystems and components that introduce new EMC considerations. The level of complexity involved in automotive EMC testing increases with dynamic driving conditions where manufacturers not only have to refer to the framework standards offered, but must also improvise and establish new internal standards to ensure the vehicle and its internal components all function properly under all driving conditions. A number of challenges may arise when building a suitable test bench that thoroughly tests EVs and electrical components. This educational note dives into the development of dynamic EMC test systems, their inherent challenges, and how Rohde & Schwarz and AVL, one of the world’s leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation and testing in the automotive industry, have teamed up to provide a unified EMC test platform for dynamic driving conditions.

11-Mar-2025

The R&S®ZNA vector network analyzer enables comprehensive transmit/receive module (TRM) and active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) testing with a single connection.

28-Feb-2025

The CMW500 wideband radio communication tester and the CMX500 radio communication tester are ideal for testing smartphones and tablets to meet EU energy efficiency index standards.

28-Feb-2025

The R&S®ZVA-Zxxx and R&S®ZCxxx mmWave converters extend the R&S®ZNA vector network analyzer frequency range up to 1.1 THz.

27-Feb-2025

Automated testing against the Chinese national GNSS test standard (GB/T 45086.1‑2024) with R&S®CMWrun sequencer software and the R&S®SMBV100B vector signal generator

20-Feb-2025

Debugging and verifying the DDR DRAM memory interface in a system design can be challenging. The R&S®RTP high-performance oscilloscope zone trigger is ideal for READ/WRITE separation as a basis for analyzing signal integrity.

06-Feb-2025

With the rise of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellations for broadband data connectivity over the last few years, the need to dynamically simulate the channel between the satellite and user equipment (UE) or the satellite and the ground station (GS) has grown at a staggering pace. The satellite channel is subject to various atmospheric effects and the relative motion between the satellite and UE, resulting in frequency and level variations that depend on the satellite's position in the sky. Consequently, it is essential for manufacturers of related receivers and other hardware components to consider these effects during the design and production phases to ensure optimal performance and reliability.In this application note, the focus will be on giving an overview of the functionalities of the R&S Space Nexus and explaining how to use the software to create realistic fading files out of a given Two Line Elements (TLE) file that is describing the trajectory of a satellite. Afterwards the approach for using this file to simulate a realistic satellite fading scenario using the R&S®SMW200A equipped with a R&S®SMW-K820 (custom dynamic fading option), is explained

03-Feb-2025 | AN-No. 1GP147

High-speed serial interfaces often transmit data with differential signaling. For probing on the signal, trace differential probes are used. Besides the differential inputs, these probes often provide an additional connection for ground – especially the higher bandwidth models. The ground connection on the R&S®RT‑ZM modular multimode probes can be used to improve measurements on high-speed differential interfaces.

29-Jan-2025

A Fabry-Pérot open resonator (FPOR) provided by QWED allows dielectric sheets to be accurately characterized in the frequency range from 110 GHz to 170 GHz using just one fixture.

14-Jan-2025

More functions, greater processing power and growing data rates make high-speed system-on-chips (SoCs) power designs challenging. The increasing number of power rails that supply the various function blocks of modern CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs and such require precise sequencing during power-up and powerdown. Supply voltage levels are also lowered to reduce power dissipation inside the SoC. Power integrity requirements are stricter and more supply current is needed on power rails. Multiphase buck converters continue to grow more popular for high-current power rails. The converters have many benefits, but designers also face challenges when it comes to power design and validation testing.

13-Jan-2025

Crucial for proper operation of mobile networks. Part 4 of the series on Cable and Antenna verification

Critical Infrastructure: Mobile base stations rely on a complex interplay of components, including often-overlooked elements like filter combiners, RF splitters and tappers, and cables, to deliver uninterrupted mobile communications.Vulnerability to Environmental Factors: Filter combiners, accessories, and cabling in mobile base stations are susceptible to harsh environmental stressors, which can lead to signal degradation and reduced system availability.Fundamental Properties: The functional integrity of mobile base station components is measured against key RF parameters, including frequency response and insertion loss, to ensure conformance to manufacturer and industry standards (e.g., 3GPP, ETSI).Measurement Techniques: Systematic and comprehensive testing is essential to validate the functional integrity of critical mobile base station components, detect latent defects, and optimize overall system performance.

09-Jan-2025 | AN-No. 8NT20

Protecting the public: the ARDRONIS counter drone solution from Rohde & Schwarz prevents drone related security threats at major events.

18-Dec-2024

LoRa is one of the most popular low-power wireless sensor network technologies for implementation of the internet of things (IoT), offering long-range communications compared to technologies such as Zigbee. Its name is derived from "long range" and it operates in license-free ISM bands. LoRa is a physical proprietary radio communications technique that is based on spread spectrum modulation techniques derived from chirp spread spectrum (CSS) technology.

12-Dec-2024

Crucial for proper operation of mobile networks - Part 3 of the series on Cable and Antenna verification

Key points: Critical Infrastructure: Leaky feeder systems are a crucial, yet costly to modify, element of in-building and tunnel infrastructure for mobile communication coverage.Vulnerability to Environmental Factors: The leaky feeder system's exposure to high humidity, extreme temperatures, and physical stress makes it prone to water ingress, corrosion, mechanical damage, and material degradation.Fundamental Properties: Changes in a leaky feeder system's characteristic impedance cause reflections of forward RF energy, resulting in discontinuities, which can occur at connectors, kinks, or compressions in the cable.Measurement Techniques: Due to practical limitations, leaky feeder system testing typically involves measuring insertion and return loss, supplemented by evaluating key performance indicators (KPIs) and user equipment reports to assess actual coverage and identify potential defects.

05-Dec-2024 | AN-No. 8NT19

Military satellite communications (MIL SATCOM) operators face unique challenges in maintaining reliable high-quality communications networks, particularly in remote or hostile environments. To address these challenges, the R&S®SATCOM Link Observer provides a versatile automated solution for monitoring and troubleshooting satellite communications links, ensuring efficient and effective communications networks.

03-Dec-2024

In an ideal scenario, a probe accurately transmits a signal from the device under test (DUT) in its original form with no alterations. Differential probes are designed to eliminate common-mode (CM) distortion by cancelling out identical signal artifacts on each socket relative to earth. In practice, issues such as poor CM rejection, frequency response degradation and signal distortion can compromise signal integrity, particularly in high-speed power applications where signal fidelity is crucial.

25-Nov-2024

Communications and information sharing are key success factors for military operations. Ever increasing number of remotely operated systems, sensors and distributed systems. Coordinating and controlling all these moving parts requires wireless communications, but the electromagnetic spectrum is becoming more and more congested. Spectrum superiority ensures reliable communications when and where it is needed.

25-Oct-2024

Rohde & Schwarz offers a wide range of essential lab equipment, like power supplies, LCR meters and power analyzers. To enhance the versatility of these instruments, a selection of application programs is available. These application programs typically remote-control equipment for more complex tasks like sweeps, logging and battery testing.In a larger lab there may be a larger number of such instruments present, and a selection of available application programs installed on a PC. In such a case it is desirable to have a kind of dashboard providing an overview over both, including version check and links to documentation on the Rohde & Schwarz website. The R&S® application dashboard for power supplies and meters is providing this functionality. The application document contains the description and user manual for the software. Furthermore a package is provided containing installers for all related application programs.

13-Sep-2024 | AN-No. 1GP140

This paper describes the measurement of additive/residual phase noise of power amplifiers or multipliers for example for automotive RADAR sensors at 80 GHz using the interferometric measurement approach in combination with a phase noise and VCO tester R&S FSWP. The setup provides a way to characterize the additive/residual phase noise of amplifiers down to -150 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset even in the microwave range at 80 GHz.

11-Sep-2024 | AN-No. 1EF117

A measurement campaign quantifying the impact of intermodulation in 5G TDD networks

Critical infrastructure: With the deployment of TDD networks, the mobile network community recognizes the critical importance of cell synchronization and the use of uniform TDD patterns across different networks for the proper operation of mobile radio networks. Variety of scenarios: Possible scenarios include cross-border situations, interactions between private campus networks and public mobile networks, and accidental synchronization chain breaks or misconfigurations within the mobile network.Measurement techniques: To quantify the effects of non-synchronized cells and using different TDD pattern in neighboring networks, R&S, in collaboration with TU Dresden and Advancing Individual Networks GmbH (AIN), conducted a measurement campaign using movable networks with full control over all network parameters. This campaign measured the effects on uplink and downlink throughput, mapping these to RSSI/RSRP values received at the interfered site.Customer benefits: The available quantification is valuable for predicting and assessing potential interference scenarios before setting up and operating a new cell site.

11-Sep-2024 | AN-No. 8NT18

The R&S®MobileView app lets users operate Rohde & Schwarz instruments remotely and eliminates the need for physical interactions with the instruments.

04-Sep-2024

The MFIA impedance analyzer – a multipurpose instrument for R&D and quality control – can be used to measure the ESR and ESL of DC-link capacitors over a wide frequency range.

04-Sep-2024

Best practices for mobile network testing for business-critical applications

Business-critical infrastructure: Industrial applications require extremely high reliability and availability, as any downtime can result in significant financial losses. Fundamental requirements: Industrial applications often require low latency and even more important a sustainable latency to ensure real-time communication and control. Measurement Techniques: As soon as the radio access network is used, innovative testing methods are needed beforehand to proactively test the network capability and to identify any potential issues. We propose a standard test procedure for the characterization of a network regarding industrial use-cases that covers a representative set of different, common types of network traffic.

13-Aug-2024 | AN-No. 8NT17

With a Rohde & Schwarz oscilloscope

13-Aug-2024

LTE is becoming the predominant wireless technology. Among several new features of this standard, the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology offers various advantages.It improves the throughput, extends the reach, reduces interference and improves the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) with beamforming. LTE supports various modes in order to optimize the transmission settings.An LTE MIMO base station consists of a baseband unit, a remote radio head (RRH) and an array of up to eight antennas. The RRH upconverts the digital signals of the baseband unit into analog signals for each antenna.

08-Aug-2024

Automotive radars are essential to safety systems such as collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control. The radars are a pillar of ADAS/AD systems and an important part of sensor fusion. The effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of automotive radar sensors is the total power emitted from radar antennas and a comprehensive measure of signal strength and coverage capability (essential to assessing automotive radar sensor performance). The AREG800A automotive radar echo generator makes for easy EIRP measurements when validating automotive radar sensors.

06-Aug-2024

Rogue cells pose a significant threat to cellular networks. They need to be addressed as quickly as possible to avoid damage to network integrity, especially for critical infrastructure. R&S®NESTOR cellular network analysis (CNA) software lets users efficiently detect and locate harmful cells in the network environment through base station analysis (BSA) in order to protect sensitive areas.

02-Aug-2024