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Signal Analyzer Shoots For Millimeter Waves

April 6, 2011

Agilent Technologies has announced that their PXA signal analyzer is now operational to 50 GHz, and can cover frequencies to 325 GHz and higher with external mixing. Suitable for testing signals in radar, surveillance, and wireless communications systems, the PXA analyzers employ advanced technologies such as low-noise-path and Noise Floor Extension (NFE) techniques for wide-dynamic-range performance with high sensitivity. The displayed average noise level (DANL) is -138 dBm at 50 GHz. The phase noise is -110 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from a 50-GHz carrier with a third-order intercept of +13 dBm at 50 GHz.

According to Guy Sene, Vice-President and General Manager of Agilent's Microwave and Communications Division, "As frequencies move into the millimeter range, the ability to make good spectrum and other signal measurements gets significantly tougher. As the industry's highest performance millimeter-wave signal analyzer, the PXA is able to simplify these measurements, while ensuring our customers still get the accurate results they demand."

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.