Phase-Noise Analyzer Now Measures to 56 GHz from External Local Oscillators
Rohde & Schwarz recently announced upgrades to its FSWP phase-noise analyzer and VCO tester that extend the instrument’s range to 56 GHz (and to 325 GHz with external mixers). The highly sensitive instrument is equipped with extremely low-noise internal sources and cross-correlation of sources.
In a recent live demonstration (see the video), Rohde’s Darren Tipton, Director of Product Management for Signal and Spectrum Analyzers, explained that the FSWP is now capable of making residual or additive phase-noise measurements directly in the box at up to 54 GHz—even on pulsed signals.
In the demo, the FSWP makes measurements from an amplifier using its external local-oscillator (LO) inputs. The measurements reveal that the amplifiers ring at 47 GHz. Another new feature in the FSWP is a noise-figure marker.
Given that wideband phase noise of a device is very closely correlated to the device’s noise figure, the FSWP now enables users to perform active noise-figure measurements on devices with varying drive levels. It provides an alternative to Y-factor measurements or using a network analyzer for noise-figure results.
