1. The PXIe-5831 VST combined with modular mmWave heads provides coverage for frequencies as high as 44 GHz.
The PXIe-5831 VST incorporates a vector signal generator (VSG), vector signal analyzer (VSA), and high-speed serial interface with FPGA-based real-time signal processing and control. By itself, the VST provides customers with direct signal generation and analysis from 5 to 21 GHz. In addition, the PXIe-5831 can be combined with modular mmWave heads to cover frequencies from 23 to 44 GHz, providing integrated and calibrated switching for as many as 32 channels. Furthermore, the PXIe-5831 offers 1 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth for generation and analysis.
With the PXIe-5831 VST, multichannel beamformers and phased arrays can be measured without the need for additional infrastructure. NI maintains that the new VST helps address time-to-market challenges for X-, Ku-, and Ka-band radar applications, as well as satellite-communications (satcom) components and systems.
“By extending capability to even more radar and satcom frequencies, we are helping address the schedule, cost-of-test, and quality issues inherent in the development of complex transmit/receive systems,” says Luke Schreier, VP and general manager, defense and government business, NI. “As a company, we also gain significant technology leverage between these applications and the commercial 5G sectors, which enables us to more efficiently support the product.”
The PXIe-5831 wasn’t all NI had on hand to showcase at IMS. It also demonstrated a mmWave 5G packaged-part test solution, which was a collaboration between NI and two other companies: Tessolve and Johnstech (Fig. 2).
