Test & measurement T
esting RF components such as power amplifiers and front-end circuits demands sophisticated test equipment, with careful engineering of the test setup and control over the
surrounding environment. In a
research and development context, engineers can create a reference test station (Figure 1), typically built around a combination of a suitable vector signal generator and signal analyser which meet the demanding requirements in error vector magnitude (EVM) performance needed for this application. The test setup needs to safely handle and measure RF signals of appropriate power for the application. It must be able to characterise the components accurately, including their linearity and distortion. Accurately characterising signal degradation when traveling through the DUT based on non- linear effects can require specific capabilities for signal generation and analysis. EVM is a typical figure of merit which needs to be verified using the target application signal type with maximum sensitivity. To help reduce the cost per device of such complex RF frontend components, the production scenario calls for a solution that is easy to use and fulfils comparable RF performance criteria as the reference station, but streamlined for production so as to be fast, repeatable, and cost effective.
Figure 1. A reference test station suited to laboratory testing based on the R&S SMW200A and R&S FSW.
CHARACTERISATION AND PRODUCTION TEST
Once development is complete, test activities are focused on characterising the components, which makes sure that small sample lot of the final product meet the design goals, and subsequently testing on the production line for performance verification and quality control.
In this stage, test operators profit from an easy-to-use one-box solution that consolidates all the necessary functionality including signal generation and analysis while fulfilling the RF performance criteria for characterisation. Rohde & Schwarz has created the R&S PVT360A performance vector tester to meet these requirements. Its performance is optimised for RF component testing and the compact rack-sized enclosure allows easy use on any production line. Optionally, two transceivers can be housed inside to allow full parallel tests on two different devices. For users needing to characterise complex RF components under the
Instrumentation Monthly October 2023
pressures that prevail in a typical production environment, this performance vector tester combines features and performance such as EVM measurement, frequency range, and modulation bandwidth comparable with industry-leading R&D solutions. It is designed to minimise test cycle time, improving the throughput in production. The instrument’s vector signal generation and analysis capabilities permit a synchronised approach that accelerates testing while ensuring maximum performance. With features to help automate testing procedures and ensure precise measurements help streamline the production process and enforce consistent testing protocols. By ensuring that components are evaluated according to predetermined
specifications, testing reduces variability and increases the reliability and quality of the produced components.
FASTER PRODUCTION TEST The most obvious advantage of a streamlined solution that is optimised
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