Newsletter: Know the Weakest Link
in Your RF Network Analysis

 6/27/2011
IN THIS ISSUE
latest news main article new PXI products join newsletter PXISA links

From Bob Helsel, Editor of the PXI Newsletter:

  

Welcome to the June edition of the PXI Newsletter.  Our intent is to educate and inform you about how the PXI standard is being used in modular test systems for a wide variety of industries.

PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA)

  • The PXISA supports the development and promotion of the PXI standard, an open T&M standard, which was first adopted in 1998.
  • The PXISA has a global representation of 49 members, leading companies in T&M.
  • Only PXISA members may use the PXI logo on their products. The PXI logo on instrumentation assures conformance to the PXI specifications and interoperability between products from different vendors.
  • The business of the PXISA is conducted by the Board of Directors, the Technical Committee, and the Marketing Committee. The PXISA is professionally managed by an external 3rd party management firm.
  • There are over 1500 PXI products on the market today.

This month, our main article is Know the Weakest Link in Your RF Network Analysis, which shows how an RF measurement is only as reliable as your most uncertain component or practice. In the New PXI Products section, we are showcasing PXI products recently released by members of the PXI Systems Alliance.

Thanks to Agilent Technologies, our sponsor for this month's issue.

Visit http://www.pxisa.org for more information.

Agilent sponsor

 

 

PXI apps
Main Article

Know the Weakest Link in Your RF Network Analysis

By David Broadbent
National Instruments

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and an RF measurement is only as reliable as the most uncertain component or practice.   Exceptional accuracy and flexibility have made the vector network analyzer (VNA) the instrument of choice for many RF measurements. To fully realize these benefits, you must understand the weaknesses of your measurement and correct for them where possible.

1. Correct for Systematic Errors
Understanding the error sources in any RF measurement setup is a prerequisite to making accurate measurements. Like all RF instruments, network analyzers require a certified calibration laboratory to perform a yearly factory calibration. However, the key to the exceptional measurement accuracy achieved by network analyzers is performing a user calibration more frequently. Figure 1 shows a simplified block diagram of the NI PXIe-5630 VNA and the sources of systematic error that can be corrected for during a properly performed user calibration.

Read more >>
 

Thanks to all our readers.
Bob Helsel, Editor
www.pxisa.org
New PXI Products

The PXI platform continues its explosive growth with many new product introductions. New products introduced in the last three months include (listed in the order received):

NI Digital Video Analyzer
The new NI Digital Video Analyzer automates a wide range of tests for the latest HDMI sources such as set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players and DVD players. The analyzer features configuration-based test steps that automate measurements of HDMI features including 3-D video, HDMI 1.4 protocol and picture quality analysis.

Agilent M9216A High Voltage Data Acquisition Module
The M9216A is a high voltage data acquisition module that allows simultaneous measurement of eight channels of positive voltages ranging from 1 mV to 100 V. Each channel in the module comes with concurrent 5 V and 100 V measurement ranges, with every channel capable of acquiring digital signals that fluctuate between very low and very high voltage levels without the need for switching ranges and doing separate measurements.

Read more >>

 
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