Before those 800G links can operate, they need testing. San Diego — The 2024 Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC) took place here from March 25 to 28. While companies highlighting their optical transceiver modules, semiconductors, and network equipment all touted how they support AI and data centers, none of that happens without test equipment. Optical […]
Test Equipment
RF generators produce test signals to 40 GHz
The SMB100B series from Rohde & Schwarz produces microwave carriers to 40 GHz. Test-instrument manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz introduced a series of four microwave signal generators, the SMB100B. The instruments come with four models depending on top frequency: 12.75 GHz, 20 GHz, 31.8 GHz, and 40 GHz. All models support AM, FM, phase, and pulse […]
What is intermodulation, and is it good or bad? Part 2
A mixer can upconvert and downconvert a modulated signal with no loss of baseband information. Part 1 of this series described intermodulation resulting from the combining of two or more sinusoidal signals through a nonlinear device such as the mixer in Figure 1. The mixer’s output is the product of its two inputs, and its […]
Solderless RF connectors attach to board edges for test applications
Samtec has released a new line of RF edge launch connectors with a narrow body design that is 33% smaller than traditional edge launch connectors. These connectors are commonly used in a lab setting for high-frequency test and measurement applications, high-speed digital component tests, and evaluation boards. Frequency capabilities are DC to 67 GHz (185-EL Series), […]
What is intermodulation, and is it good or bad? Part 1
Sinusoidal inputs applied to a nonlinear system produce an output containing different frequencies, and the results can be good, bad, or ugly. According to the dictionary definition, intermodulation is “the production in an electrical device of currents having frequencies equal to the sums and differences of frequencies supplied to the device.” In the literature of […]
Function, arb generators and multimeters enhance test equipment lines
RIGOL Technologies is expanding its family of ultra-portable instruments with the introduction of the DG800 Pro and DG900 Pro Series Function / Arbitrary Waveform Generators, along with the DM858 Series Digital Multimeters. Like their predecessors—the DHO800 and DHO900 Series High-Resolution Oscilloscopes—these new generators and multimeters deliver impressive performance and functionality in a compact and light […]
Perform phase noise and VCO measurements to 50 GHz
Rohde & Schwarz bumps up the frequency with the FSPN50 phase noise analyzer and VCO tester.
Optimize AI network design at 800 Gbps
Keysight Technologies, Inc. has entered the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) infrastructure ecosystem with the introduction of the Keysight AI Data Center Test Platform, designed to accelerate innovation in AI / ML network validation and optimization. The solution significantly improves the benchmarking of new AI infrastructures with unprecedented scale and efficiency. The deployment and […]
Keysight, Intel certify EM simulation for 18A process technology
Keysight Technologies, Inc. announces that the RFPro electromagnetic (EM) simulation software, part of the Keysight EDA Advanced Design System (ADS) integrated tool suite, is now certified by Intel Foundry for design engineers targeting Intel 18A process technology. The new EM simulation capability, together with process design kits (PDKs) for the Intel 18A circuit and physical designs, enables radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) […]
Why does the Fourier transform provide apparently inaccurate results, and what can I do about it? part 2
A bare-bones implementation of the Fast Fourier Transform helps illuminate how to extract frequency information from input data samples. In part 1 of this series, we reviewed the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and manually calculated one DFT shown in Table 1. Table 1. Manual DFT results DFT input Complex DFT |DFT| 3 12 + j0 […]