A sophisticated signal analyzer designed to provide the industry’s widest analysis bandwidth and deepest dynamic range to help solve difficult mmWave challenges won its creator, Keysight Technologies, a 2021 Leap Award.

The LEAP Award competition addresses products across 12 categories. More than 100 entrants were received for the annual event which celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. This year’s winners were chosen by an independent judging panel of 12 engineering and academic professionals.

At mmWave frequencies, signal quality is more susceptible to impairments such as modulation errors, phase noise, and distortion. Keysight’s N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyzer and frequency extender are said to set a new level of performance for high-frequency measurements, including up to 110 GHz to cover the current 5G NR FR1 and FR2 bands, as well as most radar, EW, and satellite bands. A completely new front end provides low noise performance and high-dynamic range, addressing applications in Tx test, such as EVM and other modulation quality tests – while also excelling at measurements of low-level and unknown signals.

The N9042B supports the X-series family of multi-touch applications, as well as the 89600 VSA software. A new CPU performs compute-intensive measurements, such as demodulation and EVM, up to 40% faster than prior analyzers.

Key product specifications for the N9042B UXA X-Series signal
analyzer include:
• 2 Hz to 110 GHz unbanded, preselected frequency range
• 11 GHz wide analysis bandwidth
• 4 GHz of corrected analysis bandwidth to test wideband, highthroughput
communications designs
• Industry’s best error vector magnitude (EVM)
• The industry’s best swept displayed average noise level (DANL) of –
174 dBm at 1 GHz