The Boonton RTP5008 Real-Time Peak USB Power Sensor enables characterization of Wi-Fi 6 devices in the newly allocated 6-GHz band (5.925 to 7.125 GHz). The RTP5008 offers industry-leading performance with wide video bandwidth, fast rise times, fine time resolution, narrow minimum pulse widths, high pulse repetition rates, and superior measurement reading rates. The RTP5008 can fully characterize Wi-FI 6 chipsets and modules at their highest level of performance, utilizing channel bandwidths up to 160 MHz in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) configurations. Wi-Fi 6 is expected to offer faster data throughput, greater network efficiency, improved operation in dense or congested environments and extended battery life for client devices. With frequency coverage up to 8 GHz and video bandwidth of 165 MHz, the RTP5008 provides powerful RF measurement capabilities needed for Wi-Fi 6 chipset or module work.

The RTP5008 features 100 psec time-base resolution with an acquisition rate up to 100 MSa/sec, providing 50 points/div with a time base range as low as 5 nsec/div, gathering useful waveform information often missed by other power analyzers. Pulse widths as narrow as 10 nsec can be captured and characterized with outstanding trigger stability (< 100 psecRMS jitter). Engineers can utilize multiple sensors sharing a common time base to measure MIMO transmissions over a virtually unlimited number of data packets. The RTP5008 can also be used with the Boonton PMX40 RF Power Meter to provide a standalone benchtop measurement experience.

This USB-connected RF power sensor incorporates Boonton’s unique Real-Time Power Processing (RTPP) technology, which delivers measurements with no gaps in signal acquisition and zero measurement latency. RTPP is a unique parallel processing methodology that rapidly performs the multi-step process of RF power measurements. RTP5008 sensors can therefore capture, display, and measure every pulse, glitch, and detail with no gaps in data and zero latency. A Measurement Buffer Mode, working with Real Time Processing, allows users to collect and analyze measurements from a virtually unlimited number of consecutive pulses or events. Multiple parameters can be calculated and plotted (e.g. duty cycle, pulse repetition, pulse width variation, jitter, etc.). Anomalies such as dropouts can also be identified. This means that RTP5008 Peak Power Sensors provide fast, accurate, and reliable RF power sensing from 50 MHz to 8 GHz, with automatic pulse measurements.

To simplify test procedures, the RTP5008 can measure, calculate, and display sixteen common power and timing parameters, including rise time, fall time, pulse average, overshoot, and droop. The freely provided Boonton Power Analyzer software package allows users to use the complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) to assess the probability of various crest factor values to gain further insight into DUT performance. The CCDF and other statistical values are determined from a large population of power samples captured at a 100 MSa/sec acquisition rate on all channels simultaneously.

With superior performance and a small form factor, the Boonton RTP5008 is useful for design and verification, manufacturing, field installation and maintenance. Made by Boonton Electronics, a recognized leader in high-performance RF test instrumentation and sensors, the RTP5008 Real-Time Peak Power Sensor is available now from Saelig Company, Inc. the USA technical distributor.