Keithley Partners with Chinese IMC Research Lab to Aid in Future RF Test Development

As a leading provider of advanced, next-generation RF test equipment, Keithley is uniquely positioned to aid the work of the IMC, a growing research institution for wireless technology, particularly in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) applications. MIMO is an emerging wireless communication technology that responds to the growing demand for more data in mobile communication devices. The newest wireless standards are based on MIMO. This research collaboration between the IMC and Keithley establishes a reference site of joint research and allows both entities to work together on existing applications as well as research emerging applications. The IMC, in partnership with Keithley, will be able to establish an advanced research MIMO platform.

“Wireless communication products continue to be major drivers in the global electronics market,” said Mark Hoersten, Keithley Vice President, Business Management. “As a result, researchers working on developing the next generation of wireless communication products need leading-edge test instrumentation. As a leader in RF test technology, especially leading-edge MIMO technology, Keithley looks forward to its partnership with the IMC as we continue our long-standing tradition of working with cutting edge institutions and companies to develop the technologies of the future.”

“Keithley Instruments has a decades-long commitment to helping those working in university-based labs around the world obtain the test equipment and technical support they need to train the engineers and researchers of tomorrow and to develop innovative electronics technologies,” said Larry L. Pendergrass, Vice President, New Product Development. “We are especially excited about enabling and collaborating with IMC on leading edge research in the area of MIMO. Keithley provides the most advanced RF test solutions for MIMO, and we are very happy to be working with IMC in this emerging technology.”

“Information-theory based coding and transmissions play an important role in the future of communications and information technology,” said Dr. Pingzhi Fan, Director of Information Coding and Transmission at the IMC. “I am confident that both the IMC and Keithley will benefit from the establishment of this joint lab. It is an excellent opportunity for IMC to strengthen our relationship with industry, accelerate important academic contributions, and improve our practical development and testing capability. We are very pleased to be working with Keithley whose MIMO RF test solution is enabling and driving advanced research in MIMO technology. It is also helpful for us to gather and train high-level researchers, and to achieve world-class innovation contributions.”

Keithley is the leader in MIMO RF test technology with the best test platform which supports existing wireless standards as well as new and emerging standards based on MIMO technology. Keithley’s 4X4 MIMO RF Test System helps researchers and designers of new wireless devices design and manufacture products that use the MIMO radio architecture, such as WLAN and WiMAX Wave 2. Keithley's new system supports MIMO testing in a way that's more advanced than any other system on the market. The 4X4 MIMO RF Test System consists of Keithley's new Model 2920 Vector Signal Generator (VSG), Model 2820 Vector Signal Analyzer (VSA), Model 2895 MIMO Synchronization Unit, and powerful MIMO Signal Analysis Software.

The 4X4 MIMO RF test system features a frequency range to 6GHz with an optional 20, 40, or 80MHz arbitrary waveform generator bandwidth with 100MSamples of waveform memory and 40MHz of receiver bandwidth, giving users the capability of testing a vast array of commercial communications signals, including the industry's most demanding and complex signals. The Model 2895 MIMO Synchronization Unit provides highly synchronized signals to the system instruments, which gives the system a highly precise and stable alignment between up to four signal analyzers and generators. In addition, the Model 2820 and Model 2920 can be set up in 2-, 3-, or 4-channel configurations for added flexibility. These dual-purpose instruments can be used either as standalone instruments or as part of a 4X4 MIMO test system, so users don't need to dedicate individual signal analyzer or signal generator units to a task.