Enhanced frequency converter debuts at ARMMS

This enables high-volume, lower cost testing for organisations that demand rapid "pass/fail" assessments and or laboratory exploration.

The company will also be discussing W-band up/down conversion for automotive radar testing—an area experiencing rapid growth - at the forthcoming ARMMS conference taking place at the Doubletree Hotel, Oxford, UK on the 28 – 29 April.

Designed to enable RF engineers to optimise their existing investments, the latest iteration of EECL’s frequency converter module extends the capabilities of conventional test equipment without needing an equipment overhaul, delivering maximum ROI.

By providing independent up conversion and down conversion with superior performance and flexibility, the modules ensure seamless operation and ease technical difficulties encountered at higher frequencies, both of which are critical requirements for accurate RF testing at scale.

“The K-Band and W-band frequencies have seen a sharp rise in demand due to their ability to support high data rates, increased bandwidth, and advanced sensing applications,” explainsBen Kieniewicz (pictured), CEO of EECL. “This in turn is driving the need for highly integrated test solutions and our frequency converter module meets these requirements. What is more we are seeing significant interest across a range of industries because the larger players have limited solutions at an affordable price point.”

The ability to perform phase-locked up/down conversion between the X-band and W-band ranges without requiring an external frequency reference makes the module a compelling proposition for military radio and satellite antenna testing under real-world conditions.

Other key applications include spacecraft simulation, RF signal experimentation for R&D, and equipment testing in 5G/6G networks.

To further enhance operational adaptability, EECL’s converters supports external and locally generated LO signals. The unit features UART, SPI or USB communication, streamlining integration into diverse test setups.

Additionally, the module offers a highly configurable gain control range of +10 dB to -30 dB for both IF and RF ports, which can be independently reversed and configured as needed and importantly the internal oscillator leakage and unwanted sidebands are supressed.

This flexibility allows users to tailor the converter to specific testing requirements based on equipment type and application.

The converters offer exceptionally high channel isolation of 80 dB and uktra-low phase noise LO supporting 8 GHz to 60GHz.

They feature Fast integrated tuneable harmonic filters for superior spurious signal rejection and a High dynamic range and low noise figure for optimal performance, along with configurable unwanted sideband suppression.

Other technical highlights include:

• Wide range power supply compatibility with versatile interface support (supporting C, Matlab, Python, Labview)
• Drift stabilisation through an integrated oven giving drift free calibrations
• Built-in self-test mode allowing internal loopback validation without external interference