Measurement option cuts power servo test times

Option 194 (Fast Power Measurement) on the PXI 3030 series RF digitizer results in a 57% reduction in servo loop time when applied to an LTE signal. This has given RFMD an overall 10% reduction in test time.

RFMD, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency solutions, is a leading user of Cobham Wireless PXI 3000 Series RF modular instruments. It has been integrating Cobham Wireless RF PXI sources and RF digitizers (302X and 303X respectively) into its production test systems since 2005. It uses these test systems to test amplifiers, switches, and numerous other RF components.

“Option 194 gives RFMD a much faster way of making power measurements by using the on-board FPGA on the RF digitizer,” said Tim Carey, senior product manager for Cobham. “Fast power measurement is extremely beneficial when testing cellular or WLAN power amplifiers as well as in many other applications. Measurements such as ACLR, EVM, and efficiency are made at a constant output power. Reaching the desired output power is an iterative process, which normally adds significantly to the measurement time.”

The Fast Power Measurement technique gives Cobham customers such as RFMD a significant improvement in test time and considerable potential savings in future capital expenditure.