Vector Signal Generator accommodates more and larger waveforms

Keithley's award-winning Model 2910 RF Vector Signal Generator has been recognized for a number of industry innovations, such as its Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Architecture, patent-pending synthesizer technology, and unique power leveling circuitry. The Model 2910 uses a
highly versatile software architecture to adapt to the quickly changing test requirements of the dynamic wireless market. It provides a flexible RF test platform that reduces test times with fast frequency tuning, amplitude settling, and waveform switching for half the cost of instruments with
similar, or less, performance capabilities. The Model 2910 can internally generate virtually any signal with up to 40MHz of modulation bandwidth and signals greater than 400MHz modulation bandwidth using external I-Q inputs. The Model 2910's continuous tuning capability from 400MHz to 2.5GHz covers
the key ISM bands used for wireless communications.

In addition, the Model 2910 has the most intuitive user interface on the market, making it simple for even the novice user to quickly and easily generate RF signals. With an unrivaled combination of high accuracy and repeatability, speed, flexibility, ease of use, and compact size, the Model
2910 V2.0 employs new approaches to RF test and measurement that enables users to get accurate measurement results quickly, reduce test times, and decrease costs.

The Model 2910 V2.0 features two new modulation capability options. The first of these, the Model 2910-DIG, is a flexible digital modulation option that allows users to create an extensive range of signal modulations used in modern RF communication products. The Model 2910-DIG lets users create
multiple permutations of all digital modulation signals including ASK, FSK, PSK, and QAM, each with user-selectable symbol rates, filter types, and data types. The Model 2910-DIG option is especially useful in research and development labs and in education for its ability to easily create a wide
range of digital modulation signals.

The other new option is the Model 2910-GPS, a low-cost and flexible solution for GPS testing that is especially well suited for production test environments. The Model 2910-GPS option simulates the coded L1 signal of a GPS satellite with a variety of data types, including using an external
user-file with up to 37,504 bits (12.5 minutes) of actual satellite data. Comparable solutions cost at least twice as much as the Model 2910 V2.0 with GPS option. Together with other common wireless standards, such as GSM, EDGE, W-CDMA, cdmaOne, and cdma2000, the Model 2910-GPS option expands
the scope of the Model 2910's RF test and measurement capabilities to test mobile devices with integrated GPS functionality.

Keithley's Model 2910 V2.0 also features a new power calibration table that improves measurement accuracy by compensating for RF power losses in test fixture cables. The table stores power vs. frequency values of the cables obtained via a separate RF power meter. The Model 2910 then automatically adjusts the power, correcting for cable losses to an accuracy of +0.3dB.
This reduces operator error when making manual measurements and eliminates the need to develop power correction programming scripts in the test executive for automated systems.

Calibrating the test fixture is simplified with a new SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) command feature that allows an external PC connected to a Model 2910 V2.0 to control a separate RF power meter, such as a handheld Keithley Model 3500 RF Power Meter, via a USB
cable; the power meter is used to measure power at the RF cable connected to the device under test. Compensating for cable power loss is critical for production test environments to reduce measurement uncertainty, which helps to increase product quality and yields.

Another enhancement to the Model 2910 V2.0 is its Arbitrary Waveform Generator (ARB) memory expansion to 100 Mega-samples, allowing very large waveforms or many smaller waveforms to be loaded into memory. The 100 Mega-sample ARB of the Model 2910-ARB option supports multiple signal
waveforms to be resident in memory and enables switching between these waveforms in less than three milliseconds using a remote-control SCPI command over the instrument's GPIB, USB or LAN interfaces.

A new ARB Sequencing feature further speeds up waveform switching times to support instant transition times. Here, the waveform sampler moves from the last point of an ARB waveform to the first point of the next waveform in one clock cycle. The ARB waveforms can be played in any sequence, providing added flexibility for speeding up measurements. Such fast and flexible
testing is especially useful for production test applications.

Whether switching between frequencies, amplitude levels, or waveforms, the Model 2910 V2.0 delivers measurement speeds that are two to twenty times faster than traditional instruments - delivering the fastest execution times for testing wireless devices and products.