Test & Measurement: PXI Modules Create Comm Test Signals Faster, Easier

The PXI-5671 RF vector signal generator and PXI-5441 arbitrary waveform generator combine with the NI Modulation Toolkit 3.0 for LabVIEW to offer a complete modular solution for generating high-speed communications test signals. The PXI-5671 is a three-slot module that generates signals from 250 kHz to 2.7 GHz, with a 20-MHz real-time bandwidth and 512 Mbytes of memory. An onboard digital upconverter allows downloads more than 300 times faster than other systems. The PXI-5441 features 100-Msample/s capability for generating standard functions, arbitrary waveforms, and waveform sequences. It also has onboard signal processing, which permits baseband interpolation and pulse shaping and quadrature digital upconversion capability for generating baseband I/Q and IF signal up to 43 MHz. The new version of the Modulation Toolkit includes channel coding, channel equalization, and channel models as well as easy-to-use pallet functions for ASK, PAM, AM-VSB, and AM-SSB formation. The software ships with the PXI-5671, which costs $16,495, and the PXI-5441, which costs $8495.