Wideband 3GPP W-CDMA Instrument Combines Multiple Test Functions

    Oct. 2, 2000
    Designed as a digital mobile transmitter tester, Anritsu's MS8608A doubles as a power meter and a spectrum analyzer. Aimed at third-generation partnership-project (3GPP) W-CDMA applications, it can test basestations and mobile basestation amplifiers...

    Designed as a digital mobile transmitter tester, Anritsu's MS8608A doubles as a power meter and a spectrum analyzer. Aimed at third-generation partnership-project (3GPP) W-CDMA applications, it can test basestations and mobile basestation amplifiers at the R&D and production stages.

    The MS8608A can measure modulation analysis, code-domain power, transmission power, occupied bandwidth, and spurious emissions. Its 9-kHz to 7.8-GHz range supports 3GPP W-CDMA applications. Also, the instrument's built-in power meter measures frequencies from 10 MHz to 3 GHz and power levels of 40 to āˆ’20 dBm. Amplitude measurements can be made down to āˆ’60 dBm within Ā±0.6 dBm.

    It features an analysis bandwidth of 20 MHz, and it can measure transmission power within Ā±0.4 dB. Its adjacent-channel power specification is āˆ’68 dBc at an offset of 5 MHz and āˆ’75 dBc at an offset of 10 MHz. Installed MX860801A W-CDMA measurement software performs modulation and code-domain analysis on RF and I/O signals, according to the 3GPP specifications for W-CDMA.

    Designers can measure frequency and modulation with a typical modulation accuracy that's less than 1% and an origin offset accuracy within Ā±0.5 dB. Code-domain analysis is conducted with power-measurement accuracy within Ā±0.1 dB and an error-measurement accuracy within Ā±0.5 dB. A transmitter measurement-control power function lets users perform relative power-per-slot and go/no-go evaluation.

    Furthermore, the MS8608A can measure adjacent-channel power using sweep methods as well as a filter method. In the sweep mode, it can calculate and display the result after each adjacent channel is measured, or after the entire sweep has been made. It then displays the power of adjacent channels after passing through built-in receiving filters.

    The MS8608A is priced at $35,000. A precision frequency reference, model number MS8608A-1, costs $2200. In addition, the MX-860801A software costs $5500. Availability is from stock.

    Anritsu Company, North America, 1155 E. Collins Blvd., Richardson, TX 75081; (972) 761-4633; fax (972) 671-1877; www.us.anritsu.com.

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    About the Author

    Roger Allan

    Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

    After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Pentonā€™s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

    He is a ā€œjack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologiesā€ like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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