November 15, 2011. Two new power-sensor models from Rohde & Schwarz, the R&S NRP-Z211 (up to 8 GHz) and R&S NRP-Z221 (up to 18 GHz), round out the company’s portfolio of multipath diode power sensors in the lower price segment. Power measurements over a dynamic range of 80 dB (-60 dBm to +20 dBm) are now possible for both CW and modulated signals. The noise component is two times less than that of comparable solutions, the company reports, resulting in a measurement speed increase by a factor of four.
The sensors are based on patented multipath technology from Rohde & Schwarz. The overlapping diode paths are measured in parallel. They are weighted in the transition range to ensure a smooth transition between measurement paths and eliminate differential nonlinearity. In addition, the user does not have to switch paths, since both diode paths are measured in parallel. This increases measurement accuracy and reduces measurement times.
The new power sensors can be operated on the R&S NRP2 base unit and on virtually all signal generators, spectrum analyzers, and network analyzers from Rohde & Schwarz. Moreover, in combination with the R&S NRP-Z4 USB adapter, the sensors can be used directly with a PC.