RF Vector Signal Generator Module Speeds Product Cycle

April 26, 2004

The 2.7-GHz PXI-5670 RF vector signal generator module accelerates RF product development from design through manufacturing. This device from National Instruments combines the PXI-5610 2.7-GHz RF upconverter, the PXI-5421 16-bit arbitrary waveform...

Roger Allan

"Engineers can now for the first time use one platform from design through manufacturing," claims Joseph E. Kovacs, RF product manager with National Instruments.

The PXI-5670 offers signal generation from 250 kHz to 2.7 GHz. It can produce analog modulation and custom digital modulation. Additionally, the PXI-5670 can produce standard digital modulation formats like amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK), modulation shift keying (MSK), phase shift keying (PSK), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

The module features true 16-bit-resolution arbitrary waveform generation at 100 Msamples/s (400 Msamples/s interpolated) and a 22-MHz real-time bandwidth. With its deep memory of 256 Mbytes, the PXI-5670 provides extended playback time for complex modulation signals.

The Toolkit offers standard measurements of error vector magnitude (EVM), modulation error ratio (MER), and Rho. It also supplies functions to inject impairments into a communications system, including IQ gain imbalance, quadrature skew, and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Visualization functions comprise trellis, constellation, and 2D and 3D eye diagrams.

With 8 Mbytes of memory, the PXI-5670 is priced from $12,995. A version with 24 Mbytes of memory costs $14,995, and a 256-Mbyte version goes for $17,995.

National Instruments www.ni.com (800) 258-7022

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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 Penton’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 “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.