Expanded test platform

Aeroflex has added the latest communications standards to its PXI 3000 series modular test platform, now enabling communications engineers to address a variety of 2G and 3G wireless data standards with a single, flexible, software-defined system.

With the addition of the Bluetooth measurement suite and the WLAN, and CDMA2000/1xEVDO plug-ins for the PXI Studio software application as well as upgrades to the WiMAX, UMTS and GSM/EDGE measurement suites, the PXI 3000 series is versatile.

All measurement suites are supported by the company’s PXI Studio application software for manual operation with measurement displays to facilitate test system integration as well as testing and problem solving in production and R&D.

Bluetooth signal analysis enables characterisation of Bluetooth and Bluetooth enhanced data rate (EDR) radio signals in accordance with the requirements of 2008 Bluetooth Specifications 1.2/2.0/2.0 + EDR/2.1/2.1 + EDR revision 2.1E1, the measurement suite enables fast measurement of all signal characteristics including burst power, spectrum and modulation accuracy.

CDMA2000 and 1xEVDO reverse link - designed for PXI-based RF test systems used in the development and manufacture of mobile radio transmitters, sub-modules and RFICs (radio frequency integrated circuits), the CDMA2000 and 1xEVDO suite enables precise characterisation of CDMA2000 rev C and 1xEVDO rev A reverse link transmissions. The release now features phase and amplitude error measurements accessible from within the PXI Studio plug-in.

WLAN supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g with data rates and corresponding modulation and encoding formats up to 54 Mbps. DSSS-OFDM support is now available along with new measurements including carrier leak, skew and gain imbalance. In conjunction with the appropriate hardware configuration, this measurement suite is suitable for testing smart phones.

The GSM/EDGE measurement suite simplifies programming and integration of PXI into automated test applications for GSM handsets/devices and has been updated to include an increased frequency lock range to 300 kHz, making it possible to test terminal transmissions even while unsynchronised to a down link (DL) signal.

UMTS uplink is designed to perform high-speed RF measurements on UE radio transceivers, sub-assemblies and RF components during R&D, design verification, manufacturing test and quality control and now supports phase discontinuity, IQ skew, gain imbalance, carrier leak and phase/amplitude error.

WiMAX measurement enables WiMAX PHY (physical layer), orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) power, spectrum and modulation measurements in accordance with IEEE 802.16e (2005).