Propagation measurements are indispensable in the planning of digital, cellular mobile radio net-works. To find the optimum sites for the base stations, a mobile test transmitter system simulating the base station is operated from a number of possible locations. The test receiver system is accommodated in a vehicle, which is driven along a test route to perform measurements. The parameters measured, such as level, bit error rate or channel impulse response, provide information on the coverage within the cell. The main problem is to minimize interference caused by multipath propagation in the reception area. The SME offered by Rohde & Schwarz is a universal test generator that can be used as the core of a test transmitter system. The SME generates the GMSK-modulated signals required for GSM propagation measurements in line with the rele-vant standards. Thanks to its low weight of 17 kg it can be carried even to remote sites. Fitted with the new optional DM Memory Extension (SME-B12, in the following referred to as XMEM), the SME is able to store data sequences of up to 8 Mbit which are long enough for receiver measurements with test mobile stations. A suitable test receiver system is for instance a test mobile station for measuring level and bit error rate and the Impulse Response Analyzer PCS from Rohde & Schwarz for measuring the channel impulse response. The present Application Note describes how the XMEM can be loaded with suitable data (test sequence) by the GSM Radiocommunication Test Set CRTP from Rohde & Schwarz and how the SME has to be adjusted for GMSK modulation of these data. First, however, an overview is given of all functions of the XMEM and their operation supplementary to the Operating Manual. Finally, it is explained how the XMEM data can be transferred between PC and SME via the IEEE-488 or RS-232 interface.

01-Jul-1999 | AN-No. 1GPAN14

Sequencer Software Tool

14-Mar-2016

SMIQ/ABFS TV shows the SMIQ or ABFS display remotely on any Windows™ PC

02-May-2002 | AN-No. 1GP54

Communication systems according to IS-136 (NADC) use Time Division Multiplex Access (TDMA) for the communication between base station and mobile stations. There are 6 time slots available. Depending on the amount of data, which have to be transmitted, the system uses full rate channels or half rate channels. A full rate channel means, that the mobile is accessed every 3rd time slot (e.g time slot 1 and 3, time slot 2 and 4 or time slot 3 and 6). With half rate channels the mobile is accessed every 6th time slot. Full rate and half rate channels may be mixed on demand. The base stations transmit continous on their frequency. Depending on the used combination of full rate and half rate channels the base station uses a different sequence of synchronisation words. The mobile stations use bursted transmission with one of the synchronisation words S1 to S6 defined in the standard. Signal Generator SME is excellently suited to generate these signals to test either base station receivers or mobile phone receivers. Together with the modulation data supplied with this application note the SME serves as a signal source for various test and measurement applications in the whole frequency range of IS-136 (NADC).

01-Jul-1999 | AN-No. 1GPAN35

Signal faults and anomalies can cause electrical and electronic systems to fail. Especially in the field, these errors can lead to system downtimes and produce high costs. Consequently, finding them quickly and efficiently as well as identifying their source are crucial.

30-Dec-2015

This application note describes the general setup and required equipment for EMC measurements according to the EMS standard IEC / EN 61000-4-6.

29-Mar-2007 | AN-No. 1SP31

FMCW radar sensors are used in vehicles for adaptive cruise control and for blind-spot, lane-change and cross traffic assistants. Radar sensors for acquisition of the surroundings are key components for future vehicles with semi-autonomous and fully autonomous driving. Autonomous driving requires radars that reliably detect objects in the surrounding area. Radar makes it possible to quickly and precisely measure the radial velocity, range and azimuth and elevation angle of multiple objects. For this reason, the automobile industry is increasingly using this technology in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Rohde & Schwarz offers T&M solutions for generating, measuring and analyzing radar signals and components to ensure trouble free operation of these sensors. The high-performance oscilloscope R&S® RTP with four measurement channels is the perfect solution for multi-channel measurements on MIMO radar sensors and correlation with other signals e.g. power rails, whereas a spectrum analyzer such as the R&S® FSW85 offers highest dynamic up to 85 GHz.This application note focuses on how to measure and analyze FMCW radar signals with up to 6 GHz bandwidth with an R&S® RTP oscilloscope. On-board analysis features for pulse and chirp analysis for single- and multi-channel measurements will be addressed as well as the combination of oscilloscope and R&S® VSE software. Measurement of an FMCW radar signal in the 77 - 81GHz band with 4 GHz bandwidth is demonstrated.

07-Aug-2019 | AN-No. GFM318

This application note describes how to connect R&S® test and measurement products quickly and seamlessly to AWR® Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) via a GPIB or LAN interface. Using AWR® Connected™ customized for Rohde & Schwarz hardware and R&S® WinIQSIM2™ signal simulation software, the flexibility of digital radio standards is highlighted and its integration into VSS is demonstrated.

20-May-2010 | AN-No. 1MA174

Particle acceleration requires cavity resonators that are driven with high RF powers at defined frequencies. Rohde & Schwarz offers RF solid-state amplifiers for frequencies ranging from 9 kHz to 6 GHz, delivering CW power up to 80 kW.

27-Apr-2016

A high frequency transformer is a key component when designing isolated switching mode power supplies (SMPS). Leakage inductance is essential in the control of many design parameters including efficiency, maximum voltage rating for switching elements and EMI when it comes to designs using customized transformers. Accurate measurement of this parasitic element is mandatory. The R&S®LCX LCR meter is ideal for this challenging measurement task.

15-Feb-2022

This document is divided in two parts and starts with an introduction in AC-DC conversion principles in general. It will present the most common circuits used for different power levels. The switching mode power supply (SMPS) converter will be the main focus as they are used everywhere in the electronics. Especially the flyback converter design in different flavors are highlighted. Nevertheless, all measurements are also applicable for other SMPS converter designs operating at higher power levels.In the second part of this document, most relevant testing methods and procedures of an AC-DC converter are highlighted. For each testing section, a fundamental part will be upfront discussed and it is followed by a presentation of a suitable measurement method. In this second part, the device under test (DUT) is considered as black box device and thus the structure is similar. Therefore, the testing parts consists of methods related to input tests, output tests and a combination of both like efficiency. Of course, some test performed at the output of the converter are also relevant for DC-DC converter, e.g. the validation of the output ripple.

14-Nov-2022 | AN-No. 1SL387

In an ideal scenario, a probe accurately transmits a signal from the device under test (DUT) in its original form with no alterations. Differential probes are designed to eliminate common-mode (CM) distortion by cancelling out identical signal artifacts on each socket relative to earth. In practice, issues such as poor CM rejection, frequency response degradation and signal distortion can compromise signal integrity, particularly in high-speed power applications where signal fidelity is crucial.

25-Nov-2024

Short measurement time in conjunction with high accuracy and repeatability of results are essential for efficient testing of mobile phone power amplifiers. Power Meter R&S®NRP, Signal Generator R&S®SMIQ, Spectrum Analyzers R&S®FSP/FSU/FSQ and Power Supply R&S®NGMO2 offer optimum characteristics such as high accuracy, fast settling speed and short measurement time in programmed mode. This application note concentrates on testing GSM/EDGE mobile power amplifiers and shows typical test setups and programming examples for Signal Generator R&S®SMIQ and Spectrum Analyzer R&S®FSP/FSU/FSQ, benchmark numbers and repeatability results.

29-Apr-2004 | AN-No. 1MA66

Almost every switched-mode power supply (SMPS) needs an EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) input filter to suppress any disturbances of the SMPS on the power lines. This requirement having an input filter in the design ensures that no negative effect will occur in other parts of the systems connected to the power lines. Therefore, the design and the validation of the input filter is a major task during a typical power supply design. The conducted emission (CE) test according to a specific standard is a suitable and a common validation method to release the design at the end of the development cycle. Nowadays, this conducted emission test will be performed as pre-compliance test during the development phase in the lab as well. In this case, the designer will obtain an early feedback whether the design has to be optimized regarding any disturbances present on the power lines. In most cases, the designer has to adjust the input filter to obtain a more effective suppression of disturbances generated by the SMPS. However, the designer needs to know details about the noise spectrum to optimize the input filter as effective as possible. In addition to magnitude and frequency information of the noise source, it would be very helpful to know whether the noise is generated by a common mode source or by a differential mode source. During the standard conducted emission test, common and differential mode noise is a combination in the measurement results and thus not possible to gain deeper insights. This document will describe a method to separate common-mode and differential-mode separation using two oscilloscope channels. This separation approach works without any additional hardware component like a noise separator. The designer will be able to distinguish between common-mode (CM) and differential-mode (DM) noise. This additional information about the dominant mode provides the capability to optimize input filters very efficiently.

17-Sep-2020 | AN-No. GFM353

This paper explains how to use the Rohde & Schwarz IVI.NET instrument drivers in Visual Studio environment from the prospective of an occasional C# programmer in need of automating a measurement task.

31-May-2016 | AN-No. 1MA268

The automotive industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards electrification. Precise measurement and analysis of electric drivetrains are vital to improved performance, efficiency and reliability. MXO oscilloscopes have become an essential test tool for these measurements, with real-time insight into voltage and current waveforms that let engineers and technicians explore the intricate mechanisms to improve drivetrain performance and efficiency.

12-Mar-2024

Rohde & Schwarz instruments can be shared when users wish to use the same instrument. This can be done quite easily with the LAN interface, which comes as a standard option. Through this interface, Rohde & Schwarz instruments can be connected directly to a network, and users with access to the network can manually operate the instrument from a remote computer. This Application Note lists all instruments that support these features and describes the steps necessary to set up and configure the network connection to operate these instruments remotely.

05-Jul-2007 | AN-No. RAC-0703-0029

Vector network analyzers are the most accurate instruments in the microwave engineer’s lab. The R&S®ZNA takes accuracy to a new level. Not only is the instrument extremely precise, but now it also calculates and displays the measurement uncertainty right on the screen as the device under test is being measured.

19-Jul-2021

O-RAN radio units (O-RU) contribute significantly to the high power consumption of 5G networks. Making O-RUs energy efficient without sacrificing O-RAN innovations is a top priority.

19-Mar-2024

In digital wireless communication systems one or multiple users are assigned to a physical RF channel. With analog systems only one user per carrier is possible. Output spectrum of the transmitter has to be restricted to the assigned channel in order to avoid interference with the neighbor channels. With the switch over to digital modulation formats more user per channel are possible. They share one channel by using only part of the time for transmission (Time Division Multiplex Access, TDMA) or by coding the transmission by orthogonal sequences for distinction to other users (Code Division Multiples Access, CDMA). Beneath the restriction of modulation spectrum with TDMA systems also time behavior of the transmitted signal is critical. One reason is that in a multi-user situation only one user is allowed to transmit within his assigned time slots. Another reason is that by switching a carrier on and off spectrum of the transmitter splatters and causes additional interference in other RF channels.

17-Jan-2002 | AN-No. 1EF32

- not available -

20-Jul-2001 | AN-No. 7BM10

High-precision two-quadrant power supplies generate current profiles and simulate batteries

10-Dec-2020

With the R&S®RTB2000/RTM3000/RTA4000 oscilloscopes, you control and interact remotely via LAN. These oscilloscopes incorporate the USB-based connectivity standard media transfer protocol (MTP).

20-Mar-2017

Create and simulate detailed traffic situations for the verification of cellular V2X (C-V2X) connectivity

30-Jun-2022

Polychrome display method with the R&S®PR100, R&S®PR200, R&S®DDF007 and R&S®MNT100

09-Sep-2020

Today’s electronic devices often draw non-sinusoidal, irregular current where harmonic current is fed back into the universal supply system. Monitoring this current is both crucial and mandatory for CE compliant devices. The R&S®NPA701 compliance tester seamlessly and efficiently monitors this current.

27-Mar-2024

The general characterization of complex DUTs such as amplifiers requires the measurement of several parameters. Some may require more than one test device or expensive equipment. Thanks to its versatility, the R&S®ZNL is an economic solution that can characterize a variety of DUTs both via network analysis and spectrum analysis.

17-Dec-2021

Generation of wideband digital modulated signals in V-band and above is a challenging task and typically requires a set of multiple instruments. This application note aims at simplifying the task and looks into the analysis part as well. Latest signal and spectrum analyzers like the R&S®FSW67 and R&S®FSW85 are first to allow use in V-band up to 67 GHz and E-band up to 85 GHz respectively without external frequency conversion. Up to 8.3 GHz of modulation bandwidth can be covered using the R&S®FSW-B8001 option. Millimeter wave use of analyzers ranging from 26 GHz up is shown. Application note 1MA217 describes V-band signal generation and analysis up to 500 MHz modulation bandwidth. This application note expands modulation bandwidth up to 2 GHz and covers both V- and E-band examples.

18-Jun-2015 | AN-No. 1MA257

Selecting Your Next Oscilloscope:

If you are selecting your next oscilloscope and want more insight on how to understand ENOB values measured and published by oscilloscope manufacturers, this document is for you. The effective number of bits (ENOB) is a way of quantifying the quality of analog to digital conversion. A higher ENOB means that voltage levels recorded in analog to digital conversion are more accurate. Understanding oscilloscope vendor-supplied ENOB values can be complex. This document focuses on interpretation of measured ENOB results made on oscilloscopes rather than the math behind ENOB calculations.

21-Jun-2024 | AN-No. 1TD12

Deep memory in an oscilloscope ensures that long waveforms are captured with high resolution right down to the details thanks to a high sustained sample rate. Users can be confident that they are not ‘missing anything’. They benefit from viewing longer periods of time and quickly finding signal anomalies or important events.

21-Mar-2017