The R&S®BTC broadcast test center generates DVB-C2 signals for receiver tests with a variety of simulated interference types. The selection tests stipulated by the DVB Project require a cable TV network with full channel load. Combining the R&S®BTC broadcast test center and the R&S®CLG cable load generator makes it quick and easy to create a flexible cable TV network with full channel load and to simulate all types of realistic interference, permitting tests in accordance with DVB.

30-Jul-2013 | AN-No. 7BM88

Despite the advent of advanced digital transmission methods, analog broadcasting remains highly important. Until now, measurements on FM transmitters in connection with acceptance testing, commissioning and maintenance required using a variety of T&M instruments.The R&S ETL TV analyzer combines these instruments' capabilities in a single unit and can completely replace them. Now, for the first time, acceptance test measurements can be conducted on FM transmitters quickly and easily using just one compact test instrument. The R&S ETL provides the functionalities of a power meter, spectrum analyzer, audio generator, FM measurement demodulator, stereo decoder, audio analyzer and more in just one box.

10-Sep-2013 | AN-No. 7BM105

Receiver diversity improves reception quality by using multiple antennas with a preferably low correlation factor between each receive path. The result is a much more robust reception, since a deep fade will not affect all received signals at the same time.However, the complex geometry and positioning constraints for antennas of the receiving devices can introduce an unwanted correlation between channels. The popular diversity test setup consisting of several independent transmitters does not serve the needs of a realistic simulation, because radio channel correlation is not simulated.This application note explains a compact and versatile MIMO test solution for any common broadcast standard with real time fading including the simulation of channel correlation for a 1x4 MIMO system.The test setup allows very precisely specified individual multipath profiles.

11-Oct-2017 | AN-No. 1GP114

Since June 2017 almost all radio transmitters and receivers sold or put into operation in the European Union have to be tested for immunity against interferers in adjacent frequency bands. ETSI standard EN 303 345 defines the tests to be performed on broadcast sound receivers, and the requirements to be passed.This application note describes the test procedures and provides script files and interferer signals for the Broadcast Test Center R&S®BTC.

29-May-2020 | AN-No. 1GP117

This document provides information on how to perform manual testing based on current R&S TA-TRS QuickStep V4.05 platform in order to adapt to the new released EN 303 345 for broadcast sound receivers. It serves as a bridged document before new standard software package released by R&S for upgrade.

14-Apr-2021

The application note address test and measurement possibilities for DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X signals in the Ku & Ka -band. The AN includes detailed description of measurement setups, DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X signal generation, up-conversion and signal quality (Error Vector Magnitude and Modulation Error Ratio) analysis in the Ku & Ka-band using Rohde & Schwarz instruments.This paper is intended towards satellite equipment manufacturers, network operators, government & authorities, CE receiver chip set manufacturers, car manufacturer and automotive infotainment system manufactures.

08-Mar-2016 | AN-No. 1MA273

The R&S® Broadcast Test Center BTC supports the new “Next Generation Broadcast Standard ATSC 3.0” with BTC firmware version 2.20 and later.This application note describes the necessary settings in the user interface of the R&S® Broadcast Test Center BTC.

27-Mar-2018 | AN-No. 1GP119

Starting from June 2017, almost all radio transmitters and receivers sold or put into operation in the European Union have to be tested for immunity against interferers in adjacent frequency bands. ETSI standard EN 303 340 defines the tests to be performed on digital television receivers and requirements to be passed.This application note describes the test procedures and provides save-recall files and interferer signals for the Broadcast Test Center R&S®BTC.

11-Jul-2017 | AN-No. 1GP116

Nearly all analog NTSC broadcasting has ended in the US, Canada and South Korea. The digital switchover to ATSC in Mexico is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. ATSC receivers must fulfill the recommendations described in “ATSC Recommended Practice: Receiver Performance Guidelines” (document A/74:2010) before they can be sold freely in the markets that have adopted the standard. In addition, Recommendation ITU-R BT.2036-1 (07/2016), titled “Characteristics of a reference receiving system for frequency planning of digital terrestrial television systems”, includes the planning factors for an ATSC reception system, with a reference to ATSC Recommended Practice A/74:2010, because operation is in a more dynamic environment.

29-Sep-2016 | AN-No. 1GP111

The compact R&S®CMA180 Radio Test Set allows straighforward tests on devices that use analog or digital modulation and demodulation formats. This application note focusses on the use of the digital radio capabilities for measurements on radio transceiving devices in terms of their functionality and parameter characterization. Also shown is how to use the instrument with the various software tools available from Rohde & Schwarz for creating and evaluating digitally modulated signals. Various software examples are provided as free download along this paper. This application note addresses readers who develop, produce or optimize digital radio transmitting and receiving devices or maintain analog radio communication equipment alongside those with digital modulation.

10-Feb-2017 | AN-No. 1MA277

The document gives an overview and user guide about a link budget calculator for the main components of a basic OTA system. The calculator shall guide the user to plan link budgets, especially with respect to SNR requirements for the receive components and the vector signal analyzer. An Excel sheet containing the Link Budget Calculator accompanies the application note.

19-Mar-2019 | AN-No. 1EF104

The R&S®FSW signal and spectrum analyzer with the R&S®FSW-K160R realtime option enables wideband signal analysis and high probability of intercept.

04-Jun-2013

Power amplifiers in digital TDMA mobile phones are fed with current only during the active slot to save power. Using conventional measuring equipment, the noise figure, an important parameter in power amplifiers, can only be determined with the amplifier in continuous operation. However, continuous operation can lead to amplifier overload and produce distorted results. Now there is a convenient way of determining the noise figure of amplifiers with pulsed power supply: using a Spectrum Analyzer (FSP or FSE or FSIQ or ESI), Noise Measurement Software FS-K3 and a function or pulse generator.

19-Dec-2000 | AN-No. 1MA32

EW receiver mission data files can contain hundreds of emitters with thousands of modes and beams that must be tested by simulation at RF. Often, these emitters, their modes and beams are listed on intelligence databases and must be imported from a spreadsheet into to an emitter simulation application such as the R&S®Pulse Sequencer software. For this purpose, the R&S®Pulse Sequencer software offers an internal script editor which allows to import user data and automatically generate emitter, sequence or platform configurations that can then immediately be played into RF without any additional software. Furthermore, the R&S®Pulse Sequencer offers a SCPI recorder tool to collect manual entries during scenario data creation into a list of corresponding SCPI commands. This list of commands can easily be used to create user defined scripts that can either run in the internal script editor or an external software (e.g. Matlab, Python).

01-Jul-2021 | AN-No. 1GP131

Road safety is a global challenge at present and will be in the future. Automotive radar has become a keyword in this area and pushes again a step forward to increase driving comfort, crash prevention and even automated driving.Driver assistance systems which are supported by radar are already common. Most assistant systems are increasing the drivers comfort by collision warning systems, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-change assistance, rear cross-traffic alerts and back-up parking assistance.Today's 24 GHz, 77 GHz and 79 GHz radar sensors clearly need the capability to distinguish between different objects and offer high range resolution. That is possible with increased signal bandwidth.Furthermore, those radar systems need to cope with interference of many kinds like the one from other car's radar.This Application Note addresses signal measurements and analysis of automotive radars that are crucial during the development and verification stages. It also shows a setup to verify the functionality of a radar in case of radio interference.

10-Jun-2016 | AN-No. 1MA267

This Application Note describes a software program that provides easy creation and transfer of Pulse Trains between a PC and the R&S SMB100A, R&S SMA100A and R&S SMF100A analog signal generators with the Pulse Train option; or between a PC and the ARB of R&S SMBV100A, R&S SMJ100A or R&S SMU200A vector signal generators.

10-May-2011 | AN-No. 1MA148

Rohde & Schwarz signal generators present a compact easy-to-use solution for generating phase coherent signals. Different generator models can be coupled to optimally fit user requirements in terms of number of phase coherent channels and RF frequency range.This application note explains how to generate phase coherent signals, details what to consider and how to best calibrate the relative phases and timing between the individual channels. This document also presents various measurements of the phase stability over time for different RF frequencies.

07-Sep-2016 | AN-No. 1GP108

The Universal Radio Communication Tester R&S®CMU200 can perform most of the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO access terminal (AT) tests specified in the standard IS-866-A on its own. Some tests require additional instruments. This application note shows how to perform these tests easily with the remote-control software CMUgo, using the R&S®CMU200 in combination with R&S®SMU, R&S®AMU, R&S®SMJ or R&S®SML signal generators, and R&S®FSQ, R&S®FSU, R&S®FSP, R&S®FSL or R&S®FSMR spectrum analyzers.

05-Jan-2012 | AN-No. 1MA123

Current Radar development is focusing the area of signal processing. This is taken into account by this educational note, where the R&S®SMW / SMBV instruments on the transmitter side and R&S®FSW / FSV instruments on the receiver side are combined to a closed loop Radar system, performing radar detection by means of pulse compression and digital signal processing. Appropriate Rohde & Schwarz sofware tools for such applications are described as well as the interface between the tools and the test instruments. Target reader group are engineering students who want to perform tests using pulsed or chirped signals.

20-Nov-2014 | AN-No. 1MA234

The verification of emissions according to EN or FCC standards is mandatory to avoid any interference with existing users. Besides the common emission tests with measurement bandwidth up to 1 MHz and mean power measurements, most regulations also require to test peak transmission power within a 50 MHz bandwidth to avoid interference with any existing wideband applications, for example radar receivers. This application note provides information how to perform spectral emission measurements on UWB signals with spectrum analyzers using wide bandwidth RBW filters, and explains the capabilities and the limiting factors of the Rohde & Schwarz FSW signal and spectrum analyzer to perform this measurement. The next sections will give further details.

28-Jun-2021 | AN-No. 1EF109

30 dBm + 30 dBm = 60 dBm? It is well known that it is not as easy as that.

This application note supplies a free of charge software tool that can be used to add or subtract an arbitrary number of powers. In addition, the software can be used to convert power and voltage units from the linear to the logarithmic scale (and vice versa), convert linear power and voltage ratios to decibels, and convert a VSWR to other reflection quantities.

10-Dec-2018 | AN-No. 1GP77

Development of modern EW systems is a complex and expensive process, that requires thorough testing against all requirements during all phases of development. To keep cost under control, system level testing in the lab is key and brings several advantages: test cases can be reproduced under the exact same conditions as often as necessary. System level testing in the lab is often performed in a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environment. This application note provides some insight into generating radar signals for hardware-in-the-loop testing with the R&S®SMW200A. An introduction to HIL testing and realtime operation of the R&S®SMW200A is given. The hardware and software interface, the PDW format and synchronization and timing mechanisms are described. Additionally, various example scenarios and detailed information about intermediate calculations are provided. The application note also provides information about system requirements for advanced PDW streaming with multiple emitters on multiple parallel streams.

22-Jan-2021 | AN-No. 1GP124

Radar test systems are essential in research, development, production and maintenance of radar systems. Most radar tests are expensive to carry out in the field and have a complicated setup and operation. One of the main advantages of the Radar Echo Generator presented in this application note is its ability to generate arbitrary virtual radar echo signals in real time in the laboratory using only commercial measuring equipment. The Radar Echo Generator not only allows to reproduce the results and automate the tests, but also it significantly reduces the measurement effort and costs while providing greater utility for the existing common test equipment. This application note presents a solution for testing the complete radar system by generating any kind of radar echo signals with arbitrary range, Doppler frequency and Radar Cross Section. The Radar Echo Generator makes it possible to perform real time tests on many applications including aerospace & defense and commercial radar systems.

01-Aug-2016 | AN-No. 1MA283

EW receivers are tested in the lab at RF to discover problems before flight testing. This eliminates cost and schedule risk. Flight testing can cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour and must be scheduled many months in advance. In contrast, using test equipment to test at RF might require a certain upfront cost but provides a readily-accessible capability to simulate radar threats at RF for a long time. This application note explains how the angle-of-arrival (AoA) capabilities of EW receivers can be tested with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) RF test equipment. Topics covered are the generation of scenarios, instrument setup, and setup calibration. We will use a radar warning receiver (RWR) as a proxy for a generic EW receiver in this application note.

22-Dec-2021 | AN-No. 1GP125

Welcome to our short video tutorials on how to test radars using Rohde & Schwarz test equipment. Access to most information about radar is pretty restricted, as many radar applications are military or secretive industrial research. To show you some basic Radar tests we have created RADAR demo tools, which functions at a frequency of 2.45 GHz, which is in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical band. So we can even perform our tests in unshielded rooms. The frequencies are also used by radar operating in the ITU "S"-band from 2.3 to 2.5 GHz for air traffic control, weather and marine radar. The videos are suitable for 'from-the-scratch' introduction of R&S RADAR test equipment. They can also be used for plain introduction to the RADAR principle.

03-Feb-2014 | AN-No. 1MA209

The R&S®FSW signal and spectrum analyzer with the R&S®FSW-K160R realtime option and the R&S®FSW-K6 pulse measurement option is ideal for testing modern radars.

04-Jul-2013

This Application Note describes testing S-parameters under pulsed conditions with the R&S®ZVA vector network analyzer and either the ZVAX24 Extension unit with pulse modular option or the R&S®SMF signal generator with pulse modulator as a signal source.In addition a constant power level calibration for applications requiring high drive power for test and measurement of device under test (DUT) is also included. A LDMOS S-band radar power transistor is used as example DUT. The pulse profile mode of the R&S®ZVA is used to analyze the time-dependent behavior of the DUT.

11-Apr-2013 | AN-No. 1MA126

The present R&S®SMW-K506 Interface Control Document contains information on► the R&S descriptor word format, including ARB descriptor words and control descriptor words in deterministic and instant mode► Timing requirements and limitations of the interface► Properties of the network interface (Connector designation: HS DIGIQ).It is intended for use by customers using descriptor words to control the R&S®SMW200A in real-time. The interface control document specifies the interface between the customer’s hardware used for provision of descriptor words and the R&S®SMW200A HS DIGIQ interface. Additional information on descriptor word processing inside the R&S®SMW200A is provided.

17-Mar-2022 | AN-No. 1GP134

This White Paper provides a more detailed view on radar waveforms for Aerospace and Defence and commercial radar systems. Waveforms such as pulse and pulse-Doppler signal, continuous wave and frequency shift keying waveforms are described. It also shows continuous waveform trends designed for specific needs and application differences of continuous wave radar compared to pulse radar systems.

31-Aug-2015 | AN-No. 1MA239

This application note describes the suitability of the R&S®ZVM and R&S®ZVK as multichannel microwave receivers for antenna measurements and RCS measurements including measurements on pulsed signals. Application examples describe the measurement possibilities on pulsed signals using the R&S®ZVM/ZVK as stand-alone units. In addition, various R&S®ZVM/ZVK-based antenna measurement systems of the March Microwave company are presented in detail.

10-Sep-2004 | AN-No. 1EZ52