This week's European Microwave Week in Rome is the focus for a number of RF product launches, including two new models in the Agilent Technologies X-Series line-up of signal analyzers at opposite ends of the price scale – one for high performance applications and the other a flexible low-cost instrument for essential measurements.
The N9030A PXA signal analyzer is the highest-performance member of the series, and provides frequency coverage up to 26.5GHz with built-in one-button measurements and optional measurement capabilities hardware expandability offering additional flexibility.
A big advantage is that the PXA is a form, fit and function replacement for a variety of popular spectrum analyzers, including the HP 8566 and 8568; HP/Agilent 856x; and Agilent PSA (up to 26.5 GHz). Extensive code-compatibility features make it simple to replace existing Agilent or HP high-performance signal analyzers with the PXA. Other features that help with this include emulation of remote programming language; default settings, timings and couplings; arbitrary and second IF output; fast-rise time logarithmic video output; and Y-axis output.
Performance specification for the PXA includes up to 75dB spurious-free dynamic range at 140MHz bandwidth and -128 dBc/Hz phase noise at 10kHz offset for a 1GHz carrier. Absolute amplitude accuracy is specified at 0.19 B, and sensitivity is -172dBm displayed average noise level (DANL) at 2GHz when preamplifier and Noise Floor Extension technology are employed.
The library of X-Series measurement applications is based on proven algorithms, and ensures consistent results when transitioning from legacy or current-generation analyzers, or across many of the Agilent X-Series, which includes the PXA, MXA, EXA and CXA signal analyzers.
At the same time Agilent has introduced its N9000A CXA signal analyzers, a pair of low-cost models that offer frequency coverage up to 7.5 GHz, designed for applications such as general purpose electronics manufacturing, low-cost R&D, and RF education. Like the PXA, the CXA analyzers feature one-button measurements and optional advanced measurement applications that are virtually identical across the X-Series signal analyzers.
The Agilent 89600 vector signal analysis (VSA) software can run inside both the new instruments, providing advanced analysis of more than 70 demodulation formats. In addition, MATLAB data analysis software is available as an option – directly from Agilent – on all X-Series signal analyzers.
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