Wireless devices with multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) architectures utilize multiple transmitters and receivers to transfer large amounts of data simultaneously, improving capacity for wireless connections and decreasing congestion in multi-user environments. Boonton’s Synchronized Independent Gate Mode helps enable this capability through its multi-channel measurement alignment on the RTP5000 and RTP4000 real-time RF power sensor product lines, which removes the necessity of compromises when testing today’s advanced Wi-Fi chipsets and devices.

Boonton (a Wireless Telecom Group company) has introduced its new 55 Series line of wideband USB power sensors that brings ultra-fast pulse and modulation power measurement capabilities typically associated with top-end benchtop peak power analyzers to the popular USB sensor form factor.  The new line includes 6, 18 and 40 GHz models, and is designed for measurement of wideband modulated signals and the fast RF pulse and burst waveforms. Video bandwidth for the fastest models exceeds 70 MHz, with less than 5 ns risetime, making the 55 Series well suited for high-speed signal analysis.

Due to increased domestic air travel and threats to National security it is important that our Aviation RADAR systems function properly. The current airwaves are filled with many natural and artificial sources of interference. The natural background noise in RADAR bands is fairly constant, but there has been an increase in wireless communications traffic causing unintentional interference that may overflow into these bands besides the risk from intentional interference. These factors make it important to characterize your RADAR system and clearly understand all of the limitations. This article will demonstrate a simple test strategy to characterize Aviation RADAR system performance.

Radar systems are used for military and civilian aviation, weather system tracking and automobile traffic control to name a few. All of these systems have several things in common, including transmitting and receiving reflected RF energy from a distant object to calculate speed, distance and sometimes elevation. These systems are very important for our safety and require accurate power measurement. This article will focus on aviation or ranging type radar that uses bursts, or chirps of pulse modulated waveforms for fine object detail, and has sensitive receivers for low noise measurements.