Memory Buffer for Complex Signal Measurement Capture

Abstract

Demonstrate capabilities of the Boonton USB 55000 Sensor “Memory Buffer” powered by Real Time Power Processing. Mbuff can be used in various stages of product development. It can determine product performance from engineering, conducted regulatory compliance, and production testing. It decreases test time dramatically by capturing varying pulse trains of radar signals such as IFF or complex OFDM modulated WLAN communication signals.

Capture RF Power Measurement Parameters for Pulsed Communication and Radar signals. Never Miss a Pulse.

Boonton USB 55000 Series Demonstration: Memory Buffer (Mbuff)

Product Demo:

Demonstrate capabilities of the Boonton USB 55000 Sensor “Memory Buffer” powered by Real Time Power Processing. Mbuff can be used in various stages of product development. It can determine product performance from engineering, conducted regulatory compliance, and production testing. It decreases test time dramatically by capturing varying pulse trains of radar signals such as IFF or complex OFDM modulated WLAN communication signals.

Target Users:

Design and production automated test engineers working with wireless communication, radar and satellite systems for commercial and military applications that require parameters of every pulse to be captured.

Test Set-up:

About 55 Series Wideband USB Peak Power Sensor & Real Time Power Processing™:

Key benefits of the Boonton 55 Series wideband USB peak power sensor is the processing power and real-time signal acquisition featuring NO GAPS in acquired data. Unparalleled rise time and video bandwidth.

• Risetime: 3 ns
• Video Bandwidth: 195 MHz
• Resolution: 100 picoseconds (125 x faster than competition)
• 100,000 measurements/second. Re-arm trigger in microseconds, versus milliseconds or more
• 100 MSamples/second SUSTAINED sample rate – world’s fastest!
• 10  GSamples/second effective sample rate for repetitive signals (superior resolution)
• Continuous or gated CCDF (multi channel, see amplifier compression)
• Multichannel capability allows delay measurements
• Capture and analyze data 100x faster than conventional power sensors

Measuring Complex Pulse signals using the Boonton USB55006 Mbuff mode:

Our test set-up works with a source generating signals that can be switched to emulate IFF, Variable Pulse width, a pulse with a drop out and a simulated WLAN OFDM modulated signal. The computer will then execute a command to capture and download the Mbuff results to an Excel spreadsheet.
 
The acquisition process consists of collecting six parameters simultaneously and storing them in separate buffers to be read back by the host PC.  These buffers are defined as:

• Count - running count of acquisitions
• Start time - time of pulse rising edge detected
• Duration - pulse duration (or period)
• Min Power - minimum power found during pulse duration
• Ave Power - average power found during pulse duration
• Max power     maximum power found during pulse duration