Rohde & Schwarz NRP-Z56 and NRP-Z57 thermal power sensors

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The NRP-Z56 and NRP-Z57 coaxial power sensors are claimed to be the first to measure thermal power from DC up to 50 and 67 GHz respectively. They are the only thermal power sensors that can be used without a base unit.

Connection to a PC takes place via USB. In addition to saving space, the sensors offer good performance for calibration labs as well as for manufacturers of microwave transmission systems and RF/microwave components. A standing wave ratio (SWR) of 1.35 is achieved from 50 to 67 GHz, resulting in high precision. Linearity is claimed to surpass that of commercial products by a factor of 10 across the entire frequency range and allows accurate relative power measurements.

The models offer good measurement accuracy, with sensitivity having been improved by minimising zero drift and noise. The resulting increase in dynamic range (55 dB) enables thermal power measurements for powers as low as -35 dBm. In addition, measurement speed exceeds that of conventional instruments by a factor of three. This is beneficial in production applications, where short cycle times are as important as maximum precision.