FSW signal and spectrum analyser

Rohde & Schwarz has doubled the analysis bandwidth of its high-end R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyser from 160 to 320 MHz. Rohde & Schwarz claims the FSW is currently the only signal and spectrum analyser on the market able to process signals in this bandwidth. This makes it suitable for a variety of applications related to wideband digital communications and radar systems.

Users who need to analyse radar signals with very short pulses of less than 10 ns or wideband signals in radar systems will find the analyser to be a useful tool. Analysing automotive radar signals (FM CW radar or pulsed radar) requires at least 200 MHz, for example. The instrument is also suitable for performing interference analysis on radar signals and digital communications signals and for testing multistandard radio base stations.

In addition, the analyser can be used for carrying out modulation analysis on radio links with a channel bandwidth of 250 MHz. During measurements for determining the digital predistortion required for amplifier linearisation, signals with a wider bandwidth than that of the actual signal have to be captured. The R&S FSW makes it possible, for example, to include both adjacent channels of an 80 MHz wide WLAN signal in the analysis.

In the past, measuring these kinds of wideband signals required complicated test set-ups consisting, for example, of a digital oscilloscope and a downconverter. The R&S FSW not only simplifies the test set-up, it also offers significantly wider dynamic range and is easier to calibrate than other solutions. Users can upgrade their R&S FSW from 160 to 320 MHz by entering a key code. No hardware modification is necessary.