R&S FE170 D band frontend extensions

Rohde & Schwarz introduces its compact, easy-to-use devices for D band signal generation and analysis with good signal performance. The R&S FE170ST (single transmit) and R&S FE170SR (single receive) frontends extend the frequency range of the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator and the R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyser to cover frequency ranges between 110 and 170 GHz.

The D band, which ranges from 110 to 170 GHz, has been identified by academia and key industry players as a candidate frequency band for future mobile communications — in particular beyond 5G and for 6G — and for automotive radar applications. A test set-up for sub-THz research using the R&S SMW200A and R&S FSW is now easy to configure, since only three connections are needed (IF, reference frequency and LAN) to integrate the frontends into the base units. Users simply have to enter the IP address in the user interface of the base units. After connection, the frontends are directly controlled by the other devices, since the frontends’ control unit is integrated in their firmware. Because all correction data is considered, this concept offers the major advantage of a fully calibrated solution.

With their compact form factor of 152 x 190 x 50 mm, both frontends take up little space on the lab bench. Since the high-performance internal synthesiser provides a local oscillator (LO), the test set-up needs no additional analog signal source, enabling good phase noise performance. Smart accessories such as bandpass filters and TX power amplifiers further enhance the performance.