Rohde & Schwarz SMW200A signal generator

The Rohde & Schwarz SMW200A generates RF and envelope signals in real time in a single instrument, to enable testing of envelope tracking performance of power amplifiers.

The high-end vector signal generator has been enhanced by adding the R&S SMW-K540 option for envelope tracking. This option enables quick and easy testing of envelope tracking power amplifiers for smartphones, base stations and tactical radios.

The device meets the test requirements of chipset manufacturers by offering a solution that generates fully synchronous RF and envelope waveforms in a single instrument. Users can delay the RF waveform and the envelope waveform relative to each other by ±500 ns with 1 ps resolution. Due to its performance characteristics, the device delivers an extremely low-noise envelope signal at the analog baseband outputs. The signal generator calculates the envelope waveform from the baseband signals in real time, so that all communications standards supported by the signal generator as well as custom waveforms can be used. A large selection of flexible shaping functions allows users to optimise the envelope in real time.

The envelope tracking parameters can be configured on the generator’s straightforward graphical user interface. Automatic envelope voltage adaptation is available to speed up set-up and testing time since the main parameters such as VCC voltage range, PAin range, DC modulator gain, DC offset and power offset only need to be entered once. Automatic recalculation of the envelope based on the power amplifier input level makes it possible to perform power sweeps over the amplifier’s entire input range.