Date: 06/03/2011

DigRF V4 test solution with dual-capture for RF IC and wireless equipment developers

Agilent Technologies has announced digital radio frequency (DigRF) V4 test solution with dual-capture capability. This software enhancement helps in simultaneously applying a stimulus to devices under test and analyzes the results with a single instrument, the Agilent N5343A DigRF V4 exerciser.

Developers of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RF-ICs) and baseband integrated circuits (BB-ICs) as well as integrators of wireless handsets to characterize their devices using fewer probes by using this tool says Agilent.

The DigRF V4 standard describes a high-speed digital serial bus used between mobile baseband and RF chips. DigRF V4 is termed as key enabling technology for LTE and WiMAX devices.

Agilent's N5343A DigRF V3/V4 exerciser offers new insights that reach from individual digital bits to IQ-modulated RF signals and allows engineers to work in the domain (digital or RF) and abstraction level (physical or protocol layer) of their choice to quickly characterize RF-ICs and rapidly solve cross-domain integration problems, says Agilent.

According to Agilent, its dual-capture innovation helps DigRF developers save time, money and bench space. Previously, performing BB-IC and RF-IC emulation required an analyzer and exerciser to monitor transmit and receive packets. Dual capture eliminates the need for an analyzer for this application, which reduces equipment costs and frees up bench space. In addition, dual capture enables up to 512 Mb generate memory, up to 512 Mb capture memory or a programmable option to distribute 512 Mb capture memory within the stated ranges, adds Agilent.

The Agilent N5345A and N5346A features low capacitive loading of less than 0.15 pF and high sensitivity provide system insight with minimum disturbance at the gigabit speeds used in DigRF V4 testing.