Product category:
Stand-Alone Instruments
News Release from: Aeroflex | Subject: TRM 1000C and the STI 1000C
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 September 2004
Software sppeds setup for microwave test
systems
Aeroflex has integrated National Instruments' NI TestStand development system into its high-performance synthetic microwave test systems.
Aeroflex has integrated National Instruments' NI TestStand development system into its high-performance synthetic microwave test systems NI TestStand is a test management environment that provides a standard test sequencing capability for a variety of test applications, enabling Aeroflex customers to develop their own test sequences using an industry standard platform
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 3 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"The addition of NI TestStand to the TRM and STI synthetic test systems is a natural fit that takes advantage of the open and flexible measurement architecture of our products".
"The additional capability provides customers with another method to access the wide variety of modular software products and a powerful measurement suite within the Aeroflex synthetic platform for advanced microwave test applications".
"They will also realise the benefits of standardising test sequencing on an industry-standard product like NI TestStand", said Mark Jurovich, General Manager, Aeroflex Systems Division, Powell, Ohio.
The NI TestStand option will be available first on the TRM 1000C and the STI 1000C test systems.
Both the TRM 1000C and the STI 1000C can be used either as stand-alone instruments or controlled by an external network as part of an enterprise-wide factory automation solution.
These systems are designed to dramatically improve test times and reduce measurement errors introduced by either the operator or the test hardware.
Test throughput delivered by these systems exceeds that achieved by a traditional rack and stack system by up to an order of magnitude, with measurement accuracy rivalling that of a vector network analyser.
The TRM 1000C and the STI 1000C are capable of making vector and scalar measurements under either continuous wave (CW), pulsed or modulated signal conditions with programmatic access to all the key stimulus and measurement parameters.
A complete library of microwave tests is offered and customers may easily develop new or unique tests using a high-level test scripting language.
Error-corrected s-parameters, spectral measurements, noise measurements, modulation/demodulation measurements are all available.
The standard TRM 1000C is capable of microwave stimulus and measurement to 26.5GHz, up to +20dBm device under test (DUT) input and from -90 to +30dBm DUT output levels.
Standard frequency and power extension options are available to 36GHz and +50dBm power level stimulus.
The standard STI 1000C is capable of microwave stimulus and measurement to 32GHz, up to +10dBm DUT input and from -80 to +30dBm DUT output levels.
Standard frequency and power extension options are available to 36GHz and +50dBm power level stimulus.
A unique remote calibration unit provision enables very precise and accurate measurements even at the end of very long cabling that is usually required for testing satellite payloads in remote environmental chambers.
Aeroflex will provide custom features including development of NI TestStand sequences for customers for both the TRM and STI systems on a paid, nonrecurring engineering (NRE) basis.
Both standard and custom DUT port matrices are available, enabling literally hundreds of input and output test ports.
Aeroflex has more than 10 years experience in the design and development of synthetic test systems that provide multi-function test capabilities encompassing broadband network analysis, spectral analysis, noise measurement and modulation/demodulation performance characterisation.
Synthetic test systems solve many of the problems associated with rack-and-stack test stands.
Synthetic test systems provide superior test speeds for increased throughput, access to the parameters of measurement algorithms, fully integrated National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable calibration, in-situ calibration and verification of the system even with the DUT connected, and a complete library of important microwave test algorithms.
Using broadband digital-analogue convertor (DAC)/up-convertor technology on the stimulus side and broadband down-convertor/analogue-digital convertor (ADC) technology on the measurement side, along with fast, real-time digital signal processing (DSP), Aeroflex synthetic test systems offer the ultimate test implementation flexibility as well as stability, repeatability and reliability.
This is achieved only when calibration and verification are designed-in tightly integrated components of the system architecture.
Throughput from a synthetic test platform approach often yields a 10x advantage in test throughput over rack-and-stack test systems.
In addition, synthetic test systems reduce system integration time and lower the total cost of test.
NI TestStand is available now, and will be delivered within 30 days from receipt of order.
The list price for the NI TestStand option with the Aeroflex NI TestStand Starter Kit is US $7000.
The starter kit provides examples and fast-start functional test sequences for the TRM 1000C and STI 1000C.
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