Keithley Instruments has released what it terms an industry-leading
4×4 (four-transmitter-, four-receiver-per-sector) MIMO
(multiple-input/multiple-output) RF-test system for R&D and
production testing of next-generation RF-communications equipment
and devices. The system comprises the manufacturer’s new Model 2920
VSG (vector-signal generator), Model 2820 VSA (vector-signal
analyzer), Model 2895 MIMO-synchronization unit, and Model 280111
MIMO signal-analysis software. According to Keithley, no other
MIMO-test system supports 4×4-MIMO applications and such commercial
standards as cellular, WiMax, and WLAN (wireless local-area
network). The devices also boast ±1-nsec signal-sampler
synchronization, less-than-1-nsec peak-to-peak signal-sampler
jitter, and less than 1° of peak-to-peak RF-carrier phase jitter,
which are unique features, according to the company. Because these
specifications permit tight multiunit synchronization, the new
system supports MIMO measurements on such signals as 40-MHz IEEE
802.11n WLAN MIMO, which some people call the industry’s most
demanding signal.
MIMO uses multiple radios for both transmitting and receiving data. In RF-communication devices, MIMO increases data throughput without using additional bandwidth. Keithley’s new MIMO-test capability combines an advanced testing platform that will meet future product-development needs and provides the ability to test—through a simple software upgrade—the most complex signal structures, including IEEE 802.16e Wave 2 Mobile WiMax, 4G LTE (fourth-generation long-term evolution), and UMB (ultramobile broadband).
The core of the MIMO-RF-test architecture comprises a new RF-signal generator and analyzer that operate in two-, three-, or four-channel configurations and that serve as stand-alone instruments or system components. The Model 2920 VSG, which generates frequencies as low as 10 MHz, offers maximum frequencies of 4 or 6 GHz. An optional 80-MHz-bandwidth AWG (arbitrary-waveform generator) with 100M samples of waveform memory allows testing of such commercial-communications signals as GSM (global system for mobile communications), EDGE (enhanced data for GSM evolution), WCDMA (wireless code-division/multiple access), cdma2000, SISO (single-input/single-output) WLAN, and 40-MHz IEEE 802.11n WLAN MIMO. In both 4- and 6-GHz configurations, the Model 2820 VSA provides 40-MHz bandwidth and can test the same range of signals as the Model 2920’s optional AWG generates.
The Model 2895 provides the system instruments with such signals as a local oscillator, a common clock, and a precise trigger, and it synchronizes MIMO tests on configurations as complex as 4×4. This capability provides precise and stable alignment among as many as four signal analyzers and generators and allows accurate and repeatable measurements of OFDM (orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing) MIMO signals. The Model 280111 WLAN 802.11n MIMO-signal-analysis software is a suite of PC-based tools for single-channel and multichannel analysis of 802.11x signals. The software provides extensive measurement and analysis capabilities for these signals and supports 4×4-MIMO-channel configurations. US prices for models 2820, 2920, 2895, and 280111 start at $22,500, $17,500, $9900, and $9500, respectively.
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