Aerospace Military and Defence Product of the Year
Company Name: Rohde & Schwarz
Product Name: FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer
Supporting Statement:
The instrument that revolutionizes signal and spectrum analysis
The A&D sector has always required cutting edge innovations and the new FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer from Rohde & Schwarz marks a significant advancement in this sector.
Featuring a groundbreaking architecture that integrates multiple input ports with advanced cross-correlation techniques, the FSWX enables entirely new measurement scenarios in RF, radar and electronic warfare testing. Combined with low phase noise for high signal purity, spurious-free dynamic range and outstanding residual error vector magnitude (EVM), the FSWX delivers performance unmatched by other spectrum analyzers.
The instrument handles higher data rates, wider modulation bandwidths and greater modulation orders – areas where traditional signal analyzers often struggle.
The featured RF input ports provide analysis bandwidth of 4 GHz each and allow simultaneous measurements – either on the same or different frequency. With the available 8 GHz bandwidth, the FSWX enables comprehensive analysis of complex waveforms and modulation schemes.
A wealth of firsts
The FSWX is a wealth of firsts in signal and spectrum analyzers. It features an internal multi-path architecture with cross-correlation that suppresses the inherent noise of the instrument – an industry first!
There are two independent RF input channels in the FSWX, each with integrated filter banks for preselection for the suppression of unwanted signals. Each channel has its own alignment, calibration and equalization.
An integrated splitter splits the input signal into two independent signal paths, each equipped with a local oscillator and an ADC. The signals then feed into a high-performance back end, where cross-correlation algorithms are applied to remove inherent noise of the instrument for unobstructed view of the signal under test, and to measure spurs that are otherwise not easily seen.
Not only does this novel architecture successfully remove noise, suppress spurious signals and eliminate unwanted mixing products, it also saves on external splitters and additional calibration steps in one.
Many sectors will benefit from these features, and especially in A&D where radar applications are becoming increasingly challenging. Here, the radar is expected to accurately and fast detect targets such as drones, without background noise causing any false positives.
Engineers developing modern radar systems need to locate small unwanted spurs and interferers that could be misinterpreted as targets. Finding and eliminating these is crucial, to ensure the radar is highly sensitive, able to detect real targets. Without cross-correlation, decreasing the resolution bandwidth (RBW) lowers the noise floor of the signal analyzer, but increases the measurement time needed to characterize the system and detect unwanted interferers. Cross correlation offers an alternative way to improve sensitivity without reducing the RBW or requiring a pre-amplifier, while still involving a trade-off between sensitivity and measurement time.
In addition, drones have exceptionally small radar cross-section (RCS) and their main body can produce weak primary Doppler effects when flying at low speeds, making them very difficult to detect with conventional air surveillance radars. However, rapidly rotating propellers can generate stronger Doppler components despite their small RCS, which can be exploited for detection. To reliably distinguish these signals from background noise, engineers must lower the radar receiver’s wideband noise floor and improve the local oscillator’s phase noise performance. Here, using an instrument such as the FSWX with cross correlation can significantly enhance measurement sensitivity.
The internal multi-path architecture of the FSWX also offers advanced triggering options. For example, users can apply an IF or RF power trigger at different frequencies, since the multi-path design allows for independent frequency settings for each receive path. Engineers can set different frequencies for the local oscillators or adjust gain and attenuation for each input, optimizing the dynamic range for various measurement scenarios.
Since the instrument allows to measure on one frequency whilst triggering on another, this enables greater insights into the effects of short out-of-band bursts on radar signals.
It is the FSWX innovative firmware, called CrossACT (Cross Application Control and Triggering), that synchronizes various measurements across the different input channels, allowing for simultaneous analysis with multiple tools. This capability simplifies comparisons, such as determining whether the higher harmonics of a radar signal directly impact the EVM performance of an RF signal.
A multi-input signal and spectrum analyzer like the FSWX can also help engineers overcome limitations of conventional test instruments when using digital RF memory (DRFM). DRFM is heavily used in A&D, to capture, store and digitally manipulate RF signals. It converts incoming analogue signals into digital data, allowing precise, coherent reproduction and modulation of radar signals for deception jamming and countermeasures.
With two time-aligned input channels, FSWX users can capture input and output signals simultaneously for comprehensive evaluation of DRFM performance and effectiveness.
Moreover, being enabled to analyze phase and amplitude variations in real time and thus quickly characterise the signals is critical in jamming electronic warfare (EW) applications.
Data captured at the input and output can be directly compared, allowing the characterisation of components such as amplifiers or up-/down-converters, also required in A&D applications involving RF, radar, EW and software-defined radio.
While well-known applications include radar jamming, spoofing, and false target generation in electronic warfare, DRFM’s inherent high speed and fidelity also facilitate hardware-in-the-loop radar testing, channel emulation, and protocol testing.
Built on a secure OS
Also of importance for the A&D sector is that the FSWX is built around the Linux-based operating system (OS), providing a high level of security and long-term support, with essential features that enable users to develop systems for security-sensitive environments. This robust OS ensures reliability and stability, making the FSWX an ideal choice for challenging applications, like those found in the A&D sector.
As high-speed, high-accuracy wireless and radar systems become even more complex, engineers need faster, yet precise, reliable and more straightforward ways to eliminate the effects of instrument noise when testing components and subsystems. By migrated multiple input channels and cross-correlation directly into test and measurement equipment – until now only found in complex test systems – Rohde & Schwarz simplifies test setups and reduces measurement time, crucial in the challenging and fast-paced technological landscape of the A&D sector.
Entry ID: 7594
