- Test benches for 5G telecommunication equipment and radar technologies require switching and control systems operating over wide frequency ranges with short switching times.
- To meet this requirement, Rohde & Schwarz has completely redesigned its modular RF switching and control platform.
- The German manufacturer offers the new R&S OSP220/230/320 switching units and the R&S OSP-B200S2 satellite box.
The compact 2U high R&S OSP220 and OSP230 units have 6 and 5 slots for switching modules distributed on the front and rear panels. The OSP230 model is equipped with a touch screen for manual operation.
The R&S OSP320 unit, 3 U high, has 10 slots for 5 switching modules at the front and 5 modules at the rear. One of the modules can be optionally replaced by a touch screen.
The locations of the switching units can be combined to form larger capacity modules adapted to the specificities of an application.
The platform is controlled via a new web interface. Separate software is no longer required to configure an OSP switching unit. The display automatically adapts to the size of the screen. Several control modules are displayed simultaneously on the control PC screen depending on the size of the control PC screen, thus providing an overview of the interconnections. The combination of switching relays of one or more OSPs makes it possible to define the appropriate signal paths for the application. These paths can be pre-configured in virtual mode without having the switching modules.
The existing OSP series switching modules can be used with this new OSP switching platform. This range includes RF relays, electromechanical coaxial relays up to 67 GHz, solid state relays and digital I/O modules and multiplexers.
The new control and switching units can be used for laboratory applications or rack-mounted in test systems. Several OSPs can be combined via a local network by a master/slave configuration to design a switching system with 20, 50 or more relays.
The compact R&S OSP-B200S2 satellite box allows the switching functions to be brought as close as possible to the unit under test, for example in a shielded test chamber. This reduces RF cable length and costs while improving the RF performance of the installation. Depending on the application, the satellite box is triggered using a serial bus power cable or a fiber optic connection.
