- Rohde & Schwarz offers the R&S NRP170TWG(N) range of probes for power measurements in the D-band frequency range.
- According to the German manufacturer, these are the only thermal power probes on the market, operating in a frequency range from 110 GHz to 170 GHz, which offer metrological traceability to national metrology institutes.
The R&S NRP170TWG(N) power probes are plug & play probes that connect to any measurement system with a USB or LAN interface, and can be controlled via standard SCPI commands. . They can compensate for the influence of ambient temperature over a specified operating range from 0°C to + 50°C. With a dynamic range from -35 dBm to +20 dBm, they can perform up to 500 measurements per second.
These probes deliver stable power measurements even at power levels below -20 dBm. They are drift-free and can withstand variations in ambient temperature. They can also handle signals outside their frequency range, such as far-infrared (FIR).
Metrological traceability
In developing this range of probes, Rohde & Schwarz collaborated with the Physikalisch-Technische-Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany’s national metrology institute, and other NMIs in a European Union project to establish metrological traceability for power probes up to 170 GHz.
Previously, metrological traceability to national metrology institutes was only possible up to 110 GHz. This metrological traceability is a prerequisite for using a frequency band for commercial and industrial activities. Defined power levels must be maintained throughout the frequency range. RF power is plotted against a DC power reference and compared by various national metrology institutes.
