- European Microwave Week (EuMW) is Europe’s leading annual event dedicated to microwave, radio frequency, radar and wireless technologies. The 2023 edition took place in Berlin from September 19 to 21, 2023.
- Rohde & Schwarz presented its portfolio of test solutions to meet new industrial challenges.
- Visitors to the Rohde & Schwarz stand at the Berlin exhibition center discovered the company’s latest test solutions for microwave components, as well as for automotive, aerospace and defense applications.
- The German company focused in particular on test solutions that meet the requirements of early research into sub-THz frequencies for 6G.
T&M pushing the limits of 6G
The Rohde & Schwarz booth focused on the company’s growing range of test solutions for 6G. Academia and key industry players recognize the potential of the D band (110 GHz to 170 GHz) as a candidate for beyond 5G and 6G mobile communications as well as for future sensing and automotive radar applications. To support pioneering mmWave and sub-THz research, Rohde & Schwarz is rolling out an RF test and measurement portfolio, enabling researchers to characterize devices and circuits for tomorrow’s products today.
Highlights at the Rohde & Schwarz booth included the company’s first public demonstration of a wideband D band communications testing solution with the company’s brand-new R&S SFI100A wideband IF vector signal generator with up to 10 GHz RF modulation bandwidth. Combined with the R&S FSW50 signal and spectrum analyzer, easy-to-mount R&S FE170ST/SR TX/RX frontends and the new R&S NRP170TWG thermal power sensor for the D band, it is a T&M solution for early 6G and sub-THz research and development.
Other demo setups showed multi-port measurements in the W band with new R&S FE110ST/SR TX/RX frontends, the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator and the R&S RTP oscilloscope. Covering the frequency range from 70 GHz to 110 GHz, these new frontends complement the company’s portfolio by targeting high-frequency applications up to 110 GHz. The display of D band applications is rounded out with two more setups: One featuring D band component characterization using the R&S ZNA vector network analyzer combined with R&S ZC170 mmWave converters; another one showing phase noise measurements in the D band with the R&S FSWP phase noise analyzer and the R&S SMA100B vector signal generator combined with R&S FS-Z170 harmonic mixers and R&S SMZ170 frequency multipliers that increase the instrument frequency range to 170 GHz.
The latest additions to the Rohde & Schwarz sub-THz test portfolio (R&S SFI100A, R&S NRP170TWG and R&S FE110ST/SR) will be available soon but visitors could already experience them in person at the EuMW in Berlin.
RF and microwave component testing
From design to characterization to production, Rohde & Schwarz offers numerous solutions to optimize performance and guarantee the quality of the final RF and microwave components. At the EuMW, Rohde & Schwarz had a setup for simple and accurate noise figure and gain measurements up to 110 GHz, a key performance metric for RF components. The demo featured the new R&S FS-SNS110 smart noise source in combination with the R&S FSVA3000 signal and spectrum analyzer. For production tests of active and passive devices, visitors could experience a multiport solution consisting of the R&S ZNB26 vector network analyzer and the R&S ZN-Z86 switch matrix with up to 24 outputs for optimized sequential DUT testing.
Test solutions for next generation automotive radar
At the EuMW, visitors could see the R&S Radar Test System (RTS) with the R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator as a backend and the R&S QAT100 antenna array for the frontend, with new functions that make it the only test system for complete characterization of radar sensors and radar echo generation with object distances down to the airgap for FMCW radars. The test solution is suitable for all development lab, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), vehicle-in-the-loop (VIL), validation and production application requirements. The solution is also fully scalable and can emulate the most complex traffic scenarios for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
A&D test solutions
Rohde & Schwarz has decades of industry experience and constantly helps push the limits of technological progress in the aerospace, defense and space industries. Examples for this include new satellite constellations in LEO, MEO or GEO orbits and the integration of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) in terrestrial communication networks that help provide seamless connectivity even in remote areas around the globe. Active antenna arrays with beamforming capabilities are key technologies for establishing links between satellite terminals and end devices on the ground. To test these novel satellite terminals, Rohde & Schwarz displayed a solution at the EuMW based on the R&S ATS1800C CATR based test chamber for over-the-air measurements of electrically large beamforming antenna arrays. Other A&D demos looked at the comprehensive characterization of high-gain satellite receivers.
Real-time material analysis
The R&S QAR50 uses microwave imaging technology that leverages hundreds of receive and transmit antennas to quickly characterize materials. Rohde & Schwarz exhibited its tried-and-tested automotive radome tester in a new context at the EuMW. The tester is ideal for testing radomes and bumpers in development and production and also for real-time material analysis of packaged products, thanks to the new R&S QAR50-K80 real-time imaging software. Complementing current methods such as cameras, X-rays or scales to detect quality issues such as leakage or unwanted particles in packages, the software uses neuronal networks to detect abnormalities without opening containers.
