- Overview
- All Models
- Support
Power measurements for modulated and complex signals
Keysight peak and average power sensors handle both peak and average power measurements, making them ideal for pulsed and complex modulation signals. Capture fast transient signals with high-speed sampling rates, ensuring precise peak power measurements for dynamic RF and microwave applications. Perform in-depth time-gated measurements to isolate and analyze specific signal segments, enabling accurate pulse characterization and improved accuracy across modulation formats. Whether you're working in wireless communications, radar systems, or satellite testing, Keysight peak and average power sensors provide the performance and precision needed for complex, high-speed power characterization.
Peak and average detection
Combines peak and average power measurement capabilities for comprehensive signal evaluation of pulsed and complex modulated signals.
Fast transient capture
Detects and measures fast transient signals with high-speed sampling rates, ensuring precise peak power measurements.
High-speed measurement
Provides fast measurement speeds with up to 1000 readings per second via the GPIB, ensuring rapid and reliable results.
Time-gated measurements
Performs precise time-gated measurements, enabling accurate pulse characterization and signal isolation in complex modulated signals.
-
Frequency range
50 MHz to 6 GHz, 50 MHz to 18 GHz
-
Power range
-60 to +20 dBm, -65 to +20 dBm
-
Video bandwidth
300 kHz to 5 MHz
-
Connector type
Type-N (m)
-
Measurement type
Peak and Average/CW
Most popular configurations
Peak and Average Power Sensor, 50 MHz - 6 GHz, 300kHz Bandwidth
Peak and Average Power Sensor, 50 MHz - 18 GHz, 1.5MHz Bandwidth
Peak and Average Power Sensor, 50 MHz - 6 GHz, 5MHz Bandwidth
- Explore Our Extensive Power Meter and Power Sensor Catalog
- Buying Guide for Power Meters and Power Sensors
- 7 Practices to Prevent Damaging Power Sensors
Services and support
Innovate at speed with curated support plans and prioritized response and turn-around times.
Get predictable, lease-based subscriptions and full lifecycle management solutions—so you reach your business goals faster.
Experience elevated service as a KeysightCare subscriber to get committed technical response and more.
Ensure your test system performs to specification and meets local and global standards.
Make measurements quickly with in-house, instructor-led training, and eLearning.
Download Keysight software or update your software to the newest version.
Frequently asked questions
A peak power sensor is a high-speed RF sensor designed to capture the instantaneous power envelope of a signal in the time domain. Unlike average power sensors that measure signal energy over time, peak power sensors sample the power envelope at very high rates and can resolve fast, transient signal behavior.
Peak power sensors provide much more than a single power reading. They deliver time-domain waveform data that enables analysis of:
- peak power (maximum instantaneous level)
- average power (within a time gate)
- crest factor (peak-to-average ratio)
- pulse width, rise/fall time, duty cycle, pulse repetition interval
- overshoot, droop, and pulse-to-pulse variations
This makes them useful for analyzing pulsed radar, bursty communication signals, amplifier transients, and time-critical events in RF systems.
The primary difference between peak and average power sensors lies in how they process and represent RF signal power.
Average power sensors measure the mean power over time, providing a single scalar value regardless of modulation or waveform complexity. They are ideal for continuous wave and modulated signals, offering modulation-independent, high-accuracy readings across a wide dynamic range. Average sensors use filtering and averaging, which is not sufficient for capturing fast transients or pulse details.
In contrast, peak power sensors capture the instantaneous power envelope of a signal using high-speed sampling and wide video bandwidths, up to 30 MHz. They generate a time-domain waveform, enabling detailed measurements such as peak power, pulse width, rise/fall time, duty cycle, and crest factor. This makes peak power sensors useful for applications involving pulsed radar, bursty communication signals, and amplifier transient analysis, where time resolution and signal dynamics matter.
Overall, average power sensors are optimized for steady-state or modulated signals, while peak power sensors are designed for time-sensitive, transient-rich environments requiring waveform-level insight.
Power sensors that measure both peak and average power combine wideband diode detection, high-speed digitization, and digital signal processing (DSP) to support both scalar and time-domain measurements in one device.
1. Wideband Diode Detection
The incoming RF signal is absorbed by a matched load and detected using ultra-fast Schottky diodes. These diodes operate across a wide dynamic range and output a voltage representing the signal envelope.
2. Peak Mode (Time-Domain Measurement)
In peak mode, the sensor uses a wide video bandwidth and high-speed ADC to digitize the envelope. It extracts:
- peak power, crest factor
- pulse width, rise/fall time
- duty cycle, pulse repetition interval
- time-gated average power
This enables nanosecond-resolution analysis of fast transients and pulsed signals.
3. Average Mode (Scalar Measurement)
In average mode, the rectified signal is low-pass filtered or digitally averaged to compute the true average power, independent of modulation type. Time gating can isolate specific intervals.
4. Smart Switching and Calibration
The sensor automatically selects the appropriate mode and applies built-in corrections for temperature, frequency response, and linearity. Triggering options allow synchronization with external events.
Peak and average sensors use a dual-path architecture to deliver both accurate average power and high-resolution pulse analysis, making them ideal for modern RF applications involving modulated, pulsed, or bursty signals.