Technical Overviews
Making the transition to a new high-performance signal analysis instrument in R&D, manufacturing, or operations ATE requires careful consideration. This document provides an overview and comparison of the new Keysight N9030A PXA signal analyzer with the existing Keysight PSA Series high-performance spectrum analyzers (E4440A/43A/45A/46A/47A/48A).
Since its introduction in 2000, the Keysight PSA spectrum analyzer has been continuously updated and enhanced, serving the aerospace/defense and communications industries in applications where the highest performance and wideband analysis capabilities are required
However, some new applications and technologies call for even more capability and performance in areas such as sensitivity, dynamic range, and analysis bandwidth. Also, many users prefer more powerful instrument connectivity interfaces such as USB 2.0 or Gigabit LAN, often coupled with a need for faster measurement throughput to handle more demanding test protocols.
If these aspects interest you, then now is the time for you to make the transition to the new PXA as your logical PSA replacement
Maximize Signal Insight with the PXA
The Keysight PXA achieves breakthroughs in many areas, including industry-leading sensitivity and dynamic range. New Keysight innovations such as Noise Floor Extension (“NFE”-standard) allow for up to 12 dB greater sensitivity for low-level signal measurements.
A new RF front-end microcircuit design with a higher TOI point provides higher dynamic range for critical transmitter distortion measurements.
An optional Low Noise Path (Option LNP) allows some of the high insertion loss elements normally found in the RF input chain to be completely bypassed for highest sensitivity without a preamplifier in the microwave bands above 3.6 GHz.
Plus, an improved LO tuning circuit design improves PXA’s close-in phase noise by over 10 dB relative to the PSA for optimum performance when required.
However, this improved performance is of limited use if one must first rewrite existing test software or manual test procedures and redesign test systems to take full advantage.
Keysight has made great efforts to address this issue by designing the PXA’s key physical attributes (form and fit) as well as its manual and remote user interfaces (function) in a way that builds upon the foundation laid by the PSA.
SCPI extensions and aliases are provided to support the new PXA features while retaining SCPI compatibility with the PSA. Thus, there is no need to rewrite existing test software or manual test procedures to take full advantage of the PXA’s outstanding performance.
Analyze signals over wider bandwidths, reduce measurement uncertainty and reveal previously hidden signals. The PXA’s super-wide IF technology provides nearly twice the PSA’s internal optional measurement bandwidth, an industry-leading 160 MHz, with up to 75 dB of spurious-free dynamic range.
PXA matches PSA’s breakthrough ±0.19 dB 95% confidence level absolute power measurement accuracy
PXA can look up to 12 dB deeper than PSA, with up to –172 dBm/Hz effective sensitivity (DANL, specified at 2 GHz using NFE, with optional RF preamp on)
PXA’s excellent TOI performance surpasses PSA’s available dynamic range, with –83 dBc W-CDMA ACPR coupled with its higher sensitivity measurements easily achievable and 115 dB of third order dynamic range available at 2 GHz
PXA offers a > 10 dB improvement in close-in phase noise, relative to the PSA, to improve your test margin for this critical spec on many high-performance mission-critical communication transmitters
The PXA also supports Keysight’s M1970V and M1970W waveguide harmonic mixers, providing exceptional performance up to 110 GHz. These smart mixers use a simple USB plug-and-play connection to automatically configure the PXA for the specific
conversion loss data. They also automatically compensate for local oscillator path loss for different cable lengths.mixer connected, including downloading
The PXA can act as a system controller, eliminating the need for an additional PC in your rack—one less PC needs to be declassified when transferring systems.
Decrease test time and greatly improve test throughput with much-improved measurement and data transfer speeds—up to 70% faster than PSA.
More performance to create the highest performance designs
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