Keysight Expands RF & Microwave Line with Fast Test Tools

IntentTech Insights Staff Writer |
February, 2025

Keysight Technologies, Inc. has expanded its radio frequency (RF) and microwave instrument portfolio with six new analog signal generators, two vector signal generators, eight RF synthesizers, and three signal source analyzers. These new solutions provide RF engineers with compact tools, in single channel and multi-channel platforms, for component and device characterization at frequencies up to 54 GHz.

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Signal generators and RF synthesizers are essential tools that RF engineers rely on routinely to test components, devices, and systems in areas such as radar and defense electronics, wireless communication systems, consumer electronics, and more. Signal source analyzers (SSA) help RF engineers to accurately characterize phase noise, jitter, and frequency stability in oscillators, synthesizers, and signal sources and active components across radar systems, wireless networks, high-speed computing, and optical communications. These analyzers are essential for ensuring signal purity, minimizing interference, and optimizing performance in critical RF and digital applications.

Keysight’s new signal generators provide performance, with low phase noise, good spectral purity, and fast switching speed, combined with multi-channel phase coherent options. The new portfolio of RF synthesizers provide pure and fast signals, with scaled down features in even more compact and cost-effective form factors for integration and manufacturing applications.

The new Keysight compact portfolio offers several key advantages:

Portability: Compact size, lower weight, and power consumption versus other instruments in their class for easy transport, efficient use in lab.
Rapid testing: Fast switching speed (down to 3 µs) can accelerate testing, mimic fast moving signals (e.g. RADAR), and boost throughput with multi-channel options.
Low phase noise: Oven-controlled crystal oscillator stabilized signal (e.g. AP5021A phase noise -145 dBc/Hz at 1 GHz, 10 kHz offset, typical) for pure signals.
Scalable channel count: Single channel options and multi-channel options with phase coherency; units can be linked together for multi-instrument phase coherency.
Modulation capabilities combined with signal purity, fast switching and multi-channel capability: Supports amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, phase modulation, pulse modulation, pulse train, frequency chirps along with 400 MHz vector modulation.
Fully Integrated SSA’s: Cross-correlation system with multi-programmable low noise DC supplies.
Optimized user interface: Features an LCD touch screen and/or remote desktop PC software making it easy to operate.

Joe Rickert, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight High Frequency Measurements Center of Excellence, said: “These new signal generators, frequency synthesizers, and signal source analyzers provide RF engineers a number of new test tools that provide an exciting combination of technical performance, compact form factors, and cost-effectiveness. The generators provide excellent signal purity, fast switching, multi-channel phase coherency, and more, while the synthesizers offer pure and fast signal creation with targeted feature sets and reduced size for system integrators and manufacturers. The signal source analyzers support accurate characterization of important system components such as oscillators. We are excited about the value that these new platforms will bring to engineers working in aerospace/defense, wireless communications, quantum computing, consumer electronics, education, and other applications.”