Keysight Technologies' Launches New Phase Noise Test System (PNTS)

SANTA ROSA, Calif., May 30, 2019

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, today introduced a new phase noise measurement system for "power users", which enables them to optimize and prove performance of new designs, meet operational requirements, as well as remain on schedule and on budget.

Phase noise is an unwanted phase modulation noise that emerges in nearly all radio frequency and microwave devices including oscillators, mixers, dividers, multipliers and amplifiers. Power users, including professionals responsible for developing high-performance aerospace and defense applications as well as cutting-edge device characterization for 5G and other wireless communication systems, need to validate the phase noise performance of their designs. 

Keysight's new N5511A Phase Noise Test System (PNTS) models are available in three frequency ranges - from 50 kHz and going up to 3, 26.5, or 40 GHz with offsets from .01 Hz to 160 MHz internally. It can be configured for either single or dual-channel operation and offers the following key technology features:

• Flexible architecture for easy integration of external reference sources enabling users to select from a variety of commercially-available low-noise sources
• Phase detector (quadrature) technique maximizes dynamic range
• Best-in-class absolute and residual measurements on both continuous wave and pulsed signals
• Cross spectral averaging (cross-correlation) to measure noise approaching the limits of physics, down to the kT (–177 dBm/Hz) thermal noise floor, by removing uncorrelated noise between two channels and enabling users to see the real performance of their device under test

"In terms of radio frequency and microwave design, less phase noise means more performance, and the new Keysight N5511A PNTS can help customers achieve that performance," said Dan Dunn, vice president and general manager of Keysight's Aerospace Defense and Government Solutions Group. "Its flexible architecture lets customers integrate exceptional reference sources – theirs or ours – and confidently solve specific challenges faster."

The flexible and scalable architecture of Keysight's N5511A PNTS enables power users to:

• Confidently and quickly solve specific challenges in phase noise by removing uncorrelated reference noise, system noise and any additional uncorrelated noise from signal conditioning devices such as attenuators and amplifiers
• Generate faster measurements using hardware acceleration with fast Fourier transform (FFT) and cross-correlation in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), rather than software on a CPU
• Simplify set-up of residual measurements using the phase noise measurement interface (PNMI) accessory
• Stay ahead of the leading edge in metrology and calibration and adapt to future needs by upgrading from single channel to dual channel (for cross-correlation) and integrating other PXI modules for new functionality

Consisting of phase detector and data conversion modules housed in a custom, low-noise single PXIe mainframe four units (4U) high, the N5511A occupies minimal rack space. The system software included runs on an integrated PC controller using the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.

Pricing and Availability

N5511A Phase Noise Test System is available now. Prices start at USD $135,000.

Additional Information

More information is available online at www.keysight.com/find/PNTS and www.keysight.com/find/N5511A.

Keysight will demonstrate the N5511A Phase Noise Test System at the International Microwave Symposium 2019, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Stand 606, June 4 - 6.

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is a leading technology company that helps its engineering, enterprise and service provider customers optimize networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost. Keysight's solutions go where the electronic signal goes, from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimization in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. Keysight generated revenues of $3.9B in fiscal year 2018. More information is available at www.keysight.com.

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