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test&measurementZONE Products for the week of June 29, 2009
Saelig Says…
6.4 GHz RF Signal Generator Provides Outstanding Signal Purity and Resolution
APSIN6000 is a high-resolution, extremely low-noise, portable signal generator with remarkable signal purity (phase noise -128dBc/Hz at 1GHz and 20kHz offset, harmonics <-40dBc) with rapid power/frequency switching and settling time, offering a resolution of 0.001 Hz from 9 kHz up to 6.4 GHz.
APSIN6000 combines outstanding signal quality (low phase noise, good harmonic suppression and extremely low spurious signals) with fast switching capabilities. An internal OCXO reference guarantees high stability, but APSIN6000 can also be locked to an external source.
APSIN6000 robust compact enclosure (6.7" x 4.7" x 8.7") allows multiple synchronized units to be stacked in crowded lab environments or production test facilities. Especially useful for automated test environments, APSIN6000 can be accessed remotely via its RJ-45 LAN interface. Setup and configuration can be performed from provided GUI software or even a standard Web browser. Broad software support (DLL, GUI, Web-server and NI-VISA drivers) enables straightforward integration of APSIN6000 into larger automated test systems or measurement equipment. APSIN6000 offers an internal power sensor for auto-level control, while providing powerful trigger and sweep modes.
APSIN6000 weighs less than 6lbs, and optional internal rechargeable batteries allow for more than 3 hours of portable use – great for service kits requiring CW and basic analog modulation. The ability to save operating states allows APSIN6000 to go anywhere you want without even needing a laptop PC. An installation disk that accompanies each unit includes all the drivers required to remotely control the device as well as a user-friendly, Lab-Windows-based GUI interface that is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. User control is facilitated via pull-down menus that enable programming of frequency and power sweeps, modulation capabilities, and enhanced triggering.
APSIN6000 is an affordable, broadband signal generator with outstanding signal quality and switching performance, light weight and completely portable, offering an attractive alternative to expensive high-end RF signal generators. Applications for APSIN include: laboratory precision analog signal source, production test & measurement, automated test systems (ATE), EMC testing, etc. Further technical specifications are at http://www.anapico.com
Swiss-made by AnaPico AG, a leading-edge designer of RF sources and sampling systems, APSIN6000 is available now from $7900 from their USA distributor, Saelig Co. Inc., NY, Phone: 1-888-7SAELIG, E-mail: info@saelig.com
EN-Genius Says…
Although this AnaPico product has been on the market for six months, it has only now been selected for US distribution by Saelig Company. Moreover, Saelig is providing substantial engineering data comparing AnaPico's APSIN6000 to competitive RF signal/sweep generators, notably from instrumentation heavyweights Rhode and Schwarz, Agilent Technologies, and Anritsu.
The APSIN6000's low phase-noise and milli-Hz resolution, as well as its ability to deliver up to 20 mW of output power (+13 dBm) into 50-Ω loads, enhances its wide frequency range. According to Saelig spokesman, Alan Lowne, the output signal can also be set at a low of -140 dBm, or 23 nV, which, he points out, may be useful for receiver sensitivity testing.
Note, however, that that lower-level output requires an option. According to AnaPico's published data, the option permits the instrument to deliver power from the full stated output level down to a mere -100 dBm, or 2.25 µV. The data sheet indicates actual output below -100 dBm at a resolution of 0.5 dB. With that, the stated settable level spans -120 dBm to +16 dBm (40 mW, or 1.41 V). The spec sheet spec that guarantees output to within 0.1 dB resolution only spans -30 dBm to +13 dBm.
Making Comparisons
The comparative data to Rohde and Schwarz generators is interesting. Saelig looks at the R&S 6-GHz Model SMB100A, the 3.2-GHz SMC100A, and R&S's economy 3.3-GHz Model SML03. The wide range SMB100A (priced at about $17,700 with options) spans 9 kHz to 6 GHz, falling just a tad short of the APSIN6000's upper range of 6.4 GHz. However, in automated applications, the AnaPico unit may outperform the much-vaunted SMB100A. The latter is spec'd to switch in less than 3 ms, while the APSIN6000 data sheet guarantees 2-ms switching time (and an even faster 0.9 ms in a List mode).
There are some other significant comparisons, too. Obviously, AnaPico's generator, priced at $7900, is a lot lower in cost. But there's more to it than price alone.
The stability of the battery powered APSIN6000 is rated at 100 ppb, for example, while that can only be achieved with a high-stability option fitted to a battery-less SMB100A. Similarly, the phase-noise spec on the APSIN6000 beats out the R&S generator. Compared at 1 GHz, with 20 kHz spacing, the SMB100A is rated to be better than -122 dB/Hz, but the APSIN6000 comes in out of the box at a better -130 dB/Hz.
To be fair, the SMB100A is a LAN-compatible box, as well as IEEE-488/GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) and Universal Serial Bus-compatible, while the APSIN6000 isn’t. However, given the ascendancy of LAN and Web connected instrumentation, that may be a moot point.
The comparisons Saelig makes with the Rohde and Schwarz SMC100A and SML03 models are also worth considering. Note, too, that AnaPico offers a lower cost (about $4900) APSIN3000 model, and as its designation implies, its upper frequency limit is 3 GHz (3.4 GHz to be precise). So, if you do an apples-to-apples comparison, the APSIN3000 would square up against the R&S SMC100A and SML03 models.
Does it? Let's see. An APSIN3000 spans 9 kHz to 3.4 GHz, while the SMC100A extends up to only 3.2 GHz, and the SML03 goes only 100 MHz higher to 3.3 GHz. The switching speed for the SMC100A is rated at a bit better than 5 ms; the SML03 switches in less than 10 ms. The APSIN3000, like its full-range APSIN6000, switches in 2 ms. It’s clearly the speed winner.
Stability Compared
As for stability, all units are comparable, but the Rohde and Schwarz models require an option to meet their 100 ppb stability specs. Admittedly, the R&S units have a wider output power range, extending down to -120 dBm and -140 dBm (for the SMC100A and SML03, respectively). They can do this without the need for low-power attenuator options.
The comparison to Anritsu's MG3691B is intriguing. Anritsu's 10 GHz instrument, which obviously comprises first-rate bench gear, is equal to the APSIN6000's stability specs, but only if fitted with a pricey high-stability option. It can be supplied with an ovenized crystal reference, but the little APSIN6000 comes standard with its OCXO at no extra cost.
 Yes, the Anritsu box can deliver more output power (to +18 dBm) than the AnaPico unit, but it's much heavier and considerably more expensive, although it is GPIB-, USB-, and LAN-compatible. It's a 250 W line-powered instrument, though, compared to the bantam APSIN6000 that operates at 10 W from its battery pack.
Looking at Agilent's line-powered 3 GHz and 6 GHz MXG N5181A generators (priced from about $13,000 to about $20,500), as well as Agilent's $6900 3-GHz N9310A, the APSIN3000 also stacks up competitively in many respects, too, and bests the Agilent boxes in some quarters. For example, the Agilent generators exhibit 0.01-Hz frequency resolution (the N9310A has just 0.1-Hz resolution) while the AnaPico unit exhibits a much finer 0.001 Hz resolution. Overall stability of the AnaPico unit is also an order of magnitude better.
In summary, AnaPico's APSIN boxes are fast-switching CW generators that pack noteworthy sweep and trigger capabilities. You may not ever call on 0.001 Hz frequency resolution for most applications, but if you're in need of fast-switching ATE-compatible generators that can be programmed for a range of sweeps and triggers, and can be placed in a SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instrumentation) environment on a network with relative ease, check them out. If your needs call for field testing, their battery capability will likely outshine their bench-level power-hungry competitors hands down, too.
It would be good to hear from Agilent, Anritsu, and Rohde and Schwarz. I will invite them to respond to this review with comments.
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