Agilent Technologies Inc. enhancement to its PSA Series high-performance spectrum analyzers that increases their measurement frequency range from 50 GHz to as high as 325 GHz with the use of external mixers. The extended frequency range of the PSA Series gives designers of radar, electronic warfare, satellite and terrestrial communications, and other systems a cost-effective solution for performing signal analysis at extremely high frequencies.

The enhancement for the PSA Series includes software that maintains all the high-performance capabilities of the PSA Series and takes advantage of external mixers from Agilent with coverage to 110 GHz, as well as from third-party mixer suppliers that offer coverage to 325 GHz.

Agilent offers two mixer families: the 110-GHz 11970 Series harmonic mixers and the 75-GHz 11974 Series preselected mixers. Both families feature very flat frequency response and low conversion loss. No bias or tuning adjustments are required, and each mixer is calibrated over its full range of operating frequencies. In addition, the 11974 Series preselected mixers eliminate the time-consuming signal identification process required with harmonic mixers, in which the many images and harmonics created by the mixing process must be removed from the display to identify the signal of interest.

When the 11970 Series harmonic mixers or unpreselected third-party mixers are used, the analyzer provides two ways of performing signal identification: image shift and image suppression. The image-shift method moves the signals by a factor of the intermediate frequency (IF) divided by a user-specified harmonic number. Only the desired signal will shift by the correct amount. The image-suppression technique (patented by Agilent) automatically suppresses all images that are not the true signal, leaving only the desired signal on the screen.

Since some third-party mixers require mixer bias voltage sent to the IF port of the analyzer to be adjusted for optimum performance, Option AYZ allows bias to be adjusted either locally or over the IEEE-488 bus. Other Option AYZ features include automatic harmonic-number setting or manual setting to match the needs of a specific mixer, and amplitude correction that compensates for conversion loss.

Option AYZ will be available for the Agilent E4440A, E4446A, and E4448A PSA Series spectrum analyzers. Upgrade kits will be available for PSA Series instruments already in service as a cost-effective way to extend their frequency range.

Additional information about Agilent’s PSA Series high-performance spectrum analyzers is available at www.agilent.com/find/psa, and information about Agilent’s harmonic and preselected mixers as available at www.agilent.com/find/externalmixers.

Photos of all products mentioned in this press release are available at www.agilent.com/find/PSA325GHzphotos.

U.S. Pricing and Availability

The external mixing capability (Option AYZ) for PSA Series spectrum analyzers is priced at $2,000. Upgrade kits for PSA Series instruments are also priced at $2,000. Both products available since early 2004.