MCPA Test Platform reduces test development time by 30%.
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Press Release Summary:
GS-9200 multi-carrier power amplifier (MCPA) test system supports W-CMDA and cdma2000 formats. It also handles calibrated MCPA measurements, such as MCPA feed-forward testing with automatic measurements and pre-distortion analysis. Multiple parameters are displayed in real-time on one screen, helping customers reduce tuning time. Software combines multiple instrument functions and tests with test-system signal routing to perform integrated MCPA measurements.
Original Press Release:
Agilent Technologies Announces Industry-First, Highly Integrated Commercial System for Multi-Carrier Power Amplifier Testing
Flexible MCPA Platform Reduces Test Development and Tuning Time by More than 30 percent, Extends Lifetime of Test Assets
SEATTLE, International Microwave Symposium 2002, June 4, 2002 - Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced the industry's first commercially available multi-carrier power amplifier (MCPA) test platform that enables base station and contract manufacturers to speed MCPA production while reducing overall cost of test.
The extensive integration of the Agilent GS-9200 MCPA test system's application-specific hardware and software reduces test development and deployment time by more than 30 percent when compared to test systems built from components. The GS-9200 also can be tailored for individual testing needs and reconfigured to meet future requirements to extend the lifetime of test assets within R&D and manufacturing.
The GS-9200 currently supports W-CMDA and cdma2000 formats. Its modular design can be readily adapted to handle emerging radio formats such as cdmaOne and GSM/EDGE. The platform also handles calibrated MCPA measurements, such as MCPA feed-forward testing with automatic measurements and pre-distortion analysis.
"Base station manufacturers typically build unique MCPA test platforms for specific test scenarios and then scrap the platforms when requirements change," said Neil Martin, base station test business manager for Agilent's System Generation and Delivery Unit. "Now manufacturers can get a test platform that's already integrated, and receive delivery in the time it used to take just to get components. In today's business environment, customers need an integrated platform that reduces the cost of test and can be reconfigured for extended
use."
Because tuning a test platform involves many interactive adjustments and measurements, the GS-9200 features a unique display for tuning progression and interaction between tuning parameters. Multiple parameters are displayed in real-time on one screen, helping customers significantly reduce the tuning time for MCPA feed-forward designs.
With its integrated features and modular design, the GS-9200 gives customers the ability to complete accurate, repeatable measurements across different devices, test systems and locations. Test developers also can more quickly create test plans using automatic measurements available in the GS-9200 system measurement library.
The GS-9200's software combines multiple instrument functions and tests with test-system signal routing to perform the following integrated MCPA measurements:
- average power, power-added efficiency (PAE), gain;
- S-parameter measurements, including high power S22 parameter;
- adjacent-channel leakage ratio (ACLR) for W-CDMA;
- adjacent-channel power ratio (ACPR) for cdma2000;
- AM-AM and AM-PM for modulated-signals; and complex stimulus-response measurements (under modulated conditions for pre-distortion MCPA designs), including inter-modulation distortion
(IMD), spurious, harmonics, code-domain power (CDP) and error-vector magnitude (EVM).
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Agilent GS-9200 test system is priced starting at $300,000 and is expected to be available in August 2002:
More information on the GS-9200 test system is available at
agilent.com/find/gs-9200.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics and life sciences. The company's 37,000 employees serve customers in more than 120 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $8.4 billion in fiscal year 2001. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.
Agilent Technologies, Test and Measurement Organization, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., MS 54LAK, Santa Clara, Calif. 95052.
