IFR Adds Gain Compression Capability to 6840 Series for Testing Microwave Mixers and Frequency Converters.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2002 IFR IFR abbr. instrument flight rules , an Aeroflex company (Nasdaq:ARXX), today announced it has added a new facility to its 6840 series microwave system analyzers to test for gain compression Gain compression in an electronic amplifier circuit is a reduction in 'differential' or 'slope' gain caused by nonlinearity of the transfer characteristic of the amplifying device. in microwave frequency converter and mixer devices. The new capability allows the 6840 series to test 1 dB gain compression in frequency converters and mixers. The new software facility, called Offset Gain Compression, will be available in all new units shipped after October 1, 2002. Current owners of 6800 series microwave system analyzers can obtain a free software upgrade by contacting their local IFR sales office. Testing Gain Compression is Vital in Frequency Converters and Mixers Microwave frequency converters and mixers are similar to amplifiers -- they generate harmonic distortion In communications, unwanted frequencies that are generated as multiples of the original frequency due to irregularities in the transmission line. In audio amplifiers, harmonic distortion comes from non-uniform operation (non-linearity) in the amplifier circuits. See harmonic. products as a result of excessive drive power. However, unlike amplifiers, additional distortion products are generated during the process of mixing two or more signals. The level of unwanted distortion products in frequency converters and mixers is even more susceptible to the input drive level than amplifiers. The reason is that a majority of amplifiers are designed to operate in a "linear" fashion. Therefore, increasing the input level by 1 dB results in an increase in the output level of 1 dB -- gain is constant with input power. In the real world, the amplifier is said to "compress" the signal such that the output power no longer increases for each incremental Additional or increased growth, bulk, quantity, number, or value; enlarged. Incremental cost is additional or increased cost of an item or service apart from its actual cost. increase in input power. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , the gain reduces with increasing input signal level. On the other hand, a mixer is an inherently non-linear device and as such is much more susceptible to the effects of excessive drive power and the production of unwanted products. Typically, amplifiers are most often characterized for output power at 1 dB compression, whereas mixers and receiver down-converters are more normally characterized for input power at 1 dB compression. The generation by a mixer of many unwanted products means that it is vital that the user perform gain compression tests. With the 6840 series and Offset Gain Compression, the user can quickly characterize the gain compression of a device under test and determine the optimum input signal level range. About the 6840 Series Microwave System Analyzers The 6840 Series RF and microwave system analyzers are a powerful tool for the microwave industry. Available in frequency ranges from 1 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. to 46 GHz, each model in the series includes a synthesized syn·the·sized adj. 1. Relating to or being an instrument whose sound is modified or augmented by a synthesizer. 2. Relating to or being compositions or a composition performed on synthesizers or synthesized instruments. source, a three-input scalar scalar, quantity or number possessing only sign and magnitude, e.g., the real numbers (see number), in contrast to vectors and tensors; scalars obey the rules of elementary algebra. Many physical quantities have scalar values, e.g. analyzer and a synthesized spectrum analyzer A hardware device or software used to examine the frequency and power components of a signal. It provides more information than an oscilloscope, because it can display the signals over a range of frequencies. integrated into a single instrument. Devices such as filters, amplifiers, mixers, attenuators and oscillators can be characterized with a single test instrument. The internal source can be used as a simple continuous wave (CW) output, as a swept source for scalar measurements and as a tracking source for network measurements on frequency translation devices. The 6840 series is designed to expand and adapt to changing test requirements. A standard instrument has the capacity for additional hardware modules. As future options are added, the flexibility and capability of the 6840 series platform will continue to expand by adding new capabilities through new hardware and software. Price and Availability The 6840 series microwave system analyzers are available immediately. They vary in price depending upon bandwidth and options. The 6840 series starts at U.S. $35,000. Delivery for the 6840 series with Offset Gain Compression installed is six weeks upon receipt of order. About IFR, an Aeroflex Company IFR is a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced wireless test solutions for communications, avionics and general test and measurement applications. For more information about IFR in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , contact: IFR, 10200 West York West York may refer to one of these places:
About Aeroflex Aeroflex Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, designs, develops and manufactures state-of-the-art microelectronic module, integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for , interconnect and testing solutions used in broadband communication applications. The Company's common stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol ARXX and is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 index. Additional information concerning Aeroflex Incorporated can be found on the Company's Web site: www.AEROflex.com. |
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