Evaluating the performance of DSP-based RF/microwave measurement systems

Technology is available to support the use of digital signal processing (DSP) techniques in the measurement of RF/microwave signals. The integration of a front-end RF/microwave receiver, analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and DSP provides a versatile, inexpensive, small, and lightweight system solution. This DSP-based system has, for example, the potential to perform the function of an RF frequency counter (CW and pulsed), spectrum analyzer, and modulation analyzer. Automatic test equipment (ATE) system integrators are tasked to configure the optimum mix of hardware and software to provide the best value for the application. This requires allocation of the system requirements to the functional modules, a task more often completed by the instrument designer for conventional instruments. The benefits of a thorough, well planned design is a system that can accommodate a multitude of applications by software reconfiguration