Digital Phosphor Technology Boosts RF Signal Discovery and Analysis

Digital phosphor technology, traditionally used in advanced oscilloscopes, has been applied to the RF domain and can now be found in preeminent real-time spectrum analyzers (RTSAs). In enabling users to view "live RF" signals for the first time, digital phosphor technology provides unmatched insight into RF signal behavior. In fact, full-motion digital phosphor displays show signals and details that are completely missed by conventional spectrum analyzers and vector signal analyzers (VSAs), greatly accelerating the discovery and diagnosis of problems relating to time-variant RF signals. The name "digital phosphor" derives from the phosphor coating on the inside of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used as displays in televisions, computer monitors and older test equipment. When an electron beam excites the phosphor, it fluoresces, lighting up the path drawn by the stream of electrons. Although raster-scan technologies, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), eventually replaced CRTs in many applications due depth and power advantages, the combination of phosphor coatings and vector drawing in CRTs provided several benefits that are useful for modern test and measurement applications.