2.7 GHz RF Vector Signal Generator

Overview

The National Instruments PXIe-5672 is a 2.7 GHz RF vector signal

generator with quadrature digital upconversion. Digital upconversion

provides an efficient mechanism of waveform generation resulting in

significant waveform download times. The NI PXIe-5672 provides

16-bit resolution arbitrary waveform generation at 100 MS/s (400 MS/s

interpolated), up to 512 MB of memory, and up to 20 MHz of instantaneous

signal bandwidth. The NI PXIe-5672 is a general-purpose vector signal

generator that can generate standard modulation formats such as AM,

FM, PM, ASK, FSK, MSK, GMSK, PSK, QPSK, PAM, and QAM. One

accompanying tool is the NI Modulation Toolkit for LabVIEW, which

provides functions for signal generation, analysis, visualization, and

processing of custom and standard digital and analog modulation

formats. The combined functionality of the NI PXIe-5672 and the

Modulation Toolkit delivers a highly flexible and powerful solution

for scientific research, consumer electronics, communications,

aerospace/defense, and semiconductor test applications as well as

for emerging areas including software-defined radio, radio-frequency

identification (RFID), and wireless sensor networks. For specific

communications standards, you can use various software add-ons to

generate modulated signals according to standards such as WCDMA,

DVB-H, and ZigBee.

High-Speed Data Streaming

Combined with high-speed RAID arrays, the high-speed PXI Express data

bus and digital upconversion enable continuous RF generation from hard

disk or memory. PXI Express instruments can stream data from the host

controller at rates greater than 600 MB/s. With the NI PXIe-5672, you

can perform continuous streaming from disk at the maximum output

rate of the instrument, 25 MS/s (100 MB/s). For extended waveform

generation, the NI PXIe-5672 is capable of streaming continuous

waveforms from disk for more than five hours. Applications that benefit

from this capability include broadcast video test, record and playback,

and extended bit error rate (BER) testing.

Quadrature Digital Upconversion

The NI PXIe-5672 uses a superheterodyne upconversion approach to

minimize quadrature error. Digital upconversion of baseband I/Q

waveforms to an intermediate frequency (IF) is performed digitally in

hardware on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). With digital

upconversion, you can apply interpolating pulse-shaping filters (raised

cosine, root-raised cosine, and flat) to improve the efficiency of memory

usage. Because this functionality can operate on baseband waveforms

sampled as high as 25 MS/s, you can use it for up to the full 20 MHz

real-time bandwidth of the instrument.

Hardware Performance

The NI PXIe-5672 provides vector signal generation from 250 kHz to

2.7 GHz over a wide range of signal levels from -145 dBm to +10 dBm

in a compact, three-slot, 3U module. It follows industry-standard plug-

and-play specifications for the PXI Express bus, and you can seamlessly

integrate the NI PXIe-5672 with compliant PXI and PXI Express systems.

The NI PXIe-5672 features an onboard ultrahigh-stability oven-controlled

crystal oscillator (OCXO), which provides frequency stability of ±20 ppb

and frequency accuracy of ±50 ppb. These specifications make it useful

• 250 kHz to 2.7 GHz

• 16-bit resolution, 100 MS/s

arbitrary waveform generation

(400 MS/s interpolated)

• 32, 256, or 512 MB memory

• 20 MHz real-time bandwidth

• Full bandwidth stream-from-disk

capability

• High-stability timebase (10 MHz OCXO)

• ±20 ppb frequency stability

• ±50 ppb frequency accuracy

• -145 dBm to +10 dBm output power

Operating Systems

•Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit)/XP/2000

Recommended Software

• LabVIEW

Application Software (included)

• Modulation Toolkit for LabVIEW

Driver Software (included)

• NI-RFSG

NI PXIe-5672

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