5G Signal Analysis Software for Oscilloscopes

11 March 2022 – Tektronix released the SignalVu 5G NR analysis software for its 6 Series B MSO oscilloscopes. Engineers can now perform critical 5G NR measurements per 3GPP specifications on the oscilloscopes they rely on to bring-up and characterize new electronic designs. The 5G software enables engineers to diagnose complex signal interactions on a single oscilloscope, reducing the need for painstaking correlation between instruments.

6 Series B MSO oscilloscopes are used by RF system designers for viewing power rails, digital control buses and I/O signals, in addition to RF signals. Each channel is backed by a digital down-converter that enables spectrum analysis synchronized with time-domain waveforms. This provides engineers with a time-coherent view of the choreography of signals that make up their designs. 5G system designers can now add 5G NR signal analysis to Tektronix oscilloscopes, which enables them to quickly diagnose faulty signal interactions on a single oscilloscope that would otherwise require painstaking correlation between multiple instruments.

In addition to the ability to give a synchronized view of a wide variety of signals, the 6 Series B MSO offers the wide capture bandwidth and low intrinsic noise needed for 5G signal analysis. Offering this performance on oscilloscopes reduces the need for costly dedicated vector signal analyzers.

“With the integration of 5G NR, users have complete system visibility in a single instrument enabling them to debug even the most complex of designs, aligning with future specifications,” said Chris Witt, VP and GM of Portfolio Solutions at Tektronix. “We’re excited to see the early response from customers using this technology to test new DUTs.”

The new analysis package enables pass/fail testing of the 5G NR physical layer to qualify transmitter designs per the 5G NR standard established under the 3GPP release of 15/16 test specifications. It includes important signal quality measurements such as Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Adjacent Channel Power (ACP), Spectral Emission Mask (SEM), and Power Versus Time (PVT).

Tektronix developed the new 5G NR analysis package using algorithms developed by NI (formerly National Instruments).

“NI was excited to work with Tektronix to provide multiple ways to trigger, capture, analyze, and diagnose complex 5G integration and design problems not normally available with a traditional VSA,” said Josh Mueller, SVP and GM of Portfolio Business. “Integrating NI’s 5G algorithms within SignalVu vector signal analysis (VSA) software to run on the Tektronix oscilloscopes and signal analyzers will enable new value in customer workflows.”

The 5G NR PHY-layer solution based on the Tektronix 6 Series B MSO offers significant advantages over traditional signal analyzers with wide signal analysis up to 2 GHz and low instrument noise for accurate EVM measurements.

For high frequency systems, such as FR2, the 5GNR analysis option is also available on the DPO70000SX which offers up to 70 GHz bandwidth. For engineers using real-time signal analyzers, the 5GNR option is also available for the Tektronix RSA500 and RSA5000 Series. The software operates identically on oscilloscopes and signal analyzers, eliminating the need to learn a new toolset.

The SignalVu 5GNR Signal Analysis option is now available globally for 6 Series B MSO oscilloscopes, DPO70000SX oscilloscopes, and RSA500 and RSA5000 signal analyzers.

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