Sofware vendor National Instruments (NI) has introduced the second-generation vector signal transceiver (VST), called the NI PXIe-5840 module. According to the company, it is a one-of-its kind 1 GHz bandwidth VST, dedicated to resolve issues relating to radio frequency (RF) design and test applications.

The product integrates a 6.5 GHz RF vector signal generator, a 6.5 GHz vector signal analyser, a high-performance field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and a high-speed serial and parallel digital interface into a single two-slot PXI Express module. The device can be used for a variety of applications such as 802.11ac/ax device testing, mobile/internet of things device testing, 5G design and testing, radio frequency integrated circuit testing and radar prototyping, and comes with 1 GHz of bandwidth.

The key features of the NI PXIe-5840 module are as follows:

  • 1 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth for advanced digital pre-distortion test and wideband signals such as radar, long term evolution (LTE)-advanced and 5G.
  • Excellent measurement accuracy that enables the second-generation VST to measure 802.11ax error vector magnitude performance of -50 dB.
  • Measurement speeds up to 10x faster than traditional instrumentation using FPGA-based measurement acceleration and highly optimised measurement software.
  • Compact size and synchronisation, allowing for up to 8×8 multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration in a single 18-slot chassis.
  • User-programmable FPGA that can be easily designed by engineers with the help of the LabVIEW software.

The VST is an integral part of the NI platform and ecosystem and can be used by engineers to build smarter test systems. These systems leverage  the benefits of more than 600 PXI products of NI ranging from DC to mmWave. They feature high-throughput data movement using PCI Express Gen 3 bus interfaces and sub-nanosecond synchronisation with integrated timing and triggering. The LabVIEW and NI TestStand software environments can be used along with a vibrant ecosystem of partners, add-on IP and application engineers to help significantly lower the cost of testing, reduce the time to market and future-proof testers for challenging requirements.