T&M Instruments Offer High Performance With An Eye On The Budget

Engineers, designers, and hobbyists alike nod in admiration when the names Rohde & Schwarz of are mentioned for two reasons: first for the high level of precision and reliability the company’s test-and-measurement deliver, and second for the dream of someday being able to afford one of these high-performance instruments. Both reasons have been noted by Rohde & Schwarz and now the company addresses the situation with a portfolio of entry-level to mid-range value instruments, that promote five key technologies.

 

The value instruments portfolio consists of more than 100 products and 300 accessories. Recently launched, the offering includes the RTB2000 Oscilloscope, the RTM3000 Oscilloscope, the RTA4000 Oscilloscope, the FPC1500 Spectrum Analyzer, and the HMP4040 Power Supply.

 

These “value instruments” provide performance levels required for measurement tasks in everyday laboratory operations at universities and research and development facilities. Notably, the company does not cut costs by outsourcing the manufacturing chores. The value instruments are manufactured at the same European plants as the company’s higher-end products, backed by 85 years of expertise and German engineering.

 

Bob Bluhm, vice president of value instruments at Rohde & Schwarz, says, “At Rohde & Schwarz, we pride ourselves on the high-quality engineering that customers have come to expect. With the introduction of our value instruments line, we’ve challenged our high-end RF engineers to deliver that same level of quality, capability and performance to this market place. They did not let us down. Just ask an engineer who owns one; these products provide outstanding features at a much lower price.”

 

Value Instruments

 

The RTB2000 oscilloscope features a 10.1-in. capacitive touchscreen that allows users to quickly navigate pop-up menus and adjust scaling by zooming in or moving a waveform. A memory depth of 10 Msamples is available on every channel if all channels are active, or 20 Msamples when channels are interleaved.

The scope reportedly offers 10 times more memory than comparable oscilloscopes, allowing users to capture longer signal sequences for more analysis results. Other features include a frequency range of 70 MHz to 300 MHz. Starting price is $1,370.

 

The RTM3000 oscilloscope offers a frequency range of 100 MHz to 1 GHz. The oscilloscope employs a custom 10-bit A/D converter to deliver four-fold improvement over conventional 8-bit A/D converters. Like the RTB2000, the RTM3000 features a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen in compact form. Pricing starts at $3,560.

The RTA4000 oscilloscope focuses on signal integrity. It includes standard ultra-deep memory, 100 Msamples per channel, or 200 Msamples in interleaved mode, and a fast update rate. Other features include up to 16-bit vertical resolution, a frequency range of 200 MHz to 1 GHz, sensitivity down to 500 µV/div, and a time-based accuracy of ±0.5 ppm. Pricing starts at $5,950.

 

The FPC1500 spectrum analyzer is said to be the only entry-level spectrum analyzer on the market with the capabilities of a three-in-one instrument: a spectrum analyzer, vector network analyzer and a signal generator. Featuring a frequency range of 5 kHz to 1 GHz, the instrument can be upgraded to 2 GHz or 3 GHz. In addition to being able to measure RF signals, it is also an RF signal generator and features a tracking generator and independent continuous wave (CW) signal generator.

The FPC1500 spectrum analyzer also includes a one-port vector network analyzer with Smith chart display, a signal generator, internal voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) bridge, independent signal source, and resolution bandwidth settings down to 1 Hz. In addition to a 10.1-inch Wide XGA (WXGA) display (1366 x 768 pixel), it is Wi-Fi-enabled, includes a remote-control capability, is compatible with iOS, Android and PCs, and features low noise floor and high maximum input power. Pricing starts under $3,000.

 

The HMP4040 power supply debuts as the market’s first power supply that provides four channels. It offers a maximum voltage of 128V and a maximum current of 40A, up to 10A per channel. Up to 160W of channel power is available and the unit offers the same voltage range on all channels.

 

The HMP4040 comes standard with a dual USB/LAN interface and locates all basic functions on the front panel to allow for direct access. Offering high efficiency and low residual ripple, the product includes a wide variety of protection features such as overtemperature, overload, and short-circuit protection.

 

To learn more about Rohde & Schwarz’s value instrument products, visit Ask An Engineer, call 888 TEST RSA (888-837-8772), and/or email [email protected].