Refer to the following sections for information about setting up an RF signal analyzer instrument in InstrumentStudio.

Analyzing RF Signals with an RF Signal Analyzer

Create an RF signal analyzer panel to monitor and configure RF signal analyzer settings in InstrumentStudio.

  1. Create an RF Signal Analyzer panel.
    The default Spectrum Analyzer view will appear in the instrument panel.
  2. Select the personality you want to use to measure from the RFmx Personalities dropdown.
    Note If the desired personality does not appear in the dropdown, make sure the personality is supported in InstrumentStudio, and make sure the driver for that personality is installed.
    The instrument panel and highlighted settings in the instrument configuration panel will change based on selected personality.
  3. Select the desired measurements from the settings panel using the Add/Remove button.
  4. Configure center frequency, reference level, and any other important values for the signal being analyzed in the settings panel.
  5. View the results and traces in the measurement pane.

Supported RFmx Personalities

The following list contains the RFmx personalities supported in InstrumentStudio for use with RF Signal Analyzer panels.

  • Spectrum Analyzer
  • GSM
  • LTE / LTE-Advanced
  • NR
  • TD-SCDMA
  • WCDMA
  • Bluetooth
  • WLAN
  • Pulse

De-Embedding RFSA Devices

De-embedding refers to the process of removing the effects of test fixture cabling and components. Applying de-embedding to an RF signal ensures more accurate results when reading data from your RF device. Once applied, the de-embedded signal you see at the device port matches the requested signal settings.

De-embedding

To access de-embedding properties, open the RF device Instrument Settings dialog box (), click the RF tab, and scroll down to De-embedding. The following are options you can configure to apply de-embedding your RF device:

  • Type—Specifies the type of de-embedding you want to use.
    • None—De-embedding is disabled.
    • Scalar—De-embeds the signal using the gain term.
    • Vector—De-embeds the signal using the gain term and reflection term.
  • Status—Displays whether an S2P table is loaded into the device session.
  • Load table from S2P file—Loads an S2P file into the device session to use for de-embedding.
    Note
    • S2P tables are used to incorporate S-parameters into signal de-embedding. S-parameters characterize the effects of a linear network on a signal when it passes from one port to another. Refer to the installed RF driver documentation for more information.
    • You must configure de-embedding for each port when using multi-port modules.

Performing RF Signal Analyzer Self-Calibration

Self-calibrate an RF signal analyzer device to ensure accurate measurements.

The accuracy of a device will naturally drift over time. Self-calibration ensures more accurate measurements by compensating for board level temperature variations and device degradation, as well as ensuring that the device operates within ranges defined in your test specifications.

Performing Self-Calibration

  1. In the device panel, open the instrument header menu ().
  2. Click Device Slot » Calibration » Self Calibrate... to begin self-calibration.
    Note InstrumentStudio will warn you that the process may take several minutes to finish, and will lock the instrument until the process completes.
  3. Click Continue to proceed.

Performing Self-Calibration Range

This mode of calibration completes more quickly than general self-calibration.
Note This calibration is only valid until you restart your system.
  1. In the device panel, open the instrument header menu ().
  2. Click Device Slot » Calibration » Self Calibrate Range....
  3. Under Steps to omit in the dialog box, select any steps you want InstrumentStudio to skip during the self-calibration process.
  4. Under Ranges, enter the values for the desired ranges of self-calibration.
  5. Click Continue to proceed, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

Checking Calibration History

  1. In the device panel, open the instrument header menu ().
  2. Click Device Slot » Calibration » History.

Importing Bitfile Data

Bitfiles define FPGA configurations, enabling you to customize your RF device for specific testing applications. Loading a bitfile to an InstrumentStudio RFSG or RFSA instrument will both load the specified configuration on the hardware device, as well as set the file as the default file to associate with the device model in InstrumentStudio. Complete the following steps to associate an existing bitfile with your RF instrument.

Note Your device must have a user-accessible FPGA to load custom bitfiles. Refer to the NI-RFSA and NI-RFSG API reference manuals for details on which devices support this feature.
  1. In the device panel, open the instrument header menu ().
  2. Click Bitfile.
    Note A bitfile must be present in the following folder before you can complete this step:

    User\Public\Documents\National Instruments\FPGA Extensions Bitfiles\target name

  3. Select the bitfile you want to use and click OK.
    InstrumentStudio prompts you to restart the application. You must restart InstrumentStudio before changes take effect.
InstrumentStudio uses the selected bitfile as the default file for both NI-RFSG and NI-RFSA instruments for this device model.