RF-communications software spans signal generation and analysis

Keithley Instruments has expanded its free SignalMeister software platform to include RF-signal analysis and generation. It controls generation and analysis of both SISO (single-input/single-output) and MIMO (multiple-input/multiple-output) signals in the same environment using the same block-diagram-based graphical user interface. It supports the latest wireless MIMO protocol standards—WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) Wave 2 and 802.11n WLAN (wireless local-area network)—and provides additional complex functions, such as WLAN-channel modeling, beam forming, simulation studies, IQ (in-phase/quadrature) operations, and full utilities for data import and export.

SignalMeister software operates with Keithley’s series 2800 VSAs (vector-signal analyzers) and series 2900 VSGs (vector-signal generators) through these instruments’ LXI interface for simplified test-system setup, start-up, and multi-instrument synchronization for MIMO-test systems. Users can set up test systems with one channel to 8×8 MIMO channels. The platform also includes I and Q impairments, such as frequency shift and noise.