NI introduces PXIe-5831 vector signal transceiver for X-band to Ka-band applications

     National Instruments is a provider of software-centric platforms designed to help users accelerate the development and performance of automated test and automated measurement systems. The company today announced the PXIe-5831 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST), further addressing the time-to-market challenge for radar and satellite communications (SATCOM) components and systems in the X, Ku and Ka bands.

     To meet the growing demand for spectrum in areas such as the electronic battlefield and satellite communications (SATCOM), engineers need to prototype, validate and test radars and SATCOM systems at higher frequencies in less time. The PXIe-5831 VST features a modular millimeter wave head and extends the frequency of the VST product family up to 44 GHz. It provides 1 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth for signal generation and analysis, and features a high-performance FPGA, so users can perform measurements, real-time signal processing, and high-speed data transfer faster and more efficiently.

     Luke Schreier, vice president and general manager of NI's Defense, Aerospace and government business, said: "When VST was first released in 2012, it revolutionized the way high-performance RF test programs are developed, providing reliable calibrated RF measurement data and flexible, user-programmable online signal processing capabilities that users can program in LabVIEW or leverage existing VHDL IP. These capabilities extend to more radar and satellite communications frequencies, helping the field address the time schedule, test costs, and quality issues common to developing complex transceiver systems. From the company's perspective, these technologies are not only applicable to radar and satellite communication, but also to the commercial 5G space, which allows us to provide more efficient support for this product. "

     The PXIe-5831 combines the PXIe-5820 baseband VST with the PXIe-3622 vector signal upconverter/downconverter to directly generate and analyze RF signals in the 5 to 21 GHz range. The modular mmwave RF head not only further extends the frequency coverage to cover frequencies from 23 to 44 GHz, but also features integrated and calibrated switches to support up to 32 channels. This allows engineers to perform multi-channel beamformers and phased array measurements without additional infrastructure.

     The PXIe-5831 is the latest addition to NI's modular instrumentation portfolio, which includes more than 600 PXI products in frequencies ranging from DC coverage to millimeter waves. The PXIe-5831 also features features of the NI platform, such as high-throughput data transfer based on the PCI Express Gen 3 bus interface, and sub-nanosecond synchronization between PXI modules through integrated timing and triggering functions. As a result, PXIe-5831 users can also take advantage of the capabilities of LabVIEW software, the flexibility of LabVIEW FPGA modules, and a large ecosystem of partners, additional IP, and application engineers. These advantages help them adapt to rapidly changing technologies and demanding technical requirements to deliver new systems on time and within budget.