Automating RF Test And Measurement
By John Oncea, Editor
The emergence of modern technologies like 5G, IoT, and AI is driving the growth of the RF test equipment market. Automating RF test equipment represents a significant growth opportunity for the market, as it can enhance accuracy and efficiency while reducing costs. Not only can automation help to shrink test times, but it also can lead to more cost savings.
The need for RF test equipment, driven by rapidly advancing technology and smart devices, is expected to grow over the next decade. GlobeNewswire reports that, according to Persistence Market Research, “The growth of RF test equipment between 2023 and 2033 is expected to reach $29.5 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 14.2%, and the global RF test equipment market is expected to reach $6.5 billion by 2033.
“Communication applications of RF are primarily driving the RF test equipment market at present, such as cellular, radio telecommunications, broadband, satellite, radar, and navigation. With the rise of wireless connectivity, the RF test equipment market is expected to grow over the next few years. With the increasing number of connected devices, RF test equipment becomes an increasingly important tool for testing and verifying the quality and reliability of these devices.”
RF test and measurement equipment is crucial for the development of radio frequency devices, as it's required for their design, testing, manufacturing, and debugging. These instruments have been instrumental in the creation of various RF devices, from radios and TVs to Wi-Fi, cell phones, and GPS. The four primary types of RF instruments are power sensors, network analyzers, signal generators, and spectrum analyzers.
Our friends at Rohde & Schwarz note there are many other types of RF test and measurement instruments, writing, “Communications testers are a combination of a signal generator and spectrum or signal analyzer, designed to test wireless communications devices such as cell phones, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth devices. These can emulate a wireless device, access point, or base station, and allow both voice and data testing.”
They go on to add that electric devices are tested for unintentional RF radiation in EMC testing to prevent interference with other devices. For instance, a washing machine may interfere with a cell phone. Amplifiers are closely related to EMC testing as they increase RF signal power, producing the high-power RF signals required for certain EMC tests. Oscilloscopes are another type of RF test and measurement tool utilized to conduct both RF and non-RF electrical testing.
What Is Automation In RF Test And Measurement?
The process of automatically controlling the testing and measurement of RF devices and circuits can be done using software, hardware, or a combination of both. The main goal of automation is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of RF measurements while reducing the cost and time associated with manual testing. Test and measurement automation is beneficial for a wide range of RF devices and circuits, such as amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, and receivers.
“The purpose of instrument automation is to provide a means of controlling one or more instruments using a computer,” writes RF Page. “This can be used to create a more efficient workflow or to allow for more complex and precise measurements to be made.”
RF Page notes the role of standardization in RF testing, specifically VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture), a widely used communication protocol that allows computers to connect with test and measurement equipment via a uniform software interface. “There are several ways to achieve standardization in RF testing using VISA,” writes RF Page. “One way is to use the VISA Standard Commands (SCPI) which are a set of standardized commands that can be used across different types of instruments. Another way is to use the VISA International Standard Commands (IVI) which are a set of commands that are specifically designed for use with instruments that support the IVI standard.”
As software-based test and measurement solutions continue to mature, more and more organizations are considering the advantages that this approach can offer, Design News reports. “Traditional stand-alone test and measurement hardware is simply no longer sufficient for bringing together the different technologies and subsystems that are common in industry today.
“Modern, software-defined devices that offer a suite of instruments are more equipped to manage these complex demands by enabling faster design and validation and taking advantage of the cloud to help users easily share and manage vast amounts of data.”
After assets are deployed to the field, flexible, remotely manageable, and upgradable solutions are required to maintain them. To effectively tackle these challenges, test equipment needs to be capable of translating raw data into insights and aiding users in navigating this complexity with versatile, software-defined solutions.
The shift toward a software-based method for testing and measuring is still in its initial phases, but it is gathering momentum rapidly. In the coming years, improvements in efficiency, adaptability, and scalability will hasten this progression even further, resulting in significant impacts such as shorter timelines and lower expenses, which in turn will speed up the growth of new technologies.