Modular test RF instrumentation and measurement for a hybrid computing digital wideband receiver

There is a growing need for generating multi-tone test signals in specific bandwidth of interest, amplitude range, and modulations schemes for testing modern communication systems. In a traditional testing approach, RF signals from individual signal generators are mixed using a RF power combiner to generate a multi-tone signal. This cumbersome multi-tone RF signal generation for system testing is being improved and there is a growing trend of utilizing modular test equipment with multiple functions including multi-tone signal generation capability. The modular test instruments are typically controlled by a personal computer under the command of a dedicated measurement program. In this paper, we present our experience analyzing the multi-signal performance of a real-time wideband digital receiver that was implemented on a hybrid computing platform. We compare and contrast the traditional and modular test generation and measurement setup.