Acquire current, voltage and power at 5 Msample/s in the maximum dynamic range
The R&S RT-ZVC has a multichannel design. It measures power by taking a voltage and a current reading and then multiplying them in realtime. The power probe also automatically calculates the minimum, maximum, average and RMS values for the voltage, current and power. The probe is available with two or four power measurement channels. The individual current and voltage signals are sampled at five megasample per second (Msample/s), for a time resolution of 200 ns for each reading. As a result, even the smallest, most transient of signal changes can be acquired, as needed for example, to specify the start-up behavior of chip components.
The R&S RT-ZVC is designed for input voltages of ±15 V, and the measurement range for input currents can be varied from 4.5 µA to 10 A. A vertical resolution of 18 bits for sampled signals makes it possible to cover the required dynamic range e.g. from nA to A. The power values calculated by multiplying the current and voltage pairs are averaged (method selectable by the user) and then output over the integrated USB interface. This keeps the data volume under control even for long-term acquisitions.
The R&S RT-ZVC used in conjunction with an R&S CMW communication tester and R&S CMWrun is therefore ideal for battery consumption tests, for example in the development phase using an external battery or in a later phase using a variety of real batteries. The power probe can also be used for analog radios when combined with an R&S CMA tester.
The R&S RT-ZVC power probe is now available from Rohde & Schwarz as a two-channel or four-channel model.
