Agilent 8920A Specifications Sheet

HP

8920A RF Communications Test Set

Cut through problems
faster!

The HP 8920A RF communi­cations test set was designed
to solve your radio testing

and troubleshooting prob­lems faster.

The HP 8920A integrates 22
complete instruments into a

Overview

small, portable package. It
provides technicians with the
functionality needed to test and
maintain a wider variety of
communication systems. The
HP 8920A's full feature set

increases technician effi­ciency by simplifying standard

measurement tasks and provid­ing more needed capability in
one box.

HP 8920A
standard features summary:

• Synthesized AM/FM signal
generator

• Electronic solid state attenuator

• AM/FM modulation analyzer

• Duplex offset generator

• SSB demodulator

• RF power meter

• RF frequency counter,
frequency error meter

• Audio frequency counter

• AF power meter

• ac voltmeter

• dc voltmeter

• Distortion meter

• SINAD meter

• Two variable audio sources

• Digital oscilloscope

• Built-in IBASIC computer

HP 8920A
optional features summary:

• Spectrum analyzer

• Tracking generator

• Adjacent channel power test

• Signaling encoder/decoder

• Cellular phone test capability

• Trunked radio testing

• Lower residual FM

• Function generator

• dc current meter

• IEEE 488.2/RS-232 interface
busses

• Parallel printer

• Battery pack for portable
operation

• Radio control interface

• Radio test programs

• System support programs

UPDATE!

• Cable fault location

• Field strength

• Intermodulation

calculation

• Frequency scanning

• Save/recall automation

• Low-power measurements for
cordless and cellular phones

• Variable frequency
notch filter

• High-power input option
to 100 watts continuous

New Electronic Attenuator Increases Reliability!

HP 8920A front panel features

Single key transmitter,
receiver and duplex radio
testing with autotuning

Autoprint of all measurements
when an external printer is added
to the HP 8920A

Save/recall registers save
entire instrument setups

High-power input for
transmitter testing

All measurements
and settings
displayed on CRT

HP 8920A rear panel features

2

mV sensitivity for

over-the-air signal
monitoring

Quick and simple
instrument control with
cursor-control knob

GPIB/RS-232 and parallel
interfaces are available as
Option 103 on HP 8920A.

Memory card slot
for loading IBASIC
programs

2

Radio testing made easier

Duplex test

The duplex test
mode provides

full-range offset
capability. The

RF generator and
receiver are fully
independent and
allow selectable
offsets from
250 kHz to 1 GHz
and amplitudes
from +5 to
–127 dBm. This
can be used for
duplex radio systems with fixed
RX/TX offsets, or other applications
like crossband repeater testing. RX
and TX measurements can be
displayed simultaneously in the
duplex mode.

Signaling encoder
and decoder

The optional signaling encoder and
decoder (Option 004) supports com­mon formats including tone sequen­tial, digital paging, DTMF, trunking
and cellular signaling. Common
standards are included, and are easily
modified for different user formats.
The decoder will display the tone,
DTMF, or digital sequence transmit­ted, and the durations of the tones or
tone pairs. For testing digital paging
transmitters, the decoder will dis­play the address/code, message,
and the transmission rate. New capa­bilities include the ability to decode
paging messages "off-the-air" and
capturing up to 65 seconds of "batch"
transmissions.

Single-key radio
characterization

Single keystroke transmitter and
receiver testing simplifies radio test.
For transmitter testing, the
HP 8920A autotunes to the trans-
mitter signal and automatically
displays RF frequency, power, and
modulation information. For re­ceiver testing, audio quality
(including SINAD/distortion) and
level information are displayed
simultaneously. All settings and
measurements are easily accessed
and changed using the front-panel
knob, and all settings can be saved in
Save/Recall registers.

Analog meters

All measurements can also be dis­played in analog bar-graph meters.
Meters can be set up for absolute or
relative measurements. Additional
meter functions include reference set,
settable endpoints, linear or logarith­mic scale, and settable high and low
limits with on-screen and audible rep­resentation of out-of-limit.

3

A variety of radio test applications

Trunked radio test

Software for manual and automated
tests of trunked mobile radios and
repeaters is available for LTR and
Enhanced Digital Access Communi­cations System (EDACS) formats,
plus MPT 1327 systems. Use the
Manual mode to perform quick
functional checks and to verify
system programming. For full
characterization, run a suite of tests
on multiple channels. Printouts of
radio test results can be generated to
show radio performance and pro­gramming information.

High-power option for the
HP 8920A to 100 watts

Option 016 is a special option
for the HP 8920A to support
high-power transmitter measure­ment applications.

Cellular radio test

The HP 8920A automatically tests
cellular phones when combined
with the HP 11807A software for
cellular test. Cellular formats
supported include AMPS/NAMPS,
TACS/ETACS, NMT 450, NMT 900,
and JTACS/NTACS. Using the
HP 11807A test software, cellular test
setups are simple, and a wide variety
of testing is supported including
go/no go testing, full parametric
testing, and phone troubleshooting.

For cellular radio testing, power
measurements on the standard
HP 8920A are calibrated over the
range of 1 mW to 60 W continuous,
with a measurement accuracy of
+10% of reading.

Low-level RF power
measurements

Option 007 of the HP 8920A shifts the
input range for RF power measure­ments to a level ideal for character­ization of low-power transmitters. RF
power with fully specified accuracy
can be measured on signals as low
as 40 mW. This option provides
more accurate measurements on
low-power RF products such as
cordless phones, data terminals, and
short-range transceivers.

Option 007 reduces the maximum
input power of the HP 8920A from
60 W to 2.4 W. It is not intended for
use with high-power transmitters.

For example, using the RF In/Out
connector, frequency and power
measurements can be made on
transmitters up to 100 W continu­ous or up to 125 W intermittently
with 10 seconds On, 50 seconds Off
duty cycle. AM and FM measure­ments can be made from –16 dBm
to +50 dBm.

This option is retrofittable at the
factory only.

4

Full spectrum analyzer capabilities

Spectrum analyzer

The optional spectrum
analyzer (Option 102) mea­sures signals from 10 MHz
to 1 GHz with a variable
span of 5 kHz to 1 GHz (full
span). Display resolution
is selectable between 1, 2,
and 10 dB per division.
The tunable marker pro­vides automatic readout of
frequency and amplitude,
or relative frequency and
amplitude from a refer­ence. Other marker func­tions, previously only

available in standalone
spectrum analyzers, include

peak hold, video averaging, marker­to-peak, marker-to-next-peak,
marker-to-center-frequency, and
marker-to-reference; all of which
speed up and simplify signal search­ing and measurement.

Adjacent channel
power tests

Included in the Option 102 is the
capability to make adjacent chan­nel power (ACP) tests on transmit­ters to measure and regulate
undesirable signals that spill into
and interfere with neighboring
channels. ACP tests can be made by
varying three parameters: channel
offset, channel bandwidth, and reso­lution (measurement bandwidth).
The dynamic range for ACP is typi­cally –65 dBc to –70 dBc, adequate
for most radio standards.

Tracking generator

The tracking generator,
included with the spec­trum analyzer option,
allows for quick and accu­rate characterization of
filters, duplexers, combin­ers, and RF to IF conver­sions. Broadband RF
devices can be character­ized with single sweeps
due to the full-span sweep
capability to 1 GHz. The
tracking generator also
includes fully settable

amplitude and frequency
offset, and a tunable marker which
provides automatic readout of
frequency and amplitude of any
response point.

5

Monitor low-level signals and display
recovered audio

Oscilloscope screen displaying triggering format

Sensitive receiver

2 µV sensitivity (typically 1 µV)
available through the ANT IN port
allows for off-the-air monitoring of
low-level signals. These signals
can be displayed on the spectrum
analyzer, or demodulated and mea­sured. The recovered audio can be
listened to using the built-in speaker
while the signal is being viewed on
the analyzer or measured.

For measuring high-power signals,
the RF IN/OUT port can accept
60 W continuous or 100 W for 10
seconds per minute in a standard
instrument.

Digital oscilloscope

The built-in 50 kHz digital oscillo­scope provides multiple triggering
formats (internal, external, and
encoder), single-shot and pre-trig­ger view for signaling analysis, and
full marker capability with auto­matic level and time readout.
Time/division, volts/division, and
vertical offset are displayed and
easily changed using the front
panel knob.

Variable frequency notch

Option 019 is a variable frequency
notch (VFN) filter selectable from
300 Hz to 10 kHz. It is useful for
making distortion and SINAD mea­surements over this range with the
same accuracy of the fixed 1 kHz
notch filter that is standard in the
HP 8920A.

This feature can be used in two
modes, coupled or uncoupled. When
coupled, the internal source
(AF Gen 1) and the notch filter are
tuned to the same frequency. This
is useful when doing SINAD sensi­tivity or distortion tests at several
frequencies, wherein the user sim­ply changes the source or the filter
frequency. The default setting at
turn-on is 1 kHz.

There is a retrofit kit available to
upgrade HP 8920A units with
firmware A.12.03 or later. The VFN
retrofit kit is HP 8920ART Option R19.

6

Module and radio testing can be automated

Built-in IBASIC computer

The built-in computer (IBASIC
programming language) allows you
to automate measurements and
test routines, and control external
instruments. This built-in

computer differentiates the
HP 8920A from other service
monitors which only offer limited

sequencing or programming
capability. The IBASIC computer
gives you automation and control
benefits of an external BASIC
controller. The built-in computer
also offers an autostart utility that
allows you to run a pre-loaded
program by simply turning on the
HP 8920A.

Radio test software

The HP 11807A is an easy-to-use,
comprehensive software solution
for automatic testing of radio receiv­ers and transmitters. It offers a
complete selection of transceiver
tests for FM, AM, FM, cellular and
trunked radios. Its flexibility and
modularity allow you to select and
change test sequences, test param­eters, and pass/fail limits. Test
results are displayed on the CRT or
can be documented with hard-copy
printouts when an external printer
is added.

For a complete overview of the HP 11807A radio
test software, please visit our web site at:

http://www.hp.com/hp8920support

Modular repair strategy

The HP 8920A is designed for
reliability. The low failure rate
and two-year calibration cycle of
the HP 8920A were achieved by
designing for reliability, component
stress testing, and stringent
environmental testing.

If an instrument failure occurs, the
modular design and built-in test
capability supports quick diagnosis
and repair. With the addition of the
assembly-level repair manual and
the built-in diagnostic program,
failures are diagnosed to the module
level, and modules can be

replaced in minutes at the
customer site.

7

Sample Order:

HP 8920A RF communications test set ......................... qty 1

Opt 001 High stability timebase .................................. qty 1

Opt 004 Tone/digital signaling (necessary

for cellular and trunked radio testing). ................ qty 1

Opt 013 C-message weighting filter ........................... qty 1

Opt 014 6 kHz bandpass filter...................................... qty 1

Opt 102 Spectrum analyzer with tracking generator

and ACP (adjacent channel power). .................... qty 1

Opt 103 HP-IB/RS-232/Centronics/dc current

measurement (includes 08920-90601

IBASIC/Programming Manual). ............................ qty 1

Opt W30 3-year return repair service.......................... qty 1

For more information about the HP 8920A RF Communications
Test Set visit our web site at:

http://www.hp.com/hp8920support

Available literature includes: brochures, technical specifications,
product notes, and configuration guide.

For more information about Hewlett-Packard test and
measurement products, applications, services, and a
current sales office listing, visit our web site at:

http://www.hp.com/go/tmdir

You can also contact one of the following centers and
ask for a test and measurement sales representative.

United States:

Hewlett-Packard Company
Test and Measurement Call Center
P.O. Box 4026
Englewood, CO 80155-4026
(tel) 1 800 452 4844

Canada:

Hewlett-Packard Canada Ltd.
5150 Spectrum Way
Mississauga, Ontario
L4W 5G1
(tel) 1 877 894 4414

Europe:

Hewlett-Packard Company
European Marketing Organisation
P.O. Box 999
1180 AZ Amstelveen
The Netherlands
(tel) (31 20) 547 9999

Japan:

Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd.
Measurement Assistance Center
9-1, Takakura-Cho, Hachioji-Shi,
Tokyo 192-8510, Japan
(tel) (81) 426 56 7832
(fax) (81) 426 56 7840

Latin America:

Hewlett-Packard
Latin American Region Headquarters
5200 Blue Lagoon Drive, 9th Floor
Miami, Florida 33126 U.S.A.
(tel) [phone]
(tel) [phone]
(fax) [phone]

Australia/New Zealand:

Hewlett-Packard Australia Ltd.
31-41 Joseph Street
Blackburn, Victoria 3130
Australia
(tel) 1 800 629 485 (Australia)
(tel) 0800 738 378 (New Zealand)
(fax) (61 3) 9210 5489

Asia Pacific:

Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific Ltd.
17-21/F Shell Tower, Times Square,
1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay,
Hong Kong, SAR
(tel) (852) 2599 7777
(fax) (852) 2506 9285

 1992 Hewlett-Packard Co.

Technical data subject to change
Printed in U.S.A. 6/99
5968-5386E