Signal Generator Selection Guide
SELECTION
GUIDE
Introduction
Keysight Technologies, Inc. offers the widest selection of signal
generators from baseband to 67 GHz, with frequency extensions
to 1.1 THz. From basic to advanced functionality, each signal
generator delivers benchmark performance in its class to
address the requirements in design and manufacture of radio
transceivers and their components; and applications ranging
from low-frequency navigation signals, through cellular mobile
radio, to millimeter wave radar, and satellite systems. Each offers
synthesized frequency accuracy and stability, excellent calibrated
level accuracy, and remote programmability.
Frequency coverage for Keysight signal generators
9 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz 10 MHz 3 GHz 6 GHz 10 GH z 40 GHz 44 GHz 70 GHz
Microwave signal generators
UXG agile
UXG vector adapter
PSG MW vector
PSG MW analog
MXG MW analog
Modulation capabilities var y from general-purpose AM, FM and
digital I/Q to standard-specific formats such as GSM, W-CDMA,
HSPA, LTE, LTE-Advanced, GPS, and WLAN. Keysight provides
signal generators in multiple form factors, including benchtop
and modular PXI.
This selection guide provides an overview and side-by-side
comparisons to help you determine which signal generator is
right for you. It is intended to supplement online selection tools
available at www.keysight.com/find/sg.
EXG MW analog
RF signal generators
PSG RF analog
MXG RF vector
Benchtop
MXG RF analog
EXG RF vector
EXG RF analog
N9310A RF analog
Baseband products
Baseband generator and channel emulator1Up to 160 MHz
Digital interface module Up to 400 MHz (serial mode); up to 200 MHz (parallel mode)
PXI RF vector
PXI CW
Modular
1. Additional high-performance baseband arbitrar y waveform generators with up to 5 GHz analog bandwidth can be found at:
www.keysight.com/find/arbs
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Page 2
Product Categories
Benchtop and modular PXI signal generators
Benchtop signal generators are well-suited for R&D or design
verification, where analysis and troubleshooting benefit from
interactive analysis. Benchtop models range from RF to microwave with a broad range of capabilities so you can select which
generator best suites your needs.
Modular PXI signal generators are ideal for applications that
require multi-channel measurement capabilities, fast measurement speed, and a small footprint. They also offer scalability and
flexibility to configure solutions with a shared processor, chassis
and other modular instruments. The PXI vector signal generator
can be used with the same software applications as bench top
signal generators, providing measurement consistency and
compatibility throughout the product development cycle.
Vector signal generators
Vector signal generators or digital signal generators have a builtin I/Q modulator to upconvert complex modulation formats such
as QPSK and 1024QAM. When combined with an IQ baseband
generator, virtually any signal can be
emulated and transmitted within the information
bandwidth supported by the system.
Analog signal generators
Analog signal generators supply sinusoidal continuous wave (CW)
signals with optional capability to add AM, FM, ΦM and pulse
modulation. The maximum frequency range for analog signal
generators spans from RF to microwave. Most generators feature
step/list sweep modes for
passive device characterization or calibration.
Agile signal generators
Agile signal generators are optimized for speed to quickly change
frequency, amplitude, and phase of the signal. They also have the
unique capability to be phase coherent at all frequencies, all of
the time. This attribute, along with extensive pulse modulation
and wideband chirp capabilities, is ideal for electronic warfare
(EW) and radar applications.
Key Specifications Comparison .......................................... 4
Application and Software Comparison .............................. 6
Signal Studio Software ........................................................ 7
Benchtop
PSG signal generators .................................................... 8
X-Series signal generators ........................................... 10
RF analog signal generator .......................................... 13
Baseband generator and interface module................. 14
Modular
PXI signal generators .................................................... 15
Migrating from Legacy Signal Generators ....................... 17
Baseband generator and channel emulator
Baseband generators (BBG) output complex I/Q signals such as
QPSK, and can have several modes of operation:
– Waveform playback mode to play repetitive signals for
component testing
– Real-time mode to transmit non-repeating/dynamic signals
for receiver test
– Digital IQ input or output mode to stimulate FPGAs, DACs or
ADCs
Channel emulators are used to simulate the medium through
which RF waves propagate. They can replicate multi-path and
multi-channel fading for SISO or MIMO transceivers typically
used to test the sensitivity, throughput or function of devices
under test.
Signal creation software
Signal creation software products enable the generation of a
wide range of application-specific test signals using vector signal
generators. They can easily create signals
to evaluate the performance of radio designs and the
components that comprise them under various parametric
and functional test conditions at baseband, RF and microwave
frequencies. Keysight’s Signal Studio software runs on a PC and
embedded software runs directly on the
signal generator.
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Page 03
Key Specifications Comparison— Agile and Vector Signal Generators
Benchtop Modular
Specifications UXG UXG vector PSG MW MXG RF EXG RF PXI RF
Model number N5193 A N5194A E8267D N5182B N5172B M93 81A
Performance ***** ***** ***** **** *** ****
Frequency range (min. to max.) 10 MHz to 40 GHz 50 MHz to 20 GHz 100 kHz to 44 GHz 9 kHz to 6 GHz 9 kHz to 6 GHz 1 MHz to 6 GHz
Frequency switching (list mode) 370 ns 9 ms 800 µs 800 µs < 10 to 240 µs
Sweep mode Normal, list, fast CW Streaming, chirp Step, list, ramp Step, list Step, list Step, list
Output power (minimum) -130 dBm -12 0 dB m –130 dB m –144 d Bm –14 4 dB m –13 0 dB m
Output power
(maximum; at 1 GHz)
Level accuracy (at 1 GHz) ±1.5 dB ±2.5 dB ± 0.8 dB (at 20 GHz) ± 0.6 dB ± 0.6 dB ± 0.4 dB
SSB phase noise
(at 1 GHz; 20 kHz offset)
Harmonics (at 1 GHz) –50 dBc -60 dBc –55 dBc –35 dBc –35 dBc –34 dBc
Non-harmonics (at 1 GHz) –70 dBc -72 dBc –88 dBc –96 dBc –72 dBc –70 dBc nominal
AM rate DC to 10 MHz N/A DC to 100 kHz DC to 50 kHz DC to 50 kHz 6.2 MHz
FM deviation (maximum) 5% of carrier frequency
PM phase deviation
(maximum in normal mode)
Narrow pulse width 10 ns 2 ns 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns
EVM (LTE) N/A N/A 0.8% 0.2% 0.2% 0.32%; 0.25% @
ACPR (3GPP W-CDMA TM1 64 DPCH) N /A N/A –64 dBc
Internal baseband generator RF BW N/A 1.6 GHz 80 MHz 160 MHz 120 MHz 160 MHz
External I/Q modulator RF BW N/A N /A Up to 2 GHz Up to
Waveform playback memory N/A Waveform
Baseband generator mode N/A Standard Waveform playback
Phase coherent frequency switching
Wide chirp capability
Pulse descriptor word capability
+10 dBm +11 dBm +22 dBm (at 20 GHz) +24 dBm +21 dBm +19 dBm
–14 4 dBc/Hz
(at 10 kHz offset)
or 600 MHz, whichever
is less
5% of (carrier frequency)/
(modulation frequency)
or 600 MHz/(modulation
frequency) or 12π,
whichever is less
Standard 1.6 GHz
10% of carrier
frequency
Standard Standard
-14 4 dBm/Hz –143 dBc/Hz
(at 10 kHz offset)
N/A 1 to 128 MHz 1 to 16 MHz 2.5 to 40 MHz 1.24 MHz
N/A 1 to 800 rad 0.5 to 8 rad 1.25 to 20 rad 10 r ads
(16QAM, 10 GHz)
64 Msa 1024 Msa 512 Msa 1024 MSa
playback and
real-time
and real-time IQ
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Standard
N/A N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A N/A
–146 dBc/Hz –12 2 dBc/Hz –122 dB c/Hz
900 MHz
–73 dBc –73 dBc –70 dBc
200 MHz
Waveform
playback
and real-time
Up to
200 MHz
Waveform
playback
and real-time
N/A
Waveform
playback
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Page 04
Key Specifications Comparison—Analog Signal Generators
Benchtop Modular
Specifications PSG MW MXG MW EXG MW PSG RF MXG RF EXG RF RF PXI CW
source
Model number E8257D N5183B N5173B E8663D N5181B N5171B N9310A M9380A
Performance ***** **** **** **** **** *** ** **
Frequency range
(min. to max.)
Frequency switching
(list mode)
Sweep mode list, step,
Output power (minimum) –135 dBm –130 dB m –130 d Bm –13 5 dBm –14 4 dBm –144 dBm –127 dBm –130 dBm
Output power
(at 1 GHz)
Level accuracy ± 0.8 dB
SSB phase noise (1 GHz,
20 kHz of fset)
Harmonics
(at 1 GHz)
Non-harmonics
(at 1 GHz)
AM rate DC to
FM deviation
(maximum)
PM phase deviation
(maximum, in normal mode)
Narrow pulse width 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns 20 ns 100 µs N/A
100 kHz to
70 GHz
9 ms 600 µs 600 µs 9 ms 800 µs 800 µs 10 ms 5 ms
ramp
+26 dBm
(at 20 GHz)
(at 20 GHz)
–126 dB c/Hz
(at 10 GHz,
10 kHz offset)
–55 dBc –55 dBc
–88 dBc –10 0 dB c –72 dBc –88 dBc –96 dBc –72 dBc –50 dBc –70 dBc
100 kHz
1 to
128 MHz
1 to
128 0 rad
9 kHz to
40 GHz
list, step list, step list, step,
+20 dBm
(at 20 GHz)
± 0.7 dB
(at 10 GHz)
–124 dBc/Hz
(at 10 GHz)
(at 10 GHz)
DC to
100 kHz
1 to
128 MHz
0.5 to
64 rad
9 kHz to
40 GHz
+20 dBm
(at 20 GHz)
± 0.7 dB
(at 10 GHz)
–101 dB c/Hz
(at 10 GHz)
–55 dBc
(at 10 GHz)
DC to
100 kHz
2.5 to
320 MHz
1.25 to
160 rad
100 kHz to
9 GHz
ramp
+23 dBm +24 dBm +21 dBm +13 d Bm +19 dBm
± 0.6 dB ± 0.6 dB ± 0.6 dB ± 1.0 dB ± 0.4 dB
–14 3 dBc/Hz
(at 10 kHz
offset)
–55 dBc –35 dBc –35 dBc –30 dBc –29 dBc
DC to
100 kHz
1 to
16 MHz
1 to
160 rad
9 kHz to
6 GHz
list, step list, step list, step N/A
–146 dBc/Hz –122 dBc/Hz –95 dBc/Hz –122 dBc/Hz
DC to
50 kHz
1 to
16 MHz
0.5 to
8 rad
9 kHz to
6 GHz
DC to
50 kHz
2.5 to
40 MHz
1.25 to
20 rad
9 kHz to
3 GHz
20 Hz to
20 kHz
100 kHz N/A
10 rad N/A
1 MHz to
6 GHz
N/A
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Page 05
Applications, Core Capabilities, and Software Comparison
Benchtop Modular Benchtop
Applications and signal
creation software
Instrument embedded capabilities
USB power meter
Step/list sweep
Ramp sweep
AM, FM, PM, pulse
LF function generator
Real-time custom modulation
(PSK, QAM, FSK)
Phase noise impairments
Multitone, NPR
Noise (AWGN)
Pulse Train
BERT
SystemVue, MATLAB
Real-time fading
Signal Studio software
Cellular communications
LTE & LTE-Advanced FDD/TDD,
W-CDMA/HSPA+, cdma2000®,
1xEV-DO, GSM/EDGE/Evo,
TD-SCDMA
Wireless networking
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/j/p/n/ac/ah,
Mobile WiMAX™, Bluetooth
®
Fixed WiMAX
Audio/video broadcast
DVB-T/H/T2/S/S2, DVB-C
(J.83 Annex A/C), J.83 Annex B
(DOCSIS DS), ISDB-T/Tmm,
ATSC, ATCS-M/H, DTMB
(CTTB), CMMB
T-DMB, DAB/DAB+/DMB-audio,
FM stereo with RDS/RBDS
Detection, positioning, tracking, navigation
Pulse building
Multitone distortion, NPR
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo,
Beidou, SBAS, QZSS
Threat simulation
Multi-emitter scenario generation
Wideband waveform center software
Wireless HD, WiGig, 802.11ad
UXG UXG PSG MW MXG and
EXG RF
PXI RF PSG MW MXG and
EXG MW
Agile Vector Vector Analog Baseband
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MXG and
EXG RF
PSG RF N9310 RFPXB
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Find us at www.keysight.com
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