AKELA Vector Signal Generator
The AKELA RF Vector Signal Generator and Measurement Unit – AVMU – is a small, lightweight, software defined instrument that is ideally suited for RF design, development, test, and research. It operates in a stepped-frequency continuous wave (SFCW) mode in the VHF/UHF spectrum, over 3 octaves of bandwidth, with two frequency range options. All of the instrument’s operating parameters are under user control. A LabVIEW™ application programming interface is provided that allows the user to customize the AVMU operation, and facilitate real time analysis of data generated using the AVMU. A custom AVMU control and data analysis software package is available as an option.
The light weight, low power consumption, and robust design of the AVMU have allowed it to be used in widely varied field applications from the desert to the Arctic. Example applications include non-destructive evaluation of transportation surfaces and bridge structural elements, antenna performance measurement, radar cross section (RCS) measurement, network analysis, time-domain reflectometry (TDR), and materials properties measurements.
Basic AVMU
- Emission - Stepped Frequency Continuous Wave (SFCW)
- Frequency Range - 500 to 2000 MHz (complete digital control?)
- Frequency Hopping Rate - 14 user selectable options, 20 to 90,000 per second
- Power Input - 12 watts nominal
- Power Output - 17 dBm nominal
- Size - 4.25″ x 7.5″ x 1.5″, 1.1 lbs
- Reliability - 150,000 hour MTBF
- Communications Interface - 10/100 Base T Ethernet
- Software Interface - LabVIEW
Hardware Options
- Extended Frequency Range
- 270 MHz to 2000 MHz
- 387.5 MHz to 3000 MHz
- Sweep synchronized serial data interface (e.g. shaft encoder, GPS, accelorometer, tilt meter)
- Power amplification – 250 mW, 2 W
- Four port time domain duplex (pulse modulation)
- Two port high isolation time domain duplex polarization switch
Software Options
- Real time imaging and motion detection
- Data streaming
- User DLL
- Control by remote application
- Lua script interface
- GPS interface
- Polarimetric scanning