3 RF Testing Don’ts You Need To Avoid At Every Cost
RF testing refers to radio equipment testing. RF is short for Radio Frequency. It is the frequency lying in the electromagnetic spectrum linked to radio wave propagation. RF has wide applications in communications across various industry verticals such as television broadcasting, establishing computer and mobile networks, remote control, metering and monitoring, and many more. Its biggest advantage is that it doesn’t depend on line of sight for establishing connectivity. It can transfer information between two points without relying on any external electrical connection. Therefore, the ability of the two circuits in the communication loop to catch and interpret each other’s signals plays a crucial role in RF communication. The process of making accurate measurements in RF testing becomes vital as it determines the quality of communication, the precision of readings, and the overall efficiency of the device. Regardless of the sophisticated technology you use for testing such as AEA software among others, here are the top three don’t you need to watch out for from your end.
Incorrect Pathloss Characterization
Practicing too much relaxation while taking measurements for your RF testing is one of the most common reasons for low-quality RF testing. You need to determine the loss of an RF instrument between the signal of interest and your instrument under testing. Pathloss contributions add up to become significant in one-to-one proportion.
Testing with Background Noise
A good isolated environment devoid of background noise is a must for conducting quality measurements. While taking sensitive measurements like phase noise readings even the slightest noise can ruin your reading. Consider good shielding, the lifetime of your RF switch, and look out for signal leakage.
Sticking to Absolute Measurements Only
Well, this stands contradictory to the first point. Sometimes being inflexible around measurements. It is not only time-consuming but can set some unrealistic expectations leading to unnecessary delay in the process. Identify when to switch from absolute to taking relative readings.
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