Specifications

4
Bottom Line
Results –
PNA-X
Case Studies
Challenges
This customer manufacturers over 4600 RF components, with typically 1000 devices in the
manufacturing process at any given time. Devices included filters, multipliers, amplifiers,
and switches, from 10 MHz to 60 GHz. They needed to simplify the test system for one
particular multiport device, so they set out to develop an operator-independent automated
test system (ATS). Key challenges included:
• Complicated and expensive test systems with multiple racks of equipment
and miles of test cables
• Multiple cable swaps and recalibrations required with extensive operator
intervention and downtime
• Significant retesting of devices and high system downtime
Results
The PNA-X’s ability to incorporate more active measurements into a single instrument
than any other product on the market provided:
• Faster test times: Reduced test times from four hours per temperature to 24 minutes
when compared to the prior ATS, resulting in a test-time reduction of 95%
• Reduced equipment count: Replaced nine racks of equipment with three,
12-port PNA-X network analyzers
• Increased operator productivity: Enabled operators to monitor four test stations
simultaneously and eliminated the need for single-operator test stations
• Reduced re-testing and cable swaps
CASE STUDY 1
Aerospace/defense component supplier reduces test time by 95%
Challenges
This aerospace company was conducting a specific panel-level test and wanted to modernize
its test systems and improve its test productivity and throughput. Its legacy satellite payload
test systems utilized a large amount of rack and stack equipment accompanied by a big test
overhead. The company was required to exert a great deal of time and effort to program
and maintain the test systems.
Results
Initially the aerospace company purchased four PNA-Xs (26.5 and 50 GHz models). They were
so impressed with the throughput and test productivity results, that they purchased eight more
analyzers. In one test case, the level of improvement exceeded expectations—taking a 20-minute
gain-transfer test to just under a minute. Replacing their test system with the PNA-X effectively
modernized and simplified their test system which enabled:
• Faster test times: Complete test suite cut measurement times from
three hours to three minutes
• Reduced equipment count: Replaced a two-rack payload test system
with a single four-port PNA-X
• Smaller test system: Reduced the amount of equipment space and
power consumption
CASE STUDY 2
Satellite designer and manufacturer reduces test time from three hours
to three minutes
“We selected Agilent’s PNA-X because
it eliminated unnecessary cable
swaps between measurements and
it makes more active measure-
ments than any other network
analyzer out there. We used to make
S-parameter, vector-signal, and noise-
figure measurements with separate test
equipment—and now with the PNA-X,
we can perform all of our active
measurements in one box.”
Test Engineering Manager