58542 Giga-tronics VXIbus Universal Power Meter

The Giga-tronics 58542 VXIbus Universal Power Meter is a fast VXI power meter. The user can get NIST traceable, lab-grade CW and peak power measurements quickly and accurately from a single-slot VXIbus module.

The Measurement speeds exceed 150 readings per second, and the exclusive Burst Mode captures more than 5,000 readings in the same tick of a clock. In fact, the 58542 is so fast the user can measure the power level of many swept signals, giving the user the capability of a scalar analyzer without the additional cost. The 58542 supports the scpi command language - the standard for VXI computer controlled testing.

The 58542 allows direct peak power measurement. It's as simple as attaching a peak power sensor. There are no time-consuming, unreliable duty cycle corrections. The user can view the pulsed signal's amplitude profile on a scope and see the exact power measurement point on the pulse.

The Giga-tronics 58542 Universal Power Meter delivers incredible performance by taking full advantage of the speed and dynamic range of diode sensors. Giga-tronics has solved the challenge that previously limited diode sensors to the "square law" region—below −20 dBm—by utilizing a built-in power sweep calibration system. The power sweep calibrator uses a 50 MHz amplitude controlled oscillator to step from −30 to +20 dBm in 1 dB increments. Each step is set using an internal thermistor—the standard for linearity. The user gets thermistor linearity, plus diode speed and dynamic range, for measuring signals accurately over a full 90 dB power range.

The 58542 provides two channel operation, so the user can see readings from both channels simultaneously. The user can use one channel for CW and the other for peak measurements, and see both readings at the same time. Or the user can read one channel in dB and the other in mW for measuring gain and output power simultaneously.