Service Hotline:

13394046250

  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • Product Name: NI PXle-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)
  • Product Categories: NI
  • Contact: 13394046250
  • Company Name: Xiamen Lingzhao
  • Company Address: Phase III of Software Park, Jimei District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province
  • Add Time: 2025-10-15
Details

Detailed Specifications of NI PXIe-5840 Vector Signal Transceiver (VST)

The NI PXIe-5840 is a high-performance Vector Signal Transceiver (VST) designed for the PXI Express (PXIe) bus architecture, belonging to National Instruments (NI)’s flagship RF test product line. It integrates a 6 GHz vector signal generator (VSG) and a 6 GHz vector signal analyzer (VSA) into a single modular unit, plus a programmable FPGA for real-time signal processing. This all-in-one design eliminates the need for separate instruments, reducing system complexity and latency—making it ideal for demanding RF testing scenarios such as 5G NR FR1 (Sub-6 GHz) conformance testing, radar system validation, and semiconductor RFIC characterization.

1. Basic Information

  • Module Series: PXIe Vector Signal Transceiver (VST), optimized for integrated RF transmit/receive testing
  • Part Number: 783149-01 (standard model); 783149-02 (extended temperature model)
  • Physical Dimensions: 2-slot 3U PXIe form factor, 20.3 cm × 16.0 cm (width × length)
  • Weight: Approximately 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs)
  • Power Requirements:
    • +3.3 V DC (3.0 A)
    • +12 V DC (4.5 A)
    • -12 V DC (0.8 A)
    • Power Consumption: Typical 60 W, Maximum 80 W
  • Interface Type:
    • PXIe x8 lane (up to 8 GB/s data transfer rate) for high-speed waveform uploads/downloads
    • 2 SMA female connectors (RF Tx: transmit output; RF Rx: receive input)
    • 1 SMA female connector (External LO I/O) for frequency extension/synchronization
    • 1 26-pin D-Sub connector (Auxiliary I/O) for trigger signals and clock reference
    • 1 USB 3.0 port (for local FPGA configuration and debugging)
  • Operating Temperature Range:
    • Commercial grade: 0°C ~ 55°C
    • Extended grade (783149-02): -40°C ~ 85°C (for harsh aerospace/defense environments)
  • Environmental Ratings:
    • Shock Resistance: 50 g peak (11 ms duration, half-sine)
    • Vibration Resistance: 5 g RMS (10 Hz ~ 500 Hz, random)
    • Ingress Protection: IP30 (prevents solid foreign object intrusion)
  • Compliance: Meets FCC Part 15 Class A, CE EN 61326-1, UL 61010-1, and IEC 61010-1 safety & EMC standards

2. Core Technical Specifications

2.1 RF Transmit (VSG) Subsystem

  • Frequency Range: 9 kHz ~ 6 GHz (continuous coverage, no gaps)
  • Output Power:
    • Minimum: -140 dBm (typical, at 1 GHz)
    • Maximum: +20 dBm (typical, at 1 GHz, into 50 Ω)
    • Power Resolution: 0.1 dB
  • Signal Fidelity:
    • Spurious-Free Dynamic Range (SFDR): ≥75 dBc (1 GHz carrier, 10 MHz bandwidth, typical)
    • Phase Noise: -120 dBc/Hz (1 GHz carrier, 10 kHz offset, typical)
    • Harmonic Distortion: ≤-60 dBc (2nd harmonic, 1 GHz, +10 dBm output)
  • DAC Specifications:
    • Resolution: 14-bit
    • Real-Time Sampling Rate: 2.5 GS/s (supports up to 1 GHz real-time bandwidth)
    • Waveform Memory: 1 GB (onboard, for storing custom arbitrary waveforms)

2.2 RF Receive (VSA) Subsystem

  • Frequency Range: 9 kHz ~ 6 GHz (continuous coverage, no gaps)
  • Input Power Handling:
    • Maximum Safe Input Power: +20 dBm (100 mW)
    • Damage Level: +30 dBm (1 W, 1 minute)
  • Noise Performance:
    • Noise Figure (NF): ≤10 dB (1 GHz, 10 MHz bandwidth, typical)
    • Input-Referred Noise: -174 dBm/Hz (typical, at room temperature)
  • Dynamic Range:
    • Spurious-Free Dynamic Range (SFDR): ≥70 dBc (1 GHz, 10 MHz bandwidth, typical)
    • Third-Order Intercept Point (IP3): +12 dBm (typical, at 1 GHz)
  • ADC Specifications:
    • Resolution: 14-bit
    • Real-Time Sampling Rate: 2.5 GS/s (supports up to 1 GHz real-time bandwidth)
    • Anti-Aliasing Filter: 80 dB/octave roll-off (prevents frequency aliasing)

2.3 Programmable FPGA & Signal Processing

  • FPGA Chip: Xilinx Kintex UltraScale KU040 (1.1 M logic cells, 4.9 Gbps transceivers)
  • Real-Time Processing Capabilities:
    • Custom digital signal processing (DSP): Filtering, downconversion, demodulation, and error correction
    • Low-latency control loops (≤1 µs) for closed-loop testing (e.g., beamforming, adaptive modulation)
    • Support for MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) testing (up to 8x8 MIMO with multiple VSTs)
  • FPGA Programming Tools: LabVIEW FPGA Module (for graphical programming) and Xilinx Vivado (for HDL programming)

3. Key Functional Features

3.1 Integrated Transmit-Receive Synchronization

  • Time Alignment: Tx and Rx channels are phase-aligned to within ±1 ns (enabling precise stimulus-response testing, e.g., antenna calibration)
  • Clock Synchronization:
    • Internal: 100 MHz OCXO (Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillator), stability ±0.01 ppm/year
    • External: 10 MHz reference input (via Auxiliary I/O) or PXIe backplane clock (for multi-module synchronization)
  • Trigger Options:
    • RF Trigger: Trigger on Tx/Rx signal thresholds (e.g., 5G NR preamble detection)
    • Digital Trigger: TTL-compatible edge trigger via Auxiliary I/O or PXIe trigger lines (PXIe_Trig 0~7)
    • Software Trigger: API-initiated trigger for automated test sequences

3.2 Modulation & Demodulation Support

  • Wireless Standards: 5G NR (FR1), LTE/LTE-A, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, Zigbee, LoRaWAN, and satellite (DVB-S2X)
  • Modulation Formats:
    • Phase/Amplitude: BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, 1024QAM, 4096QAM
    • Frequency: FSK, GFSK, MSK
    • Spread Spectrum: DSSS, OFDM (with up to 4096 subcarriers)
  • Modulation Quality: Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) ≤ 0.5% (for QPSK, 1 GHz carrier, typical)

3.3 System Expansion Capabilities

  • Frequency Extension: External LO input (up to 20 GHz) for testing signals beyond 6 GHz (e.g., 77 GHz automotive radar with a downconverter)
  • Signal Conditioning: Compatible with NI PXIe-5691 (RF preamplifier) and NI PXIe-2543 (RF multiplexer) for weak signal detection and multi-DUT testing
  • Antenna Integration: Works with NI PXIe-5680 (RF switch matrix) and third-party antennas for over-the-air (OTA) testing

4. Software & Driver Support

  • Core Drivers & Software:
    • NI-RFmx Measurement Suite: For standard-based measurements (e.g., 5G NR ACLR, Wi-Fi 7 EVM)
    • NI-VST Driver: For low-level hardware control (Tx/Rx configuration, FPGA interface)
    • LabVIEW 2022+: For custom test program development, FPGA programming, and GUI design
    • NI TestStand: For test sequence automation, data logging, and report generation (e.g., production line testing)
  • Programming Compatibility:
    • NI Ecosystem: Native support for LabWindows/CVI and Measurement Studio
    • Third-Party Languages: C/C++, C#, Python (via NI-RFmx Python bindings), and MATLAB (via NI-RFmx Toolbox)
    • Scripting: Python/LabVIEW scripting for rapid prototyping (e.g., batch testing of 5G UE modules)
  • Calibration Tools:
    • Built-in automated calibration (via NI-VST) for gain, phase, and linearity correction
    • Recommended Calibration Interval: 1 year (or after major temperature changes)
    • External Calibration: Supported via NI Calibration Services (ISO 17025 accredited)

5. Typical Application Scenarios

The NI PXIe-5840’s integrated design and high performance make it ideal for:
  • 5G NR FR1 Testing: 5G UE/base station conformance testing (e.g., EVM, ACLR, channel power) and OTA beamforming validation
  • Aerospace & Defense: Radar system testing (pulsed, FMCW, phase-coded radar), satellite communication (SATCOM) link analysis, and electronic warfare (EW) signal simulation/analysis
  • Semiconductor RFIC Testing: Wafer-level and package-level testing of 5G RF transceivers, power amplifiers (PAs), and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs)
  • Wireless Infrastructure: Wi-Fi 7 access point (AP) testing, Bluetooth 5.4 module calibration, and industrial IoT (IIoT) sensor validation
  • Automotive Electronics: V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication testing (C-V2X, DSRC) and 77 GHz radar sensor signal emulation (with external downconverter)

6. Selection & Compatibility Notes

  • Ideal Use Cases: Applications requiring integrated 6 GHz RF transmit/receive, 1 GHz real-time bandwidth, and low-latency FPGA processing; suitable for R&D, conformance testing, and high-volume production
  • Comparison with Similar VSTs:
    • vs. NI PXIe-5830: PXIe-5840 offers 6 GHz frequency range (vs. 3 GHz) and 1 GHz bandwidth (vs. 500 MHz); choose for higher-frequency, wider-bandwidth testing
    • vs. NI PXIe-5841: PXIe-5840 has lower frequency (6 GHz vs. 26.5 GHz) but lower cost; ideal for Sub-6 GHz 5G/Wi-Fi 7 testing
  • System Compatibility:
    • Chassis: Requires NI PXIe chassis with 2 available slots and PXIe x8 lanes (e.g., PXIe-1085, PXIe-1075) or third-party PXIe-compliant chassis
    • Companion Modules:
      • OTA Testing: Pair with NI PXIe-5680 (switch matrix) and anechoic chambers for 5G OTA validation
      • Power Measurement: Integrate with NI PXIe-4154 (SMU) for RFIC power consumption testing
      • Temperature Control: Use NI PXIe-6358 (DAQ) to monitor DUT temperature during testing
  • Limitations: No built-in millimeter-wave (mmWave) support (requires external upconverters for FR2 testing); higher cost than discrete VSG/VSA systems (justified by reduced complexity)
  • Alternative Models:
    • Lower Cost: NI PXIe-5830 (3 GHz, 500 MHz bandwidth)
    • Higher Frequency: NI PXIe-5841 (26.5 GHz, 2 GHz bandwidth)
    • Entry-Level: NI PXIe-5632 (VSA) + NI PXIe-5673 (VSG) (discrete solution for budget-sensitive tasks)


Tags:PXle-5840

Related Information

QQ
Hotline

Hotline

13394046250

WeChat
Xiamen Lingzhao
top