CIE Components in Electronics
Aspen is now stocking Bird Technolgies’ WPS (Wideband Power Sensor) series of USB Thruline power meters feature five models each suited to a particular application. All the devices are capable of measuring True Average Power, Peak Power and Duty Cycle, as well as VSWR/Return Loss, Average Burst Power and CCDF, the WPS series will work with any modulation scheme.
The vast majority of RF power meters on the market today, in the milliwatt range, tend to focus on measuring power levels of typically -10dBm +/- 30dB. Bird Technologies are, however, one of the few manufacturers to offer RF enquirers equipment capable of measuring “real world” transmitter power levels without the need to use directional couplers or high power attenuators.
These new USB Power Meters for “real world” RF power measurements cover; 350MHz to 4GHz (150mW to 150W); 350MHz to 4GHz (25mW to 25W); 25MHz to 1GHz (500mW to 500W); 150MHz to 4GHz (100mW to 25W) and 25MHz to 1GHz (100mW to 100W).
Insertion loss is less than 0.1dB (typically 0.05dB) with a VSWR of 1.1:1max (typically 1.05:1), plus a directivity specification of typically 30dB. These parameters contribute to an average power accuracy for all models of ±4% of reading, or 0.17dB, over the full power range at +15 to +350C.
All Bird Wideband Power Sensors come with ‘Virtual Power Meter’ software to allow connection to a PC. In addition the WPS will interface with the Bird 5000-XT Digital Power meter, or the majority of the Bird SA / SH series of Site Analysers or SignaHawks.
Also announced is the new 7020 Power Sensor, a low cost USB Power Meter similar in operation to the 501XB range. The 7020 contains the same ‘True Average Power’ measurement capabilities within the frequency range of 350MHz to 4GHz (0.15W to 150W), and has an identical accuracy of reading at ±4% +0.05W, or 0.17dB. The 7020 Power Sensor is an ideal low cost, but accurate, USB power meter for many applications.
