Test and measurement company Tektronix has launched a new arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) for use in research, electronic test, and radar and electronic warfare (EW) system design and test.

The AWG5200 series from Tektronix offers new capabilities in one instrument, including a 10 GS/s sample rate, 16-bit resolution and up to 8 channels per unit along with support for multiple unit synchronization. It includes a flexible waveform generation plug-in suite with coverage for a variety of standards and digital modulation techniques.

Tektronix said AWG5200 series lowers the cost of ownership for complex multi-signal environments starting at a list price of about $11,000 per channel for the 8 channel instrument.

In a statement Tektronix said that the 8 channel instrument with 2.5 GS/s and up to 10 GS/s performance has a starting price of $82,000.

Jim McGillivary, general manager of RF and Component Solutions at Tektronix, said that RF designers and researchers will benefit from the AWG5200 because it is the first signal generator to offer superior signal generation fidelity, built-in scalability and lower overall cost compared to buying dozens of individual AWGs.

Tektronix said that AWG5200 series instruments have high performance digital-analog converters (DACs) that offer a mix of speed and resolution within a fully-integrated product package. With its powerful DAC cores, the AWG can directly generate highly detailed RF/EW signals or the complex pulse trains used in advanced research.

AWG5200, according to Tektronix, provides 8 independent channels with better than 10 ps channel to channel skew. Each of the AWG5200’s channels have independent paths out, individual amplification, separate sequencing, up-conversion, dedicated memory and can be controlled independently without cross talk or limitations on any channels performance.

Tektronix said this level of independence and flexibility along with 16-bit resolution, less than 2us latency & fast rise times make the AWG5200 an excellent source for generating complex, real-world environments, testing phased arrays, simulating objects of interest or replacing older equipment with new COTS (commercial of the shelf) solutions.

Tektronix said RF designers can leverage a library of plugins for generating waveforms, predistort waveforms for optimal performance or automate tests using Matlab scripts. The AWG5200 is also code compatible with previous generation Tektronix AWGs.