U2040 X-Series Wide Dynamic Range Power Sensors

Keysight U2040 X-Series power sensors deliver accurate measurement of any modulated signal. With industry-first LAN connectivity and USB connectivity, U2040 X-Series power sensors offer the world's widest dynamic range, covering from -70 to +26 dBm. The U2049 XA LAN power sensor is thermal-vacuum certified, so you can get the same accuracy and performance even when it is operated inside a thermal vacuum chamber.

U2040 X-Series Power Sensor Comparison Table

U2040 X-Series Selection Guide

U2040 X-Series Key Features

Widest Dynamic Range Power Sensor

U2040 X-Series is the power sensor with the widest dynamic range, up to 96 dB (-70 dBm to +26 dBm). The 96 dB dynamic range enables accurate power measurement at very low signal levels, suitable for a variety of applications such as wireless chipset, power amplifier and module manufacturing, satellite payload test, test system or instrument calibration, and radar pulse parameter measurement. The U2042/44/49 XA supports up to 4 channels of gated power measurement.

Ultra-Fast Measurement Speed

U2040 X-Series delivers up to 50,000 readings per second (in fast/buffered/average mode), 10 times faster than previous Keysight sensor products, enabling test engineers to improve test throughput and reduce test cost, especially in high-volume manufacturing environments, such as mobile chipset manufacturing.

This measurement speed is fast enough to measure every consecutive pulse without leaving time gaps between measurement acquisitions. Traditional sensors can only provide snapshots of consecutive pulses, leaving dead time where glitches may be missed, while the U2040 X-Series can measure continuously in real time and keep synchronization with very fast pulses up to 10 kHz PRF. Users can also fully control which part of the measured signal is and what throughput they can expect, because the aperture duration precisely defines the maximum measurement speed as 1/aperture duration. For example, if you set the aperture duration to 20 μs, the measurement time per reading is 20 μs, which equals a measurement speed of 50,000 readings per second.

Wide Bandwidth Coverage for Any Modulation Signal Format

U2040 X-Series performs accurate average or time-selective average power measurement on any modulated signal, and covers all common wireless signals, such as LTE, LTE-Advanced with 100 MHz bandwidth and WLAN 802.11ac with 80/160 MHz bandwidth. The 4-diode stack design with parallel data acquisition paths provides seamless range switching with high accuracy and repeatability. This design allows all diodes to operate within the square-law region, enabling the U2040 X-Series to operate just like a thermocouple power sensor and deliver accurate average or RMS power for wideband modulated signals.

Time Selectivity in Variable Aperture Averaging Mode

U2040 X-Series offers a new feature called time selectivity in averaging mode, which allows users to configure the aperture duration for measurement capture based on immediate trigger or external trigger. Aperture duration can be set from 20 μs to 200 ms, with a resolution of 100 ns, which is fine enough to cover any radio format.

This new feature allows users to control which portion of the waveform to be measured, and delivers the same results as time-gated power measurement performed in traditional normal/peak mode. The main advantage of this feature is that it enables the sensor to measure average and time-selective average power over the full 96 dB dynamic range, and provides real-time measurements at up to 50,000 readings per second. This is a significant improvement compared to traditional power sensors; the time-gated power dynamic range of traditional sensors is typically limited to around 50 dB, with a maximum speed of 1,000 readings per second.

Internal Zero and Calibration

Internal zeroing and calibration capabilities save setup time and reduce measurement uncertainty. Every U2040 X Series sensor integrates a DC reference source and switching circuitry into the sensor body, allowing you to perform calibration while the sensor is connected to the device under test. This capability eliminates the need to connect and disconnect an external calibration source, speeds up test processes and reduces connector wear.

By maintaining sensor accuracy, this internal zeroing and calibration capability enables continuous long-range and remote measurement, and is extremely valuable in time-critical manufacturing and automated test environments.