Mass Waveform Storage
Option 005 provides over 1 gigasample (GSa) of non-volatile memory for each I and Q channel in place of the standard 1 megasample (MSa) non-volatile memory provided onboard the internal baseband generator. A 6 GB hard drive is mounted inside the ESG, enabling a library of I/Q waveforms to be built once and stored permanently in the instrument. Stored waveforms are quickly recalled for playback, significantly reducing the time required to generate complex test signals.
I/Q waveforms stored on the ESG's internal hard drive must be loaded into the baseband generator's volatile RAM prior to playback. I/Q waveforms cannot be played back directly from the ESG's internal hard drive. However, with Baseband Studio for waveform streaming, I/Q waveforms can be played back directly from a PC hard drive to enable the generation of long, unique test signals.
Typical Applications
The internal hard drive is recommended for use in development and manufacturing applications that require repetitive use of arbitrary-waveform-based test signals. It is particularly beneficial when testing with large arbitrary waveform files that require time-consuming calculations to create and download. Common applications include the storage of standard receiver BER test waveforms, multicarrier test waveforms, and complex waveform sequences.