Unraveling the dynamic-range specification in modern spectrum analyzers

摘要

Wireless-communication technologies are evolving from 2G, 2.5G, and 3G to 3.9G technologies. Consumer demand for seamless access to data and personal content-that is, voice, music, and video--is driving this technology evolution. The goal of modern wireless communication is to provide users with faster and more sustainable data rates in more locations. The technologies are also using expensive spectra to provide carriers with cost advantages. To provide the high data rates that some applications require, modern technologies have had to increase the channel bandwidths or use more bandwidth-efficient transmission schemes. According to the Shannon Theorem, channel capacity scales directly with bandwidth. To provide sustainable data rates over the air, designers must implement special mechanisms in protocol for faster link adaptation, higher-order modulation, and channel-coding schemes.