News | February 12, 2001

Tektronix adds Bluetooth measurement options to spectrum analyzer line

BEAVERTON, Ore. /PRNewswire -- Tektronix, Inc., Inc., today announced a new analysis package that equips two of the company's proven spectrum analyzer models to perform a suite of automated tests for the Bluetooth protocol, an emerging wireless Local Area Network (LAN) technology.

Tektronix is the leading provider of test, measurement and monitoring equipment aimed at enabling the advancement of Bluetooth technology and an associate member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). This is the second major Bluetooth related product announcement since the company acquired the Bluetooth product line from DigiAnswer less than three months ago.

New Bluetooth analysis software for the R3267 and R3273 spectrum analyzers provides several enhancements to the existing instruments, including an easy-to-use interface and a series of preset Bluetooth measurement routines.

"Until now, designers and manufacturing test engineers responsible for bringing Bluetooth enabled products, such as laptop computers and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), to market have spent time studying evolving specifications, taking time away from their development tasks. At the same time, they have had to acquire and learn to operate specialized measurement tools," said Scott Bausback, vice president, Communications Business Unit, Tektronix. "Tektronix' new Bluetooth analysis software solves both of these time-consuming problems and extends our commitment to hasten the emergence of Bluetooth technology in the communications industry."

Software Package Transforms General-Purpose Spectrum Analyzers
The R3267 and R3273 spectrum analyzers are high-performance, general-purpose instruments with ample performance in terms of resolution, bandwidth, and dynamic range for Bluetooth measurements. Adding the Option 66 Bluetooth Analysis software to either instrument installs a variety of automated tests, including Occupied Bandwidth, spectrum mask tests, and On/Off Ratio. The included measurement procedures are preset to meet current Bluetooth specifications. When equipped with the Bluetooth Option (Option 66), the R3267 and R3273 can perform all required Bluetooth RF (radio frequency) tests, including demodulation tests.

A menu-driven interface with single-keystroke access to the tests makes it easy for operators to get reliable results, regardless of their technical expertise. With the Bluetooth option, users only need to know how to operate a conventional spectrum analyzer. The new feature set also offers the ability to display multiple measurement results simultaneously. This is useful for comparing a tabular readout of demodulated data with a waveform of the same information.

The Bluetooth Analysis option does not diminish the existing functionality of the R3267 and R3273 spectrum analyzers. It simply adds Bluetooth capability to the other 3G-compatible features already in place, including automated measurements for CDMA2000 and 3GPP. The two instruments are suitable for both design and manufacturing test applications.

The R3267 and R3273 spectrum analyzers were developed by Advantest, Japan, and are marketed and supported in North America by Tektronix under a strategic alliance formed in 1993. The new product is part of a full line of digital wireless and communications test products offered by Tektronix.