Aeroflex unveiled its new 3250 Series of spectrum analyzers designed to offer impressive RF and microwave capabilities, exceptional connectivity and many ease-of-use features in a smaller package and with a lower price tag than ever before available. With RF frequency ranges spanning 1 kHz to 26.6 GHz, the 3250 Series is ideal for wireless design, research, development and production test engineers in numerous applications including military communications, satellite test, radar and
portable mobile radio (PMR) test.
“Aeroflex’s spectrum analyzer offering is known for providing performance far beyond the price tag and these additions are taking that legacy to a new level,” said Paul Argent, business manager, Aeroflex. “We designed our new 3250 Series of lowcost, compact spectrum analyzers with exceptional connectivity and performance to stay ahead of this market and its continually emerging technology standards, such as WiMAX, WCDMA and LTE.”

The 3250 Series is comprised of four spectrum analyzer models, each measuring a frequency range beginning at 1 KHz, with the 3251 ranging up to 3 GHz, the 3252 to 8 GHz, the 3253 to 13.2 GHz and the 3254 to 26.5 GHz. All models have a Windows® XP operating system, remote control capabilities via LAN, GPIB and RS-232C as well as a 7” touch panel screen, making them easy to operate with exceptional connectivity. The display gives the user ample viewing area so data can be seen easily, even in splitscreen mode or with multiple windows open. Three traces can be displayed per window and as many as nine markers can be selected with a marker table viewable in an alternate window.

The 3250 Series includes digital demodulation capabilities for the analysis of 802.11a, b and g wireless networks, enabling engineers to analyze the transmitter characteristics of a wireless device. Also available are optional measurement personalities including GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, WiMAX and WLAN as well as EMC precompliance test.
Built-in functions can simplify the evaluation of many common measurements and the 3250 Series offers several, including: channel and multi-channel power, pulsed measurement, gated sweep, occupied bandwidth, spectrum emission mask, TOI measurement, total harmonic distortion, AM/FM and digital demodulation analysis, X-dB down and phase noise measurement.
Other performance features of the 3250 Series include local oscillator (LO) phase noise of -115 dBc/Hz and a display average noise level (DANL) of -145 dBm/Hz. The 3250 Series also incorporates 30 MHz I/Q demodulation bandwidth and a removable hard disk as standard. An optional built-in tracking generator is available across the entire range. All the performance of a larger bench-top instrument has been designed into these easily portable, compact and efficient spectrum analyzers that range from just 24 lbs. (11 kg.) to 29 lbs. (13 kg).