Rohde-schwarz - Shielded RF Test Chambers TS712x

Key Facts

• Rugged design for long service life
• High shielding effectiveness up to 14 GHz
• Low reflection due to use of absorbent material
• Integrated RF connectors and filter feedthroughs
• Automatic and manual version
• Exchangeable connector plate for application specific modifications
• Variety of options to support application-specific configurations

Brief Description

The R&S^®TS712x family of RF test chambers has been designed to meet the requirements of automatic production lines. These include long service life, rugged design and automatic opening and closing of the RF chamber. Featuring high shielding effectiveness over a wide frequency range, the RF test chambers perform tests on modules and devices with a radio interface in accordance with a wide variety of standards such as ISM, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA2000^®, WiMAX^™, WLAN, Bluetooth^® and ZigBee. The new R&S^®TS712x product family includes two base models that differ mainly in width. Additional, an automatic and a manual version of each model is available.

Background Information

When RF modules are tested, external sources of interference (nearby base stations, adjacent test systems, etc.) must always be taken into account. To sufficiently suppress these signals, the test fixture is shielded against high-frequency interference.

Optional absorber material on the interior walls absorbs reflections and prevents reverberating waves, permitting reproducible and reliable measurements.

Features & Benefits

• Applications

  • Use in production, service, R & D and quality control
  • Tests on mobile phones and devices with a radio interface such as Bluetooth®, WiMAX, WLAN, ISM and RFID

• Characteristics

  • High shielding effectiveness
  • Low reflection due to use of absorbent material
  • Integrated RF connectors and filter feedthroughs
  • Pneumatically supported opening and closing
  • Rugged design for long service life

• Options

  • Various sizes
    • R&S® TS7121 for small devices and modules
    • R&S® TS7123 for larger DUTs
  • Manual version with handle
  • Integration of different types of antenna couplers, e.g. GSM, WLAN, Bluetooth® and ISM
  • Elevated cover, e.g. for integrating CCD cameras or keyboard stimulators

• Mechanical Design

  The actual RF chamber is located above the pneumatic chamber. On the RF chamber rear panel, four RF feedthroughs are provided for connecting antenna couplers or DUT RF interfaces. Customer-specific antenna couplers or antenna couplers from Rohde & Schwarz can be attached as required to the side panels or the bottom panel of the RF chamber.

  The interior of the RF chamber may optionally be lined with absorbent material, which attenuates high-frequency electromagnetic waves and thus ensures reproducible and stable measurements. The absorbent material also works in the low-frequency audio range, where it effectively reduces ambient sound.

  The DUT is slid into the RF chamber through the chamber window on the slide-in unit by pneumatic or manual control. The supporting plate which holds the DUT mount or the DUT itself contains a centering pin and rests on a stable guiding mechanism. This ensures reproducible positioning of the DUT or application-specific DUT mounts.

  GSM/CDMA2000®/WCDMA and Bluetooth® antenna couplers in the range 800 MHz to 2.4 GHz are currently available; the couplers can be attached to the side panels or the bottom panel. Moreover, ISM couplers for frequencies < 1 GHz and WLAN antenna couplers for 2.4 GHz to 5.8 GHz are available that can be adapted for use with this RF test chamber.

  The RF chamber is sealed by means of a milled cover, which is fastened in place with easy-to-lock tension levers. Optionally, elevated covers are available that provide sufficient room for the integration of further test equipment such as CCD cameras or keyboard stimulators.

  The R&S® TS7121M manual version is equipped with a handle that allows easy closing and locking of the RF chamber. This version is mainly intended for use in service and development. A lot of customers use this version for production, too. The automatic and the manual versions of the RF shielding chamber have the same basic design, ensuring the same test functionality in both.

Specifications

¹⁾ With absorbent material, without external cables.

²⁾ E.g. for GSM antenna module.

³⁾ Without connectors on rear panel (>20 mm), without lateral clamping levers (2 × 30 mm).

⁴⁾ Use only in protected environment; risk of bodily injury through automatic opening and closing of RF chamber (see safety sheet included with R&S TS712x documentation).