Keithley S46 for Rent, RF Microwave Switching System

Product Highlights

The Keithley S46 Microwave Switch System is designed to simplify the automated switching needed to test a wide range of telecommunications products and devices. The S46 can control 32 relay contacts in a package as small as a 2U high (3.5 in) full-rack enclosure. Standard configurations make it simple to select a system that meets the specifications of the testing application without the expense of unnecessary switches or other features. The S46 switch system's 32 control channels can be operated via the IEEE-488 interface bus with a minimal set of instructions. This small instruction set ensures the system can be set up and running quickly.

The Keithley S46 controller automatically counts relay contact closures to allow equipment maintenance personnel to assess when the relays are nearing the end of their mechanical life. In this way, preventive maintenance can be performed in a timely way during scheduled shutdowns, avoiding unplanned shutdowns and the resulting loss of production time. In addition to counting contact closures, the S46 has a portion of its memory available to store S-parameters or calibration constants for each relay contact or each pathway. If a specific performance parameter is critical, such as Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) or insertion loss, the parameter can be stored in memory for use in trend analysis between scheduled maintenance shutdowns. Stored parameters can also be used for compensation to enhance accuracy during RF measurements.