July 5th, 2022 - Model 855B Product Highlight

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation’s industry-leading Model 855B signal generator series offers high performance and versatility along with an attractive price point and our unparalleled technical support. In this article, we introduce the 855B and detail the features that make it an outstanding choice for a variety of RF/microwave applications.

What is the Model 855B? 

The Model 855B series is a family of phase-coherent, multi-channel, fast switching, low phase noise signal generators with these frequency ranges:

It comes in two form factors: a 1U 19-inch rack-mountable version and a 3U custom version suitable for benchtop or 19” rackmount use. The 1U model has up to 4 channels and the  3U version has up to 8 channels. Each channel is fully independent, so you can tune frequency, power, and phase independently. Controlling these signal characteristics simplifies and improves electronic testing processes.

The 855B has a simple, functional design. The front panel has a power switch; LED indicators for power and remote control; pulse modulation inputs; an LED for each channel indicating if the RF output is active; and RF outputs for each channel. The 855B-6, 855B-12, and 855B-20 have 26-GHz SMA output connectors, while the 855B-33 and 855B-40 have K connectors (2.92 mm). The rear panel has the equipment ground point; AC power entry and fuse protection; and input/output connectors for sync, clock, trigger, and reference. 

It accepts standard external 10 MHz or 100 MHz clock references. It also offers an optional variable reference input that supports a 1 MHz to 250 MHz clock frequency range.

The 855B offers USB, LAN, or GPIB control interfaces that use the SCPI 1999 command set for easy and fast communication. It comes with a free, intuitive GUI (graphical user interface) that makes it easy to control it remotely from any host computer. Other tools such as a customer-supplied API (application programming interface), python, or programming examples for Matlab, Labview, C, C++, or Python can also be used to integrate the Model 855B into your operations. 

What makes the Model 855B stand out?

The Model 855B has a broad power range, a leading-edge switching speed of 25μs, and excellent spurious and harmonic rejection. While other RF and microwave signal generators allow users to set the phase relationship between channels, the 855B improves on this approach with a convenient phase coherent switching option that ensures the phase relationship between channels is maintained even while switching frequency. 

Using the 855B, you get ultra-fast phase-coherent switching and multi-channel phase-coherent outputs. It offers low phase noise and the lowest phase drift in the industry. 

As an RF engineer, you rely on a signal generator to produce a signal with known frequency, amplitude, and wave shape, which allows you to analyze and measure the circuit response. The  855B fulfills this requirement admirably, with a high stability OCXO reference that ensures excellent frequency accuracy and stability.

These features make the 855B very well suited for applications that require good signal quality and a wide, accurate power range.

As electronic testing, troubleshooting, and repair tend to change over time, the ideal signal generator is one that’s capable of meeting your evolving needs. The 855B is designed with scalability in mind. Using the 855B’s proprietary 3 GHz System Sync In and Sync Out to synchronize multiple units, it provides substantial improvement on phase stability as compared to industry 10MHz and 100MHz standard, while having infinite synchronized channels as needed to meet ever-changing project requirements.

Applications of the Model 855B

The 855B is ideal for applications that require high quality signals with a wide output power range, including:

Users can rely on this robust signal generator to meet a broad variety of testing goals, enabling them to take quality assurance to new levels.

The 855B provides all the tools you need for testing phased array antennas and electronic warfare systems by feeding the test signal directly to a passive antenna array or by embedding active antenna ports in your testing device. Whether you seek to measure parameters on the FR1 or FR2 frequency range, the 855B can fulfill your testing needs, plus you can sync multiple 855B units to meet complex testing requirements. 

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation provides solutions and insights to help organizations, RF engineers, and students maximize their potential. As an RF Engineer, you can rely on the Model 855B signal generator to streamline electronic testing, R&D, troubleshooting, and repair. BNC also offers courses to help students acquire skills and grab more opportunities. We are here to support all your RF engineering needs.  

Meta Description

BNC’s Model 855B is a phase-coherent, multi-channel, fast switching, low phase noise RF/microwave signal generator. What makes it unique? Is it the best signal generator for your application? Read more.