Rohde & Schwarz Pushes Broadband Amplifiers to 18 GHz for Next-Gen EMC and Wireless Testing

Rohde & Schwarz has expanded its BBA300 amplifier family to cover frequencies up to 18 GHz, addressing the growing need for higher bandwidth test equipment in sectors ranging from 5G and automotive radar to defence and aerospace.

Why 18 GHz Matters

Until now, many test setups required multiple amplifiers to cover wide frequency bands. By extending compact, solid-state designs to 18 GHz, Rohde & Schwarz reduces that fragmentation. This range comfortably spans 5G FR2 frequencies, Wi-Fi 7, UWB communications, satellite links, and high-frequency automotive radar. In practice, it means engineers can run coexistence and EMC tests on modern RF modules without constantly swapping hardware.

Flexibility for Real Test Environments

Mismatch conditions are a common headache in EMC labs, where antennas, cabling, and test chambers rarely behave as perfectly as theory suggests. The BBA300 amplifiers are designed to stay stable even under poor matching, helping engineers capture reliable results instead of chasing down artefacts. Users can also adjust between class A and class AB operation, shifting the balance between ultra-linear output or faithful pulse reproduction, a useful option when moving between, for example, broadband IoT devices and pulsed radar modules.

Applications Across Industries

With coverage from 380 MHz to 18 GHz now available in desktop 4HU systems, the BBA300 family is positioned as a single solution for diverse standards: FCC and ETSI for mobile, ISO for automotive EMC, DO-160 for aerospace, and MIL-STD-461 for military. Typical use cases span compliance testing, production environments, and advanced R&D where wideband signals such as OFDM or UWB need to be reproduced at high field strength.

The Bigger Picture

Rather than simply adding more power classes, Rohde & Schwarz is aiming at the reality that modern devices rarely operate in isolation. Wireless modules, radar sensors, and complex electronics must coexist within crowded spectrum bands. Extending compact broadband amplifiers to 18 GHz gives test engineers a more versatile, future-proof toolset for tackling these challenges.

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