At IMS 2026, everything RF stopped by the Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) booth. At their booth, R&S team showcased a range of advanced RF and microwave test solutions, including wideband amplifier measurement setups, vector network analyzer demonstrations, non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication testing, electronic warfare countermeasure analysis, and broadband amplifier solutions.
The setups focused on real-world testing scenarios such as wideband signal analysis, pulsed and millimeter-wave measurements, satellite communication link evaluation, DRFM-based countermeasure testing, and multi-application RF characterization, showcasing how engineers can perform accurate, high-performance measurements across modern wireless, aerospace, defense, and microwave systems.
Application Engineer Tosin Adebayo showcased a wideband amplifier measurement setup focused on analyzing real-world signal behavior. The demonstration featured the R&S SMW200A transmitting a 100 MHz OFDM signal into two coupled amplifiers, representing modern communication conditions with complex, wideband modulation. Both the input and output signals were simultaneously analyzed using the R&S FSWX dual-port signal and spectrum analyzer. This setup enabled measurement of input EVM, output EVM, and residual EVM, allowing engineers to directly compare signal quality before and after amplification and clearly identify the distortion introduced by the amplifiers.
Product Manager ZNB3000 David Skoog presented the R&S ZNB3000 vector network analyzer as part of an affordable pulse and millimeter-wave test setup. Positioned as a mid-range instrument, the ZNB3000 offers up to 54 GHz frequency coverage with four ports and high measurement speed, making it suitable for production environments. The demonstration showed simultaneous testing of two amplifiers using the instrument’s multi-port capability. One setup performed pulsed measurements on a ~50 GHz amplifier, comparing continuous and pulsed signals to evaluate compression behavior while reducing thermal stress. In parallel, the remaining ports were used with millimeter-wave converter heads operating from 70 GHz to 110 GHz to measure a waveguide amplifier. With support for frequency extension up to 330 GHz, the demo highlighted the ZNB3000’s flexibility in handling both pulsed and millimeter-wave applications within a single, easy-to-use platform.
BBA300 Business Development Manager Jay Osselburn presented the BBA300 dual-band broadband amplifier covering 380 MHz to 18 GHz. Designed as an all-in-one solution, the amplifier combines dual-band architecture with wideband performance, offering one of the widest continuous frequency ranges available in a single unit.
The BBA300 is intended for RF, microwave, communications, aerospace, defense, and test applications requiring broadband signal amplification across multiple frequency bands. The demonstration highlighted its ability to support wide frequency coverage within a compact setup, enabling engineers to simplify test configurations and reduce reliance on multiple amplifiers, positioning it as a versatile solution for diverse RF and microwave measurement scenarios.
SMW200A Regional application engineer Kevin Latonick demonstrated a non-terrestrial network (NTN) test setup focused on uplink communication scenarios. The setup used the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator together with the R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyzer to emulate a high-capacity cellular link between a device and a satellite. A 500 MHz bandwidth signal with 4096-QAM modulation was transmitted, representing a demanding, high-throughput communication case where signal quality is critical.
The demonstration highlighted error vector magnitude (EVM) performance, which must remain below 1% for such dense modulation schemes. Under normal conditions, the signal achieved an EVM of 0.78%, with clearly defined constellation points indicating high signal integrity. When the signal power was reduced by 10 dB, the constellation became visibly distorted, increasing EVM to 1.78% and exceeding acceptable limits. This illustrated how signal degradation directly impacts data accuracy and system performance, particularly in satellite communication links requiring precise and reliable transmission.
Application Engineer Joseph Faulkner demonstrated a countermeasure test setup using the R&S FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer, focused on evaluating DRFM-based electronic warfare responses. The setup enabled real-time comparison between an incoming threat radar signal and the corresponding response signal, providing insight into how countermeasures manipulate and distort the original signal.
The demonstration highlighted techniques such as range gate pull-off by analyzing changes in pulse repetition interval (PRI) and signal amplitude. It also showcased parameter trending and pulse-to-pulse phase coherence measurements, which are essential for validating the effectiveness of coherent countermeasure systems. By leveraging the dual-channel architecture of the FSWX, engineers can accurately compare signals across two paths, ensuring precise phase alignment and enabling detailed analysis of advanced electronic warfare performance.
ZNA Vector Network Analyzer Rohde & Schwarz also demonstrated a ZNA Vector Network Analyzer setup configured with a Block Down Converter for advanced RF and microwave device characterization. The demo showed how a single platform can perform multiple measurements on amplifiers, mixers, and frequency-converting devices, including P1dB compression testing, noise figure measurements, group delay analysis, gain and conversion measurements, and active device characterization.
By combining the ZNA with a Block Down Converter, the setup streamlines measurement workflows and enables a wide range of tests without requiring multiple instruments. The solution supports applications such as amplifier testing, mixer characterization, RF and microwave design, aerospace and defense systems, radar and communications equipment, and general test and measurement environments.
IMS 2026 is the world’s premier RF and microwave conference, bringing together thousands of industry professionals from around the globe to explore the latest technologies, tools, and technical developments. everything RF has published a magazine for IMS 2026 that lists over 150 products featured by companies at IMS 2026.
