Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) N9020A vs Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP) N9030A
This comparison covers the Keysight Technologies N9020A MXA and N9030A PXA signal analyzers, both of which belong to the X-Series family. The N9020A is designed as a mid-performance analyzer for wireless and general-purpose RF testing, whereas the N9030A is a high-performance instrument built for demanding applications requiring superior phase noise and sensitivity. This guide highlights the technical differences in frequency coverage, sweep capabilities, and physical dimensions to assist technical buyers and engineers in selecting the correct instrument for their application.
- N9020A Max Frequency
- 26.5 GHz
- N9030A Max Frequency
- 50 GHz
- N9020A Phase Noise (1 GHz)
- -114 dBc/Hz
- N9030A Phase Noise (1 GHz)
- -129 dBc/Hz
- N9020A Weight
- 16.0 kg
- N9030A Weight
- 22 kg
Specifications
| Specification | Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP)N9020A | Keysight Technologies (Agilent HP)N9030A |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Interfaces | USB 2.0, LAN (1000Base-T), GPIB (IEEE-488), VGA, LXI Class C | USB 2.0, 1000Base-T LAN, GPIB |
| Display | 8.4-inch XGA (1024 x 768) color TFT LCD | 8.4 inch (213 mm) diagonal XGA color LCD |
| Series | MXA X-Series | — |
| Internal Storage | Removable hard disk drive or solid-state drive (hardware revision dependent) | — |
| Warm-up Time | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Calibration Cycle | — | 1 year |
| Display Size | — | 8.4 inch (213 mm) diagonal |
| Display Resolution | — | 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA) |
| Operating System | — | Windows Embedded Standard 7 (Windows XP on older units) |
| Data Storage | — | Removable solid-state drive (SSD) |
| Physical | ||
| Power Supply | 100-120 V (50/60/400 Hz), 220-240 V (50/60 Hz) | 100 to 120 V / 220 to 240 V, 50/60 Hz; 100 to 120 V, 400 Hz |
| Operating Temperature(°C) | 0 to 55 | 0 to 55 |
| Dimensions (W×H×D)(mm) | 426 × 177 × 368 | 426 x 177 x 556 |
| Weight(kg) | 16.0 | 22 kg |
| Frequency Specifications | ||
| Frequency Range | 10 Hz to 3.6, 8.4, 13.6, or 26.5 GHz (option dependent) | 3 Hz to 3.6, 8.4, 13.6, 26.5, 43, 44, or 50 GHz (configuration dependent) |
| Span Range | 0 Hz (Zero Span), 10 Hz to maximum frequency | — |
| Sweep (Trace) Point Range | 1 to 40,001 | — |
| Internal Reference Frequency | — | 10 MHz |
| Resolution Bandwidth (RBW) Range | — | 1 Hz to 3 MHz (10% steps), 4, 5, 6, 8 MHz |
| Analysis Bandwidth (Standard) | — | 10 MHz |
| Amplitude Specifications | ||
| Measurement Range | Displayed Average Noise Level (DANL) to +30 dBm | — |
| Maximum Safe AC Input | +30 dBm (1 W) | — |
| Input Attenuator Range | 0 to 70 dB | — |
| Input Attenuator Step Size | 2 dB steps | — |
| Absolute Amplitude Accuracy | ±0.23 dB (Typical) | — |
| Dynamic Range and Noise | ||
| Phase Noise at 10 kHz Offset | -114 dBc/Hz (at 1 GHz) | — |
| Bandwidth Specifications | ||
| Resolution Bandwidth (RBW) Range | 1 Hz to 3 MHz (10% steps), 4, 5, 6, 8 MHz | — |
| Video Bandwidth (VBW) Range | 1 Hz to 3 MHz (10% steps), 4, 5, 6, 8 MHz | — |
| Standard Analysis Bandwidth | 10 MHz | — |
| Maximum Analysis Bandwidth (Option Dependent) | 160 MHz (with Option B1X) | — |
| Sweep and Triggering | ||
| Sweep Time Range (Span > 0 Hz) | 1 ms to 4000 s | — |
| Sweep Time Range (Zero Span) | 1 µs to 6000 s | — |
| Trigger Source | Free Run, Video, Line, External 1, External 2, RF Burst, Periodic Timer | — |
| Demodulation and Analysis | ||
| Optional Measurement Applications | LTE, W-CDMA, GSM/EDGE, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Phase Noise, Noise Figure, Analog Demodulation | — |
| Front Panel Inputs and Outputs | ||
| RF Input Impedance | 50 Ω | 50 Ω |
| USB Ports (Front) | 2 × USB 2.0 (Type A) | — |
| USB Ports (Front Panel) | — | USB 2.0 (Type-A) |
| Rear Panel Interfaces | ||
| Timebase Reference Input | 10 MHz, BNC (female) | — |
| Timebase Reference Output | 10 MHz, BNC (female) | — |
| External Trigger Input | BNC (female) | — |
| External Trigger Output | BNC (female) | — |
| Connectivity and Control | ||
| LAN Interface | 1000Base-T Ethernet | — |
| GPIB (IEEE-488) Interface | Standard | — |
| LXI Compliance Level | LXI Class C | — |
| Remote Control Programming Language | SCPI | — |
| Display Specifications | ||
| Display Size | 8.4 in | — |
| Display Resolution | 1024 x 768 | — |
| Physical Specifications | ||
| Rackmount Height (RU) | 4U | — |
| Inputs & Outputs | ||
| Maximum Continuous RF Input Power | +30 dBm (1 W) | — |
| External Display Output | VGA | — |
| Probe Power Connector | — | +15 VDC, -12.6 VDC at 150 mA maximum (front panel) |
| Signal Analysis | ||
| Trace Detectors | Normal, Positive Peak, Sample, Negative Peak, Log Power Average, RMS Average, Voltage Average | — |
| Options | ||
| Preamplifier Options | 3.6 GHz, 8.4 GHz, 13.6 GHz, 26.5 GHz (Options P03, P08, P13, P26) | — |
| Compliance | ||
| EMC Compliance | IEC/EN 61326-1, CISPR 11 Group 1 Class A, EN 55011 | CISPR Pub 11 Group 1, class A; AS/NZS CISPR 11; ICES/NMB-001 |
| Safety Compliance | IEC/EN 61010-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1 | IEC 61010-1, CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1, UL 61010-1 |
| Performance | ||
| Reference Level Range | -170 dBm to +30 dBm | — |
| Absolute Amplitude Accuracy | — | ±0.19 dB (20 Hz to 3.6 GHz, 95th percentile) |
| Video Bandwidth (VBW) Range | — | 1 Hz to 3 MHz (10% steps), plus 4, 5, 6, 8 MHz |
| Noise Floor Extension (NFE) | — | Standard feature (characterizes and removes analyzer noise) |
| Residual Responses | — | -137 dBm (nominal, 200 kHz to 8.4 GHz) |
| Signal Analysis & Trace | ||
| Number of Traces | 6 | — |
| Trace Functions | Clear/write, max hold, min hold, average, view, blank | — |
| Number of Markers | 12 | — |
| EMI Resolution Bandwidths (CISPR) | 200 Hz, 9 kHz, 120 kHz, 1 MHz | — |
| MIL-STD Resolution Bandwidths | 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz | — |
| Sweep Modes | Continuous, single | — |
| Phase Noise Specifications | ||
| Phase Noise at 10 kHz Offset | — | -129 dBc/Hz (1 GHz center frequency) |
| Amplitude and Dynamic Range | ||
| Maximum Safe Input Level (Average Total Power) | — | +30 dBm (1 W) |
| Input Attenuator Range | — | 0 to 70 dB |
| Input Attenuator Step Size | — | 2 dB steps |
| Sweep Specifications | ||
| Sweep Time Range (Span > 0 Hz) | — | 1 µs to 6000 s |
| Sweep Time Range (Zero Span) | — | 1 µs to 6000 s |
| Rear Panel Inputs and Outputs | ||
| 10 MHz Reference Input | — | BNC female |
| 10 MHz Reference Output | — | BNC female |
| Connectivity and Interfaces | ||
| Gigabit LAN Interface | — | 1000Base-T (RJ-45) |
| GPIB Interface | — | IEEE-488 bus connector |
| LXI Class Compliance | — | LXI Class C |
| Software and Measurement Capabilities | ||
| Real-Time Spectrum Analysis (RTSA) Support | — | Supported (Option RT1/RT2) |
| Vector Signal Analysis (VSA) Software Compatibility | — | Supported (89600 VSA Software) |
| Environmental and Regulatory | ||
| Storage Temperature Range | — | -40 °C to 70 °C |
| Measurement & Sweep | ||
| Detector Types | — | Normal, Peak, Sample, Negative Peak, Log power average, RMS average, Voltage average |
| Trace Functions | — | Clear/write, max hold, min hold, view, blank, trace average |
| Trigger Sources | — | Free run, line, video, external 1, external 2, RF burst, periodic timer |
| Power | ||
| Power Consumption (Maximum) | — | 695 W (fully loaded) |
| Power Consumption (Standby) | — | 70 W |
| Options & Configuration | ||
| Preamplifier Options | — | 3.6 GHz, 8.4 GHz, 13.6 GHz, 26.5 GHz, 43 GHz, 44 GHz, or 50 GHz (dependent on maximum frequency option) |
| Frequency | ||
| Available Frequency Options | — | 3.6 / 8.4 / 13.6 / 26.5 / 43 / 44 / 50 GHz (Options 503, 508, 513, 526, 543, 544, 550) |
Frequency Range and RF Performance
The frequency coverage of these two instruments differs significantly. The N9020A supports a range from 10 Hz up to 3.6, 8.4, 13.6, or 26.5 GHz, depending on the selected option. In contrast, the N9030A provides broader coverage starting from 3 Hz up to 3.6, 8.4, 13.6, 26.5, 43, 44, or 50 GHz. For low-noise measurements, the N9030A features standard Noise Floor Extension (NFE) and achieves a phase noise of -129 dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset with a 1 GHz center frequency, compared to -114 dBc/Hz on the N9020A. Absolute amplitude accuracy is also tighter on the N9030A, reaching plus or minus 0.19 dB (20 Hz to 3.6 GHz, 95th percentile) compared to the typical plus or minus 0.23 dB of the N9020A.
Sweep and Signal Analysis Capabilities
Both analyzers offer a standard analysis bandwidth of 10 MHz. However, the N9020A can be configured with Option B1X to achieve a maximum analysis bandwidth of 160 MHz. Sweep times for non-zero span measurements also differ. The N9030A supports sweep times from 1 microsecond to 6000 seconds, while the N9020A sweep range for non-zero spans is 1 millisecond to 4000 seconds. Both instruments support a zero-span sweep time range of 1 microsecond to 6000 seconds. Additionally, the N9030A supports Real-Time Spectrum Analysis (RTSA) via Option RT1/RT2 and is compatible with the 89600 VSA software.
Physical Dimensions and Interface Options
The N9020A and N9030A share the same width of 426 mm and height of 177 mm (4U rackmount height), but they differ in depth and weight. The N9020A is more compact, with a depth of 368 mm and a weight of 16.0 kg. The higher-performance N9030A has a deeper chassis at 556 mm and weighs 22 kg. Both instruments include standard connectivity such as USB 2.0, 1000Base-T LAN, and GPIB. The N9020A also lists a VGA port and LXI Class C compliance, which matches the LXI Class C compliance level of the N9030A.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the preamplifier options for these models?
- The N9020A offers preamplifier options up to 26.5 GHz (Options P03, P08, P13, and P26). The N9030A provides preamplifier coverage up to 50 GHz, depending on the maximum frequency configuration of the instrument.
- Do these analyzers share the same display specifications?
- Yes, both instruments are equipped with an 8.4-inch XGA color display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.