As satellite communications and defense systems expand, RF testing is becoming ever more critical and complex. Rohde & Schwarz will host the second edition of its virtual RF Testing Innovations Forum on May 20, 2026, where engineers and specialists will share practical solutions for today’s most demanding applications.
At the virtual RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026 subject matter experts from Rohde & Schwarz, Dassault Systèmes, FormFactor and Focus Microwaves will deliver informative presentations on current RF-testing challenges. The agenda will cover a variety of topics such as residual measurements for active device characterization and absolute phase validation across different frequencies.
Accelerating time-to-market for aerospace and defense RF components
Markus Loerner, Market Segment Manager RF & Microwave Components at Rohde & Schwarz will open the conference with his keynote “The commercialization of specialized aerospace and defense components,” exploring why the growth in satellite communications and defense applications requires more RF systems, which drives the need for dedicated RF components for these demanding applications. He will compare different relevant RF subsystems and derive specific test requirements with the goal of simplifying and accelerating time-to-market.
The importance of clear phases and calibration
Many design engineers overlook the importance of absolute phase measurements across a wide frequency range. One presentation will give an overview of phase calibration approaches with a detailed look at comb generators and their traceability and explore applications through case studies. These include time-domain transformations, frequency-converter validation, and instrument-specific considerations for VNAs.
Sub THz on-wafer testing methods and best practices
As multi gigabit digital communication systems push into higher frequencies, test engineers need to extend the limits of on-wafer S-parameter measurements to accurately model and characterize devices. A live demonstration in the FormFactor labs in Dresden, Germany, covers best practices for achieving accurate, stable, and repeatable D-band on-wafer S-parameter measurements using a R&S®ZNA with 170 GHz frequency extenders. It will highlight the critical measurement decisions along the way in an on-wafer environment.
Noise-parameter validation techniques
The online conference closes with a session on noise validation in RF circuits up to 67 GHz. Accurate and reliable noise measurements are essential as the performance requirements for low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are increasing. This is driven by emerging LEO satellite communications, remote-sensing, and quantum-computing applications. Because the LNA is typically the first stage in a receiver, its noise characteristics dominate the overall system noise figure and sensitivity. This presentation will cover the basic principles of noise measurement and the extraction of noise parameters via the cold-source method. Measurements will be conducted with the latest R&S ZNA vector network analyzer equipped with the noise-figure test capabilities.
The conference is free of charge, but registration is required. A full agenda, speaker biographies and the registration portal are available here: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/rftif
