R&S vector signal generator SMIQ03B AMIQ WinIQSIM software - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: drew23
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2023, 08:48:26 am
content: Hi AllJust buying an SMIQ-03B vector signal generator. I was after the Windows software for it, WinIQSIM. I can't find it on the R&S site, or anywhere else. Does anyone have or know of a copy?I can get WinIQSIM2 but I don't think it works with the older machines.I did find a couple of very good sites for manuals of all brands of machines, including R&S.Regards Drew VK4ZXIhttp://www.electronicsandbooks.com/edt/manual/index.php?dir=Hardware%2FR%2FRohde+%26+Schwarz%2FProduct%2FSMIQ%2Fhttps://manuals.repeater-builder.com/te-files/R&S/

author: RBBVNL9
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2023, 05:32:48 pm
content: Dear drew23,The SMIQ03B is a great machine; I use mine quite a bit.I'm afraid I don't have the software you asked for. But do you have the R&S SMIQB60 hardware option installed? Without it, you cannot play stored values, and the WinIQSIM2 has no use.AFAIK, it is pretty hard to find (instruments with) the SMIQB60 option. I looked for it for a while but eventually gave up and bought an Anritsu MG3700A instead, which is much more powerful in the domain of playing IQ samples. I posted a video of this Anrituse here:https://youtu.be/wyKYlI6jtRA?si=GoosB9oG5h7BUnKvGood luck,Rudi

author: drew23
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 01:24:00 am
content: Hi Rudi.Thanks. Yes, it does have the B60 option. I will keep looking for the software.I have an MG3700A too. It is certainly a capable instrument. However, mine is very noisy. I took off the outside fan but there is another small fan for the power supply that is very noisy. I am not sure where to get replacements. The part numbers seem discontinued.I was trying to get the MG3700A to output some simpler digital signals, QAM or even some analogue signals but no joy yet. But just moved house.Merry Christmas.Drew VK4ZXI

author: drew23
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 07:51:19 am
content: Hi AllI now have a copy. Link to my Dropbox below.Regards Drew VK4ZXIhttps://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eb2npamyxqisevt6v2q7x/WinIQSIM_4_40.zip?rlkey=s22rgqnjikoyhj8j1493t2vx9&dl=0

author: Qw3rtzuiop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 08:57:34 am
content: Here is the download link directly from R&S:https://scdn.rohde-schwarz.com/ur/pws/dl_downloads/dl_software/zip/WinIQSIM_4_40.zip

author: RBBVNL9
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 05:28:29 pm
content: QuoteLucky you! Nice to try this out...QuoteQuoteThanks for sharing. In June 2020, I downloaded a couple more programs related to the SMIQ from the R&S website; see the screenshot below. They do not seem to be there anymore (at least the cannot be found via the search function, but I noted that in practice there is a lot still there that cannot be searched for any more ;-) Should you want a copy, just send me a PM. You may or may not need licenses to use this; I don't know.QuoteQuoteMy MG3700A is not quiet, but certainly not noisier than the other instruments around it (several CMU200s, an SMIQ, and more). I have kind of given up making instruments quieter because there is always another one making more noise. But if there is really a fan problem (e.g., broken bearing) I see why you would want to repair it.QuoteI found the MG3700A very easy in terms of playing and generating both simple and more complex waveforms. Given the vastly better specs compared to the SMIQ in terms of ARB playing (almost 10x higher sample rate, 100x to 600x sample memory - depending on configuration, combining 2 channels, and much more) you might want to dig into it a bit more. I know I mentioned one before, but you might want to check the following videos.REL #33 Anritsu MG3700A Vector Signal Generator — Pt. 1: Basics and stand-alone useREL #35 Anritsu MG3700A Vector Signal Generator — Pt. 2 PC-based use with IQproducerGood luck!

author: drew23
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 29, 2023, 05:03:16 am
content: Hi Rudi.I have watched your videos again. They are very useful. You mention your website, where is it?I have been tinkering with my MG3700A again. In the video, you mention the QAM modulation. I have not been able to find it on IQproducer. There is some in TDMA, but is there a stand-alone directory for simpler digital modulation like QAM or PSK?Is there some way of outputting analogue signals?Regards Drew VK4ZXI

author: RBBVNL9
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2023, 09:18:34 am
content: QuoteThanks!My website is:https://github.com/RudisElectronicsLab. It's not a full website though, merely a place to leave files associated with my YouTube videos.QuoteTo create signals with all sorts of modulation schemes, you indeed need to go to General Purpose | TDMA. Then simply choose 'Modulation'. Then you have plenty to choose from:ASK:2-ASK, 4-ASKFSK:2-FSK, 4-FSKBPSK:BPSK, D-BPSKQPSK:QPSK, O-QPSK, D-QPSK, 𝜋/4 D-QPSK8-PSK:8-PSK, D-8 PSKQAM:16-QAM, 32-QAM, 64-QAM, 256-QAMMany of them have subsetting, sometimes just a few, sometimes many.If you just want a continuous modulated signal, then just ignore all the other settings for Frames, Slots, and so on.QuoteAlso this is quite simple. You just create the analogue signal you want using any program of your liking. I generally just use Microsoft Excel (but have also used MATLAB and other software). For Excel, I made this simple template that gets you going. It has a short explanation on the first sheet on how to use it:https://github.com/RudisElectronicsLab/Anritsu_MG3700AGL!

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2023, 11:52:45 am
content: The specs for the Anritsu MG3700A look to be really impressive in terms of the vector modulator. I've got quite a few vector sig gens here, and I've used a few at work, but I've not used the SMIQ03 or the MG3700A.There have been a few threads about vector sig gens recently. I think many people will get more practical use from SDR platforms, but there are times when a lab vector sig gen can be very useful/powerful.I've got the following vector sig gens here:Agilent D4000A (ESGD E4433A)Agilent ESGD E4433B with UND dual arb.Aeroflex 3414Aeroflex 3416Agilent E4438C Dual Arb + HDD + 6GHz + high power + low phase noise + lots of SW optionsThere's limited support/tools for the D4000A but the vector modulator is quite good when driven externally.I'm not so impressed with the Agilent E4433B. Mine has not been reliable. I've had to change three failed MMICs in it and some of the SRAM memory in the dual arb generator. The dual arb + vector modulator works quite well as long as the scaling factor is set to an appropriate value. The SW tools from Agilent for the E4433B are quite clunky and fiddly to install on a modern OS but I've managed to get them working. The whole process of loading waveforms to the E4433B is a bit clunky and slow and the front panel control for the dual arb is very clunky to navigate. It's probably best to automate it all via GPIB but I've not done this yet.My Aeroflex vector sig gens don't have a dual arb so can only support external IQ waveforms. However, the vector modulator performance is really impressive in terms of carrier null and spurious performance. There is a dual arb option but this is quite rare to find. These sig gens should work really well using an external dual arb generator for the IQ signals. I sometimes use the IQ output from the E4433B to drive the IFR 3414 IQ inputs if I want better vector modulation performance than the E4433B can deliver on its own.The E4438C is quite old but it's quite impressive in terms of the performance of the vector modulator. The SW tools and support documents for these old sig gens are getting harder to find online and Keysight will probably delete them at some point. So anyone looking to buy one of these should try and download the tools whilst they are still on the Keysight website. I also had to use the Wayback Machine to find some documentation for the E4438C. It might be worth using the Wayback Machine to look for similar stuff for the SMIQ03.

author: cerzh
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2024, 01:04:07 am
content: if you want it very much, your dreams will come true - bought yesterday for 500