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Test & Measurement
Digital & RF Testers
Real-time signal processing FPGAs for oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and RF testers.
From Baseband to mmWave
Altera FPGAs deliver the real-time signal processing, precision timing, and high-speed data handling required in today’s advanced digital and RF test equipment, from waveform capture to spectrum analysis and test signal generation.
Integration of DSP, memory, and configurable I/O makes FPGAs ideal for prototyping, production test, and lab-grade analyzers operating from baseband to mmWave, with the low latency, parallel compute, and reconfigurability these instruments demand.
The Challenges, and Why FPGA
The Challenge
Deep Memory Waveform Capture
Portable and lab oscilloscopes need deep buffering for multi-channel analysis.
Why FPGA
Parallel Architecture
Deep memory buffering and multi-channel analysis run in parallel hardware.
The Challenge
GHz-Range RF Acquisition
RF and microwave instruments must capture and analyze fast-changing waveforms.
Why FPGA
Multi-Gbps PAM4 Transceivers
Integrated transceivers with PCIe and memory support enable GHz-range acquisition.
The Challenge
Protocol Decoding & Spectral Analysis
Instruments must decode protocols and perform spectral analysis in real time.
Why FPGA
Real-Time DSP Blocks
Fast DSP blocks support trigger conditioning, FFTs, and protocol decoding.
Why Altera
Multi-Gbps Signal Acquisition
High-speed transceivers support multi-Gbps waveform capture and generation.
Hardened Memory Controllers
LP/DDR4/5 memory controllers support deep buffering for waveform capture.
Real-Time FFT & Filtering
DSP blocks perform real-time FFTs, filtering, modulation, and demodulation.
Precision Timing Engines
Clock management delivers precise trigger and control logic for test cycles.
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More Test & Measurement Applications
Automated Test Equipment (ATE)
High-performance, low-latency FPGAs for semiconductor, display, image sensor, SoC and memory ATE
Communication Testers
FPGAs for 800GE, PCIe, and 5G/6G test platforms with real-time signal processing.
Automotive Testers
Flexible FPGAs for in-vehicle network, ADAS, and ECU testing platforms.
Common Questions
FPGAs combine waveform capture, precision triggering and parallel signal processing for digital and RF instruments. DSP, memory and configurable I/O support spectrum analysis and signal generation, allowing the hardware data path to be tailored to prototyping, production test or laboratory analysis requirements.
RF acquisition requires an appropriate RF front end and high-speed ADC, with the FPGA receiving the converted data. JESD204B/C, LVDS or high-speed serial links connect acquisition to hardware triggering, filtering and analysis, while buffering and host interfaces complete the selected signal chain. Explore JESD204 converter-to-FPGA interfaces
Deep memory buffering stores waveform captures for multi-channel analysis while parallel logic handles acquisition and processing. On-chip memory, DDR or HBM can supply capture storage on the selected platform, with memory depth and channel requirements defined together as part of the instrument signal chain.
FPGA DSP resources implement filtering, FFTs, modulation and demodulation in parallel hardware. These functions complement trigger conditioning and waveform capture, allowing an instrument to analyze incoming data as part of its processing pipeline rather than rely only on host-side analysis after capture. Explore Agilex 7 RF signal-processing resources
Hardware protocol decoding interprets captured interface traffic alongside signal processing. Programmable logic, transceivers and memory support packet inspection, error detection and lane analysis for protocols such as PCIe, Ethernet and JESD204, with the implemented decoder selected for the interface under test.