Characterizing RF Losses Between GSM Phones and Test Equipment

Several methods can be used to characterize RF methods. A complex approach which is sometimes recommended involves a sophisticated set up using several pieces of equipment such as signal generators, power meters, vector network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers. This type of setup can accurately measure RF losses but has the disadvantage that it requires expensive equipment that may not be available and would be expensive to purchase. Most RF go/no go testing is done with a one-box tester so the ideal approach would be to use the same instrument used to test the phones to characterize the RF losses. A one-box tester can be used to quickly and accurately characterize GSM phones.