Can you recommend a signal analyzer for RF performance testing in our R&D lab?

Yes — but the “best” signal analyzer depends heavily on what kind of RF performance testing you’re doing in the lab.

Quick recommendation by use case

1) General-purpose RF / wireless R&D

Rohde & Schwarz FSW / FSV family or Keysight X-series signal analyzers

• Good if you need:
  • wide frequency coverage
  • excellent phase-noise performance
  • modulation analysis
  • spur/harmonic/intermod tests
  • flexible software options for many standards

Typical choice:

• Keysight N9030B PXA for high-end general-purpose lab work
• R&S FSW for very high-performance analysis and challenging dynamic range needs

2) 5G NR / LTE / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / IoT testing

Look for a signal analyzer with strong vector signal analysis software and standards support:

• Keysight N904xB UXA / N9030B PXA
• R&S FSW / FSV
• Tektronix RSA series for more budget-conscious vector analysis workflows

3) Low-noise, high-dynamic-range measurements

If you’re doing:

• phase noise
• adjacent-channel leakage
• EVM on weak signals
• radar-like signals
• very clean transmitter characterization

Then prioritize:

• phase noise floor
• DANL
• TOI
• usable bandwidth
• preselection
• LO leakage performance

In that case, R&S FSW and Keysight UXA/PXA are common top-tier picks.

4) Budget-conscious R&D lab

If you need good functionality without top-end cost:

• Keysight CXA/N9020B MXA
• R&S FSV
• Siglent SSA series for lighter-duty or precompliance work

These can work well for:

• receiver checks
• basic transmitter characterization
• spectral scans
• occupied bandwidth
• ACPR
• harmonics
• troubleshooting

What I’d choose if you want one strong default

If your lab does a broad mix of RF work, my default recommendation would be:

Keysight N9030B PXA

Best overall balance of:

• measurement quality
• software ecosystem
• standards support
• flexibility for R&D
• strong long-term lab value

If your work is more specialized toward ultra-low-noise / very demanding RF measurements, then:

Rohde & Schwarz FSW

is often the better “high-end measurement” choice.

Key specs to compare

When evaluating models, check:

• Frequency range: enough for current and future bands
• Analysis bandwidth: important for modern wideband signals
• Displayed average noise level (DANL)
• Phase noise
• Dynamic range / spurious-free performance
• Vector signal analysis options
• Preselection
• IQ capture and streaming
• Automation support: SCPI/Python/LabVIEW integration
• Licensing cost: sometimes software dominates total cost

A practical buying strategy

If you can only buy one analyzer, choose based on your most demanding test case:

• Wireless standards + general RF → Keysight PXA or R&S FSV/FSW
• High-end RF characterization → R&S FSW
• Midrange lab versatility → Keysight MXA or R&S FSV
• Budget / secondary instrument → Siglent SSA or similar

If you want, I can narrow this down to 2–3 exact models based on:

1. frequency range,
2. signal types you test,
3. budget,
4. whether you need vector signal analysis or just spectrum analysis.