Rohde & Schwarz
Privately owned Munich test and measurement maker behind the FSW analyser, SMW200A generator and CMX500 5G tester. Proprietary, mostly quoted, with a free VISA for macOS and MIT-licensed Python tools.
| Organisation | Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, Germany |
|---|---|
| Website | www.rohde-schwarz.com/ |
| Licensing | Proprietary instruments and software options; R&S VISA free under R&S royalty-free terms; RsInstrument and RsWaveform Python packages under MIT |
| Pricing | Mostly quoted; entry instruments carry 'starting at' list prices, for example R&S FPC1000 from USD 2,490 and FPC1500 from USD 3,950 |
| Updated | 15 Nov 2026 |
Products and offerings #
| Name | Kind | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| R&S FSW | test-equipment | Signal and spectrum analyser up to 85 GHz (90 GHz with option), 8.3 GHz analysis bandwidth, according to R&S |
| R&S SMW200A | test-equipment | Vector signal generator up to 67 GHz, 2 GHz modulation bandwidth, built-in fading up to 8x8 MIMO |
| R&S CMX500 | test-equipment | 5G one-box signalling tester, FR1 up to 8 GHz and FR2 up to 50 GHz, WLAN up to IEEE 802.11bn |
| R&S CMP180 | test-equipment | Radio communication tester up to 8 GHz, 500 MHz bandwidth, up to two analyser and generator pairs |
| R&S ZNA | test-equipment | Vector network analyser, 10 MHz to 67 GHz, extendable to 110 GHz, two or four ports |
| R&S VSE | software | Vector signal explorer software using the same remote commands as R&S analysers |
| R&S FPC | test-equipment | Entry spectrum analyser, 5 kHz to 1, 2 or 3 GHz; FPC1500 adds tracking generator and one-port VNA |
Who they are
This hub is for engineers who generate, analyse and certify radio signals on the bench. Rohde & Schwarz was founded on 17 November 1933 by Lothar Rohde and Hermann Schwarz, according to its history page. The parent company, Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, is registered in Munich. It is privately owned, which the company profile presents as a source of independence. Keysight, covered on its own hub, sells comparable instruments.
Tooling and APIs
Instruments. According to R&S, the FSW85 covers 2 Hz to 85 GHz, or 90 GHz with an option, with 8.3 GHz internal analysis bandwidth and 800 MHz real-time bandwidth. The SMW200A generates up to 67 GHz with 2 GHz modulation bandwidth and can add fading for up to 8x8 MIMO internally. The ZNA network analyser runs from 10 MHz to 67 GHz in two- or four-port models, and to 110 GHz with an extender model.
Cellular and Wi-Fi testers. The CMX500 emulates a 5G network for device testing, in FR1 up to 8 GHz and FR2 up to 50 GHz, and also tests WLAN up to IEEE 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8). In February 2026, R&S reported NR non-terrestrial network test cases for 3GPP Release 17 on the CMX500. The CMP180 radio communication tester reaches 8 GHz with up to 500 MHz bandwidth and up to two independent analyser and generator pairs. See 5G NR and satellite and NTN.
Software. R&S VSE analyses signals on a PC and uses the same remote commands as R&S analysers, so a script can target either.
Licensing and pricing at the time of writing. Instruments and software options are proprietary and mostly quoted. Entry instruments show “starting at” prices. On the US FPC page the FPC1000 starts at USD 2,490 and the FPC1500 at USD 3,950. The UK page lists GBP 1,600 and GBP 2,540.
Automation and OS support. Instruments speak SCPI. R&S VISA is free under R&S royalty-free terms and is published for Windows, Linux and macOS. So you can script R&S instruments from a Mac with the vendor’s own VISA. The RsInstrument Python package (1.132.0, November 2026, MIT licence) wraps VISA or plain sockets. RsWaveform (MIT) reads and writes R&S waveform files. There is no GNU Radio or SoapySDR driver. Exchange data as IQ files or over SCPI.
Pain points. Headline figures can depend on options. The FSW reaches 90 GHz only with the B90G option, for example. Price the configuration, not the base unit.
Migration notes
- Waveforms from Python. Generate IQ in NumPy and save it as an R&S waveform file with RsWaveform, then load it on an R&S generator. Keep the sample rate and the peak-to-average ratio with the file. See PAPR.
- To and from Keysight. SCPI syntax is shared, but command trees and waveform formats are not. Keep instrument calls behind a small driver layer, so a test script can switch vendors.
- From an SDR bench. An SDR such as the USRP B210 is not calibrated for absolute power. Check it against an analyser before trusting a link budget measurement.
- Clocking. Share a 10 MHz reference across generator, analyser and any SDR in the setup.
Watch for
- Vendor specifications. Bandwidth and frequency figures depend on model and options. Read the datasheet line for your configuration.
- 6G demonstrations. R&S reported an FR1 to FR3 carrier aggregation demo in March 2026, and sub-THz channel measurements at 158 GHz and 300 GHz in 2023. These are lab demonstrations and research, not products. See 6G and research.
- Export controls. Ask R&S for an instrument’s export classification before shipping it across a border. We did not find classifications on the product pages.
- Calibration. Absolute accuracy assumes a current calibration.