One of the features of the new 33600 and also the previous 33500 series of arbitrary generators is easy creation of baseband I and Q signals.
I was interested in this, so I explored this a little bit. The first choice is obvious, Agilent has an option for 33600A series of 2 channel generators that will easily allow you to play baseband IQ signals.
This option is called IQ Signal Player and it costs around 900 US$.
If that is a bit above your budget and you have access to Matlab package (trial version works fine also), then there is a free solution for creation of separate baseband I and Q signals individually on channels 1 and 2. It is the called IQ Baseband builder and you can download it at IQ Baseband Builder - File Exchange - MATLAB Central.
This program allows you to create multitude of ideal and non-ideal IQ signals, IMHO far exceeding inbuilt capabilities of IQPlayer option. You can import your signals via csv file or let the program generate random data.
Parameters you can choose are:
* Modulation type 4 QAM to 256 QAM
* Impulse response
* Samples per symbols
* Symbol order
You can also apply filters in orders you choose and apply Beta roll off factor, and for real life scenarios there is possibility to impair the ideal signal with adittive noise, phase or amplitude balance or add DC offset to I or Q component. After you are done, you can view the signal in time domain, you can check the constellation diagram, eye diagram and FFT analysis of I and Q signals.
Data can be sent directly to generator via LAN or it can be saved as a csv file.
Here is the example of impaired signals, the same 16 QAM as above but with added white noise.
Here is the example of 64 QAM with phase unbalance.
Transfer of generated signals via LAN is effortless, you just need IP address of you unit and presto you have your I and Q ready, all you have to do is adjust the sample rate and amplitude.
Here is the screenshot of IQ data in time domain on my very low-end scope:
I had intention of capturing this data and importing it into Agilent 89600 vector signal analysis package for some meaningful measurements, but since my crap scope does not have VISA connectivity, all I had were csv files, and after wasting three days trying to import it correctly I gave up.