Live RF analysers

Tektronix has announced the SA2600 handheld real-time spectrum analyser, which includes DPX waveform image processor technology that provides a live RF view of the spectrum.

DPX is now also available on the H600 RF Hawk handheld unit.

The analysers are designed to give benchtop performance on a portable handheld platform, specifically to solve problems created by digital RF technologies from Wi-Fi to WiMAX to UWB and UMTS.

DPX waveform image processing provides a live RF view of the spectrum, enabling a signal discovery capability for a broad range of applications, including radio communications and spectrum management.

DPX transforms volumes of real-time data and produces a live RF spectrum display that reveals previously unseen RF signals and signal anomalies.

The analyser, with 10 kHz-6.2 GHz frequency coverage, 20 MHz real-time bandwidth and -153 dBm displayed average noise level, is designed to deliver benchtop spectrum analyser performance in a battery-operated handheld field unit.

With a spectrum processing rate more than 100 times faster than any swept analyser, the SA2600 and H600 provide 100% probability of intercept for transients with minimum event durations of 500 µs on the SA2600 and 125 µs on the H600.

The models combine a spectrum analyser with an intuitive set of user controls, including a touch screen.

The SA2600 and H600 include integrated GPS and mapping tools.

DPX displays the live spectrum by processing \>2500 or \>10,000 spectrum measurements per second. In addition to live RF, the processor also provides an intensity-graded persistence display that holds anomalies until the eye can see them to show the history of occurrence for dynamic signals and immediate feedback on signal variations over time.