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USB spectrum analyzer, next chapter

J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ok, so here I am in need of a somewhat portable spectrum analyzer that
covers the whole EMC range. Not just part of it like the Aaronia
handhelds. There's the ones from TTi but they are based on some sort of
PDA which is kind of long in the tooth by now. USB would be better.

The only decent candidate I could find was one that was recently
mentioned on the MSP430 Yahoo group:

http://signalhound.com/

They even make a tracking gen for it. This analyzer doesn't seem to have
any elaborate analog signal procesing, they just calculate the image out
in software. Not sure how good that works in the real world and that's
why I am asking.

Does anyone have this SignalHound and can share their experience? Or
heard reports from someone else who has it? And what if you don't
provide the "required" screaming 2GHz computer but want to use the li'l
netbook that only has a slow Atom processor?
 
A

Andrew Holme

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg said:
Ok, so here I am in need of a somewhat portable spectrum analyzer that
covers the whole EMC range. Not just part of it like the Aaronia
handhelds. There's the ones from TTi but they are based on some sort of
PDA which is kind of long in the tooth by now. USB would be better.

The only decent candidate I could find was one that was recently
mentioned on the MSP430 Yahoo group:

http://signalhound.com/

They even make a tracking gen for it. This analyzer doesn't seem to have
any elaborate analog signal procesing, they just calculate the image out
in software. Not sure how good that works in the real world and that's
why I am asking.

Does anyone have this SignalHound and can share their experience? Or
heard reports from someone else who has it? And what if you don't
provide the "required" screaming 2GHz computer but want to use the li'l
netbook that only has a slow Atom processor?

There was a generally favourable review in the September 2011 RadCom (RSGB
magazine) which only listed one negative: apparently wide band sweep can
take several seconds to complete, which could be a problem when making
certain types of adjustments.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Andrew said:
There was a generally favourable review in the September 2011 RadCom (RSGB
magazine) which only listed one negative: apparently wide band sweep can
take several seconds to complete, which could be a problem when making
certain types of adjustments.

Yes, I've read it. That's the review they have stored on the above web
site. So I wanted to see if there was a 2nd opinion :)
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg said:
Ok, so here I am in need of a somewhat portable spectrum analyzer that
covers the whole EMC range. Not just part of it like the Aaronia
handhelds. There's the ones from TTi but they are based on some sort of
PDA which is kind of long in the tooth by now. USB would be better.

The only decent candidate I could find was one that was recently
mentioned on the MSP430 Yahoo group:

http://signalhound.com/

They even make a tracking gen for it. This analyzer doesn't seem to have
any elaborate analog signal procesing, they just calculate the image out
in software. Not sure how good that works in the real world and that's
why I am asking.

Does anyone have this SignalHound and can share their experience? Or
heard reports from someone else who has it? And what if you don't
provide the "required" screaming 2GHz computer but want to use the li'l
netbook that only has a slow Atom processor?

Just remembered that Nico Coesel had mentioned it here. Nico, did you
buy it?
 
M

Martin Riddle

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg said:
Just remembered that Nico Coesel had mentioned it here. Nico, did you
buy it?

Someone else too. It does look like a decent analyzer for rough EMC
measurements.
There is an API so you can do custom programming of measurements. Which
you'd probably want to to for EMC.

Someone pointed out the phase noise(or something related) isn't all that
good.

Cheers
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Martin said:
Someone else too. It does look like a decent analyzer for rough EMC
measurements.


Pre-compliance is all I need. I don't know what the TSA security folks
will say when they see it in my carry-on. It sure would be better than
hoping the client got their rental analyzer in time, and not always
knowing which one they got. This way they'd only have to rent antennas
and those are nearly always the same.

There is an API so you can do custom programming of measurements. Which
you'd probably want to to for EMC.

That's great but programming isn't my turf. I've done some but can't say
I'd ever enjoyed it.

Someone pointed out the phase noise(or something related) isn't all that
good.

Bram (ham radio call sign SM0FLY) seemed to be quite happy. Further
below in this thread but not in English:

http://www.zendamateur.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=5662&sid=b179aec5f1c528e0602fb5833d21779b&start=15

On page 2 he has a PDF attachment (it won't link to here) and it doesn't
look all that bad WRT phase noise. Anyhow, I just sent him an email, see
if he still likes it after using it for a year.
 
N

Nico Coesel

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg said:
Just remembered that Nico Coesel had mentioned it here. Nico, did you
buy it?

Nope. I went for an old junker from Advantest and patched it up. It
still cost me about the same but people here had some doubts about the
specs of the Signalhound. I also considered building one of the many
homebrew devices floating around the internet but I soon figured that
building a proper spectrum analyser is not easy at all hence the steep
prices you pay for new and used ones.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Nico said:
Nope. I went for an old junker from Advantest and patched it up. It
still cost me about the same but people here had some doubts about the
specs of the Signalhound. I also considered building one of the many
homebrew devices floating around the internet but I soon figured that
building a proper spectrum analyser is not easy at all hence the steep
prices you pay for new and used ones.

Ok then, I might still bite. The old Advantest would wrinkle up the
shirts and trousers in the carry-on, and give me a back pain :)

What I really like are things such as their harmonics display. That
would have helped with many PFC efforts, big time. In that mode it hops
from one harmonic to the next and displays all of them on one screen.
The large analyzers usually don't have stuff like that.

So far I haven't seen any other USB-operated device like this, at least
not this small.
 
B

Baron

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joerg Inscribed thus:
Yes, I've read it. That's the review they have stored on the above web
site. So I wanted to see if there was a 2nd opinion :)

Likely written by someone with a vested interest !
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Baron said:
Joerg Inscribed thus:


Likely written by someone with a vested interest !

That I don't think. He is a British ham radio operator, and also a bit
far away for vested interest. However, I am surprised that the device
seems to be less popular than I thought. I've asked in a German NG as
well and it appears nobody there knew it.

I've emailed them asking about the computer requirements, to see if
it'll work on a netbook that is slower than they recommend (when
accepting slower scans). Mentioned my intent to buy, yet no response
from their sales folks all day.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
I just brought a prototype back from a trade show in my carry-on
luggage a few hours ago, and the TSA people didn't even blink at it.
No extra attention from the X-ray operator in either direction (SEA-
looks much more diabolical.

OTOH, the checked suitcase with my HP bench supply and some large
ovenized crystal oscillators in it was searched both times.

They can search me or ask me all sorts of questions. That's no problem
because I usually arrive early enough. What would not be so cool is if
they'd want to take it away.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
George said:
I've carried all sorts of electronics through TSA when going to trade
shows. Always some 'scopes but sometimes other weird looking things.
Most of the time they want to look at it, but never has it been taken
away. The only time we had trouble was going into Canada, we
described all the instruments on some form. The pulsed nuclear
magnetic resonance spectrometer caused big head aches. It's nuclear
after all!

Should have said "nucular", then it would have been waived right on
through :)
 
I've carried all sorts of electronics through TSA when going to trade
shows. Always some 'scopes but sometimes other weird looking things.
Most of the time they want to look at it, but never has it been taken
away. The only time we had trouble was going into Canada, we
described all the instruments on some form. The pulsed nuclear
magnetic resonance spectrometer caused big head aches. It's nuclear
after all!

Isn't that why they were renamed to MRIs?
 
J

John Devereux

Jan 1, 1970
0
George Herold said:
I've carried all sorts of electronics through TSA when going to trade
shows. Always some 'scopes but sometimes other weird looking things.
Most of the time they want to look at it, but never has it been taken
away. The only time we had trouble was going into Canada, we
described all the instruments on some form. The pulsed nuclear
magnetic resonance spectrometer caused big head aches. It's nuclear
after all!

At Birmingham Airport (UK):

"And what is *that* sir?"

"Uh... Equipment"

"Equipment?"

"Yes... I can go into detail if you like!"

".... Uh, no thats OK. Carry on."
 
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