Spectrum Analyzer

Spectrum Management Training Program

Elective Module EM1-Option 1 : Spectrum Monitoring
 Outline
• Time Domain VS Frequency Domain

• Spectrum Analyzer Types

• Spectrum Display Screen

• Theory of Operation

• Spectrum Analyzer Settings

• Spectrum Analyzer Measurements

Time-Domain vs Frequency-Domain
 Spectrum Analyzer
• Measures the magnitude of an input signal versus frequency within
the full frequency range of the instrument.
• The primary use is to display and measure Amplitude vs. Frequency
of known and unknown RF and Microwave signals.
 Spectrum Analyzer Types

1. Sweep Analyzer
Based on super-heterodyne configuration that used a voltage
control oscillator and mixer and intermediate frequency filter.
2. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Analyzer
Based on the conversion of time domain waveform to the frequency
domain using digital signal processing ( real-time spectrum analyzer
implementation).
Sweep Analyzer
FFT Analyzer
Spectrum Display Screen
Theory of operation

9
Theory of operation
Theory of operation
Theory of operation
Theory of operation
Theory of operation
 Theory of operation

Swept Tuned
Spectrum Analyzer

The Real-Time Difference

Real-Time Spectrum
Analyzer

15
 Spectrum Analyzer Settings
• Reference Level
• Resolution Bandwidth (RBW)
• Video Bandwidth (VBW)
• Sweep Time
• Span
• Attenuation
• Dynamic Range
• Displayed Average Noise Level (DANL)
• Detector Types
• Trace
Reference Level
 Resolution Bandwidth
Resolution bandwidth (RB) is defined as the width at which the Intermediate
Frequency Filter response falls to 50% of its maximum.
 Resolution Bandwidth
Intermediate Frequency Filter controls the analyzer's ability to resolve two closely
spaced signals. It has an adjustable resolution bandwidth, RBW.
 Resolution Bandwidth
When using a narrow RBW, the display average noise level of the analyzer is
lowered, increasing the dynamic range and improving sensitivity.

.
Resolution Bandwidth
 Video Bandwidth
• The video filter is a low pass filter that comes after the envelope detector and
determines the bandwidth of the video signal that will be digitized.
• Adjusting the Video Bandwidth (VBW) can help find the true signal that was
buried in the noise.

• If the VBW is set too low , the measured signal levels will decrease from their true
values. This is due to the change in time constants of the low pass filter time
constants.
 Video Bandwidth
• Adjusting the Video Bandwidth doesn’t improve the sensitivity but it improve the

S/N ratio

S/N = 18 dB S/N = 24 dB
 Sweep Time
It is the amount of time required to sweep through the frequency span.

If baseband noise is not a consideration, one generally wants to minimize the

sweep time.
 Sweep Time
If the sweep time is set too fast, that will lead to incorrect signal level and center
frequency as well , the signal processing may not be able to keep up. This is due to
the finite charge times of the IF band-limited filters.
Frequency Span
Frequency Span
 Attenuation

• Attenuates the input signal amplitude to a level that can be easily measured.

• Ensures the signal enters the mixer at the optimum level to prevent overload,
gain compression, and distortion.

• The read out level is considering the attenuation value, so the level of the
signals will not be changed but the noise level will be.
Attenuation
 Attenuation
If we try to measure a very large signals, the input mixer could saturate. That
may lead to see unreal signal which are intermodulation distortion (spurious)
resulting from the saturated mixer.

Non real signals

 Dynamic Range
• The Dynamic Range is defined as the maximum difference between the
largest signal and the smallest signal that both can be displayed at the same
time without any spurious signals.
• In most devices we can change the db/division setting to determine the
dynamic range.
 Average Display Noise Level

• Depend on the device internal noise.

• A measure of the maximum input sensitivity.

• Changed with the value of the resolution bandwidth.

• Determines the dynamic range lower limit.

Average Display Noise Level
 Detector Types
The analog signal at the input of the analyzer is segmented into “bins” or “buckets” which are

digitally sampled for further data processing and display

• Sample Detection

• Maximum Peak Detection

• Negative Peak Detection

• Average Detection
 Detector Types
• The Sample Detection is the Instantaneous level at the center (or at the end) of
each bin (or bucket).

• Don’t catch all signals and therefore don’t reflect the true peak value of signals.

• Can give erroneous results if RBW is narrower than the sample interval (bucket
width)

• Is inaccurate for measuring continuous wave (CW) signals with narrow resolution
bandwidths, and will miss signals that do not fall on the same point in each bin.
Detector Types
 Detector Types
• The Positive Peak Detection is the maximum value in each bin or bucket.

• Don’t give a good representation of noise because it displays maximum levels

and ignores the true randomness of noise.

• One way to insure that all sinusoids are reported at their true amplitudes.
Detector Types
 Detector Types
• The Negative Peak Detection is the minimum value in each bin or bucket.

• Don’t give a good representation of noise because it displays minimum levels

and ignores the true randomness of noise.

 Detector Types
• The Negative Peak Detection is the minimum value in each bin or bucket.

• Don’t give a good representation of noise because it displays minimum levels

and ignores the true randomness of noise.

 Detector Types

• The Average Detection uses all the data values collected in one bin or bucket.

• Power (RMS) Averaging – square root of the sum of the squares of the voltage

data divided by the characteristic impedance.

Detector Types
 Trace
The Trace is the displayed value which determined over two or more sweeps on a
point by point basis.

• Normal Trace

• Average Trace

• Max Hold Trace

• Min Hold Trace

• Min/Max Hold Trace

Trace
 Spectrum Analyzer Measurements

• Frequency

• Bandwidth

• Emission Mask

• Channel Power

• DPX Mode
 Emission Mask

• Measure out-of-band emissions and spurious emissions.

• Detect and measure the unauthorized (illegal) emissions in free bands.

• Detect the violation of power limit for authorized signals.

Emission Mask
 Channel Power
• Measures total power over the specified Integrated BW
 DPX Mode

Some Real Time Spectrum Analyzers have a feature that enables you to see RF

Characteristics that are practically invisible to a conventional Spectrum Analyzer. It

is called Persistence or Digital Phosphorus Technology (DPX) in a Tektronix Brand

Analyzer.
DPX Mode