[Tishers]

When you let the unit run for hours at a time the entire case gets quite warm. As with any test equipment you would want to give the analyzer some time to warm up to minimize drift.

the -40 to +65C specifications are very common for the electronic components.

[Tishers]

The last few times out I have been using a USB-C adapter cable to connect to one of the ports on my computer. I have not yet ran in to a power problem and it allows me to occupy only one port from the computer. It is not a Mac.

[Tishers]

Justin,
Thanks for the explanation; I have synch’ed the two units together and that works fine. I will have occasion to test phase shift as that is something in particular that I am developing a bench-top simulator for evaluating devices utilizing QAM16/64.

regards,
Ms. Tisha Hayes
Senior Engineer, 4RF USA

[Tishers]

Look at the Lindy or Startech or USB hub industrial 7 port USB 3.0 hub. It is capable of providing up to 2A. Of regulated voltage. I use it to power the BB60 the tracking generator and another generator at the same time. It uses a linear power supply so there is no switching noise. Love it with only one 3.0 port used on my laptop.

[Tishers]

If you were involved in signals work (it was a particular university class at a very particular university for me) you could see the value of a device like a real time spectrum analyzer being used for intercept work.

Before you could benefit from LPI/LPE (low probability of intercept/ exploitation) for traffic that you wanted to keep secure.

Won’t go much more in to that.

[Tishers]

Product Enhancement request; Spike (v 3.1.0)

Can you please add a horizontal line that indicates the video trigger threshold in “modulation analysis”.

Is it possible to demod QAM64/ QAM256 or is that too processor/ comms bus intensive?

[Tishers]

Can you please fix the Center Frequency so it carries over from Sweep/ Real Time in to Modulation Analysis?

Modulation Analysis always defaults to 1 GHz.

[Tishers]

As I pretty much stick to working in specific bands (450-470), (928-960), (3.5-3.8) I use HPF/LPF filters in combination. I can benchmark the combined filters in to a BPF with a tracking generator. Normally I just leave the combinations alone and string-tag the assembly so I can pull things off the shelf and have a reproducible result.

I would love to have a super-adjustable BPF but the cost would be almost as much as the BB60C.

Thank goodness I am out of the compliance testing world and just do product evaluations and comparisons.

[Tishers]

It is reporting between 4.99 and 5.02 volts. Pretty good little regulator they have in that hub.

When I disconnect the second pigtail power connector the voltage does not fluctuate at all.

[Tishers]

I really like the new connector with the screw locking. The only thing that could be improved would be to make it a 2 meter cable.

[Tishers]

This had me freaking out a little too. With the USB cable being so short between my computer and the BB60 I had to go with a 5 meter coax to keep my test antenna far enough away as to not overload the analyzer with cellular/bluetooth/WiFi signals.

I was testing in the 928/952 MAS band and just happened to go 0-6 GHz while shutting down and received all sorts of warning messages about overload. The signals were all up in the LTE and WiFi bands. Still, I try to be nice to the front end of the analyzer.

I have the input limiter, 1 dB pad and DC block in-line with the SMA. That just needs to be a normal operating practice as it used to be with the multi-tens of thousands of dollars analyzers of yesteryear.

Time to unbox the low-pass/ high-pass filters to chop out those unwanted interferers.

[Tishers]

I agree, support both hex and binary; the VSG wants binary 111000’s, Spike wants Hex. Fortunately some of us memorized hex to binary in our misspent youth, let’s make it easier for “RF Engineers, The Next Generation”. (shout out to Star Trek)

Tisha Hayes

[Tishers]

I agree, being able to cut a Smith chart through Spike would be fantastic.

[Tishers]

You know, if you came up with a little library of commonly seen modulations that could be played back through the VSG25 it would be very useful, great sales/ marketing/ demo materials and something fantastic to demonstrate at a trade show.

Tisha Hayes

[Tishers]

Now that is really neat!

Tisha Hayes

[Tishers]

If you maintain a decent test bench and go the route of getting a Rb reference you will eventually find reasons to attach all sorts of 10 MHz devices to it. I use it on counters, scopes, frequency selective voltmeters and other analyzers.

I leave the Rb reference running all the time. It is even attached to a 24 VDC battery to keep it going during power glitches. With some additional devices I can do much of my own metrology and calibrate my own gear.

Tisha Hayes

[Tishers]

Thanks for the quick feedback, given the low price-point on the VSG25A I will go that route. My need for 2.5-6 GHz is not immediate as what I am working on now is narrowband VHF/UHF QAM. I can always come back and buy a VSG60A (tentative product) when something hits the streets.

Tisha Hayes
Principal
West Monroe Partners

[Tishers]

I have a Rb standard that I use for other pieces of test equipment. The Efratom ones are pretty good. It was an ebay purchase a few years ago, affordable enough that I bought a spare a few months later.

[Author]

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