Automated test systems are common in high-volume manufacturing environments. These automated systems have been embraced because of their ability to decrease time-to-market, minimize design iterations, improve repeatability, and reduce the cost of testing. Spectrum analyzers make up a key part of most automated test systems for wireless products. With wireless capabilities becoming nearly ubiquitous in …
EMC compliance testing is a required process in today’s electronics development environment, but it’s not always a welcome addition to the development budget. This article briefly highlights a few potential options for affordable RF emissions testing.
Earlier in 2016 we published a series of blog posts introducing real-time spectrum analysis to those who may not fully understand its many concepts. It is a four-part series covering topics such as the basics of spectrum analyzers, channel power, occupied bandwidth, and real-time analysis, amongst others. Last month, we condensed those posts into a …
This is the second post in a series where we take a look at EMI and EMC precompliance using real time spectrum analyzers. Recent advances in PC-driven USB Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers (RTSAs) have enabled low-cost and efficient EMC precompliance testing and EMI identification with just a few simple tricks. All you would need is an …
This is the first post in a series where we take a look at EMI and EMC precompliance using real time spectrum analyzers. Virtually every electronic device, and many non-electronic and natural phenomenon, produce electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can, intentionally or otherwise, interfere with proper electronics operation—electromagnetic interference (EMI). Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the study …
If you’re building electronic hardware or devices intended for public use, you’ll need to pass a certification of some sort that verifies your device is within the electromagnetic interference (EMI) guidelines established by your country. Without this certification your device will legally never make it to market. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the overarching engineering concerned …
This is the third and final post in a multi-part blog series where we take a look at a few practical applications of spectrum analyzers. All wireless telecommunication signals undergo modulation in order to impart a data stream within the RF/microwave carrier. Many modern devices rely on digital modulation techniques in order to efficiently transfer …
This is the second post in a multi-part blog series where we take a look at a few practical applications of spectrum analyzers. Traditional spectrum analysis produces swept plots of power over frequency, revealing the strength of signals caught within the swept device’s analog resolution bandwidth filter. Though valuable for accurately describing continuous wave signals …
This is the first post in a multi-part blog series where we take a look at a few practical applications of spectrum analyzers. There are many cases where accidental or intentional EM interference occurs, which puts even greater burdens on an already crowded spectrum. The ability to capture, analyze, identify, and locate these harmful signals …
A few weeks ago we finished up a four-part blog series about the basics of real time spectrum analysis. In the blog series we discussed the basics of how a spectrum analyzer works, why we need them, and the differences between spectrum analysis and real time spectrum analysis, among other things. Armed with this basic …