Hi Catshot,

The SA44B is compatible with HDSDR. We provide the files and information necessary for setup on the SA44 downloads page. HDSDR can record the full bandwidth of the device continuously (~250kHz bandwidth) and can be played back through the HDSDR software.

Our software (Spike) can record sweeps indefinitely to a file which can be later brought back into the Spike software.

If you have programming experience, our spectrum analyzers all have a C interface and could easily interface a number of SDR programs with a bit of work. This also include professional environments such as Labview, Matlab, GNU radio, etc.

The SA44B is only compatible with our tracking generators. With the SA44/TG44 pair, you can sweep filters across the full frequency range.

Let me know if you have follow up questions.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi Harold,

You are referring to the “Frequency Different Meter” utility? If so, yes, this will be added to the software. I don’t have an exact timeline for this addition, but I would suspect in the next 1-2 months. The Spike software will notify you of a software update when one is available, in the lower right hand corner of the status bar.

For the time being, you can still use the old software if you need to make this type of measurement. When we release it for the new software, it might be under a new name, I am thinking “Frequency Counter” or something of the like.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi Harold,

I just realized that you are using the SignalHound 2.18D software. In that case there is no way to clear the limit line short of closing the software. I apologize for the inconvenience.

On the other hand, if you are interested, we have released a new software interface for our spectrum analyzers. It is called Spike, and can be downloaded for free here, http://www.signalhound.com/Spike. It can be installed along side your existing application. Going forward, it is what we recommend to new users. Along with many other additions, you can clear the limit lines in the software.

Let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi Dept911,

See File->Import->Limit-Lines->Clear Limit Lines.
I think this will do the trick.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards,
A.J.

[Andrew]

Hi Electronic Eel,

Yes, the process you described is the standard method of testing on an EMI receiver.

QP sweeps may come at a later date.

Regards,
A.J.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Andrew.

Hi Electronic Eel,

Yes, in the next release we will be adding quasi-peak detectors. They will be single frequency measurements, not QP sweeps. If you have used pre-compliance software, you will recognize the detector bar meter plots. For now, the BB60C will be supported for these measurements.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi Danny,

I’ll add to what KB0NE said.
For the latest Intel processors, the dual core i5 and i7 processors are good enough to run our software. If you plan on running other heavyweight software in parallel with ours you should consider the higher end processors. The latest Intel processors also have integrated graphics capabilities which are more than adequate for our video requirements. People run into issues with video requirements on old hardware (>5-10 years old). You shouldn’t have to worry about this.

SSDs are common and nice in laptops now, but they are not required for our software.

Let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,
A.J.

[Andrew]

Hi Tisha,

I really like all of these suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to write these out, and thank you for using our products.

I keep track of all customer requests and try to implement a few for each release. Obviously I can’t guarantee I will get to all of them.

A quick note, the VSG does drift for several minutes while warming up. Is it possible this is what you were seeing? Once warmed up, the frequency should not drift enough to need to reconfigure the demod settings. I would try to plug in the VSG for ~15 minutes before using it for frequency-sensitive applications. If you see large frequency drifts even after this period, let us know. Also, there is the adjustment screw on the VSG, which allows you to manually adjust the time base after warm-up. A small adjustment will generally get you within 1 ppm. Just set it to 1 GHz CW and use the BB60C with a 50 kHz span and adjust to center.

Thanks again for the feedback.
Regards,
A.J. & Justin

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Andrew.

Hi Tisha,

Our locking cable is shorter than 1 meter, I think around 20 inches. The locking cable is custom, due to the spacing of the screws. We used to provide a full 1 meter non-locking USB 3.0 cable before the locking cable, and the part number/manufacturer for that is, (Superlink, NR-CAB3943).

If you are looking for something longer, it is difficult to find the y-cable variant without getting something custom. Also, signal loss occurs quite often on USB 3.0 on longer cables. You could consider active USB 3.0 cables if you need very long cables. Customers have used with success, SIIG USB 3.0 5-20m active cables, Cable matters USB 3.0 10m active cables, and Cornings 20m USB 3.0 to optical cable. We do not have experience with these cables and cannot guarantee they will work with your system, only that customers have reported success.

We have a few extra 1 meter non-locking cables if you want one. Email us at support at signalhound and we can send you one.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi facotl,

In our last software update, we added 6dB bandwidth RBWs, which are commonly used in EMC/EMI measurements. We currently offer only basic spectrum analysis measurements and not the EMC features people expect, such as segmented sweeps (sweep lists), peak tables, quasi-peak detectors, etc. We may have something for BB60 users in the near future, but the SA44B and its software image rejection do not make it well suited for EMC measurements.

If you have further questions, let me know.

Regards,
A.J.

Hello Facotl,

If you would like, you could send us an image of the spectrum. You can save an image using the file menu in Spike. You can also check the signal strength with channel power. The channel power should roughly equal the output power of the VSG. You could also attempt to demodulate the signal with Spike to ensure it is what you expect. You can also send us a screenshot of the current configuration of the VSG. It is possible the configuration you have used is one we haven’t checked and isn’t working properly.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi dwc,

We offer calibration services. If you are in the US, you can send the unit in and for a small fee, the unit will be calibrated. If you purchased through a distributor, you will need to contact a distributor and they will help you through the process. If in the US, call us at either 1800-260-TEST or email us at support at signalhound and we can give you a price and shipping instructions.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi Guenther,

Thank you very much for the feedback. I like all of your points. I will make note of them, and maybe we can get them into future releases.

Regards,
A.J.

Hello PGA,

I apologize, we found your email and will be sending you a response shortly.

Regards,
A.J.

Hello PGA,

Are you in the United States? If so, please email support@signalhound.com and ask for shipping instructions for a repair unit. I will verify that we did not miss your email. If you have already sent an email, I apologize, we may have missed it. If you want to provide your email address in the forums I can ensure we send you instructions.

If you are outside the United States and purchased through a distributor then you will need to contact your distributor, and they will give you instructions for setting up a repair.

Regards,
A.J.

Hi PGA,

Thank you for providing this. Based on the image, we suggest ensuring your connectors are tight and cables are verified good. If you can verify them, then I would suggest sending in the unit for repair. There could be a potential issue with the RF front end. If you can rule out your setup, then call us up at 1-800-260-TEST or email us at support@signalhound.com and we can help you in the next step.

Regards,
A.J.

Hello Fabrice,

The trace averaging, (aka setting the trace ‘type’ to average) is simply an average of the log traces, (average of the log).

Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you for the kind words.

Regards,
A.J.

Hello Fabrice,

Unfortunately at this moment, the sweep times are limited in selection. You could try to simulate this in a few ways.

If you are looking for the peak occupancy of this signal, you could setup the peak detector with a max hold trace.

If you are using the average detector, you could lower your VBW which would increase sweep time and use trace averaging.

You could use the average detector setup to get your channel power to create your mask, and then the peak detector setup to ensure no violations occur, if this is in fact your task.

Regards,
A.J.

[Andrew]

Hi Andy,

So, currently, I have been unable to duplicate this with my SA44B, but I may be using a setup where it doesn’t appear. If you could provide me with a specific setup, I could try to duplicate this.

Also, if you think it is version specific, here is a link to the 3.0.21 software.
signalhound.com/sigdownloads/Spike/Spike(x64)_3021.zip
I would interested to know if this resolves your issue.

If this doesn’t work, email support at signalhound dot com with your serial number and we can send you the cal files for your device, in the event the current ones on your system got corrupted.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,
A.J.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Andrew.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Andrew.

Hello Eduk,

Yes there is a way to do this. There is an ‘Export’ button on the trace controls, which will allow you to export a CSV of the form

MHz, min(dBm), max(dBm)
MHz, min(dBm), max(dBm)
…

This will export the current trace selected in the trace combo box. You can export any configured trace this way.

Let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,
A.J.

[Author]

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