RF Signal Analysis Software Toolkit
Visualize Complex RF Signals
Spectro-X is the essential signal extraction tool that enables users to sift through multi-terabytes of RF data recordings to quickly identify signals of interest based on user input. The fast, spectral search enables visualization and analysis, with high resolution, for system or test engineers developing EASA and conventional radar, ELINT, SIGINT, ECM, ESM, multi-channel communications, telemetry and MIMO systems.
When combined with either the IQC5000B or IQC91000A signal recorders, Spectro-X turns hours of attended
spectrum monitoring into fast post-acquisition search, mark and measurement tasks, all without any programming.
Find and zoom into specific sections of captured files using Spectro-X’s three discrete search engines: Carrier, Arbitrary Waveform and Pulse. Selected portions of large recordings can be IQ exported to industry standard formats usable by vector signal analysis software for demodulation and detailed analysis.
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Simultaneously find and analyze up to four signal files (channels).
- Spectrogram and Time Domain plots to detect transient events.
- Display signal parameters in both time and frequency.
- Playback files with a signal generator, using MATLAB or other popular VSA software.
- Zoom into specific portions of a file to quickly identify signals of interest.
- Unlimited markers per plot. Link markers across plots within channels.
- Pulse descriptor words characterizes pulse trains.
- Carrier searches identify all stationary carriers over a specified time range.
- User-adjustable channel playback offsets provide subsample precision.
- Marker math allows time and frequency differences to be measured within or between channels.
- No limit on file duration.
MULTIPLE SEARCH ENGINES
- Carrier Search – CW and stationary modulated carriers
- Waveform Search – search against a library of user-defined reference waveforms, I&Q time domain matching
- Pulse Search – search and quantify pulsed waveforms by Rise/fall times, Pulse Width, Pulse Repetition Interval, Peak & Average Power, and Carrier Frequency
WEBINAR
Item Name
RF Signal Analysis Software
Carrier Search
Types: CW and stationary modulated carriers
Options
Power: ≥dBm, dB above noise floor. RBW: auto select, user-selectable.
Search windows: Start time, stop time relative to start time.
Results: Number of matches, carrier frequency, bandwidth, start time, duration, power, save results. Prune results: from saved results file, next search.
Prune IF (matching carrier): frequency, bandwidth, start time, duration, or power (≥ or ≤ user-specified value), inside or outside user specified range.
Waveform Search
Types: Search to match user-specified saved reference waveform, I&Q time domain matching
Options: Correlation level, high selectivity filter, reference waveform (one or many), frequency shifting modes (auto or manual), time parameters. Reference waveform at f1, capture file at f2, shift (f2-f1). Included Waveforms EDGE, IEEE-802.11a/g, LTE, normal, extended prefix, 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 20 MHz.
Results: Number of matches, carrier frequency, start time, confidence, Waveform File
Pulse Search
Types: Search and quantify pulsed waveforms in capture file.
Options: Detection threshold power level, start and stop time for search, compute pulse frequencies, smoothing number of points.
Results: Peak power, average power, start time in file, width, PRI, rise time, fall time (10% to 90% referenced to detection threshold power level, phase, frequency. Sort results by any results parameters. Prune results: from saved results file, next search. Prune (matching pulse): peak power, average power, start time, width, PRI, and frequency (≥ or ≤ user-specified value), inside or outside user specified range).
Zoom Functions
Analysis Windows: Left mouse click and drag to define zoom box, expand X and Y axes to limits of box, zoom/unzoom and plot type.
Playback inputs: Zoom box defines start and stop times of next file playback.
Plot Types
Playback Time Overview: Magnitude versus time, for entire file.
Scrolling Time Domain: Magnitude versus time, for current playback view.
Current Time Domain: Magnitude versus time, phase versus time, unwrapped phase versus time, imaginary versus time, real and imaginary versus time.
Scrolling or Static Spectrogram: Time versus frequency with color-coded power, time in vertical access waterfall display with most recent time on top, power displayed as color gradient, user-selectable range of power display.
Persistence spectrum: Visual accumulation of magnitude versus frequency over time, user-selectable persistence decay rate (infinite, slow, medium, fast).
File Playback
Direction and Speed: Playback time overview, play, reverse, stop, jump, double speed, half speed. Minimum time increment (441 x sample rate).
Time and Scaling: Program auto-select or user selectable playback start and stop times, time increment, jump time, spectrogram Y axis plot size, persistence spectrum Y axis plot size. Frequency domain plots (upper and lower frequency limits, absolute or relative center and span, number of points between limits). Resolution bandwidth and resolution time width, magnitude (maximum and minimum values).
Data Access
Input:.xdat, .xiq, .bin, .tiq and columnar ASCII (.txt or .csv)
Save and Copy: Search results, program setup, intermediate spectrogram, persistent spectrums. Copy and plot any main window as JPG file.
Export: .xdat, .xiq, .bin, .tiq and .mat with selectable time parameters, filtering, frequency shifting, and/or decimation.
Hardware Requirements: Windows 7 PC (64-bit), 120 Mbytes available on OS drive (>100 GB recommended for storage of playback files), 2GB RAM minimum.