Pro Tools Frequency Analyzer

[Jesper Sahu]

Thelatest release brings a new instrument to Moku devices, along with enhancements like cross-correlation measurements, the ability to control multiple Moku devices at once, and lower Moku:Pro input noise.

The Moku Time & Frequency Analyzer combines the functionality of a time interval analyzer, event counter, and frequency analyzer, offering a versatile tool for applications like photon counting, oscillator characterization, X-ray diffraction, free-space optical communications, and pulse-width modulation decoding. It precisely measures the number of events and the time interval between events, configured through an easy-to-use interface.

The Moku:Pro Spectrum Analyzer now offers cross-correlation measurements, a useful signal processing tool for reducing the measurement noise floor or analyzing two similar signals. For applications like phase noise detection, cross-correlation removes uncorrelated noise, enabling measurements below the analog input noise of the measurement equipment. Read more about cross-correlation in the blog here.

The new Time & Frequency Analyzer is available to all current Full-suite Bundle users free of charge. To purchase the Time & Frequency Analyzer or other instruments for your Moku:Pro, Moku:Lab, or Moku:Go device, visit our webstore and upgrade with a license update.

For the instruments that you already own, all new features are available for free with a software update to Version 3.2. You can download the Windows and macOS app updates here, or the iPadOS and visionOS app updates here. For step-by-step instructions on updating, check out this Knowledge Base article.

Lastly, we updated some minimum system requirements. Users running macOS and iPadOS will need to upgrade to at least version 11.0 and 14.0, respectively. The minimum requirements for Windows users have not changed.

Want to request a new feature? Have a support tip to share? From use case examples to new feature announcements and more, the User Forum is your one-stop shop for product updates, as well as connection to Liquid Instruments and our global user community.

Tektronix Real-time Spectrum Analyzers (RSAs) and SignalVu analysis software enable accurate and reliable real-time RF measurements. Thanks to their architecture, Tektronix RSAs can record, stream, and analyze data in real time at full bandwidth to capture, isolate, and analyze even hard-to-find transient RF signals with confidence.

This video demonstrates Tektronix's patented Digital Phosphorus Technology (DPX), which uncovers hidden signals in spectrum analysis by transforming sample data into detailed pixel information, offering a live, color-graded view of RF signals distinguishable by time or power levels.

A spectrum/signal analyzer measures the amplitude of an input signal versus frequency within the frequency range of the instrument. Traditionally, this instrument measures the power vs. frequency of known and unknown signals. However, modern signal analyzers perform simultaneous assessments of magnitude and phase to enable measurements of complex signals and produce extensive insights into their modulation quality characteristics. A spectrum analyzer is indispensable in fields like telecommunications, RF engineering, and aerospace for tasks like signal characterization, interference tracking, and RF component and system performance evaluation and test.

A traditional spectrum analyzer searches for signals within a spectral bandwidth and provides snapshots of the signal in the frequency or modulation domain. However, this is often not enough information to confidently describe the dynamic nature of modern RF signals.

A signal analyzer, however, includes additional functionality like digital signal processing (DSP) that detects, characterizes, and analyzes signals with complex digital modulation. Signal analyzers can be used to perform more complicated measurements and deeper analysis of RF modulated signals.

Tektronix designs real-time spectrum analyzers (RTSA) to capture, process, and display the spectrum of frequencies in real-time, offering a comprehensive and instantaneous view of spectral activity, while preserving the time-domain information of the signal. This capability is critical for analyzing transient, rapidly evolving, or intermittent signals.

In contrast, non-real time spectrum analyzers usually take longer to sample and process their acquired waveform over a certain bandwidth. While processing these samples they can potentially miss brief, non-repetitive signals, which appear often in dynamic signal environments. Therefore, while traditional spectrum analyzers are effective for analyzing stable, cyclo-stationary signals, RSAs simplify the job of engineers working with applications requiring detailed, real-time observation of complex, and many times unpredictable signals.

Tektronix offers comprehensive technical support and robust warranty, care, and calibration plans for our spectrum analyzers. This includes online resources, expert assistance, traceable calibration with rapid turnaround times, and repair or replacement coverage to ensure your peace of mind and continued productivity.

An RF spectrum analyzer is the instrument of choice for detecting and identifying sources of RF interference and monitoring the health of a wireless system. An RF spectrum analyzer measures the raw RF energy of transmitted radio frequency signals and aids the user by providing a view into the local RF environment. This RF view can be used to help detect the presence of RF transmissions that are the source of interference. Armed with this information you can either attempt to track down and eliminate the source of RF interference or choose to re-configure your own wireless gear to operate in a different freqency range of the RF spectrum that is less prone to RF interference.

Regardless of your technical background, RF Explorer is a diagnostic tool you are bound to love. The combination of standalone, handheld operation and PC-based, data acquisition and analysis are unique in the market place. The RF Explorer team's commitment to quality and low-cost are unmatched -- you'll wonder how you ever got along without this device.

Light-weight and small in size, can operate as a stand-alone, handheld device. Internal, rechargeable battery provides up to 16 hrs+ of continuous run. LCD display of 12864 pixels offers great visibility outdoors.

Regardless of your technical background, Rational Waves is a diagnostic tool you are bound to love. The combination of low-cost, accurate, easy-to-use, PC-based data acquisition & analysis software with the most popular RF spectrum analyzers is unique in the marketplace.

The Spectrum Master MS2720T features over 30 analyzers in one to meet virtually every measurement need. In addition to spectrum analysis, a user can select optional capabilities and analyzers including:

Weighing about 8 pounds fully loaded, including a Li-Ion battery, the fully functional Spectrum Master MS2720T family of handheld spectrum analyzers are light enough to take anywhere, including up a tower.

Continuous frequency coverage from 9 kHz to 20 GHz gives the wireless professional the performance needed for the most demanding measurements. Whether your application is spectrum monitoring, hidden signal detection, RF and microwave signal measurements, microwave backhaul testing, or cellular signal measurements, the Spectrum Master MS2720T gives you the tools you need to make the job easier and more productive.

Convenient operating procedures, high sensitivity, excellent repeatability, and exceptional performance enable the MS2720T to simplify measurements on wireless systems for easy verification of system compliance. Typical applications include:

The spectrum analyzer above gives us a graph of all the frequencies that are present in a sound recording at a given time.The resulting graph is known as a spectrogram. The darker areas are those where the frequencies have very low intensities, and the orange and yellowareas represent frequencies that have high intensities in the sound. You can toggle between a linear or logarithmic frequency scale by ticking or unticking the logarithmic frequency checkbox.

In many ways, this demo is similar to the Virtual Oscilloscope demo, but there is a crucial and very important difference. In the oscilloscope demo, the plot shows the displacement of an audio signal versus the time, which is called the time-domain signal. This demo shows the signal represented in a different way: the frequency domain. The frequency spectrum is generated by applying a Fourier transform to the time-domain signal.

The demo above allows you to select a number of preset audio files, such as whale/dolphin clicks, police sirens, bird songs, whistling, musical instruments and even an old 56k dial-up modem. Each of these has unique and interesting patterns for you to observe. Additionally, you can upload your own audio files. To view the spectrogram, choose your sound input, then click the play button and the graph will appear on the screen, moving from right to left. You can stop the motion by clicking the pause button on the audio player.

The violin recording in particular clearly demonstrates the rich harmonic content for each note played (this appears on the spectrogram as multiple higher frequencies being generated for each fundamental frequency). This is in contrast to the whistling recording which has a very strong fundamental component,and has only one additional harmonic, indicating that a human whistle is very close to a pure sine wave.

Please note, we are aware of an issue with the Safari browser which stops the spectrogram from appearing. In addition to this, Internet Explorer does notyet have the features to support the demo. Therefore, for best results, please use Chrome or Firefox. Thank you.

Set the sweep range of your spectrum analyzer to include 20-30 MHz above and below the frequency range of your mic receivers. So if your mics operate 470-530 MHz, set your sweep range to 450-550 MHz. Depending on what kind of interference is present, you may want to look further out of band. In the US, that might mean reviewing activity in the 600 MHz band to see if any high power sources [*AHEM* T-Mobile] generating noise down into the 500s.

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