Spike Spectrum Analyzer Download
Alexandria Loconte
Monitor and scan for LTE downlink signals. Monitor a single frequency or define LTE frequency bands to scan. The software quickly scans and displays cell information such as Cell ID, RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, MCC/MNC, EARFCN, and SIB1 contents. All scanned cells are tabulated and can be exported for external review. This information is shown alongside standard spectrum analysis plots.
Windows 7/8/10/11 are supported for both 32 and 64-bit variants of Spike, and 64-bit Ubuntu Linux 18.04 and 20.04. Please note that the Linux version is only compatible with the BB60, SM200, and SM435 spectrum analyzers.
Yes. The Spike software is compatible with 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04, and can run the BB60, SM200, and SM435 spectrum analyzers. The SA44 and SA124 spectrum analyzers are compatible with Windows only.
You will experience slowdown and difficulties with the real-time portions of the software application, such as real-time spectrum analysis. Your PC could exhibit stuttering and slowdown affecting other applications and your workflow.
I'm seeing some weird spiked in a spectrum analysis that I ran at home. Specifically way before channel 1, just before 4 and just before channel 14. Any clue as to what could cause those spikes?
Spike provides real-time spectrum analysis for all Signal Hound Analyzers and improved stability and high dynamic range for the TG tracking generators. It turns a Signal Hound spectrum analyzer into a vector signal analyzer with its new digital modulation analysis capabilities. The software can perform EVM measurements and view complex plots for a number of PSK/QAM digital modulations. It has an intutive interface with graphics that now include color persistence and a 2D waterfall display. Developers can customize the Spike software by changing, adding, and deleting functions, layouts, and utilities in the SA and TG devices.
Question: Ok so after we ran these test, I decided to run a spectrum scan...everything seemed fine at first but the longer I let it run the nastier it got. I am posting two screen shots, one is with the "instantaneous" radio button selected, one is with the averaging radio button selected. You will see in the picture with the instantaneous button selected the spike on channels 912.5 and channel 915. This spike moves across the spectrum and that is what causes the spikes you will notice in the average picture. The spikes normally last for about 1 min and then seize and come back about 3 minutes later. Looking for opinions. Do you think these spikes are high enough to make the client radios disconnect from the AP? Just curious what you guys have found?
Of course, other users can provide actual field experiences, but what you're seeing can be indicative of FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) devices that move frequencies across the whole spectrum.
Thought I would share one of our spectrum analysis. Now, this is running about 2 feet away from a U* 900 system with 10mhz channel running in 907. Our Cambium sector is running at 924.5 in 7mhz. Even with this amount of noise, we are seeing 10-20mb average per customer. Should get even better once we have switched everyone over.
The Signal Hound USB-powered SA44B and SA124B are Software Defined Radios (SDR) optimized as spectrum analyzers. The SA44B operates from 1 Hz to 4.4 GHz and the SA124B operates from 100 kHz to 12.4 GHz. The Signal Hound TG44A and TG124A are tracking generators which work with the SA-series spectrum analyzers. Both the SA-series and TG-series instruments are compact, simple to use, and effective troubleshooting tools for field use, general lab use, engineering students, ham radio enthusiasts, and electronics hobbyists.
Developers will be able to customize the Spike software by changing, adding, and deleting functions, layouts, and utilities in the SA and TG devices. A liberal software license allows developers to compile the modified spectrum analyzer code for redistribution. Even though the SA's are hardware limited when compared to the BB60C, they can now enjoy the flexibility and power of the BB60C software platform.
About Signal Hound The Signal Hound spectrum analyzers are compact and simple to use. The Signal Hound BB60C is used for real-time spectrum monitoring, manufacturing process control, interference hunting, spread spectrum signal analysis, capturing intermittent events, and general purpose spectrum analysis.
The peak gets smeared out across the frequency domain. The noise floor rises up, and may obscure other frequencies that are present in the signal. It would be nice to reduce this effect and get a cleaner spectrum.
The discontinuity has been eliminated, but at a cost. You are no longer looking at the original pure sine wave. Instead, you are looking at a sine that pulses repeatedly, like an amplitude-modulated signal. The new spectrum reflects this difference:
The spectrum is not smeared out as dramatically as before, but the peak is now a bit wider. It no longer comes to quite as sharp or high of a point. Other peaks, side lobes, have arisen to the left and right.
The window function, the shape we choose for our window, determines what kind of distortions we see in the spectrum. Different window functions help you to optimize for different goals: a more accurate amplitude, a lower noise floor, and so on. In the next section, I will explore a few of the more common window functions and their uses.
One of the best ways to explore the various windows is to connect a signal to your spectrum analyzer and cycle through the choices with different input signals. In particular, see what happens when you vary the input frequency slightly. Some windows have consistently good performance for any input, while others (such as the rectangular window) vary considerably from better to worse.
La Center, WA. Signal Hound, a developer of RF test and measurement equipment, has announced the addition of SCPI compatibility for its spectrum analyzers via its Spike software. Spike provides control of all Signal Hound spectrum analyzers using a common GUI and offers advanced signal analysis measurements and displays.
The nearby figure summarizes the programming methods available for controlling Signal Hound spectrum analyzers/receivers. Since a TCP/IP SOCKET link is used for the SCPI commands, you can control the Spike software from any PC/operating system. For example, a Windows PC runs Spike, but remote control of Spike on the Windows PC can occur on a Linux or Apple system. Traditional programming using Signal Hound-supplied, device-specific APIs remains available for fast, direct device control. The device specific APIs use a C interface, and the functions can be called from most modern programming languages and environments such as C/C++, C#, Python, Java, LabVIEW, and MATLAB.
The Spectrum Analyzer simply reads every single frequency within the data acquisition window. It starts at the lowest frequency, reads the signal strength at that frequency, displays the value on the graph, then moves up just a little bit to the next frequency. It does this many times a second, so all you see is a constantly fluctuating image, with spikes where you have a stronger signal at that frequency. The number of samples it takes per second, the resolution of the data read, the span of the acquisition window, etc., are all variables that can be adjusted in real time so that you can get the clearest data.
Signal Hound is a manufacturer of affordable, high-performance test equipment based in La Center, WA. Starting out as Test Equipment Plus in 1996 and offering used test equipment and repair services, Signal Hound developed in 2010 with the introduction of the USB-SA44 USB-powered spectrum analyzer. Signal Hound has since added several award-winning RF spectrum analyzers and signal generators, and is sold globally.
Dynamic range is an important specification for any spectrum analyzer. When looking for low-level signals, it determines your ability to distinguish a signal from the noise floor. An important consideration will be determining the lowest level your test situation demands. For many measurements, the main objective may be to accurately characterize the main signal. In these cases, a 60 dB signal-to-noise floor may be more than enough. In some labs, a few test stations may require a more expensive spectrum analyzer that offers 85 dB or more.
Spectrum analyzer dynamic range specifications can be confusing. Often, instruments display a low number for DANL, or Displayed Average Noise Level (e.g., less than -150 dBm/Hz). The DANL numbers can sometimes be misunderstood, as they depend on many factors such as frequency, attenuation, detectors, preamps, etc.
Many devices and systems require accurate phase noise measurements. Spectrum analyzers are commonly used for this measurement. However, the spectrum analyzer itself must have phase noise sufficiently low so as not to contribute to the device measurement.
For example, the Signal Hound SM200B uses a low-IF architecture design that enables exceptional phase noise performance, comparable to the performance of a more expensive spectrum analyzer. The Signal Hound SA44 and BB60 use a more traditional superheterodyne architecture to achieve a more modest phase noise performance but less expensively.
Real-time spectrum analysis (RTSA) is a digital signal processing method that leverages overlapping FFTs and high-speed memory to have a 100% probability of intercept (POI) in even extremely dense environments. Real-time bandwidth, which is the maximum frequency span offering gap-free overlapping FFT processing, is an important parameter of an RTSA that can enable a more detailed analysis of a spectrum.
Another consideration is the separation of the hardware systems. Traditionally, test instrumentation utilizes a built-in PC taking the form of special internal controller boards produced at a much lower volume than commercial PCs and typically manufactured by a third-party. It is not unusual for these internal controllers to be two to five generations behind their commercial peers because they are embedded. This invariably means that by the time the spectrum analyzer reaches the market, the internal controller is dated.
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