Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/9193-new-demodulation-analyzers-bring-benchtop-performance-to-handheld-spectrum-analyzers

New Demodulation Analyzers Bring Benchtop Performance to Handheld Spectrum Analyzers

March 11, 2010

Anritsu introduces demodulation analyzers for LTE, WiMAX, W-CDMA/HSDPA and legacy standards such as GSM, CDMA and EV-DO for use with its Spectrum Master™ MS2712E/MS2713E. The new capabilities make the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E the first handheld spectrum analyzers in this class to deliver these measurements, and provide field technicians and maintenance engineers with a single handheld instrument to conduct RF measurements, demodulation capabilities and over-the-air tests.


These additional capabilities have been developed to meet today ís rapidly changing and fiercely competitive wireless network environment. It is no longer enough for operators and carriers to only test the cable and antenna portion of the system, because many signal quality problems cannot be detected unless the signal is demodulated. When the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E is configured with these new optional analyzers, technicians and engineers can reduce churn while increasing capacity and improving revenue for carriers.

The newly added AM/FM/PM analyzer provides broadcast and land mobile radio (LMR) technicians/engineers with an alternative to benchtop instruments. Previously, they had to rely on heavier, bulkier and harder-to-use equipment to measure and characterize key parameters for AM/FM signals. With the MS2712E/MS2713E, they can now make all of these measurements with one handheld instrument. Four measurement displays are provided, including the RF spectrum view, audio spectrum display, audio waveform display and summary table display that shows a summary of rate, RMS deviation, RMS depth, SINAD, THD, carrier power, carrier frequency and more.

High Accuracy Measurements

Typically, highly stable reference oscillators were only found in benchtop spectrum analyzers. Anritsu has also developed a GPS option for the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E that improves the accuracy of the oscillator to ±50 ppb, making the handheld analyzers compliant with 3GPP accuracy requirements. In addition, the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E includes a CW generator option from 2 MHz to 2 GHz with adjustable power between ñ10 and ñ90 dBm. The accuracy of the CW generator is also ±50 ppb with the GPS option.

The Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E has dynamic range of >80 dB when conducting transmission measurements. This enables technicians and engineers to quickly tune duplexers in the field, as well as verify antenna isolation and conduct gain measurements on active devices.

In addition, a new interference analyzer option delivers all the necessary tools to monitor, recognize, locate and identify interference. With the interference analyzer, field technicians and engineers can use the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E to locate intermittent interference signals, as well as find and identify spurs. A 3D spectrogram display enables users to record spectrum events for up to 72 hours and later identify signal events over time and frequency.

Figure 1 MS2712E on screen menus.

Simple Operation

Simple to use, the Spectrum Master MS2712E/MS2713E allows most standard measurements to be accessed with a single key stroke. Among the one-button measurements are transmitter power, occupied bandwidth, field strength, ACPR and emission mask compliance. Users can also customize limit lines, and setup limit envelopes and emission masks, which are critical to ensure that excess emissions do not affect other channels and systems.

The traditional high performance associated with the Spectrum Master family is maintained with the MS2712E/MS2713E. The MS2712E has frequency coverage of 100 kHz to 4 GHz, while the MS2713E extends the frequency up to 6 GHz. Dynamic range is better than 95 dB and DANL better than -162 dBm (1 Hz). Menus are easy to navigate via an 8.4" color touch screen display (see Figure 1). All of this performance is available in an instrument that weighs less than 3.45 kg and costs under $10,000.

Anritsu Co.,
800-ANRITSU (800-267-4878),
www.us.anritsu.com/SpectrumMaster.
RS No. 305