Author Topic: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?  (Read 1453 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline dav888Topic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 49
  • Country: se
  • various artists
been on a hunt for "headless" spectrum analysers for the 2.4GHz domain.
needs to be somewhat good quality (i.e. not RF Explorers which are completely out of spec / uncalibrated and unreliable)

Tested both BB60C from http://signalhound.com or Spectran-v6-eco-100xa-6 from http://aaronia.com good but with a big drawback.

API/SDK either requires a binary DLL (no source code) for the signalhounds, aaroina reqiuire a large GUI software to run to act as the bridge. And most important, they can't run on Arm-based linux, i.e. Raspberry PI 5 etc.

I just want a pure python API and a $1000-2000 reliable product that is calibrated in gain and frequency and that can give me a frequency sweep via a simple (preferably open source) API.


Is there something like it out there?
 

Offline Bicurico

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1818
  • Country: pt
    • VMA's Satellite Blog
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2024, 10:21:37 am »
Look for portable spectrum analyser with SCPI.

ANRITSU has some portable models that allow SCPI over telnet. This would allow you to remote control the SA from any platform without installing any API.

Siglent has SCPI over telnet, too.

Both options are more expensive than your budget, unless you find a cheap second hand deal

Online tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 29910
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2024, 10:37:46 am »
Look for portable spectrum analyser with SCPI.

ANRITSU has some portable models that allow SCPI over telnet. This would allow you to remote control the SA from any platform without installing any API.

Siglent has SCPI over telnet, too.

Both options are more expensive than your budget, unless you find a cheap second hand deal
Perform other tricks.
Avid Rabid Hobbyist.
Some stuff seen @ Siglent HQ cannot be shared.
 

Offline Bicurico

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1818
  • Country: pt
    • VMA's Satellite Blog
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2024, 11:24:19 am »
?

Online tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 29910
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Avid Rabid Hobbyist.
Some stuff seen @ Siglent HQ cannot be shared.
 
The following users thanked this post: RAPo

Offline Bicurico

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1818
  • Country: pt
    • VMA's Satellite Blog
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2024, 05:37:31 pm »
It took a while for me to get what you meant.

Anyway:

Yes, Siglent spectrum analyser can be hacked, too.
 
The following users thanked this post: tautech

Offline dav888Topic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 49
  • Country: se
  • various artists
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2024, 03:56:57 pm »
thx, yes anritsu and litepoint makes good rf test systems. unreasonably expensive though

i had a look and the desktop style ones are funny enough affordable and has more primitive / open interfacing options than the sheet-metal/usb ones. problem is I can't have the size and the knobs exposed.

usrp b210 is interesting but not calibrated
 

Online shabaz

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 609
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2024, 05:17:38 pm »
I'm guessing a lot of the USB-interfaced instruments are RTSA's that may be using the attached PC for some of the computation, so that may require x86 since that's the low-hanging fruit for the manufacturer : (

Some of the recent normal swept SAs are single-board internally, operating from a single DC supply; some are also fanless, maybe it's an option to re-package them minus the display and keypad and AC-DC converter? Then normal SCPI can be used. Example screenshots from a signalpath video.


« Last Edit: July 07, 2024, 05:21:51 pm by shabaz »
 

Offline Bicurico

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1818
  • Country: pt
    • VMA's Satellite Blog
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2024, 07:37:12 pm »
Within your price range and requirements I believe the Silent SSA/SVA series are the only option.

Take a look at my blog (link in the signature) for other options. The NWT4000 is a much worse option, but cheap and fully programmable. Perhaps you can live with it's limitations.

Offline pdenisowski

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 941
  • Country: us
  • Product Management Engineer, Rohde & Schwarz
    • Test and Measurement Fundamentals Playlist on the R&S YouTube channel
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2024, 07:53:53 pm »
Have you looked at the TinySA?

https://tinysa.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.PCSW

Supports Linux and even has a Python library.
Test and Measurement Fundamentals video series on the Rohde & Schwarz YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKxVoO5jUTlvsVtDcqrVn0ybqBVlLj2z8
 

Offline dav888Topic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 49
  • Country: se
  • various artists
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2024, 01:44:30 pm »
tinysa was nice, but I need 2.4GHz
 

Online RAPo

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 904
  • Country: nl
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2024, 02:02:01 pm »
« Last Edit: December 07, 2024, 02:04:13 pm by RAPo »
 

Offline TheoB

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 156
  • Country: nl
Re: USB RF / Spectrum analyser that runs on ARM/Linux/Raspberry...?
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2024, 05:02:20 pm »
tinySA Ultra could work fine. Depends on the accuracy (+/-2dB) and resolution (0.5dB) that you need. But it is capable of doing most things an expensive SA can do at a sub 200 dollar price point.
Example:
Code: [Select]
cu -l /dev/ttyACM0 -s 19200
rbw 850
attenuate auto
lna on
scan 2.4G 2.5G 10 3

2400000000 -1.036250e+02 0.000000000
2411111111 -1.026250e+02 0.000000000
2422222222 -9.412500e+01 0.000000000
2433333333 -1.041250e+02 0.000000000
2444444444 -1.031250e+02 0.000000000
2455555556 -9.512500e+01 0.000000000
2466666667 -1.091250e+02 0.000000000
2477777778 -1.091250e+02 0.000000000
2488888889 -1.086250e+02 0.000000000
2500000000 -1.086250e+02 0.000000000
 

This is just measuring 10 points with a whip antenna over USB. Max hold values over the entire band can also be retrieved using data. See https://tinysa.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.USBInterface
« Last Edit: December 07, 2024, 05:45:09 pm by TheoB »
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf