Rohde & Schwarz FPC1500 (FPC-COM2 kit) or Siglent?

[loki42]

I'm looking for a tool for pre compliance. I might get into wireless in the future but no plans currently. At the same price point is the Siglent better / easier to use / faster to get results with? I'm not sure if the VNA features will be useful in the future or not. Second hand gear here in Australia mostly seems pretty expensive so looking for new.

[tautech]

SSA3015X Plus is your cheapest entry level Siglent SA with a good EMI/EMC measurement suite......although its bit dearer brother SVA1015X has the same capability along with a VNA mode for only a couple hundy bucks more.
If you ever plan to venture into RF get the SVA.
Either model offers 128hrs of free option use which is quite enough to get to know the unit and get a few projects done before even needing to consider buying the EMI option.....if you haven't discovered you can hack it by then.

[loki42]

What's the advantages over the R&S?

[andrea.longobardi85]

Hi,
I am also looking to buy a Spectrum Analyzer + 1 port VNA  mainly to run some EMI pre-compliance + antenna tuning.
I have received a quotation with similar price for the Siglent SVA1032x + EMI option and the R&S FPC-COM2 3Ghz bundle + some extra features like distance to fault, modulation and advance measurement options (which I probably do not need).
I was wandering if anyone had experience with those two instruments and could share their opinion about it....I am kind of inclined for the R&S but could be just because of the brand notoriety in the RF filed.
Thanks!!!

[RBBVNL9]

Dear loki42,

I have the R&S FPC 1500 (COM2 3Ghz bundle) and am very happy with it. When I purchased it, I remember extensively looking at the SSA3000X Plus models as well.

Surely both devices will have their strengths and weaknesses, but let me highlight a couple of items that were relevant for me:

• The FPC bundle has a full VNA, which is something quite instructive if you like to get a better understanding of HF and the behaviour of components, cables etc.
• To measure S11-related parameters such as return loss, reflection coefficient and VSWR, the SSA3015X Plus requires you to purchase an external, physical bridge (plus the required software license, sold as a kit as RBSSA3X25). The FPC has a bridge built-in, and the FPC bundle has all licenses on board. See also reply #1 at this post.
• Having about half a dozen Siglent products and about half a dozen R&S products, my general experience is that the R&S documentation and manuals are very good and helpful. Moreover, R&S user manuals are updated when there are significant firmware upgrades or corrections (The FPC1500 manual is now in its 11th revision, for FW 1.70). The documentation of Siglent devices is generally not so good (and sometimes simply poor), which leads to loss of time (having to figure things out and/or speculate), and, at times, leading to inefficient and ineffective use. Documentation is an aspect that often seems overlooked, but especially with such complex instruments as scopes and SA's I believe it is a really important aspect when purchasing new gear.
• The FFC has excellent (and free) computer and mobile device (phone and tablet) software for creating measument documentation, storing results sets, life screen, etc.

While the FPC does not have a touch screen, I do like its user interface quite well, its logical, streamlined, responsive, and provides sensible information such as showing the measurement configuration overview:



On the more critical side, I am not so happy with the viewing angle of the FPC screen. As long as the instrument is right in front of you, no problem, but should you put it somewhere higher up on the bench, it starts to lack contrast (and you might even want to make something so it 'bends over' to you a bit...

Let me also refer you to a series of excellent Element14 reviews of the FPC1500, as well as of the FPC1000 (the version without tracking generator and VNA).
Element14 RoadTest review FPC1500 by shabaz
Element14 RoadTest review FPC1500 by geralds
Element14 RoadTest review FPC100 by  rachaelp
Element14 RoadTest review FPC100 by Instructorman
Element14 RoadTest review FPC100 by gpolder

I'm sure there must be good SSA videos out there as well, allowing you to find out what suits you best, also in terms of user interface.

[loki42]

Thanks for the info.  It seems hard to find reviews that compare against other similar options.  I've bought the R&S.

[RBBVNL9]

Enjoy your purchase!

PS. For EMC measurements, I'm using my FPC in combination with TBPS01 EMC near-field probes and the TBWA2 wideband amplifier. On that website you also find specs, frequency response diagrams, and downloadable gain files.

It’s a fairly affordable set and features often in videos such as those of Tektronix, The Signal Path as well as some five or so EEVBLOG videos (see the above website for links).

[tautech]

Enjoy your purchase!

PS. For EMC measurements, I'm using my FPC in combination with TBPS01 EMC near-field probes and the TBWA2 wideband amplifier. On that website you also find specs, frequency response diagrams, and downloadable gain files.

It’s a fairly affordable set and features often in videos such as those of Tektronix, The Signal Path as well as some five or so EEVBLOG videos (see the above website for links).

Does this mean the R&S has no preamp ? 

[RBBVNL9]

QUOTE: Does this mean the R&S has no preamp ? 

It does, and the FPC bundle the PO mentions includes a license for that preamp as well. .

But the Tekbox probe set can be purchased with a separate amplifier for an attractive price point, and this amp has many universal usages.

[loki42]

Nice.  I'm looking to get a lisn too for conducted EMC stuff.  I'm not sure if I should get the tekbox one or make one myself...

[RBBVNL9]

Should you decide to go the DIY route for the LISN, check out the project in the Elektor magazine recently:  https://www.elektor.com/elektor-dual-dc-lisn-150-khz-200-mhz 

[pdenisowski]

Does this mean the R&S has no preamp ? 

The R&S FPC does have an optional preamp (FPC-B22 option) which is included in the FPC-COM2 kit.

https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/products/test-and-measurement/benchtop-analyzers/rs-fpc-spectrum-analyzer_63493-542324.html

With the preamp on, sensitivity is increased to about -165 dBm (typ).  We also spec TOI, SHI, and DANL with and without the preamp enabled.

[pdenisowski]

Documentation is an aspect that often seems overlooked, but especially with such complex instruments as scopes and SA's I believe it is a really important aspect when purchasing new gear. [/li][/list]

For people who are new to the FPC (and spec ans in general), there are about a half dozen basic "Getting Started with the FPC" videos in the T&M Fundamentals Playlist on the R&S YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKxVoO5jUTlvsVtDcqrVn0ybqBVlLj2z8

Nice.  I'm looking to get a lisn too for conducted EMC stuff.

There's also a video about LISNs (but probably too basic for you)



The next time I'm working on FPC-related videos, I'll do a few on EMI/EMC testing

[nctnico]

The downside of the FPC1500 is that scalar measurements have a lower frequency of 2MHz. That is slightly high for dower power distribution network measurements. 100kHz would be nicer as a lowest frequency.

[tautech]

Does this mean the R&S has no preamp ? 

The R&S FPC does have an optional preamp (FPC-B22 option) which is included in the FPC-COM2 kit.

Oh thanks for clearing this up as the OP for his EMI needs should get the Tekprobe and preamp EMI set or purchase the B22 option and only the Tekprobe $199 EMI probes.

That certainly is an additional cost in getting the R&S whereas all Siglent SA/VNA's come equipped as standard with a preamp.

[nctnico]

For EMI/EMC precompliance use you don't need a preamp. The offending signals are easely above the noise floor of a typical spectrum analyser. Actually it is better to leave some attenuation enabled so you won't fry the input of the spectrum analyser by accident.

[RBBVNL9]

Oh thanks for clearing this up as the OP for his EMI needs should get the Tekprobe and preamp EMI set or purchase the B22 option and only the Tekprobe $199 EMI probes.

I think some unnecessary noise is being injected into the discussion here. The OP asked about the FPC-COM2. As explained already in the above posts, that bundle includes the preamp license. So no need whatsoever to purchase the B22 option.

The FPC-COM2 bundle is, imho, excellent value for money as it includes the 3GHz bandwith update (FPC-B2+B3), preamplifier (FPC-B22), modulation analysis (FPC-K7), vector network analysis (FPC-K42), receiver mode (FPC-K43) and advanced measurement (FPC-K55).

 

[loki42]

Yeah, i went for the R&S because the bundle has everything unlocked, is pretty cheap compared to other good brands like Keysight or Tek and I really enjoy my other R&S gear. Hopefully this one is as good as my RTM.

[PartialDischarge]

Does the FPC1500 spectrum analyzer not have log mode in the frequency axis ? I can't find any setting to it...

[RBBVNL9]

Does the FPC1500 spectrum analyzer not have log mode in the frequency axis ? I can't find any setting to it...

It does . But in the Receiver Mode application only

In this receiver mode (included in the COM1 and COM2 versions but optional on others), and with 'Frequency Scan' as measurement mode (which shows results in a spectrum), you can, via the soft buttons, choose between linear or log scale. But since its receiver mode, it does not provide a continuous scan ('sweep') but measures the power level over a series of frequencies. With small steps the set is large and it starts to look a bit like continuous, but whether this is anything that meet your needs (and the reasons you ask for a log display) I don't know...

Good luck! 

[PartialDischarge]

So it does not have it, amazing. So you can’t make a log sweep of a filter response with the TG for example, like in the Siglent.

I guess that after all this time RS is not going to spend time implementing it, so just wow.

[RBBVNL9]

You know, you can always say thank you to someone that makes that effort to answer your question.

If you just want to rant, then you better do so without asking a question.

[PartialDischarge]

What rant, what are u talking about?
And you could have been more honest in your answer: it does not have a log sweep, that step sweep is not a log-sweep.

A continuous log frequency sweep is not a unseen/weird/strange/uncommon function in 2022 SAs...

[RBBVNL9]

you could have been more honest in your answer: it does not have a log sweep, that step sweep is not a log-sweep.

I’m sorry, PartialDischarge, but whether this device has "log sweep" was not the question you asked.

The question you asked was "Does the FPC1500 spectrum analyzer not have log mode in the frequency axis ?” And I think my post provided a quite honest and complete answer to that question: it does so, but only in receiver more, and unfortunately not in spectrum sweep mode (where the  icon stood for unfortunately). And in my answer I also highlighted that this step mode is not the same as the continuous sweep mode.

Since you did not further specify your question (e.g., that you wanted to measure filters using a tracking generator), I tried to be helpful and tried to give a general answer: for some applications, this step mode log scale can be useful, but for others not.

[PartialDischarge]

You are doing great RBBNVNL9, so good that you even got a thank you from a RS Product Management Engineer.

Now for those that don't have this equipment this is is what the "log mode" is like:





And this is what a real log in frequency mode means to me:





I have both a SVA1032x and a FPC1500, and the former is like 10x more capable.