BB60C User Manual - SignalHound USB Spectrum Analyzer & USB
Contents
1. R L 50 40 30 20 10 0 10 1 19 2 10 2 0 2 9 8 25 7 32 32 2 5 19 4 10 4 0 4 9 6 23 5 32 32 4 14 7 5 7 4 3 14 3 26 0 32 32 5 5 18 4 9 4 0 6 10 6 21 8 31 0 32 Typical Performance of internal step attenuator 8 1 2 Typical Amplitude Accuracy Typical Amplitude Error 720 points per R L RL 10 MRL 5 ARL 0 x RL 10 7000 XRL 20 Amplitude Error dB RL 30 RL 40 RL 50 Frequency MHz 16 BEE Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C 8 1 3 Typical Displayed Average Noise Level Typical DANL dBm Hz 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8 DANL dBm Hz DANL dBm Hz 166 Frequency MHz 8 1 4 Typical Performance over Temperature 8 1 4 1 Spurious Mixer Responses Harmonic Responses dBc Frequency MHz 17 SS Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C Signal 10 dB below reference level To calculate IP2 at a given frequency subtract this number from signal level e g 30 dBm reference level would be a 40 dBm signal Subtract e g 64dB 2 GHz for an IP2 of 24 dBm 8 1 4 2 Phase Noise Typical Phase Noise Across Temperature at 1 GHz 100 000 gt o ERI Offset Hz 8 1 4 3 Displayed Average Noise Level Change over Temperature Typical DANL change dB HEN PO D 1 20 40 AT m 1 Temperature deg C2. 60 a 522 o m N E o 3 bp c o 18 Si Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C Shown for gain 3 attenuator 0 dB For auto gain attenuator settings at cold temperatures a reference level of 55 dBm may be required for maximum sensitivity instead of the usual 50 dBm 8 1 4 4 Residual Signals over Temperature Temperature typically has little effect on residual signal levels 19
3. 1 9 3 2GHz BPF 10MH2 6GHz I 3 2 4 4GHz BPF 4 4 6 1GHz BPF 2 IF Filter 1 26GHz SAW po r 2 Converter 140MHz SAW 140MHz SAW 1 26GHz SAW 2 42GHz SAW G XL 2 42GHz SAW 1 IF Filter 102 USB 3 0 To PC 9kHz 20MHz Y 3 2 DESCRIPTION The BB60C is a two stage superheterodyne receiver using two independent intermediate frequencies IF selected based on RF input frequency Each IF has a corresponding distributed element notch filter in the RF section to reduce spurious responses from input signals at the IF frequency Each RF band also has a distributed element filter buried in the multilayer PCB laminate engineered to reject that band s image frequencies and reduce LO feed through Wherever possible RF band pass filters were used to reject signals which could result in spurious mixer products such as of the tuned RF frequency or image frequencies To reduce spurious signals from second order intermodulation where filtering was not practical push pull amplifiers were used in both the preamplifier and mixer stages effectively canceling even order mixing products Direct conversion was used below 10 MHz completely avoiding the intermodulation products associated with mixing 10 Understanding the BB60C Hardware Residual Signals Gain control is achieved in the BB60C using the front end attenuator and preamplifier The front end was designed to provide good spurious
4. 24 Power Cycle Does Not Fix the Problem usta e e s e HU Rr ER d 72 5 2 The DEVICES Not Valld iua td 12 6 Calibration and Adjustment citet nm snm m rr certet ti En Ed 12 T BBOOG Specifications cei nne ete bee t Pene ER P eU e ete errat abe ei tei dH Peres 13 8 Warranty arid DIsclallmer uci rt terni d rr rn innn EG Ere da a ERE are 14 GEB I Iucz inju v 15 8 2 Warranty Service RM 15 8 3 Limitation of Warranty seen 15 Bi Exclusive Rem dios tente eiit tt Co eaves 15 CES 15 SO Credit NONCE Re hentai emmener it 15 9 SR 16 9 1 Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C EIE 16 9 7 1 Third Order Intercept TOI 76 9 12 VICO Ape CO AOV RAR ated Cort dotato fec 76 9 1 3 Typical Displayed Average Noise Level tni teen 17 9 1 4 Typical Performance over Temperature in 17 Ze Overview What s New Overview This document outlines the operation and functionality of the BB60C Signal Hound spectrum analyzer This document will help you understand the capabilities performance specifications and features of your BB60C 1 1 WHAT S NEW Version 3 0 0 With the release of the Spike software a single software platform now servers all Signal Ho
5. free dynamic range SFDR at any reference level typically better than 50 dB The 14 bit ADC uses built in dithering to further improve the linearity and decrease spurious responses at the IF level Spurs from the ADC are typically 70 dB below the carrier From the ADC digitized IF data is handed off to an FPGA where it is packetized The Cypress FX3 peripheral controller streams the packetized data over a USB 3 0 link to the PC where 80 million 14 bit ADC samples per second are processed into a spectrum sweep or I Q data stream 3 3 RESIDUAL SIGNALS A residual signal appears even when there is no signal input The BB60C has some low level residual signals at multiples of 10 MHz typically not visible unless a narrow span 10 kHz is used These are typically very low 130 dBm for a reference level of 50 dBm except for a few frequencies where signals may be as high as 107 dBm for a reference level of 50 dBm 3 4 SCALLOPING LOSS An FFT based spectrum analyzer uses digital resolution bandwidths rather than discrete analog filters Moving from analog to digital introduces some new terms important to measurement accuracy like FFT bins window functions spectral leakage and scalloping loss To sum up an FFT produces an array of discrete frequency bins and their associated amplitude Real world signals rarely line up exactly with a single frequency bin which can result in some ugly behavior unless a window function is used Many differ
6. mode which is commonly associated with spectrum analyzers Through the software you will configure the device and request the device perform a single sweep across your desired span Spans larger than 20MHz are the result of acquiring multiple 20MHz patches and concatenating the results of the FFT processing on each The processing performed on each 20MHz patch is determined by the settings provided Each time a trace is returned the device waits until the next trace request For you the software user you can choose to continuously retrieve traces or manually request them one at a time with the Single and Continuous buttons found on the Sweep Toolbar Si Preparation Real Time Spectrum Analysis 2 6 REAL TIME SPECTRUM ANALYSIS One of the issues with the standard sweep mode is the blind time between each trace Blind time refers to the time between spectrum sampling During this time we are processing the last capture or viewing the data During this time it is possible to miss an event The picture below shows a missed event in green Amplitude Idle Spectrum Capture Blind Time Missed Spectrum amp Missed Event Green Spectrum Capture Time In this image we see an event missed due to the blind time between spectrum sampling With Real Time spectrum analysis we can prevent this and capture ALL possible events The 6 is capable of streaming the full IF bandwidth with no time gaps If we limit our spans to th
7. outside of the environmental specifications for the product No other warranty is expressed or implied Signal Hound specifically disclaims the implied warranties or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose 7 4 EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES The remedies provided herein are the Buyer s sole and exclusive remedies Test Equipment Plus shall not be liable for any direct indirect special incidental or consequential damages whether based on contract tort or any other legal theory 7 5 CERTIFICATION Signal Hound certifies that at the time of shipment this product conformed to its published specifications 7 6 CREDIT NOTICE Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries Intel and Core are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Intel Corp in the USA and or other countries 15 SS Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C 8 Appendix 8 1 TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BB60C Below are characteristics of the BB60C which have shown to be typical These are not hard specifications but show the typical performance in a few aspects not covered in our official specs The official BB60C device specifications can be found in this document under the section titled BB60C Specifications 8 1 1 Third Order Intercept TOI Typical IIP3 at Specified Reference Level dBm Gain and Atten AUTO Freq GHz
8. BB60C Spectrum Analyzer User Manual Signal Hound BB60C User Manual 2015 Signal Hound 35707 NE 86 Ave La Center WA Phone 360 263 5006 Fax 360 263 5007 Contents Kou 5 1 1 MWBaES NOW sitter tie tate edet bedeckt detenta eed cnet 5 2 UMEMTEEUCMMA 5 2 1 Initial 5 2 2 Software Installation een 6 22 1 Software Requirements sense 6 2 3 Connecting Your Signal PIOUFIG s ctore tte t teeth hr e na me 6 2 4 The BB60 Front and Rear Panels de rrt to ett dee pl a reb ear ca n i 6 3 Modes of Operation tereti te eee i t Rb t te et eri ede ehe 7 OWED Analysis en nee 7 3 2 Real Time Spectrumv Analysls dc EUR ER GUERERURERGUERGRURERGUERERUREEGH ERROR EH GU ER ERU 8 3 3 Zero Span MESI 9 3 3 1 Triggering in Zero Span essent idee 9 4 Understanding the BB60C Hardware inner 10 Front End Arcliltetilfes e uisi peres ett egy exa 10 4 2 Description seen 10 4 3 Residual Signals 2 2 2 02 2000000000000000000000000009000000000000000 11 Z4 SCallopING EOSS eae ae et eii 11 46 Dynal R nge EE 12 5 Troubleshooting 12 5 1 Unable t Find or Open the Device ertet detente 12 8 1 1 The Device Light is Green and Still Won t Connect ien 12 4
9. anslation without prior written permission is prohibited except as allowed under the copyright laws 14 Si Warranty and Disclaimer warranty 7 1 WARRANTY The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice Test Equipment Plus makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material including but not limited to the implied warranties or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose Signal Hound shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing performance or use of this material This Signal Hound product has a warranty against defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from date of shipment During the warranty period Signal Hound will at its option either repair or replace products that prove to be defective 7 2 WARRANTY SERVICE For warranty service or repair this product must be returned to Signal Hound The Buyer shall pay shipping charges to Signal Hound and Signal Hound shall pay UPS Ground or equivalent shipping charges to return the product to the Buyer However the Buyer shall pay all shipping charges duties and taxes to and from Signal Hound for products returned from another country 7 3 LIMITATION OF WARRANTY The foregoing warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from improper use by the Buyer Buyer supplied software or interfacing unauthorized modification or misuse operation
10. connect the device to your PC 3 A multi purpose BNC connector primarily for trigger input including GPS 1 pulse per second PPS trigger and external trigger in zero span mode See the BB60C API manual for additional information on using GPS time stamping with streaming 1 data Both BNC connectors are also capable of outputting logic high and low using the API Modes of Operation The BB60C is a hybrid superheterodyne FFT spectrum analyzer The BB60C is a combination of swept tuned and FFT based analyzers The BB60C uses an oscillator and band pass filters to down convert a portion of the input spectrum into an intermediate frequency IF The intermediate frequency is then sent from the device to the host PC where it undergoes FFT spectrum analysis transforming the input IF into a frequency spectrum The resulting IF contains 27MHz of usable bandwidth The BB60C is also a real time spectrum analyzer This means the device is capable of continuously streaming the IF frequency with no time gaps Having no time gaps is critical for measurements and tests requiring high probability of intercept POI See the section below Real Time Spectrum Analysis for a more in depth discussion of the BB60C capabilities The BB60C offers multiple modes of operation Most of these are exposed in the software and others can be exposed through our C based API We will only cover those in our software here 5 SWEPT ANALYSIS This mode of operation is the
11. deo Trigger input This is useful when you need to analyze a periodic transmission If your transmitter has a trigger output you can route this to the 60 trigger in Select external trigger to cause the zero span sweep to begin after this hardware trigger You can trigger on the rising edge or falling edge of a signal A 3 3V CMOS trigger with 50 ohm output impedance is ideal but 5V logic with 50 ohm output impedance is acceptable Higher or lower output impedance may work with a short BNC cable but longer cables may cause issues with reflection If your trigger output is sensitive to loading start zero span mode with external trigger enabled before connecting your trigger to ensure the BB60 trigger port is configured as an input 2 8 SCALAR NETWORK ANALYSIS When paired with a USB TG44A or a USB TG1244A the BB60C may be used as a scalar network analyzer This may require a firmware update In the Spike software verify you have firmware version 5 or higher If not check the Signal hound website for an update See the Spike software manual for more information Understanding the BB60C Hardware Front End Architecture 3 Understanding the BB60C Hardware 3 1 FRONT END ARCHITECTURE Signal Hound BB60C Architecture High IP Preamps 3 8 GHz HPF RF Input Ay 9kHz 20MHz 0 30 dB Pre leveling Atten Attenuator 10MHz 6GHz Distributed Element Filters 1 26GHz Notch
12. e maximum instantaneous bandwidth we can now process every spectrum sample for our resulting trace The BB60C performs overlapping FFTs at an overlapping rate of 75 covering each point of data with 4 FFTs We take the resulting FFTs and min max or average them into a final returned trace The number of FFT results merged depends on Real Time Accumulation and the RBW The minimum signal duration to guarantee the same amplitude as a CW signal i e 100 probability of intercept in real time analysis mode is a function of the resolution bandwidth selected and is equal to1 25 times the FFT interval The FFT interval is approximately 2 RBW so for a 631 kHz RBW this works out to about 4 microseconds Lower RBWs will require proportionally longer signal duration However signals of even this duration will be displayed only 2 3 dB down See the Spike Software manual for further information on Real time mode Preparation Zero Span Analysis 2 7 ZERO SPAN ANALYSIS Zero span analysis allows you to view and analyze signals in the time domain The BB60 application can display amplitude frequency and phase vs time and display the results through multiple plots See the Spike Software manual for further information on using Zero Span analysis 2 7 1 Triggering in Zero Span You can specify a video trigger external trigger or no trigger Video triggers allow you to begin the sweep only after a signal exceeds the amplitude specified in the Vi
13. emperature Weight Size Power Control and Communication Zi Warranty and Disclaimer The Device is Not Valid SSB Phase Noise at 1GHz Center Offset Frequency dBc Hz 100Hz 70 1kHz 76 10kHz 83 100kHz 93 1MHz 117 Windows 7 or 8 operating system 8 GB of RAM Intel i7 3rd generation Ivy Bridge or later with a quad core processor one USB 3 0 port and one adjacent USB 2 0 or USB 3 0 port Note RF recording using streaming 1 0 bandwidths gt 8 MHz requires the computers mass storage drive to have at least 250MB sec of sustained write speed such as SSD RAID O or RAID 5 1 PPS GPS input port enables 50ns time stamping 32 F to 149 F 0 C to 65 C Standard 40 F to 149 F 40 C to 65 C for Option 1 Net 1 10 Ibs 0 50 kg 8 63 x 3 19 x 1 19 219mm x 81mm x 30mm 1 USB 3 0 port and 1 adjacent USB 2 0 or USB 3 0 port USB 3 0 serial bus DANL Residual Responses Spurious Mixer Responses and Phase Noise specifications apply only at 20 C to 25 C Typical variations over the analyzer s operating temperature from the specifications at 20 C to 25 C are published in Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C IP2 and IP3 typical performance specifications can be found in the Appendix Typical Performance Characteristics of the BB60C 7 Warranty and Disclaimer 2013 2015 Signal Hound All rights reserved Reproduction adaptation or tr
14. ent window functions are available with various strengths and weaknesses For the BB60C swept modes default to a flat top window which offers excellent amplitude flatness and therefore very little scalloping loss in exchange for a wider resolution bandwidth and longer processing time Most RBWs used by the BB60C are from flat top windows so scalloping loss is negligible In real time mode native bandwidths from a specific window function are used which have a narrower bandwidth to reduce processing time and level out impulse response However when a signal falls halfway between two bins the energy is split between adjacent bins such that the reported peak amplitude may be lower by as much as 0 8 dB To get an accurate CW reading using Marker peak the non native bandwidths in swept mode are recommended In either mode the channel power utility which integrates the power across any channel bandwidth you specify also eliminates this scalloping loss giving you a full accuracy amplitude reading even in real time mode 11 Troubleshooting Dynamic Range 3 5 DYNAMIC RANGE Dynamic range has many definitions but one common definition in spectrum analysis is 2 3 TOI DANL A typical number for 1 GHz would be TOI 19 dBm DANL 151 dBm 10 Hz RBW Dynamic range 2 3 TOI DANL 88 dB and would be a function of RBW frequency gain and attenuation settings etc 4 Troubleshooting If you experience a problem
15. n 12 BB60C Specifications The Device is Not Valid 6 BB60C Specifications The following preliminary specifications are based on being in the Preset condition using internal timebase video processing set for average and power plus VBW sweep gain and attenuation in the default auto mode Frequency range Streaming Digitized 1 Q Resolution Bandwidths RBW Internal Timebase Accuracy Sweep Speed RBW gt 10kHz Amplitude RBW lt 100kHz RF Input VSWR at frequency LO Leakage at RF Input Displayed Average Noise Level DANL Residual Responses Spurious Mixer Responses tuned 9kHz to 6GHz 250kHz to 27MHz of selectable IF bandwidth that is amplitude corrected 10Hz to 10MHz 1 ppm per year 24 GHZ sec Range 10dBm to Displayed Average Noise Level DANL 2 0dB Absolute Accuracy arbitrary amp non native RBWs 2 0dB 2 6dB native RBW s faster DSP 3 0 1 lt 10dB attenuation lt 1 5 1 210dB attenuation 80dBm Input Frequency Range dBm Hz 9kHz to 500kHz 140 500kHz to 10MHz 154 10MHz to 6GHz 158 1 1dB GHz Ref Level lt 50dBm OdB Attenuation Input Frequency Range Residual Level 500kHz to 6GHz 106dBm 50dBc any ref level from 10dBm to 50dBm in 5dB increments input signal 10dB below ref level and lt 30kHz RBW 13 Frequency Recommended Computer Synchronization lt 20MHz IBW Operating T
16. ocessors e 8 GB RAM 1 GB for the BB60 software e Native USB 3 0 support Recommended System Requirements e Windows 7 64 bit e Processor Intel Desktop quad core i5 i7 processors e 8GBRAM 1 GB for the BB60 software e Native USB 3 0 support e OpenGL 3 0 capable graphics processor Certain display features are accelerated with this functionality but it is not required Our software is highly optimized for Intel CPUs We recommend them exclusively 2 3 CONNECTING YOUR SIGNAL HOUND With the software and BB60 drivers installed you are ready to connect your device Plug in both the male USB 3 0 and male USB 2 0 connections into your PCs respective USB ports and then plug the USB 3 0 Micro B male connection into the BB60 device Your PC may take a few seconds recognizing the device and installing any last drivers Wait for this process to complete before launching the Spike software 2 4 THE BB60 FRONT AND REAR PANELS The front panel includes a 500 SMA RF Input Do not exceed 20 dBm or damage may occur A READY BUSY el Preparation Swept Analysis 2 LED flashes orange each time a command from the computer is processed The rear panel has three connectors 1 10 MHz Reference input output Use a clean 10 MHz reference sine wave or square wave with gt 0 dBm level 13 dBm sine wave input or 3 3V CMOS clock input is recommended 2 AUSB 3 0 Micro B female connector Use the Y cable provided to
17. und spectrum analyzers The description of how to use the software with the BB60C is now found in the Spike software manual 2 Preparation The BB60C is a real time high speed spectrum analyzer communicating with your PC over a USB 3 0 BB60C suor um Real Time Spectrum Analyzer RF Recorder Signal Hovind SignalHound com MADE IN USA 9 Super Speed link It has 27 MHz of real time bandwidth tunes from 9 kHz to 6 GHz collects 80 million samples per second and streams data to your computer at 140 MB sec By adding a high speed hard drive to your PC or laptop 250 MB s sustained write speed the BB60C doubles as an RF recorder streaming up to 80 million IF samples per second or 40 million 1 9 samples to disk 2 1 INITIAL INSPECTION Check yout package for shipping damage before opening Your box should contain a USB 3 0 Y cable a CD ROM and a Signal Hound BB60C Preparation Software Installation 2 2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION See the Spike Software manual for installation instructions You must have administrator privileges to install the software During installation the BB60 device drivers will also be installed It is recommended to install the application folder in the default location 2 2 1 Software Requirements Supported Operating Systems e Windows 7 64 bit e Windows 8 64 bit Minimum System Requirements e Processor Intel Desktop quad core i Series pr
18. with your Signal Hound please try these troubleshooting techniques before contacting us 4 1 UNABLE TO FIND OR OPEN THE DEVICE Ensure the device is plugged in and the green light is on If it is not unplug then plug in the device Once the green light turns on use the File menu to try to connect the device again 4 1 1 The Device Light is Green and Still Won t Connect This is often the case when the device is plugged in when a PC has been turned on We recommend leaving the device unplugged when you turn off your PC If this is the case a power cycle will solve this issue 4 1 2 A Power Cycle Does Not Fix the Problem If a power cycle still does not allow you to connect the device it is possible the device drivers were not successfully installed See the Driver Installation section for information about the BB60 drivers 4 2 THE DEVICE IS NOT VALID In the event the device ceases to operate or becomes corrupted the application might tell you the device does not appear to be valid Before contacting us attempt to power cycle the device and restart your computer to ensure nothing else is causing this issue If the issue persists please contact us 5 Calibration and Adjustment Calibration software is available for the BB60C at no charge but requires specialized equipment normally only found in calibration labs Contact Signal Hound for more information regarding calibration software and required equipment or to schedule a calibratio
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