The spectrum analyzer is the one “go-to” tool for every RF, microwave, and EMC/EMI engineer. In recent years, a new acquisition technology has developed, based on FFT capture and digital signal processing – the real-time (RT) spectrum analyzer.
This guide reviews the basics of conventional swept versus real-time spectrum analyzers and highlights some of the recent advances and instrument form-factors. It continues on with a comparison of current products and key specifications, available from several manufactures, and then describes a number of applications of real-time analysis, along with sample screen captures.
The guide also includes links to manufacturer’s key application notes and web sites. Finally, it wraps up with a special hands-on review of several low-cost computer-controlled real-time analyzers.
