Tektronix debuts RSA7100A wideband signal analysis tool for radar/EW design and spectrum management

BEAVERTON, Ore.Tektronix Inc., a worldwide provider of test, measurement, and monitoring instrumentation, is introducing its RSA7100A wideband signal analysis solution that combines 800 megahertz (MHz) of real-time bandwidth with up to two hours of streaming storage at full bandwidth in one solution. The new instrument’s frequency range of 16 kilohertz (kHz) to 26.5 gigahertz (GHz) covers a broad range of analysis needs for critical wide-bandwidth applications.

“Industry-wide there is a need to build and rigorously qualify critical wideband radar and electronic warfare (EW) systems that will be deployed in the field. At the same time, the demands in the field have gotten greater, from wider bandwidth signals to longer signal captures,” says Jim McGillivary, general manager of RF and component solutions at Tektronix. “Our new solution solves these challenges with its combination of more bandwidth, integrated streaming storage and advanced analysis capabilities – all at a price that makes the RSA7100A an unbeatable value for these applications.”

Increasingly, designers of radar and electronic warfare (EW) communications systems and components need to perform modulation and pulse analyses at wider bandwidth. Spectrum managers also need to record and analyze hours of wide bandwidth data. Equipment to meet these requirements can be very expensive, often requiring piecemeal solutions from multiple vendors or limited use, purpose-built equipment, officials explain.

The Tektronix RSA7100A reduces the cost of wideband signal capture, record, and analysis while increasing the likelihood of capturing wideband signal transients, officials add. The instrument can trigger on and measure signals of just 700-nanosecond (ns) duration in the frequency domain in real time while offering in-depth signal analysis with SignalVu-PC RF and vector analysis software. Together these capabilities provide a significant improvement over many other high-end signal analyzers on the market today, they say.

Capturing wideband signals is notoriously data intensive, requiring specialized systems for capturing real-time data and plenty of patience to sift through terabytes of files looking for the signals of interest. The RSA7100A allows users to record up to two hours of streaming capture to internal RAID storage at full 800MHz bandwidth for such applications as environment recording and long event sequence analysis.

Once the wideband signal data has been captured, the DataVu-PC software application makes it easy to find and mark events of interest hiding within terabytes of stored data. DataVu-PC offers amplitude search and mark plus pulse measurements. Up to 2,000,000 pulses can be characterized for power, pulse-width, repetition interval, and start-stop frequencies.

Measurements can be exported in Pulse Descriptor Word format for use with other tools. Also, using DataVu-PC, smaller IQ files can be saved from within the longer captured file based on search and mark or manual selection.

The RSA7100A is available now and pricing starts at $135,000 US MSRP.

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement, and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years.

Search the Aerospace & Defense Buyer's Guide

Intelligent Aerospace
Global Aerospace Technology NetworkIntelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals involved in air traffic control, airport operations, satellites and space, and commercial and military avionics on fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft throughout the world.