The more recent affordable analyzers also have smaller footprints, allowing more room on your bench for troubleshooting. This can be an issue for troubleshooting, because it limits what you can see at one time.įorm Factor – The most useful analyzers will be ones that are designed for benchtop use. Depending on the product, highest clock frequency and EMC standard, the upper frequency range might extend to 6 GHz (commercial/industrial) or 18 GHz (military/aerospace).Īllowable Frequency Span – This is not generally an issue for most commercial spectrum analyzers, but some of the lower-cost software defined radios (SDRs) that may be used as spectrum analyzers are limited in the span of frequencies they can display. Some EMC tests require measurement down to 10 kHz (for military/aerospace) or 150 kHz (for commercial/industrial). Portable analyzers can range from $100 to $2,500, depending on quality and features.įrequency Range – Many analyzers can cover up to 1 GHz, which would be the minimum desired frequency for general troubleshooting. There are several important characteristics to consider before purchasing a spectrum analyzer: cost, frequency range, allowable frequency span, form factor, and acquisition type.Ĭost – the cost can range from $50 to $5,000, but several good benchtop analyzers may be purchased for around $2,000. LTE cellular and close to the GPS band at 1575 MHz. Both extend beyond 1.5 GHz! The white circle indicates the U.S. A typical spectrum analyzer display showing narrow band harmonics from an Ethernet clock and broadband emissions from a DC-DC converter. I’ve listed several instruments from which to choose.įigure 1. Many smaller or mid-sized companies may not have the budget to purchase a lab quality analyzer, however, several manufacturers are now making affordable quality instruments that are perfectly adequate for troubleshooting and pre-compliance work. You can buy a decent lab-quality bench top portable one for $10k to $20k, and used ones go for $1k to $5k if you don’t mind the 30 to 80 pounds of weight, or the initial investment. But these instruments have traditionally been the most expensive item in anyone’s kit. They are the one piece of gear that’s essential for EMC troubleshooting. Digital circuitry can produce a wide range of harmonic frequencies, spectrum analyzers can show you this RF frequency spectrum (power or voltage), versus frequency (see Figure 1).
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