[minima] Re: A homebrew spectrum analyzer

  • From: Amogh Desai <desai.amogh@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: minima@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2015 18:22:01 +0530

I suggest making a hfsignals group to discuss all vu2ese projects. What
say?

Amogh
VU3DES
On 29 Aug 2015 5:46 pm, "Paul Chebi" <paul.chebi@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I too am building the SWEEPERINO and wonder if there is a Yahhoo group for
it. Building was easy Manhattan style but I anticipate some
questions when I get to the software and running it.

On Aug 29, 2015 5:34 AM, gurudatta panda <gurudattabam@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Dear Farhan,
I think the RF Detector part is same as PHSNA as done by W7ZOI, and
that PCB can be used here with a little or no modification only.
Guru

On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 7:46 PM, Ross Bell <bellrossjr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Ashar:
The Specan is something I can build with my limited resources, I am a
newbie when comes to using the arduino IDE, case in point I am still having
problems trying to compile the sweeperino sketch , was wondering where the
si5351 comes into play even though you are using the Si570. I want get the
sweeperino built but until I get past this hurdle the project is stalled.
Any help is greatly appreciated, as a side note I built a BITX20 still use
it once in a while fun project.

73 Ross Bell K7RSB

On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 6:45 AM, Joe Rocci <joe@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yes, the sampling rate would have to be slow to accommodate detecting
the low frequencies involved in a narrow resolution bandwidth. We actually
had a 300 khz BW post-detection LPF and the requirement wasn’t for fast
real-time refresh. It was a remote monitor unit on a broadband network that
characterized a 5-200 mhz spectrum, plotting the spectrum on a remote
display in a Network Operations Center (NOC). It worked well for its
purpose. I I think it might be all that many hams might need, given the
minimal complexity. Clearly, it’s not going to replace a high quality (read
“High Priced”) lab instrument, but it’s much more than just a “curiosity”.
Also, your idea of a DSP back-end could help, but I think you’d have to
deal with the issue of images in the DC detection process resulting in 2
responses, whereas the envelope measurement approach merely folds the image
in as half of the resolution BW. However, if the “mixer” were a
Tayloe-style QSD, you might fix that problem too.

Joe

From: Ashhar Farhan
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2015 9:34 AM
To: minima@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [minima] Re: A homebrew spectrum analyzer

joe,
at audio frequencies, we could just rely on a sound card to read
16-bit audio and convert it to 70 or 80 db scale. i have tried this
approach. upconvert to 100 Mhz and run a product detector at 100 MHz. the
trouble is the sampling rate is quite slow.
let me illustrate the problem : to scan 0-60 MHz, given 20 Khz
sampling bandwidth, we will need 60,000/20 = 3000 data points. each
datapoint would take about 10 msec. the entire sweep would take 30 seconds.
however, the great achievement could be if we ran dsp inside the audio
bandwidth too and thus, provided a variable resolution bandwidth in
software.
- f

On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 6:55 PM, Joe Rocci <joe@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

A real minimalist might build a spectrum analyzer out of a direct
conversion receiver architecture. The resolution bandwidth turns out to be
twice the output audio bandwidth, making it easy to obtain variable
resolution bandwidth. The major obstacle is that the DBM has an inherent
response at the 3rd harmonic of the LO only about 15 db down. I actually
designed a product based on this approach many years ago. I cured the 3rd
harmonic problem with a bank of 4 switched lowpass filters in the front-end.
Worked very nicely. We sampled the “audio” response with an 8-bit
A-D, which limited our dynamic range to about 40 dB. Using an AD8307 at the
output would vastly improve this.

Joe
W3JDR


From: Ashhar Farhan
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2015 8:34 AM
To: minima@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [minima] Re: A homebrew spectrum analyzer

thanks all. you will understand that this is a reprise of the
original by wes and terry. the two papers written by them are linked in my
article. do give it a read.

- f

On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 5:23 PM, Biagio Pepe <blaispe@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Fantastic Job Fahran !!! Really a brilliant work
Simply Love it
73's

2015-08-28 7:01 GMT+02:00 Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@xxxxxxxxx>:

While working on the Minima project, I needed a spectrum analyzer
to measure the performance. The new specan is as complicated as a simple
SSB rig, probably even simpler.

This is an Si570/Arduino controlled spectrum analyzer that can be
built for less than hundred dollars. It is simple to build and it can be
used to measure IMDR, spurs, harmonics, etc. It doesn't need an
oscilloscope.

I like you all to read about it
http://hfsignals.blogspot.in/p/specan-reboot-of-w7zoi.html

- f











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Gurudatta Panda
Jr. Site Engineer
R.V.N.L. / KDJR

Mob : +91 9777447844 (Work)
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