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Handheld RF Spectrum Analyzer Raises the Bar to 4 GHz

The manufacturer says . . .

ChipCenter's Alex Mendelsohn says . . .

Willtek Communications Delivers Improved Testing Solutions to Mobile-Phone Industry First handheld spectrum analyzer up to 4 GHz on the market. Willtek Communications launched a new series of spectrum analyzers in the 4 GHz class enabling the detailed component-level repair of mobile phones using handheld equipment. This is the first portable instrument in the market up to 4 GHz. It combines conventional spectrum measurements with leading-edge technology and size. With its small footprint and large display, the Willtek 9100 is an affordable test solution designed for various RF test applications, most significantly the repair of latest-technology mobile phones where the 9100 resolves the constraints of similarly priced analyzers. With the 9100 Series Handheld Spectrum Analyzers, Willtek takes its RF experience from dedicated mobile phone testers for the design and repair of mobile phones to more general-purpose RF test equipment for various measurement applications, such as wireless local loop (WLL), wireless LAN, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) measurements. Willtek's wide range of mobile service testers establish whether there is a fault and where it is on mobile handsets and devices. The 9100 Handheld Spectrum Analyzer complements the current range and goes one step further by pinpointing the component needing alignment or exchange. Using the 9100, technicians and engineers can check the reference frequency and local oscillator, verify the spectrum shape of defined signals, and locate faulty components. Multiple markers allow them to easily measure the harmonics of a signal as well as spurious signals. The 9100 goes beyond the typical 3 GHz limit of spectrum analyzers in this price range, supporting measurements from 100 kHz up to 4 GHz. These are needed for the repair of modern mobile phones with the first local oscillator between 3.4 and 3.8 GHz. Cyrille Damany, CEO at Willtek Communications, says "Willtek's 9100 series delivers additional value to users by combining our long-established RF experience with customer and application knowledge. This results in easy-to-use and affordable RF test solutions." The first analyzer of this series is the 9101.

The last handheld battery-powered wideband RF spectrum analyzer we reviewed here was the Rohde and Schwarz Model FSH3, a unit sold and serviced in the U.S. by Tektronix. It had an upper frequency limit of 3 GHz. With the advent of the first of Willtek's 9100 Series of analyzers, the upper frequency range of this breed of nomadic instrumentation has now been pushed to 4 GHz. In line with that, the price of the Willtek Communications 9101 is about $8900, which is a bit more than Tek's $6600 base-price offering (the FSH3 costs $8900 with a tracking-generator option). Like the R&S/Tek FSH3, which also coincidentally weighs 5.5 lb., the Willtek handheld can also work in conjunction with your PC. Not only can a measurement be stored and loaded on a PC, but displays can also be shown in the background, with readings added to or subtracted from actual measurements. Going beyond the FSH3's 320 × 240 pixel color LCD, the Willtek 9101 packs a full-VGA 6.5" TFT (thin film transistor) LCD. The 640 × 480 pixel display also gives you a nice wide 140° viewing angle. In the footsteps of Willtek's mobile phone testers, this unit is also designed for one-hand use, demanding a minimum number of key presses to operate. In addition to standalone or PC operation, the 9101 can also be used in a remote-control mode over either an RS-232 serial line or using a LAN (local area network) connection made via a built-in RJ-45 connector. Using TCP/IP, The LAN speed is 10 Mbits/s. These connectivity hooks should prove useful for automated testing applications, making the 9101 equally at home in the field for verifying emissions, or on the production line, where it can be carried from workstation to workstation to spot-check devices under test. Moreover, if you use the LAN port for automated testing, the system's RS-232 port can be used to control things such as a radio under test, or a signal generator, or perhaps a programmable power supply. Significantly, the 9101 also uses internal FPGA-based circuitry so that it can be upgraded to accommodate emerging signal types and protocols. The 9101 also includes a number of user-friendly features. For starters, it has a built-in loudspeaker, and both AM and wide- and narrow-FM demodulators. With these features, you can actually listen to signals under test. Also, the system's last settings are loaded on power-up. Up to 100 settings can be stored and reloaded. On-screen help is also available, offering context-sensitive support. Four marker functions are also provided. These can be used to mark both absolute and relative measurement points on a display. If used in conjunction with the 9101's spanning features, you can use the markers to set harmonic frequency points, for example, and then watch for spurious RF at those points. Similarly, a Max Hold feature can be used to find sporadic faults. You can also set peak functions, with Peak Search, Next Peak, and Peak Left and Right capabilities. The 9101 also includes a BNC connector to accept an external TTL-compatible trigger input. Willtek also offers an optional low-C RF probe for the 9101. It can be used to trace signal paths in an RF string, blocking DC levels to 50 V. Here's what the $240 probe looks like. Finding low-level signals (the unit has a -100 dB sensitivity spec at a bandwidth of 10 kHz) is abetted by its 65 dB of dynamic range. Moreover, the unit's soft keys let you intervene manually to override automatic level settings. For more information, contact Willtek Americas Willtek Communications Inc. 7369 Shadeland Station Way Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46256 Phone: (317) 595-2021        or (866) WILLTEK FAX: (317) 595-2023 E-mail: sales.us@willtek.com

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