Tektronix has expanded its RSA500 family of rugged, battery powered, USB-based spectrum analyzers with the addition of the RSA513A and RSA518A, offering 13 and 18 GHz coverage, respectively.

The RSA500 series leads the industry with 40 MHz of gapless real-time bandwidth, 4x more than other instruments in the category, saving users time when searching for interference and providing more insight during analysis using SignalVu-PC. Along with the higher frequency range, these instruments can stream I & Q data, enabling analysis of software-defined radio functionality.

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Delivering performance and functionality equal to laboratory instruments, the RSA500 spectrum analyzers’ small form factor and rugged packaging enable their use for a wide range of applications, from spectrum management such as Ku-Band radar and 5G LTE base station testing to military applications such as RADHAZ and EMCON monitoring.

In today’s crowded RF environment, spectrum analyzer users increasingly need to measure wider bandwidth signals at higher frequencies, for gapless capture of RF signals. With their unique ability to stream I & Q data out of the instrument, RSA500 analyzers enable both capture and playback of wideband signals for analysis offline — a largely unmet need in the market, according to HawkEye 360, a developer of satellite-based precision geoanalytic products.

“Many portable spectrum analyzers are well suited for spectral scanning but not as useful for recording, since the real-time bandwidth is quite limited. The new Tektronix RSA518A is ideal for both scanning and recording and is a much better value for RF survey deployments.” — Chris Gregory, director of processing for HawkEye 360

Pricing and Availability

The new models are available for order now, with delivery in 30 days. The RSA513A is priced from $16,500, and the RSA518A is priced from $19,500.

“When you look at the broad set of applications these instruments can support and their advanced I & Q streaming capabilities, it’s clear we’re delivering more than just another spectrum analyzer. With our new 13 and 18 GHz models we’ve raised the bar on the utility of real-time spectrum analyzer functionality. ” — Jon Baldwin, general manager of the Wideband Solutions business at Tektronix.