Rigol Rolls New Spectrum Analyzer at DesignCon

Rigol Technologies will roll out a new spectrum analyzer for Internet of Things (IoT) applications at the DesignCon 2018 Expo in Santa Clara, CA this week.

The spectrum analyzer, known as the RSA5000, is said to combine swept-spectrum and real-time capabilities for a comparatively low price. “It brings two super-powerful capabilities to folks who are implementing Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and all the other ISM-band hopping technologies,” noted Mike Rizzo, general manager of Rigol North America.

The new product is targeted at engineers working on de-bugging of IoT-type applications. By incorporating swept-spectrum and real-time capabilities, it allows developers to target signals in an area of interest, and then flip to real-time mode to focus deeply on a more limited frequency span.

Rizzo said that test engineers are increasingly using both modes in their de-bug environments. “In order to deal with all the channel contention within the 2.4-GHz band, everyone is implementing these (frequency) hopping technologies,” Rizzo said. “And they can be really hard to see with a swept analyzer. But a real-time analyzer will let you see it.”

To date, spectrum analyzers combining both modes in a single box have typically cost more than $10,000, and sometimes over $15,000, Rizzo said. The RSA5000 will start at $7,999 for a 3.2-GHz model and $10,999 for 6.5-GHz unit.

The new product employs a QuadCore processor and is built atop a Linux operating system. It includes a 10.1-inch capacitive touch display.

Rizzo said the technology is aimed at a broad array of test engineers, but particularly those who need to do analysis of complex RF systems. “It’s best-suited for someone who needs a monitoring solution for RF-hopping technologies, especially in the IoT,” he said.

Rigol Technologies will demo the RSA5000 at booth #1135 at DesignCon.

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Senior technical editor Chuck Murray has been writing about technology for 33 years. He joined Design News in 1987, and has covered electronics, automation, fluid power, and auto.