With its new SM435B RF spectrum analyzer and monitoring receiver, Signal Hound has taken the leap into millimeter-wave spectrum analysis. The instrument touches a broad swath of mmWave applications from 5G to military, aerospace, and many others.
The SM435B tunes from 100 kHz to 43.5 GHz, boasts 160 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth (IBW), a high dynamic range of 110 dB, and a sustained sweep speed of 1 THz/s. It also brings to the table a built-in sub-octave preselector from 100 kHz MHz to 43.5 GHz, and ultra-low phase noise—introducing no more than 0.1% error to EVM measurements. This low level of phase noise rivals the most expensive spectrum analyzers on the market, the company claims. Its system noise figure ranges between 12 dB and 15 dB between 700 MHz and 15.2 GHz.
The minimalist design of the SM435B brings only the essentials and comes in a small form factor that fits seamlessly into a test-bed or production-line scenario. The streamlined and portable design makes it suitable for the bench, the lab, or wherever your work takes you. The unit measures 10.45 x 7.2 x 2.15 inches (265 x 183 x 55 mm) and weighs 9.51 lbs. pounds listed (with passive cooling, AC desktop adapter, and power cord). As with its other products, Signal Hound includes a fully-documented API, supporting features such as spectrum sweeping, setting record-on-event triggers, real-time analysis, and 40 MHz of calibrated I/Q streaming data.
Digital signal distribution from the SM435B for high-speed RF signal analysis is possible via an on-board Intel 10AX027 FPGA and an external PC with an Intel Core i7 processor (available USB 3.0 port and 4th Gen processor required). This flexibility gives users the option to scale to any current or future configuration. The unit includes built-in GPS for automatic time and geolocation stamping of the received signals. This analyzer comes paired with Signal Hound’s Spike spectrum analysis software; featuring real-time analysis, WLAN modulation, digital demodulation, and interference hunting measurements, among others.
The SM435B is available for pre-order now, with a U.S. retail price of $22,000. It can be purchased direct from Signal Hound or from one of our world-wide distributors. A company-issued PO is required for pre-order. Ship date is mid-October 2021.