Mobile analysers

Rohde & Schwarz has released two all-purpose instruments for mobile spectrum analysis — the FSH4 and the FSH8.

Both analysers are rugged, handy and lightweight. They are also supplied with a battery pack. They cover the frequency range of 9 kHz to 3.6 GHz or 8 GHz.

Depending on the options installed, they can also be used as two-port vector network analysers, as cable and antenna testers or as power meters. This means that they support almost all RF measurement tasks encountered in service, installation and maintenance applications.

Their low weight of 3 kg (including battery) and their compact size make them suitable for mobile use. The battery can power up to 4.5 h of operation.

Since the analysers conform to protection class IP51 and feature splash-proof, dust-protected connectors, they are suitable for use under adverse ambient conditions.

In addition to their low weight and compact size, their vertical design enables the user to reach all keys without having to put down the instrument. There are flat menu structures and separate keys for frequently used functions.

The large, high-contrast VGA colour display is easy to read even under difficult lighting conditions.

A displayed average noise level of eg, -163 dBm (1 Hz) at 2 GHz and a preamplifier that can be activated on all models can measure even small signals reliably.

With multiple strong signals, the analysers’ large-signal immunity helps prevent internal interference. Featuring third-order intercept of 15 dBm in the common mobile radio bands, the analysers are claimed to perform comparably to high-end desktop models.

The level measurement uncertainty is low and amounts to max 1 dB for measurements up to 3.6 GHz and max 1.5 dB up to 8 GHz.

Besides the base models, analysers with built-in tracking generator as well as models with an integrated VSWR bridge for vector network analysis are available.