Narda Safety Test Solutions IDA-3106 interference and direction analyser

Narda Safety Test Solutions has equipped the IDA-3106 interference and direction analyser with additional functions that allow fast and reliable localisation of interference and unknown signal sources.

It is now possible to localise pulsed or sporadic signals using a horizontal scan for direction finding. The spectrogram display shows the variation of the spectrum with time. Deviations from a reference trace can be seen at a glance using the delta spectrum display.

The analyser offers a special max hold algorithm for localising unknown sources with a horizontal scan. This allows the instrument to also produce a polar diagram from pulsed and cyclic or sporadic signals and to determine the direction of signals that have hitherto been difficult to localise, such as radar installations or intermittently used walkie-talkies.

The analyser records up to 400 compressed individual spectra for the spectrogram display and shows the signal strength in colour. This visualises the variations in the spectrum with time, which can give information about the type of signal, so that industrial control equipment with cyclical signals, mobile communications services using frequency hopping, stationary transmitters and sporadic emitters can all be distinguished from each other.

The latest feature is the ability to save spectra as reference traces and display the current spectrum as a difference or delta spectrum. In this way, deviations from the normal status, such as new sources in the communications band or an unusual state in an industrial plant, can be seen immediately. The instrument display is designed for outdoor use and can be switched for optimum visibility in daylight, normal lighting or darkness.

Optimised antennas which can be inserted vertically or horizontally in the ergonomically formed handgrip are available for different frequency ranges.

As a handheld device for on-site use, the unit weighs less than 3 kg including battery. The antenna and handle draw their power supply from the basic unit and thus weigh less than 1 kg. The rechargeable battery can be hot-swapped without interrupting operation.