These include extremely fast real-time spectrum analysis (RTSA), IQ capture/streaming, coverage mapping, direction-finding tools, AM/FM audio output, and interference-hunting PC tools. The Field Master Pro is also equipped with a wide variety of features to directly address interference. There is also a pulse analyzer for automated pulse measurements based on IEEE standards, and EMF options up to 40 GHz. There are also 5G and LTE demodulation packages provided for installation and maintenance applications, offering real-time spectrum analysis to capture narrow, intermittent, or signal-on-signal interference with IQ capture and streaming for detailed signal analysis. These features include a frequency coverage up to 54 GHz to cover most popular signal standards, as well as a 110 MHz instantaneous capture bandwidth to support 5G carriers. They presented the Anritsu Field Master Pro MS2090A real-time spectrum analyzer ( ) as having a level of performance never previously available in a compact, handheld instrument (Figure 1). This can be an extreme challenge, as interference comes from more and more sources and as the spectrum continues to crowd, especially with new 5G bands.

1 challenge that network managers face is interference mitigation. When we reached out to Anritsu about challenges in the RF development space, their first response was that the No. Signal & Spectrum Analyzers are critical to measuring the performance in wireless application spaces as well as perform standards-compliant wireless measurements.

For this Special Report we asked some companies about their latest solutions to aid your design, test, and evaluation needs. The tools needed to create this future are luckily powerful and extremely functional and can make the difference between a relatively easy development process and design hell.

The shiny future consumers are growing to expect, however, involves a monumental amount of device and infrastructure development. Our society is in the process of migrating toward a more expansive and extensive Cloud-based, IoT-oriented, and “smart” community where people, things, and the very neighborhood they exist in, are all connected and communicating. The crowded RF spectrum, compounded by the explosion in application spaces joining the cloud, demands advanced development tools able to provide deeper insights into signals and their measurement.

Wireless spectrum analyzer