RF Downconverter A-27-SeriesSpectrum Analysis Covering RF Frequencies up to 27 GHz Starting at $6,600 |
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Product Features |
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Overview
Today's high-band signal standards are using higher frequencies and wider bandwidths than ever before for applications such as next generation 5G wireless services, satellite communications, electronic warfare, and more.
The RF Downconverter A-27-Series models meet these new signal standards featuring breakthrough input frequency and bandwidth coverage for their size. Their width and length is less than a sheet of paper, weighing only 2.7 kg (6 lbs.) and consuming only 19 to 25 W of power.
Three RF frequency input range models up to a maximum of 27 GHz with up to 160 MHz bandwidth are available to cover a wide range of radio spectrum bands for a variety of applications that can be captured for real-time analysis or signal recordings when combined with DynamicSignals high-speed GaGe or Signatec Digitizers.
Multi-channel RF systems are constructed by distributing a common external 10 MHz reference clock source to the instruments, as well as a common supplied external trigger source, for synchronized operations.
SpectraScopeRT, a Windows based spectrum analyzer application, allows for integrated operational control of both the RF Downconverter receiver and the Digitizer for signal capture, analysis, and recordings with no programming required.
Analysis displays include IQ Time Domain, Frequency Domain, I Spectrum, IQ Power Spectrum, Constellation Plot, Spectrogram Plot, Persistence Plot, and Histogram Plot. Other capabilities include frequency domain triggering, and signal averaging, with many cursor and display options.
Complete integrated turnkey systems are available in ultra-portable, portable, desktop and rackmount form factors with scalable storage solutions up to 192 TB for hours of high-speed real-time signal recordings. As COTS-based open architecture systems, component items are also future upgradeable and compatible with other 3rd party items and software.
Contact us to configure a custom system tailored for your application requirements.
| Radio Band Designation Standards & RF Downconverter Coverage | |||
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| Downconverter Radio Band Standards Coverage |
 DCA08G 9 kHz to 8 GHz |
DCA18G 9 kHz to 18 GHz |
DCA27G 9 kHz to 27 GHz |
| EU, NATO, US ECM: |
A (from 9 kHz), B, C, D, E, F, G, H |
A (from 9 kHz), B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J (up to 18 GHz) |
A (from 9 kHz), B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K (up to 27 GHz) |
| IEEE: | HF, VHF, UHF, L, S, C |
HF, VHF, UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku |
HF, VHF, UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku, K |
| ITU: | ELF (from 9 kHz), SLF, ULF, VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF (up to 8 GHz) |
ELF (from 9 kHz), SLF, ULF, VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF (up to 18 GHz) |
ELF (from 9 kHz), SLF, ULF, VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF (up to 27 GHz) |
SpectraScopeRT & SpectraViewRT
Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer & Playback Viewer
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SpectraScopeRT is a Windows based spectrum analyzer application that requires no programming and allows for integrated operational control of both the downconverter receiver and the digitizer for signal capture, analysis, recordings.
SpectraScopeRT provides the ability to save established settings to a configuration file that can later be opened and applied, thus saving time from manually re-applying settings for repetitive configurations.
Analysis displays include:
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Multiple display type windows can be opened and shown simultaneously with auto tile and cascade options or manually sized and placed as desired. Display windows include support for scope cursors to navigate through the display and obtain measurements. Cursor Track Mode can be enabled to lock the position of the two placed cursors. When locked, the spacing between cursors remains constant as they are moved through the display of data.
SpectraScopeRT supports both an On-Board Memory Mode and a Streaming Mode of operation.
Using the On-Board Memory mode supports all the full bandwidth modes of the receiver. The On-Board Memory mode takes snapshots of data during execution, not all the real-time data is collected. The rate at which the snapshots are taken depends on the number of active display plots, the number of acquisition samples for each snapshot, the performance of the graphics subsystem and the processing power of the local processor. Typical update rates are from 10 to 30 captures per second.
During On-Board Memory modes of operation the process starts by triggering an acquisition. The trigger options include forcing a trigger for each collection or to trigger when the RF input exceeds a predetermined level threshold.
Once triggered the selected number of samples are collected. The sample count is determined by the Resolution Bandwidth specified. After the samples are received from the downconverter the required calculations are performed and the visible displays updated. This process is repeated until requested to cease. If recording to disk is enabled, the raw count data is written to the specified file after the displays are updated.
The primary advantage of SpectraScopeRT is the ability to conduct real-time streaming signal recordings to drive storage with provided monitoring capability to ensure the recording process is operating with expected signal data and without errors.
The non-proprietary file format of the raw binary data file allows for other 3rd party software applications to import and utilize the data easily, with associated separate XML-based header files that contain the context information on the data file.
The lossless Streaming Mode collects all real-time data digitized from the downconverter. For narrow bandwidth applications, where data is captured using either one of the two onboard internal ADCs on the downconverter, a minimum DDC decimation rate of 16 must be utilized. This restriction is due to the transfer rates that can be sustained for streaming data to the controller across a Gigabit Ethernet connection.
For wider bandwidth applications, where data is captured by using an external digitizer connected to the IF analog I and Q outputs of the downconverter, all of the full bandwidth modes of the receiver data can be captured in real-time. This is due to the faster transfer rates that can be sustained for streaming data to the controller across a Thunderbolt 3 PCIe based connection.
The recording control section of the application is utilized to establish and conduct real-time signal recording operations with various option settings that include flexible output filename management parameters, custom user text information, file span recording that splits long recordings into multiple size-specified files, and recording duration by file size, elapsed time, or both.
The SpectraViewRT application allows an operator to open/view and conduct playback of previous signal recordings to the display monitor for analysis. Viewing file details will display the details of the opened signal recording present in the header file associated with the recording data file for review. It includes basic information about the recording, applied digitizer model information, applied receiver model information, and settings utilized for the recording with total elapsed time duration of the recording file.
Playback operations utilize familiar navigation toolbar buttons for starting playback, stopping playback, stepping backwards and forwards, and moving back to start.
Selecting Start will initiate the playback through the entire signal recording data file to the active displays on the monitor. The playback operation can be manually stopped at any time by selecting Stop.
Selecting Step Backward causes the time domain display to step one interval backward, while selecting Step Forward causes the time domain display to step one interval forward. The amount of interval movement is dependent on the setting in the Playback Interval setting in the Playback Settings group. The step backward and step forward can either be by number of samples, time or time domain plot size.
Selecting Move to Start rewinds the playback to the start of the recording. If the playback is not actively running when this selection is made, the file pointer is reset to the beginning of the file but the display is not updated. You must continue playback or perform a step operation for a display update.
When the Enable Playback Looping option is enabled, the time domain data will loop from the end of the file back to the beginning when the end of file is reached. If the option is disabled the playback ceases once the end of the file has been reached.
A-27-Series: DCA08G / DCA18G / DCA27G
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These three RF Downconverter models feature breakthrough input frequency and bandwidth coverage for their size. Its width and length is less than a sheet of paper, weighing only 2.7 kg / 6 lbs. and consuming only 19 to 25 W of power.
Three RF frequency ranges from 9 kHz to 8 GHz, 18 GHz, or 27 GHz are available with two optional bandwidth configurations that each supply four software selectable bandwidth modes: Zero IF (ZIF), Super-Heterodyne (SH), Super-Heterodyne Narrow (SHN), or High Dynamic Range (HDR):
| Bandwidth Mode | Option 1 Bandwidth | Option 2 Bandwidth |
| ZIF (Zero IF) |
100 MHz @ 0 Hz IF | 160 MHz @ 0 Hz IF |
| SH (Super-Heterodyne) |
40 MHz @ 35 MHz IF | 80 MHz @ 55 MHz IF |
| SHN (Super-Heterodyne Narrow) |
10 MHz @ 35 MHz IF | 10 MHz @ 35 MHz IF |
| HDR (High Dynamic Range) |
0.1 MHz @ 81.66 kHz IFF | Not Applicable |
The ZIF, SH and SHN modes support a tuning resolution of 10 Hz. Digital frequency shifting is then used to enhance the tuning resolution to the nearest 1 Hz (±0.23 Hz) with an embedded Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO). The HDR mode also supports a tuning resolution of 10 Hz with no further fine tuning.
The downconverter's front-end processing blocks utilize up to 21 pre-select filters to mitigate input-related spurs and image responses and a pre-amplifier feature for the higher 18 and 27 GHz models:
| Downconverter Model | Pre-Select Filter Bank | Pre-Amplifier Feature |
| DCA08G (9 kHz to 8 GHz RF Input) |
9-Channel Switchable | No |
| DCA18G (9 kHz to 18 GHz RF Input) |
18-Channel Switchable | Yes |
| DCA27G (9 kHz to 27 GHz RF Input) |
21-Channel Switchable | Yes |
User configurable sophisticated capture control combined with fast deep caching enables fast signal searches, sweeps, triggering and captures of only the signals of interest.
For narrow bandwidth applications, the IF analog outputs can be internally digitized using either one of two onboard digitizers:
| Bandwidth Mode Use | Digitizer Resolution | Digitizer Sample Rate | Digital Down Conversion Modes |
| ZIF (Option 1), SH (Opttion 1), SHN |
14-bit | 125 MS/s | x1, x4, x8, x16, x32, x64, x128, x256 |
| HDR | 24-bit | 325 kS/s | Not Applicable |
Captured data is optionally stored in fast local memory for subsequent forwarding or can be streamed to the controller across a Gigabit Ethernet connection.
For wider bandwidth applications, the IF analog outputs can be externally digitized utilizing the Downconverter's I and Q outputs. The use of an external Digitizer is required for the Option 2 bandwidths of 160 MHz (ZIF) and 80 MHz (SH) as the internal 125 MS/s ADC is not sufficiently fast enough to handle these higher modes.
An external Digitizer is also desirable for applications that require higher ADC resolution and sampling rates for wider operational bandwidth capture and signal recording capability than is possible with the internal digitizers and Gigabit Ethernet connection.
External Digitizers
For such wideband use cases, an external high-speed Digitizer is optionally supplied that is suitable for integration in ultra-portable, portable, desktop, or rackmount system form factors.
External multi-channel Digitizers with 16-bit A/D sampling rates up to 500 MS/s are available for use with the DCA08G / DCA18G / DCA27G Downconverter models. The large onboard FIFO memory of the external Digitizers allow for real-time streaming of I and Q baseband signals via PCI Express (PCIe) to the controller's memory for post processing, display, and storage.
Block Diagram and Bandwidth Mode Figures
for A-27-Series: DCA08G / DCA18G / DCA27G
| Downconverter Bandwidth Modes | ||
| ZIF (Zero IF) |
Option 1: 100 MHz @ 0 Hz IF Option 2: 160 MHz @ 0 Hz IF |
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| SH (Super-Heterodyne) |
Option 1: 40 MHz @ 35 MHz IF Option 2: 80 MHz @ 55 MHz IF |
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| SHN (Super-Heterodyne Narrow) |
Option 1: 10 MHz @ 35 MHz IF Option 2: 10 MHz @ 35 MHz IF |
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| HDR (High Dynamic Range) |
Option 1: 0.1 MHz @ 81.66 kHz IF Option 2: Not Applicable |
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Overview for Narrow Bandwidth Applications
with DCA08G / DCA18G / DCA27G
| Downconverter Internal ADC Operational Rates and Modes | |||||||||
| ADC DDC Mode |
ADC Sample Resolution |
ADC Sample Rate (MS/s) |
BW ZIF Mode (MHz) |
BW SH Mode (MHz) |
BW SHN Mode (MHz) |
BW HDR Mode (MHz) |
Transfer Modes Supported |
Transfer Data Rate (MB/s) |
Streaming Mode Continuous Samples Collected Duration Time (512 GB SSD *) |
| x 1 | 14-Bit | 125.000 | 100.000 | 40.000 | 10.000 | N/A | Memory | 250.000 | N/A |
| x 4 | 14-Bit | 31.250 | 10.000 | 10.000 | 10.000 | N/A | Memory | 62.500 | N/A |
| x 8 | 14-Bit | 15.625 | 5.000 | 5.000 | 5.000 | N/A | Memory | 31.250 | N/A |
| x 16 | 14-Bit | 7.813 | 2.500 | 2.500 | 2.500 | N/A | Memory or Streaming |
15.625 | 9 h, 06 m, 08 s |
| x 32 | 14-Bit | 3.906 | 1.250 | 1.250 | 1.250 | N/A | Memory or Streaming |
7.813 | 18 h, 12 m, 16 s |
| x 64 | 14-Bit | 1.953 | 0.625 | 0.625 | 0.625 | N/A | Memory or Streaming |
3.906 | 1 d, 12 h, 24 m, 32 s |
| x 128 | 14-Bit | 0.977 | 0.313 | 0.313 | 0.313 | N/A | Memory or Streaming |
1.953 | 3 d, 00 h, 49 m, 04 s |
| x 256 | 14-Bit | 0.488 | 0.156 | 0.156 | 0.156 | N/A | Memory or Streaming |
0.977 | 6 d, 01 h, 38 m, 08 s |
| N/A | 24-Bit | 0.325 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.100 | Memory or Streaming |
0.975 | 6 d, 01 h, 52 m, 08 s |
* Larger storage drive capacity options up to maximum 192 TB are available to support even longer recording durations.
Overview for Wide Bandwidth Applications
with DCA08G / DCA18G / DCA27G
| Downconverter with External Digitizer ADC Operational Rates and Modes | |||||||||
| Receiver BW Mode |
Receiver BW (MHz) |
Receiver Center IF (MHz) |
Receiver IF Analog Outputs |
Digitizer Analog Inputs |
Digitizer Sample Resolution |
Digitizer ADC Rate (MS/s) |
Transfer Modes Supported |
Transfer Data Rate (MB/s) |
Streaming Mode Continuous Samples Recording Maximum Duration Time |
| SHN: Options 1 & 2 |
10 | 35 | I Only | CH-1 | 16-Bit | 100 | Memory or Streaming |
200 | 512 GB: 42 m, 40 s 1 TB: 1 h, 23 m, 20 s 2 TB: 2 h, 46 m, 40 s 4 TB: 5 h, 33 m, 20 s |
| SH: Option 1 |
40 | 35 | I Only | CH-1 | 16-Bit | 200 | Memory or Streaming |
400 | 512 GB: 21 m, 20 s 1 TB: 41 m, 40 s 2 TB: 1 h, 23 m, 20 s 4 TB: 2 h, 46 m, 40 s |
| SH: Option 2 |
80 | 55 | I Only | CH-1 | 16-Bit | 250 | Memory or Streaming |
500 | 512 GB: 17 m, 04 s 1 TB: 33 m, 20 s 2 TB: 1 h, 06 m, 40 s 4 TB: 2 h, 13 m, 20 s |
| ZIF: Option 1 |
100 | 0 | I & Q | CH-1 & CH-2 |
16-Bit | 200 | Memory or Streaming |
800 | 512 GB: 10 m, 40 s 1 TB: 20 m, 50 s 2 TB: 41 m, 40 s 4 TB: 1 h, 23 m, 20 s |
| ZIF: Option 2 |
160 | 0 | I & Q | CH-1 & CH-2 |
16-Bit | 250 | Memory or Streaming |
1,000 | 512 GB: 08 m, 32 s 1 TB: 16 m, 40 s 2 TB: 33 m, 20 s 4 TB: 1 h, 06 m, 40 s |
* Larger storage drive capacity options up to maximum 192 TB are available to support even longer recording durations.
Product Specifications & Ordering Information
Please view the product datasheet for complete specifications on the RF Downconverter and product ordering information.
Contact us for other possible custom system configurations for specific application requirements.
