R&S®EB500
Monitoring Receiver
High-performance
radiomonitoring
from 9kHz to 6 GHz
Product Brochure | 03.01
Radiomonitoring & Radiolocation
R&S®EB500
Monitoring Receiver
The receiver can be operated with diverse antennas such
as broadband omnidirectional antennas and directional
antennas. To limit overloading when used with omnidirectional antennas, the R&S®EB500 is equipped with a
preselection stage (as recommended by ITU) that avoids
intermodulation and overloading.
At a glance
The R&S®EB500 monitoring receiver is designed to
meet the demanding requirements of ITU-compliant
radiomonitoring tasks in stationary and mobile
environments. The receiver is the ideal choice for
these tasks because it is capable of operation via
the front panel or remote control software, performs
high-speed signal searches in the spectrum,
and gathers information by means of wideband
demodulation. In addition, the R&S®EB500 can be
used for a variety of other applications.
The R&S®EB500 monitoring receiver has an outstanding
feature set for monitoring transmissions, detecting interference, locating unlicensed transmitters in the frequency
spectrum, or even functioning as a search receiver. In addition, it is exceptionally compact and consumes relatively
little power. The R&S®EB500 is the optimum solution for
systems that need a high- specification receiver but only
have limited available space. When combined with analysis software (such as R&S®GX430, for example), it provides
users with a compact receiving and analysis system covering a wide frequency range from 9 kHz to 6 GHz.
Due to its compact size and excellent balance between
performance and power consumption, the R&S®EB500
is designed not just for stationary operation but also
for installation in vehicles, in aircraft (as payload) or in
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Key facts
❙ Fast panorama scan with up to 12 GHz/s across the
entire frequency range from 9 kHz to 6 GHz
❙ 1 kHz to 20 MHz IF spectrum and parallel demodulation
with bandwidths from 100 Hz to 20 MHz
❙ Spectrum and spectrogram (waterfall) display on receiver
(model .03) or on PC via the R&S®EB500-Control software
(model .02)
❙ Can be expanded into a direction nder
❙ Polychrome IF spectrum for reliable detection of pulsed
signals
❙ 1 Gbit LAN interface for remote control and data output
❙ Comparatively low power consumption for efcient
DCoperation, e.g. on a vehicle battery
❙ Space-saving system integration due to ½ 19" width and
three height units
❙ Classication and analysis of signals up to 5 MHz
bandwidth (analog and digital modulation) through
evaluation of the I/Q data stream using the R&S®GX430IS
software (in ofine mode), for example
❙ Multichannel digital downconversion (DDC) within
realtime bandwidth
Front panel without control elements,
remote control via LAN interface.
2
R&S®EB500
Monitoring Receiver
Applications
Interference detection and location in professional
radio networks
❙ Reliable detection of radio interference caused, for
example, by defective electronic equipment
❙ Fast and effective identication of interference sources,
e.g. at airports
▷ page 5
Comprehensive spectrum analysis with
polychrome display
❙ Polychrome display for detection and analysis of short-
duration signals
▷ page 6
Monitoring of user-specific radio services
❙ Monitoring of a large number of radio services with
different scan modes
▷ page 7
Multichannel digital downconversion (DDC)
❙ Parallel monitoring of one plus three signals
❙ All DDC channels user-selectably distributed within
realtime bandwidth
❙ Independent demodulation, level measurement and
recording of each channel
▷ page 8
Nationwide monitoring system for regulatory
authorities
❙ ITU-compliant spectrum monitoring using the
R&S®ARGUS system software
■
When combined with the R&S®ARGUS spectrum
monitoring software, the receiver reliably and
efciently performs all key measurements listed in
the ITU spectrum monitoring handbook and related
recommendations
▷ page 9
Handoff receiver in networked systems
❙ Parallel demodulation of multiple narrowband signals and
simultaneous broadband spectrum scanning
▷ page 11
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 3
R&S®EB500
Monitoring Receiver
Key features
High receiver sensitivity, high signal resolution
❙ State-of-the-art FFT-based digital signal processing for
high receiver sensitivity and detection of extremely weak
signals without any loss in processing speed
❙ Signicantly superior receiver sensitivity and signal
resolution (compared with conventional analog
broadband receivers)
▷ page 15
Retrieval of information through demodulation
and signal analysis in a compact system
❙ Online LAN transfer from an R&S®EB500 to a PC and the
R&S®GX430 analysis software, for example, for operating
an efcient small system for signal reception and analysis
❙ Online analysis or recording of captured data using
R&S®GX430, provision of data for documentation, replay
or subsequent additional evaluation
❙ ITU-compliant signal analysis in line with ITU-R SM.1600
using R&S®GX430 and R&S®GX430IS, optimum tool
for single-channel analysis and measurement of analog
and digitally modulated signals in accordance with
ITUrequirements
Efficient operation via remote control
❙ Remote control of all receiver functions via LAN interface
(SCPI command set)
❙ LAN interface for providing the maximum measured
data rate during receiver operation; efcient remote
operation in unattended monitoring stations (interface
essential, especially for systems integrators who need
to incorporate the receiver into existing software
environments)
Convenient remote control with
R&S®EB500-Control software
❙ Short learning curve due to straightforward menu
structure and simple operation
❙ Alignment of displayed signals (depending on task),
optimum display on screen
❙ Remote control of receiver via PC, recording of measured
data on hard disk and replay of data on PC for analysis
purposes
❙ Expansion of remote control software functionality
through options and add-ons from the R&S®RAMON
software suite
▷ page 12
Precise direction finding of emissions (with
R&S®EB500-DFdirectionfinderupgradekit)
❙ Fast, reliable direction nding due to high DFaccuracy
❙ Direction nding up to 6 GHz
▷ page 14
Future-ready investment
❙ Wide frequency range and outstanding performance
❙ Capable of receiving, demodulating and processing
signals of current and future radio services
4
Interference
detection and
location in
Reliable detection of radio interference caused, for
example, by defective electronic equipment
To master these tasks, the receiver includes special functions such as selectable measurement time and continuous or periodic level output. Since these functions are
also effective in the panorama scan spectrum, even nonperiodic interferers can be easily detected. Such interferers
are otherwise very difficult to detect due to their irregular
appearance in a quickly changing spectrum.
professional radio
networks
Its high performance and wide range of special
functions make the R&S®EB500 an ideal choice for
detecting all types of radio interference efficiently.
Fast and effective identification of interference
sources, e.g. at airports
The simultaneous use of the R&S®GX430 analysis software
allows efficient differentiation between wanted signals and
possible interference signals. Fast differentiation is especially important in security-critical radio scenarios (e.g. air
traffic control, ATC) as it prevents high failure costs for the
service provider. The combination of a fast panorama scan
to acquire an overview of the situation with subsequent
scanning and analysis in fixed-frequency mode based on
I/Q data is particularly well suited to such applications.
In the panorama scan mode, the frequency range of
interest is scanned in steps of max. 20 MHz, and an FFT of
suitable width is calculated for each step. The step width
for the fast panorama scan can be selected to match the
channel spacing used by a wide variety of radio services.
The panorama scan provides high scan rates at narrow
resolution bandwidths, yielding high sensitivity and signal
resolution.
Interference in radiocommunications, e.g. at airports, not only impedes operation – it may even pose a threat to
life.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 5
Comprehensive
spectrum analysis
with polychrome
display
Polychrome display for detection and analysis of
short-duration signals
The polychrome IF spectrum color-codes the duration of a
signal in the spectrum using multiple colors. Signals with
a very short duration are displayed in blue while continuous signals appear in red. Overlapping short-duration and
continuous signals in the spectrum can thus still be distinguished and displayed when this is no longer possible
with conventional display modes such as max. hold and
average.
Polychrome IF spectrum: even signals with a low frequency of appearance
are visible.
Overlapping signals with the same frequency and timing are made visible
using the polychrome spectrum.
6
Monitoring of
user-specific radio
services
The frequency scan mode is mainly intended for
monitoring radio services that use fixed channel
spacing as compared to memory scan that is used
for variable channel spacing.
Monitoring of a large number of radio services
with different scan modes
In the frequency scan mode, a user-defined frequency
range is scanned using fixed channel spacing. The receiver
steps through the frequency range of interest and checks
every channel for occupancy. If a signal is detected with
a level exceeding the predefined threshold, the receiver
dwells at the corresponding frequency for the set hold
time, allowing for the signal to be demodulated and processed. In the case of analog modulation, the demodulated signal can be monitored via the headphones or
loudspeaker.
In the memory scan mode, predefined channels stored in
memory locations are consecutively scanned and analyzed
to see if any signals are present. The R&S®EB500 offers
10 000 user-definable memory locations. Receive parameters can be assigned separately to each memory location.
The memory scan mode is particularly useful for scanning
individual frequencies that do not have a fixed channel
spacing or that use different demodulation modes and
bandwidths. The memory scan mode offers users a
greater degree of freedom than the frequency scan mode
in similar applications.
Smooth operation of an organization’s own radio network is vital to ensure
operational readiness — not only for government operators.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 7
Multichannel digital
downconversion
(DDC)
Parallel monitoring and demodulation of
oneplusthreesignalswithinrealtimebandwidth
When equipped with the R&S®EB500-DDC digital
downconverter option, the receiver has three additional
digital downconverters in addition to the wideband demodulation path. These converters function entirely in parallel within the realtime bandwidth and can be parameterized independently of one another.
Each of these digital downconverters features:
❙ AM, FM, PM, PULSE, I/Q, LSB, USB and CW
demodulation mode
❙ Comprehensive set of 25 IF bandwidths from
100Hz to 1 MHz (100 Hz to 9 kHz for LSB, USB, CW)
❙ Automatic gain control (AGC)
❙ Squelch function
Moreover, each DDC provides the complex baseband (I/Q),
the associated signal level and an audio signal.
The data streams output at the DDC channels can be
either recorded internally in the receiver, or are available
via LAN to be recorded by the remote control PC. Recording of four independent data streams is supported by the
R&S®EB500-Control software package.
Smooth one plus three demodulation channels can be user-distributed
within the realtime bandwidth
Control interface for managing of DDC information output.
8
Nationwide
monitoring system
for regulatory
authorities
ITU-compliant spectrum monitoring using the
R&S®ARGUS system software
For more than 20 years, R&S®ARGUS has been a highly
successful control software solution for ITU-compliant
measurement and analysis tasks. It offers a variety of measuring modes designed to support typical measurement
procedures and greatly simplify everyday tasks. It can also
perform a large number of analyses that enable detailed
evaluation of measurements and the creation of precise,
in-depth reports. These capabilities are now also available
in combination with the R&S®EB500.
Full access to receiver functions from a PC
The user-friendly standard interface in R&S®ARGUS makes
the entire range of R&S®EB500 functionality available on a
PC. Measurement results are displayed in realtime in the
form of graphics and tables. The results are stored along
with the receiver settings in an internal database to allow
subsequent evaluation in line with ITU requirements.
The entire system is calibrated, taking into account the
frequency-dependent sensitivity of the antenna and
attenuation and loss in cables and switches.
Automatic identification of deviations from the
desired state
In combination with R&S®ARGUS, the R&S®EB500 can
automatically identify whether the current signal scenario
is consistent with expectations. Users can define a valid
range of values for each measurement parameter depending on the frequency. If a measured value is outside the
defined range, R&S®ARGUS immediately issues an alarm.
New and unknown transmitters can thus be discovered
just as easily as transmitters that exceed licensed broadcast parameters (e.g. excessive frequency deviation). This
is especially important in connection with digitally modulated signals such as DAB and DVB-T. The implementation
of vestigial sideband measurements in R&S®ARGUS in line
with ITU recommendations (comparing the realtime signal
against a spectrum mask) is particularly user-friendly (see
figure).
Guided measurements
One unique feature in R&S®ARGUS are its guided measurement modes. Users simply choose a frequency range
and the type of measurement task (field strength, spectrum occupancy or bandwidth, for example). R&S®ARGUS
then configures the right device settings automatically and
selects the appropriate antenna based on the frequency
and polarization. This allows even relatively inexperienced
users to conduct complex measurements with the
R&S®EB500.
Spectrum of a DVB-T transmitter with a mask overlay in line with
ITU recommendations.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 9
Easy integration into existing R&S®ARGUS
radiomonitoring systems
The R&S®EB500 is quick and easy to integrate into existing infrastructures – as a replacement for existing equipment or to expand a station’s measurement capabilities.
Importantly, the receiver can operate not just in combination and coordination with other equipment such as direction finders and specialized analysis devices but also as
a hand-off receiver in a networked system. The ability to
operate in parallel is not confined to the devices within a
single radiomonitoring station: Multiple devices at separate stations can process several measurement tasks
synchronously.
Remote operation made easy
Remote operability is a key requirement for radiomonitoring systems, and here, too, R&S®ARGUS sets standards.
It has built-in sophisticated bandwidth management
(SBM) that tunes the transmission rate to suit the available network bandwidth. If necessary, the software can
reduce and compress data automatically. This ensures,
for example, that the receiver’s IF spectrum and audio
streams reach the central station in sufficiently high
quality, even with narrowband connections.
Station information system (SIS) display
UMS100-99992
River police
Nationwide radiomonitoring network at a glance –
R&S®ARGUS SIS
Another advanced feature of R&S®ARGUS is its station information system (SIS). The SIS shows the current status
of every radiomonitoring system location on an electronic
map. The information provided includes the current connection status, the availability and utilization of measuring
equipment, and ambient parameters such as t emperature,
humidity and the power supply status in unattended
radiomonitoring stations.
The map display also supports remote control features.
When users click a symbol on the map, R&S®ARGUS
automatically connects to the receiver in question. The
R&S®EB500 in the remote station is then ready to accept
measurement tasks.
Headquarters at Munich airport
An example map showing a number of monitoring stations and their
current status (indicated by different colors).
10
(Germany)
Handoff receiver in
networked systems
Parallel demodulation of multiple narrowband
signals and simultaneous broadband spectrum
scanning
Multiple R&S®EB500 devices can be combined with a fast
and powerful search receiver (e.g. the R&S®ESMD) and
operated as a system. The R&S®EB500 devices demodulate signals and produce audio or I/Q data streams, while
the R&S®ESMD quickly searches for other signals with an
extremely high level of sensitivity. A separate R&S®EB500
is required for each signal that is to be processed in
parallel.
The handover of a signal from the R&S®ESMD to an
R&S®EB500 is carried out from the user workstation running with R&S®RAMON system software. The major
advantage of this system configuration is that the fast
signal search across a wide frequency scenario and the
narrowband production of multiple audio or I/Q data
streams occur simultaneously. This allows the user to
achieve optimum results in a minimum of time.
Multiple R&S®EB500 devices can be operated together with
an R&S®ESMD and operated as a system.
Specifications in brief of the R&S®ESMD
Frequency range
Base unit 20 MHz to 3.6 GHz
HF option 9 kHz to 32 MHz
SHF option 3.6 GHz to 26.5 GHz
Linearity, third-order intercept, inband
9 kHz to 32 MHz typ. 35dBm (low distortion mode)
20 MHz to 3.6 GHz typ. 25 dBm (low distortion mode)
3.6 GHz to 26.5 GHz typ. 17 dB (attenuation > 0 dB)
Noise figure
400 kHz to 32 MHz typ. 12 dB (normal mode)
20 MHz to 3.6 GHz typ. 9 dB (low noise mode)
3.6 GHz to 26.5 GHz typ. 16dB
IF bandwidth
Spectral path 1 kHz to 20 MHz (80 MHz)
Demodulation path 100 Hz to 20 MHz (80 MHz for I/Q)
Data interface 1 Gbit LAN (Ethernet 1000BaseT)
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 11
Convenient remote
Major functional features of R&S®EB500-Control
Fast and simple operation
The main functions can be accessed using shortcuts.
control with
R&S®EB500-Control
software
The R&S®EB500-Control remote control software
is supplied free of charge with the R&S®EB500. It
is part of the R&S®RAMON software family and
enables convenient and efficient operation of the
receiver from a PC workstation. The software offers
a straightforward menu structure and intuitive
operation so that training requirements for operating
personnel are minimal.
The graphical display of results includes:
❙ IF spectrum with waterfall diagram
❙ Panorama scan spectrum with waterfall diagram
❙ Level indication based on demodulation path
Users can adapt the colors of the display and the size and
arrangement of the windows as required for a specific task
or area of application. Easy-to-use measurement functions
are available within the diagrams.
Display, storage and playback of spectra and
waterfall data
R&S®EB500-Control enables the recording and playback
of panorama scan and IF signal spectra. In addition, digital
audio data and I/Q baseband data (digital IF) of up to
5MHz bandwidth can be stored, e.g. for the subsequent
analysis of digitally modulated signals.
Buffering of frequency scan data in a ring buffer
Recording in the ring buffer can be stopped by a mouse
click. The stored signals are then available in playback
mode for analysis.
Frequency list for marking signals
With a mouse click, radio channels can be marked, saved
in a list and graphically placed over the spectrum. The
frequency list is available for storage and subsequent
analysis.
12
Display of IF spectrum and use of
marker function.
Wideband panorama scan with
max. hold function and waterfall
diagram.
IF spectrum and waterfall diagram of
a radar signal from Munich Airport
( Germany).
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 13
Precise direction
finding of emissions
(with R&S®EB500DF direction finder
upgradekit)
Fast, reliable direction finding due to high
DFaccuracy
In the VHF/UHF range the R&S®EB500 with its direction
finding function uses the correlative interferometer
DFmethod. In contrast to simple amplitude comparison
methods, the instrument therefore offers significantly
higher, class A/B DF accuracy in line with ITU SMH 2002.
This high DF accuracy relies on the precise measurement
of the phase angles between the reference antenna element and the other elements. Measuring the phase difference between two signals normally requires two coherent
receive paths. For this reason, most interferometer direction finders on the market use at least two receivers. In the
R&S®EB500, the two receive paths are coherently linked
in the DF antenna using a patented method. As a result,
there is no need for a second interception processing
channel that is customarily found in interferometer direction finders.
In the HF range, the Watson-Watt direction finding
method is used. The special advantage of this method is
that small DF antennas can be deployed. Accordingly, the
R&S®EB500 with its DF function is also very suitable for
mobile direction finding in this frequency range.
Direction finding up to 6 GHz
Together with the R&S®EB500-SHF option and the
R&S®ADD075 UHF/SHF DF antenna, the R&S®EB500 delivers precise DF results up to 6 GHz. The compact instrument thus takes highly accurate bearings of signals above
3 GHz such as:
❙ WLAN
❙ WiMAX™
❙ Microwave links
The DF function of the R&S®EB500 fully corresponds
to that of the R&S®DDF205 digital direction finder
(product brochure: PD 5214.3723.12, data sheet:
PD5214.3723.22).
Display of DF results.
14
Operating principle
via the LAN interface or on the display, results are postprocessed using the average, min. hold or max. hold function
as selected by the user.
Frontend
Signals are fed in via two separate antenna sockets. One
of the sockets can be used for HF signals from 9 kHz to
32MHz, the other is a combined socket for HF/VHF/UHF
signals from 9kHz to 6 GHz. A switching system splits
the input signals across three separate signal processing
paths, based on frequency.
Signals from 9 kHz to 32 MHz are routed directly to the
A/D converter via an HF preselection block consisting of a
tunable bandpass filter and a 32 MHz lowpass filter. Sig-
nals from 20 MHz to 650 MHz or from 650 MHz to 6GHz
are routed to the two-stage or three-stage IF section
through the VHF/UHF preselection and a preamplifier (variable gain). The preselection and the low distortion mode
effectively protect the IF sections against overloading.
The two IF sections process the signals from 20MHz to
6GHz for the subsequent A/D converter.
Digital signal processing
After A/D conversion of the signal (in each case, with a
16-bit converter), the signal path is split up:
In the first path, the IF spectrum is calculated using a digital downconverter (DDC), a digital filter and an FFT block.
The bandwidth of the bandpass filter can be selected between 1 kHz and 20 MHz. Before the IF spectrum is output
In the second path, which also includes a DDC and digital
filters, the signal is processed for level measurement or
demodulation. To process the different signals with optimum signal-to-noise ratio, the receiver contains IF filters
with demodulation bandwidths from 100Hz to 20MHz,
which can be selected independently of the spectral IF
bandwidth.
Prior to the level measurement, the absolute value of the
level is determined and weighted using the average, peak,
RMS or fast (sample) function, as selected by the user.
The measured level is then output on the display or via the
LAN interface.
To demodulate analog modulated signals, the complex
baseband data passes through AM, FM, USB, LSB, ISB,
pulse or CW demodulation stages after the bandpass filter and is subjected to automatic gain control (AGC) or
manual gain control (MGC). After the AGC/MGC stage, the
complex baseband data (up to 5 MHz of I/Q data) resulting
from the digitally modulated signals is directly output for
further processing.
The results obtained are available as digital data and can
be output via the LAN interface as required for the particular task. Digital audio data is reconverted to analog signals
for output via the headphone socket or loudspeaker.
Block diagram of frontend
HF input
9 kHz to 32 MHz
HF/
VHF/UHF
input
650 MHz to 6 GHz
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 15
20 MHz to
650 MHz
HF preselection filter bank
Preselection
Highpass filter
20 MHz
Preselection
Highpass filter
650 MHz
filter bank
filter bank
Variable preamplifier
Lowpass filter
32 MHz
Lowpass filter
650 MHzVariable preamplifier
Lowpass filter
8 GHz
2-stage
super-het
receiver
3-stage
super-het
receiver
to HF
A/D converter
57.4 MHz
IF3 to
A/D converter
Analog signals are reconverted from the I/Q data by a
16bit D/A converter; they are then available as analog
IFsignals or analog video data.
High receiver sensitivity, high signal resolution
The R&S®EB500 features an IF bandwidth of up to
20MHz. This allows even very short signal pulses to be
captured since the receiver displays the wide bandwidth
of 20 MHz in a single spectrum around the set center frequency without any scanning being required.
Using the AUTO setting, the widest IF bandwidth of
20MHz yields the widest spectral display; the narrowest IF bandwidth of 1 kHz yields maximum sensitivity and
resolution.
The receiver’s IF spectrum is digitally calculated using Fast
Fourier Transform (FFT). The use of FFT computation at the
IF offers a major advantage: The receiver sensitivity and
signal resolution are clearly superior to those of a conventional analog receiver at the same spectral display width.
IF spectrum
FFT calculation of the IF spectrum is performed in a number of steps. These are described below in simplified form
for an IF bandwidth of 20 MHz ( BW
IF spectrum
= 20 MHz),
which yields high spectral display.
Due to the finite edge steepness of the IF filter, the sampling rate f
BW
IF spectrum
must be larger than the selected IF bandwidth
S
. The quotient of the sampling rate and the
IFbandwidth is thus a value > 1 and is a measure of the
edge steepness of the IF filter. This relationship is expressed by the following two formulas (for the AUTO
setting):
f
BW
s
IF spectrum
const
=
or
= BW
f
S
IF spectrum
× const
The value of the constant is dependent on the selected
IF bandwidth, i.e. it may vary as a function of the IF
bandwidth.
Block diagram of digital signal processing
IF panorama
HF direct
3 IF
Video/IF
analog output
16 bit
A
A
16 bit
D
D
A
16 bit
path
Demodulation
path
Digital up-
converter
D
DDC
IF spectrum
1 kHz to 20 MHz
DDC
Demodulation
bandwidths
100 Hz to 5 MHz
FFT
4096 points
ABS
value
Demod
Clear/write
Average
Min.
hold
Max.
hold
Fast
Average
RMS
Peak
AGC
MGC
Level
measurement
ITU
measurement
Lowpass filter
Display and LAN
Display and LAN
IF spectrum
Video spectrum
Analog audio
Digital audio
via LAN
I/Q data
via LAN
16
For an IF bandwidth of BW
= 20 MHz, the con-
IF spectrum
stant has a value of 1.28. Therefore, to display a 20 MHz
IFspectrum, a sampling rate of f
= 25.6 MHz is required.
S
The R&S®EB500 uses a maximum FFT length N of
4096points to generate the IF spectrum. To calculate
these points, the 25.6MHz sampling band in the above
example is divided into 4096 equidistant frequency slices,
which are also referred to as bins (see figure “Signal
processing for IF spectrum”).
The bandwidth BW
of the frequency slices is obtained as
bin
follows:
f
25.6 MHz
BW
Bin
s
4096
4096
6.25 kHz
===
This means that in the above example only the calculated
bandwidth of 6.25 kHz for each bin has to be taken into
account as the noise bandwidth in the calculation of the
displayed noise level (DNL) in accordance with the formula below (the effect of the window function (Blackman
window) of the FFT is not considered here for simplicity’s
sake):
DNL = –174 dBm + NF + 10 × log(BW
bin
/Hz)
The quantity NF represents the overall noise figure of the
receiver.
The above example shows that, due to the use of the FFT,
the actual resolution bandwidth (RBW) to be taken into account in DNL calculation is clearly smaller (i.e. BW
) than
bin
would be expected for the wide (unscanned) display range
of 20 MHz.
Another advantage of the high spectral resolution used in
the FFT calculation is that signals located close together
, f2 and f3) can be captured and represented in the
(e.g. f
1
IFspectrum as discrete signals (see figure “Signal display
in IF spectrum”).
Signal processing for IF spectrum
a in dBµV
n = 1 n = 4096
f
RX
20 MHz
25.6 MHz
Actual sampling bandwidth compared with selected IF bandwidth.
Frequency in MHz
Signal display in IF spectrum
a
Input signal
IF spectrum
If, on an analog receiver, a resolution bandwidth equal to
the set IF bandwidth were selected (RBW = BW
a sum signal f
discrete signals f
a
would be displayed instead of the three
sum
, f2 and f3.
1
IF
bandwidth
IF spectrum
),
f
1
Input signal IF spectrum
a
f
1
Signal resolution in IF spectrum in digital and analog receiver concept.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 17
f3f
2
3f2
f
ff
f
1
a
3f2
f
sum
ff
IF
bandwidth
f
Analog Digital
The realtime signal processing at the IF level also includes
other high-performance capabilities, such as overlapping
FFT for the optimum capture of pulsed signals and a configurable bin width for adjusting to the channel spacing
of known radio services. These functions are described in
detail in the user manual.
the R&S®EB500 automatically determines the required FFT
length and the width of the frequency window for each
scan step. The receiver selects these internal parameters
so that the optimum scan speed is achieved for each reso-
lution bandwidth (see figure “Resolution in panorama scan
mode”).
Panorama scan
The receiver’s maximum FFT bandwidth of 20 MHz makes
it possible to perform extremely fast scans across a wide
frequency range (panorama scan). For this purpose, frequency windows of max. 20 MHz width are linked in succession, so that the complete, predefined scan range is
traversed (see figure “Signal processing in panorama scan
mode”). As is done for the IF spectrum, an FFT is used to
process the broad window with a finer resolution.
The width of the frequency window and the FFT length
(number of FFT points) are variable and are selected by the
receiver.
In the panorama scan mode, the user can select among 24
resolution bandwidths from 100 Hz to 2 MHz. The resolution bandwidth corresponds to the width of the frequency
slices (bin width) mentioned under “IF spectrum”. Based
on the selected bin width and start and stop frequency,
Signal processing in panorama scan mode
In the panorama scan mode, the resolution bandwidth of
2MHz yields the maximum scan speed, while the resolution bandwidth of 100 Hz yields maximum sensitivity.
The resolution bandwidth (bin width) for the panorama
scan (selectable between 100 Hz and 2 MHz) therefore
corresponds to the resolution bandwidth (BW
) used in
bin
the DNL calculation for the IF spectrum (see DNL formula
under “IF spectrum”), and can be used for calculating the
DNL for the panorama scan. Moreover, the user selects
the resolution bandwidth to obtain the desired frequency
resolution (see figure “Bin width and channel spacing”).
The above explanations show that the use of digital signal
processing in a radiomonitoring receiver offers decisive
advantages. Extremely high sensitivity (due to very fine
resolution) combined with a broad spectral overview and
maximum scan speed significantly increases the probability of intercept in comparison with an analog receiver.
max. 20 MHz
a in dBµV
FFT window 1
n=1 n = X
f
start
Basic sequence of steps in fast panorama scan mode.
FFT window 2
Resolution in panorama scan mode
a in dBµV
n = 1 n = X
max. 20 MHz
Frequency in MHz
Bin width: min. 100 Hz
max. 2 MHz
FFT window n
Frequency in MHz
f
stop
Bin width and channel spacing
Points for FFT calculation
a in dBµV
Bin
width
Channel
spacing
f
f
1
2
Signal frequencies
Frequency in MHz
Selecting the panorama scan resolution by varying the bin width. Selecting a 12.5 kHz bin width to capture a radio service using 12.5kHz
channel spacing.
18
Specifications in brief
Specifications in brief
Frequency
Frequency range base unit 20 MHz to 3.6 GHz
with R&S®EB500-HF option 9 kHz to 3.6 GHz
with R&S®EB500-FE option 20 MHz to 6 GHz
with R&S®EB500-HF and R&S®EB500-FE options 9 kHz to 6 GHz
Demodulation
Demodulation modes all IF bandwidths AM, FM, PM, PULSE, I/Q
IF bandwidths ≤ 9 kHz LSB, USB, CW
IF bandwidths ≥ 1 kHz ISB
IF bandwidths
Bandwidth demodulation, level and offset measurements
(3 dB bandwidth), 34 filters
IF panorama
FFT IF panorama up to 4096-point FFT dynamic, overlapping FFT
operating modes automatic or variable with selectable frequency
IF panorama span 1/2/5/10/20/50/100/200/500 kHz,
Panorama display clear/write, average, max. hold, min. hold
DF mode VHF/UHF/SHF range correlative interferometer
HF range Watson-Watt
Scan characteristics
Memory scan 10 000programmable memory locations
speed up to 500 channels/s
Frequency scan user-selectable start/stop frequency and step
speed up to 500 channels/s
Panorama scan with R&S®EB500-PS option RF spectrum with user-selectable start/stop
speed up to 12 GHz/s
100/150/300/600 Hz,
1/1.5/2.1/2.4/2.7/3.1/4/4.8/6/9/12/15/30/50/
120/150/250/300/500/800 kHz,
1/1.25/1.5/2/5/8/10/12.5/15/20 MHz
resolution
0.625/1.25/2.5/3.125/6.25/12.5/25/31.25/50/62.5/
100/125/200/250/312.5/500/625 Hz,
1/1.25/2/2.5/3.125/5/6.25/8.333/10/12.5/20/
25/50/100/200/500 kHz, 1 MHz, 2 MHz
1/2/5/10/20 MHz
width
frequency and step width:
100/125/200/250/500/625 Hz,
1/1.25/2/2.5/3.125/5/6.25/8.333/10/12.5/20/
25/50/100/200/500 kHz, 1 MHz, 2 MHz
For data sheet, see PD 5214.3800.22 and www.rohde-schwarz.com.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 19
Ordering information
Designation Type, description Order No.
Monitoring Receiver, with control front panel R&S®EB500 4072.5004.03
frequency range from 20 MHz to 3.6 GHz, IF spectrum
(max. 20 MHz), remote control software supplied with
receiver
Monitoring Receiver, without control front panel R&S®EB500 4072.5004.02
frequency range from 20 MHz to 3.6 GHz, IF spectrum
(max. 20 MHz), remote control software supplied with
receiver
Hardware options
HF Frequency Range Extension R&S®EB500-HF 4072.8003.02
frequency range from 9 kHz to 32 MHz
Software options
SHF Frequency Range Extension R&S®EB500-FE 4072.9300.02
frequency range from 3.6 GHz to 6 GHz
Panorama Scan R&S®EB500-PS 4072.9200.02
RF scan, high-speed FFT scan across user-selectable
range, selectable spectral resolution
ITU Measurement R&S®EB500-IM 4072.9100.02
ITU-compliant measurement of AM/FM-modulated signals
in the R&S®EB500
Digital Downconverter R&S®EB500-DDC 4072.9500.02
three digital downconverters for user-defined placement
within realtime bandwidth
Direction Finder Upgrade Kit R&S®EB500-DF 4072.9400.02
precise direction finding integrated in R&S®EB500
Wideband Direction Finding R&S®EB500-WDF 4072.9651.02
for parallel direction finding of all emitters within realtime
bandwidth
DF Error Correction R&S®EB500-COR 4072.9600.02
Selective Call R&S®EB500-SL 4072.9800.02
selective call analysis
Software Package in line with ITU-R SM.1600
(for ITU-compliant measurement of analog and
digitally modulated signals)
Accessories
19" Rack Adapter R&S®ZZA-T04 1109.4187.00
19" Rack Adapter R&S®ZZA-T02 1109.4164.00
DC Power Cable R&S®EB500-DCC 4072.7036.00
DF antennas
HF DF Antenna R&S®ADD119 4053.6509.02
VHF/UHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD196 4077.3000.02
Dual Polarized VHF/UHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD197 4068.1450.02
Broadband VHF/UHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD295 4070.9002.12
UHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD175 4079.4003.02
UHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD071 4043.6006.02
UHF/SHF DF Antenna R&S®ADD075 4069.6603.02
System components
For cables, antenna adapters, mast adapters, tripods, etc., see R&S®DDF205 data sheet (PD 5214.3723.22).
Calibration documenting
Documentation of Calibration Values R&S®EB500-DCV 4072.8403.02
R&S®GX430IS
(R&S®GX430 required for using R&S®GX430IS with
R&S®EB500)
for mounting two R&S®EB500 in a 19" rack (both receivers
side by side)
for mounting one R&S®EB500 in a 19" rack (including one
blind plate)
4071.5817.02
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 20
Service options
Extended Warranty, one year R&S®WE1EB500 Please contact your local
Extended Warranty, two years R&S®WE2EB500
Extended Warranty, three years R&S®WE3EB500
Extended Warranty, four years R&S®WE4EB500
Extended Warranty with Calibration Coverage, one year R&S®CW1EB500
Extended Warranty with Calibration Coverage, two years R&S®CW2EB500
Extended Warranty with Calibration Coverage, three years R&S®CW3EB500
Extended Warranty with Calibration Coverage, four years R&S®CW4EB500
Rohde & Schwarz sales office.
Your local Rohde & Schwarz expert will help you determine the optimum solution for your requirements.
To find your nearest Rohde & Schwarz representative, visit
www.sales.rohde-schwarz.com
Rear view of the R&S®EB500. The power
supply input, LAN interface and additional
AUX interfaces are accessible from the rear
for optimal rack installation.
Rohde & Schwarz R&S®EB500 Monitoring Receiver 21
Service you can rely on
❙ Worldwide
❙ Local and personalized
❙ Customized and flexible
❙ Uncompromising quality
❙ Long-term dependability
About Rohde & Schwarz
Rohde & Schwarz is an independent group of companies
specializing in electronics. It is a leading supplier of solutions in the fields of test and measurement, broadcasting,
radiomonitoring and radiolocation, as well as secure
communications. Established more than 75 years ago,
Rohde & Schwarz has a global presence and a dedicated
service network in over 70countries. Company headquarters are in Munich, Germany.
Environmental commitment
❙ Energy-efcient products
❙ Continuous improvement in environmental sustainability
Cert ied Quali ty Syste m
ISO 9001
Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
www.rohde-schwarz.com
Regional contact
❙ Europe, Africa, Middle East | +49 89 4129 12345
customersupport@rohde-schwarz.com
❙ North America | 1 888 TEST RSA (1 888 837 87 72)
customer.support@rsa.rohde-schwarz.com
❙ Latin America | +1 410 910 79 88
customersupport.la@rohde-schwarz.com
❙ Asia/Pacic | +65 65 13 04 88
customersupport.asia@rohde-schwarz.com
❙ China | +86 800 810 8228/+86 400 650 5896
customersupport.china@rohde-schwarz.com
R&S® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
Trade names are trademarks of the owners | Printed in Germany (sk)
PD 5214.3800.12 | Version 03.01 | July 2012 | R&S®EB500
Data without tolerance limits is not binding | Subject to change
© 2010 - 2012 Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG | 81671 München, Germany
5214380012
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