TinySA: RF Analysis in Your Pocket
Add the tinySA to your toolkit for MF/HF/VHF/UHF testing in the field.
RF testing in the field is becoming more and more popular as most electronics devices being produced have some sort of wireless capability and hobbyists looking to tinker want to incorporate wireless capabilities into their projects. However, RF test equipment is some of the most expensive equipment in the electronics realm.
The tinySA is a handheld spectrum analyzer with two inputs where one is for its guaranteed operating frequencies over the MF/HF/VHF bands of 100kHz to 350MHz, and a second for lesser quality frequency measurements over the UHF band of 240MHz to 960MHz. At a price point of $49, it is definitely a worthwhile investment for anyone interested in RF and radio projects.
The tinySA is equipped with a 2.8” color touchscreen display capable of showing up to 290 scan points that covers either its entire lower frequency range or upper frequency range. It's resolution bandwidth filter (the filter applied to the final measurement to be able to distinguish different frequencies spaced close together) can be set to a range between 2.6kHz to 640kHz. The tinySA's input attenuation can be set between 0dB and 31dB in 1 dB steps for the MF/HF/VHF bands, but the UHF input cannot exceed 10dBm.
A nice perk of the tinySA is that it can also be switched in to a mode to be used as a signal generator. For 100kHz to 350MHz, it can output a sinusoid with harmonics below -40dB of fundamental at an output level selectable in 1dB steps between -76dBm and -6dBm, including optional AM and FM modulation or a slow sweep over selectable frequency span. For frequencies from 240MHz to 960MHz, the tinySA can output a square wave at selectable levels in variable increments between -38dBm and +13dBm, also including FM modulation or a slow sweep over selectable frequency span.
While the tinySA is fully contained, it can be plugged into a host computer via USB for PC-controlled measurements.
Looking at the functional block diagram of the tinySA, it appears as though the signal generator for self calibration is also doubling for its signal generator output mode. This device is well designed and demonstrates what one can do with a controller like a microcontroller and a few discrete RF components.
While there are many software solutions to this, having a fully contained standalone solution like the tinySA is invaluable in field tests or cramped lab environments. Its very reasonable price also makes it an easy choice.