2.8-inch touch screen tinySA handheld spectrum analyzer, tiny Spectrum analyzer

tinySA is a portable spectrum analyzer developed by Dutch developer Erik Kaashoek.

After we launched NanoVNA, the community has always hoped to have a similar portable spectrum analyzer.

Now we use the same volume and cost as NanoVNA to make it.

Basic specifications:

ABS housing: 58.7mm x 91.3mm x 17.1mm (excluding prominent parts)

●Frequency accuracy: <2ppm

●Frequency stability: <1ppm

●Display: 2.8-inch TFT (320 x240) resistive touch screen

●USB interface: USB type-C communication mode: CDC (serial)

●Power supply: USB 5V 150mA, built-in 650mAh battery,

Maximum charging current 300mA, charging time 1 hour and 2 hours

Low input mode specifications:

Input frequency range: 100kHz to 350MHz

Front attenuator: 0dB-31dB, step 1dB manual and automatic input attenuation

Absolut maximum input level: +10dBm without attenuation

Damage level: +20dBm

Third-order modulation (IIP3) input truncation: +15dBm at 0dB

attenuation 1dB compression point: +2dBm at 0dB

attenuation Power detector resolution: 0.5dB+/-1dB.

Minimum identifiable signal: -102dBm@30kHz RBW.

The phase noise at 100kHz offset is -90dB/Hz, and the phase noise at 1MHz offset is -115dB/Hz.

When the 30kHz resolution bandwidth is 70dB, there is no branch dynamic range.

Resolution filters of 3, 10, 30, 100, 300, 600kHz can be manually selected.

Automatically select one of the 57 resolution filters.

The resolution on the screen is 51, 101, 145 or 290 measurement points.

Using the maximum resolution filter, the scanning speed exceeds 1000 points per second.

Automatically optimize the actual scanning point to ensure that the entire scanning range is covered, no matter what resolution bandwidth is selected. The branch suppression option is used to evaluate whether some signals are generated internally or actually exist in the input signal.

High input mode specifications:

(High input mode is low-medium-frequency reception with the second receiver, no front mirror and stray filter)

Input frequency range: 240MHz to 960MHz

The input impedance is related to the frequency and deviates from 50 ohms.

Because there is no input band filter, strong input signals outside the range of 240MHz to 960MHz will cause in-band signal distortion.

Absolute maximum input level without attenuation +10dBm.

The input truncation is a third-order modulation product (IIP3) of -5dBm.

The 1dB compression point is at -6dBm, without attenuation.

The resolution of the power detector is 0.5dB and the frequency linearity is +/-1dB.

The absolute power level accuracy after power level calibration is +/- 1dB.

Use 30kHz resolution bandwidth - 115dBm minimum recognizable signal.

Frequency accuracy is equal to the selected resolution bandwidth.

When the 30kHz resolution bandwidth is 50dB, there is no branch dynamic range.

Resolution filters of 3, 10, 30, 100, 300, 600kHz can be manually selected.

Automatically select one of the 57 resolution filters.

Optional 25dB to 40dB frequency-related input attenuator.

After activating the attenuator, the power level error is increased to +/-10dB.

The screen resolution is 51, 101, 145 or 290 measurement points.

With the maximum resolution filter, the scanning speed exceeds 1000 points per second.

Automatically optimize the actual scanning point to ensure that the entire scanning range is covered, no matter what resolution bandwidth is selected.

Low output mode specifications:

Sine wave output, harmonics are lower than -40dB of the base wave.

Output frequency range from 100kHz to 350MHz (minimal frequency step 312.5Hz)

The output level can step by 1dB between -76dBm and -6dBm

You can choose AM, narrowband FM and broadband modulation, or sweep the frequency output on the optional frequency span

(AM modulation function is implemented by using a quick change front attenuator.

FM modulation is achieved by quickly modifying the output frequency.

It is not a standard accurate modulation and can be used for simple walkie-talkie receiving tests.

But not as an accurate reference)

High output mode specifications

Square wave output

Output frequency range from 240MHz to 960MHz (minimal frequency step 312.5Hz)

The output level can be selected with a variable increase between -38dBm and +13dBm. 

(Higher attenuation is achieved by using radio frequency switch leakage, and the attenuation becomes larger as the frequency increases, and there will be a relatively large error)

You can choose narrowband frequency modulation and broadband modulation or slow sweeping within the range of optional frequency

(FM modulation is achieved by quickly modifying the output frequency, not standard precise modulation. It can be used for simple walkie-talkie receiving tests, but not as a precise reference)

Reference signal generator specifications (for self-test or outputting reference clocks for external devices)

Optional square wave output, basic value -25dBm, connected to high input/output.

The frequency can be set to 1MHz, 2MHz, 4MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz or 30MHz.

Limitations

Since the selection of tinySA's components has achieved a careful balance between performance and cost,

Therefore, you must realize that tinySA has great limitations compared to professional spectrum analyzers.

The built-up phase noise sets a clear lower limit for phase noise measurement.

The minimum resolution bandwidth of 3kHz prevents it from seeing more spectrum details.

The high-input (240MHz to 960MHz) is very limited.

And there is only a first-level optional built-in attenuator, which makes complex signals difficult to distinguish.

The high-input optional input attenuator is related to frequency and varies between 25dB and 40dB.

At a lower resolution bandwidth (less than 30kHz), the scanning speed will be very slow.

The performance limitations of shielding and filters may lead to some mirroring and stray visibility.

tinySA provides a stray elimination menu, which is set by experienced users to reduce stray.

However, we need to pay attention to the possible uncertainty.

When it is below 0.1MHz, the sensitivity begins to decrease.

Below 1MHz, it is recommended to disable AGC and enable LNA if possible to obtain the best measurement quality.

When using the provided telescopic antenna or low RBW, attention should be paid to the interference of tinySA MCU on 48MHz and its harmonics.

tinySA is not an SDR receiver and does not provide any reception and demodulation function!

tinySA is not a frequency sweeper and does not provide tracking source output.

If you need a frequency sweep function, please use NanoVNA!

For more questions and examples,

please visit https://tinysa.org/