Narda extends SignalShark functions

The precursor to this development was the decision made by the RF measurement technology specialist to collaborate with PROCITEC, the industry leader for software-based signal processing.

The aim of this wholly German technology partnership was to create a perfect mobile monitoring and real time analysis system for land, sea, and air-based wireless communication systems.

Combining the SignalShark, robust yet highly sensitive real time receiver, and the integrated go2MONITOR software defines the current state of the art in mobile automatic radio signal monitoring and evaluation units.

This cooperation has provided the powerful SignalShark with access to all of the state of the art signal analysis tools of one of the international leaders in signal processing software development, facilitated by its open platform concept.

It enables SignalShark to master the many complex challenges faced by regulatory authorities and mobile network operators as well as emergency services such as the police and border forces, and last not least, the military.

The SignalShark, which can perform fully automatic ITU compliant measurements on radio signals of up to 8 GHz, can also completely capture the broadband signals of entire services thanks to its real time bandwidth of 40 MHz.

These signals are then transmitted as VITA49-compatible IQ streams either to an external PC or internally via local host to the PROCITEC application on the receiver, depending on whether it is used in a stationary or a mobile situation.

The go2MONITOR software is installed on both the external computer and the SignalShark. In both cases, the signals can be classified, demodulated, decoded, and recorded for later analysis reliably and securely in real time.

The usual measurement practice is continuous broadband monitoring and complete capture of the signals for all the services within a frequency band. Depending on the assignment, these may include TETRA, TETRAPOL or APCO25 in addition to mobile communications services.

At the same time, the analysis software automatically determines more detailed information using parameters such as modem, bandwidth, and symbol rate, and displays this clearly on the screen of the SignalShark or the external PC. The necessary decoders can be embedded by means of licenses for various decoder packages, so that users can ultimately decode every signal without any problems.

Portable, light, compact, and robust. The particular attributes of the different models in the SignalShark family offer advantages when setting up mobile, flexible, and full coverage monitoring units.

All three types – handheld, rack-mounted remote unit, and outdoor unit – have the same good DNA and have the same excellent RF characteristics such as sensitivity, real time bandwidth, performance, and dynamic range. They deliver reliable, stable results at all times and without limitations – cue: scalability – whether in mobile field use, in the laboratory, or in long term outdoor applications under extreme environmental conditions.

This huge advantage, which is readily utilised in large scale monitoring tasks by the military or border forces, for example, is based on the standard interface.

This means that regardless of any environmental or situational conditions, users can achieve perfect monitoring systems with the aid of the SignalShark and an external PC that always deliver consistent results in the same format wherever they are.