RF Explorer Pro Manual - Configuration Options

Alphanumeric Keypad

Define preference to use a virtual alphanumeric keyboard.
Note if disabled user must display system keypad manually every time to type text.

Numeric Keypad

Define preference to use a virtual numeric keyboard, useful in touch capable tablets and laptops. Note Frequency and Amplitude numeric dialogs are always active.

Dark Mode

Set a black background skin, closer to desktop instruments and easier to read in certain environments.

Iterations

The number of sweep data iterations to perform calculations on including Average and MaxPeak (not available for Tracking SNA mode).

Fill Trace

Display a filled area in all signal shapes except Realtime signal.

Smooth

Use soft splines to join data sweep points in order to present a calculated soft curve

Thick Trace

Display trace with extra width

Show Grid

Show grid inside spectrum analyzer graph

Amplitude Units

Select amplitude units between dBm, dBµV or Watt to display data in analyzer graph.

Display in Main Screen

Display waterfall spectrogram in main screen together with the spectrum analyzer graph

Realtime

Raw data as captured with no post-processing.

Average

Arithmetic media of all the last iterations sampled.

Max Peak

Maximum value of all the last iterations sampled.

Max Hold

Maximum value of all captured samples regardless Iterations value.

Minimum

Minimum value of all the last iterations sampled.

Stop Auto Average

Automatically stop SNA tracking after <Average> specified number of sweeps

Insertion Loss (dB)

Evaluate signal insertion loss in dB

Return Loss (dB)

Evaluate the ratio of the reflected power to the incident power in dB

Return loss (VSWR)

Evaluate the ratio of the maximum to minimum voltage on a loss-less transmission line

Input Stage

Select input stage to enable Direct, Attenuator or LNA.

RBW (KHz)

The RBW references the internal filter used to discriminate the bandwidth of each sweep step, this is the frequency span of the final filter that is applied to the input signal

Supported values for Resolution Bandwidth in KHz:

• Auto: Best RBW definition is calculated over current frequency configuration to get faster sweep scans and is resolved by firmware, RBW manually adjust is not required every time frequency span is set
• 3, 5, 10, 30, 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000 and 2500

GPS

Enables/Disabled GPS data capture in system

Threshold (dBm)

Refers to the minimum signal strength required to capture and display activity data.

Positive

It refers to the threshold, where, if it is positive, the captured signal must exceed the defined threshold to trigger the action. Otherwise, the signal should be lower.

Sample Time (us)

Refers to the time interval or duration between consecutive samples

Mode

• Once: The trigger action is launched once, and the device stops capturing data
• Continuous: The trigger is continuously evaluated, and if the threshold is reached, the data is captured and displayed on the graph

Save RFE Data File on Close

Save a RFE data file every time application is closed. If “Enable Continuous Log” option is enabled, this feature will be enabled automatically.

Enable

Enable continuous log to save RFE data or CSV files periodically in seconds as selected in “Auto Save Delay (s)” option. Also this option save a RFE data file in each configuration change in device and when application is closed.

Auto Save RFE Data

If “Enable” option checked, save a RFE data file every number of seconds selected in “Auto Save Delay (s)” option.

Auto Save CSV

If “Enable” option checked, save a CSV data file every number of seconds selected in “Auto Save Delay (s)” option.

Auto Save Delay (s)

Number of second for Auto-Save feature.

Auto Delete (Days)

Number of days for Auto-Delete old and unused files in user folder

Auto Save Folder Path

Directory where .RFE and CSV files will be stored if Auto Save feature is active

Field Separator

Delimiter to use for CSV file generation.
Supported separators: Comma, Division, Semicolon, Space or Tabulator.

Decimal Separator

Delimiter to use as decimal separator.
Supported separators: Comma or Dot.

End of Line

End of line to use in for CSV file generation.
Supported end of lines: Line Feed (\n) or Carriage Return and Line Feed (\r\n).

WSM Sennheiser Compatible

When option is checked, CSV files generated can be imported directly in WSM Sennheiser software.

Insert descriptive header inside generated CSV files.

Fields included are:

• Receiver
• Date/Time
• RFUnit
• Owner
• ScanCountry
• CRC

Feature custom definition of Radio Standard channels. 

You can now import standards or define your own channels to be included in the Spectrum Analyzer graph.

Each channel in a Radio Standard will display:

All parameters of a Radio Standard can be configured in the menu option Config -> Radio Standards -> [Configure...]

This will open a configuration dialog to setup parameters, select which Radio Standards are visible (up to 10 at any given time), import new Radio Standard definitions, etc.

These files are text files you can edit or create with the tool of your choice (e.g. notepad – although we recommend some better editor such as Notepad++)

To configure Radio Standard display options go to Config -> Radio Standard and click on [Display Options…] button.

Appearance

“Show Channel Shape” option: Enable/Disable Radio Standard channel shape display.

“Show Background” option: Enable/Disable shadow among channel bandwidth display.

“Line Style” option: Define how channels will be drawn. Values:

• Solid Line
• Dashes Line
• Dotted Line
• Dash and Dot line

Text Settings

“Text Name Channels” option: Enable/Disable channel name display.

“Text Amplitude Values” option: Enable/Disable channel power values display.

“Size” option: Select channel text font size

An advanced and powerful tool in the spectrum analyzer mode is the ability to work with Minimum and Maximum Limit Lines.

These are fully configurable, visual and optionally audible alarm feature with multi-data point lines to determine power limits.

Operative Limit Line

Limit Lines are fixed thresholds, and only one pair of Max / Min limit lines can be specified at any given time.

These settings apply to one limit line type at a time: maximum or minimum. Use to define or change parameters of each limit line as required.

Different limit lines can be loaded from file or generated from a signal trace anytime.

Limit line type

• Max: select to apply changes to maximum limit line.
• Min: select to apply changes to minimum limit line.

Build from signal

Generate maximum or minimum limit line from a currently selected signal trace specifying a positive offset in dB. This offset will be added or subtracted depending on limit line type selected

Save to file

Save maximum or minimum limit line to a limit line file (.rfl).

Read from file

Load maximum or minimum limit line from a limit line file (.rfl).

Remove

Remove maximum or minimum limit line from spectrum analyzer screen.

Common

These settings apply in common to both maximum and minimum limit line

Sound alarm

To enable or disable an audio alarm for as long as the condition is not met

Grips

To enable or disable circle gripped in limit line traces. For high resolution mode, circles might make it hard to see how close limit line trace from signal trace is.

Technical Support

Create a compressed ZIP file with activity logs, configuration files and report files in order to diagnose application issues. Only required if requested by RF Explorer Tech Support. 

Factory Default

Restore system configuration setting to Factory Default values. Licenses will be preserved, but Presets and other preference settings will be lost.