April
2006, Issue 189
Low-Cost
2.4-GHz Spectrum Analyzer
Forget
dropping big bucks on a microwave spectrum analyzer.
You can build your own for a fraction of the cost.
Scott walks you through the process of building an
ATmega48-based 2.4-GHz spectrum analyzer.
by
Scott
Armitage
If
you’ve shopped around for a microwave spectrum analyzer,
you know that a basic unit costs around $3,000. The
prices shoot into the stratosphere from there. Wouldn’t
it be great if you could build a basic spectrum analyzer
for, say, $50 in parts? Well, that’s exactly what I’ll
be describing in this article (see Photo 1).
|
(Click
here to enlarge)
|
Photo
1—The spectum analyzer consists of a small RF receiver
circuit connected to a PC via a USB port. A custom
Windows software application controls the hardware
and displays the spectrum. |
