W H I T E PA P E R
Use Spectrum Monitoring
to Combat Elusive Signals
Spectrum monitoring safeguards security while enabling optimal
communications performance by detecting, identifying, and locating
interferers and other problem signal events.
Key spectrum monitoring
topics covered in this
Spectrum is organized and allocated worldwide to ensure optimal performance white paper include:
for various communications applications. Each country’s emergency responder • Two common modes of
network operates on specific frequencies, for example. The same is true for much operation
of commercial communications. Despite the careful planning devoted to assigning • Finding that elusive signal
“slices” of spectrum for different users and applications, communications devices event
and the users themselves often fail to adhere to these rules. Signal issues and • Pluses and minuses to
communications problems result. Many signal events are elusive, making it different approaches
challenging to overcome these communications issues. • Improvements via fast
Fourier transform
From traditional swept heterodyne methods to sensors and fast Fourier transform
(FFT) approaches, evolving spectrum monitoring methods more effectively detect,
identify, and report on these hard-to-find signals to ensure better communications.
Such ongoing development strives to keep pace with the increasing complexity of
elusive signals, such as interferers. If a system and the interferer are on the same
frequency, for example, nothing appears amiss on a spectrum analyzer. The two
signals appear right on top of each other, like one normal signal. Yet interference
often reveals itself by affecting audibility and clarity via noise or distortion.
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Other signal events are elusive because they rarely occur, maybe once a month
or year. Yet they still can cause major problems, depending on their frequency.
Take emergency services or early-warning systems, for example. Even if an
interfering signal event occurs only once a year, it could negatively affect those
mission-critical systems. For noncritical communications systems, however, such
intermittent issues may potentially get overlooked.
Two Common Modes of Operation
To maintain awareness of elusive or problem signals, users looking to perform
spectrum monitoring follow one of two approaches: survey or search. With the
first method, the engineer surveys the spectrum to determine what signals occur
in an environment. The engineer can then create a table of frequencies,
bandwidths, and modulation types. Those coming to a new area to put up a
tower commonly use this “spectral survey.”
Aside from documenting known versus unknown and potentially problem signals,
such intel ensures better performance. In one case, for example, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) gave a U.S. rowing club three frequencies to
communicate from its storage shed to boats in use. Using a sensor at the site,
the rowing club looked at all three frequencies to determine the clearest channel
for that area of the country. All the frequencies were clear and usable, but some
had a lot of adjacent frequencies or noise in the spectrum. The team tuned its
transmitter to the most optimal frequency of those provided by the FCC.
In contrast to this survey method, the second approach — search — is trickier.
Here, the engineer usually watches a specific signal because of information that
is already known: for example, who it belongs to or who is using it. Search
could focus on an individual’s cell phone number or devices in use. The user or
agency performing the search preloads that information into a system and tells
the system to find those elements. If the system detects that signal, it sends an
immediate notification.
The survey often occurs before the search step. In a conflict zone, for example,
you may want to pinpoint the frequencies on which a group is transmitting in a
foreign country. Every country generally has its own agency to regulate spectrum
usage, but not everyone adheres to it. If they want to veil communications, users
will often go to other frequencies to hide among the assigned users. Doing a
spectrum survey reveals everyone operating in specific frequencies. Once you
have identified certain users, you can commence search, if needed.
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Finding that Elusive Signal Event
To detect and identify an elusive signal, begin with the environmental
scan or survey to determine what signals are in the environment. Often,
the engineers have already documented the signals they are broadcasting
or using and know which channels are fine versus the ones that exhibit
issues. Problems usually show up in a specific frequency or channel.
You can use that information to focus your survey on that area of the spectrum.
With a spectrum analyzer, as noted, you may not see the interfering signal
if it is riding right on top of the signal for which you are searching. When
everything appears fine, but performance issues clearly exist, the next
step is to deploy sensors around the area — for example, placing four or
five sensors a mile or so apart.
You can then perform the same survey again in that frequency band.
Sensor and geolocation data often reveal more details around what is
occurring in the spectrum environment. For example, the data may show
two locations for the same frequency, which makes it likely that one of
them is causing the interference. Consider what is at each location, such
as a tower or transmitter. Often, a location not documented as the source
of any signals is likely the source of interference.
The next, and generally most expensive step, is sending people to the
point of interference to gather more information on the source. They
may find antennas, a high-tech company that was running a test, or
something else.
You can accomplish signal identification in the initial survey by looking
at the frequency spectrum. If you know how the signal should appear,
you can recognize a different-looking signal immediately. It might have a
different modulation type or shape in the spectrum. Occasionally, such
visual clues help easily discern the source of the signal — especially
given the knowledge of the signals in the larger environment, thanks to
the initial survey. Consider such issues at the beginning of the process to
determine the best spectrum monitoring approach to apply.
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Pluses and Minuses to Different Approaches
Originally, spectrum monitoring used a swept heterodyne front end. It looked at one very
narrow chunk of spectrum at a time, moving across the frequency band of interest — kind
of like looking through binoculars. The user would move the “binoculars” from left to right,
which limited the information gathered to the contents of the lens view. This partial view
of the spectrum often failed to reveal problem signals. To overcome this issue, newer
swept-mode analyzers use an increasingly wider stare in that binocular view. Yet the old
approach still offers advantages. The swept heterodyne approach looks at a narrow chunk
of spectrum. It contains less noise, making it possible to discern some lower-amplitude signals.
Spectrum monitoring requires constant tradeoffs between dynamic range, wider bandwidths,
and sweep speeds. Just because a technology allows you to grab a gigahertz of spectrum,
it might not be the best approach. A larger and wider chunk of spectrum means more
environmental noise. The noise floor rises as a result, limiting the selectivity or sensitivity of
the front end. You will then struggle to pick out signals that might be miles away.
However, dynamic range is not an issue if the problem signal you seek is fairly high in
amplitude and causing problems across the board. With a high-amplitude signal, you can
simply grab a huge chunk of spectrum. The noise floor is not a concern, as the problem
signal will show in that wide chunk of spectrum. In contrast, if a low-amplitude signal is
causing problems, you can divide the spectrum into smaller steps. This approach reduces
the noise floor, making the signal visible.
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Improvements via Fast Fourier Transform
The process of detecting and identifying elusive signals becomes faster and more precise
as technology evolves. Compared to their predecessors, current solutions look at a wider
chunk of spectrum while reaching higher frequencies. Using an FFT approach with more
processing power, the noise floor is lower. An FFT is a series of mathematical equations
used to emulate the frequency spectrum. A sufficiently large FFT reduces the spacing
between each frequency point, lowering the resolution bandwidth and the noise floor to
provide high dynamic range and faster sweep speeds.
For example, with a 1 kHz resolution bandwidth (RBW), you can see signals spaced 1 kHz
apart. Achieving a 1 kHz bandwidth across 1 GHz of stare bandwidth requires a huge
FFT (100,000 points). You can increase the RBW to 1 MHz. However, all the signals in a
1 MHz band are combined into a single point on the spectrum. So instead of seeing
100,000 signals, you see only 100 signals. Larger FFTs provide a narrower resolution
bandwidth even with a wide bandwidth stare. To summarize, the lower the resolution
bandwidth, the lower the noise floor, and the more sensitive the front end.
If you are trying to monitor 100 MHz of spectrum using an RF sensor designed for
measuring signals off the airwaves with a 20 MHz stare (instantaneous) bandwidth, for
example, it would take five steps to cover 100 MHz. To determine whether an FFT or
other spectrum monitoring approach would be best, consider the following:
• How big a chunk of spectrum can you look at instantaneously?
• How quickly can you step through that spectrum?
• What is your probability of intercept?
• Given the sweep speed, how quickly can you cover the area in the spectrum of interest?
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Summary
Engineers looking for elusive signals must consider everything from sweep speed
to dynamic range, bandwidth, resolution, and environmental noise. An alternative to
slowly sweeping across the spectrum is using the FFT approach to grab large blocks
of data, perform FFTs, and instantly obtain a wider chunk of spectrum. Whatever
the approach, spectrum monitoring is a critical aspect of safeguarding spectrum
and communications systems. Once you deploy radios and systems, you must pay
attention to performance in the real-world environment.
More companies opt for 24/7 spectrum monitoring rather than just bringing in such
capabilities when problems arise. With new options, it is possible to match signals
based on frequency, bandwidth, shape, and modulation type, creating an RF fingerprint
that will uniquely identify the signal of interest anywhere in the frequency spectrum.
As a result, you can set up various masks that ignore all known signals, sending
a notification only when something new comes up or changes the shape of those
signals. This approach provides real-time feedback when something is malfunctioning
or interfering with the known signal.
Modern spectrum monitoring systems have moved from simple visual detection with
a spectrum analyzer to automated detection, classification, identification, and location.
Such systems send alerts if a signal looks distorted or an interfering signal appears in
the area. As a result, you can take action to eliminate the problem signal — even an
elusive one — preventing or promptly terminating communications performance issues.
Learn how Keysight’s solutions can help you with your spectrum monitoring needs:
• Click here to try out our comprehensive tools for spectrum monitoring,
interference analysis, signal identification, and geolocation.
• Visit our site for an overview of signal monitoring solutions.
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please contact your local Keysight office. The complete list is available at:
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This information is subject to change without notice. © Keysight Technologies, 2019, Published in USA, August 10, 2019, 5992-4151EN
