Spectrum analyzer

Use a spectrum analyzer to check RF emissions, clock harmonics, switching-regulator noise, and other frequency-domain behavior. Embedder supports the Siglent SSA3015X Plus. Sweeps appear in the Monitor’s Spectrum Analyzer tab.

Check the model

Only the SSA3015X Plus is supported. Embedder checks the analyzer’s *IDN? response and rejects other models.

Range: 0 to 1.5 GHz with a nonzero span. Rated instrument performance begins at 9 kHz.
Mode: swept spectrum in dBm with positive-peak detection.
Not supported: zero span, IQ, vector network analysis, modulation analysis, and tracking-generator control. Embedder never enables the tracking generator output.

Support is verified against a protocol simulator based on Siglent’s SSA3000X Plus programming guide. Check a sweep against a known signal the first time you use your analyzer’s firmware.

Connect

The analyzer connects over LAN on SCPI port 5025. Embedder needs Python 3 on the host, but no vendor or VISA packages.

Put the analyzer on a network reachable from the Embedder host.
Open the Monitor and select +. Select the analyzer under On the bench, or type its address, such as 192.168.1.20, in the search field and select the Connect to result.
The Spectrum Analyzer tab connects when the analyzer is Ready. If the device bar shows Set up & connect, for example when Python 3 is missing, select it.

The tab’s device bar shows the analyzer’s state and offers Rename and Rescan, plus Forget for a saved analyzer that isn’t currently detected. See Connect a bench instrument for device states.

Run a sweep in the Monitor

Open the setup panel to set the sweep:

Field	Unit	Range
Start frequency	MHz	0 to 1500
Stop frequency	MHz	0 to 1500
Resolution BW	Hz	1 to 1,000,000
Reference level	dBm	-100 to 30
Sweep timeout	s	1 to 300

Then choose a capture mode:

Single: acquire one sweep.
Record: record repeated sweeps until you select Stop. Settings are locked while recording.

The tab shows the peak frequency and peak amplitude of the selected sweep. Use the zoom controls to inspect part of the span. Use the previous and next sweep controls to step through a recording, or select Latest to follow the latest completed sweep. Embedder saves every sweep as it completes. Stopping a recording keeps the saved sweeps. Open capture history to reopen earlier recordings without the analyzer connected.

Ask Embedder for a sweep

Connect to the spectrum analyzer and sweep 90 to 110 MHz with 10 kHz RBW
and a 0 dBm reference level. Report the peak frequency and amplitude.

Name the frequency range, resolution bandwidth, reference level, and how many sweeps you need.

Script a sweep

Use spectrum_* helpers in a hardware script:

import json

spectrum_connect(timeout_s=30)  # analyzer selected in the Monitor
spectrum_configure(start_hz=90e6, stop_hz=110e6, rbw_hz=10000, reference_dbm=0)
result = spectrum_capture(name="RF check")
spectrum_disconnect()
print(json.dumps({"success": True, "summary": "Spectrum captured", "data": result}))

Helper	Purpose
`spectrum_connect(host=None, *, port=None, timeout_s=10.0)`	Connect and verify the model. With no host, uses the analyzer selected in the Monitor, then `EMBEDDER_SPECTRUM_HOST`.
`spectrum_configure(*, start_hz, stop_hz, rbw_hz=10000, vbw_hz=None, reference_dbm=0, attenuation_db=None)`	Set the sweep. Returns the applied settings because firmware may round bandwidths.
`spectrum_capture(*, name="Spectrum recording")`	Acquire and save one sweep. Repeated calls append numbered sweeps to the same recording. Returns the capture ID, sweep number, point count, peak, and applied settings.
`spectrum_settings()`	Read the analyzer’s current settings.
`spectrum_screenshot(path)`	Save a BMP or PNG screenshot.
`spectrum_query(command)` / `spectrum_write(command)`	Send raw SCPI.
`spectrum_disconnect()`	Restore the original continuous-sweep setting and close the connection.

Attenuation stays under instrument control unless you pass attenuation_db. For long sweeps, increase timeout_s up to 300 seconds. Without a Monitor selection, pass the address or set it before launching Embedder:

export EMBEDDER_SPECTRUM_HOST=192.168.1.20

Troubleshoot

No analyzer: check the IP address and network, then select Rescan or type its address in the Connect tab.
Model rejected: only the SSA3015X Plus is supported.
Sweep timeout: increase Sweep timeout or timeout_s, or narrow the span or widen the RBW.
Capture failed: Embedder fails the sweep on malformed data, command errors, or settings that changed during the sweep. Reconnect after a transport error before retrying.

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Spectrum analyzer

Check the model

Connect

Run a sweep in the Monitor

Ask Embedder for a sweep

Script a sweep

Troubleshoot

​Check the model

​Connect

​Run a sweep in the Monitor

​Ask Embedder for a sweep

​Script a sweep

​Troubleshoot

Check the model

Connect

Run a sweep in the Monitor

Ask Embedder for a sweep

Script a sweep

Troubleshoot