Setting Up a RF Lab for Low Frequency DSP Projects | Nate Duong

In summary: Gigahertz... or higher! You can get a digital oscilloscope for around $3,000. You need spectrum analyzers to analyze the signals and digital oscilloscopes have a lot of features that can be useful for RF work. Power meters, signal generators, and signal integrity analyzers are also quite useful.
  • #1
Nate Duong
126
3
Dear everyone...

I am trying to set up a RF lab at home to help me do DSP projects with very low frequency, as low as possible.

Anyone who has experiences about RF lab, please give me some ideals and what machines from basic to advance will be needed for the lab?

Thank you,

Nate Duong.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
When I had an RF lab, it contained about $150k worth of signal generators, power meters, digital oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and an arbitrary waveform generator. Your budget is likely smaller than that. What is your budget and what capabilities do you want? If your frequencies are low enough, you can do a lot with a digital scope (or ADC plug in) and a couple inexpensive signal sources. The higher your frequencies go, the more expensive things get.
 
  • Like
Likes Nate Duong
  • #3
Nate Duong said:
Dear everyone...

I am trying to set up a RF lab at home to help me do DSP projects with very low frequency, as low as possible.

Anyone who has experiences about RF lab, please give me some ideals and what machines from basic to advance will be needed for the lab?

Thank you,

Nate Duong.
Perhaps this would do better in the EE forum?

Welcome Nate.

It might help to know what you are trying to do. Are you planning on doing audio work? Perhaps radio or microwave work? This matters because equipment costs go up with frequency. A 100 MHz scope is much cheaper than a 50 GHz scope for example. ($500 vs. $50,000) What you need depends on what frequency your working with. And with signal processing you will typically be oversampling your signal by a lot, so we likely need more specifics.

One of the FAQs in the EE forum lists test equipment people like.
 
  • Like
Likes Nate Duong
  • #4
Dr. Courtney said:
When I had an RF lab, it contained about $150k worth of signal generators, power meters, digital oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and an arbitrary waveform generator. Your budget is likely smaller than that. What is your budget and what capabilities do you want? If your frequencies are low enough, you can do a lot with a digital scope (or ADC plug in) and a couple inexpensive signal sources. The higher your frequencies go, the more expensive things get.
Actually, I'll have more projects in the future to do, because I am a active person, I have no background about RF and antenna, just for DSP. The job market in current usually to require all of them (RF, antenna, DSP), so I could be spent more money ($300k could be in my pocket) to support myself for the career (like investment).

If I have amount that money, Could you please provide me more detail information for the machines good enough for the lab, Dr Courtney?

p/s: I mentioned the frequency as low as possible (can be heart beat).

Thank you so much, Dr Courtney.

Reagards,

Nate Duong.
 
  • #5
Jeff Rosenbury said:
Perhaps this would do better in the EE forum?

Welcome Nate.

It might help to know what you are trying to do. Are you planning on doing audio work? Perhaps radio or microwave work? This matters because equipment costs go up with frequency. A 100 MHz scope is much cheaper than a 50 GHz scope for example. ($500 vs. $50,000) What you need depends on what frequency your working with. And with signal processing you will typically be oversampling your signal by a lot, so we likely need more specifics.

One of the FAQs in the EE forum lists test equipment people like.
thank you for responding me fast,

we have finger print, eye scanner to access in the building, I am trying to do "heart beat", that is why I need to buy any machine to measure very low frequencies,

My budget is about 300K$, so please give me more detail what machines should be good and enough for my lab?

Thank you very much, Jeff.

Regards,

Nate Duong.
 
  • #6
Nate Duong said:
thank you for responding me fast,

we have finger print, eye scanner to access in the building, I am trying to do "heart beat", that is why I need to buy any machine to measure very low frequencies,

My budget is about 300K$, so please give me more detail what machines should be good and enough for my lab?

Thank you very much, Jeff.

Regards,

Nate Duong.

I'm sorry, I can't help you much. I signed a non-disclosure agreement with this company which invested heavily in R&D on this application. While I might help with equipment selection, I'm afraid my selections might be biased by knowing the mistakes we made in our R&D effort. Perhaps you could http://www.omnevia.com/contact_us.php for technology transfer and save yourself some trouble. Otherwise you could post this on the Electrical Engineering forum next door. I'm sure many people would give input.
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman
  • #7
Nate, you need an idea of what you want to measure. Some rf imaging that let's you see heartbeat is mm. Very very high frequency.
 
  • #8
Jeff Rosenbury said:
I signed a non-disclosure agreement with this company which invested heavily in R&D on this application.

Impressive! :smile:
 
  • #9
berkeman said:
Impressive! :smile:

No kidding, Things have really improved since the ADSID and ACOUSID sensor days.
 
  • #10
  • #11
Nate Duong said:
($300k could be in my pocket) to support myself for the career (like investment).
It worries me, a little, that you say you have very little RF knowledge but are considering such a high personal investment. I don't know the specifics of what RF measurements your plan to do but there could be a high risk associated with your plan. Could you not get a more certain return on your money by sticking to what you know best? If and when you need some expertise, you could perhaps farm out those parts of a project to someone who already has the knowledge. Or, perhaps you could invest some of your money on a suitable course of education in RF.
I know that's a gloom and doom reply but I feel it needed to be said.
 
  • Like
Likes Nate Duong and jasonRF
  • #12
sophiecentaur said:
It worries me, a little, that you say you have very little RF knowledge but are considering such a high personal investment. I don't know the specifics of what RF measurements your plan to do but there could be a high risk associated with your plan. Could you not get a more certain return on your money by sticking to what you know best? If and when you need some expertise, you could perhaps farm out those parts of a project to someone who already has the knowledge. Or, perhaps you could invest some of your money on a suitable course of education in RF.
I know that's a gloom and doom reply but I feel it needed to be said.

you are right when you said the best way to invest myself is having an education for RF, but I need the lab to be done so study and practice will be in the parallel, that should help me learn fast and understanding on RF.

Thank you for your advise.

Best regards.
Nate Duong.
 
  • #13
Dr. Courtney said:
Thank you very much, for your suggestions,
 
  • #14
Nate Duong said:
you are right when you said the best way to invest myself is having an education for RF, but I need the lab to be done so study and practice will be in the parallel, that should help me learn fast and understanding on RF.

Thank you for your advise.

Best regards.
Nate Duong.
Training at the same time as working is what a lot of people have to do these days and there are a number of good on-line courses (I believe) which would help you. You must expect some pretty hard work, though! Keeping in touch with PF would be a good idea as it is a well moderated forum and you are unlikely to be getting bad advice.
Best wishes in your endeavour.
Andrew
 
  • Like
Likes Nate Duong
  • #15
sophiecentaur said:
Training at the same time as working is what a lot of people have to do these days and there are a number of good on-line courses (I believe) which would help you. You must expect some pretty hard work, though! Keeping in touch with PF would be a good idea as it is a well moderated forum and you are unlikely to be getting bad advice.
Best wishes in your endeavour.
Andrew
yes, I will keep in touch with PF, especially I will keep in touch with you for more RF experience
Thank you again, Andrew
'
Nate Duong.
 

1. What equipment is needed to set up a RF lab for low frequency DSP projects?

To set up a RF lab for low frequency DSP projects, you will need a spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope, amplifier, and RF cables. It is also recommended to have a computer with DSP software and a power supply.

2. How do I choose the right equipment for my RF lab?

Choosing the right equipment for your RF lab depends on your specific project needs and budget. It is important to consider factors such as frequency range, accuracy, and compatibility with other equipment in your lab.

3. Is there a specific layout or setup for a RF lab?

There is no one specific layout for a RF lab, as it can vary based on personal preference and available space. However, it is important to have a clean and organized space with proper grounding and shielding to minimize interference.

4. What precautions should I take when setting up a RF lab?

When setting up a RF lab, it is important to take precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and your equipment. This includes proper grounding to prevent electrical shocks, using protective gear when working with high voltage equipment, and following safety protocols when handling chemicals.

5. How can I optimize the performance of my RF lab?

To optimize the performance of your RF lab, it is important to regularly calibrate and maintain your equipment, minimize interference from external sources, and stay updated on the latest technology and techniques in the field of RF and DSP.

Similar threads

  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
5
Views
632
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
1
Views
887
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
1
Views
724
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
6
Views
792
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
10
Views
936
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
14
Views
2K
Back
Top