X-COM Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of Bird Technologies, has introduced Version 3.0 of its RF Editor graphical signal editing software. The new release includes significant new features and enhancements that make the software an even more powerful tool as well as easier and faster to use.
RF Editor is the only commercially-available software that offers comprehensive editing capability for waveforms and waveform segments that have been captured over the air, offloaded from a signal analyzer, or created in programs such as MATLAB. It allows users to easily manipulate I&Q data files for RF signals of any length. Its operation is very similar to digital audio editing tools. It provides the ability to mix, trim, cut, join, repeat, and splice RF files using multiple tracks that align to create virtually any type of RF signal with high precision.
The software also allows filters and frequency shifts to be applied and interferers and noise to be introduced to create test scenarios ranging from ideal to worst-case. It is an invaluable tool for modifying and building signal waveforms in the time and frequency domains, and is integrated with X-COM's Spectro-X signal analysis software. Typical applications for RF Editor include creating simulated signal threat scenarios and laboratory, production and field testing of communications, EW, and radar systems, using custom stimulus signals.
Some of the new features in RF Editor 3.0 include:
• Support for .xdat files: This file type is the native format used by X-COM’s VSG5000A multichannel signal generator and IQC5000A RF capture, recording, and playback system. RF Editor 3.0 seamlessly uses files from either instrument to create files that include much more information than .dat files, including markers, center frequency, span, sample rate, date, time, and GPS positional data.
• Group modify function: Significantly reduces the operator time required to modify the attributes of large numbers of signal capture files, which previously had to be performed individually. The user now need only select a group of files to be modified, indicate the desired modifications from the many choices provided by RF Editor (such as shifting frequency, resampling, filtering, or changing attenuation or gain), and the software will make the modifications without operator intervention.
• Stitching: Allows unwanted portions of spectrum capture files identified in X-COM’s Spectro-X analysis software to be eliminated or replaced with data from a different file and the remaining portions connected, producing files with only the desired characteristics and significantly reducing file size.
• Scale factor calculation: Allows modifications to the scale factor parameter that RF Editor uses to determine signal power in order to add or subtract attenuation or gain without making modifications to the file.
