The Talon RTR 2654 from Pentek is a Sentinel Intelligent Signal Scanner and Recorder that operates from 1 to 26 GHz with a capture and scan bandwidth of up to 500 MHz. This scanner has a spectral scan capability that allows the user to scan the spectrum, while threshold detection allows the system to automatically lock onto and record signal bands. The scan results are displayed in a waterfall plot and can also be recorded to allow users to look back at some earlier spectral activity. This real-time recorder can capture and store spectrum when a signal of interest is detected.
The Talon RTR 2654 uses Pentek Model 78141 Kintex® UltraScale™ board to provide 6.4 GHz A/D converters that are used to sample the 500 MHz bandwidth of the 26 GHz tuner. It features 12-bit A/Ds with an SNR of 57.5 dB and a Spurious-Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) of 72 dB. The A/Ds are clocked at a 2.8 GHz sample rate and are coupled with an FPGA-based DDC with selectable decimations of 4, 8, and 16 to provide flexible bandwidth captures and improve scan resolution. It includes the SystemFlow® GUI with a virtual oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, and spectrogram displays. The intuitive GUI allows users to monitor the entire spectrum or select a region of interest, while a selectable resolution bandwidth allows the user to trade sweep rate for a finer resolution and better dynamic range.
The Signal Scanner provides a storage capacity of 245 TB with front panel removable SSDs in RAID levels 0, 5, and 6 configurations. It has an option for GPS receivers and built-in PLLs which allows all devices in the RF chain to be locked in phase and correlated to GPS time. GPS position information can optionally be recorded, allowing the recorder’s position to be tracked while acquiring RF signals. The RTR 2654 is available in a 4U rackmount chassis and requires an AC supply.
