FYI, the TinySa and the TinaSA Ultra are running the latest firmware release.
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Ok, Eric, I think that the noise source is not my problem. When I divide the spectrum into three channels centered at 400 MHz and a channel width of 266 MHz and do not connect the noise source, I see -3.3 dBm in the left channel, -65 dBm in the center channel and -65 dBm in the right channel. Connecting the noise source does not make much difference since the power is so strong in the left channel. Is this behavior a problem with my TinySA Ultra?

I just checked this with my TinySA and the same issue exists with center frequency of 175 MHz and a span of 117 MHz.
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For those who cannot or do not wish to run Windows Powershell scripts, here's an Excel macro to convert TinySA CSV files to WWB and IAS compatible format.

You can download it from my website at

You must set your Excel security to allow the macro to run.? Open the file and click the button.? A dialog will open for you to select your TinySA CSV file.? The file will process and a "save as" dialog will open so that you can place the converted file in whatever folder you like and/or rename it.

Enjoy!

De

Amplitude measurements will be relative only, as you don't have a way to funnel that horn output into an SMA connector to go into the Ultra, and the Ultra isn't calibrated up that high anyway.? But you'll be able to get reasonably good frequency measurements, and amplitude measurements of the "do I have a signal? does this make it stronger or weaker?" variety.? I see the numbers 10 and 535 written on the horn, I would guess somebody has determined the frequency to be 10.535 GHz.? I would set the Ultra to that frequency with a span of maybe a couple hundred MHz to start with (those things aren't usually really stable, so you may need a wide span to find it).? You could use the antenna that comes with the Ultra, or just a short piece of wire.? Turn on the horn, and start with the Ultra a couple feet from the horn.? (The horn probably doesn't put out all that much power, but I am always cautious with test equipment, and if I don't know how much signal is going to be there, I use an attenuator or when coupling through the air start at a good distance.? I have never blown the input of a spectrum analyzer - but I know people who have - expensive ones, even!)? If you don't see anything on the Ultra, try increasing the span in case the horn's frequency has drifted from what it appears to be labeled, or try moving closer to get more signal.? Alternate between those two until you see something.? When you find the signal, zoom in on it.

Is there more fun to be had than finding out you are a total IDIOT?? Please let me know.

?

I’ve been playing with my new Ultra for a few days and finally decided to upgrade the firmware.? I first upgraded my 2 tinySA(s) and all went well.? So on to the Ultra.? I followed “Push down on the jog switch and turn the thing on” and using “dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D tinySA.bin” awaited the results.? Well, the above referenced command started but did not finish and I now had a ‘dead’ Ultra.? I should note that while in ‘dfu’ mode, the screen is dark the whole procedure.? That is part of the reason I did not panic immediately; I glanced at my computer screen rather than looking at the Ultra.? It was after looking at the computer screen I started to wonder what is going on.

?

What the hell?? Maybe I read the battery wrong.? I put it on charge over night.

?

Next day I tried again, a number of times, and each time resulting with:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/Downloads % dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D tinySA.bin

dfu-util 0.11

?

Copyright 2005-2009 Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc.

Copyright 2010-2021 Tormod Volden and Stefan Schmidt

This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY

Please report bugs to http://sourceforge.net/p/dfu-util/tickets/

?

dfu-util: Warning: Invalid DFU suffix signature

dfu-util: A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util release

dfu-util: No DFU capable USB device available

llaassllaass@M1max-D Downloads % dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D tinySA.bin

dfu-util 0.11

?

Copyright 2005-2009 Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc.

Copyright 2010-2021 Tormod Volden and Stefan Schmidt

This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY

Please report bugs to http://sourceforge.net/p/dfu-util/tickets/

?

dfu-util: Warning: Invalid DFU suffix signature

dfu-util: A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util release

dfu-util: No DFU capable USB device available

?

I had just finished upgrading my 2 tinySA.? So I tried opening the case and shorting BOOTO and DCC and running the same command.? Same results.? I should note that there is no reason to open the case of the Ultra - just use the jog switch procedure.? Using the Finder, I tried to see the Ultra on my system.? Not to be found.? I then sent Erik a private message.? He alerted me to lsusb.? I had never herd of the command and loaded it to my system.? For those not having it, get lsusb!!!? lsusb showed no Ultra.? Now what?? Well first a number of exchanges with Erik.? I measured a few voltage points (all correct).? Then I thought ‘try a different cable’. ? Suddenly everything worked and my Ultra was back in commission.

?

To be truthful, 23 times I did above; I’m a slow learner. ? Before I retired, my job was to repair various machinery.? I know wires, cables and especially wires within casings break.? Why it took me three days in total to remember ‘wires break’ is beyond me.

?

I want to thank Erik for his patience!!!

I recently purchased noise source from an eBay vendor in China for the purpose of making filter measurements with my TinySA or TinySA Ultra. The specification on the case of the noise source indicates a range of 0.001-3000 MHz. I have completed some preliminary measurements using my TinySA Ultra and it appears that the power output over most of the 0 to 800 MHz range is approximately -40 dBm except at the lower frequencies in the range where it jumps up to perhaps +20 dBm. I suspected that the output of the noise source contained a DC component but I measured 0 volts DC with my DMM. If I divide the spectrum into three channels, most of the power is contained in the lower third of the range as one might suspect.

If I place an external 30 dB attenuator in the RF path and manually set the internal attenuator to 0 dB, the power output at the low end of the noise spectrum does not exceed 0 dBm. Will this allow me to make the filter response measurements that I intended to make?

Any comments or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

The current demand for the ultra outpaces the planned manufacturing capacity.
Furthermore COVID in China is disrupting logistics? and we soon we will reach Chinese new year.
Expect low availability?
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On Tue, Dec 20, 2022 at 09:34 AM, Larry McElhiney wrote:

Could we please focus further posts to the TinySA and TinySA Ultra products so that everyone can benefit from the technical and support discussions?

We do, Larry, in other threads. I ordered (and quickly received) my Ultra from R&L after learning, from a thread like this one, that the 'Not in stock' status doesn't necessarily mean 'not in stock'.
?
--
John AE5X

Hi Folks,

At some point in time the TinySA Ultra supply will meet the exceptional demand and everyone will have the opportunity to purchase from their vendor of choice.?

In the mean time discussing your favorite vendor or least favorite vendor brings no value to this group. ?Whether you choose to order directly from a Chinese “Amazon-like” distributor or exclusively from your favorite in-country vendor is totally your own choice.

Could we please focus further posts to the TinySA and TinySA Ultra products so that everyone can benefit from the technical and support discussions?

Thanks!

Larry
AC9OX

Thank you everyone for the input.

And NO I will not deal with overseas asian websites either, they are slow and sometimes not easy to navigate, huge time zone differences and the possibility of facing complicated language barriers if something goes wrong, or even worst case scenario the item needs to be returned do not make it worth my while one bit. Much easier to deal with someone right in the US with reliable good reputation and a quick phone call away if needed has no price. Plus all those chinese websites are choke full of stupid and useless javascript code from the user perspective, plus all the hidden tracker codes that these sites are actively trying to cram down into your browser is astonishing to say the least and slow down the whole process. Or in my case even get blocked on a properly highly secured computer configured for maximum isolation and allow zero annoying adverts. So absolutely never will try to deal with them ever again.

In any event zero hurry here, so I will wait until the Ultra are back in stock at R&L, and also skip the crazy Xmas shipping season which seems so far has turned out to be this years at? least twice as horrible as in previous years due to all the shipping volume currently out there.

Hi John,
Using FREQ/FREQ SHIFT you can correct for the upconverter shift by setting the actual start frequency to 0Hz
After enabling the shift, all frequencies displayed should be as before the upconverter
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Go to tinysa.org, read up how to enable the ultra mode, after enabling it, enter the frequency and span of interest and go for it.

开云体育

Hi Experimenters,

Msgs on the tinySA (aka: Ultra) have been coming fast and furious. "The Boss" described a 10GHz horn and even Mario Vano showed a 10G signal on the Ultra. (I may have gotten confused on some of these issues but....) My question is this: Can somebody point me in the right direction regarding the way to extend or measure that 10GHz signal. I have several of these 10G horns and would like to test them. Thanks for any info anybody can pass along.

Mike C. Sand Mtn GA

What I have:

As I stated above, after waiting (for unknown reasons) I ordered (from R&L) on December 9.? Today I received an email that my unit had shipped today (December 19).? UPS says expected delivery date is December 23.? Happiness and joy, I'm getting a new toy for Christmas!

Here is the 50khz signal at -50dbm

Hi all,?
A while back I bought the BG7TBL ,SA Low Frequency Converter to look at? low frequency signals with my? old spectrum analyzer that had a lowest input frequency of 1Mhz. It sat idle in a box for the last couple of years.
Today I resurrected it to play with the TinySA ultra.
Turning on the cal output and setting it to 10Mhz I connected the converter through a 20db amplifier to the 10Mhz sync input of the converter. The RF output? of the converter is connected to the RF input of the TinySA through a 3db attenuator to have a -11dbm signal read ~-11dbm on the TinySA. The value isn't accurate but the closest what I have.


The low frequency can be observed from 10Mhz on. Here is a 200Khz signal displayed on the TinySA App.


And here is a 50khz signal. Both are at ~ -11dbm from my HP signal generator. The settings on the TinySA could be tweaked but I wanted to keep it at default for those tests.

John

I would like to use the TinySA and a noise source to align a Band Pass Filter in a homemade transceiver, -nothing very detailed, just adjusting the centre of the Pass Band to be at the required frequency and then peaking the response curve.? My homemade noise source delivers about 0.5 volts across a 50 ohm load, [the same as the input impedance of the TinySA] which I calculate, from 'V squared over R' to be about 5mW.? Does this require reduction with an external attenuator before applying it to the BPF and thence to the TinySA?

In his video #39 on this subject Erik applies a noise source straight to the Low input of the TinySA, and also sets the internal attenuation to 0dB, but the video is full of warnings about the total power of the noise source being fed to the internal mixer, not just the narrow band of power around the frequencies of the BPF that is being examined.

Apologies if this question has been asked before but I don't want to destroy the TinySA on its first job!

Thank you
Jim M0GJD

Earlier in the year I emailed R&L about expected delivery of an out of stock item and after about a week with no response, I texted them and received a reply back within an hour. Since then, I had texted them with questions a a couple more times and always received timely responses.

73,

John K5QX