TSP #159 - Siglent SVA1032X 3.2GHz Spectrum & Vector Network Analyzer Review, Teardown & Experiments

I would like one of these one day 🙂or his little brother 1015X. Few days ago I got an old Tektronix 2712. Very interesting to see the combo devices, SA and VNA. I don't know very well what are the most expensive equipment is able to do these days, but I could imagine we get "all-in-one" (scope, SA, VNA..), as they get more and more real-time devices these days.

Hi, very grateful for all your details analysis. At 11'47" you mentioned the 3rd mixer, and before you said SAW filter (the big white block)? I understood they: switch, LPF, up-convert, BPF, then down-convert, then SAW-filter.

The fact that the trace is not completely straight but slightly twisted, is that normal at a frequency analyzer and in that case why?

Thanks for this great video! Unfortunately, I burnt the RF input of my SSA1032x. I suspect the input switch HMC1118, but may be also the other IC's U3 and/or U5 marked 959Q. Impossible for me to find the relevant datashhet. Do you know what are these IC's and their commercial reference? Thank you in advance.

👍👍

I just bought one of these for amateur use, and your video was a great way to see what some of the less basic functions do. Many thanks for your efforts in this.

Wow, great review!

Excellent Review. Thanks!

HAHA, i just did a curious Teardown of my rigol dsa 1000 and this Siglent is almost a complete rip of!
Just a view differences but overall the same components and signal flow.

Nice job Signal Path!

Great presentation and fantastic content. I do have one of these, I got the VNA licence included in the base price. All the other functions are subject to 128 hours trial use, which is substantial. I've had to use the DTF function just once - I had a bad match on a 1296Mhz antenna. The DTF took me right to a kink in the feeder. Really good piece of kit. I had hoped you might have commented on the noise floor of the VNA function, but maybe another time. Thanks for a great video.

what is the substrate material at top layer of the pcb ?

Very impressive. But what I missed is to pointing out which of the features are optional, not included in the standard configuration. Regards.

Dear Shahriar may I please ask you what the différance is between a vector signal analyzer and a vector network analyzer?
I have used several weeks to try to find out, but it does not look like anyone is writing about it.
I hope to start learning about component and board impedance and what does what and what it means for the signal. :-)

Absolutely fantastic videos as always!

Can you do a video on the operating principle of this tuner and how to use it to find the L and C to match your amp? Also, is it possible to use it to match over a wider frequency? That seems to be just for one frequency.

Using such a tiny little dot to point out around the board during you excellent explanation results in having to concentrate on "find the dot" rather than what you are saying. Lines OK but dots not.

Can't believe you can get this for $1500 with hacking

Dear Signal Path, please do a review of the NanoVNA-f or the NanoVNA-SSA2N (N-Connector version). We need someone with professional instruments to get an exact idea of limitations and performance. Thank you in advance.

You mentioned you can measure S(1,2) and S(2,1). Can you also get S(1,1) and S(2,2)? Would be great to have for measuring the port impedances, e.g. the mismatch.

You talk really fast

Hi, it would be very interesting to see how SVA1032X compares to new Rigol RSA3000N. I'm slowly gathering info which one is better to buy :)

3000 Dollars ?!? I thought it was 30,000, 50,000. Amazing new technology and products

Thank You, I can enjoy things I cant afford. Wonderful

Very great review. And very great machine for 5K bucks. The same from another 1st division brands start from the double.

very very helpful to understand spectrum analyzer. thank you for sharing such videos.

which spectrum analyzer is recommended for identifying chemical elements of a material (by optical, by thermal, ...)?

Nice! just Nice! looks like the SVA1032X is basically a modified or enhanced SSA3012X where the modification is the reflection bridge on the TG an, of course, the receiver board modified accordingly. I really like your tutorials... on the spot, easy to listen to, not too much information but just enough to stay connected to the subject. hence very good to follow. Thank you very much for the time you take to share your findings. It really helps a lot. Thank you!
P.S.

I really love your work! Thank you for your effort!

Sadly I cannot afford this "low-cost" SA at this time but I picked up a NanoVNA-F last week and it's been quite fun to use. I don't have a true reference comparison but the NanoVNA-F seems very accurate relative to its cost. If you have time to check one out I'd love to hear your review!

Hello, You produce very good video topic, with devices measuring always very good .. but you speak far too fast I have a lot of trouble understanding you, I'm French, and even the automatic translator does not understand everything. Can you speak less quickly thank you.

Ok, I am done. Watched all videos on this channel, put thumb up everywhere. It took about 2 months but I am absolutely satisfied. Thank you for your work)

Hello . Dove è il gatto?
Best regards

I would be so happy if this would make a German channel ... in German ;-)

I wonder if RF labs all over the world will be getting rid of some of their older but better specked analyzers when 5G race will force them to make room for a new hardware ;)

Apologies if this comes up later in the video, but why are we upconverting to above 3.2GHz? Simply because it's easier to filter such high frequencies (in which case I guess because of the smaller capacities and inductances, making the distributed element filters take less space)? Or something else entirely?

nice job sir 👍 🙏

The purple cursor was very very hard to follow on mobile I had to pause and go back several times to see what where you highlighting

The source output is fixed? So this means it can't do amplitude sweeps, so no IP or compression measurements? It would also be interesting to see if or how the impedance of port 2 changes during the internal switching during a sweep.

Thx for the review, solid as always. What is your opinion comparing SVA1032x vs R&S FPC1500. Officially optioned up (w/ current R&S offer) current pricing does not differ that much.

If you have the Rigol VSWR bridge from your 1030A days does it fit the input ports of the Siglent? I'd hate to have to buy that accessory all over again!

The line on the smith chart is because the 1032 is measuring a very poor RL of the amp at very low freq. The first sample is at 100kHz and is poor. The freq steps are large and so the second sample is closer to the middle of the chart, and the 1032 just draws a line between the two samples.
It is just visible on the S11 return loss graph at the extreme left, close to 100kHz, where the trace turns sharply upwards. Perhaps it is a limitation of the 1032X at that freq.

Thanks!!!!

I have to say, this is probably the best circuit explanation I have heard from you. This is truly amazing! Thank you!

Great video 👍 D.shahriar , I like the detailed analysis of the circuit , pls keep upload videos regularly .

Thank you for the very informative review (as ever). It does help a lot on the purchase decision. I did know about all the features of this instrument, looks nice. Once again congratulations!