Spectrum Manager IX Screen Samples

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Traffic Analysis Tools

Spectrum Analysis Tools

Monitoring Tools

Trunking Tools

Data Logging

Other Features

Traffic Analysis Tools

Band Occupancy Scope

Band Occupancy Scope - The Band Occupancy Scope is intended to give a quick picture of channel usage in a frequency band. This is useful in locating quiet channels for use in licensing or frequency coordination efforts.

Export to Traffic Analyzer - A key feature of the Band Occupancy Scope is the ability to prepare files for use with the traffic analyzer.

Traffic Analyzer

Traffic Analyzer - The Traffic Analyzer tool is used to gather accurate statistics on one or more channels. The Traffic Analyzer is typically used to determine the occupancy of a number of candidate channels. Use the Band Occupancy Scope (above) to identify candidate channels for the study. All statistics (detail and summary) are recorded in dBase format for easy reporting using a spreadsheet or database tool.

Signal Data Recorder

Signal Data Recorder - The Signal Data Recorder is used to take periodic measurements of one or more channels. This tool is particularly useful in coverage mapping, propagation studies, antenna measurements and spectrum management (enforcement).

Spectrum Analysis Tools

Spectrum Analyzer

Spectrum Analyzer - The Spectrum Analyzer is used to view signal strength in a band.

Band Scope

Band Scope - The Band Scope is a versatile tool that can be used to monitor a range of channels in a band. A threshold level may be set that allows various actions to be taken when a signal in the band exceeds the threshold. Monitoring, recording, logging and alarm triggering may all be specified. In addition, the Band Scope includes a signal power profile view that is useful in identifying co-channel users. The Band Scope is particularly useful in law enforcement applications.

Interference Correlator

Interference Correlator -  The Interference Correlator uses a coincident event correlation technique to identify unknown signals that are causing interference. Typical uses include identification of unknown transmitters causing third-order inter-modulation products.

Monitoring Tools

Standard Scanning

Standard Scan Status Display - This is the standard display for scanning. This screen shot was taken while receiving the ATIS broadcast from San Jose International airport. This window can be sized and minimized. By choosing a small font and sizing the window, only a small amount of desktop area is consumed, allowing other Windows applications to run.

Radio Control with Audio Recording History

Mini Status Window - This window can be used while other scanning windows are minimized. The message in the blue area updates as scanning progresses. A unique attribute of this window is its small features. Although hard to see here, the choice of font will allow sizing smaller than other windows. Since this is a "always on top" window, you can place the Mini Status window over the title bar of another window.

Portion of Tactical Display - This is the upper left quarter of a Tactical Display window. Since the Tactical Display is a full screen (maximized) window, including the entire image here would result in an image viewable on only a few systems. The area at the bottom left is the history list, and shows the most recent stations received. The columns on the right list all channels in the scan list. Using a small font will allow more channels to be displayed. Both the channel and history lists scroll. Clicking the mouse on a channel entry (in the program, not here) will allow scan/skip, alarms, priority and other settings to be changed while scanning.

A major feature of the Tactical Display is the ability to quickly tailor the monitoring environment as the situation changes. The green box in each cell is actually a status button and indicator. Green means the channel is currently enabled for scanning. Red means skip (locked out). Changing the setting is as easy as clicking on the button with the mouse. When you click the mouse button on another part of the cell, Scan*Star locks all the other channels out, allowing you to focus on just that one channel. Other channels can be unlocked by clicking on their respective status buttons.

For example, suppose you are listening to your standard scan program when an incident occurs that requires your attention, and you want to focus your scanning on four channels, ignoring all other. To do this, you click the mouse button on the cell of the first channel, then click the status button of the remaining three channels. Scan*Star will then scan only these four selected channels. When focused scanning is no longer needed, you click on the Reset button. The Reset button returns all channels to their original state.

Complete Tactical Display - This very large image may not be viewable on your system, or may appear distorted. The yellow rectangle is a pop-up information window that displays information about the object underneath the cursor.

The Scan List - The scan list tells Spectrum Manager what to scan. Up to 25 Groups, Search Ranges and Single Channels can be referenced from a single scan list. You can create any number of scan list files, facilitating incident-related scanning. Spectrum Manager also uses the scan list to determine which entries are logged or recorded.

Trunking Data Analyzer - The Trunking Data Analyzer decodes the control channel of a trunking system and displays system information, talk groups and activity.

ID List - The ID list identifies user ID codes for trunking systems.

Fleet Map and System Type - Each Scan*Star bank can have channels for one trunking system and any number of non-trunking channels. The Fleet Map dialog box allows the user to select the trunking system type, and in the case of Motorola Type I or hybrid systems, the fleet mapping.

Spectrum Manager supports several forms of intercept logging. All log methods can be operating at the same time.

Intercept logging is supported with the following tools:

• Standard and trunked scanning
• Traffic Analysis
• Signal Data Recorder
• Band scope

Log Selection - Intercept logging is controlled through the log setup dialog:

ASCII Text Format - ASCII text files suitable for printing, editing or importation into spreadsheets or database programs. Logged data includes frequency, channel name, mode, air time, date and time. Signal strength is provided if the associated radio provides it. If PL, DPL or DTMF tones are decoded, they are included in the log. here are some sample ASCII lines:

Comma Delimited Format (.CSD) - Comma delimited files are suitable for printing, editing or importation into spreadsheets or database programs. Logged data includes frequency, channel name, mode, air time, date and time. Signal strength is provided if the associated radio provides it. If PL, DPL or DTMF tones are decoded, they are included in the log.

Binary Format - The binary log format is intended for special purposes where log data will be directly processed by other software applications. The binary log format is documented in the Spectrum Manager User Manual.

dBase Format - Spectrum Manager can write log data to dBase database files. Since most spreadsheets can work with database files directly, data analysis and reporting is easy and convenient. In addition, custom programs for reporting or customer billing can be built using industry standard software tools. Use dBase format when you need to transfer data to other applications, such as mapping software. The following screen shows a dBase log file created by Spectrum Manager being edited by the dBase file feature of Spectrum Manager.

Other Features

Digital Audio Logger

Digital Audio Logger - The Digital Audio Logger allows received audio from one or more radios to be recorded to hard disk using a sound card. Each sound bite is recorded with complete time and channel information. As you play back recorded audio, the actual time of intercept is displayed along with the frequency, PL/DPL tone and channel identification. Fast forward and rewind buttons are provided for quick browsing. Audio compression is used to minimize the amount of hard disk space used. Any Windows compatible sound card can be used.

Audio Manager

Compression - Audio compression is a technology that reduces the amount of raw data by removing some information and collapsing redundant sequences of repeated data. This is known as lossy compression. Dramatic reductions in the amount of disk space can be achieved at the expense of processor time and delay. As the level of compression increases, the amount of time required by the processor to perform the compression increases. Since compression always results in the loss of some data, distortion of the original signal occurs. The greater the amount of compression the mode distorted the sound will be on playback.

The sampling rate is the rate at which the audio signal is sampled, and determines the frequency response of the recorded sound. High rates result in high frequency response but require huge amounts of disk space. Rates as high as 44 KHz are used for CD quality audio, but most radio transmissions can use 8 KHz, or even 4 KHz.

Various compression techniques and data sampling rates are available, and vary depending upon the type of CODEC chip on your sound card, the compression mode supported by the sound card driver and the version of Windows you have installed. Some common compression and sampling rate combinations are shown here for comparison. The combinations you have on your computer may be different.

FORMAT	SAMPLING RATE	AVERAGE DATA RATE
PCM	11 KHz Mono	11 Kb/Sec
PCM	22 KHz Stereo	86 Kb/Sec
ADPCM	8 KHz Mono	4 Kb/Sec
ADPCM	44 KHz Stereo	43 Kb/Sec

Data Management

Scan Groups - Groups are database files organized as banks of channels. The fields available in a group are determined by the type of radio used.

Search Ranges - Range files describe a frequency band that will be used in search operations.  At a minimum a range consists of the start, stop and step frequencies, and the reception mode. Like group files, the fields available in a group are determined by the type of radio used.

Intercept History - The last 20 intercepts are saved in each channel and search range.

Global Radio Settings - You can view or change global radio settings on a number of different radio types.

Radio Calibration

Radio Calibration - The radio calibration tool allows a receiver's RSSI curve to be measured and recorded. When a radio is calibrated using this tool, all signal strength measurements reported by Spectrum Manager are corrected using the calibration data.

Configuration

System Configuration - All configuration of Spectrum Manager is done through the System Configuration dialog.

Radio Configuration - Up to 10 receivers can be connected and operated by Spectrum Manager. Simultaneous operation is possible provided that sufficient serial ports are available to connect each radio.