Spectrum Master™ MS271xE User Guide : Quick Start Guide : Spectrum Analyzer
 
Spectrum Analyzer
Set the instrument to Spectrum Analyzer mode as described in Measurement Mode Selection.
Set the Frequency
Set Start and Stop Frequencies
1. Press the Freq main menu key.
2. Press the Start Freq submenu key.
3. Enter the desired start frequency using the keypad, the arrow keys, or the rotary knob. When entering a frequency using the keypad, the submenu key labels change to GHz, MHz, kHz, and Hz. Press the appropriate unit key. Pressing the Enter key has the same affect as pressing the MHz submenu key.
4. Press the Stop Freq submenu key.
5. Enter the desired stop frequency.
Set the Center Frequency
1. Press the Freq main menu key.
2. Press the Center Freq submenu key.
3. Enter the desired center frequency using the keypad, the arrow keys, or the rotary knob. When entering a frequency using the keypad, the submenu key labels change to GHz, MHz, kHz, and Hz. Press the appropriate unit key. Pressing the Enter key has the same affect as pressing the MHz submenu key.
The center frequency and span is shown at the bottom of the screen.
Select a Signal Standard
1. Press the Freq main menu key.
2. Press the Signal Standard submenu key. The Signal Standards dialog box opens.
3. Highlight a signal standard and press Enter to select.
4. Press the Channel submenu key to change the channel value in the Channel Editor.
The signal standard is shown in yellow at the top of the screen.
Set the Frequency Offset
1. Press the Freq main menu key.
2. Press the Step Size & Other submenu key.
3. Press the Freq Offset submenu key and enter the desired frequency offset using the keypad, the arrow keys, or the rotary knob. When entering a frequency using the keypad, the submenu key labels change to GHz, MHz, kHz, and Hz. Press the appropriate unit key. Pressing the Enter key has the same affect as pressing the MHz submenu key.
4. Offset will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. The Center Freq, Start Freq, and Stop Freq keys will also indicate that a frequency offset has been turned on.
5. Set the Freq Offset to 0 Hz to remove the frequency offset.
Note 
The Freq Offset will affect the displayed values of frequencies, Markers and Limits. The currently frequency offset value is displayed on the Freq Offset submenu key, located under the Freq main menu > Step Size & Offset submenu.
 
Set the Measurement Frequency Bandwidth
1. Press the BW main menu key to display the BW menu.
Press the RBW and/or the VBW submenu key to manually change the values.
Set RBW and VBW automatically by pressing the Auto RBW submenu key or the Auto VBW submenu key.
2. Press the RBW/VBW submenu key to change the resolution bandwidth and video bandwidth ratio.
3. Press the Span/RBW submenu key to change the span width to resolution bandwidth ratio.
Set the Amplitude
Press the Amplitude main menu key to display the Amplitude menu.

Set Amplitude Reference Level and Scale
1. Press the Reference Level submenu key and use the arrow keys, rotary knob, or the keypad to change the reference level. Press Enter to set the reference level value.
2. Press the Scale submenu key and use the arrow keys, rotary knob, or the keypad to enter the desired scale. Press Enter to set the scale value.

Set Amplitude Range and Scale
1. Press the Auto Atten submenu key to set an optimal reference level based on the measured signal.
2. Press the Scale submenu key.
3. Enter the desired scale units by using the keypad, the arrow keys, or the rotary knob. Press Enter to set. The y-axis scale is automatically renumbered.
Reference Level Offset for External Loss or External Gain
To obtain accurate measurements, compensate for any external attenuation or gain by using the RL Offset submenu. The compensation factor is in dB. External attenuation can be created by using an external cable or an external high power attenuator, external gain is typically from an amplifier.
To adjust the reference level for either gain or loss, press the RL Offset submenu key and enter a positive dB value and then press the appropriate submenu key (dB External Gain or dB External Loss). The new RL Offset value will be displayed on the instrument and reference level is adjusted.
Set the Span
1. Press the Span main menu key or the Freq main menu key followed by the Span submenu key.
2. To select full span, press the Full Span submenu key. Selecting full span overrides any previously set Start and Stop frequencies.
3. For a single frequency measurement, press the Zero Span submenu key.
Note 
To quickly move the span value up or down, press the Span Up 1-2-5 or Span Down 1-2-5 submenu keys These keys facilitate a zoom-in, zoom-out feature in a 1-2-5 sequence.