RF tools utils

This repository is a script toolbox to interact with RF tools like the RF Power Monitor 8000 or the RF Explorer.

Installation

The scripts in the repo use python 3.X and are meant to be used from a Linux machine. The best way to set up the work environment is using virtualenv. You will also need python-tk.

sudo apt-get install python-tk
sudo pip install virtualenv

Then prepare your workspace:

git clone https://github.com/xoseperez/rf-tools
cd rf-tools
virtualenv --python=python3.5 .env
. ./.env/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

And you are ready to go...

Tools

Power Monitor 8000

The Power Monitor 8000 is an RF power monitor with a wide range (up to 8GHz) and impressive quality for it's price. You can read more about it in my post about RF power monitor tools on the cheap.

The pm8000.py script reads the data from the Power Monitor 8000 via USB port and dumps it in a CSV like style with a timestamp and the amplitude of the signal. You can set the center frequency (integer, MHz) and offset (float, dB) form the command line.

$ python pm8000.py -f 169 -o -20.0
timestamp,amplitude
...
002257,-72.4
002383,-72.4
002509,-72.4
002635,-72.4
002760,-72.4
002886,-72.5
003012,-72.4
003138,-72.4
003264,-72.5
003389,-21.8
003515,-72.4
003641,-72.4
...

RF Explorer

The rfexplorer.py script allows you to get data from you RF Explorer Handheld Spectrum Analyzer in different ways. The first thing you can do is to get the help from the device:

$ python rfexplorer.py -h
usage: rfexplorer.py [-h] [-m {peak,swipe,plot}] [-r] [-c FREQ_CENTER]
                     [-s FREQ_SPAN] [-d DURATION] [-p PORT]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -m {peak,swipe,plot}  output mode
  -r                    reset RF Explorer
  -c FREQ_CENTER        frequency center
  -s FREQ_SPAN          frequency span
  -d DURATION           monitor for these many seconds
  -p PORT               USB port to use, otherwise will try to find it

Usage examples:

Monitor and print peaks from 862.5 to 873.7 for 60 seconds
    python rfexplorer.py -c 868.1 -s 11.2 -t 60

Plot range of frequencies in real time
    python rfexplorer.py -m plot

(c) 2019-2021 Xose Prez (@xoseperez)

The three different modes have different outputs. The peak mode is the default one and it's equivalent to the one in the pm8000 script above:

$ python rfexplorer.py 
Detected COM ports:
  * /dev/ttyS4
  * /dev/ttyUSB0
/dev/ttyS4 is a valid available port.
/dev/ttyUSB0 is a valid available port.
RF Explorer Valid Ports found: 2 - /dev/ttyS4 /dev/ttyUSB0 
User COM port: /dev/ttyUSB0
Connected: /dev/ttyUSB0, 500000 bauds
RF Explorer 01.28 05-Apr-19 01.04.05
Received RF Explorer device model info:#C2-M:003,005,01.28
#QA:0
New Freq range - buffer cleared.
Frequency center: 868.1MHz start: 862.5MHz stop: 873.7MHz span: 11.2MHz
timestamp,frequency,amplitude
Device serial number: B3A4EML7353958JE
New Freq range - buffer cleared.
001318,869.97,-104.0
001402,869.97,-104.5
001484,869.56,-104.0
001626,865.93,-104.5
001718,869.97,-102.0
001840,869.76,-106.0
001957,866.94,-100.5
002079,869.97,-101.0
002196,868.55,-104.0
002298,868.76,-104.0
002415,869.97,-103.0
002533,869.97,-103.0
002655,869.97,-103.0
002772,869.97,-103.0

The swipe mode will output full range data for the scanned frequencies as a CSV file too:

$ python rfexplorer.py -m swipe
Detected COM ports:
  * /dev/ttyS4
  * /dev/ttyUSB0
/dev/ttyS4 is a valid available port.
/dev/ttyUSB0 is a valid available port.
RF Explorer Valid Ports found: 2 - /dev/ttyS4 /dev/ttyUSB0 
User COM port: /dev/ttyUSB0
Connected: /dev/ttyUSB0, 500000 bauds
RF Explorer 01.28 05-Apr-19 01.04.05
Received RF Explorer device model info:#C2-M:003,005,01.28
#QA:0
New Freq range - buffer cleared.
Frequency center: 868.1MHz start: 862.5MHz stop: 873.7MHz span: 11.2MHz
Device serial number: B3A4EML7353958JE
timestamp,862.50,862.60,862.70,862.80,862.90,863.00,863.11,863.21,863.31,863.41,863.51,863.61,863.71,863.81,863.91,864.01,864.11,864.22,864.32,864.42,864.52,864.62,864.72,864.82,864.92,865.02,865.12,865.22,865.33,865.43,865.53,865.63,865.73,865.83,865.93,866.03,866.13,866.23,866.33,866.44,866.54,866.64,866.74,866.84,866.94,867.04,867.14,867.24,867.34,867.44,867.54,867.65,867.75,867.85,867.95,868.05,868.15,868.25,868.35,868.45,868.55,868.65,868.76,868.86,868.96,869.06,869.16,869.26,869.36,869.46,869.56,869.66,869.76,869.87,869.97,870.07,870.17,870.27,870.37,870.47,870.57,870.67,870.77,870.87,870.98,871.08,871.18,871.28,871.38,871.48,871.58,871.68,871.78,871.88,871.98,872.09,872.19,872.29,872.39,872.49,872.59,872.69,872.79,872.89,872.99,873.09,873.20,873.30,873.40,873.50,873.60,873.70
000000,-116.0,-116.0,-109.0,-115.5,-116.0,-113.0,-114.5,-109.0,-113.0,-116.0,-115.0,-116.0,-110.5,-116.0,-110.5,-112.5,-116.0,-113.5,-114.0,-116.0,-116.0,-112.0,-116.0,-114.0,-116.0,-113.0,-111.5,-112.5,-113.5,-111.0,-113.5,-116.0,-113.5,-116.0,-111.0,-112.5,-111.0,-113.0,-113.5,-115.0,-115.0,-116.0,-116.0,-109.0,-115.5,-115.0,-116.0,-112.5,-110.5,-115.0,-113.0,-107.0,-116.0,-113.5,-116.0,-116.0,-113.5,-109.5,-116.0,-116.0,-115.0,-116.0,-116.0,-116.0,-114.0,-115.0,-112.5,-116.0,-113.0,-116.0,-116.0,-116.0,-112.0,-113.5,-105.0,-108.5,-116.0,-107.0,-112.5,-112.5,-106.0,-116.0,-110.0,-116.0,-116.0,-116.0,-113.5,-116.0,-111.0,-115.0,-116.0,-115.0,-116.0,-116.0,-114.0,-112.0,-113.5,-107.5,-115.5,-116.0,-113.0,-115.5,-114.5,-113.0,-113.0,-116.0,-113.0,-116.0,-113.0,-114.5,-114.5,-116.0

Finally the plot mode mimics the screen of the RF Explorer in your computer:

$ python rfexplorer.py -m plot
Detected COM ports:
  * /dev/ttyS4
  * /dev/ttyUSB0
/dev/ttyS4 is a valid available port.
/dev/ttyUSB0 is a valid available port.
RF Explorer Valid Ports found: 2 - /dev/ttyS4 /dev/ttyUSB0 
User COM port: /dev/ttyUSB0
Connected: /dev/ttyUSB0, 500000 bauds
RF Explorer 01.28 05-Apr-19 01.04.05
Received RF Explorer device model info:#C2-M:003,005,01.28
#QA:0
New Freq range - buffer cleared.
Frequency center: 868.1MHz start: 862.5MHz stop: 873.7MHz span: 11.2MHz
Device serial number: B3A4EML7353958JE

License

Copyright (C) 2019-2021 by Xose Prez (@xoseperez)

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.