$300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio

from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com

Using the RSP1 – Radio Spectrum Processor
us 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
with your Transceiver as a Panadapter
C
al bandwidth
(excluding taxes and shipping)

establish a win-win relationship for US

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Contents
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com

• What is a Panadapter?
• Almost contiguous 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12 bit native ADC
• Hardware Requirements
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)
• Antenna considerations / system architecture
SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US
• Software requirements
distribution.
• For more information

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What is a Panadapter?
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
• “Panadapter is short for Panoramic Adapter. The simple
• Almost contiguous
answer100 KHz
is that to 2 GHz
it allows us toRadio Spectrumdisplay
see a panoramic coverage
of the
• 12 bit native band
ADC our radio is tuned to. We can see every signal”*.
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
• Early implementations used a PC soundcard to achieve this
• $149 retail price (excluding
function but weretaxes and shipping)
therefore limited to 200 kHz of
bandwidth because they rely on the sound card.
SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US
distribution. • The advent of affordable SDR hardware such as the RSP1
has allowed implementations with much greater
bandwidth, and hence much more usefulness.
• The RSP (Radio Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay is a
Software Defined Radio which can turn a PC into a general
coverage receiver or spectrum analyser spanning Medium
Wave (100KHz) through to Microwaves (2GHz).
• Combined with readily available, and capable, SDR
software Panadapters are now an affordable and easy to
implement reality!
* Definition courtesy KA9MOT http://mypanadapter.com/
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Hardware Requirements
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
• An RSP1 –• to acquire signals across the frequencies of interest.
Almost contiguous 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12- bit
• A Transceiver native ADC
preferably with either RxOut or IF Out capabilities, and
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
CAT (Computer Aided Transceiver) capability to allow interaction with the
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)
SDR software.

• A PC – to run
SDRplay would
the SDR like toand
software establish a win-win
allow control relationship
signals for and
to pass back US
distribution.
forth between the SDR software and the transceiver.

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Antenna Considerations
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
• The RSP1 can Spectrum
share the same antenna
Processor) as SDRplay
from your transceiver, or in some situations
www.sdrplay.com
you may prefer to use an entirely separate antenna.
• Almost contiguous 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• If a separate antenna is used care must be taken with the physical layout to
• 12 bit native ADC
ensure that near-field effects do not overload the RSP1 when you are
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
transmitting from the transceiver.
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)
- See this article for a discussion of near-field effects: http://www.w8ji.com/antenna_coupling.htm

• SDRplay
If a shared antenna would
is used like to
it may establish
either a win-win
be connected relationship
“behind” for US
the transceiver,
in which case distribution.
internal circuitry in the transceiver will protect the RSP1, or using a
splitter “in front of” the transceiver. If a splitter is used it is essential that a
switch is implemented that isolates the RSP1 from the antenna during transmit!
• In any configuration the maximum input power to the RSP1 must not exceed
0dBm
• On the following slides we will look at these configurations in more detail

DO NOT directly connect the RSP to the same antenna as your transmitter, or to an antenna in the near field of a
transmitting antenna, as this is likely to result in irreversible damage to your RSP and invalidate your warranty.
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Antenna Considerations
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
Separate antenna
• Care must be taken • with the
Almost physical layout
contiguous 100 KHz to ensure that
to 2 GHz near-field
Radio effects
Spectrum do
coverage
not overload the • RSP1 12 bitwhen youADC
native are transmitting from the transceiver.
- See this article •for a discussion
Up to 8 of MHz signal
near-field bandwidth
effects: http://www.w8ji.com/antenna_coupling.htm
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)
Near-field coupling
SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US
distribution.

DO NOT directly connect the RSP to an antenna in the near field of a transmitting antenna,
as this is likely to result in irreversible damage to your RSP and invalidate your warranty.
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Antenna Considerations
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum
Shared antenna usingProcessor)
splitter from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
• A switch must•be used to isolate
Almost the RSP
contiguous 1001 KHz
during
to 2transmit!
GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12 bit native ADC
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)

SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US

distribution.
Isolation
Switch
Splitter

PTT

DO NOT directly connect the RSP to the same antenna as your transmitter as this is
likely to result in irreversible damage to your RSP and invalidate your warranty.
www.sdrplay.com
Antenna Considerations
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum
Shared antenna Processor)
“behind” the from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
transceiver
• Internal circuitry
• isolates
Almostthecontiguous
RSP1 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12 bit native ADC
• Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)

SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US

distribution.
IF or RF
Out

IF Out: - Displayed bandwidth limited by transceiver on-board filters

- RSP1 tuned to IF frequency
RF Out: - RSP1 can display up to the full 8MHz bandwidth capability

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Software Requirements
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com
• Any of the SDR Software programs that support RSP1 can be used to
• spectrum
provide a basic Almost contiguous
display. 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12 bit native ADC
• HDSDR and SDR
• Console
Up have
to 8 MHz built-in
signal capabilities for CAT and other
bandwidth
add-on software,
• to allow
$149 retailfor communication
price (excluding taxesbetween the SDR
and shipping)
software and the transceiver.
SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US
• Ham Radio Deluxe and OmniRig are commonly used for advanced
distribution.
implementations.
• We recommend you research the available options and select
according to your expectations and requirements:
HDSDR: www.hdsdr.de
SDR-Console: www.sdr-radio.com
CubicSDR: cubicsdr.com
Ham Radio Deluxe: ham-radio-deluxe.com
OmniRig: www.dxatlas.com/omnirig/
N4PY: http://www.n4py.com/

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For more information:
Best in class SDR sub $300 radio receiver – the RSP (Radio
Spectrum Processor) from SDRplay www.sdrplay.com

• Company website:
• Almostwww.sdrplay.com
contiguous 100 KHz to 2 GHz Radio Spectrum coverage
• 12 bit native ADC
• Community• Forums: www.sdrplay.com/community/
Up to 8 MHz signal bandwidth
• $149 retail price (excluding taxes and shipping)
• Email: support@sdrplay.com
SDRplay would like to establish a win-win relationship for US
– US customers: support-us@sdrplay.com
distribution.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sdrplay/
– Independent group run by enthusiastic users!

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