Vision™ is a software application which runs on a PC/laptop using the Windows operating system (Windows 7/8/10/11). It can optionally be used with all Anritsu remote spectrum monitors (MS27100A/01A/02A/03A, and MS27201A) for monitoring, identifying, and locating interference signals. Vision is composed of two components responsible for monitoring and geo-locating signals of interest:
- Vision Monitor (option 400)
- Vision Locate (option 401)
Vision Monitor
Vision Monitor is the visible user interface for monitoring remote spectrum activity. Measurement data is provided in a variety of formats including spectrum trace data, spectrograms, tables and plots. Real-time spectrum measurements can be accessed from anywhere in the network where multiple monitors are deployed.
The Vision Monitor application is fully automated. Measurements can be captured and periodically uploaded to a database for further processing. Depending on need and storage capacity, users can store spectrum history over many months or years. Typically in a system with 1,000 probes with each probe uploading spectrum data every 15 minutes, a 30 day spectral history would require about 1 TB of storage capacity.
All spectrum measurement databases are searchable, allowing the user to quickly locate patterns of signal activity relevant to an investigation. The spectrum history can also potentially be used in legal proceedings for documenting illegal or unlicensed broadcast activity. Other functions provided by Vision Monitor include the following:
- Management functions for all remote spectrum monitors deployed
- Threshold and trace mask settings for alarm generation
- Intuitively make cross-pol measurements for VSAT terminals
- Reporting on spectrum integrity on a daily or weekly basis
- Visualization capability for probe positions using OpenStreetMap™
- Control capabilities for each spectrum monitor probe
- Alarm reporting showing location on map where violation occurred
- Email alerts
- Signal ID for Broadcasters
Vision Locate
Once an interferer or suspicious signal is identified, a geo-location algorithm is employed to identify the approximate position of the signal. Vision Locate provides the capability to position the interfering signal source. This enables the user to narrow down the signal source location, minimizing the time and expense for pin-pointing its position. Using OpenStreenMap™, the estimated interference position is displayed.
For interference occurring in the past, users can also use historical data to position the signal of interest. A search can be done for alarm violations that occurred at any of the spectrum monitor probes in the network. Three or more probes must be in the vicinity to detect the signal of interest in order to correctly triangulate the position. Power of Arrival (POA) algorithms are used to position the interference signal. Additionally, Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) is offered.
