UNI-T UTS5026A 26.5 GHz Performance-Series Signal Analyzer

Overview

The UNI-T UTS5026A Performance-Series Signal Analyzer covers 9 kHz to 26.5 GHz in a single instrument, with -163 dBm/Hz displayed average noise level (typical, with the UTS5000A-P26 preamp option) and -107 dBc/Hz typical phase noise at 1 GHz, 10 kHz offset. Total absolute amplitude accuracy is ±0.40 dB at 50 MHz reference. RBW resolves from 1 Hz to 8 MHz and the analyzer captures up to 100,001 sweep points per trace.

UTS5026A is built around three pillars: frequency reach through the K-band ceiling at 26.5 GHz, covering all sub-6 GHz cellular and Wi-Fi bands plus 5G mmWave-adjacent spectrum, SATCOM downlinks, and microwave point-to-point links; a quiet front end with -163 dBm/Hz typical DANL (P26 option) and -107 dBc/Hz typical phase noise that resolves low-level spurs and characterizes oscillator skirts cleanly; and a modular measurement library covering vector signal demodulation, I/Q capture, EMI pre-compliance, 5G NR and LTE air-interface decoding, dedicated phase-noise measurement, and analog AM/FM demodulation — each available as a no-expiration license unlock. Engineered for RF and microwave design teams, EMC pre-compliance benches, cellular and SATCOM development groups, and private-sector test labs.

Key Features

• 9 kHz to 26.5 GHz spectrum measurement — covers sub-6 GHz, K-band, and microwave point-to-point bands in one instrument
• DANL: -163 dBm/Hz typical (with UTS5000A-P26 preamp option, 20 MHz to 1.5 GHz, 1 Hz RBW); -150 dBm/Hz typical baseline (preamp off)
• Phase noise: -107 dBc/Hz typical at 1 GHz, 10 kHz offset
• Total absolute amplitude accuracy: ±0.40 dB at 50 MHz reference
• RBW: 1 Hz to 3 MHz in 10% steps, plus 4, 5, 6, 8 MHz wide-band settings; selectivity <4.1 : 1 nominal
• Sweep points: up to 100,001 per trace; counter resolution 0.001 Hz
• Trace detectors: Normal, Peak, Sample, Negative Peak, Log Power Average, RMS Average, Voltage Average
• Maximum safe input: +27 dBm average / +47 dBm peak (gated)
• 15.6-inch 1920×1080 multi-touch HD capacitive display
• Optional licenses: VSA (digital demod), I/Q analyzer, EMI pre-compliance, 5G NR / LTE FDD / LTE TDD demod, AMA (analog AM/FM), PNM (phase noise), AMK (advanced measurement kit), P26 (preamp gain)
• Interfaces: RF input (NMD 2.92 mm), 10 MHz Ext Ref In/Out (BNC), Ext Trigger In (BNC, TTL), HDMI 1.4, USB-A 3.0 + USB-A 2.0 Host, USB-B 2.0 Device, LAN (VXI11)
• Free firmware updates and no-expiration license unlocks
• Warranty: 3 years standard + 2 additional years with free registration (5 years total)

UNI-T UTS5026A Detailed Features

9 kHz to 26.5 GHz Frequency Coverage

The UTS5026A spectrum input covers 9 kHz at the low end and 26.5 GHz at the high end, spanning eleven internal LO frequency bands to maintain calibrated response across the full range. That single-instrument reach removes the need for separate analyzers when work moves between sub-6 GHz cellular spectrum, ISM and Wi-Fi bands, K-band SATCOM downlinks, point-to-point microwave links, and radar IF chains.

Frequency span is selectable from 0 Hz (zero-span time-domain capture) to the full 26.5 GHz range. Sweep time runs 1 ms to 4,000 s for spans ≥10 Hz, and 1 µs to 6,000 s in zero span for capturing transient events. The 10 MHz internal reference (with ±3×10⁻⁸ temperature stability) ties measurements to a stable timebase, with external 10 MHz reference in/out on rear-panel BNC for shared-clock instrument racks.

Sensitivity for Low-Level Signal Detection (DANL -163 dBm/Hz typ.)

Weak-signal work — identifying low-level spurs in oscillator output, characterizing leakage from a shielded enclosure, capturing intermittent interference — is rate-limited by how far the analyzer’s own noise floor sits below the signal of interest. UTS5026A reaches -163 dBm/Hz typical DANL in the 20 MHz to 1.5 GHz band with the UTS5000A-P26 preamp option, and -160 dBm/Hz typical across most of the analyzer’s mid-band range with preamp engaged. Without P26, baseline DANL runs -145 to -150 dBm/Hz typical mid-band — competitive for general spectrum work, but P26 is what unlocks the headline number.

Preamp coverage extends from 100 kHz to 7.5 GHz on the low-frequency band and 100 kHz to 26.5 GHz on the high band. Maximum safe input is +27 dBm average (input attenuation ≥20 dB, preamp on) and +47 dBm peak for short-pulse work.

Phase Noise (-107 dBc/Hz typ.) for Clean Oscillator Characterization

The local oscillator’s phase noise is the floor that limits how cleanly the analyzer can resolve close-in spurs, modulation sidebands, and reciprocal mixing artifacts on the device under test. UTS5026A specifies -107 dBc/Hz typical at 10 kHz offset from a 1 GHz carrier, with -102 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz, -110 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz, and -132 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset (typical, 1 kHz RBW, 10 Hz VBW, log-average over >50 acquisitions).

For RF designers characterizing PLL synthesizers, VCOs, and crystal oscillators, that envelope means close-in noise sidebands on the device under test sit above the analyzer’s own contribution rather than buried beneath it. The UTS5000A-PNM Phase Noise Measurement option adds a dedicated measurement mode with logarithmic offset axes, jitter calculation, and integration limits.

RBW Resolution and Selectivity (1 Hz to 8 MHz)

Resolution Bandwidth selects from 1 Hz to 3 MHz in 10% steps (the standard 10:1 ratio family used across professional spectrum analyzers), plus dedicated 4, 5, 6, and 8 MHz wide-band settings for fast sweeps over wide spans. Bandwidth accuracy is ±1.0% (±0.044 dB) nominal from 1 Hz to 750 kHz.

Selectivity (the −60 dB to −3 dB shape factor) measures <4.1 : 1 nominal, which lets two adjacent unequal-amplitude carriers resolve cleanly without the smaller signal disappearing into the larger one’s skirt. Video bandwidth tracks the same range, and seven trace detectors cover both general-purpose and standards-specific measurement modes.

100,001 Sweep Points for Fine-Grained Frequency Analysis

Sweep point count is configurable from 11 to 100,001 across all spans. At 100,001 points across a 1 GHz span, frequency resolution per trace bin is 10 kHz — tight enough to localize narrow-band interference, identify specific ITU channel allocations, and walk between adjacent regulatory mask boundaries without interpolation between coarse sweep bins.

Marker resolution scales with the trace span and sweep-point count. A dedicated frequency counter mode tightens uncertainty further, with counter resolution at 0.001 Hz.

Vector Signal Analysis and I/Q Capture (UTS5000A-VSA + UTS5000A-I/Q Options)

5G NR and LTE Air-Interface Demodulation (UTS5000A-NR / FDD-LTE / TDD-LTE Options)

EMI Pre-Compliance to 26.5 GHz (UTS5000A-EMI Option)

The UTS5000A-EMI Pre-Compliance Measurement option transforms the analyzer into a CISPR/EN-class pre-compliance instrument with regulatory limit lines, quasi-peak and average detectors, and band-segmented scan modes. Measurement extends to the analyzer’s full 26.5 GHz ceiling, covering not just the traditional 30 MHz to 1 GHz radiated-emissions band but also the higher-frequency emissions from 5G transceivers, automotive radar, and microwave data links.

The companion UTS-EMI01 near-field probes kit adds four probe heads spanning 30 MHz to 3 GHz at three resolution scales plus a 5 mm resolution probe to 2 GHz, for localizing radiating components on a populated PCB. Pre-compliance use moves EMI debugging earlier in the development cycle — before the formal test-house chamber visit, when board-level fixes are still cheap.

15.6″ Multi-Touch HD Display and Serviceable Front End

The front-panel display is a 15.6-inch 1920×1080 multi-touch capacitive TFT LCD — a deliberate departure from the 7-to-10-inch displays common at this frequency tier. Capacitive multi-touch supports drag-to-pan, pinch-zoom on traces, and gesture-based menu navigation, with the larger display real estate accommodating up to 4-window simultaneous layouts in the VSA and I/Q modes. The instrument is built for serviceability over the warranty lifetime: a removable dust filter on the air inlet lifts out for cleaning, preventing the dust-accumulation failure mode that limits long-term reliability on cooled bench instruments.

Detailed Specifications

Applications

Accessories & In the Box

Standard Accessories

• Power cord × 1
• USB cable × 1 (UT-D14)

Measurement option licenses (no-expiration unlock)

• UTS5000A-NR — 5G New Radio (NR) demodulation analysis
• UTS5000A-FDD-LTE — LTE FDD demodulation analysis
• UTS5000A-TDD-LTE — LTE TDD demodulation analysis
• UTS5000A-VSA — Digital demodulation (ASK/FSK/PSK/QAM/MSK/DPSK) with EVM
• UTS5000A-I/Q — I/Q analyzer (25 MHz / 40 MHz with B40 analysis BW)
• UTS5000A-EMI — EMI pre-compliance measurement to 26.5 GHz
• UTS5000A-AMA — Analog AM/FM demodulation, 2 MHz to 26.5 GHz
• UTS5000A-PNM — Phase Noise Measurement (dedicated mode)
• UTS5000A-AMK — Advanced Measurement Kit (channel power, ACPR, OBW, T-power, harmonics)
• UTS5000A-P26 — Preamplifier gain option (unlocks -163 dBm/Hz typ. DANL)

RF cables and connector kits

• UT-CK02 kit — RF cables and connectors: UT-W03-40GHz cable, UT-C04-40GHz adapter, UT-C03-18GHz adapter, UT-W03 SMA-SMB cable, UT-C01 SMA-N adapter

Near-field probes

• UTS-EMI01 kit — Four near-field probes: NFP-3G-P1 (30 MHz–3 GHz, 10 cm range), NFP-3G-P2 (30 MHz–3 GHz, 3 cm range), NFP-2G-P3 (30 MHz–2 GHz, 5 mm resolution), NFP-3G-P4 (30 MHz–3 GHz, 2 mm resolution)

Frequently Asked Questions