ICX-FieldHawk Handheld Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer

1Overview

The ICX-FieldHawk is a handheld real-time spectrum analyzer that puts laboratory RF performance in a unit you can carry by a lanyard. It covers 9 kHz up to 9.5, 20, or 40 GHz depending on model, with a standard 100 MHz analysis bandwidth. A fast FFT design drives sweep speeds up to 1 THz/s, so wide spans resolve in a fraction of the time a swept analyzer needs.

Operation is built around a 10.1-inch full touch screen with an intuitive interface and smartphone-style gestures. The instrument weighs only about 1.5 kg, which keeps it practical for long sessions in the lab and equally comfortable on a site walk. Standard battery life runs about three hours, with external power expansion available when the job runs longer.

Measurement coverage is broad out of the box. Channel power, OBW, X dB bandwidth, harmonic measurement, SEM, AM and FM demodulation, and automatic phase noise analysis all ship as standard functions. For automation and integration, the SpecICX-gen3 software exposes a highly compatible API across C/C++, C#, Python, MATLAB, Qt, and LabVIEW, with standard SCPI protocol support for test-system control.

2Key Features

Ultra portable, flexible performance
Standard 3-hour battery life with external power expansion support
Portable design: 1.5 kg with a 10.1-inch multi-touch screen
Frequency range: 9 kHz to 9.5, 20, or 40 GHz
Analysis bandwidth: 100 MHz
1 GHz DANL: < -160 dBm/Hz
1 GHz phase noise: < -100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset
Standard SCPI protocol support

SpecICX-gen3 is the analysis and control environment for the full ICX-FieldHawk family. It drives the on-screen interface and the programmable API, so the same workflows carry from the touch screen to a scripted test bench.

3Model Selection

The handheld family shares one platform and one software environment across three frequency reaches. Pick the top frequency your work requires. The lower-frequency RF performance, the 100 MHz analysis bandwidth, and the SpecICX-gen3 feature set stay consistent across the range.

Model	ICX-090	ICX-200	ICX-400
Frequency range	9 kHz to 9.5 GHz	9 kHz to 20 GHz	9 kHz to 40 GHz
Analysis bandwidth	100 MHz	100 MHz	100 MHz
RF input connector	N (F), 50 Ω	2.4 mm (M), 50 Ω	2.4 mm (M), 50 Ω
Reference level range	-50 to +23 dBm (typ.)	-50 to +23 dBm (typ.)	-50 to +20 dBm (typ.)
Software/firmware	SpecICX-gen3	SpecICX-gen3	SpecICX-gen3

The wider ICX-FieldHawk catalog also includes the entry-tier ICX-045 and ICX-060. This summary details ICX-090, ICX-200, and ICX-400. verify ICX-045 and ICX-060 spec values against the published BNC datasheet.

4Operating Modes

SpecICX-gen3 provides seven main operating modes: Standard Spectrum Analysis, IQ Streaming, Power Detection Analysis, Real-Time Spectrum Analysis, Phase Noise Measurement, Digital Demodulation (option), and Harmonics Analysis.

Standard Spectrum Analysis

This mode provides a wide range of measurement functions, including full-span spectrum sweep, channel power, OBW, ACPR, IM3, and SEM. It also supports spectrum recording and playback. Combined with auxiliary tools such as signal tracking, peak table, and amplitude correction, it delivers a one-stop platform for comprehensive spectrum checks.

IQ Streaming

This mode supports up to 100 MHz analysis bandwidth and allows IQ data acquisition through multiple trigger methods. It provides IQ time-domain waveform display, spectrum and spectrogram views, AM and FM demodulation, and digital down conversion (DDC).

Power Detection Analysis

This mode enables detection and analysis of time-domain signals within the analysis bandwidth, making it suitable for applications focused on in-band power-versus-time relationships, such as pulse signal measurements.

Real-Time Spectrum Analysis

This mode is powered by a high-speed FPGA-based FFT engine, featuring strictly gapless and overlap-free FFT, achieving true real-time monitoring across the full bandwidth.

Digital Demodulation (option)

This mode supports 2ASK, 2FSK, 4FSK, GMSK, BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 128QAM, and 256QAM signals.

Digital Demodulation mode in SpecICX-gen3 — Digital Demodulation mode (option) across common modulation schemes.

Harmonics Analysis

This mode supports detection and measurement of up to 10 harmonic components, including harmonic peaks, harmonic channel power, and total harmonic distortion.

Phase Noise Measurement

This mode supports offset ranges from 1 Hz to 10 MHz for evaluating carrier phase stability. With the built-in automatic carrier search function, the software quickly locates the target carrier without manual adjustment.

5Measurement Functions

The standard measurement set covers the everyday RF tasks a field engineer reaches for, from channel power through demodulation and pulse detection. Each function is reachable from the touch interface and from the programmable API.

Power and Spectral Measurements

Channel Power measurement — Channel Power.

Occupied Bandwidth measurement — OBW (occupied bandwidth).

Adjacent Channel Power Ratio measurement — ACPR (adjacent channel power ratio).

Third-order intermodulation measurement — IM3 (third-order intermodulation).

Spectrum Emission Mask measurement — SEM (spectrum emission mask).

Pulse Detection measurement — Pulse Detection (option).

Demodulation

Correction and Workflow Tools

Amplitude Offset correction — Amplitude Offset.

Data record and playback — Data Record and Playback.

Multiple unit display — Multiple Unit Display.

6Frequency

Three frequency reaches share the same handheld platform. Reference clock options and accuracy are common across the range.

ICX-090

9 kHz to 9.5 GHz

N (F) input, 50 Ω

ICX-200

9 kHz to 20 GHz

2.4 mm (M) input, 50 Ω

ICX-400

9 kHz to 40 GHz

2.4 mm (M) input, 50 Ω

Frequency	ICX-090	ICX-200	ICX-400
Frequency range	9 kHz to 9.5 GHz	9 kHz to 20 GHz	9 kHz to 40 GHz
Reference clock	Internal or external
Frequency accuracy, TCXO (std.)	< 1 ppm, manual correction available
Frequency accuracy, OCXO (opt01)	< 1 ppm, manual correction available
Aging and temperature stability, TCXO (std.)	< 1 ppm/year, < 1 ppm
Aging and temperature stability, OCXO (opt01)	< 1 ppm/year, < 0.15 ppm

7Spectrum Purity

SSB Phase Noise (dBc/Hz)

Offset	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
Carrier frequency	1 GHz	9.5 GHz	1 GHz	20 GHz	1 GHz	40 GHz
1 kHz	-95.2	-91.5	-91.2	-80.6	-99.0	-78.4
10 kHz	-101.6	-98.5	-99.7	-90.6	-107.5	-85.7
100 kHz	-100.6	-99.7	-101.1	-96.2	-107.7	-85.1
1 MHz	-120.9	-116.2	-121.6	-111.5	-122.7	-100.8

Residual Response (dBm)

Spur reject = bypass, RBW = 1 kHz, PosPeak detector.

Band	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
Reference level (R.L.)	0 dBm	-50 dBm	0 dBm	-50 dBm	0 dBm	-50 dBm
9 kHz to 1 GHz	-83	-120	-90	-120	-72	-103
1 GHz to 3 GHz	-83	-120	-80	-120	-72	-103
3 GHz to 10 GHz	-90	-130	-90	-120	-72	-103
10 GHz to 20 GHz	-	-	-90	-120	-91	-115
20 GHz to 40 GHz	-	-	-	-	-85	-105

IF Rejection (dBc), Typical

Spur reject function	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
	enhanced	bypass	enhanced	bypass	enhanced	bypass
IF rejection	> 90	> 80	> 90	> 80	8.2 to 21.75 GHz: > 68; other bands: > 90	-

Image Rejection (dBc), Typical

Band	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
Spur reject function	standard	bypass	standard	bypass	standard	bypass
90 MHz to 3 GHz	> 90	> 76	> 90	> 79	> 90	-
3 GHz to 9.5 GHz	> 90	> 60	> 90	> 68	> 90	-
9.5 GHz to 20 GHz	-	-	> 90	> 60	> 90	-
20 GHz to 33 GHz	-	-	-	-	> 90	-
33 GHz to 40 GHz	-	-	-	-	> 58	-

Local oscillator related spurious: < -65 dBc, at center frequency ± (N/M) × 125 MHz, where N, M = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and up.

IIP3 / IIP2 (dBm)

Reference level	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
Carrier frequency	1 GHz	9.5 GHz	1 GHz	20 GHz	1 GHz	40 GHz
R.L. = 20 dBm	46.1 / 83.2	40.5 / 92.8	45.5 / 82.6	35.3 / 93.6	40.3 / 75.5	31.7 / 88.6
R.L. = 0 dBm	26.7 / 85.0	19.2 / 90.3	25.5 / 81.1	21.0 / 89.0	27.4 / 45.3	10.3 / 86.1
R.L. = -20 dBm	10.5 / 82.2	2.0 / 49.3	7.9 / 81.5	-4.5 / 55.3	8.7 / 25.2	4.8 / 66.6

8Amplitude

Parameter	ICX-090 / ICX-200	ICX-400
Display range	DANL to 23 dBm (typ.)	DANL to 20 dBm (typ.)
Reference level (R.L.)	-50 dBm to +23 dBm (typ.)	-50 dBm to +20 dBm (typ.)
VSWR	90 MHz to 9.5 / 20 GHz: < 2.0:1	90 MHz to 16 GHz: < 2.0:1; 16 GHz to 40 GHz: < 3.0:1
Max. DC voltage	± 10 VDC
IF in-band flatness	± 2.0 dB
Max. input power (CW)	23 dBm: 50 MHz to 9.5 / 20 / 40 GHz with preamplifier off; 10 dBm: 9 kHz to 50 MHz or preamplifier on
Amplitude accuracy	9 kHz to 9.5 GHz: ± 2.0 dB; 9.5 GHz to 20 / 40 GHz: ± 3.0 dB
RF preamplifiers	Automatically turn on or forcibly turn off

9Display Average Noise Level

DANL in dBm/Hz, RBW = 1 kHz.

Band	ICX-090		ICX-200		ICX-400
Reference level (R.L.)	-20 dBm	-50 dBm	-20 dBm	-50 dBm	-20 dBm	-50 dBm
9 kHz to 1 MHz	-143.0	-152.4	-143.6	-152.6	-136.0	-145.8
1 MHz to 90 MHz	-152.0	-159.2	-151.8	-160.0	-153.7	-158.0
90 MHz to 3 GHz	-146.0	-167.5	-149.7	-166.3	-154.1	-159.9
3 GHz to 9.5 GHz	-153.6	-167.0	-151.4	-157.5	-154.1	-159.9
9.5 GHz to 19 GHz	-	-	-156.1	-160.6	-156.8	-161.5
19 GHz to 20 GHz	-	-	-156.1	-160.6	-145.2	-149.3
20 GHz to 40 GHz	-	-	-	-	-145.2	-149.3

10Standard Spectrum Analysis

Detector	PosPeak, NegPeak, Sample, Average, RMS, MaxPower
RBW	1 Hz to 10 MHz
VBW	1 Hz to 10 MHz
Data chart	SpecICX-gen3 provides spectrum, spectrogram, and historical trace
Measurements	Channel power, OBW, X dB bandwidth, adjacent channel power ratio, IM3

Sweep Speed

RBW = 250 kHz, FPGA, spur reject = bypass	1.0 THz/s
RBW = 250 kHz, FPGA, spur reject = standard	577.5 GHz/s
RBW = 50 kHz, FPGA, spur reject = bypass	212.6 GHz/s
RBW = 1 kHz, CPU, spur reject = bypass	2.6 GHz/s

Detection Analysis

Lowest time resolution	8 ns
Max. analysis bandwidth	100 MHz
Detector	PosPeak, NegPeak, Sample, Average, RMS, MaxPower

11IQ Recording

Burst recording bandwidth	Maximum 100 MHz. Built-in memory depth is 128 Mbytes
Continuous recording bandwidth	Maximum 25 MHz
IQ sample rate	Maximum 125 MSPS; decimate factor 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096
External trigger response	Maximum frequency response 500 times/s

12Real-Time Spectrum Analysis

FFT analysis	FFT engine is implemented in FPGA. Frame compression and trace detection are supported, with no missing samples between FFT frames.
FFT frame update rate	10⁹ ns / (N × D × 8 ns); POI = 2 × N × D × 8 ns. N is FFT points (2048, 1024, 512, 256, 128, 64, 32); D is the decimate factor (1, 2, 4, 8 and up).
Typical: N = 2048, D = 1	FFT refresh rate 61,035 times/sec; POI 32.768 µs
Typical: N = 32, D = 1	FFT refresh rate 3,906,250 times/sec; POI 0.512 µs
Max. analysis bandwidth	100 MHz
Window function	B-Nuttall, Flat-top, LowSideLobe
RBW	14.73 MHz to 3.59 kHz (Flat-top); 7.81 MHz to 1.90 kHz (B-Nuttall); 13 grades for each window type
Amplitude resolution	0.75 dB

13General & Interfaces

Input and Output

Interface	ICX-090 / ICX-200	ICX-400
RF input	N (F), impedance 50 Ω	2.4 mm (M), impedance 50 Ω
Power	USB PD (65 W)
USB port	USB 3.0 Type-C × 1, USB 2.0 Type-C × 1, USB 2.0 Type-A × 1
Audio interface	Micro HDMI × 1 (extended display support), 3.5 mm headphone port × 1
External reference clock input	MMCX (F), 10 MHz, amplitude ≥ 1.5 Vpp, impedance about 330 Ω
Reference clock output	Integrated in AUXIO, 10 MHz, 3.3 V CMOS, programmable on/off
External trigger input	MMCX (F), 3.3 V CMOS, high impedance
Trigger output	MMCX (F), 3.3 V CMOS
External antenna input	MMCX (F)
Analog IF output	MMCX (F), -25 dBm max output power, impedance 50 Ω, 307.2 MHz ± 50 MHz

System and Environment

Display	IPS LCD 1280 × 800, 10.1-inch multi-touch screen
RAM / EMMC storage	4 GB / 32 GB
Power consumption	25 W (typ.)
Size (D × W × H)	260 × 179 × 46 mm
Weight	1.5 kg
GNSS 1PPS synchronization accuracy	± 100 ns, built-in GNSS (supports external antenna only)
Operating temperature (ambient)	0 to 50 °C
Storage temperature (ambient)	-20 to +70 °C
Operating relative humidity	Ambient 0 to 40 °C: 5 to 75%; ambient above 40 °C: 5 to 45%
Packaging and accessories	Protected main unit × 1, power adapter × 1, power cord × 1, lanyard × 1

14Options & Accessories

Options

Functional upgrades to the analyzer. Each option is selected at order time.

Code	Description	Type
OPT-010	Built-in OCXO reference clock	Built-in hardware
OPT-410	Basic digital demodulation	Software
OPT-420	Pulse detection	Software

Accessories

Antennas and physical add-ons. Antennas draw from the Berkeley Nucleonics antenna line.

Accessory	Description	Type
ANT-100G	Directional antenna, 500 MHz to 10 GHz	Antenna accessory
ANT-200G	Directional antenna, 500 MHz to 20 GHz	Antenna accessory
Omnidirectional antenna	External omnidirectional antenna, 400 MHz to 8000 MHz, gain < 2 dBi	Antenna accessory

ANT-100G directional antenna pairs with the ICX-FieldHawk for geolocation and direction-finding work. See the ANT-100G antenna summary for the matched accessory. verify antenna part numbers and gain figures against the published BNC datasheet.

15Test Conditions

Specifications apply under the following conditions:

Start up and warm up for 10 minutes.
Ambient temperature 25 °C (core temperature 50 °C).
Standard spectrum analysis mode, spurious rejection standard on.
Necessary heat dissipation is provided to keep ambient and core temperature within the rated range at the same time.
Sweep speed and display average noise level test conditions: MCU 0.55.57, FPGA 0.55.22, API 0.55.61. verify firmware revision identifiers against the current SpecICX-gen3 release.

Specifications are preliminary. Values are reproduced from the source measurement set with model names mapped to the ICX-FieldHawk family. Confirm every value against the published Berkeley Nucleonics datasheet before quoting to a customer.

16Contact

For quotes, demonstrations, configuration help, and matched accessories such as the ANT-100G directional antenna, reach the Berkeley Nucleonics team.

Email: info@berkeleynucleonics.com
Phone: 800-234-7858