Introduction

Touchstone software turns data collected from RF Explorer spectrum analyzers into graphical charts and displays in real time, enabling users to more readily visualize the RF environment, monitor RF signals, troubleshoot RF issues, and detect sources of RF interference.

Touchstone offers a variety of diagnostic views of the data captured by the RF Explorer device. Employing multiple views of the data enhances your ability to gain a better understanding of the local, RF landscape in which your wireless network is operating. There are two different variations of the software: Standard and Professional. The table below summarizes their differences:

Touchstone-Pro features four different Scan Modes: Spectrum Analysis, Monitored Frequencies, Monitored Bands and Logging.

The Spectrum Analysis charts provide an overall picture of RF energy signals in your environment. As the name suggests, these charts measure all RF energy across a frequency range and chart the signal strength of the frequencies in the range currently being scanned. The Monitored Frequencies and Monitored Bands modes are similar in that they allow you to monitor specific frequencies or bands.  For example, in the setting of a live performance where it is important to monitor the channels that have been assigned to wireless audio devices, the Monitored Frequencies feature can be used to ensure those channels are not being impacted by other sources of RF transmissions. Similarly, in a cell-phone free area, the Monitored Bands feature can be used to monitor the frequency bands used by cell phones for the purpose of detecting prohibited transmissions. The Logging mode allows recording of spectrum trace data (in CSV format) for extended periods. We provide an example of a VBA macro for viewing the CSV data as a heatmap in Microsoft Excel.