Sure!

To control your Agilent E4446A Spectrum Analyzer programmatically via C#, you’ll
typically communicate using SCPI commands over a VISA interface (GPIB, LAN, or
USB). You can use NI VISA, Keysight IO Libraries, or Tek VISA to handle the
communication.

Here's a C# code snippet that:

 Connects to the spectrum analyzer

 Sets RBW, VBW, SPAN
 Acquires trace data
 Calculates the Occupied Bandwidth (99%)
 Identifies the lower and upper frequency bounds
 Places markers at those points
 Calculates the OBW as the frequency difference between them

You'll need:

 Keysight IO Libraries Suite installed

 VisaNS or Keysight VISA.NET reference in your C# project

C# Code Snippet (Occupied Bandwidth via SCPI)

using System;

using Ivi.Visa.Interop; // Add reference to VISA COM library

using System.Linq;

class OccupiedBandwidthCalc

static void Main()

ResourceManager rm = new ResourceManager();

FormattedIO488 io = new FormattedIO488();

try

// Connect to your instrument

io.IO = (IMessage)rm.Open("TCPIP0::192.168.0.10::inst0::INSTR"); // Change to your

IP/resource
 // Clear previous states

io.WriteString("*CLS");

io.WriteString(":INIT:CONT OFF"); // Single sweep mode

// Setup frequency span, RBW, VBW

io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz"); // Center frequency

io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 10MHz"); // Frequency span

io.WriteString(":BAND 100kHz"); // RBW

io.WriteString(":BAND:VID 100kHz"); // VBW

// Trigger a new sweep

io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Get trace data

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");

string traceData = io.ReadString();

// Parse trace data

double[] powerValues = traceData .Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r' },

StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries) .Select(s => double.Parse(s)) .ToArray();

// Get frequency settings

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");

double startFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");

double stopFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

double freqStep = (stopFreq - startFreq) / (powerValues.Length - 1);

double[] freqArray = new double[powerValues.Length];

for (int i = 0; i < powerValues.Length; i++)

freqArray[i] = startFreq + i * freqStep;

// Calculate Occupied Bandwidth (99% power)

double totalPower = powerValues.Sum(p => Math.Pow(10, p / 10));

double targetPower = totalPower * 0.99;

int lowerIdx = 0, upperIdx = powerValues.Length - 1;

double currentSum = 0;

for (int i = 0; i < powerValues.Length; i++)

for (int j = i; j < powerValues.Length; j++)

currentSum = 0;

for (int k = i; k <= j; k++)

currentSum += Math.Pow(10, powerValues[k] / 10);

if (currentSum >= targetPower)

lowerIdx = i;

upperIdx = j;

goto Done;
 }

Done:

double lowerFreq = freqArray[lowerIdx];

double upperFreq = freqArray[upperIdx];

double obw = upperFreq - lowerFreq;

// Place markers

io.WriteString($":CALC:MARK1:X {lowerFreq}");

io.WriteString($":CALC:MARK2:X {upperFreq}");

// Output result

Console.WriteLine($"Occupied Bandwidth (99%) = {obw / 1e6} MHz");

catch (Exception ex)

Console.WriteLine("Error: " + ex.Message);

Great question! To visualize the trace and highlight the Occupied Bandwidth (OBW)
region between the lower and upper frequency limits, you can use Windows Forms with a
charting library (like System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting).

Let’s walk through how to plot the spectrum trace and highlight the OBW region on a
graph with markers at the boundaries
 Step-by-Step Plan

🔧 1. Create a Windows Forms App (C#)

You can do this in Visual Studio:

 File > New > Project > "Windows Forms App (.NET Framework)"
 Add a Chart control to your form from the toolbox.

2. Reference Required Libraries

Make sure to import:

using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;

Code Example to Plot Spectrum + OBW Region

Let’s assume you already have the following arrays from your analyzer:

double[] freqArray; // x-axis in Hz

double[] powerValues; // y-axis in dBm

double lowerFreq; // OBW start

double upperFreq; // OBW end

Now here's how you would display it:

private void PlotSpectrum(double[] freqArray, double[] powerValues, double lowerFreq,

double upperFreq)

chart1.Series.Clear();

chart1.ChartAreas.Clear();

chart1.ChartAreas.Add("MainArea");

var spectrumSeries = new Series("Spectrum");

spectrumSeries.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Line;

for (int i = 0; i < freqArray.Length; i++)

{

double freqMHz = freqArray[i] / 1e6; // Convert to MHz for display

spectrumSeries.Points.AddXY(freqMHz, powerValues[i]);

chart1.Series.Add(spectrumSeries);

// Add vertical strip to show OBW region

var obwStrip = new StripLine

IntervalOffset = lowerFreq / 1e6,

StripWidth = (upperFreq - lowerFreq) / 1e6,

BackColor = Color.FromArgb(50, Color.Yellow),

Text = "99% OBW",

TextAlignment = StringAlignment.Near,

Font = new Font("Arial", 8),

BorderColor = Color.Red,

BorderWidth = 1

};

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.StripLines.Add(obwStrip);

// Add markers

var lowerMarker = new Series("Lower OBW");

lowerMarker.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Point;
 lowerMarker.MarkerStyle = MarkerStyle.Cross;

lowerMarker.MarkerSize = 10;

lowerMarker.Color = Color.Red;

var upperMarker = new Series("Upper OBW");

upperMarker.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Point;

upperMarker.MarkerStyle = MarkerStyle.Cross;

upperMarker.MarkerSize = 10;

upperMarker.Color = Color.Red;

int lowerIndex = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= lowerFreq);

int upperIndex = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= upperFreq);

lowerMarker.Points.AddXY(lowerFreq / 1e6, powerValues[lowerIndex]);

upperMarker.Points.AddXY(upperFreq / 1e6, powerValues[upperIndex]);

chart1.Series.Add(lowerMarker);

chart1.Series.Add(upperMarker);

// Label axes

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.Title = "Frequency (MHz)";

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY.Title = "Power (dBm)";

Output Preview

This will result in:

  A line chart of the spectrum
 A shaded OBW region
 Two red cross markers showing where the 99% power bandwidth starts and ends

📝 Final Touch: Calling the Plot Function

Once you've calculated everything from the analyzer:

PlotSpectrum(freqArray, powerValues, lowerFreq, upperFreq);

Perfect — exporting the chart as a PNG image and saving it on your PC is super simple in a Windows
Forms app using the built-in Chart.SaveImage() method.

✅ Export Chart as PNG

Here’s a small function you can call after plotting the spectrum

private void SaveChartAsImage(string filePath)

try

chart1.SaveImage(filePath, ChartImageFormat.Png);

MessageBox.Show("Chart saved successfully to:\n" + filePath, "Export Complete",

MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);

catch (Exception ex)

MessageBox.Show("Failed to save chart: " + ex.Message, "Error",

MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);

📁 Example Usage

Let’s say you want to save the image to your desktop

string desktopPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);

string fileName = "OBW_Spectrum.png";

string fullPath = Path.Combine(desktopPath, fileName);

SaveChartAsImage(fullPath);

You can also tie this to a button:

private void btnSaveChart_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
string desktopPath =
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);
string fullPath = Path.Combine(desktopPath, "OBW_Spectrum.png");

SaveChartAsImage(fullPath);
}

🧠 Optional: Use SaveFileDialog to Pick Location

If you want the user to choose where to save

SaveFileDialog sfd = new SaveFileDialog

{
Filter = "PNG Image|*.png",
Title = "Save Chart as Image",
FileName = "OBW_Spectrum.png"
};

if (sfd.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
SaveChartAsImage(sfd.FileName);
}

Great — you're close now! Let me walk you through exactly how to get these four things
from your Agilent E4446A spectrum analyzer using SCPI over C#.

These are the four things we want:

1. freqArray[]: the X-axis — frequencies corresponding to each power point

2. powerArray[]: the Y-axis — amplitude values from the analyzer (dBm)
3. lowerFreq: start of 99% occupied bandwidth
4. upperFreq: end of 99% occupied bandwidth

✅ 1. Set up & acquire trace data from the analyzer

✅ C# Code Snippet to get power values and frequency range

using Ivi.Visa.Interop;
using System.Linq;
public class AnalyzerDataAcquisition
{
public static (double[] freqArray, double[] powerArray, double
lowerFreq, double upperFreq) GetAnalyzerData()
{
ResourceManager rm = new ResourceManager();
FormattedIO488 io = new FormattedIO488();
io.IO = (IMessage)rm.Open("TCPIP0::192.168.0.10::inst0::INSTR"); //
Replace with your VISA address

io.WriteString("*CLS");
io.WriteString(":INIT:CONT OFF"); // Single sweep mode

// Configuration
io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz");
io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 10MHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND 100kHz"); // RBW
io.WriteString(":BAND:VID 100kHz"); // VBW

// Trigger sweep
io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Get power trace

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");
string traceString = io.ReadString();

double[] powerArray = traceString

.Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r' },
StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
.Select(s => double.Parse(s))
.ToArray();

// Get frequency range

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");
double startFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");
double stopFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

// Build freqArray
int pointCount = powerArray.Length;
double step = (stopFreq - startFreq) / (pointCount - 1);

double[] freqArray = new double[pointCount];

for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)
freqArray[i] = startFreq + i * step;

// Calculate OBW (Occupied Bandwidth - 99% Power)

double totalPowerLinear = powerArray.Sum(p => Math.Pow(10, p /
10));
double targetPower = totalPowerLinear * 0.99;

int lowerIndex = 0, upperIndex = pointCount - 1;

double currentSum = 0;

for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)

{
for (int j = i; j < pointCount; j++)
{
currentSum = 0;
 for (int k = i; k <= j; k++)
currentSum += Math.Pow(10, powerArray[k] / 10);

if (currentSum >= targetPower)

{
lowerIndex = i;
upperIndex = j;
goto Done;
}
}
}

Done:
double lowerFreq = freqArray[lowerIndex];
double upperFreq = freqArray[upperIndex];

return (freqArray, powerArray, lowerFreq, upperFreq);

}
}

How to Use This in Your Code

After you call the function:

var data = AnalyzerDataAcquisition.GetAnalyzerData();

double[] freqArray = data.freqArray;

double[] powerArray = data.powerArray;
double lowerFreq = data.lowerFreq;
double upperFreq = data.upperFreq;

You now have:

 freqArray: all the frequencies (Hz)

 powerArray: corresponding power values (dBm)
 lowerFreq / upperFreq: the OBW limits (Hz)

📈 Next Step: Pass to Graph Function

Once you’ve got them, pass them to your chart plotting code

PlotSpectrum(freqArray, powerArray, lowerFreq, upperFreq);

Awesome! Here’s your complete working C# code, all combined into a single Windows
Forms App that:

1. Connects to your Agilent E4446A Spectrum Analyzer

2. Configures frequency, RBW, VBW, span
3. Gets the spectrum trace (freq + power arrays)
4. Calculates 99% Occupied Bandwidth (OBW)
5. Displays it in a chart
6. Adds OBW boundaries + markers
 7. Allows you to export the graph to PNG

✅ Prerequisites

1. Create a Windows Forms App (.NET Framework) in Visual Studio

2. From Toolbox:
o Drag a Chart (System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting) onto
your form
o Drag a Button to trigger the process (name: btnAcquire)
o Drag another Button to save the chart (name: btnSave)
3. Add a reference to Ivi.Visa.Interop (COM reference to use VISA

✅ Full C# Code

Paste this into Form1.cs:

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;
using Ivi.Visa.Interop;

namespace OBW_Analyzer
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}

double[] freqArray, powerArray;

double lowerFreq, upperFreq;

private void btnAcquire_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
try
{
// Connect and acquire data
AcquireAnalyzerData();

// Plot the spectrum

PlotSpectrum(freqArray, powerArray, lowerFreq, upperFreq);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Error: " + ex.Message);
}
}

private void AcquireAnalyzerData()

{
ResourceManager rm = new ResourceManager();
FormattedIO488 io = new FormattedIO488();
 io.IO =
(IMessage)rm.Open("TCPIP0::192.168.0.10::inst0::INSTR"); // Change to your
VISA address

io.WriteString("*CLS");
io.WriteString(":INIT:CONT OFF");

// Setup configuration
io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz");
io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 10MHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND 100kHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND:VID 100kHz");

io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Get trace data

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");
string rawData = io.ReadString();

powerArray = rawData.Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r' },

StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
.Select(s => double.Parse(s))
.ToArray();

// Get frequency range

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");
double startFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");
double stopFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

int pointCount = powerArray.Length;

double step = (stopFreq - startFreq) / (pointCount - 1);

freqArray = new double[pointCount];

for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)
freqArray[i] = startFreq + i * step;

// Calculate OBW (99%)

double totalPower = powerArray.Sum(p => Math.Pow(10, p / 10));
double targetPower = totalPower * 0.99;

int lowIdx = 0, highIdx = pointCount - 1;

double currentSum = 0;

for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)

{
for (int j = i; j < pointCount; j++)
{
currentSum = 0;
for (int k = i; k <= j; k++)
currentSum += Math.Pow(10, powerArray[k] / 10);

if (currentSum >= targetPower)

{
lowIdx = i;
highIdx = j;
goto Done;
}
}
}
 Done:
lowerFreq = freqArray[lowIdx];
upperFreq = freqArray[highIdx];

io.IO.Close();
}

private void PlotSpectrum(double[] freqArray, double[] powerArray,

double lowerFreq, double upperFreq)
{
chart1.Series.Clear();
chart1.ChartAreas.Clear();

chart1.ChartAreas.Add("Main");
chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.Title = "Frequency (MHz)";
chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY.Title = "Power (dBm)";

// Plot the trace

var trace = new Series("Spectrum");
trace.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Line;

for (int i = 0; i < freqArray.Length; i++)

trace.Points.AddXY(freqArray[i] / 1e6, powerArray[i]);

chart1.Series.Add(trace);

// OBW marker strip

var obwStrip = new StripLine
{
IntervalOffset = lowerFreq / 1e6,
StripWidth = (upperFreq - lowerFreq) / 1e6,
BackColor = Color.FromArgb(50, Color.Yellow),
Text = "99% OBW",
TextAlignment = StringAlignment.Far,
Font = new Font("Arial", 8),
BorderColor = Color.Red,
BorderWidth = 1
};

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.StripLines.Add(obwStrip);

// Markers at OBW edges

int idx1 = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= lowerFreq);
int idx2 = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= upperFreq);

AddMarker("OBW Start", lowerFreq / 1e6, powerArray[idx1]);

AddMarker("OBW End", upperFreq / 1e6, powerArray[idx2]);
}

private void AddMarker(string name, double freqMHz, double power)

{
var marker = new Series(name);
marker.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Point;
marker.MarkerStyle = MarkerStyle.Cross;
marker.MarkerSize = 10;
marker.Color = Color.Red;
marker.Points.AddXY(freqMHz, power);
chart1.Series.Add(marker);
}
 private void btnSave_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
SaveFileDialog sfd = new SaveFileDialog
{
Filter = "PNG Image|*.png",
Title = "Save Spectrum Chart",
FileName = "OBW_Spectrum.png"
};

if (sfd.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
chart1.SaveImage(sfd.FileName, ChartImageFormat.Png);
MessageBox.Show("Chart saved to:\n" + sfd.FileName,
"Saved", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
}
}
}
}

🖼 UI Summary
Element Name Purpose

Chart chart1 Displays the spectrum trace

Button btnAcquire Acquires data and plots it

Button btnSave Saves chart as PNG

🆕 Feature 1: Annotation of OBW in MHz

After calculating lowerFreq and upperFreq, we’ll calculate OBW in MHz and display it on the
chart as a text annotation.

🆕 Feature 2: Auto-Center on Peak

We'll find the frequency of the maximum power point in the trace and set the analyzer’s center
frequency to that value.

Updated Code: Modify These Sections

🔧 1. Add OBW Annotation (Right after PlotSpectrum())

Update the end of PlotSpectrum() function:

// OBW annotation
double obwMHz = (upperFreq - lowerFreq) / 1e6;
string obwText = $"99% OBW = {obwMHz:F3} MHz";

TextAnnotation annotation = new TextAnnotation

{
Text = obwText,
 X = (lowerFreq + upperFreq) / 2e6,
Y = powerArray.Max(), // Put it near the top
AnchorX = (lowerFreq + upperFreq) / 2e6,
AnchorY = powerArray.Max(),
Font = new Font("Arial", 10, FontStyle.Bold),
ForeColor = Color.Blue,
Alignment = ContentAlignment.TopCenter
};
chart1.Annotations.Clear();
chart1.Annotations.Add(annotation);

2. Auto-Center on Peak Power (inside AcquireAnalyzerData())

Before you send sweep commands, find the peak index and set it as center frequency:

Replace this part:

io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz");

With this:

// Temporarily set a wide span to find peak

io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz");

io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 100MHz");

io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Get peak power

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");

string tmpTrace = io.ReadString();

double[] tmpPowerArray = tmpTrace

.Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)

.Select(s => double.Parse(s)).ToArray();

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");

double tmpStart = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");

double tmpStop = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

int peakIndex = Array.IndexOf(tmpPowerArray, tmpPowerArray.Max());

double freqStep = (tmpStop - tmpStart) / (tmpPowerArray.Length - 1);

double peakFreq = tmpStart + peakIndex * freqStep;

// Set new center on peak

io.WriteString($":FREQ:CENT {peakFreq}Hz");

io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 10MHz"); // Narrow span after centering

💡 This will make your analyzer auto-center to the strongest signal before capturing the real OBW
measurement

Optional: Display Peak Frequency Too?

Add another annotation like

double peakPower = powerArray.Max();

int peakIndex = Array.IndexOf(powerArray, peakPower);

double peakFreqMHz = freqArray[peakIndex] / 1e6;

TextAnnotation peakNote = new TextAnnotation

Text = $"Peak @ {peakFreqMHz:F3} MHz",

X = peakFreqMHz,

Y = peakPower,

AnchorX = peakFreqMHz,

AnchorY = peakPower,

Font = new Font("Arial", 8),

ForeColor = Color.DarkGreen,

Alignment = ContentAlignment.BottomCenter
};

chart1.Annotations.Add(peakNote);

Features Included:

 ✅ Connects to Agilent E4446A

 ✅ Sets RBW, VBW, Span
 ✅ Auto-centers on peak
 ✅ Calculates Occupied Bandwidth (99%)
 ✅ Plots the spectrum
 ✅ Highlights OBW region
 ✅ Places markers at OBW edges
 ✅ Annotates OBW in MHz
 ✅ Annotates peak frequency & power
 ✅ Allows exporting chart as PNG
🧩 Instructions:

1. Create a Windows Forms App (.NET Framework) in Visual Studio.

2. Add a Chart control (chart1), and two Buttons:
o btnAcquire – labeled “Acquire”
o btnSave – labeled “Save Image”
3. Add a reference to Ivi.Visa.Interop (COM > “VISA COM 3.0 Type Library”)

✅ Complete Form1.cs Code

csharp
CopierModifier
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;
using Ivi.Visa.Interop;

namespace OBW_Analyzer
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}

double[] freqArray, powerArray;

double lowerFreq, upperFreq;

private void btnAcquire_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
try
{
AcquireAnalyzerData();
PlotSpectrum(freqArray, powerArray, lowerFreq, upperFreq);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Error: " + ex.Message);
}
}

private void AcquireAnalyzerData()

{
ResourceManager rm = new ResourceManager();
FormattedIO488 io = new FormattedIO488();

io.IO =
(IMessage)rm.Open("TCPIP0::192.168.0.10::inst0::INSTR"); // Replace with
your VISA address

io.WriteString("*CLS");
io.WriteString(":INIT:CONT OFF");
 // Step 1: Set wide span to find peak
io.WriteString(":FREQ:CENT 1GHz");
io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 100MHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND 100kHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND:VID 100kHz");
io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Get trace to find peak

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");
string tmpTrace = io.ReadString();
double[] tmpPowerArray = tmpTrace.Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r'
}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
.Select(s =>
double.Parse(s)).ToArray();

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");
double tmpStart = double.Parse(io.ReadString());
io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");
double tmpStop = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

int peakIdx = Array.IndexOf(tmpPowerArray,

tmpPowerArray.Max());
double tmpStep = (tmpStop - tmpStart) / (tmpPowerArray.Length -
1);
double peakFreq = tmpStart + peakIdx * tmpStep;

// Step 2: Center on peak, narrow span

io.WriteString($":FREQ:CENT {peakFreq}");
io.WriteString(":FREQ:SPAN 10MHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND 100kHz");
io.WriteString(":BAND:VID 100kHz");
io.WriteString(":INIT; *WAI");

// Step 3: Get final trace for OBW

io.WriteString(":TRAC? TRACE1");
string rawData = io.ReadString();
powerArray = rawData.Split(new[] { ',', '\n', '\r' },
StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
.Select(s => double.Parse(s)).ToArray();

io.WriteString(":FREQ:STAR?");
double startFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());
io.WriteString(":FREQ:STOP?");
double stopFreq = double.Parse(io.ReadString());

int pointCount = powerArray.Length;

double step = (stopFreq - startFreq) / (pointCount - 1);
freqArray = new double[pointCount];
for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)
freqArray[i] = startFreq + i * step;

// Step 4: Calculate OBW (99%)

double totalPower = powerArray.Sum(p => Math.Pow(10, p / 10));
double targetPower = totalPower * 0.99;

int lowIdx = 0, highIdx = pointCount - 1;

double currentSum = 0;

for (int i = 0; i < pointCount; i++)

{
 for (int j = i; j < pointCount; j++)
{
currentSum = 0;
for (int k = i; k <= j; k++)
currentSum += Math.Pow(10, powerArray[k] / 10);

if (currentSum >= targetPower)

{
lowIdx = i;
highIdx = j;
goto Done;
}
}
}

Done:
lowerFreq = freqArray[lowIdx];
upperFreq = freqArray[highIdx];
io.IO.Close();
}

private void PlotSpectrum(double[] freqArray, double[] powerArray,

double lowerFreq, double upperFreq)
{
chart1.Series.Clear();
chart1.ChartAreas.Clear();
chart1.Annotations.Clear();

chart1.ChartAreas.Add("Main");
chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.Title = "Frequency (MHz)";
chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY.Title = "Power (dBm)";

// Spectrum trace
var trace = new Series("Spectrum") { ChartType =
SeriesChartType.Line };
for (int i = 0; i < freqArray.Length; i++)
trace.Points.AddXY(freqArray[i] / 1e6, powerArray[i]);
chart1.Series.Add(trace);

// OBW strip
var obwStrip = new StripLine
{
IntervalOffset = lowerFreq / 1e6,
StripWidth = (upperFreq - lowerFreq) / 1e6,
BackColor = Color.FromArgb(50, Color.Yellow),
BorderColor = Color.Red,
BorderWidth = 1
};
chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.StripLines.Add(obwStrip);

// OBW markers
int idx1 = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= lowerFreq);
int idx2 = Array.FindIndex(freqArray, f => f >= upperFreq);
AddMarker("OBW Start", lowerFreq / 1e6, powerArray[idx1]);
AddMarker("OBW End", upperFreq / 1e6, powerArray[idx2]);

// OBW annotation
double obwMHz = (upperFreq - lowerFreq) / 1e6;
var obwNote = new TextAnnotation
{
Text = $"99% OBW = {obwMHz:F3} MHz",
 X = (lowerFreq + upperFreq) / 2e6,
Y = powerArray.Max(),
AnchorX = (lowerFreq + upperFreq) / 2e6,
AnchorY = powerArray.Max(),
Font = new Font("Arial", 10, FontStyle.Bold),
ForeColor = Color.Blue,
Alignment = ContentAlignment.TopCenter
};
chart1.Annotations.Add(obwNote);

// Peak annotation
double peakPower = powerArray.Max();
int peakIndex = Array.IndexOf(powerArray, peakPower);
double peakFreqMHz = freqArray[peakIndex] / 1e6;

var peakNote = new TextAnnotation

{
Text = $"Peak @ {peakFreqMHz:F3} MHz",
X = peakFreqMHz,
Y = peakPower,
AnchorX = peakFreqMHz,
AnchorY = peakPower,
Font = new Font("Arial", 8),
ForeColor = Color.DarkGreen,
Alignment = ContentAlignment.BottomCenter
};
chart1.Annotations.Add(peakNote);
}

private void AddMarker(string name, double freqMHz, double power)

{
var marker = new Series(name)
{
ChartType = SeriesChartType.Point,
MarkerStyle = MarkerStyle.Cross,
MarkerSize = 10,
Color = Color.Red
};
marker.Points.AddXY(freqMHz, power);
chart1.Series.Add(marker);
}

private void btnSave_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
SaveFileDialog sfd = new SaveFileDialog
{
Filter = "PNG Image|*.png",
Title = "Save Spectrum Chart",
FileName = "OBW_Spectrum.png"
};

if (sfd.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
chart1.SaveImage(sfd.FileName, ChartImageFormat.Png);
MessageBox.Show("Chart saved to:\n" + sfd.FileName,
"Saved", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
}
}
}
}
 🎯 Recap

This single file:

 Measures signal with auto peak tracking

 Calculates and displays 99% OBW
 Highlights it in the chart with shading, markers, and

You're doing a great job calculating and visualizing the 99% occupied bandwidth. To add a
"mask" over the spectrum that matches the 99% bandwidth (or shows where the signal
should remain within), you can define a shape or limit over the frequency range of the 99%
OBW and draw it on the chart.

🛠 What does "mask" mean here?

A mask in spectrum analysis usually refers to a region (either a simple power threshold line
or a more complex envelope) that a signal must stay within. For a 99% OBW mask, you'd
typically want a shaded area over the frequency range between lowerFreq and upperFreq,
and optionally also define upper and lower power limits.

✅ Option 1: Simple Power Mask (Box Envelope)

This will draw a shaded box that shows the OBW region and allowed power range visually.

Add this inside your PlotSpectrum function, after calculating lowerFreq, upperFreq, and
plotting the trace:

// Define mask upper and lower power limits (adjust as needed)

double maskTop = powerArray.Max() + 3; // 3 dB above peak (example)

double maskBottom = powerArray.Min() - 3; // 3 dB below min (example)

// Add mask as a shaded rectangle

var maskSeries = new Series("OBW Mask")

ChartType = SeriesChartType.Area,

Color = Color.FromArgb(50, Color.Red),

BorderWidth = 0

};

// Add points to define the rectangular mask

maskSeries.Points.AddXY(lowerFreq / 1e6, maskBottom);

maskSeries.Points.AddXY(lowerFreq / 1e6, maskTop);

maskSeries.Points.AddXY(upperFreq / 1e6, maskTop);

maskSeries.Points.AddXY(upperFreq / 1e6, maskBottom);

maskSeries.Points.AddXY(lowerFreq / 1e6, maskBottom); // Close the polygon

chart1.Series.Add(maskSeries);

✅ Option 2: Mask as Line Limits (Horizontal power limits)

To just add upper/lower power limits as lines within OBW:

var upperMaskLine = new StripLine

IntervalOffset = maskTop,

BorderColor = Color.Red,

BorderWidth = 1,

Text = "Upper Limit",

TextAlignment = StringAlignment.Far,

Font = new Font("Arial", 8),

ForeColor = Color.Red

};

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY.StripLines.Add(upperMaskLine);

var lowerMaskLine = new StripLine

IntervalOffset = maskBottom,

BorderColor = Color.Red,

BorderWidth = 1,

Text = "Lower Limit",

TextAlignment = StringAlignment.Near,
 Font = new Font("Arial", 8),

ForeColor = Color.Red

};

chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY.StripLines.Add(lowerMaskLine);