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E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00

1. 70001 MAINFRAME 70420 201 430 440 89410A VECTOR m SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional Sumy m ue 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input DUT m 1 a 1 mln mmm SOURCE CH 1 GPIB SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional ammmmmmmmu REFERENCE SIGNAL E5500 Soft GENERATOR Optional License Key PC MXI Card o um um eee GA Om 1 1 mmm mum umo pulm RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional 0000 I I I LII ji CELEI 70420A Opt 201 Test Set 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET To DUT s Pere To Reference RF Output ees Jodie Source INPUT 1 REF INPUT NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1V Pk 50 kHz 1600 MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 15 dBm MIN 7 dBm MIN To E1420B PHASE DET OUTPUT RU H RF RF ANALYZER MONITOR AW SIGNAL or Osci lloscope Spectrum 5 9 Analyzer Sz 2 1 2 26 5 GHz ANALYZER ANALYZER TUNE VOLTAGE EN OUT OF LOCK n e DC Out lt 100 kHz lt 100 MHz 50 Q 20mA MAX Tune Voltage
2. uammmmmmmmu E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card 70420A Opt 201 TEST SET 70422A DOWNCONVERTER STATUS cre STATUS s INPUT REF 1 7 REANALVZER SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 265 GHz V ven 50 WAz26 5GHz 001 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT A CONTROL MONITOR R 10 1 25 LPS DUT PC Digitizer Signal Input Downconverted Source Input Yellow Cable Reference to be Downconverted Output to Test Set Signal input RF To Source poo Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage or Counter Monitor Figure 18 22E5503B Opt 201 Connect Diagram 18 24 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5504B Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 00 0500 nu a 000000 00000020000 QOO 4 m mma NOTE Indicates Optional Cable 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A 70427A CL To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input uum eee ee
3. SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional Indicates Optional Cabel E E VXI MAINFRAME i pte E1430A FFT ANALYZER l I E1441AARB Optional Wenn L 5 14 OPTIONAL FREQUENCY i Po i COUNTER Optional es S E1420B Counter Optional 1 E VXI MXI Bus 0000000000 H 1 89410A VECTOR 2 ad aE my SIGNAL ANALYZER 1 1 70001A MAINFRAME Optional 1 4 70420A Opt 001 70421A 70420A I I i i i Rear Panel 1 I 2 1 Noise Source Input L I d I I L l pog 4 4 mm m m Qmm mo SOURCE I CH 1 OUTPUT E p 4 L eee nade I GPIB L L L L LI m m um um m E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional a m m m m 70421A Downconverter 70420A OPT 001 TEST SET 70421A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS GPIB STATUS PT REF SIGNAL SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 265 GHz Pk 50 Whz 26 5 GHz 0 01 2 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTP
4. m m m m m m 70427A Downconverter 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET 70427 DOWNCONVERTER E STATUS sTaTUS PT REF m SIGNAL SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1 2 26 5 GHz gKHz 600MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz AM NOISE RF ANALYZER PHASE DET OUTPUT EEEE VOLTAGE RFANALYZER MONITOR SIGNAL 12 265 GHz TUNE VOLTAGE 100 0 1 25 LPS To DUT To Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Reference to be Output to Test Set Source Downconverted Signal Input RF To E1420B or DC Out Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Figure 18 13E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 15 18 Connect Diagrams E5501B Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 ooooo 0 00000 0500 a a 000000 0000001000 QOO i m m m m mom Um mm NOTE Indicates Optional Cable 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A STD TEST SET To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input mmmmmun l mee m m OR mom momo mom mm EY vt 2 REFERENCE SIGNAL i Digitizer GENER
5. ESG with Opt 1E5 HP 8664A 65A 65B Opt 004 01 Figure 17 3 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 100M f dBe Hz vs f Hz various cdr E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 3 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Increase in Measured Noise as Ref Source Approaches UUT Noise Increase in Measured Noise as Ref Source Approaches UUT Noise The graph shown in Figure 17 4 demonstrates that as the noise level of the reference source approaches the noise level of the UUT the level measured by the software which is the sum of all sources affecting the test system is increased above the actual noise level of the UUT Increase in Measured Noise Due to Reference Noise dB Amount DUT Noise Exceeds Reference Noise dB increase cdr Figure 17 4 17 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Approximate Sensitivity of Delay Line Discriminator Approximate Sensitivity of Delay Line Discriminator 130 140 150 160 180 The dependence of a frequency discriminator s sensitivity on the offset frequency is obvious in the graph shown in Figure 17 5 By comparing the sensitivity specified for the phase detector to the delay line sensitivity it is apparent the delay line sensit
6. BL FREQUENCY COUNTER L 1 Optional E1420B Counter Optional VXI MXI Bus AES Rm Cc S a 000000000 9O i MXI CABLE venm 89410A VECTOR 1 SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 70001A MAINFRAME i 70420A STD TEST SET I oooooo 70420A Noise Source Input n m m gt 1 I L I am um um bE SOURCE I 1 F OUTPUT zzz s mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm GPIB SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional uammmmmmmmu 00000 00000 O Gams m mt 9 mmmmmm 0 0 E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional cooaoaoaooooooo cce EID emm i l mmu 70420A Standard Test Set 70420A TEST SET DUT GPIB STATUS To Reference Source Input IE a
7. mum 9 l momo m momo momo eee REFERENCE SIGNAL a GENERATOR Optional npu SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable eee E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card ceeeaaaaae o 70420A TEST SET 70421A DOWNCONVERTER ia OUTPUT INPUT SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 265 GHz D 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm VOLTAGE CONTROL 1000 25 LPS To DUT To PC To To DUT Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference RF Output Output 411 OC Source DC Out Gable Spectrum Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 17E5502B Standard Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 19 18 Connect Diagrams E5502B Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional a n 000000 0000000000 M 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A 001 70421A NOTE mmm mmmm ndicates Optional Cable DUT
8. DUT m REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional npu SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable mmmmu naaua 00000 ummmmmmmmun aangno 0 na na E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER 70420 70427 Downconverter 70420A TEST SET 70427A DOWNCONVERTER E status STATUS lex t naonuon nuo uut Hu o INPUT EE REF PUT NN SIGNAL RF ANALYZER NOISE SOKHz 600MMz 1 2 28 5 GHz am Than Pk B WR 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE DET OUTPUT EEE CONTROL MONITOR FROM DOWNCONVERTER DOWNCONVERTER TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK a 104 0 1 25 LPS DUT DUT RF Output Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference Output paa SCN Cable 7 Source DC Out Spectrum Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 23E5504B Standard Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 25 18 Connect Diagrams E5504B Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 ooooo
9. Residual Source SIBI Frequency Tuning Voltage Center 0 Vols Range fio Volts em Dem Figure 7 41 Connect Diagram for the RF Synthesizer EFC Measurement 4 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 3 E5501A Opt 201 480 440 Connect Diagram on page 18 5 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 7 60 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC NOTE For additional examples refer to Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams Checking the While the connect diagram is still displayed recommend that you use Beatnote an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420 or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enou
10. 00 O00 a n 000000 0000000000 QOO 70001A MAINFRAME 70420 001 70427 NOTE Indicates Optional Cable To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input mm mm 9 momo m momo mo mom m m che REFERENCE SIGNAL SYSTEM CONTROLLER Yellow Cable ammmmmmmmu E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card 70420A Opt 001 70427A Downconverter 70420A 001 SET 70427 DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS GPIB STATUS ooaaf aa PT SIGNAL SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz Pk 50g z 26 5GHz 001 2 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT CONTROL RF ANALYZER MONITOR 10dari25LPS To DUT To PC To Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference to be Output to Test Set RF Yellow Cable To Source DC Tuning Out Downconverted Signal Input Spectrum Oscilloscope Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 24E5504B Opt 001 Connect Diagram 18 26 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90
11. File name Cont 86634 1 OMHz pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm Cancel Figure 5 12 Select the Parameters Definition File 3 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 5 4 lists the parameter data that has been entered for this measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 5 4 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 5 2 then continue with step 4 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 5 17 4 Using Figure 5 13 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Nominal Tuning Constant see Table 5 2 c Enter the Tune Range of VCO see Table 5 2 d Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 5 2 e Enter Input Resistance of VCO see Table 5 2 5 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Afe xi File Edt View Measure Analyze System Help o 2 amp j Define Security Level FFT Se
12. 100 0 1 251 5 Figure 18 3 E5501A Opt 201 430 440 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 5 18 Connect Diagrams E5501A Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Note mmmm Indicates Optional Cable EA VXI MAINFRAME _ E1430A FFT ANALYZER m E1441A ARB Optional um eee OPTIONAL FREQUENCY i COUNTER Optional 2 E1420B Counter Optional 20 T 1 VXI MXI Bus 000000000 GOO 1 89410A VECTOR MXLCABLE ___ ae dL 70001 MAINFRAME 70420A OPT 201 pod 1 70420 E l g Rear Panel E 1 I 1 Noise Source Input 1 i i 1 1 1 I i me ml m SOURCE I CH 1 ES OUTPUT l L NEN ER r 1 GPIB ummmmmmmmu SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional aN o0000 o0000 00 0 0000 mE um Om REFERENCE SIGNAL E5500 Software License Key GENERATOR Optional PC MXI Card RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional I 1 L ccn I LI a I a
13. Confidence Test using 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme s Define xie a o ej Figure 5 26 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification Setup The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the Agilent Considerations for 70420A sets the measurement noise floor level Use the following graph and example Figure 5 27 and Figure 5 28 to determine the the Agilent 8663A amplitude required to provide a noise floor level that is below the 10 MHz expected noise floor of your UUT For more information about this Measurement graph refer to Chapter 17 Reference Graphs and Tables 5 32 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz PORT LEVEL gt 15dBm 15 3 LLI lt Z o 5 H cc 15 140 150 160 170 180 EXPECTED PHASE NOISE FLOOR OF SYSTEM dBc Hz f210kHz sysnoise cdr Figure 5 27 Noise Floor for the Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement L Port Level2 15dBm R Port Signal Level dBm Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz Cc f d0kHz Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Eile Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help osje sjaj 4 ene wl el Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10
14. EFC pnm File name Rrs ynth EFC pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm Cancel Figure 7 34 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 7 16 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the RF Synthesizer using EFC measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 7 16 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 7 14 then continue with oon step a Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 7 58 5 Using Figure 7 35 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Tuning Constant see Table 7 14 c Ifyou are going to use EFC tuning to tune the Agilent 8663A use the following equation to calculate the appropriate VCO Tuning Constant to enter for the measurement VCO Tuning Constant T x Carrier Frequency Where T 5E 9 for EFC 7 52 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC For example to calculate t
15. Semmes eee 1 LI 4 h mmmmmmmmmmma l GPIB SYSTEM PC CONTROLER Optional N E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card 9 TIE GS a Eri A IH HH Hd I JL LI 70420A Test Set 70420A TEST SET GPIB STATUS INPUT MEINER REF INPUT sui Pi se per OUTPUT RF ANALYZ MONITOR SIGNAL TUNE VOLTAGE 500 20m MAX 1000 1 28 LPS To DUT To RF Output Reference Source RF E1420B or DC out Spectrum Analyzer Figure 18 5 E5502A Standard Connect Diagram Oscilloscope Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 uammmmmmmmu REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional 2000009 588 m mmmmmmmmmmms mium 1 Smee 70421 Downconverter SIGNAL RF ANALYZER VOLTAGE CONTROL 100 WIt 25 LPS Downconverted Output to Test Set Signal Input Signal Input to be Downconverted Tune Voltage 18 7 18 Connect Diagrams E5502A Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Note
16. Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Wapa Front Panel z Destination Reference Source Tune Mode DCFM Asset Manager Preset Figure 7 36 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button 7 54 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Selecting Loop 1 Suppression 2 Verification Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC Using Figure 7 37 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab In the Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph Confidence Test using 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise xie a o ej HP E5500 Figure 7 37 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 button E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 55 7 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC Setup Considerations for the RF Synthesizer using EFC Measurement Measurement Noise Floor The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the Agilent 70420A sets the measurement noise floor level Use Figure 7 38 and Figure 7 39 to determine the ampl
17. Ref Input newd3 cdr Figure 8 9 Measuring Power at Phase Detector Reference Input Port 8 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options Measured DC Advantages Peak Volta ge Easy method for calibrating the measurement system This calibration technique can be performed using the baseband analyzer Fastest method of calibration If for example the same power levels are always at the phase detector as in the case of leveled or limited outputs the phase detector sensitivity will always be essentially equivalent within one or two dB Recalibration becomes unnecessary if this accuracy is adequate Only one RF source is required Measures the phase detector gain in the actual measurement configuration This technique requires you to adjust off of quadrature to both the positive and the negative peak output of the Phase Detector This is done by either adjusting the phase shifter or the frequency of the source oscilloscope or voltmeter can optionally be used for setting the positive and negative peaks Disadvantages Has only moderate accuracy compared to the other calibration methods Does not take into account the amount of phase detector harmonic distortion relative to the measured phase detector gain hence the phase detector must operate in its linear region Requires manual adjustments t
18. Seen 70001 MAINFRAME 70420 70427A lt ee 89410 VECTOR SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input umm SOURCE CH 1 OUTPUT P I m See GPIB SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional ummmmmmmmu 9 mmmm E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional NN cum ooo T nao 0000000 000 ce WEC I I 1 H CoD eee mi 70420A Test Set 70427A Downconverter 70420A TEST SET 70427A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS STATUS B Eg PT NPU T NEUE NOISE ppm SIGNAL AM NOISE RF ANALYZER sgfHz 1600MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz DET OUTPUT RF ANALYZ MONITOR 100 0 1 26 LPS To DUT To Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Reference to be Output to Test Set Source Downconverted Signal Input RF To E1420 or DC Out Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Figure 18 11E5504A Standard Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise
19. 140 150 160 170 180 01 Figure 17 9 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 100M A dBc Hz vs Hz peakreg cdr Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 11 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth vs Peak Tuning Range Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth vs Peak Tuning Range 100k 10k 100 PLL Bandwidth Hz Figure 17 10 17 12 The graph shown in Figure 17 10 illustrates the closed Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth PLL BW chosen by the test system as a function of the Peak Tuning Range of the source Knowing the approximate closed PLL BW allows you to verify that there is sufficient bandwidth on the tuning port and that sufficient source isolation is present to prevent injection locking m 1 10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G Peak Tuning Range Hz bwvstp cdr E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Noise Floor Limits Due to Peak Tuning Range Noise Floor Limits Due to Peak Tuning Range 50 40 The graph shown in Figure 17 11 illustrates the equivalent phase noise at the Peak Tuning Range entered for the source due to the inherent noise at the test set Tune Voltage Output port A Tune Range of VCO 10 V and phase Detector Constant of 0 2V Rad 15 assumed 2
20. 3 Block Diagram Tab Noise Source Test Set Noise Input 14 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples 14 Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example Table 14 1 Parameter Data for the Baseband Using a Test Set Measurement Step Parameters Data 4 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DCBlock Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 5 Graph Tab Title Baseband using the Agilent 70420A Test Set Graph Type Baseband Noise dBV X Scale Minimum XScale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT 10 Hz e 100 6 Hz 0 dBc Hz 200 dBV Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency 0 dB 0 0 dB Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 14 5 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example This measurement example will help you measure the noise voltage of a source NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to war
21. Figure 7 33 Typical Phase Noise Curve for an RF Synthesizer using DCFM E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM Table 7 12 Parameter Data for the RF Synthesizer Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Stop Frequency Minimum Number of Averages FFT Quality 2 1 Carrier Source Sources Tab Frequency Power Carrier Source Output is connected to Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency Reference Source Power VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant Tune Range Center Voltage Input Resistance 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression f Limit is exceeded 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Downconverter Reference Source Timebase Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Destination VCO Tune Mode Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop 10 Hz 4E 6 Hz 4 e Fast e 600E 6 Hz 20 dBm Test Set 600 E 6 Hz 600 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency 16 dBm 40 E 3 Hz V e 10 Volts 0 Volts 600 ohms Measure Phase Detector Constant Calculate from expected VCO Tune Constant Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression Show Suppression Graph Manual None Agilent 86
22. NOTE Most phase modulators are typically narrow band devices therefore a wide range of test frequencies may require multiple phase modulators Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 19 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 14 and tighten all connections HP 70420A Optional Line Stretcher Power Splitter 21 10 Attenuator Signal Input Phase 1 Source Detector Modulator Ref Input E E newd5 cdr Figure 8 14 Calibration Setup 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the Signal Input port of the Agilent 70420A s Phase Detector Table 8 6 shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A Phase Detectors Table 8 6 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port 15 dBm 0 dBm 7 dBm 0 dBm to to to to 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5 dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 3 Using the RF spectrum analyzer or modulation analyzer measure the carrier to sideband ratio of the phase modulation at the phase detector s modulated port and the modulation frequency The audio calibration source should be adjust
23. Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency e 0dB 0 0dB Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 13 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 13 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example page 14 2 Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example page 14 6 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 14 1 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example This measurement example will help you measure the noise voltage of a source NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Defining the 1 From the File menu choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 Inthe File Name box choose BBnoise with testset pnm See Figure 14 1 Open 2 Lookin Cx E5500
24. e Ddbperhz pnm conf 8544b 10mhz pnm AM noise 1ghz 8544b pnm 8 conf 8663a 1 mhz pnm se Conf SigGen 10MHz pnm BBnoise without testset 89410 pnm d Confidence pnm BBnoise without testset E1430 pnm ip DemoMode pnm BBnoise_without_testset_PCDig pnm with_testset pnm File name BBnoise_with_testset Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm Cancel Figure 14 1 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Choose the OK button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 14 1 lists the parameter data that has been entered for this measurement example 14 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Beginning the Measurement Making the Measurement Baseband Noise Measurement Examples 14 Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 14 2 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen File Edit View Define Analyze System Help New Measurement Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor v Clear Graph before measurement v Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 14 2 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement dialog box appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram appears on the computer s display click on the hardware down arro
25. fast quality level If more frequency resolution to separate spurious signals is important the normal and high resolution quality levels are available If you need to customize the offset range beyond the defaults provided tailor the measurement segment tables to meet your needs and save them as a custom selection You can place up to nine markers on the data trace that can be plotted with the measured data Other features include Plotting data without spurs Tabular listing of spurs Plotting in alternate bandwidths Parameter summary Color printouts to any supported color printer Figure 2 1 shows an example of the graphical user interface NOTE Although this document contains screen captures titled HP E5500 the E5500 is an Agilent Technologies product In future revisions of this document all screen captures will be updated to reflect Agilent Technologies E5500 rather than HP E5500 2 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System 2 Introducing the Graphical User Interface Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem io x Confidence Test using HP 86634 Int vs Ext 10 MHz p ERESS00 10E 6 27 Jul 1997 17 18 44 17 20 55 Figure 2 1 5500 Graphical User Interface Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Vers
26. 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm 30 dBm for Option 001 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A Test Set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 9 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 27 1997 16 36 40 hardware Control Panels EFT Analyzer IWEDUSTIHIUZET Test Set Downconverter Phase Shifter Garner Source Reference Residual Source Frequency Tuning Voltage Center 4 Vols Range fio Volts em mm Figure 9 10 Setup diagram for the Agilent 8349A Amplifier Measurement Example Making the Calibrate the Measurement using Measured DC Peak Voltage Measurement Refer to Chapter 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals for more information about residual phase noise measurements calibration types 9 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement
27. AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 35 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 57 47 hardware sisi P NT SES Control Panels EFT Analyzer WEDUSTIBIUZET Test Set Downconverter Erase shitter Carrier Source Reference Residual Source Frequency Tuning Voltage Center 0 Volts Range io Volts em mm Figure 5 30 Connect Diagram for the Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement 4 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams in this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 9 E5503A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 11 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 22 E5503B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 24 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 5 36 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Te
28. Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits 17 21 Agilent 8665A Mode Keys 17 21 How to Access Special Functions 17 22 Description of Special Functions 120 and 124 17 22 Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits 17 23 Agilent 8665B Mode Keys 17 23 How to Access Special Functions 17 24 Description of Special Functions 120 and 124 17 24 18 Connect Diagrams 19 System Specifications Specifications 19 2 Reliable Accuracy 19 2 Measurement Qualifications 19 2 Tuning 19 3 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Contents 7 Contents 8 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors 20 2 Repeatability 20 2 RF Cable and Connector Care 20 2 Proper Connector Torque 20 3 Connector Wear and Damage 20 4 SMA Connector Precautions 20 4 Cleaning Procedure 20 4 Removing and Reinstalling Instruments 20 6 General Procedures and Techniques 20 6 GPIB Connectors 20 8 Precision 2 4 mm and 3 5 mm Connectors 20 8 Bent Semirigid Cables 20 9 Other Multipin Connectors 20 9 MMS Module Removal and Reinstallation 20 11 Touch Up Paint 20 12 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 1 Getting Started with the 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introduction page 1 2 Training Guidelines page 1 3 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 1 1 1 Ge
29. CABLE H See T TT Oe s 89410A VECTOR SIGNAL H 1 ANALYZER Optional 1 1 70001A MAINFRAME 1 1 1 70420 70422 1 oomoo om a 1 1 70420A m I 1 Rear Panel 1 I Noise Source Input s o Boog I I T I 1 1 1 eo 1 wu I E 4 Q SOURCE 1 CH 1 OUTPUT ES D NET 1 eon b ee E p EPI 1 T aoa 1 GPIB Y og 1 L SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional 1 E Pa L REFERENCE SIGNAL E5500 Software i GENERATOR Optional License Key PC MXI Card 1 RF SPECTRUM 70420A TEST SET Eco INPUT REF INPUT EN NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz DET Our MONITOR SIGNAL 500 1V Pk To DUT To E1420B To RF Output or Reference Oscilloscope Source RF To E1430A Spectrum Analog In Analyzer Figure 18 8 E5503A Standard Connect Diagram 18 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 ANALYZER Optional it erm m um 9 70422A Downconverter 70422 DOWNCONVERTER ourPur SIGNAL RFANALYZER Qs 66 Ghz VOLTAGE ANALYZER CONTROL FROM TEST SET 1000 125LPS DC Out Tune Voltage Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5503A Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE Indicates Opt
30. Digitizer Input HP E5500 amnoise cdr Rev 2 12 30 97 Figure 13 10Connect Diagram Example Making the Press the Continue key when you are ready to make the Measurement measurement For more information about various calibration techniques refer to Chapter 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals The system is now ready to make the measurement The measurement results will be updated on the computer screen after each frequency segment has been measured When the When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Measurement is Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Figure 13 11 shows a typical AM noise curve Complete Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 11 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 AMnoise_001_int_cal HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oem 24 A AM noise measurement of an RF signal HPESS00 Canter 600 46 Hz 29 Dec 1997 13 28 13 13 29 12 10K 100K 10M Mf dBc Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE 7 100M Figure 13 11Typical AM Noise Curve Table 13 3 Parameter Data for the AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type AM Noise Start Frequency 10Hz Stop
31. Figure 12 10Modulation Sideband Calibration Setup 12 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Measure the monitor output voltage on the AM detector with an oscilloscope or voltmeter Locate the diode detector s dc voltage along the bottom of the AM sensitivity graph Figure 12 8 Moving up to the diagonal calibration line and over the equivalent phase detector constant can then be read from the left side of the graph The measured data will be plotted as single sideband AM noise in dBc Hz Measure noise data and interpret the results NOTE The quadrature meter should be at zero volts due to the blocking capacitor at the AM detector s output Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 13 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 2 Double Sided Spur Method 2 Double Sided Spur Method 2 Example 1 Advantages Requires only one RF source DUT Calibration is done under actual measurement conditions so all non linearities and harmonics of the AM detector are calibrated out The double sided spur method and the single sided spur method are the two most accurate methods for this reason Disadvantages Required that the DUT have adjustable AM which may also be turned off Requires the AM of the DUT to be extremely accurate otherwise
32. Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect that the amplifier s noise will have on the measured noise floor Agilent 8663A VCO Reference This setup uses the Agilent 8663A as the VCO reference source In order for the noise measurement results to accurately represent the noise of the UUT the noise level of the reference source should be below the expected noise level of the UUT 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 7 29 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen File Edit View Define 2287 25 Analyze System Help Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 7 29 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When the Perform New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics 7 42 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No
33. To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input m mmm m momo omo mom m mom momo mom m m m 4 l ait REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional Digitizer Input SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card GPIB coccoeaaoeaaec ae 70420A Opt 001 70421A Downconverter 70420A 001TEST SET 70421A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS STATUS angaja INPUT REF PUT SIGNAL VERTET SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz Ve ven 50 WAz 26 5GHz 001 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT BEEE CONTROL MONITOR FROM TO IDOWNCQNVERTER DOWNCONVERTER TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK 10 25 LPS DUT Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference to be Output to Test Set RF Yellow Cable To Source DC Tuning Out Downconverted Signal Input Spectrum Oscilloscope Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 18E5502B Opt 001 Connect Diagram 18 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5502B Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQU
34. limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Measure Analyze System Help o amp j vj Measurement Limit Lines Security Level FFT Segment Table Swept Segment Type and Range Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Phase Detector Constant Use current phase detector constant Measure phase detector constant Current Phase Detector Constant 476 3 Volts 7 Radian Tune Constant C Use current VCO tune constant C Measure VCO tune constant Calculate from expected VCO tune constant using tune port resistance Current VCO Tune Constant 5231 Hz Volt Expected VCO Tune Constant 923 1 Hz Volt Maximum Suppression Error Limit dB lf Limit is exceeded C Use theoretical values Use adjusted 12 Show Suppression Preset Figure 7 26 Selecting Loop suppression Verification 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Measurement Noise Floor Considerations for The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the the RF Synthesizer Agilent 70420A sets the measurement noise floor level Use using DCFM Figure 7 27 and Figure 7 28 to determine the amplitude required to provide a noise
35. quadrature either by adjusting the test frequency or by adjusting an optional variable phase shifter or line stretcher Quadrature is achieved when the meter in the phase noise software is set to center scale 2 mV Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 21 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options NOTE For the system to accept the adjustment to quadrature the meter must be within 2 mV to 4 mV 7 Setthe Type of Measurement to Phase Noise Without Using a PLL 8 Setthe Calibration Technique to Derive From Double sided Spur and enter the sideband amplitude and offset frequency 9 Select New Measurement 10 Check quadrature and measure the phase detector constant by pressing Y to proceed 11 Remove audio source 12 Reset quadrature and measure phase noise data Single Sided Spur This calibration option has the following requirements A third source to generate a single sided spur An external power combiner or directional coupler to add the calibration spur to the frequency carrier under test The calibration spur must have an amplitude 100 dB and 20 dB relative to the carrier amplitude The offset frequency of the spur must be 20 Hz and 20 MHz spectrum analyzer or other means to measure the single sided spur relative to the carrier signal You will find that the equipment setup for this calibration option is similar to the others except that
36. 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 1 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals AM Noise Measurement Theory of Operation AM Noise Measurement Theory of Operation Basic Noise Measurement Phase Noise Measurement The Agilent E5500A phase noise measurement software uses the following process to measure carrier noise by Calibrating the noise detector sensitivity Measuring the recovered baseband noise out of the detector Calculating the noise around the signal by correcting the measured data by the detector sensitivity Displaying the measured noise data in the required format Given a detector calibration the system looks at the signal out of the detector as just a noise voltage which must be measured over a band of frequencies regardless of the signal s origin The detector calibration is accomplished by applying a known signal to the detector The known signal is then measured at baseband Finally the transfer function between the known signal and the measured baseband signal is calculated In the case of small angle phase modulation 0 1 rad the modulation sideband amplitude is constant with increasing modulation frequency The phase detector gain can thus be measured at a single offset frequency and the same constant will apply at all offset frequencies In the case of calibrating with phase modulation sidebands the system requires the carrier to sideband ratio and the frequency offset of the si
37. 10 01E 6 Hz Detector input frequency 10 01E 6 Hz Detector Automatic detector selection Nominal tune constant 1E 3 Hz Volt VCO input resistance 600 Ohms VCO center voltage 0 Volts VCO tune range 10 Volts Detector constant cal method Derive from measured beatnote Detector constant 732 331937 E 3 ViRad VCO tune constant cal method Calculate the Tune Constant from nominal value Current VCO tune constant 923 076923 Hz Volt PLL Integrator attenuation 0 dB Phase Locked Loop suppression was verified Theoretical loop suppression values were used Closed PLL BW 702 52 Hz Peak Tune Range 8 83E 3 Hz Assumed Pole 29 5E 3 Hz Carrier Source name manual Reference Source name HP 8644B VCO tuned using DC FM Time Base name none Downconverter name HP 70422A LNA gain 56 dB Figure 5 40 Parameter Summary Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 49 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Exporting Measurement Results Exporting Measurement Results The Export Measurement Results function exports data in one of three types Exporting Trace Data on page 5 51 Exporting Spur Data on page 5 53 Exporting X Y Data on page 5 54 5 50 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Exporting Measurement Results 1 Onthe File menu point to Export Results then click on either
38. 48 6 Hz 18 Ian 1987 B3 52 26 HB8 34 56 5 T e HIGH NOISE LEVEL 12 138 140 150 168 170 18 166 LK 1M it DEdBo Hz3 ws fCHz 48M Figure 15 1 Noise Plot Showing Obvious Problems If none of the problems listed appears on your graph there still may be problems or uncertainties that are not obvious at first glance These uncertainties can be evaluated by comparing your measurement results against the following data The noise characteristics expected for your unit under test The noise floor and accuracy specifications of the phase noise test system The noise characteristics of the signal source used as the reference source The Unit Under Test If you are testing a product for which published specifications exist compare the measurement results against the noise and spur characteristics specified for the product If the product is operating correctly the noise graph provided by the phase noise system should be within the noise limits specified for the product If the device is a prototype or breadboard circuit it may be possible to estimate its general noise characteristics using the characteristics of a similar type of circuit operating in a similar manner Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 3 15 15 4 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Evaluating
39. 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 User s Guide for E5500A B eee Agilent Technologies COPYRIGHT 2000 AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS INCLUDING ELECTRONIC STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OR TRANSLATION INTO A FOREIGN LANGUAGE WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT AND WRITTEN CONSENT OF AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC AS GOVERNED BY UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAWS DOCUMENT PART No E5500 90024 PRINTED IN USA MARCH 2002 EDITION ED 1 0 Notices Warranty The material contained in this document is subject to change without notice Agilent Technologies makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose Agilent Technologies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing performance or use of this material Assistance Product maintenance agreements and other customer assistance agreements are available for Agilent Technologies products For assistance call your nearest Agilent Technologies Sales and Service Office see Table 2 on page vi ii E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 WARNING AWARNING notice denotes a hazard It calls attention to an operating procedure practice or the like t
40. Advanced Software Features Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC Figure 7 44 shows a typical phase noise curve for a RF synthesizer using EFC 2 RFSynth EFC pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help Das e 24 4 mi Bl RF Synthesizer vs HP 8663A EFC 24 Jul 1997 06 48 39 06 50 50 HP E5500 500E46 Hz 1
41. E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM Table 7 11 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram 1 Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 43 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 57 47 hardware e Nr SES Control Panels EFT Analyzer Test Set Downconverter Base shitter Carrier
42. E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance 20 Removing and Reinstalling Instruments Tum Counter Clockwise to Remove Clockwise to Tighten Note To reduce risk of damaging connectors loosen or tighten one nut a few turns then the other On Double or Triple Ganged connectors make sure Inner Nut DOES NOT turn when loosening Outer Nut HP IB Type Connector Turn Counter Clockwise to Remove Clockwise to Tighten Precision 3 5mm Connector Silver Hex Nut Turn Clockwise to Disconnect from Cable Counter Clockwise to Reattach Cable DO NOT Turn Gold Hex Nut 1 88 Revision 1 0 Precision 3 5mm Connector Gold Hex Nut 5 15 95 Figure 20 1 GPIB and 2 4 mm Connectors Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 7 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Removing and Reinstalling Instruments GPIB Connectors These are removed by two captured screw one on each end of the connector these usually can be turned by hand Use a flathead screwdriver if necessary GPIB connectors often are stacked two or three deep When you are removing multiple GPIB connectors disconnect each connector one at a time It is a good practice to connect them back together even if you have not yet replaced the instrument this avoids confusion especially if more than one instrument has been removed When putting GPIB connectors back on you must a
43. E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 1 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 This example demonstrates the AM noise measurement of an Agilent 8662A Signal Generator using the AM detector in the Agilent 70420A Option 001 Phase Noise test set For more information about various calibration techniques refer to Chapter 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals This measurement uses the double sided spur calibration method The measurement of a source with amplitude modulation capability is among the simplest of the AM noise measurements The modulation sidebands used to calibrate the AM detector are generated by the DUT Required Equipment CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 13 2 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears The equipment shown in Table 13 1 is required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 13 1 Required Equipment for the AM Noise using the Agilent 70420A Option
44. E5500 90024Fd 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 19 1 19 System Specifications Specifications Specifications Reliable Accuracy Measurement Qualifications The Agilent E5500 phase noise system minimizes measurement uncertainty by assuring you of accurate and repeatable measurement results Table 19 1 RF Phase Detector Accuracy RF Phase Detector Accuracy Frequency Range Offset from Carrier 01 Hz to 1 MHz 2dB 1 MHz to 100 MHz 4dB Table 19 2 AM Detector Accuracy AM Detector Accuracy Frequency Range Offset from Carrier 01 Hz to 1 MHz 3dB 1 MHz to 100 MHz 5dB In order for the E5500 to meet its accuracy specifications the following qualifications must be met by the signal sources you are using Source Return Loss 9 5 dB lt 2 1 SWR Source Harmonic Distortion 20 dB or a square wave Nonharmonic spurious lt 26 dBc except for phase modulation close to the carrier If either of these conditions are not met system measurement accuracy may be reduced 19 2 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 System Specifications 19 Specifications Tuning The tuning range of the voltage controlled oscillator VCO source must be commensurate with the frequency stability of the sources being used If the tuning range is too narrow the system will not properly phase lock resulting in an aborted measurement If the tu
45. Graph Type Single sideband Noise dBc Hz XScale Minimum 10Hz XScale Maximum e 4E 6Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 170 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a 1 Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of 1times the current carrier frequency Shift trace data DOWN by 0 dB Trace Smoothing Amount 0 Power present at input of DUT 0dB The Stop Frequency depends on the analyzers configured in your phase noise system Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 27 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Defining the Measurement This measurement example will help you measure the absolute phase noise of an RF synthesizer CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 5 7 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 5 5 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 5 5 Require
46. Mode 1 key provides the maximum FM deviation and minimum RF output switching time Noise level is highest in this mode as shown in the following table The Mode 2 key provides a median range of FM deviation and RF output switching time as shown in Table 17 3 The Agilent 8643A defaults to Mode 2 operation 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 15 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits How to Access Special Functions Description of Special Functions 120 and 125 Table 17 3 Operating Characteristics for Agilent 8643A Modes 1 2 and 3 Characteristic Synthesis Mode Mode 1 Mode 2 RF Frequency Switching Time 90 ms 200 ms FM Deviation at 1 GHz 10 MHz 1 MHz Phase Noise 20 kHz offset at 1 GHz 120 dBc 130 dBc Press the Special key and enter the special function number of your choice Access the special function key by pressing the Enter key Press the ON ENTER key to terminate data entries that do not require specific units kHz mV rad for example Example Special 1 2 0 ON nter SIGNAL GENERATOR SPECIAL sigen43 cdr 120 FM Synthesis This special function allows you to have the instrument synthesize the FM signal in a digitized or linear manner Digitized FM is best for signal tone modulation and provides very accurate center frequency at low deviation rates Linear FM is best for multi tone modulation and provides a mo
47. Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port 15dBm 0 dBm 7dBm 0 dBm to to to to 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 3 Measure the output power at the side of the power splitter where the calibration source will be substituted then terminate in 50 ohms See Figure 8 12 8 16 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options 4 Adjust the calibration source to the same output power as the measured output power of the power splitter 5 Adjust the output frequency such that the beatnote frequency is within the range of the analyzers being used 6 The system can now measure the calibration constant 7 Disconnect the calibration source and reconnect the power splitter 8 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector to 90 degrees quadrature either by adjusting the test frequency or by adjusting an optional variable phase shifter or line stretcher Quadrature is achieved when the meter on the front panel of the phase noise interface is set to zero NOTE For the system to accept the adjustment to quadrature the meter must be within 2 mV to 4 mV 9 Reset quadrature and measure phase noise data HP 70420A Optional Line Stretcher Power Signal Input Splitter Phase Source Detector Cal
48. There are five calibration methods that to choose from for calibrating a two port measurement The procedure for each method is provided on the following pages The advantages and disadvantages of each method are also provided to help you select the best method for your application The primary considerations for selecting a calibration method are Measurement Accuracy Equipment Availability User Entry of Phase This calibration option requires that you know the phase detector Detector Constant constant for the specific measurement to be made The phase detector constant can be estimated from the source power levels or a monitor oscilloscope or it can be determined using one of the other calibration methods Once determined the phase detector constant can be entered directly into the system software without going through a calibration sequence Remember however that the phase detector constant is unique to a particular set of sources the RF level into the phase detector and the test configuration Advantages Easy method for calibrating the measurement system Requires little additional equipment only an RF power meter to manually measure the drive levels into the phase detector or monitor oscilloscope Fastest method of calibration If the same power levels are always at the phase detector as in the case of leveled outputs the phase detector sensitivity will always be essentially the same within a dB or two If this accura
49. choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored In the File Name box choose dss pnm See Figure 11 2 L2 x Look in e P disci2 9 RFSynth FreeRF 8 StableRF 9 HP 8652 63 EFC m MeasFile vco MicroSRC Residual xdut veo 45 Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files x Cancel Figure 11 2 Select the Parameters Definition File Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 11 3 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the FM discriminator measurement example From the Define menu navigate to the Measurement window Using Figure 11 3 as a guide a Choosethe Type and Range tab from the Define Measurement window b From the Measurement Type pull down in Type and Range tab select Absolute Phase Noise using an FM discriminator E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 5 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 8 vco 455 HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem x M Figure 11 3 Select Measurement Type 11 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Di
50. oe Un 1 eee ee 70420A Opt 201 Test Set 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET To DUT p STATUS To Reference RF Output ooo Source INPUT n REF INPUT SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 50 kHz 1600 MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 15 dBm MIN 7 dBm MIN E1420B RF RF T d MONITOR A Oscil loscope Spectrum Analyzer 1 2 26 5 GHz ANALYZER ANALYZER TUNE VOLTAGE eee lt 100 kHz lt 100 MHz 50 Q 20mA MAX DC Out eis E Tune Voltage 100 0 1 25 LPS Figure 18 4 E5501A Opt 201 Connect Diagram 18 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5502A Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional ti m r1 o u mmm FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional MS non m m mesh oo 0000000000 89410 SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional um m m L L L L L uh SOURCE I CH 1 i OUTPUT 5 L eee ee ndicates Optional Cable VXI MAINFRAME E1430AFFT ANALYZER Ig e7 E1441AARB Optional E1420B Counter Optional MXI CABLE vmn 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A 70421A 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input mmm
51. to calculate the Tuning Constant value to enter for EFC tuning when the center frequency is 18 GHz bE 9 X 18 E 9 90 c Enter the Tune Range of VCO see Table 7 18 d Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 7 18 e Enter Input Resistance of VCO see Table 7 18 Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Afe xi File Edt view Measure Analyze System Help 4 2 Limit Lines Security Level Define FFT Segment Table Swept Segment Table TypeandRange Sources ca Block Diagram Test Se Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Hz Power dBm arrier Source Output is connectedto TestSet Downconverter amier Source Frequency Detector Input Frequency Reference Source 10E 6 Frequency 10 6 Hz Power 16 dBm Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency multiplied by Tuning Paral Nominal Tune Constant 1E 3 Hz Volt Center Voltage 0 Volts 10 Volts Input Resistance 600 Ohms Menmum Allowed Deviation from wenter Voltage The Tune Range is within the limits of from 0 20 to 10 00 Volts Preset Tune Range as required by the current Center Voltage setting Figure 7 46 Enter Source Information Table 7 18 Tuning C
52. 004 E 9 Hz Power 4 dBm Carrier Source Output is connected to Test Set Detector Input Frequency 6 Hz Reference Source Frequency 444 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency Reference Source Power 16 dBm VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant 40 E 3 Hz V Tune Range 10 Volts Center Voltage Volts Input Resistance 600 ohms 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant Measure Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Calculate from expected VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression If Limit is exceeded Show Suppression Graph 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Downconverter Reference Source Timebase Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Destination VCO Tune Mode Manual Agilent 70422A Agilent 8644B System Control None Automatic Detector Selection Reference Source DCFM Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 33 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Table 7 8 Parameter Data for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 6 Downconverter Tab Input Frequency 10 004
53. 6 13 Evaluating Beatnote Drift 6 13 Changing the PTR 6 15 The Tuning Qualifications 6 15 Minimizing Injection Locking 6 17 Adding Isolation 6 17 Increasing the PLL Bandwidth 6 17 Inserting a Device 6 19 An Attenuator 6 19 An Amplifier 6 19 Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line 6 21 Determining the Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth 6 21 Contents 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator 7 2 Required Equipment 7 2 Defining the Measurement 7 3 Selecting a Reference Source 7 5 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 7 5 Setup Considerations for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement 7 6 Beginning the Measurement 7 9 Checking the Beatnote 7 12 Making the Measurement 7 13 Free Running RF Oscillator 7 18 Required Equipment 7 18 Defining the Measurement 7 19 Selecting a Reference Source 7 21 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 7 22 Setup Considerations for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement 7 23 Beginning the Measurement 7 25 Checking the Beatnote 7 28 Making the Measurement 7 30 RF Synthesizer using 7 35 Required Equipment 7 35 Defining the Measurement 7 36 Selecting a Reference Source 7 39 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 7 40 Setup Considerations for the RF Synthesizer using DCFM Measurement 7 40 Beginning the Measurement 7 42 Checking the Beatnote 7 45 Making the Measurement 7 46 RF Synthe
54. Both 2 01171875 4 02343749 390 3900 39000 8644B Both 1 005859375 2 01171874 195 1950 19500 8644B Both 0 5029296875 1 005859365 97 6 976 9760 8644B Both 0 25146484375 0 5029296775 48 8 488 4880 Takes into account limited tuning resolution available in linear FM Special Function 120 refer to How to Access Special Functions on page 17 18 Agilent 8644B Mode Keys The Mode 1 key provides the maximum FM deviation and minimum RF output switching time Noise level is highest in this mode as shown in the following table The Mode 2 key provides a median range of FM deviation and RF output switching time as shown in Table 17 5 The Mode 3 key provides the lowest noise level at the RF output FM deviation bandwidth is narrower and the RF switching time is slower than in either Modes 1 or 2 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 17 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits How to Access Special Functions Description of Special Function 120 Table 17 5 Operating Characteristics for Agilent 8644B Modes 1 2 and 3 Characteristic Synthesis Mode Mode 1 Mode 2 Mode 3 RF Frequency Switching Time 90 ms 200 ms 350 ms FM Deviation at 1 GHz 10 MHz 1 MHz 100 kHz Phase Noise 20 kHz offset at 1 GHz 120 dBc 130dBc 136 dBc Press the Special key and enter the special function number of your choice Access the special funct
55. E 9 1 0 Frequency Auto I F Frequency 444 E 6 Millimeter Frequency 0 1 0 Power 20 dBM Maximum AM Detector Level 0 dBm Input Attenuation 0dB LF Gain 0dB Auto Checked Microwave Millimeter Band Microwave 0 26 5 GHz Millimeter Band Mixer Bias Enable Unchecked Current Reference Chain Reference 10 MHz External Tune Enable Unchecked Tuning Sensitivity ppm v Nominal 0 ppm V 100 MHz PLL Bandwidth 126 Hz 600 MHz PLL Bandwidth 10000 Hz 7 Graph Tab Title Free Running RF Oscillator vs 8644B using DCFM Graph Type Single sideband Noise dBc Hz XScale Minimum 10Hz XScale Maximum e 4E 6Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 170 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of 1times the current carrier frequency Shift trace data DOWN by 0dB Trace Smoothing Amount 0 Power present at input of DUT 0 dB 7 34 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM RF Synthesizer using Required Equipment This measurement example will help you measure the absolute phase noise of an RF synthesizer using DCFM CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input atten
56. E DET OUTPUT IE CONTROL ANALYZE MONITOR T FROM TO DOWNCONVERTER TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK n 1000 1 25 LPS To DUT To PC To To DUT RF Output Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference Output poa Dele Cable 7 Source Spectrum Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Optional Cable Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 20E5503B Standard Connect Diagram 18 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5503B Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0 n a 0000000000 goo 0000000 m m Gum m 70001 MAINFRAME 70420A 001 70422A NOTE Indicates Optional Cable To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input mmmmmmmum 9 m m eee ee REFERENCE SIGNAL ien GENERATOR Optional npu SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable Hmm m mm m m umummmmmmu 0 505 E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card 70420A
57. E5501A Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 6 E5502A Standard Connect Diagram page 18 7 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 8 E5502A Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 9 E5503A Standard Connect Diagram page 18 10 E5503A Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 11 E5503A Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 12 E5504A Standard Connect Diagram page 18 13 E5504A Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 14 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 15 5501 Standard Connect Diagram page 18 16 E5501B Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 17 E5501B Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 18 5502 Standard Connect Diagram page 18 19 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 1 18 Connect Diagrams E5502B Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 20 E5502B Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 21 5503 Standard Connect Diagram page 18 22 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 23 E5503B Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 24 5504 Standard Connect Diagram page 18 25 E5504B Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 26 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram page 18 27 18 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5501A Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE ndicates Optional Cable o e o r3 r3 VXI MAINFRAME 11 E1430A FFT ANALYZER E E1441A ARB Optional
58. Estimate the Phase Lock Loop PLL bandwidth for the measurement using the PTR of your VCO and the graph in Figure 6 11 Observing the Beatnote If the beatnote frequency is below XXX kHz it will appear on the Agilent E4411A RF analyzer s display in both the frequency domain and the time domain If the beatnote does not appear on the RF analyzer then the beatnote is either greater than XXX kHz or it does not exist If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote within XXX kHz you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 21 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line REQUIRED PLL BANDWIDTH Hz PEAK TUNING RANGE Hz Figure 6 11 Graph of Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth Provided by the Peak Tuning Range 1 Once beatnote is displayed press the press RANGE press AUTO RANGE OFF and press SINGLE AUTO RANGE on the RF analyzer 2 Setthe span width on the RF analyzer to approximately 4 x PLL bandwidth Adjust the BITNET to position it near the center of the display NOTE If you are not able to tune the beatnote to 2 X PLL bandwidth center of display due to frequency drift refer to Tracking Frequency Drift in this section for information about measuring drifting signals If you are able to locate the beatno
59. Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance X Calibration V Q Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5 9 0 10 1E 6 Measure DCFM FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 53 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC Table 7 14 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance Calibration V Q Method Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10 to 1E 6 Measure factor of 2 10 Selecting a 1 Using Figure 7 36 as a guide navigate to the Block Diagram tab Reference Source 2 From the Reference Source pull down list select your source Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme BE File Edi View Measure Analyze System Help pica E Measurement x Bl Limit Lines Define Security Level EFT Segment Table BEI Swept Segment Table Type and Range Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Automatic Detector Selection
60. Frequency e 100E 6Hz Averages 4 FFT Quality Fast Swept Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency 600E 6 Hz Carrier Source Power 20 dBm Carrier Source Output is connected to Test Set Detector Input Frequency 600 E 6 Hz 13 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples 13 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Table 13 3 Parameter Data for the AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Step Parameters Data 3 Cal Tab Detector Constant Use internal automatic Known Spur Parameters self calibration Offset Frequency DOR Amplitude 130 dBc 4 Block Diagram Tab Source Manual AM Detector TestSet AM Detector Down Converter None 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation Auto checked LNA Low Pass Filter Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Detector Maximum Input Levels Microwave Phase Detector 0dBm RF Phase Detector 0 dBm AM Detector 0 Ignore out of lock conditions Not checked Pulsed Carrier Not checked DC Block Not checked Analyzer View Baseband PLL Integrator Attenuation 0 00 dBm 6 Dowconverter Tab Does not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title AM Noise Measurement of an RF Signal Graph AM Noise dBc Hz XScale Minimum 10Hz X Scale Maximum 100E 6 Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 180 dBc Hz
61. Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect that the amplifier s noise will have on the measured noise floor From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 7 50 d Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define Cas e 24 Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 7 50 Selecting a New Measurement 2 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in Figure 7 51 At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 13 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics 7 74 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source Table 7 19 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Document Part No
62. Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 13 18 Connect Diagrams E5504A Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE mmm Indicates Optional Cable VXI MAINFRAME a a E a a a E1430A FFT ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional m m mmm FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000 lt lt MXICABLE ERI IE 70001 MAINFRAME 70420 001 70427 E1420B Counte Optional r VXI MXI Bus 0000 0000000000 QOO mmm 894104 VECTOR SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 0000 2o00 ua 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input 000000000 m Gu SOURCE1 OUTPUT I eee 1 ammmmmmmmum E5500 Software REFERENCE SIGNAL License Key 2 GENERATOR Optional PC MXI Card RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional EN mes momo m m i V 70427A Downconverter 70420A OPT 001 TEST SET 70427 DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS a PT REF NPT SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 265 GHz nov 5 0 01 Hz 100 MHz
63. No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 3 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals The Phase Lock Loop Technique Tuning Requirements The peak tuning range required for your measurement will depend on the frequency stability of the two sources you are using The signals from the two sources are mixed in the system s phase detector to create a beatnote In order for the loop to acquire lock the center frequencies of the sources must be close enough together to create a beatnote that is within the system s Capture Range Once the loop is locked the frequency of the beatnote must remain within the drift tracking range for the duration of the measurement In Figure 6 3 the ranges calculated in the previous example are marked to show their relationship to the beatnote frequency Drift tracking range a Capture range l 596 of the PTR 24 of the PTR OHz 50 240 Hz 1000 Hz Beatnote2 cdr Figure 6 3 Relationship of Capture and Drift Tracking Ranges to Beatnote Frequency If the beatnote does not remain within the drift tracking range during the measurement the out of lock detector will be set and the System will stop the measurement If this happens you will need to increase the system s drift tracking range by increasing the system s peak tuning range if possible or by selecting a VCO source with a greater tuning range Sel
64. Noise Measurement Setup Method 1 Example 1 2 Measure the power which will be applied to the AM detector see Figure 12 7 It must be between 0 and 23 dBm Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 9 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Power Meter or Spectrum DUT Analyzer Q t Figure 12 7 AM Noise Calibration Setup 3 Locate the drive level on the AM sensitivity graph Figure 12 8 and enter the data 4 Measure the noise data and interpret the results The measured data will be plotted as single sideband AM noise in dBc Hz NOTE The quadrature meter should be at zero volts due to the blocking capacitor at the AM detector s output 12 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Equivalent Phase Detector Constant vs Detector Voltage vs Input Power 40 30 25 20 Detector Input Power dBm 03 Approximate Equivalent Phase Detector Constant V rad Detector Constant 02 Diode Detector Voltage Vdc amcal cdr Figure 12 8 AM Detector Sensitivity Graph Method 1 Example 2 Advantages Easy method of calibrating the measurement system Will measure DUT without modulation capability Re
65. Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 3 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example 5 From the Define menu choose Measurement then choose the Type and Range tab from the Define Measurement window 6 From the Measurement Type pull down select Residual Phase Noise without using phase lock loop See Figure 9 3 Figure 9 3 Navigate to Residual Phase Noise 7 Choose Sources tab from the Define Measurement window 9 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples 9 Amplifier Measurement Example 8 Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency See Figure 9 4 Figure 9 4 Enter Frequencies into Source Tab 9 Choose the Cal tab from the Define Measurement window 10 Select Derive detector constant from measured DC peak voltage as the calibration method See Figure 9 5 Figure 9 5 Select Constant in the Cal Tab Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 5 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example 11 Choose the Block Diagram tab from the Define Measurement window Refer to Figure 9 6 a From the Phase Shifter pull down select Manual b From the Phase Detector pull down select Automatic Detector Selection i E J Dates l
66. Server in the Asset Manager window and then click Exit to exit the Asset Manager 15 Next continue to Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify an Asset on the next page Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 7 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source 1 From the System menu choose Server Hardware Connections See Figure 5 9 HP E5500 Phase Noise System Confidence Test HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement C3 Lx File Edit View Define Measure Analyze Es aln 4 Sls Server Hardware Connections Select Measurement Server Initiate Self Test K 10K 100K 1 10M Sv f dBV Hz vs f Hz E dit hardware configuration on server LOCAL IDLE Figure 5 9 Navigate to Server Hardware Connections From the Test Set pull down list select Agilent 8663 A green check mark appears after the I O check has been performed by the software See Figure 5 11 If a green check mark does not appear click the Check I O button See Figure 5 10 a Ifa red circle with a slash appears return to the Asset Manager click the Asset Manager button and verify that the Agilent 8663A is configured correctly b Check your system hardware connections c Click the green check mark button on the asset manager s tool bar to
67. Source Residual Source SIBI Frequency Tuning Voltage Center o Vols Range Volts em Swept Analyzer Figure 7 30 Connect Diagram for the RF Synthesizer DC FM Measurement 4 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 6 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 8 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 7 44 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM NOTE For additional examples refer to Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams Checking the While the connect diagram is still displayed use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420A or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources a
68. Source INPUT SSS p REF INPUT SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1V Pk 50 kHz 1600 MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 15 dBm MIN RF mmm PHASE DET OUTPUT MIN To E1420B RF ANALYZER MONITOR Spectrum i or Oscilloscope Analyzer ANALYZER ANALYZER TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK a lt 100 kHz lt 100 MHz 50 20mA MAX DC out Tune Voltage 100 0 1 251 5 Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 3 18 Connect Diagrams E5501A Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Note 25 Optional Cable 0000000 tT VXI MAINFRAME Pe E1430A FFT ANALYZER 1 Optional n E1420B Counter Optional 1 S meum MXI Bus L I I 89410A MXI CABLE Smmm VECTOR rouen A en 70001A MAINFRAME 1 70420 001 g Rear Panel 1 Noise Source Input h e BLLLLLLLLLLL LJ SOURCE CH 1 OUTPUT finial ll m GPIB l SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional ummmmmmmmum m mm m d v m
69. Stop offset frequency Minimum number of FFT avera Carrier Source frequency Detector input frequency Detector Automatic detector selection Nominal VCO tune constant 10E 3 Hz Volt VCO center voltage 0 Volts VCO tune range 2 Volts Detector constant cal method Derive from measured beatnote Detector constant 346 3E 3 V Rad VCO tune constant cal method Measure the Tune Constant Current VCO tune constant 9 485 3 Hz V olt DIT Tanta ment mw ath nanreatinwn N AD noige using a phase locked loop Document WordPad Figure 16 15Secured Frequencies Cannot be Found 2 Secured Frequencies and Amplitudes Cannot be Viewed When Secured Frequencies and Amplitudes cannot be viewed 15 selected all frequency and amplitude information is blanked on the phase noise graph See Figure 16 16 and Figure 16 17 Figure 16 16Choosing Levels of Security Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 HP E5500 Measurement Security Level E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 17 16 Advanced Software Features Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph Security pnm HP E5500 Phase Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 4 5 x re RF Synthesizer vs HP 86624 using DCFM HP 5500 Carrier Ha 07 Jam 1998 11 32 39 11 34 12 C
70. Summary Notepad dialog box appears Figure 15 11 The data can be printed or changed using standard Notepad functionality 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 11 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Graph of Results Hp e5500 2 Notepad Jol x File Edit Search Help Free Running RF Oscillator vs 8644B DCFM Measurement time 24 Jul 1997 15 52 51 15 55 03 Measurement type Absolute phase noise using a phase locked loop Start offset frequency 10 Hz Stop offset frequency 4E 6 Hz Minimum number of FFT averages 4 Carrier Source frequency 10 04E 9 Hz Detector input frequency 444E 6 Hz Detector Automatic detector selection Nominal VCO tune constant 40E 3 Hz Volt VCO input resistance 600 Ohms VCO center voltage 0 Volts VCO tune range 10 Volts Detector constant cal method Derive from measured beatnote Detector constant 151 537791E 3 V Rad VCO tune constant cal method Calculate the Tune Constant from nominal value Current VCO tune constant 36 923076E 3 Hz Volt PLL Integrator attenuation O dB Phase Locked Loop suppression was verified Theoretical loop suppression values were used Closed PLL BW 4 62E 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 366 7 E43 Hz Assumed Pole 150 3 Hz Carrier Source name manual Reference Source name HP 8644B VCO tuned using DC FM Figure 15 11Parameter Summary Notepad 15 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document
71. Tab The test set parameters do not apply to this measurement example Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 35 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Table 11 6 Parameter Data for the Rate and Deviation Calibration Example Step Parameters Data 6 Dowconverter Tab 7 Graph Tab Title Graph Type X Scale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example FM Discrim 50 ns dly 1 027GHz 19 ICBM out VCO R amp D Single sideband Noise dBc Hz 10 Hz 100 E 6 Hz 10 dBc Hz 190 dBc Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency e 0dB 0 e 0dB 11 36 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals AM Noise Measurement Theory of Operation page 12 2 Amplitude Noise Measurement page 12 3 Calibration and Measurement General Guidelines page 12 7 Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant page 12 9 Method 2 Double Sided Spur page 12 14 Method 3 Single Sided Spur page 12 19 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed
72. Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Bel File Edit View Measure Analyze System Help SAE xie gj ej sj x h Limit Lines Security Level EFT Segment Tabe Swept Segment Table Type and Ranae Sources Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Carrier Source Automatic Detector Selection Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Front Panel E Destination Reference Source r Reference Source manual gt inane Reference Source t8 acm Asset Manage Preset Figure 5 25 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Selecting Loop 1 From the Define menu choose Measurement then choose the Suppression Cal tab from the Define Measurement window Verification 2 Inthe Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph See Figure 5 26 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 31 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz
73. When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement Measurement is 8 results If the test system has problems completing the Complete measurement it will inform you by placing a message on the computer display Figure 11 17 shows a typical absolute measurement using FM discrimination vco 455 HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 4 5 xe e S FM Discrim 50 ns 1 027GHz 19 dBm out VCO DSS HP E5500 Carrier 1 027E 9 16 1998 11 12 56 11 14 21 10K 100K dBc Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 11 17Typical Phase Noise Curve using Double Sided Spur Calibration Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 17 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration Table 11 3 Parameter Data for the Double Sided Spur Calibration Example Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Absolute Phase Noise using an FM Discriminator Start Frequency e 10 Hz Stop Frequency e 100E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Normal Swept Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency 1 027 E 9 Hz Power 19 dBm Carrier Source is Connected to Test Se
74. a residual two port phase noise measurement For residual phase noise measurements the source noise must be correlated The phase delay difference in the paths between the power splitter and the phase detector must be kept to a minimum when making residual noise measurements In other words by keeping the cables between the phase detector and power splitter short will be small The attenuation of the source noise is a function of the carrier offset frequency and the delay time and is equal to Attenuation dB 201og 2sin n x Where f carrier offset frequency 3 14159 delay sec The source should also have a good broadband phase noise floor because at sufficiently large carrier offsets it will tend to decorrelate when measuring components with large delays At f 28 source noise is rejected completely the first null in noise c n be used to determine the delay difference At Source noise shows up unattenuated At lower offsets source noise is attenuated at 20 dB per decade rate at l of source noise is attenuated 20 dB Examples of sources Which best meet these requirements are the Agilent 8644B and Agilent 8642A B The source used for making residual phase noise measurements must be low in AM noise because source AM noise can cause AM to conversion in the UUT Mixer type phase detectors only provide about 20 to 30 dB of rejection to AM noise in a 6M noise measurement
75. affected by Dirty or damaged connectors Connections that have been made without using proper torque techniques this applies primarily when connectors in the system have been disconnected then reconnected CAUTION This system contains instruments and devices that are static sensitive Always take proper electrostatic precautions before touching the center conductor of any connector or the center conductor of any cable that is connected to any system instrument Handle Agilent Technologies instruments and devices only when wearing a grounded wrist or foot strap When handling devices on a work bench make sure you are working on an anti static worksurface Connectors are the most critical link in a precision measurement system These devices are manufactured to extremely precise tolerances and must be used and maintained with care to protect the measurement accuracy and repeatability of your system To extend the life of your cables or connectors 20 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Proper Connector Torque Document Part No E5500 90024Fd 1 0 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance 20 Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors Avoid repeated bending of cables a single sharp bend can ruin a cable instantly Avoid repeated connection and disconnection of cable connectors Inspect the connectors before connection look for dirt nicks and other signs of d
76. an additional source and a power splitter have been added so that the spur can be summed with the input carrier frequency Advantages Calibration is done under actual measurement conditions so all non linearities and harmonics of the phase detector are calibrated out NOTE The Single sided Spur Method and the Double sided Spur Method Option 4 are the two most accurate methods 8 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options Broadband couplers with good directivity are available at reasonable cost to couple in the calibration spur Disadvantages Requires a second RF sources that can be set between 10 Hz and up to 50 MHz depending on the baseband analyzer used from the carrier source frequency Requires an RF spectrum analyzer for manual measurement of the signal to spur ratio and the spur offset frequency Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 16 and tighten all connections Note that the input signal into the directional coupler is being supplied to the coupler s output port HP 70420A Optional Line Stretcher Power Splitter Signal Input Phase Source Detector RF Spectrum Analyzer 20 dB Coupler output input 10 dB Attenuator Calibration Ref Input Source Coupler 40 dBc I rr rr I rr rm Port 100 kHz newd9 cdr Figure 8 16
77. and the drift tracking range is equal to 24 of the system s peak tuning range 6 2 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 The Phase Lock Loop Technique The system s peak tuning range is derived from the tuning characteristics of the VCO source you are using for the measurement Figure 6 2 illustrates the relationship that typically exists between the VCO s peak to peak tuning range and the tuning range of the system The system s drift tracking range is limited to a small portion of the peak tuning range to minimize the possibility of measurement accuracy degradation caused by non linearity across the VCO s tuning range Peak Tune Range PTR PTR is determined using two parameters VCO tuning sensitivity Hz Volt Total voltage tuning range Volts PTR VCO Tuning Sensitivity X Total Voltage Tuning Range PTR 100 Hz V X 10 V 1000 Hz Total peak to peak tuning range of VCO System peak tuning range Drift tracking range Ga ey Capture Ld 24 5 5 24 VCO Source Center Frequency vcotr cdr Figure 6 2 Typical Relationship of Capture Range and Drift Tracking Range to Tuning Range of VCO As an Example A Peak Tuning Range of 1000 Hz will provide the following ranges Capture Range 0 05 X 1000 Hz 50 Hz Drift Tracking Range 0 24 X 1000 Hz 240 Hz Document Part
78. by two things The noise floor of the phase detector and low noise amplifier LNA The noise level of the reference source you are using The System Noise The noise floor of the system is directly related to the amplitude of the input signal at the R input port of the system s phase detector Table 6 1 shows the amplitude ranges for the L and R ports Floor 6 1 Amplitude Ranges for L and R Ports Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Ref Input L Port Signal Input Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input Port Noise 15dBm 0 dBm 7 dBm 0 dBm 0 dBm to to to to to 23 dBM 23 dBM 10 dBM 5dBM 20 dBM Agilent 70420A phase noise test set Options 001 and 201with no attenuation t Agilent 70420A phase noise test set Option 001 with no attenuation If the L port reference input signal is within the amplitude range shown in the preceding table the signal level at the R signal input port sets the noise floor for the system 6 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor Figure 6 4 shows the relationship between the R signal input level and the system noise floor L Port Level gt 15dBm 15 5 E n 15 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz f 2 10
79. calculated phase locked loop suppression Show Suppression Graph Manual None Agilent 8663A None Automatic Detector Selection Reference Source EFC 7 66 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC Table 7 16 Parameter Data for the RF Synthesizer EFC Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 6 Downconverter Tab The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title RF Synthesizer vs Agilent 8663A using EFC Graph Type Single sideband Noise dBc Hz XScale Minimum 10Hz XScale Maximum e 4E 6Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 170 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of 1times the current carrier frequency Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount 0 dB Power present at input of DUT 0 e 0dB Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 67 Microwave Source Microwave Source Required Equipment Absolute Measurement Examples This measurement example will help you measure the absolute phase noise of a microwave sour
80. computer display While the Connect Diagram is still displayed recommend that you use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420A or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the Capture Range of the system The phase lock loop PLL Capture Range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 21 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will requi
81. connector before making connections Table 20 2 Cleaning Supplies Available from Agilent Technologies Product Part Number Ultrajet 9310 6395 Alcohol wipes 92193N Lint Free cloths 9310 4242 Small foam swabs 9300 1270 Large foam swabs 9300 0468 CAUTION Do not allow excessive alcohol to run into the connector Excessive alcohol entering the connector collects in pockets in the connector s internal parts The liquid will cause random changes in the connector s electrical performance If excessive alcohol gets into a connector lay it aside to allow the alcohol to evaporate This may take up to three days If you attach that connector to another device it can take much longer for trapped alcohol to evaporate Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 5 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Removing and Reinstalling Instruments Removing and Reinstalling Instruments General Procedures This section introduces you to the various cable and connector types and Techniques used in the system See Figure 20 1 and Figure 20 2 Read this section before attempting to remove an instrument EA connector type may have unique considerations For example some connectors are loosened by turning them clockwise others by turning counter clockwise Always use care when working with system cables and instruments 20 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No
82. dialog box you may type a comment that associates itself with the asset you have just configured See Figure 5 7 Click the Finish button Enter Comment Congratulations You have added a new asset to your asset server If you would like you may enter an asset comment for your own use Once you return to the main screen you may also want to perform an 1 0 check on this asset You can do this by using the check mark icon write a comment here Comment Figure 5 7 Enter Asset Comment 13 You have just used the Asset Manager to configure a source See Figure 5 8 Use the same process to add other software controlled assets to the phase noise measurement software Asset Manager ic xi Server Asset Options Help aS olala ml ol vel b Baseband Source Property Value Counter Asset Name HP 8663 Downconverter Interface GPIBO FFT Analyzer Address Phase Shifter Model Number Serial Number ACM ID D1EECE63 9CB1 11D0 80B8 0040246D394B ACM Filename CAPROGRA 1IHPSUBS 1 HPE550 1 HP8653 exe Library pnhpvisa32 dll Comment Write a comment here Swept Analyzer Test Set HP 70420 Time Base For Help press F1 Local Server 2 Figure 5 8 Asset Manager Showing Added Source 5 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source 14 click
83. floor level that is below the expected noise floor of Measurement your UUT 7 40 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM Ref Input Level 15 dBm O1 5 Input Signal Level dBm on 15 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of System dBc Hz f gt 10kHz Figure 7 27 Noise Floor for the RF Synthesizer DCFM Measurement L Port Level 15dBm EO 175 dBc Hz 140 160 160 170 180 Ce Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz f d0kHz R Port Signal Level dBm Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 4 cele xe oJ m vel Confidence Test using HP 86634 Int vs Ext 10 MHz o HPESSO0 10E 6 Ha No Spurs ___ 2711997 17 18 44 17 20 55 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL DE Figure 7 28 Noise Floor Calculation Example Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 41 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Beginning the Measurement If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the Agilent 70420A input Refer to
84. for an RF Amplifier 9 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example Untitled HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help peja 24 4 5 S v HP E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 0 GHz 5500_ Crier 1E 9 Apr 1998 10 35 04 10 36 33 10K 100K 10M L f dBc Hz vs Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE Figure 9 15 Typical Phase Noise Curve for a Residual Measurement Table 9 4 Parameter Data for the Amplifier Measurement Example Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Stop Frequency Minimum Number of Averages FFT Quality Swept Quality Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency Power Detector Input Frequency Residual Phase Noise without using a phase locked loop 10 Hz e 100E 6Hz 4 Fast e 1E 9Hz 10 dBm 1E 9Hz Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 9 15 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example Table 9 4 Parameter Data for the Amplifier Measurement Example Step Parameters Data 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant Current Phase Detector Constant Know Spur Parameters Derive detector constant from measured DC p
85. http www agilent com contacts English noscript html Double click the link to Test amp Measurement Select your country from the drop down menus The Web page that appears next has contact information specific for your country Agilent by Phone If you do not have access to the Internet call one of the numbers in Table 2 Table2 Agilent Call Centers and Regional Headquarters United States and Canada Test and Measurement Call Center 800 452 4844 toll free in US Europe 41 22 780 8111 Japan Measurement Assistance Center 81 0426 56 7832 Latin America 305 269 7548 Asia Pacific 85 22 599 7777 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 1 Getting Started with the E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introduction 1 2 Training Guidelines 1 3 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introducing the Graphical User Interface 2 2 System Requirements 2 4 3 Your First Measurement Designed to Meet Your Needs 3 2 As You Begin 3 2 E5500 Operation A Guided Tour 3 3 Required Equipment 3 3 Howto Begin 3 3 Starting the Measurement Software 3 4 Making a Measurement 3 6 Beginning the Measurement 3 7 Making the Measurement 3 9 Sweep Segments 3 10 Congratulations 3 10 To Learn 3 11 4 Phase Noise Basics Whatis Phase Noise 4 2 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Starting the Measurement Software 5 2 Using the Asset Manager to
86. largest difference between the smoothed measured loop suppression and the adjusted theoretical loop suppression in the frequency range plotted for the smoothed measured loop suppression The frequency of the assumed pole is normally much greater than the Closed PLL BW and there is no loop peaking If the smoothed measured PLL suppression shows peaking the assumed pole is shifted down in frequency to simulate the extra phase shift that caused the peaking If the peaking is really due to a single pole at a frequency near the Closed PLL BW the adjusted theoretical loop suppression and smoothed measured loop suppression will show a good match and the maximum error will be small Accuracy spec degradation is determined by taking the larger of Maximum Error and magnitude of PLL Gain Change and then subtracting 1 dB 4 02 00 also allows the use of an embedded VXI PC running Microsoft Windows 2000 In this case the VXI interface to the VXI assets will be VXI direct select within the Asset Manager Configuration The VISA I O libraries must also support the embedded PC s GPIB card Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 13 16 Advanced Software Features Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph Security Level Procedure B R Security pnm HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsyst
87. must be accurate within a factor of 2 A procedure for Estimating the Tuning Constant is located in this chapter Constant Biz VEA Tuning Range Vj Capture hange fiz T He AEA n Ho Capture ange NOTE If you are able to locate the beatnote but it distorts and then disappears as you adjust it towards 0 Hz your sources are injection locking to each other Set the beatnote to the lowest frequency possible before injection locking occurs and then refer to Minimizing Injection Locking in the Problem Solving section of this chapter for recommended actions Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 29 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator NOTE If you are not able to tune the beatnote to within the capture range due to frequency drift refer to Tracking Frequency Drift in the Problem Solving section of this chapter for information about measuring drifting signals Making the 1 Clickthe Continue button when you have completed the beatnote Measurement check and are ready to make the measurement 7 30 2 When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 7 21 Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not b
88. phase noise test set must be dc blocked when using its Noise Input or internal AM detector The test set will not tolerate more than 2 mV DC Input without overloading the LNA A DC block must be connected in series after the AM Detector to remove the dc component The Agilent 70429A Option K21 is E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 5 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals Amplitude Noise Measurement designed specifically for this purpose or the internal DC blocking filter in either the Agilent 70420 or Agilent 70427 may be used 12 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Calibration and Measurement General Guidelines Calibration and Measurement General Guidelines NOTE Read This The following general guidelines should be considered when setting up and making an AM noise measurement The AM detector must be well shielded from external noise especially 60 Hz noise The components between the diode detector and the test system should be packaged in a metal box to prevent RFI interference NOTE The internal detectors in the Agilent 70420A Option 001 and Agilent 70427A along with the Agilent 70429A Option K21 provide this level of protection Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 7 12 12 8 Noise Measurement Fundamentals Calibration and Measurement Gene
89. present at input of DUT 0 dB Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 17 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Free Running RF Oscillator Required Equipment This measurement example will help you measure the phase noise of a free running RF oscillator with frequency drift gt 20 ppm over a period of thirty minutes CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 7 7 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 7 5 shows the equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement 7 5 Required Equipment for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8644B 1 Refer to the Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 7 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0
90. provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the test set Refer to Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect the amplifiers noise will have on the measured noise floor Beginning the CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware Measurement components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 5 3 Apply the input signals when the connection diagram appears as shown below in step 3 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 5 18 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define S R nalyze System Help Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 5 18 Selecting New Measurement 2 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in the Connect Diagram Figure 5 19 At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correc
91. so the AM noise can appear in the phase noise plot 2 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Itis very important that all components in the test setup be well shielded from RFI Unwanted RF coupling between components will make a measurement setup very vulnerable to external electric fields around it The result may well be a setup going out of quadrature simply by people moving around in the test setup area and altering surrounding electric fields A loss of quadrature stops the measurement E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 7 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibrating the Measurement 3 When making low level measurements the best results will be obtained from uncluttered setups Soft foam rubber is very useful for isolating the UUT and other phase sensitive components from mechanically induced phase noise The mechanical shock of bumping the test set or kicking the table will often knock a sensitive residual phase noise measurement out of quadrature 4 When making an extremely sensitive measurement it is essential to use semi rigid cable between the components The bending of a flexible cable from vibrations and temperature variations in the room can cause enough phase noise in flexible connecting cables to destroy the accuracy of a sensitive measurement The connectors also must be tight a torque wrench is the best tool 5 When measuring a low noise device it is important that the source and any amplif
92. the system to measure the source noise level directly at offsets beyond the filter bandwidth Given these assumptions when the unit under test UUT is connected to either of the two inputs of the Phase Detector all of the source noise will cancel and only the residual noise of the UUT will be measured See Figure 8 3 SOURCE PHASE DETECTOR BASE BAND ANALYSIS POWER SPLITTER Figure 8 3 Setup for Typical Residual Phase Noise Measurement If the UUT is a frequency translating device such as a divider multiplier or mixer then one UUT must be put in each path The result will be the sum of the noise from each UUT In other words each UUT is at least as quiet as the measured result 8 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Basic Assumptions Regarding Residual Phase Noise Measurements If the UUT s are identical a possible but not recommended assumption is that the noise of each UUT is half the measured result or 3 dB less that really can be concluded is that the noise level of one of the UUT s is at least 3 dB lower than the measured result at any particular offset frequency If a more precise determination is required at any particular offset frequency a third UUT must also be measured against the other two UUT s The data from each of the three measurements can then be processed by the phase noise softwa
93. the Results This chapter contains information to help you evaluate and output the results of your noise measurements The purpose of the evaluation is to verify that the noise graph accurately represents the noise characteristics of your unit under test UUT To use the information in this chapter you should have completed your noise measurement and the computer should be displaying a graph of its measurement results Storing the measurement results in the Result File is recommended for each measurement These steps provide an overview of the evaluation process Look for obvious problems on the graph such as discontinuity breaks Compare the graph against known or expected data If necessary gather additional data about the noise characteristics of the UUT Looking For Obvious Some obvious problems on a graph are as follows Problems Discontinuities or breaks in the graph higher than expected noise level Spurs that you cannot account for Noise that exceeds the small angle criterion line on a L f graph 15 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Comparing Against Expected Data Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Evaluating the Results Figure 15 1 provides a graphical example of these problems If one or more of these problems appear on your graph refer to the Problem Solving section for recommended actions MOISE CURVE SHOWING OBVIOUS PROBLEMS Chp Carriar
94. the current carrier frequency e 0dB 0 e 0dB Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 19 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Required Equipment CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator Agilent 70420A Option 001 has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 11 5 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears NOTE In order to use the FM rate and deviation calibration method you must have a signal source that is calibrated for FM modulation rate and FM deviation parameters All Agilent Technologies signal generators meet this requirement Table 11 4 shows equipment is required for this example in addition the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 11 4 Required Equipment for the FM Discriminator Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Signal Generator 1 19 dBm output level at tested carrier frequency Calibrated FM at a 20 kHz rate with 10 kHz Peak Deviation Power Split
95. to 5 MHz 2 The attenuation for 32 ns of delay is 30 dB x 32 ns 100 ns or 9 6 dB The total signal attenuation through the splitter and the delay line is 15 6 dB The signal level out of the delay line 15 8 6 dBm which is 11 6 dB below the phase detector compression point Improved sensitivity can be achieved by reducing the length of the delay or by using a more efficient line so that the signal level out is 5 7 dBm or 8 7 dB below the mixer compression point Careful delay line selection is crucial for good system sensitivity In cases where the phase detector is operating out of compression sensitivity can be increased by using a low loss delay line or by amplifying the signal from the DUT Because attenuation in coaxial lines is frequency dependent optimum system sensitivity will be achieved with different lengths of line for different carrier frequencies E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration page 11 3 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration page 11 20 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 1 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Introduction Introduction These two measurement examples demostrates the FM Discriminator measurement technique for measuring the phase noise of a s
96. verify connectivity d Return to Server Hardware Connections and click the Check I O button for a re check 5 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source HP E5500 Server Hardware Connections Figure 5 10 Green Check mark Verifies 1 0 Check HP E5500 Server Hardware Connections t y E Figure 5 11 Check 1 0 Connections Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 9 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source 3 Next proceed to one of the following absolute measurements using either an Agilent 8663A or an Agilent 8644B source Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz on page 5 11 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz on page 5 28 5 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz This measurement example helps you measure the absolute phase noise of an RF synthesizer CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector un
97. 0 10 10 20 30 40 50 6 60 70 S Voltage Tuning Range 10V 2 Phase Detector Constant 2V rad 80 90 100 0 110 PTR C 120 TANKY 130 140 150 160 170 180 01 A Figure 17 11 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 100M f dBc Hz vs f Hz nflimits cdr Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 13 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options Table 17 1 Tuning Parameters for Several VCO Options VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range V Resistance Calibration V Q Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Up SE 9x v9 0 10 1E 6 Measure DCFM FM Deviation 0 10 1 k 8662 Calculate 600 8663 Calculate Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Calculate Agilent 8643A 44B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Calculate Agilent 8664A FM Deviation 0 5 600 Calculate Agilent 8665A B See Caution Below Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Calculate 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated within a 10 See Tune Range 1E 6 factor of 2 to 10 of VCO vs Center Measure Voltage on page 17 10 Caution Exceeding 5 volts maximum may dama
98. 0 5000000 8665B 515 749 99999999 100000 2500000 8665B 375 514 99999999 50000 2500000 8665B 257 5 374 99999999 50000 1250000 8665B 187 5 257 49999999 25000 1250000 8665B 30 187 49999999 200000 5000000 8665B 5 29 99999999 100000 5000000 8665B 0 05 4 99999999 FM lt MIN Above Carrier freq 9 kHz Takes into account limited tuning resolution available in linear FM Special Function 120 refer to How to Access Special Functions on page 17 24 Agilent 8665B Mode The Mode 2 key provides a median range of FM deviation and Keys RF output switching time as shown in Table 17 11 The Mode 3 key provides the lowest noise level at the RF output FM deviation bandwidth is narrower and the RF switching time is slower than in either Modes 1 or 2 Table 17 11 Operating Characteristics for Agilent 8665B Modes 2 and 3 Synthesis Mode Characteristic Mode 2 Mode 3 RF Frequency Switching Time 200 ms 350 ms FM Deviation at 1 GHz 1 MHz 100 kHz Phase Noise 20 kHz offset at 1 GHz 130 dBc 136 dBc Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 23 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits How to Access Special Functions Description of Special Functions 120 and 124 Press the Special key and enter the special function number of your choice Access the special function key by pressing Enter key Press the ON ENTER key to te
99. 0 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 47 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Displaying the Parameter Summary Displaying the Parameter Summary The Parameter Summary function allows you to quickly review the measurement parameter entries that were used for this measurement The parameter summary data is included when you print the graph 1 Onthe View menu click Parameter Summary See Figure 5 39 FreeRF pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem v Toolbar Status Bar Markers Meter Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences v Update Graph when Parameters are Changed Figure 5 39 Navigate to Parameter Summary 2 The Parameter Summary Notepad dialog box appears The data can be printed or changed using standard Notepad functionality See Figure 5 40 5 48 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Displaying the Parameter Summary Edit Search Help Confidence Test using HP 86446 Int vs Ext 10 MHz Measurement time 25 Jul 1997 15 18 53 15 21 04 Measurement type Absolute phase noise using a phase locked loop Start offset frequency 10 Hz Stop offset frequency 2E 6 Hz Minimum number of FFT averages 4 Carrier Source frequency
100. 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 29 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Dec 17 1997 14 52 45 HP 70420A PHASE SHIFTER POWER SPLITTER DELAY LINE hardware Control Panels EFT Analyzer Swept Analyzer Test Set Downesnverter fase ter Garner Source Beterence Source Residual Source Calibration BENE DENIS Tuning Voltage Center Vols Range 10 Volts mem Figure 11 27Setup Diagram for the FM Discrimination Measurement Example 5 Refer to Figure 11 28 for more information about system interconnections 11 30 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration POWER SPLITTER HP 70001A MAI
101. 00 IK 10K 100K 1M L f dBe Hz vs f Hz new measurement has been loaded into the server LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 7 44 Typical Phase Noise Curve for RF Synthesizer using EFC Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 65 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC Table 7 16 Parameter Data for the RF Synthesizer EFC Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Stop Frequency Minimum Number of Averages FFT Quality 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency Power Carrier Source Output is connected to Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency Reference Source Power VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant Tune Range Center Voltage Input Resistance 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression f Limit is exceeded 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Downconverter Reference Source Timebase Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Destination VCO Tune Mode Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop 10 Hz 4E 6 Hz 4 e Fast 500 E 6 Hz 10 dBm Test Set 500 E 6 Hz 500 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency 16dBm 2 5 Hz V e 10 Volts 0 Volts 6 ohms Measure Phase Detector Constant Measure from expected VCO Tune Constant Verify
102. 001 Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8644B 1 Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 13 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Figure 13 1 shows the configuration used for an AM noise measurement DUT HP 70420 Opt 001 Ss newd27a cdr Figure 13 1 AM Noise Measurement Configuration Defining the 1 Measurement 2 3 From the File menu choose Open If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 13 In the File Name box choose noise lghz 8644b pnm See Figure 13 2 Look jn E5500 ek 1 BBnoise without testset E1430 dbperhz gi BBnoise without testset PCDig ig fr noise P cont 864b 10 8 fr AMnoise 001 int cal cont_8663a_10mhz BBnoise with testset SigGen 10MHz BBnoise without testset 89410 Confidence File name noise 1 ghz 8544b Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files x Cancel Figure 13 2 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Choose the OK button The appropriate measurement definition Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 parameters for this example have been pre
103. 0024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example The setup for a residual phase noise measurement uses a phase shifter to set quadrature at the phase detector See Figure 9 1 Source HP 70420A Device i Under Test Signal Power Input Phase Splitter gt Detector Optional Line Stretcher Low Pass Ref Input Filter Oscilloscope Connect Scope to Monitor Output Newd2a cdr Figure 9 1 Setup for Residual Phase Noise Measurement Defining the 1 From the File menu choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 Inthe File Name box choose res noise 1ghz demoamp pnm See Figure 9 2 Lookin HP E5500 4 noise lghz demoamp discr2 Residual xdut r det FreeRF 8 RFSynth_DCFM 8662 63 EFC d StableRF MeasFile B 455 j MicroSRC B File name noise 1 ghz demoamp 8544b Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files Cancel Figure 9 2 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 9 4 lists the parameter data that has been entered for this residual phase noise measurement example Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase
104. 024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5504B Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0 000000 0000000000 QOO E E an 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A OPT 201 70427A E c r3 o o GPIB NOTE Indicates Optional Cable 1 L 1 L DUT Cl 70420 1 Noise Source Input Dae eae ele oe 1 4 Q i BEEN E REFERENCE SIGNAL Digitizer GENERATOR Optional LM Input i 1 SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER 8 m d E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card GPIB JL CLEC 70420A Opt 201 TEST SET 70427A DOWNCONVERTER PHASE DET OUTPU MN iae CONTROL gt DUT PC Digitizer To Signal Input Downconverted Source Input Yellow Cable Reference to be Downconverted Output to Test Set Signal input RF To Source Se Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage or Counter Monitor Figure 18 25E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 27 19 System Specifications Specifications page 19 2 Document Part No
105. 0A Opt 001 Test Set 70420A OPT 001 TEST SET DUT Source Input E411A Spectrum Analyzer PC Digitizer Yellow Cable N 50 kHz 1600 MHz GPIB INPUT NOISE 500 1V Pk 0 01 Hz 100 MHz PHASE DET OUTPUTI RF ANALYZER MONITOR ANALYZER ANALYZER 100 MHz STATUS REF INPUT 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 2 15 dBm MIN 1 2 26 5 GHz TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK 50 20mA MAX 100 0 1 25 LPS Figure 18 15E5501B Opt 001 Connect Diagram Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional n n Oooooo0000 70001 MAINFRAME 70420 001 i um om um m m m REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional E411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER 2 ooo a 000000 Source DC Out ey eee Smee eee m m RR UR ummmmmmmmm To Reference To Oscilloscope or Counter Monitor Tune Voltage E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 18 17 18 Connect Diagrams E5501B Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 0 0000000000 9006 GPIB NOTE Indicates Optional Cable 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A OPT 201 mmmmmmmu To 70420A Rear Pa
106. 1 E5500 Software 1 License Key A 1 REFERENCE SIGNAL PC MXI Card l GENERATOR Optional L 1 RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional 1 5 EE H 30000000 998 eed 70420A Opt 201 Test Set 70421A Downconverter 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET 70421A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS INPUT REF INPUT SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1 2 26 5 GHz gKfHz 600MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT CONTROL RF ANALYZER MONITOR BW SIGNAL 12 265 GHz TUNE VOLTAGE 100 0 1 25 LPS 100 0 1 25 LPS To DUT To Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Reference to be Downconverted Output to Source Test Set Signal Input RF E1420B or DC out Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Figure 18 7 E5502A Opt 201 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 9 18 Connect Diagrams E5503A Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE wwm Indicates Optional Cable a Ll lt VXI MAINFRAME eo HE1430AFFT ANALYZER x E E1441AARB Optional mm mmm FREQUENCY COUNTER i i Optional E1420B Counter Optional 1 o 1 MXI Bus ooo0000000 a 4 cs 1
107. 16 and Figure 5 17 to help determine the amplitude the Agilent 8663A required to provide a noise floor level that is below the expected 10 MHz noise floor of your UUT For more information about this graph refer Measurement to Chapter 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 15 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz R PORT SIGNAL LEVEL dBm PORT LEVEL gt 15dBm 15 5 5 15 140 150 160 170 180 EXPECTED PHASE NOISE FLOOR OF SYSTEM dBc Hz f 10kHz sysnoise cdr Figure 5 16 Noise Floor for the Agilent 8663 10 MHz Measurement L Port Level2 15dBm R Port Signal Level dBm Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz Cc f d0kHz Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Eile Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help ojele soj 4 ene Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP 500 Curier MoSpus 7 Fu 1997 17 1844 17 20 55 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL DE Figure 5 17 Noise Floor Example 5 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to
108. 163138 Clear Graph 0 fm discrl pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem iO x Refresh Graph File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help Necorenen Denton DISIE ICA lt x 50 ns delay 600 carrier 13 dBm out 1007 Graph 14 Apr 1998 20 04 23 20 05 34 110 Instrument Connections 0 a T T RT 7 Message Log Display Preferences v Update Graph when Paramel Li Show or hide the meter 1K 10K 100K L f dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 11 8 Select Meter from View Menu 2 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 11 9 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edi View Define Analyze System Help 24 Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement v Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 11 9 Selecting a New Measurement 3 When the Perform New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 4 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram See Figure 11 10 The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the limits and characteristics shown in Table 11 2 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 11 11 11 12 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spu
109. 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options 4 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector to 90 degrees quadrature either by adjusting the synthesizer or by adjusting an optional variable phase shifter or line stretcher Quadrature is achieved when the meter on the front panel of the phase noise interface is set to zero Double Sided Spur This calibration option has the following requirements One of the input frequency sources must be capable of being phase modulated The resultant sideband spurs from the phase modulation must have amplitudes that are 100 dB and 20 dB relative to the carrier amplitude The offset frequency or modulation frequency must be between 10 Hz and maximum See the Measured Beatnote on page 8 15 Advantages Requires only one RF source Calibration is done under actual measurement conditions so all non linearities and harmonics of the phase detector are calibrated out NOTE Because the calibration is performed under actual measurement conditions the Double sided Spur Method and the Single sided Spur Method are the two most accurate calibration methods Disadvantages Requires a phase modulator which operates at the desired carrier frequency Requires audio calibration source Requires RF spectrum analyzer for manual measurement of sidebands or preferably a modulation analyzer
110. 20A gummi En mm DUT with AM Modulation AM Detector M H Noise Input 5500 5500926 Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 13Measuring the Calibration Constant Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 15 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 2 Double Sided Spur 6 Turn off AM 7 Measure noise data and interpret the results NOTE The quadrature meter should be at zero volts due to the blocking capacitor at the AM detector s output Method 2 Example 2 Advantages Will measure source without modulation capability Calibration is done under actual measurement conditions so all non linearities and harmonics of the AM detector are calibrated out The double sided spur method and the single sided spur method are the two most accurate methods for this reason Disadvantages Requires a second RF source with very accurate AM modulation and output power sufficient to match the DUT If the AM modulation is not very accurate a modulation analyzer must be used to make manual measurement of the AM sidebands 12 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 2 Double Sided Spur Procedure 1 Connect circuit as shown in Figure 12 14 and tighten all connections If the Agilent 70420A Option 001 or Agilent 70427A is available use
111. 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 50 36 HP 70420 001 70422 hardware 704204 option 001 test with HP 704224 downconverter Control Panels EFT Analyzer Test Set Downconverter Erase shitter Carrier Source Residual Source Frequency Tuning Voltage Center 0 Vols Range Volts um Dm Swept Analyze
112. 6 3 is provided Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 100K PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB Closed PLL Bw 2 8823 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 83 48E 3Hz 589 5E 3 dB View Adjusted Theoretical Loop Suppression Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 9 231E 3 Figure 16 3 Default PLL Suppression Verification Graph There are four different curves available for the this graph 1 Measured loop suppression curve Figure 16 4 this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system 2 Smoothed measured suppression curve Figure 16 5 this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression 3 Theoretical suppression curve Figure 16 6 this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc 16 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software F
113. 6 Measure Source a factor of 2 10 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 13 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Selecting a 1 Using Figure 5 14 as a guide navigate to the Block Diagram tab Reference Source 2 Fromthe Reference Source pull down list select Agilent 8663 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme x Figure 5 14 Selecting a Reference Source Selecting Loop 1 Using Figure 5 15 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab Suppression 2 Check Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression and Verification Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph 5 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme xi Figure 5 15 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification Setup The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the Considerations for Agilent 70420A sets the measurement noise floor level Use Figure 5
114. 6 Theoretical Loop Suppression Curve 16 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Features 16 PLL Suppression Verification Process Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors v v Figure 16 7 Smoothed vs Theoretical Loop Suppression Curve Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 11 16 Advanced Software Features PLL Suppression Verification Process Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors qaaa Figure 16 8 Smoothed vs Adjusted Theoretical Loop Suppression Curve a 2 Figure 16 9 Adjusted Theoretical vs Theoretical Loop Suppression Curve 16 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 PLL Gain Change Maximum Error Accuracy Degradation Supporting an Embedded VXI PC Advanced Software Features 16 PLL Suppression Verification Process PLL gain change is the amount in dB by which the theoretical gain of the PLL must be adjusted to best match the smoothed measured loop suppression The parameters of the theoretical loop suppression that are modified are Peak Tune Range basically open loop gain and Assumed Pole for example a pole on the VCO tune port that may cause peaking Maximum Error is the
115. 63A None Automatic Detector Selection Reference Source DCFM Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 49 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Table 7 12 Parameter Data for the RF Synthesizer Measurement 7 50 Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 6 Downconverter Tab The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title RF Synthesizer vs Agilent 8663A using DCFM Graph Type XScale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT Single sideband Noise dBc Hz 10 Hz 4E 6Hz 0 dBc Hz 170 dBc Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency 0dB 0 0 dB E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC RF Synthesizer using EFC Required Equipment Defining the Measurement This measurement example will help you measure the absolute phase noise of an RF synthesizer using EFC CAUTI
116. 7 MIN So vas 100 0 1 26 LPS To DUT Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Reference to be Output to Test Set To Source pc Tuning Out Downconverted Signal Input Spectrum E1420B or Voltage Analyzer Oscilloscope Figure 18 12E5504A Opt 001 Connect Diagram 18 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5504A Opt 201Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE w Indicates Optional Cable VXI MAINFRAME t m m E E1430A FFT ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 00000 0000000000 oO 1420 Counte Optional r VXI MXI Bus m 89410A VECTOR SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 4 J MXICABLE Seen Pe Ld 70001A MAINFRAME 70420A 201 70427A 70420 Rear Panel Noise Source Input 000000000 em eee SOURCE 1 1 CH 1 OUTPUTI E mi ku nn nd wc cO MEO ammmmmmmmu REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional cocus 5 sess o ro Q mmm
117. 8 What is Residual Noise UNIT UNDER TEST SOURCE x BASE BAND NOISE MIXED AROUND THE SIGNAL NOISELESS SOURCE BASE BAND NOISE Figure 8 2 Multiplicative Noise Components Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 3 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Basic Assumptions Regarding Residual Phase Noise Measurements Basic Assumptions Regarding Residual Phase Noise Measurements Frequency Translation Devices The following are some basic assumptions regarding Residual Phase Noise measurements If these assumptions are not valid they will affect the measured results The source noise in each of the two phase detector paths is correlated at the phase detector for the frequency offset range of interest When the source noise is correlated at the phase detector the source phase noise cancels leaving only the residual phase noise of the UUT Source AM noise is comparatively small A typical mixer type phase detector only has about 20 to 30 dB of AM noise rejection If the AM component of the signal is greater than 20 to 30 dB above the residual phase noise it will contribute to the residual phase noise measurement and show the residual phase noise as being greater than it really is The UUT does not exhibit a bandpass filter function A bandpass filter type response will cause the source noise to be decorrelated at the edge of the filter This decorrelation of the noise causes
118. 999 100000 5000000 8664A 0 05 4 99999999 Max FM MIN Above Carrier freq 9 kHz Takes into account limited tuning resolution available in linear FM Special Function 120 refer to How to Access Special Functions on page 17 20 Agilent 8664A Mode The Mode 2 key provides a median range of FM deviation and RF output switching time as shown in Table 17 7 Keys The Mode 3 key provides the lowest noise level at the RF output FM deviation bandwidth is narrower and the RF switching time is slower than in either Modes 1 or 2 Table 17 7 Operating Characteristics for Agilent 8664A Modes 2 and 3 Characteristic Synthesis Mode Mode 2 Mode 3 RF Frequency Switching Time 200 ms 350 ms FM Deviation at 1 GHz 1 MHz 100 kHz Phase Noise 20 kHz offset at 1 GHz 130 dBc 136 dBc Document Part E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 19 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits How to Access Special Functions Description of Special Functions 120 Press the Special key and enter the special function number of your choice Access the special function key by pressing the Enter key Press the ON ENTER key to terminate data entries that do not require specific units kHz mV rad for example Example Special 1 2 0 ON Enter SIGNAL GENERATOR ENTER SPECIAL ON OFF MODE 1 MODE 2 MODE 3 sigen65 cdr 120 FM Synthe
119. ATOR Optional Input T 1 1 SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER H Oooo 0 O00 1 I pie esa Hoo O j BBH o OOo E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER cocacoaaoeooaaoeoo ex E 70420A Standard Test Set 70420A TEST SET GPB STATUS INPUT EF NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz VP Drs 50 Wfz 26 5GHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN PHASE DET OUTPUT BEER RF ANALYZER MONITOR 104 9 1 25 LPS DUT Output Digitizer Reference Cable Source DC Out Spectrum Oscilloscope Tune Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 14E5501B Standard Connect Diagram 18 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams E5501B Opt 001 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional 0000000 mom mom mm OO m ROO Indicates Optional Cable To E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card Rear Panel Noise Server Input 70420A Yellow Cable cecoceeaaeaoeooe VEA TES 7042
120. Add a Source 5 3 Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source 5 8 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz 5 11 Defining the Measurement 5 12 Selecting a Reference Source 5 14 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 5 14 Setup Considerations for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement 5 15 Beginning the Measurement 5 17 Sweep Segments 5 21 Checking the Beatnote 5 21 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Contents 1 Making the Measurement 5 23 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz 5 28 Defining the Measurement 5 28 Selecting a Reference Source 5 31 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 5 31 Setup Considerations for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement 5 32 Beginning the Measurement 5 34 Sweep Segments 5 38 Checking the Beatnote 5 38 Making the Measurement 5 39 Viewing Markers 5 44 Omitting Spurs 5 46 Displaying the Parameter Summary 5 48 Exporting Measurement Results 5 50 Exporting Trace Data 5 51 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals The Phase Lock Loop Technique 6 2 Understanding the Phase Lock Loop Technique 6 2 The Phase Lock Loop Circuit 6 2 What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor 6 6 The System Noise Floor 6 6 The Noise Level of the Reference Source 6 7 Selecting a Reference 6 9 Using a Similar Device 6 9 Using a Signal Generator 6 10 Tuning Requirements 6 10 Estimating the Tuning Constant 6 12 Tracking Frequency Drift
121. Calibration Setup 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the Signal Input port of the Agilent 70420A s Phase Detector The following chart shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A Phase Detectors 8 7 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 23 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options 8 7 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port 15 0 dBm 7 dBm 0 dBm to to to to 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5 dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 8 24 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Measure the carrier to single sided spur ratio out of the coupler at the phase detector s modulated port and the offset frequency with the RF spectrum analyzer Figure 8 17 The RF calibration source should be adjusted such that the sidebands are between 30 and 60 dB below the carrier and the frequency offset of the spur between 10 Hz and 50 MHz HP 70420A Optional Line Stretcher Power Splitter Signal Input Phase Source Detector Ref input numum n n Attenuator Source Figure 8 17 Carrier
122. DUSTIBIUZET Test Set Downconverter Erase shitter Carrier Source Reference Source Residual Source Calibration Source Frequency leaunter Tuning Voltage Center 0 Volts Range io Volts em Figure 5 19 Connect Diagram for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Fd 1 0 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 6 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 8 Figure 18 15 E5501B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 17 Figure 18 9 E5503A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 11 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 19 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 5 The following messages appear on the display as the system performs the calibration routines You will have time to read through these message descriptions while the system completes the routines Determi
123. Defining the 1 Measurement 2 3 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator From the File menu of the E5500 User Interface choose Open If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored In the File Name box choose FreeRF pnm See Figure 7 12 2 x Look in amp Test Files El c E P StableRF pnm Confidence pnm MicroSRC pnm Residual pnm RFSynth DCFM pnm RFSynth_EFC pnm File name Freer F pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm x Figure 7 12 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 7 8 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the Free Running Source measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 7 8 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 7 6 then continue with step 5 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 7 25 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 19 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator 5 Using Figure 7 13 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab e Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the dete
124. ENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 0 000000 000000000 QOO 70001 MAINFRAME 70420A 201 70421A n a GPIB NOTE smm mm Indicates Optional Cable rmm rr ma I i bi oo eae cea 1 momo om m m m DUT To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input um GA Gu l 5 i e REFERENCE SIGNAL 1 Digitizer GENERATOR Optional rt Input 1 1 SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER 8 2 7 E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card GPIB 0000000000 00 FED GEE 1 1 JI 70420A Opt 201 TEST SET 70421 DOWNCONVERTER BH ug n OUTPUT INPUT MENEEEEEEE RF ANALYZER SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1 2 26 5 GHz Ds 50 Whz 26 5GHz 0 01Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN PHASE DET OUTPUTI MONITOR FROMTESTSET 1 25 LPS 1000 1 25 LPS DUT PC Digitizer Signal Input Downconverted Source Outpu Yellow Cable Reference to be Downconverted Output to Test Set Signal input RF To Source pe Out to Spectrum Ana
125. Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 75 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 50 36 HP 70420 001 70422 hardware 70420A option 001 test set with HP 704224 downconverter Control Panels EFT Analyzer Test Set Downconverter Erase shitter Carrier Source Reference Source Residual Source eA Frequency Tuning Voltage Abort Loc
126. F Oscillator Selecting a 1 Using Figure 7 3 as a guide navigate to the Block Diagram tab Reference Source 2 From the Reference Source pull down list select your source Confidence Tes i 9 HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme x J Reference Source Figure 7 3 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Selecting Loop 1 Using Figure 7 4 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab Suppression 2 Inthe Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop Verification suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 5 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme m De Figure 7 4 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Measurement Noise Floor Considerations for The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the Agilent the Stable RF 70420A sets the measurement noise floor level Use Figure 7 5and Figure 7 6 to determine the amplitude required to provide a noise Oscillator floor level that is below the expected noise floor of your UUT The Measurement Checking the Beatnote procedu
127. From the Measure menu choose New Measurement See Figure 9 9 9 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define Bl CE Analyze System Help Det 24 asurement Bepeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 9 9 Selecting a New Measurement When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Refer toFigure 9 10 Confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example CAUTION The Agilent 70420A Test Set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics Table 9 2 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency Maximum Signal Input Power At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors Microwave Phase Detectors CAUTION Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001
128. Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Automatic Detector Selection Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Wapa Front Panel z Destination Reference Source Tune Mode DCFM Asset Manager Preset Figure 7 47 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 71 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source Selecting Loop 1 Using Figure 7 48 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab Suppression 2 Inthe Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop Verification suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme x File Edi View MEM Measure Analyze System Help s Security Level FFT Segment Table Swept Segment Type and Range Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Phase Detector Constant Use current phase detector constant Measure phase detector constant Current Phase Detector Constant 476 3 Volts 7 Radian Tune Constant C Use current VCO tune constant C M
129. HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 12 2 First establish quadrature by adjusting the phase shifter until the meter indicates 0 volts then press Continue B fm discr1 pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem 50 ns delay 600 MHz carrier 13 dBm out E5500 Canier 600 6 Hz 14 Apr 1998 20 04 23 20 05 34 0 Volts L f dBc Hz vs Hz Figure 11 13 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 15 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 14 3 Next apply modulation to the carrier signal then press Continue HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 15 Remove the modulation from the carrier and connect your DUT 4 The system can now run the measurement at the appropriate point re establish quadrature and continue the measurement HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 16 The segment data will be displayed on the computer screen as the data is taken until all segments have been taken over the entire range you specified in the Measurement definition s Type and Range 11 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration When the
130. Hz i Mamm Enor dB View Adjusted Theoretical Loop Suppression Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 9 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 5 21 Selecting Suppression Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 23 5 24 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features a Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system b Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain and others d Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evalu
131. MHz HP 500 Curier MoSpus a7 Ful 1997 17 1844 17 20 55 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL DE Figure 5 28 Noise Floor Example Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 33 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Beginning the Measurement 5 34 If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the test set Refer to Inserting an Device in for details on determining the effect the amplifiers noise will have on the measured noise floor CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 5 7 on page 5 35 Apply the input signals when the connection diagram appears as shown below in step 3 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 5 29 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define 228 neja aR Analyze System Help Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor v Clear Graph before measurement v Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 5 29 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When Perform a Ne
132. Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Figure 7 14 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Selecting Loop 1 Using Figure 7 15 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab Suppression 2 Inthe Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop Verification suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If limit is exceeded Show Loop Suppression Graph 7 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme m De Figure 7 15 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Measurement Noise Floor Considerations for The signal amplitude at the R input Signal Input port on the Agilent the Free Running RF 704204 sets the measurement noise floor level Use Figure 7 16 and Figure 7 17 to determine the amplitude required to provide a noise Oscillator floor level that is below the expected noise floor of your UUT The Measurement Checking the Beatnote procedure in this section will provide you with an opportunity to estimate the measurement noise floor that your UUT will provide Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 23 Ab
133. NFRAME HP 70420 5 To HP 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input COMPUTER Digitizer Output HP E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER Digitizer Input resid2 cdr Figure 11 28 System Connect Diagram Example Making the 1 Press the Continue key when you are ready to make the Measurement measurement Calibrating the Measurement The calibration procedure determines the discriminator constant to use in the transfer response by measuring the system response to a known FM signal Refer to Figure 11 29 through Figure 11 33 NOTE Note that the system must be operating in quadrature during calibration Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 31 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 2 First establish quadrature by adjusting the phase shifter until the meter indicates 0 volts then press Continue HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 29 B fm discr1 pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem 50 ns delay 600 MHz carrier 13 dBm out E5500 Canier 600 6 Hz 14 Apr 1998 20 04 23 20 05 34 0 Volts 10K 100K L f dBc Hz vs Hz Figure 11 30 3 Next apply modulation to the carrier signal then press Continue 11 32 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Disc
134. Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 7 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Graph of Results Graph of Results The Graph of Results functions are accessed from the main graph menu and are used to display and evaluate the measurement results This screen is automatically displayed as a measurement is being made You can also load a result file using the File System functions and then display the results The following functions are available to help you evaluate your results Marker on page 15 8 Omit Spurs on page 15 10 Parameter Summary on page 15 11 Marker The marker function allows you to display the exact frequency and amplitude of any point on the results graph To access the marker function 1 Onthe View menu click Markers See Figure 15 5 Untitled HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Define Measure Analyze System Help D al v Toolbar Status Bar Meter Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences Update Graph when Parameters are Changed Figure 15 5 Navigate to Marker 2 Toremove the highlighted marker click the Delete button You may add as many as nine markers See Figure 15 6 15 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Graph of Resu
135. ON To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 7 15 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 7 13 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 7 13 Required Equipment for the RF Synthesizer using EFC Measurement Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8663A 1 Must have EFC Input Port Refer to Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 1 From the File menu choose Open 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 51 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC 3 Inthe File Name box choose RFSynth EFC pnm See Figure 7 34 2 x Look in Test Files El c E Confidence pnm StableRF pnm P FreeRF pnm MicroSRC pnm Residual pnm RFSynth DCFM pnm
136. Opt 001 70422A Downconverter 70420A 001 SET 70422 DOWNCONVERTER Te Be oo oo INPUT MENHEEEEER REF NPT SIGNAL SIGNAL NOISE 50 kH2 1600MHz 12 285GHz Wek yAz 26 5GHz 001 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT ERY CONTROL MONITOR E powncoyverTe DOWNCONVERTER um a TUNE VOLTAGE OUT OF LOCK a 10 25 LPS DUT Signal Input Downconverted RF Output Digitizer Reference to be Output to Test Set RF Yellow Cable To Source DC Tuning Out Downconverted Signal Input Spectrum Oscilloscope Voltage Analyzer or Counter Monitor Figure 18 21E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 23 18 Connect Diagrams E5503B Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Option 0 n n 0000000000 goo 0000000 Senn 70001 MAINFRAME 70420A 201 70422A NOTE www ndicates Optional Cable To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input m mmm mm 0 I Smee m Vennnnnnnnn nm REFERENCE SIGNAL Digitizer GENERATOR Option Input SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable
137. Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Problem Solving Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Table 15 1 Problem Solving If you need to know Refer to What to do about breaks in the noise graph How to verify a noise level that is higher than expected How to verify unexpected spurs on the graph How to interpret noise above the small angle line Discontinuity in the Graph High Noise Level Spurs on the Graph Small Angle Line Discontinuity in the Graph Because noise distribution is continuous a break in the graph is evidence of a measurement problem Discontinuity in the graph will normally appear at the sweep segment connections Table 15 2 identifies the circumstances that can cause discontinuity in the graph Table 15 2 Potential Causes of Discontinuity in the Graph Circumstance Description Recommended Action Break between segments where closely spaced spurs are resolved in one segment but not in the next Erratic Noise One or more segments out of line with the rest of the graph Closely spaced spurs that are resolved in one sweep segment but not in the next can cause an apparent jump in the noise where they are not resolved This occurs when the noise level of the source being used is inconsistent over time The time varying noise level causes the overall noise present when one segment is being measured to differ from the level present during the period when the next segme
138. Phase Detector constant were not measured by the phase detector system verify their accuracy by selecting the Measured calibration method and then initiating a New Measurement If you suspect injection locking or noise above the small angle line refer to the Problem Solving section of Chapter 3 for specific actions Higher Noise Level The noise level measured by the test system reflects the sum of all of the noise sources affecting the system This includes noise sources within the system as well as external noise sources If the general noise level measured for your device is much higher than you expected begin evaluating each of the potential noise sources The following table will help you identify and evaluate many of the potential causes of a high noise floor Spurs on the Graph Except for marked spurs all data on the graph is normalized to a 1 Hz bandwidth This bandwidth correction factor makes the measurement appear more sensitive than it really is Marked spurs are plotted without bandwidth correction however to present their true level as measured 15 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Problem Solving Refer to Table 15 3 The spur marking criterion is a detected upward change of more than X dB where X is the value shown below within 4 data points a single data point noise peak will not be marked as a sp
139. Ptr cdr Figure 17 7 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 9 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Tune Range of VCO vs Center Voltage Tune Range of VCO vs Center Voltage The graph shown in Figure 17 8 outlines the minimum to maximum Tune Range of VCO which the software provides for a given center voltage The Tune range of VCO decreases as the absolute value of the center voltage increases due to hardware limitations of the test system Voltage Tuning Range Volts 10 5 2 1 5 0 5 1 2 5 10 Center Voltage of VCO Tuning Curve Volts Center Voltage Voltage Tuning lt 12V tunrange cdr Figure 17 8 17 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Peak Tuning Range Required Due to Noise Level Peak Tuning Range Required Due to Noise Level 50 The graph shown in Figure 17 9 provides a comparison between the typical phase noise level of a variety of sources and the minimum tuning range that is necessary for the test system to create a phase lock loop of sufficient bandwidth to make the measurement Sources with higher phase noise require a wider Peak Tuning Range 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 180
140. R Port Signal Level Approximate System Phase Noise Floor vs R Port Signal Level The sensitivity of the phase noise measurement system can be improved by increasing the signal power at the R input port Signal Input of the phase detector in the test set Figure 17 1 illustrates the approximate noise floor of the Agilent 704204 test set for a range of R input port signal levels from 15 dBm to 15 dBm These estimates of sensitivity assume the signal level at the L port is appropriate for either the microwave or the RF mixer that is used 7 dBm or 15 dBm respectively The approximate phase Detector calibration Constant that results from the input signal level at the R port is shown on the right side of the graph 15 6 35 E m Rud 2 3 5 5 9 gt Ad ames S 5 06 g 77 035 15 02 120 130 140 150 160 70 180 Approximate Phase Noise Floor dBc Hz f210kHz Figure 17 1 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 3 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Phase Noise Floor and Region of Validity Phase Noise Floor and Region of Validity Caution must be exercised when L f is calculated from the spectral density of the phase fluctuations 5 00 because of the small angle criterion The 10 dB decade line is drawn on the plot for an instantaneous phase deviation of 0 2 radians integrated over any on
141. Sided Spur 12 14 Method 2 Example1 12 14 Method 2 Example 2 12 16 Method 3 Single Sided Spur 12 19 13 Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 13 2 Defining the Measurement 13 3 Beginning the Measurement 13 8 Making the Measurement 13 11 When the Measurement is Complete 13 11 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example 14 2 Defining the Measurement 14 2 Beginning the Measurement 14 3 Making the Measurement 14 3 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Contents 5 Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example 14 6 Defining the Measurement 14 6 Beginning the Measurement 14 7 Making the Measurement 14 8 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Evaluating the Results 15 2 Looking For Obvious Problems 15 2 Comparing Against Expected Data 15 3 Gathering More Data 15 6 Repeating the Measurement 15 6 Doing More Research 15 6 Outputting the Results 15 7 Using a Printer 15 7 Graph of Results 15 8 Marker 15 8 Omit Spurs 15 10 Parameter Summary 15 11 Problem Solving 15 13 Discontinuity in the Graph 15 13 Higher Noise Level 15 14 Spurs on the Graph 15 14 Small Angle Line 15 16 16 Advanced Software Features Introduction 16 2 Phase Lock Loop Suppression 16 3 PLL Suppression Parameters 16 3 Ignore Out Of Lock Mode 16 6 PLL Suppression Verification Process 16 7 PLL Supp
142. System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples 9 Amplifier Measurement Example Procedure 1 Using Figure 9 11 and Figure 9 12 as guides connect the circuit and tighten all connections 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the Signal Input port of the Agilent 70420A s phase detector Table 9 3 shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A phase detectors Table 9 3 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port 15 dBm 0 dBm 7 dBm dBm 10 10 10 10 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5 dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 COMPUTER POWER SPLITTER HP 70001A MAINFRAME HP 70420A Std To HP 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input Digitizer Output HP E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER Digitizer Input 000 o0 corem resid2 cdr Figure 9 11 Residual Connect Diagram Example Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 11 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example HP 70420A Under Test Signal Input Power Splitter 21 Phase D
143. TE For the system to accept the adjustment to quadrature the meter must be within 2 mV to 4 mV 7 Enter sideband level and offset 8 Check quadrature and measure the phase detector constant 9 Remove audio source 10 Reset quadrature and measure phase noise data Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 25 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Measurement Difficulties Measurement Difficulties System Connections Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results contains troubleshooting information to be used after the measurement has been made and a plot has been obtained NOTE When making phase noise measurements it is important to keep your equipment connected until the measurements have been made all problems corrected and the results have been evaluated to make sure that the measurement is valid If the equipment is disconnected before the results have been fully evaluated it may be difficult to troubleshoot the measurement The first thing to check if problems occur is the instrument connections and settings as this is the most common error It is also important to make sure the levels are correct into the Agilent 70420A Phase Detector Inputs 8 26 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example page 9 2 Document Part No E5500 90024Fd 1 0 5500 Phase Nois
144. Trace Data Spur Data or X Y Data See Figure 5 41 Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem File Figure 5 41 Export Results Choices Exporting Trace Data 1 File menu point to Export Results then click on Trace Data See Figure 5 42 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 51 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Exporting Measurement Results Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem File E 0 vel HP E5500 Export ASCII Trace Data RFSynth RFSynth EFC p Stable RF bmp Res Enter pnm StableRF pnm RF_syth_DCFM bmp Sys ver pnm Figure 5 42 Trace Data Results 5 52 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Exporting Measurement Results Exporting Spur Data 1 Onthe File menu point to Export Results then click on Spur Data See Figure 5 43 Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File E Export Results HP E5500 Export ASCII Spur Data mm E ed fex 0 Mnoise 001 dbl pnm Ij FreeRF pnm AMnoise 001 int calpnm r Ina high res bmp P RFSynth Mnoise ext dbl pnm low res bmp RFSynth EFC pi ff Baseband blah pnm Res pk
145. UTI CONTROL MONITOR To DUT Signal Input Downconverted RF Output E1420 B or Reference to be Output to Test Set Oscilloscope D rted Signal Input RF 95006 E1430A Source pc Tuning Out Spectrum Analog In Voltage Analyzer Figure 18 6 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram 18 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5502A Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE w w Indicates Optional Cable MAINFRAME E1430A FFT ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional 0000000 FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional ENEEH 000000 E1420B Counter Optional VXI MXI Bus 0000000000 Qo MXI CABLE 89410A VECTOR 2 oa PT oa 70001 MAINFRAME 1 P 70420A 201 70421 1 1 ot 1 Yu 70420A i 4 Rear Panel 1 1 Noise Source Input EL d i 1 mmm n SOURCE CH 1 T 1 4 OUTPUT M A 1 lt 4 lt 4 P Wl rt tt GPIB 8 4 SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional 1 1 I L I I
146. a modulation analyzer for manual measurement of AM sidebands is required Procedure 1 Connect circuit as shown in Figure 12 11 and tighten all connections If the Agilent 70420A Option 001 or Agilent 70427A is available use one of the connection diagrams described in Noise Measurement Block Diagrams on page 12 3 HP 70420A a DUT AM Detector 7 M H Noise Input 5500 5500921 Rev 1 12 0 97 Figure 12 11Double sided Spur AM Noise Measurement Setup Method 1 Example 1 2 Measure the power which will be applied to the AM detector It must be between 0 and 23 dBm 12 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 2 Double Sided Spur 3 Measure the carrier to sideband ratio of the AM at the AM detector s input with an RF spectrum analyzer or modulation analyzer Figure 12 12 The source should be adjusted such that the sidebands are between 30 and 60 dB below the carrier with a modulation rate between 10 Hz and 20 MHz NOTE The carrier to sideband ratio for AM is C jojo PECIA M _ sb 100 Modulation Analyzer Newd3a cdr Figure 12 12Measuring the Carrier to Sideband Ratio 4 Reconnect the AM detector and enter the carrier to sideband ratio and modulation frequency 5 Measure the AM detector calibration constant Figure 12 13 HP 704
147. age 17 22 Agilent 8665A Mode The Mode 2 key provides a median range of FM deviation and Keys RF output switching time as shown in Table 17 9 The Mode 3 key provides the lowest noise level at the RF output FM deviation bandwidth is narrower and the RF switching time is slower than in either Modes 1 or 2 Table 17 9 Operating Characteristics for Agilent 8665A Modes 2 and 3 Synthesis Mode Characteristic Mode 2 Mode 3 RF Frequency Switching Time 200 ms 350 ms FM Deviation at 1 GHz 1 MHz 100 kHz Phase Noise 20 kHz offset at 1 GHz 130 dBc 136 dBc Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 21 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits How to Access Special Functions Description of Special Functions 120 and 124 Press the Special key and enter the special function number of your choice Access the special function key by pressing the Enter key Press the ON ENTER key to terminate data entries that do not require specific units kHz mV rad for example Example Special 1 2 0 ON ENTER SIGNAL GENERATOR ENTER SPECIAL ON OFF MODE 1 MODE 2 MODE 3 sigen65 cdr 120 FM Synthesis This special function allows you to have the instrument synthesize the FM signal in a digitized or linear manner Digitized FM is best for signal tone modulation and provides very accurate center freq
148. al Swept Analyzer Center 0 Vols Range fio Volts Figure 7 51 Connect Diagram for the Microwave Source Measurement 4 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 9 E5503A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 11 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 Checking the While the connect diagram is still displayed recommend that you use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420A or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of Beatnote 7 76 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the capture range of the system The phase lock loop PLL capture range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune ra
149. al External 10 MHz The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display See Figure 5 31 If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding 511 LIIS DLE 1V div Figure 5 31 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port Making the 1 Clickthe Continue button when you have completed the beatnote Measurement check and are ready to make the measurement 2 When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 5 32 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 39 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors 21x Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured
150. amage or wear bad connector can ruin the good connector instantly Clean dirty connectors Dirt and foreign matter can cause poor electrical connections and may damage the connector Minimize the number of times you bend cables Never bend a cable at a sharp angle Do not bend cables near the connectors If any of the cables will be flexed repeatedly buy a back up cable This will allow immediate replacement and will minimize system down time Before connecting the cables to any device Check all connectors for wear or dirt When making the connection torque the connector to the proper value Provides more accurate measurements Keeps moisture out the connectors Eliminates radio frequency interference RFT from affecting your measurements The torque required depends on the type of connector Refer to Table 20 1 Do not overtighten the connector Torque wrenches are supplied in the calibration and verification kits that came with the system E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 3 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors CAUTION Never exceed the recommended torque when attaching cables Table 20 1 Proper Connector Torque Connecto Torque Torque Torque Wrench Part Number r cm kg in Ibs Type N 52 508 45 8710 1935 24mm 9 2 90 8 8720 1765 35mm 92 90 8 8720 1765 SMA 5 7 56 5 8710 1582 Connector Wear and Dama ge Look for metal pa
151. ange Center Voltage Input Resistance 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression If Limit is exceeded 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Downconverter Reference Source Timebase Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Destination VCO Tune Mode Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop 10 Hz 4E 6 Hz 4 Fast 12 9 2 10 dBm Test Set 600 E 6 Hz 600 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency 16dBm 40 E 3 Hz V 10 Volts 0 Volts 600 ohms Measure Phase Detector Constant Calculate from expected VCO Tune Constant Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression Show Suppression Graph Manual Agilent 70422A Agilent 8644B System Control None Automatic Detector Selection Reference Source DCFM 7 82 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source Table 7 20 Parameter Data for the Microwave Source Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 6 Downconverter Tab Input Frequency e 12 9 1 0 Frequency Auto LF Frequency Calculated by software Millimeter Frequency 0 1 0 Power 20 dBM Maximum AM Detect
152. ange for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding 7 28 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator COL LLL TT NY Lae Ee 1V div Figure 7 20 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port 1 Estimate the system s capture range using the VCO source parameters entered for this measurement The estimated VCO tuning constant
153. anual for the MMS module for information on the Agilent MSIB switch For proper address settings refer to the system information chapter CAUTION Reinstalling an MMS module without setting the GPIB address will cause the system to malfunction Not all MMS modules use GPIB settings Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 On the bottom of the mainframe front panel is a dark colored horizontal access panel If necessary pry outward at the top of this panel to open it Slide the module into the mainframe Press against the front of the module while tightening the hex nut latch with an 8 mm hex ball driver Close the access panel Go to the back of the system and connect intermodule cables E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 11 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Touch Up Paint Touch Up Paint Touch up paint is shipped in spray cans Spray a cotton swab with paint and apply it to the damaged area Table 20 3 Touch up Paint Touch Up Paint Color Where the Color is Part Number Used Dove Gray Front panel frames 6010 1146 Portions of front handles French Gray Side top and bottom 6010 1147 covers Parchment Gray Rack mount flanges 6010 1148 Front panels 20 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0
154. are and software are properly configured for making noise measurements If your graph looks like that in Figure 3 8 you now have confidence that your system is operating normally 3 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 To Learn More Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Your First Measurement 3 Making a Measurement Now continue with this demonstration by turning to Chapter 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience to learn more about performing phase noise measurements Parameter Data for the Agilent 70420A Confidence Test Example Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Baseband Noise using a test set Start Frequency 10 Hz Stop Frequency 100E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Fast Swept Quality Fast 2 Cal Tab Gain preceding noise input 0 dB 3 Block Diagram Tab Noise Source Test Set Noise Input 4 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 5 Graph Tab Title Confidence Test Agilent 70420A Internal Noise Source Graph Type Base band noise dBv Hz X Scale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Am
155. ase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 9 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Selecting a Reference Using a Signal Generator Tuning Requirements If only one device is available in addition to the UUT you can perform the Phase Noise Using a Phase Locked Loop Measurement using these two devices and know that the noise level of each of the devices is at least as good as the measured results The measured results will represent the sum of the noise of both devices When using a signal generator as a reference source it is important that the generator s noise characteristics are adequate for measuring your device Often the reference source you select will also serve as the VCO source for the PLL measurement The VCO source can be either the unit under test UUT or the reference source To configure a PLL measurement you will need to know the following tuning information about the VCO source you are using Tuning Constant Hz V within a factor of 2 Tuning Voltage Range V Center Voltage of Tuning Range V Input Resistance of Tuning Port ohms The primary consideration when evaluating a potential VCO source for your measurement is whether it will provide the test system with sufficient capture and drift tracking ranges to maintain lock throughout the measurement To make this determination you must estimate what the drift range of the sources you are using will be over the measurement period thirty minutes maxi
156. asurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results If the test system has problems completing the measurement it will inform you by placing a message on the computer display Checking the While the Connect Diagram is still displayed recommend that you Beatnote use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420A or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the Capture Range of the system The phase lock loop PLL Capture Range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE If the center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement 5 38 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8644B Intern
157. ating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Figure 5 22 shows a typical phase noise curve for a RF Synthesizer E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Conf_86634_10MHz pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 e Bl Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP 5500 Canier 10 46 Hz 271011997 1718 44 17 20 55 100 IK 10K 100K 1M L f dBe Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE 2 4M Figure 5 22 Typical Phase Noise Curve for an Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 2b 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Table 5 4 Step Parameters Parameter Data for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop 10Hz Stop Frequency 2E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency 10 6 Power 7 dBm Carrier Source Output is Test Set connected to Detector Input Frequency 10 6 Hz Reference Sourc
158. ational Instruments VXI Run Startup VXIpnp Log Off salozhoa Winzip 2 b Acrobat Reader 5 0 AJ shut Down internet Explorer Outlook Express Navigation to the E5500 User Interface Asset Control Panels Documents 5500 User Intertace aff 5500 Asset Manager 5500 Help E5500 Readme E5500 SCPI Assistant E5500 SCPI Help E5500 5 Remote Interface 5500 Shutdown 1 5500 Web Page Ni 5 Uninstall Agilent E5500 3 The phase noise measurement subsystem dialog box Figure 3 2 appears Your dialog box may look slightly different E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Your First Measurement Starting the Measurement Software MeasFile pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help Das e 24 aeo 4 B 2 HP E5500 Absolute Phase Noise Measurement p HP E5500 Camier 500 6 Hz 29 Jul 1997 16 51 57 16 53 19 1 10 100 IK 10K 100K L dBc Hz vs Hz new measurement has been loaded into the server Figure 3 2 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Dialog Box Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 5 3 Your First Measurement Making a Measurement Making a Measurement This first measurement is a confidence test that functionally checks the Ag
159. ator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 7 3 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 7 1 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement 7 1 Required Equipment for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments VCO Reference Source 1 Refer to Chapter 6 Selecting a Reference for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 7 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Defining the 1 From the File menu of the E5500 User Interface choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 In the File Name box choose StableRF pnm See Figure 7 1 Look in amp Test Files e E Confidence pnm rj StableRF pnm J FreeRF pnm MicroSRC pnm Residual pnm RFSynth DCFM pnm J RFSynth EFC pnm File name Stabler F pnm Files of type E5500 Measurement Files pnm X Cancel Figure 7 1 Select th
160. by adjusting a variable phase shifter or line stretcher 4 system software will then prompt you to set the phase noise software s meter to quadrature by adjusting the phase shifter until the meter indicates 0 volts then press Continue See Figure 9 14 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 13 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help obs zd isle xE o HP E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 1 GHz HP E5500 Carrier 1 9 Hz Apr 1998 10 35 04 10 36 33 Ce t 0 Yolts Ta 88 1122 1K 10K 100K L f dBc Hz vs Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE JBRATING Figure 9 14 Adjust Phase Shifter until Meter Indicates 0 Volts 5 The system will now measure the noise data The system can now run the measurement The segment data will be displayed on the computer screen as the data is taken until all segments have been taken over the entire range you specified in the Measurement definition s Type and Range When the When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Measurement is Complete Figure 9 15 shows a typical phase noise curve
161. ce 2 5 to 18 GHz with frequency drift of lt 10 9 X Carrier Frequency over a period of thirty minutes CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 7 19 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 7 17 shows equipment is required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 7 17 Required Equipment for the Microwave Source Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8644 1 Must have DCFM Input Port Refer to Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for more information about reference source requirements Agilent 70422A 1 Must be entered in the Asset Manager and Server Hardware Connections dialog box Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 7 68 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source Defining the 1 From the File menu choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is st
162. ces with high close in noise The PTR displayed should be approximately equal to the product of the VCO Tune Constant times the Tune Range of VCO This is not the case when a significant accuracy degradation is detected 4 dB by the Loop Suppression Verification In this case the PTR and Assumed Pole are adjusted when fitting the Theoretical Loop Suppression to the smoothed measured Loop Suppression and the test system will display the adjusted PTR If the PTR must be adjusted by more than 1 dB as indicated by an accuracy degradation of greater than 0 dB the Phase Detector Constant or the VCO Tune Constant is in error at frequency offsets near the PLL BW or the PLL BW is being affected by some other problem such as injection locking Assumed Pole This is the frequency of the Assumed Pole required to adjust the Theoretical Loop suppression to match the smoothed measured Loop suppression The Assumed Pole frequency is normally much greater than the Closed PLL BW An Assumed Pole frequency of less than 10 X PLL BW is an indication of peaking on the PLL Suppression curve For PLL BWs less than 20 kHz an Assumed Pole of less than 10 X PLL BW indicates a delay or phase shift in the VCO Tune Port For PLL BWs greater than 20 kHz the Assumed Pole may be adjusted to less than 10 X PLL BW to account for phase shifts in the test set E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Feat
163. cilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Making the Measurement Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC Click the Continue button when you have completed the beatnote check and are ready to make the measurement When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 7 43 Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 100K PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB Closed PLL BW 2 8823 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz ed Pole EH Hs View Adjusted Theoretical Loop Suppression Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 9 231E 3H2 Volt oop Suppression Figure 7 43 Selecting Suppressions Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 63 7 64 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16
164. ctor Care and Preventive Maintenance Removing and Reinstalling Instruments Turn Counter Clockwise to Remove Clockwise to Tighten Type N Connector Knurled Sleeve To Remove 1 Turn knurled sleeve Counter Clockwise until it stops turning 2 Pull straight out Power Sensor Connector To Remove 1 Push inward 2 Turn Counter Clockwise 1 4 turn 3 Pull straight out gently Reinstall Push in and turn Clockwise 1 4 turn BNC Connector Figure 20 2 Type N Power Sensor and BNC Connectors E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance 20 Removing and Reinstalling Instruments MMS Module To Remove an MMS Module Removal and 1 Setthe mainframe line switch to OFF Reinstallation 2 Remove all rear panel cables going to the module 3 bottom of the mainframe front panel is a dark colored horizontal access panel Pry outward at the top of this panel to open it 4 With an 8 mm hex ball driver loosen the module hex nut latch 5 Go to the back of the system and press against module s rear panel and slide the module forward several inches 6 From the front of the system pull the module out To Reinstall an MMS Module 1 2 Set the MMS mainframe line switch to OFF Check the GPIB address switch on the module for the correct address setting Refer to the m
165. ctor input frequency f Enter the VCO Nominal Tuning Constant see Table 7 6 g Enterthe Tune Range of VCO see Table 7 6 h Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 7 6 i Enter the Input Resistance of VCO see Table 7 6 Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measureme xi De lowed Deviation enter VIS Figure 7 13 Enter Source Information 7 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Table 7 6 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance Calibration V 0 Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5 9 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10 to 1E 6 factor of 2 10 Measure Selecting a Reference Source 1 Using Figure 7 14 as a guide navigate to the Block Diagram tab 2 From the Reference Source pull down list select your source Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 21 7 Absolute
166. cument Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Your First Measurement 3 Making a Measurement Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Figure 3 4 Navigating to the Define Measurement Window Beginning the 1 Measurement Click the Close button From the Measure menu choose New Measurement Figure 3 5 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Figure 3 5 Navigating to the New Measurement Window 2 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement dialog box appears click Yes When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears connect the 50 Q termination provided with your system to the Agilent 70420A test set s noise input connector Refer to Figure 3 6 for more information about the correct placement of the 50 termination E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 7 3 Your First Measurement Making a Measurement HP E5500 Instrument Connections 500 termination goes here Figure 3 6 Setup Diagram Displayed During the Confidence Test 3 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Your First Measurement 3 Making a Measurement HP 70420A Standard Test Set 500 Termination 500 Termination 500 Termination confid cdr Figure 3 7 Connect Diagram Example Making the 1 Press the Continue key Because you selected New Measure
167. cy is adequate it is not necessary to recalibrate Only one RF source is required Super quick method of estimating the phase detector constant and noise floor to verify other calibration methods and check available dynamic range Disadvantages The user entry of the phase detector constant is the least accurate of all the calibration methods It does not take into account the amount of power at harmonics of the signal Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 9 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 6 and tighten all connections HP 70420A Power Meter i Optional Line Spectrum Stretcher Analyzer i Power Signal Input Splitter Phase Detector Source Ref Input TIT a o Tr newd1 cdr LRL SIL II Figure 8 6 Measuring Power at Phase Detector Signal Input Port 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the signal input of the Agilent 70420A s Phase Detector Table 8 1 shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A Phase Detectors 8 1 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2to 26 5 GHz Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port 15 dBm 0 dBm 7 dBm dBm 10 10 10 10 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5
168. d Equipment for the Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8644B 1 Refer to the Selecting a Reference on page 6 9 section of this chapter for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 1 From the File menu of the E5500 User Interface choose Open If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 2 Inthe File Name box choose Conf 8644 10MHz pnm See Figure 5 23 5 28 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Look in a Test Files El c E Conf 10MHz pnm Residual pnm 85 RFSynth_OCFM pnm Conf 86635 10MHz pnm 8 RFSynth EFC pnm Confidence pnm StableRF pnm FreeRF pnm MicroSRC pnm File name Cont 86448 1 MHz pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm I Cancel Figure 5 23 Select the Parameters Definition File 3 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 5 8 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the RF Synthesizer using DCFM measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 5 8 may not be appropriate
169. d for an actual measurement on an unknown device unless absolutely necessary Measurement Environment The low noise floors typical of these devices may require that special attention be given to the measurement environment The following precautions will help ensure reliable test results Filtering on power supply lines Protection from microphonics Shielding from air currents may be necessary Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 27 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Beginning the 1 From the View menu choose Meter to select the quadrature meter See Figure 11 25 Measurement Untitled HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Edit Define Measure Analyze System Help p v Toolbar Ds 3 dBm out Markers t4 2 fm discrl pnm HP 5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem iO x Refresh Graph File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help Necorenen Denton DISIE ICA lt x 50 ns delay 600 carrier 13 dBm out 1007 Graph 14 Apr 1998 20 04 23 20 05 34 110 Instrument Connections 0 a T T RT 7 Message Log Display Preferences v Update Graph when Paramel Li Show or hide the meter 1K 10K 100K L f dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL IDLE 2 Figu
170. d for the specific center frequency and power level of the sources being measured 5 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Sweep Segments Checking the Beatnote Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Measuring PLL suppression The required correction data is created to compensate for the phase noise suppression which occurs within the bandwidth of the phase lock loop created for this measurement 6 Thecomputer displays the PLL suppression curve and associated measurement values Press Continue using Adjusted Loop Suppression to continue making the noise measurement The measurement can be stopped by pressing the Abort key When the system begins measuring noise it places the noise graph on its display As you watch the graph you will see the system plot its measurement results in frequency segments The system measures the noise level across its frequency offset range by averaging the noise within smaller frequency segments This technique enables the system to optimize measurement speed while providing you with the measurement resolution needed for most test applications When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results If the test system has problems completing the measurement it will inform you by placing a message on the
171. dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 3 Locate the power level you measured on the left side of the Phase Detector Sensitivity Graph Figure 8 7 Now move across the graph at the measured level and find the corresponding Phase Detector constant along the right edge of the graph This is the value you will enter as the Current Detector Constant when you define your measurement Note that the approximate measurement noise floor provided by the Signal Input port level is shown across the bottom of the graph 8 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options 15 6 35 E a 2 co t 5 B 5 2 I a dio xz oc 5 5 gt S 5 06 Bx 0 o 035 Q 15 02 120 480 140 150 160 170 180 Approximate Phase Noise Floor dBc Hz fz10kHz cdr Figure 8 7 Phase Detector Sensitivity Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Remove the power meter and reconnect the cable from the splitter to the Signal Input port If you are not certain that the power level at the Reference Input port is within the range shown in the preceding graph measure the level using the setup shown in Figure 8 9 Remove the power meter and reconnect the cable from the splitter to the Signal Input port After you complete the measurement set up procedures and begin run
172. de Noise Measurement Minimum input power 0 dBm Output bandwidth 1 Hz to 40 MHz AM Detector Considerations The AM detector consists of an Agilent 33330C Low Barrier Schottky Diode Detector and an AM detector filter Agilent 70429A K21 The detector for example is an Agilent 33330C Low Barrier Schottky Diode Detector The Schottky detectors will handle more power than the point contact detectors and are equally as sensitive and quiet The AM detector output blocking capacitor in the Agilent 70429A Option K21 70420A Option 001 or 70427 prevents the dc voltage component of the demodulated signal from saturating the system s low noise amplifier LNA The value of this capacitor sets the lower frequency limit of the demodulated output Carrier feedthrough in the detector may be excessive for frequencies below a few hundred megahertz The LNA is protected from saturation by the internal filters used to absorb phase detector feedthrough and unwanted mixer products Table 12 1 shows carrier frequencies with corresponding offset frequencies Table 12 1 Maximum Carrier Offset Frequency Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Carrier Frequency Offset Frequency 2250 kHz 100 MHz 250 MHz 20 MHz 25 MHz 2 MHz 2500 kHz 200 kHz 250 kHz 20 kHz The ac load on the detector is 50 ohms set by the input impedance of the LNA in the test system The 50 ohm load increases the detector bandwidth up to than 100 MHz The Agilent 70420A
173. debands The offset frequency is equal to the baseband modulation frequency The ratio of the baseband signal voltage to the carrier to sideband ratio is the sensitivity of the detector In the case of calibrating with a single sided spur it can be shown that a single sided spur is equal to a PM signal plus an AM signal The modulation sidebands for both are 6 dB below the original single sided spur Since the phase detector attenuates the AM by more than 30 dB the calibration constant can be measured as in the previous case but with an additional 6 dB correction factor 12 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Amplitude Noise Measurement Amplitude Noise Measurement The level of amplitude modulation sidebands is also constant with increasing modulation frequency The AM detector gain can thus be measured at a single offset frequency and the same constant will apply at all offset frequencies Replacing the phase detector with an AM detector the AM noise measurement can be calibrated in the same way as PM noise measurement except the phase modulation must be replaced with amplitude modulation The AM noise measurement is a characterization of a source The residual AM noise of a DUT can only be made by using a source with lower AM noise then subtracting that AM noise from the measured output noise of the DUT The noise floor of this technique is t
174. different curves are available for this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features a Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system b Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc d Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results 7 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Figure 7 11 shows a typical phase noise curve for a stable RF Oscillator B StableRF HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem OF x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help Das e 24 US 4 B S
175. discriminator method does not require a second reference source phase locked to the source under test See Figure 10 1 Delay Line Low Pass Noise Splitter Filter Amplifier SAf f Baseband Analyzer Phase Monitor graphm cdr Figure 10 1 Basic Delay Line mixer Frequency Discriminator Method Basic Theory This makes the frequency discriminator method extremely useful for measuring sources that are difficult to phase lock including sources that are microphonic or drift quickly It can also be used to measure sources with high level low rate phase noise or high close in spurious sidebands conditions with can pose serious problems for the phase detector method A wide band delay line frequency discriminator is easy to implement using the Agilent E5500A B Phase Noise Measurement System and common coaxial cable The delay line implementation of the frequency discriminator Figure 10 1 converts short term frequency fluctuations of a source into voltage fluctuations that can be measured by a baseband analyzer The coversion is a two part process first converting the frequency fluctuations into phase fluctuations and then converting the phase fluctuations to voltage fluctuations The frequency fluctuation to phase fluctuation transformation af do takes place in the delay line The nominal frequency arrives at the double balanced mixer at a particular phase As the frequency changes slightly t
176. div Figure 7 31 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port Making the 1 Clickthe Continue button when you have completed the beatnote Measurement check and are ready to make the measurement 2 When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 7 32 7 46 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K PLL Gain Change 860 3 dB 72 Closed PLL Bw 2 8823 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz Vv SI Suppi n Assumed Pole 89 49E 3H2 E mae 589 5E 3 dB Msg Adiusted Theoretical Loop SEES Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 9 231E 3 Figure 7 32 Selecting Suppressions There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features a Measured loop suppression curve thi
177. e Frequency Reference Source Power VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant Tune Range Center Voltage Input Resistance 10 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency 16dBm 1 E 3 2 10 Volts 0 Volts 600 ohms 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression f Limit is exceeded Measure Phase Detector Constant Calculate from expected VCO Tune Constant Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression Show Suppression Graph 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Downconverter Reference Source Timebase Phase Detector Test Set Tune Voltage Destination VCO Tune Mode Manual None Agilent 8663A None Automatic Detector Selection Reference Source DCFM 5 26 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Table5 4 Parameter Data for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0 dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0 dBm 6 Dowconverter Tab The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title Confidence Test using Agilent 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz
178. e decade of offset frequency At approximately 0 2 radians the power in the higher order sidebands of the phase modulation is still insignificant compared to the power in the first order sideband which ensures the calculation of L f is still valid As show in Figure 17 2 below the line the plot of L f is correct above the line L f is increasingly invalid and 5 7 must be used to represent the phase noise of the signal 05 00 is valid both above and below the line When using the L f graph to compute 5 7 add 3 dB to the Level S40 2 LO or 5 3 AB Limit of Validity of f 0 Figure 17 2 L f dBc Hz vs f Hz validity cdr 17 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 17 Phase Noise Level of Various Agilent Sources Phase Noise Level of Various Agilent Sources 50 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 The graph in Figure 17 3 indicates the level of phase noise that has been measured for several potential reference sources at specific frequencies Depending on the sensitivity that is required at the offset to be measured a single reference source may suffice or several different references may be needed to achieve the necessary sensitivity at different offsets
179. e 7 23 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 7 12 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the RF Synthesizer using DCFM measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 7 12 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 7 10 then continue with step 5 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 7 42 7 36 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using DCFM 5 Using Figure 7 24 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Nominal Tuning Constant see Table 7 10 Enter the Tune Range of VCO see Table 7 10 d Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 7 10 e Enter Input Resistance of VCO see Table 7 10 lowed Deviation enter Figure 7 24 Enter Source Information Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 37 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Table 7 10 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Sourc
180. e Agilent 70420A test set s internal noise source The measurement made in this demonstration is the same measurement that is made to verify the system s operation As you step through the measurement procedures you will soon discover that the phase noise measurement system offers enormous flexibility for measuring the noise characteristics of your signal sources and two port devices Required Equipment The equipment shipped with this system is all that is required to complete this demonstration Refer to the E5500 Installation Guide if you need information about setting up the hardware or installing the software How to Begin Follow the set up procedures beginning on the next page The phase noise measurement system will display a setup diagram that shows you the correct front panel cable connections to make for this measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 3 Starting the Measurement Software Figure 3 1 34 Your First Measurement Starting the Measurement Software 1 Place the E5500 phase noise measurement software disk in the disc holder and insert in the CD ROM drive 2 Using Figure 3 1 as a guide navigate to the E5500 User Interface Accessories Administrative Tools S 4 Documents Advantech Driver For 2000 Agilent IO Libraries Settings 5 En Agilent Subsystems Search Creative Logitech QuickCam 8 2 N
181. e Agilent 8663A as the VCO reference source In order for the noise measurement results to accurately represent the noise of the UUT the noise level of the reference source should be below the expected noise level of the UUT Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 57 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC Beginning the 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Measurement Figure 7 40 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define oela 24 Analyze System Help ment Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 7 40 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in Figure 7 41 At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics 7 58 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Mea
182. e Carrie Tuning Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning rFreq Constant Voltage Range t V Resistanc Calibratio Hz V V e Q n Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Up 5E 9xv 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10 to 6 factor of 2 10 7 38 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Selecting a 1 Using Figure 7 25 as a guide navigate to the Block Diagram tab Reference Source 2 Fromthe Reference Source pull down list select your source sing HP 8663 Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme c xi ej Figure 7 25 Selecting a Reference Source 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button 7 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 39 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Selecting Loop 1 Using Figure 7 26 as a guide navigate to the Cal tab Suppression 2 Inthe Cal dialog box check Verify calculated phase locked loop Verification suppression and Always Show Suppression Graph Select If
183. e Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 1 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example Amplifier Measurement Example Required Equipment This example contains information about measuring the residual noise of two port devices This example demostrates a residual phase noise measurement for an RF Amplifier Refer to Chapter 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals for more information about residual phase noise measurements CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 9 2 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 9 1 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement 9 1 Required Equipment for the Residual Measurement using the Agilent 70420A Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments RF Amplifier 1 Stimulus Source 1 Frequency of amplitude under test Power Splitter 1 NARDA 30183 Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set 9 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 9
184. e Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Features 16 Phase Lock Loop Suppression Phase Lock Loop Suppression Selecting PLL Suppression Graph on the View menu causes the software to display the PLL Suppression Curve plot as shown in Figure 16 1 when it is verified during measurement calibration The plot appears whether or not an accuracy degradation occurs Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB Closed PLL BW 2 8823E 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 89 48E 3Hz 5 Manun Enor 589 5E 3 dB en Theoretical Loop SEE Detector Constant 599 3 Volts Radian Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 3 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 16 1 PLL Suppression Verification Graph PLL Suppression The following measurement parameters are displayed along with the Parameters PLL Suppression Curve PLL Gain Change This is the amount of gain change required to fit the Theoretical Loop Suppression curve to the measured loop suppression PLL Gain Change of greater than 1 dB creates an accuracy degradation ACCY DEGRADED err
185. e Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 7 4 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the Stable RF Source measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 7 4 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 7 2 then continue with step 5 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 7 9 5 Using Figure 7 2 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Nominal Tuning Constant see Table 7 2 c Enter the Tune Range of VCO see Table 7 2 d Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 7 2 e Enter the Input Resistance of VCO see Table 7 2 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 3 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme File Edi View lain Limit Lines Security Level FFT Segment Table Lx Swept Segment Table Sources Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise us
186. e Smoothing Amount p sa Power present at input of DUT o dBm Display Breferences Figure 11 7 Select Graph Description on Graph Tab 11 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Connecting Cables Considerations The best results will be obtained if semi rigid coaxial cables are used to connect the components used in the measurement however BNC cables have been specified because they are more widely available Using BNC cables may degrade the close in phase noise results and while adequate for this example should not be used for an actual measurement on an unknown device unless absolutely necessary Measurement Environment The low noise floors typical of these devices may require that special attention be given to the measurement environment The following precautions will help ensure reliable test results Filtering on power supply lines Protection from microphonics Shielding from air currents may be necessary 11 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration Beginning the 1 From the View menu choose Meter to select the quadrature meter See Figure 11 8 Measurement Untitled HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit Define Measure Analyze System Help pica v Toolbar 9 Deli 2 v Markers 3 dBm out 1998 163049
187. e and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 5 to 15 dBm Agilent 70427A 0 to 30 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 9 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 HP E5500 Instrument Connections Figure 13 9 Connect Diagram for the AM Noise Measurement 4 Refer to Figure 13 10 for more information about system interconnections 13 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples 13 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 HP E5503B Phase Noise System HP 70001A MAINFRAME HP 70420A 001 HP 70422A To HP 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input COMPUTER Digitizer Output HP E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER
188. e noise measurement you are making This manual is designed to help you gain that understanding and quickly progress from a beginning user of the phase noise system to a proficient user of the system s basic measurement capabilities NOTE If you have just received your system or need help with connecting the hardware or loading software refer to your E5500 A or B installation guide now Once you have completed the installation procedures return to E5500 Operation A Guided Tour on page 3 3 to begin learning how to make noise measurements with the system The E5500 Operation A Guided Tour contains a step by step procedure for completing a phase noise measurement This measurement demonstration introduces system operating fundamentals for whatever type of device you plan to measure Once you are familiar with the information in this chapter you should be prepared to start Chapter 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience After you have completed that chapter refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in analyzing and verifying your test results 3 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Your First Measurement 3 E5500 Operation A Guided Tour E5500 Operation A Guided Tour This measurement demonstration will introduce you to the system s operation by guiding you through an actual phase noise measurement You will be measuring the phase noise of th
189. e proceeding 7 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Stable RF Oscillator COL LLL TT NY Lae 1V div Figure 7 9 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote from the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port Making the 1 Clickthe Continue button when you have completed the beatnote Measurement check and are ready to make the measurement 2 When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 7 10 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 13 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K PLL Gain Change 860 3 dB 72 Closed PLL Bw 2 8823 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz Vv SI Suppi n Assumed Pole 89 49E 3H2 E mae 589 5E 3 dB Msg Adiusted Theoretical Loop SEES Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 9 231E 3 Figure 7 10 Selecting Suppressions Four
190. eak 410 8 E 3 Amplitude 0 Offset Frequency 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Manual Phase Shifter Manual DUT in Path checked Phase Detector Automatic Detector Selection Adjust the Quadrature by phase shifter adjusting the 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0dB LNA Low Pass Filter 20 MHz Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB DC Block Not checked PLL Integrator Attenuation 0 dBm 6 Dowconverter Tab The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 1 GHz Graph Type Single sideband Noise dBc Hz XScale Minimum 10Hz XScale Maximum e 100E 6Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 180 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a 1 Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of 1 times the current carrier frequency Shifttrace data DOWN by 0 dB Trace Smoothing Amount 0 Power present at input of DUT 0dB 9 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 10 FM Discriminator Fundamentals The Frequency Discriminator Method page 10 2 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 10 1 10 FM Discriminator Fundamentals The Frequency Discriminator Method The Frequency Discriminator Method Unlike the phase detector method the frequency
191. easure VCO tune constant Calculate from expected VCO tune constant using tune port resistance Curent VCO Tune Constant 1 Expected VCO Tune Constant 8231 Hz Vol oop Suppression Tv Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression V Maximum Suppression Error Limit dB lf Limit is exceeded C Use theoretical values Use adjusted 12 Show Suppression Preset Figure 7 48 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 3 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Measurement Noise Floor Considerations for Figure 7 49 shows a noise characteristics graph shows a typical the Microwave noise level for the Agilent 70422A when used with the Agilent Source 8644B Use it to help you estimate if the measurement noise floor that it provides is below the expected noise level of your UUT Measurement 7 72 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source 108 12 140 PHASE NOISE f dBc Hz 160 OFFSET FREQUENCY Hz Fe 18 GHz Figure 7 49 Noise Characteristics for the Microwave Measurement Beginning the 1 Measurement If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the Agilent 70422A input Refer to
192. eatures 16 PLL Suppression Verification Process Adjusted theoretical suppression curve Figure 16 7 through Figure 16 9 this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K Closed PLL Bw 2 8823 3 Hz Peak Range EAE Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 83 48E 3Hz ETE 589 3 dB View Theoretical Loop Detector Constant 599 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 3 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 16 4 Measured Loop Suppression Curve Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 9 16 Advanced Software Features PLL Suppression Verification Process Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors Figure 16 5 Smoothed Loop Suppression Curve Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors Figure 16
193. ecting the Source Although you must select a VCO source that will provide a sufficient tuning range to permit the system to track the beatnote keep in mind that a wide tuning range typically means a higher noise level on the VCO source signal When the VCO source for your measurement is also the reference source this trade off can make reference source selection the most critical aspect of your measurement setup 6 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 The Phase Lock Loop Technique Specifying Your VCO Source When you set up your PLL measurement you will need to know four things about the tuning characteristics of the VCO source you are using The System will determine the VCO source s peak tuning range from these four parameters Tuning Constant estimated tuning sensitivity Hz V Center Voltage of Tuning Range V Tune Range of VCO V Input Resistance of Tuning Port ohms if the tuning constant is not to be measured The measurement examples in the next chapter that recommend a specific VCO source will provide you with the tuning parameters for the specified source Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 5 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor The noise floor for your measurement will be set
194. ed loop suppression 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source None Downconverter None Reference Source Agilent 8662A Timebase None Phase Detector Automatic Detector Selection Test Set Tune Voltage Output Front Panel Test Set Tune Voltage Destination Reference Source VCO Tune Mode DCFM 7 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Table 7 4 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Stable RF Oscillator Parameter Data for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation Auto checked LNA Low Pass Filter Auto checked LNA Gain Auto Gain Detector Maximum Input Levels Microwave Phase Detector 0dBm RF Phase Detector 0dBm AM Detector 0dBm Ignore out of lock conditions Not checked Pulsed Carrier Not checked DC Block Not checked Analyzer View Baseband e PLL Integrator Attenuation 0dBm 6 Downconverter Tab The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example 7 Graph Tab Title Stable RF Oscillator vs Similar Reference Source Graph Type Single sideband Noise XScale Minimum 1Hz XScale Maximum e 10E 6Hz Y Scale Minimum 0 dBc Hz Y Scale Maximum 170 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of 1 times the current carrier frequency Shift trace data DOWN by 0 dB Trace Smoothing Amount 0 Power
195. ed such that the sidebands are between 30 and 60 dB below the carrier and the audio frequency is between 50 Hz and 50 MHz See Figure 8 15 8 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options 40 dBc HP 70420 10 kHz 1 Optional Line RF Spectrum i Stretcher Analyzer i Power Signal Input i Splitter Phase Source pm Detector i Modulator Audio gt gt Calibration 10 dB q Refinput Source Attenuator jl HP E5500 newd6b cdr Rev 1 120 97 Figure 8 15 Measuring Carrier to sideband Ratio of the Modulated Port 4 Measure the carrier to sideband ratio of the non modulated side of the phase detector It must be at least 20 dB less than the modulation level of the modulated port This level is necessary to prevent cancellation of the modulation in the phase detector Cancellation would result in a smaller phase detector constant or a measured noise level that is worse than the actual performance The modulation level is set by the port to port isolation of the power splitter and the isolation of the phase modulator This isolation can be improved at the expense of signal level by adding an attenuator between the phase modulator and the power splitter 5 Connect the phase detector 6 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector to 90 degrees
196. een measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB 27 Closed PLL BW 2 8823 3 Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 89 48E 3Hz 8 kerrun Enor 589 dB View Theoretical Loop SURES Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant S 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 7 21 Selecting Suppressions E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theo
197. eference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 9 7 10 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Table 7 3 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Docu
198. em File Edit View Measure Analyze System Help Olea g em mj o 2 Set Security Level for this measurement LOCAL IDLE CAUTION Implementing either of the secured levels described in this section is not reversible Once the frequency or frequency amplitude data has been blanked it can not be recovered If you need a permanent copy of the data you can print out the graph and parameter summary before you secure the data and store the printed data to a secured location NOTE An alternate method of storing classified data is to save the measurement test file pnm including the real frequency amplitude data onto a floppy diskette and securing the diskette It can then be recalled at a later data From the Define Menu choose Security Level See Figure 16 10 r vs HP 8662 using DCFM 077m 1998 11 32 39 11 34 12 0 FFT Segment Table Swept Segment Table 10 100 1K 10K 100K IM 10M 100M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz Figure 16 10Navigate to Security Level 2 Choose one of the security options provided 16 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Features 16 Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph e Unsecured all data is viewable e Secured Frequencies cannot be viewed e Secured Frequencies and amplitudes cannot be viewed Unsecured All Data is Viewable When Unsecured all data i
199. ement Software Windows 2000 Make sure your computer and monitor are turned on Place the Agilent E5500 phase noise measurement software disk in the disc holder and insert in the CD ROM drive Using Figure 5 1 as a guide navigate to the E5500 User Interface Programs Documents amp Settings Search B Accessories B Administrative Tools Advantech Driver for 2000 Agilent IO Libraries ns En E5500 Phas Creative Logitech QuickCam National Instruments VXI A Startup VXIpnp Log Off salozhoa CY Shut Down winzip e Acrobat Reader 5 0 Internet Explorer start e Outlook Express Figure 5 1 Navigate to E5500 User Interface 5 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Asset Control Panels Documents E5500 User Intertace E 5500 Asset Manager E5500 Help 8 E5500 Readme E5500 SCPI Assistant E5500 SCPI Help E5500 SCPI Remote Interface X E5500 Shutdown E5500 Web Page Uninstall Agilent E5500 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source This procedure configures both the Agilent 70420A phase noise test set and PC digitizer so they can be used with the E5500A phase noise measurement software to make measurements NOTE If you have ordered a preconfigured phase noi
200. ement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Viewing Markers Conf 8644B 10MHz pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Djaja 4 allo mi Figure 5 35 Adding and Deleting Markers M ee e e Document Part E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 45 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Omitting Spurs Omitting Spurs The Omit Spurs function plots the currently loaded results without displaying any spurs that may be present 1 Onthe View menu click Display Preferences See Figure 5 36 pnm 5500 Noise Measurement Subsystem Figure 5 36 Navigate to Display Preferences 2 Inthe Display Preferences dialog box uncheck Spurs See Figure 5 37 Click OK Display Preferences Figure 5 37 Uncheck Spurs 3 The Graph will be displayed without spurs See Figure 5 38 To re display the spurs check Spurs in the Display Preferences dialog box 5 46 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Omitting Spurs Conf 8644B 10MHz pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Olea 4 mi Figure 5 38 Graph Displayed without Spurs M ee e Document Part E550
201. ement using Double Sided Spur Calibration FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration Required Equipment CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenuator Agilent 70420A Option 001 has been correctly set for the desired configuration as show in Table 11 2 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 11 1 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 11 1 Required Equipment for the FM Discriminator Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Signal Generator 1 19 dBm output level at tested carrier frequency Calibrated FM at a 20 kHz rate with 10 kHz Peak Deviation Power Splitter 1 NARDA 30183 Delay Line Delay or length adequate to decorrelate source noise Phase Shifter 1 1 180 phase shifter at lowest carrier frequency tested Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 3 11 Determining the Discriminator Delay Line Length FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 120 130 180 Perfo
202. ence source is to compare the noise level of the reference with the expected noise level of the unit under test UUT In general the lower the reference source s noise level is below the expected noise level of the UUT the better Keep in mind that you only need to be concerned about the reference source s noise level within the frequency offset range over which you plan to measure the UUT As shown by the graph in Figure 6 6 the further the reference source s noise level is below the noise level of the UUT the less the reference source s noise will contribute to the measurement results NN Q INCREASE IN MEASURED NOISE DUE TO REFERENCE NOISE dB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 18 11 12 13 14 15 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DUT AND REFERENCE NOISE LEVELS dB Figure 6 6 Increase in Measured Noise As UUT Noise Approaches Reference Noise The test system performs best when you are able to use a device similar to the UUT as the reference source for your PLL measurement Of course one of the devices must be capable of being voltage tuned by the system to do this To select a similar device for use as the reference source you must establish that the noise level of the reference source device is adequate to measure your UUT The Three Source Comparison technique enables you to establish the actual noise levels of three comparable devices when two devices are available in addition to the UUT Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Ph
203. ent Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 50 8 feet of BNC cable specified in this example is negligible The Agilent 704204 test set Signal and Reference inputs requires 15 ICBM 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 1 10 100 1K 10K f dBc Hz vs f Hz Figure 11 18Discriminator Noise Floor as a Function of Delay Time Defining the Measurement 11 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 1 From the File menu choose Open 100K 1M 10M 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored diytim 3 In the File Name box choose r amp d pnm See Figure 11 19 Look in El ek fm disci2 RFSynth FreeRF StableRF HP 8662 63 EFC dss MeasFile 9 MicroSRC Residual r det Figure 11 19Select the Parameters Definition File pf File name veo Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm D Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement defi
204. ent System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Tracking Frequency Drift Tracking Frequency Drift Evaluating Beatnote Drift The system s frequency drift tracking capability for the phase lock loop measurement is directly related to the tuning range of the VCO source being used The system s drift tracking range is approximately 24 of the peak tuning range PTR of the VCO PTR VCO Tuning Constant X Voltage Tuning Range This is the frequency range within which the beatnote signal created by the Agilent 70420A phase detector must remain throughout the measurement period In addition the beatnote signal must remain within the system s Capture Range 596 of the PTR during the time it takes the system to calibrate and lock the phase lock loop The stability of the beatnote is a function of the combined frequency stability of the sources being used for the measurement If beatnote drift prevents the beatnote from remaining within the Capture Range long enough for the system to attain phase lock the computer will inform you by displaying a message If the beatnote drifts beyond the drift tracking range during the measurement the computer will stop the measurement and inform you that the system has lost lock The Checking the Beatnote section included in each phase lock loop measurement example in this chapter provides a procedure for adjusting the beatnote to within the Capture Ran
205. ent accuracy provided they do not exceed 40 dBc 0 HP E5500 Carrier 100 6 Hz 10 Dec 1997 10 45 06 10 45 54 100 3 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 10E 3 100M L f dBc Hz vs f Hz Figure 6 12 Graph of Small Angle Line and Spur Limit 8 Continue moving the marker to the right to verify that the average noise level remains below the small angle line 9 Increase the span by a factor of ten by selecting FREQ and DEFINE SPAN Continue comparing the noise level to the graph 10 Continue to increase the span width and compare the noise level out to 100 kHz If the noise level exceeds the small angle line at any offset frequency beyond the PLL bandwidth note the offset Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 23 50 40 30 20 10 10 20 80 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line frequency and level of the noise Use the graph in Figure 6 13 to determine the Peak Tuning Range PTR necessary to provide a sufficient PLL bandwidth to make the measurement 01 A 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 100M f dBc Hz vs Hz peakreq cdr Figure 6 13 Graph Showing Peak Tuning Range Requirements for Noise that Exceeds the Small Angle Lim
206. er 10 FM Discriminator Fundamentals Chapter 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Chapter 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Chapter 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples Chapter 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features Chapter 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 1 3 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introducing the Graphical User Interface page 2 2 System Requirements page 2 4 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 2 1 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introducing the Graphical User Interface Introducing the Graphical User Interface The graphical user interface gives the user instant access to all measurement functions making it easy to configure a system and define or initiate measurements The most frequently used functions are displayed as icons on a toolbar allowing quick and easy access to the measurement information The forms based graphical interaction helps you define your measurement quickly and easily Each form tab is labeled with its content preventing you from getting lost in the define process Three default segment tables are provided To obtain a quick look at your data select the
207. ere amp f amplitude fluctuations and A t randomly fluctuating phase term or phase noise E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Phase Noise Basics 4 What is Phase Noise This randomly fluctuating phase term could be observed on an ideal RF analyzer one which has no sideband noise of its own as in Figure 4 1 f f grapha cdr Figure 4 1 RFSideband Spectrum There are two types of fluctuating phase terms The first deterministic are discrete signals appearing as distinct components in the spectral density plot These signals commonly called spurious can be related to known phenomena in the signal source such as power line frequency vibration frequencies or mixer products The second type of phase instability is random in nature and is commonly called phase noise The sources of random sideband noise in an oscillator include thermal noise shot noise and flicker noise Many terms exist to quantify the characteristic randomness of phase noise Essentially all methods measure the frequency or phase deviation of the source under test in the frequency or time domain Since frequency and phase are related to each other all of these terms are also related One fundamental description of phase instability or phase noise is spectral density of phase fluctuations on a per Hertz basis The term spectral density describes the energy distribution as a continuous function ex
208. es or flames WARNING DO REMOVE THE INSTRUMENT COVER Operating personnel must not remove instrument covers Component replacement and internal adjustments must be made only by qualified service personnel Instruments that appear damaged or defective should be made inoperative and secured against unintended operation until they can be repaired by qualified service personnel Environmental conditions Unless otherwise noted in the specifications this instrument or system is intended for indoor use in an installation category II pollution degree 2 environment It is designed to operate at a maximum relative humidity of 95 and at altitudes of up to 2000 meters Refer to the specifications tables for the ac mains voltage requirements and ambient operating temperature range Before applying power Verify that the product is set to match the available line voltage the correct fuse is installed and all safety precautions are taken Note the instrument s external markings described in Table 1 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 iii Ground the instrument To minimize shock hazard the instrument chassis and cover must be connected to an electrical protective earth ground The instrument must be connected to the ac power mains through a grounded power cable with the ground wire firmly connected to an electrical ground safety ground at the power outlet Any interruption of the protective grou
209. etector Source Optional Line Stretcher Low Pass Ref Input Filter Oscilloscope Connect Scope to Monitor Output Newd2a cdr Figure 9 12 Connection to Optional Oscilloscope for Determining Voltage Peaks NOTE Connecting an oscilloscope to the monitor port is recommended because the signal can then be viewed to give visual confidence in the signal being measured 1 Press the Continue key when ready to calibrate the measurement 2 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector as prompted by the phase noise software See Figure 9 13 9 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples 9 Amplifier Measurement Example res noise 1ghz demoamp 8644b HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Edi View Define Measure Analyze System Help Dae 24 4954 f HP E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 2 1 GHz p ERES Cari 1E 9 24 Apr 1998 10 35 04 10 36 33 0 020 0 500 1M 10M 100M 1K 10K 100K L f dBc Hz vs Hz 1000 For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 9 13 Adjust Phase Difference at Phase Detector 3 system will measure the positive and negative peak voltage of the phase detector using an internal voltmeter The quadrature meter s digital display can be used to find the peak The phase may be adjusted either by varying the frequency of the source or
210. external to the system may be either mechanical or electrical When using the Phase Lock Loop measurement technique the system s susceptibility to external spur sources increases with increases in the Peak Tuning Range set by the VCO source Electrically generated spurs can be caused by electrical oscillation either internal or external to the measurement system The list of potential spur sources is long and varied Many times the spur will not be at the fundamental frequency of the source but may be a harmonic of the source signal Some typical causes of electrical spurs are power lines radio broadcasting stations computers and computer peripherals any device that generates high frequency square waves and sum and difference products of oscillators that are not isolated from one another in an instrument such as a signal generator Mechanically generated spurs are usually at frequencies below 1 kHz The source of a mechanically generated spur is typically external to the measurement system If you do not have a plot of the system s noise and spur characteristics perform the system Noise Floor Test If you suspect that the unit under test or the reference source may be the spur source check each source using a spectrum analyzer or measuring receiver such as an Agilent 8902A Also if additional sources are available try exchanging each of the sources and repeating the measurement Shorten coax cables as much as possible
211. f VCO Tuning Curve Volts Center Voltage Voltage Tuning lt 12V tunrange cdr Figure 6 7 Agilent 70420A Voltage Tuning Range Limits Relative to Center Voltage of the VCO Tuning Curve Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 11 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Estimating the Tuning Constant Estimating the Tuning Constant 6 12 The VCO tuning constant is the tuning sensitivity of the VCO source in Hz V The required accuracy of the entered tuning constant value depends on the VCO tuning constant calibration method specified for the measurement The calibration method is selected in the Calibration Process menu Table 6 3 lists the calibration method choices and the tuning constant accuracy required for each Table6 3 Tuning Constant Calibration Method VCO Tuning Constant Calibration Method selected in calibration screen Required Tuning Constant Accuracy entered in parameter screen Use the current tuning constant must be accurate from a previous measurement of the same source Measure the VCO tuning constant Calculate from expected T Constant Within a factor of 2 of actual value Enter 1 E 6 for Input Resistance Within a factor of 2 of actual value Enter 1 E 6 for Input Resistance Exact within 596 of actual Also requires that entered Input Resistance value is accurate E5500 Phase Noise Measurem
212. fle Eras e Figure 9 6 Select Parameters in the Block Diagram Tab 12 Choose the Graph tab from the Define Measurement window 13 Enter a graph description of your choice E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 1 GHz for example See Figure 9 7 9 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Examples 9 Amplifier Measurement Example HP E5500 x Type and Ranae Source Cal Block Diagram Test Set Graph Residual phase noise without using phase locked loop E5500 Residual Phase Noise Measurement 1 GHz Graph Type Single sideband phase noise dBc Hz X Scale pes 10 Hz Maximum 100E 5 Hz Scale Graph To Data Y Scale for Single Sideband Phase Noise Maximum 0 dBc Hz Minimum 180 dBc Hz Normalize trace data to a 1 Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of limes the current carrier frequency Shift trace data by o dB Trace Smoothing Amount o Power present at input of DUT o dBm Display Preferences re Figure 9 7 Select Graph Description on Graph Tab 14 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Setup Connecting Cables Considerations The best results will be obtained if semi rigid coaxial cables are used to connect the components used in the measurement however BNC cables have been specified because they are more wide
213. for the noise measurement results to accurately represent the noise of the UUT the noise level of the reference source should be below the expected noise level of the UUT Beginning the 1 From Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Measurement Figure 7 18 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen File Edit View Define osla Analyze System Help Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 7 18 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 25 7 26 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Table 7 7 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to
214. for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 5 6 then continue withstep 4 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 5 34 4 Using Figure 5 24 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Nominal Tuning Constant see Table 5 6 c Enter the Tune Range of VCO see Table 5 6 d Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 5 6 e Enter the Input Resistance of VCO see Table 5 6 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 29 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Afel xi File Edt View Measure Analyze System Help o 2 amp j Define Security Level EFT Segment Table AALI L2 1x Swept Segment Table TypeandRange Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Camer Source Frequency Hz Power dBm arrier Source Output is connected TestSet Downconverter Detector Input Frequency Reference Source 10E 6 Hz Frequency 10 6 Hz Power 16 dBm Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Fre
215. gain detach them from one another and put them on one at a time Precision 2 4 mm These are precision connectors Always use care when connecting or and 3 5 mm disconnecting this type of connector When reconnecting make sure you align the male connector properly Carefully join the connectors Connectors being careful not to cross thread them Loosen precision 2 4 mm or 3 5 mm connectors on flexible cables by turning the connector nut counter clockwise with a 5 16 inch wrench Always reconnect using an 8 inch lb torque wrench part number 8720 1765 This wrench may be ordered from Agilent Technologies Semirigid cables are metal tubes custom formed for this system from semirigid coax cable stock 2 4 mm or 3 5 mm connectors with a gold hex nut The semirigid cables that go the RF outputs of some devices have a gold connector nut These do not turn Instead the RF connector on the instrument has a cylindrical connector body that turns To disconnect this type of connector turn the connector body on the instrument clockwise This action pushes the cable s connector out of the instrument connector To reconnect align the cable with the connector on the instrument Turn the connector body counterclockwise You may have to move the cable a small amount until alignment is correct the connectors mate When the two connectors are properly aligned turning the instruments connector body will pull in the semirigid cable s connector Tighte
216. ge equipment 17 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits Table 17 2 Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits Note Special Function 120 must be enabled for DCFM Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits 1 Minimum Recommended Peak Tune Range PTR FM Deviation x VTR Model Option Band Minimum Band Maximum Mode 2 Mode 1 Number MHz MHz 8643A 002 1030 2060 2000000 20000000 8643A 002 515 1029 99999999 1000000 10000000 8643A Standard 515 1030 1000000 10000000 8643A Both 257 5 514 99999999 500000 5000000 8643A Both 128 75 257 49999999 250000 2500000 8643A Both 64 375 128 74999999 125000 1250000 8643A Both 32 1875 64 37499999 62500 625000 8643A Both 16 09375 32 18749999 31200 312000 8643A Both 8 046875 16 09374999 15600 156000 8643A Both 4 0234375 8 04687499 7810 78100 8643A Both 2 01171875 4 02343749 3900 39000 8643A Both 1 005859375 2 01171874 1950 19500 8643A Both 0 5029296875 1 005859365 976 9760 8643A Both 0 25146484375 0 5029296775 488 4880 Takes into account limited tuning resolution available in linear FM Special Function 120 refer to How to Access Special Functions on page 17 16 The Agilent 8643A defaults to Mode 2 operation Wideband FM Use Special Function 125 refer to How to Access Special Functions on page 17 16 Agilent 8643A Mode Keys Document Part E5500 90024Fd 1 0 The
217. ge set for the measurement If you have not done so already verify that the beatnote signal can be tuned to within the Capture Range and that it will remain within the range Continue to observe the beatnote and verify that it will not drift beyond the drift tracking range 24 of the PTR during the measurement period The length of the measurement period is primarily a function of the frequency offset range specified for the measurement Start to Stop Frequency Action If beatnote drift exceeds the limits of the Capture or drift tracking ranges set for your measurement the system will not be able to complete the measurement You have two possible alternatives 1 Minimize beatnote drift By Allowing sources to warm up sufficiently By Selecting a different reference source with less drift 2 Increase the capture and drift tracking Ranges Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 13 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Tracking Frequency Drift By Selecting a measurement example in this chapter that specifies a drift rate compatible with the beatnote drift rate you have observed By Increasing the peak tuning range for the measurement Further information about increasing the PTR is provided in Changing the PTR 6 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Changing the The Tuning Qualifications Absolute Measu
218. gh in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the capture range of the system The phase lock loop PLL capture range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 61 7 62 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding AY TT 1V div Figure 7 42 Os
219. gment Table BEI Swept Segment Table TypeandRange Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Hz Power arrier Source Output is connectedto TestSet Downconverter amier Source Frequency Detector Input Frequency Reference Source 10E 6 Hz Frequency 10 6 Hz Power 16 dBm Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency multiplied by fi VCO Tuning Parameters ominal Tune Constant 1E 3 Hz Volt Center Voltage 0 Volts TuneRange I0 Input Resistance 600 Ohms Allowed Deviation Wenter Voltage ae The Tune Range is within the limits of from 0 20 to 10 00 Volts Preset as required by the current Center Voltage setting Figure 5 13 Enter Source Information Table 5 2 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range V Resistance X Calibration V Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5E 9x v 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Other Signal Generator FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute DCFM Calibrated for 1V Other User VCO Estimated within 10 to 1E
220. gnal which is of course invalid Figure 4 5 shows a 10 dB decade line drawn over the plot indicating a peak phase deviation of 0 2 radians integrated over any one decade of offset frequency At approximately 0 2 radians the power in the higher order sidebands of the phase modulation is still insignificant compared to the power in the first order sideband which insures that the calculation of L f remains valid Above the line the plot of L f becomes increasingly invalid and S eU must be used to represent the phase noise of the signal GodBc HAW IM SF 0 dBc Hz 10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M f Offset from Carrier Hz Figure 4 5 Region of Validity of L f 4 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Starting the Measurement Software page 5 2 Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source page 5 3 Using the Server Hardware Connections to Specify the Source page 5 8 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz page 5 11 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz page 5 28 page 5 41 Omitting Spurs page 5 46 Displaying the Parameter Summary page 5 48 Exporting Measurement Results page 5 50 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 1 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Starting the Measurement Software Starting the Measur
221. haracteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance X Calibration V Q Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5 9 0 10 1E 6 Measure DCFM FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute 7 70 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source Table 7 18 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance Calibration V Q Method Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10 to 1E 6 Measure factor of 2 10 Selecting a 1 Using Figure 7 47 navigate to the Block Diagram tab Reference Source 2 From the Reference Source pull down list select your source Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme C File Edi View Measure Analyze System Help pica E Measurement Bl Limit Lines Define Security Level EFT Segment Table Swept Segment Table Type and Range Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter
222. hat if not correctly performed or adhered to could result in personal injury or death Do not proceed beyond a WARNING notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met CAUTION A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard It calls attention to an operating procedure practice or the like that if not correctly performed or adhered to could result in damage to the product or loss of important data Do not proceed beyond a CAUTION notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Safety summary Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation of this instrument Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards of design manufacture and intended use of the instrument Agilent Technologies Inc assumes no liability for the customer s failure to comply with these requirements General This product is a Safety Class 1 instrument provided with a protective earth terminal The protective features of this product may be impaired if it is used in a manner not specified in the operation instructions light emitting diodes LEDs used in this product are Class 1 LEDs as per IEC 60825 1 WARNING NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE Do not operate the instrument in the presence of flammable gas
223. he Tuning Constant value to enter for EFC tuning when the center frequency is 300 MHz 5 E 9 300 6 1500 E 3 1 5 d Enter the Tune Range of VCO Table 7 14 e Enter the Center Voltage of VCO see Table 7 14 f Enter the Input Resistance of VCO see Table 7 14 Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measureme Afe xi File Edt View RIS Measure Analyze System sake SSS cmi E res Security Level FFT Segment Table EI Swept Segment Table IypeandRange Sources Cal Block Diagram Test Set Downconverter Graph Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Eafr er Source Frequency Hz Power Fo dBm arrier Source Output is connectedto TestSet Downconverter Detector Input Frequency gt Reference Source 10E 6 Hz Frequency 10 6 Hz Power 16 dBm Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency multiplied by fi Tuning Perarrel Nominal Tune Constant 1E 3 Hz Volt Center Voltage 0 Volts Tune Range 10 Volts Input Resistance 600 hms Allowed Deviation trom Voltage 15 The Tune Range is within the limits of from 0 20 to 10 00 Volts m as required by the current Center Voltage setting res Figure 7 35 Enter Source Information Table 7 14 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning
224. he noise floor of the source AM Noise Measurement Block Diagrams HP 70420A Opt 001 DUT Signal input newd27a cdr Figure 12 1 AM Noise System Block Diagram using an E5500 Opt 001 HP 70420A DUT AM Detector M Noise Input 5500 5500921 Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 2 AM Noise System Block Diagram using an External Detector Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 3 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Amplitude Noise Measurement HP 70420A mm pm m m DUT AM Detector Option K21 O H Hk in idi Figure 12 3 AM Noise System Block Diagram using an Agilent 70429A Opt K21 HP 70427A HP 70420A DUT i i Signal Input AM Output s Noise Input pd newd28 cdr Figure 12 4 AM Noise System Block Diagram using an Agilent 70427A Downconverter AM Detector POLARITY SWITCH HP 33330C RF INPUT DIODE DETECTOR DETECTOR OUTPUT 511 10n 2600 uF at 25v Figure 12 5 AM Detector Schematic AM Detector Specifications Detector type low barrier Schottky diode Carrier frequency range 10 MHz to 26 5 GHz Maximum input power 23 dBm 12 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Amplitu
225. he noise floor by 3 dB The 10 dB per decade line is drawn on the plot for an instantaneous phase deviation of 0 2 radians integrated over any one decade of offset frequency At approximately 0 2 radians the power in the higher order sideband of the phase modulation is still insignificant compared to the power in the first order sideband This ensures that the calculation of cal L f is still valid NOISE ABOVE SMALL ANGLE LINE Carrier 10 505 9 Hz 4 1597 16 63 41 16 16 33 111 i LK 16K 1M 1 1 vs f Hz 48H Figure 15 121 f Is Only Valid for Noise Levels Below the Small Angle Line Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 17 16 Advanced Software Features Phase Lock Loop Suppression page 16 3 Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph page 16 14 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 1 16 Advanced Software Features Introduction Introduction Advanced Functions allows you to manipulate the test system or to customize a measurement using the extended capabilities provided by the Agilent E5500 phase noise measurement software These functions are recommended to be used only by those who understand how the measurement and the test system are affected Refer to the following pages for details 16 2 E5500 Phas
226. he phase shift incurred in the fixed delay time will 10 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 The Discriminator Transfer Response FM Discriminator Fundamentals 10 The Frequency Discriminator Method change proportionally The delay line converts the frequency change at the line input to a phase change a the line output when compared to the undelayed signal arriving at the mixer in the second path The double balanced mixer acting as a phase detector transforms the instantaneous phase fluctuations into voltage fluctuations 6 5 v With the two input signals 90 out of phase phase quadrature the voltage out is proportional to the input phase fluctuations The voltage fluctuations can then be measured by the baseband analyzer and converted to phase noise units The important equation is the final magnitude of the transfer response _ sin tfmtd AV fm 2 Gf mtd Where Avfm represents the voltage fluctuations out of the discriminator and represents the frequency fluctuations of the device under test DUT is the phase detector constant phase to voltage translation is the amount of delay provided by the delay line and is the frequency offset from the carrier that the phase noise measurement is made System Sensitivity A frequency discriminator s system sensitivity is determined by the transfer response As shown below
227. he signal into the delay line This can be accomplished with an RF amplifier before the signal splitter The noise of the RF amplifier will not degrade the measurement if the two port noise of the amplifier is much less than the noise of the DUT However some attenuation may be needed in the signal path to the reference input to the double balanced mixer phase detector to protect it from excessive power levels Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 10 5 10 10 6 FM Discriminator Fundamentals The Frequency Discriminator Method If the amplifier signal puts the phase detector into compression x is atits maximum and system sensitivity is now dependent on the length of the delay For maximum sensitivity more delay can be added until the signal level out of the delay line is 8 7 dB below the phase detector compression point The following example illustrates how to choose a delay line that provided the optimum sensitivity given certain system parameters See Table 10 1 Table 10 1 Choosing a Delay Line Parameters Source signal level 7dBm Mixer compression point 3 dBm Delay line attenuation at source carrier frequency 30 dB per 100 ns of Delay Highest offset frequency of interest 5 MHz 1 To avoid having to correct for the sin x x response choose the delay such that 1 T lt d 2nx 5x 10 A delay of 32 ns or less can be used for offset frequencies out
228. he signal source has sufficient output amplitude to maintain the required signal level at the Agilent 70420A s phase detector input port The signal level required for measurement depends on the noise floor level needed to measure the UUT Figure 6 9 shows the relationship between the signal level at the R port and the measurement noise floor Ref Input Level 15 dBm 15 5 Input Signal Level dBm 15 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of System dBc Hz f gt 10kHz Figure 6 9 Measurement Noise Floor Relative to Port Signal Level If a source is not able to provide a sufficient output level or if additional isolation is needed at the output it may be necessary to insert a low phase noise RF amplifier at the output of the source Note however that the noise of the inserted amplifier will also be summed into the measured noise level along with the noise of the source The Agilent 70427A Option K22 dual RF amplifier was designed specifically for this purpose This instrument is the preferred solution for tests requiring an external amplifier Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 19 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Inserting a Device Use the following equation to estimate what the measurement noise floor is as a result of the added noise of an inserted amplifier Figure 6 10 shows an example LC out 174 dB Amplifier Noise Figu
229. hows that increasing the delay increases the sensitivity of the system However increasing ta also decreases the offset frequencies 7 that can be measured without compensating for the sin x x response For example a 200 ns delay line will have better sensitivity close to carrier than a 50 ns delay line but will not be usable beyond 2 5 MHz offsets without compensating for the sin x x response the 50 ns line is usable to offsets of 10 MHz Increasing the delay also increases the attenuation of the line While this has no direct effect on the sensitivity provided by the delay line it does reduce the signal into the phase detector and can result in decreased and decreased system sensitivity 10 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Compression The level of the output signal at which the gain of a device is reduced by a specific amount usually expressed in decibels dB as in the 1 dB compression point FM Discriminator Fundamentals 10 The Frequency Discriminator Method The phase detector constant x equals the slope of the mixer sine wave output at the zero crossings When the mixer is not in compression equals where xr is the mixer efficiency and is the voltage into the Signal Input port R port of the mixer is also the voltage available at the output of the delay line Optimum Sensitivity If measurements are made such that
230. ibration Source L Ref Input L I LLLI Figure 8 12 Calibration Source Beatnote Injection Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 17 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options Synthesized This calibration option requires two synthesizers of which one must Residual calibrate the beatnote frequency must be within the following ranges Measurement using Shown in Table 8 5 be tunable such that a beatnote can be acquired For the system to Beatnote Cal Table 8 5 Frequency Ranges Carrier Frequency Beatnote Frequency Range 500 kHz 10 Hz to 10 kHz lt 5 MHz 10 Hz to 100 kHz lt 50 MHz 10 Hz to 1 MHz lt 250 MHz 10 Hz to 10 MHz gt 250 MHz 10 Hz to 50 MHz or 1 2 the frequency range of the configured analyzer or whichever is lower Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 13 and tighten all connections HP 70420A ERR Synthesizer Ref Input 0 Power Source Splitter Phase Detector Optional Line Stretcher Synthesizer2 Signal Input eee e5500d37 cdr Figure 8 13 Synthesized Residual Measurement using Beatnote Cal 2 Offset the carrier frequency of one synthesizer to produce beatnote for cal 3 After the phase noise system reads the beatnote set the software to the same carrier frequency 8
231. ication required to achieve the proper power at the phase detector be placed before the splitter so it will be correlated out of the measurement In cases where this is not possible remember that any noise source such as an amplifier placed after the splitter in either phase detector path will contribute to the measured noise 6 Anamplifier must be used in cases where the signal level out of the UUT is too small to drive the phase detector or the drive level is inadequate to provide a low enough system noise floor In this case the amplifier should have the following characteristics It should have the lowest possible noise figure and the greatest possible dynamic range b The signal level must be kept as high as possible at all points in the setup to minimize degradation from the thermal noise floor Itshould have only enough gain to provide the required signal levels Excess gain leads to amplifiers operating in gain compression making them very vulnerable to multiplicative noise problems The non linearity of the active device produces mixing which multiplies the baseband noise of the active device and power supply noise around the carrier d Theamplifier s sensitivity to power supply noise and the power supply noise itself must both be minimized 8 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options Calibration Options
232. ick the Close button Beginning the 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Measurement 199 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define 24 Analyze System Help surement Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 13 8 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When Perform New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list See Figure 13 9 Confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics 13 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples 13 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Table 13 2 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the referenc
233. ignal source using two different calibration methods These measurement techniques work well for measuring free running oscillators that drift over a range that exceeds the tuning range limits of the phase locked loop measurement technique The Discriminator measurement is also useful for measuring sources when a VCO reference source is not available to provide adequate drift tracking The setup for a discriminator measurement uses a delay line to convert frequency fluctuations to phase fluctuations and a phase shifter to set quadrature at the phase detector Af gt Ao gt Delay Line Pass PR DUT Splitter Filter Amplifier N Baseband Analyzer Phase Monitor In the Discriminator measurement the source is placed ahead of the power splitter One output of the splitter feeds a delay line with enough delay to decorated the source noise The delay line generates a phase shift proportional to the frequency The phase shift is measured in the phase detector by comparing the delay output with the other output from the splitter The output of the phase detector is a voltage proportional to the frequency fluctuations of the source graphm cdr For more information about FM Discrimination basics refer to Chapter 10 FM Discriminator Fundamentals 11 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measur
234. igure 11 22 Figure 11 22Enter Parameters into the Cal Tab 11 Choose the Block Diagram tab from the Define Measurement window See Figure 11 23 a Fromthe Reference Source pull down select Manual b From the Phase Detector pull down select Automatic Detector Selection Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 25 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration x Test Set Downconverter Graph 0 Automatic Detector Selection Jj s Figure 11 23Enter Parameters in the Block Diagram Tab 12 Choose the Graph tab from the Define Measurement window 13 Enter a graph description of your choice See Figure 11 24 Figure 11 24Select Graph Description on Graph Tab 11 26 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Setup Considerations FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 14 When you have completed these operations click the Close button Connecting Cables The best results will be obtained if semi rigid coaxial cables are used to connect the components used in the measurement however BNC cables have been specified because they are more widely available Using BNC cables may degrade the close in phase noise results and while adequate for this example should not be use
235. ilent 704204 test set s filters and low noise amplifiers using the test set s internal noise source The phase detectors are not tested This confidence test also confirms that the test set PC and analyzers are communicating with each other 1 From the File menu in the E5500 User Interface choose Open 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 Inthe File Name box choose Confidence pnm Figure 3 3 4 Click the Open button Look in HP E5500 El c z Test Files DemoMode pnm Bband_no_tset pnm FreeRF pnm Bband tset pnm MeasFile pnm Conf 8644B 10MHz pnm MicroSRC pnm Conf 86635 10MHz pnm Residual pnm P RFSynth DCFM pnm RFSynth EFC pnr Confidence pnm H File name Confidence pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm Cancel Figure 3 3 Opening the File Containing Pre stored Parameters The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 3 1 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the Agilent 70420A confidence test example 5 To view the parameter data in the software navigate to the Define Measurement window use Figure 3 4 as a navigation guide The parameter data is entered using the tabbed windows Select various tabs to see the type of information entered behind each tab 3 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Do
236. ing a phase locked loop ier Source Frequency Hz Power dBm arrier Source Output is connectedto TestSet Downconverter Detector Input Frequency Reference Source 10E 6 Frequency 10 6 Hz Power 16 dBm Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency multiplied by fi fi Tuning Pararriel Nominal Tune Constant 1E 3 Hz Volt Center Voltage Volts Tune Range 0 Volts Input Resistance 600 hms Allowed Deviation trom Wenter Blade fi 015 The Tune Range is within the limits of from 0 20 to 10 00 Volts Preset as required the current Center Voltage setting Figure 7 2 Enter Source Information Table 7 2 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range Resistance Calibration V Q Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5 9 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10to 6 factor of 2 10 Measure 7 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Stable R
237. ion A 02 00 2 3 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System System Requirements System Requirements The minimum system requirements for the phase noise measurement software are Pentium 9 microprocessor 100 MHz or higher recommended 32 megabytes MB of memory RAM 1 gigabyte GB hard disk Super Video Graphics Array SVGA 2 additional 16 bit slots available for the phase noise system hardware 1 for PC Digitizer or VXI MXI Interface 1 for GPIB Interface Card Microsoft Windows 2000 Agilent 82350 GPIB Interface Card 2 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 3 Your First Measurement E5500 Operation A Guided Tour page 3 3 Starting the Measurement Software page 3 4 Making a Measurement page 3 6 Document Part No E5500 90024Fd 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 1 3 Your First Measurement Designed to Meet Your Needs Designed to Meet Your Needs As You Begin The Agilent E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System is a high performance measurement tool that enables you to fully evaluate the noise characteristics of your electronic instruments and components with unprecedented speed and ease The phase noise measurement system provides you with the flexibility needed to meet today s broad range of noise measurement requirements In order to use the phase noise system effectively it is important that you have a good understanding of th
238. ion key by pressing the Enter key Press the ON ENTER key to terminate data entries that do not require specific units kHz mV rad for example Example Special 1 2 0 ON nter SIGNAL GENERATOR ENTER SPECIAL ON OFF MODE 1 MODE 2 MODE 3 sigen65 cdr 120 FM Synthesis This special function allows you to have the instrument synthesize the FM signal in a digitized or linear manner Digitized FM is best for signal tone modulation and provides very accurate center frequency at low deviation rates Linear FM is best for multi tone modulation and provides a more constant group delay than the Digitized FM 17 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits Table 17 6 Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits Note Special Function 120 must be enabled for the DCFM 1 Minimum Recommended Peak Tune Range PTR Deviation x VTR Model Option Band Minimum Band Maximum Mode 3 Mode 2 Number MHz MHz 8664A 2060 3000 400000 10000000 8664A 1500 2059 99999999 200000 10000000 8664A 1030 1499 99999999 200000 5000000 8664A 750 1029 99999999 100000 5000000 8664A 515 749 99999999 100000 2500000 8664A 375 514 99999999 50000 2500000 8664A 257 5 374 99999999 50000 1250000 8664A 187 5 257 49999999 25000 1250000 8664A 30 187 49999999 200000 5000000 8664A 5 29 99999
239. iona Cable le 0000000 E1430A FFT ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional Smee FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional E1420B Counter Optional VXI MXI Bus 000000 0000000000 Qoo 89410 MXI CABLE I pm mnummmuumummum u SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 70001A MAINFRAME 1 i 70420A 001 70422A E 70420A E 1 Rear Panel 2 H l Noise Source Input I 1 ern I I L I Sum min m nn n n n SOURCE CH 1 OUTPUT vce I 1 1 nr Same SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional ammmmmmmmu REFERENCE SIGNAL E5500 Software GENERATOR Optional License Key PC MXI Card RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional o000000 smm 9 70422A Downconverter 70420A OPT 001 TEST SET 70422A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS GPe STATUS INPUT REF INPUT MR RF ANALYZER SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1 2 26 5 GHz VPK We z265GHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHASE DET OUTPUT CONTROL To DUT Signal Input Downconverted RF Output E1420B or Reference to be Output to Test Set Oscill
240. it 6 24 Measurement Options If the observed level exceeded the small angle line at any point beyond the PLL bandwidth set for the measurement you will need to consider one of the following measurement options 1 Evaluate your source using the noise data provided by the RF analyzer in the procedure you just performed Increase the PTR if possible to provide a sufficient PLL bandwidth to suppress the noise For information on increasing the PTR refer to Changing the PTR in this section Reduce the noise level of the signal sources Use the Discriminator technique to measure the phase noise level of your source E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator page 7 2 Free Running RF Oscillator page 7 18 RF Synthesizer using DCFM page 7 35 RF Synthesizer using EFC page 7 51 Microwave Source page 7 68 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 1 Stable RF Oscillator Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Required Equipment This measurement example will help you measure the phase noise of a stable RF oscillator with frequency drift of 20 ppm over a period of thirty minutes CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the signal input connector until the input attenu
241. it is desirable to make both the phase detector constant and the amount of delay a large so that the voltage fluctuations av out of a frequency discriminator will be measurable for even small fluctuations sin NOTE The system sensitivity is independent of carrier frequency Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 10 3 10 FM Discriminator Fundamentals The Frequency Discriminator Method The magnitude of the sinusoidal output term or the frequency discriminator is proportional to sin xf t tfmtg This implies that the output response will have peaks and nulls with the first null occurring at fm 1 4 Increasing the rate of a modulation signal applied to the system will cause nulls to appear at frequency multiples of Figure 10 2 Delay td 100ns 0 20 MHz FM Input Baseband Analyzer Magnitude of Transfer Response 0 1 25 d f 10MHz f 20MHz f Offset from Carrier Hz graphn cdr Figure 10 2 Nulls in Sensitivity of Delay Line Discriminator To avoid having to compensate for sin x x response measurements are typically made at offset frequencies fm much less 1 2 Itis possible to measure at offset frequencies out to and beyond the null by scaling the measured results using the transfer equation However the sensitivity of the system get very poor results near the nulls The transfer function s
242. itude required to provide a noise floor level that is below the expected noise floor of your UUT Ref Input Level 15 dBm 15 O1 Input Signal Level dBm on 15 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of System dBc Hz f gt 10kHz Figure 7 38 Noise Floor for the RF Synthesizer EFC Measurement 7 56 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC L Port Level 16dBm R Port Signal Level dBm Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz Cc f 10KHz Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oem 24 4 S v Confidence Test using HP 86634 Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP 5500 Curier IDEM Hs 27 fa 1997 178 055 100 1K 10K 100K IM 10M 100M LOCAL IDLE 2 Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz Figure 7 39 Noise Floor Calculation Example If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between UUT and the Agilent 70420 input Refer to Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect that the amplifier s noise will have on the measured noise floor Agilent 8663A VCO Reference This setup uses th
243. ivity is tipped up by 20 dB decade beginning at an offset of 1 211 The sensitivity graphs indicate the delay line frequency discriminator can be used to measure some types of sources with useful sensitivity Longer delay lines improve sensitivity but eventually the loss in the delay line will exceed the available power of the source and cancel any further improvement Also longer delay lines limit the maximum offset frequency that can be measured 2 an NS s oy rod La f dBc Hz vs Hz Figure 17 5 Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 01 1 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1 10M 100M diyline cdr E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 7 17 Reference Graphs and Tables AM Calibration AM Calibration The AM detector sensitivity graph shown in Figure 17 6 is used to determine the equivalent phase Detector Constant from the measured AM Detector input level or from the diode detector s dc voltage The equivalent phase Detector Constant phase slope is read from the left side of the graph while the approximate detector input power is read from the right side of the graph Equivalent Phase Detector Constant vs Detector Voltage vs Input Power 40 30 25 20 Detector Input Power dBm 03 Approximate Equivalent Phase Detector Constant V rad De
244. kHz sysnoise cdr Figure 6 4 Relationship Between the R Input Level and System Noise Floor The Noise Level of Unless it is below the system s noise floor the noise level of the source you are using as the reference source will set the noise floor for the measurement When you set up your measurement you will want to use a reference source with a noise level that is at or below the level of the source you are going to measure the Reference Source Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 7 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor Figure 6 5 demonstrates that as the noise level of the reference source approaches the noise level of the UUT the level measured by the System which is the sum of all noise sources affecting the system is increased above the actual noise level of the UUT INCREASE IN MEASURED NOISE DUE TO REFERENCE NOISE dB AMOUNT EXPECTED DUT NOISE EXCEEDS REFERENCE NOISE dB Figure 6 5 Increase in Measured Noise as Reference Source Noise Approaches UUT Noise 6 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Selecting a Reference Selecting a Reference Using a Similar Device Selecting an appropriate reference source is critical when you are making a phase noise measurement using the phase lock loop technique The key to selecting a refer
245. l source shortening cables or any other action recommended in Problem Solving on page 15 13 repeating the measurement after each change allows you to check the effect that the change has had on the total noise graph To repeat a measurement on the Measurement menu click Repeat Measurement See Figure 15 4 Confidence Test using 36446 Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen x Real Time Monitor 4 Automatically Clear Graph Pause at Connect Diagram Repeat the Current measurement LOCAL IDLE Figure 15 4 Repeating a Measurement If you are still uncertain about the validity of the measurement results it may be necessary to do further research to find other validating data for your measurement Additional information such as typical noise curves for devices similar to the unit under test or data sheets for components used in the device can often provide insights into the expected performance of the unit under test 15 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Outputting the Results Outputting the Results To generate a printed hardcopy of your test results you must have a printer must be connected to the computer Using a Printer To print the phase noise graph along with parameter summary data click Print on the File menu Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase
246. lick on the source to be added then click the Next button See Figure 5 5 5 4 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source Choose Supporting ACM You must select from the following list the source model number you want to use If you do not see the model number you want to use you will need to install a new or updated Asset Control Module This can be done by installing an updated version of the subsystem which supports your device Figure 5 5 Chose Source to be Added 8 From the Interface pull down list select GPIBO 9 Inthe Address box type 19 19 is the default address for the Agilent 8663A sources including the Agilent 8662A 8663A and 8644B 10 In the Library pull down list select the Agilent Technologies VISA Click the Next button 11 In the Set Model amp Serial Numbers dialog box type in your source asset name and its corresponding serial number See Figure 5 6 Set Model amp Serial Humbers You will need to enter your asset s name and serial number Asset Name HP 8663 1 Serial Number optional 281943 Figure 5 6 Choose Asset and Serial Number Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 5 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source 12 In the Enter A Comment
247. lts Confidence Test using HP 8644B Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measuremen Of x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help zl xj vj Confidence Test using HP 8644B Int vs Ext 10 MHz EPEUO0 1001844 Hs 25 7901997 1718 172104 00E 3 Hs 600E 3 100 1K 10K 100K 1M L dBc vs f Hz Marker 4 Frequency 600 3 Hz Amplitude 54 37 dBc Add Marker m LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 15 6 Add Delete Markers Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 9 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Graph of Results Omit Spurs Omit Spurs plots the currently loaded results without displaying any spurs that may be present 1 Onthe View menu click Display Preferences See Figure 15 7 r FreeRF pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Figure 15 7 Select Display Preferences 2 Inthe Display Preferences dialog box uncheck Spurs See Figure 15 8 Click OK Display Preferences Figure 15 8 Uncheck Spurs 3 The Graph will be displayed without spurs Figure 15 9 To re display the spurs check Spurs in the Display Preferences dialog box 15 10 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Parameter Summary Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Graph of Results Exter
248. ly available Using BNC cables may degrade the close in phase noise results and while adequate for this example should not be used for an actual measurement on an unknown device unless absolutely necessary Measurement Environment The low noise floors typical of these devices may require that special attention be given to the measurement environment The following precautions will help ensure reliable test results Filtering on power supply lines Protection from microphonics Shielding from air currents may be necessary Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 9 7 Beginning the 1 Measurement Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example meter See Figure 9 8 res_noise_1ghz_demoamp_8644b HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Edit Define Measure Analyze System Help From the View menu choose Meter to select the quadrature v Toolbar Status Bar Markers Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences Update Graph when Parameters are 10K 100K Show or hide the meter Figure 9 8 Select Meter from View Menu v Pasurement 1 GHz 1998 103504 10 36 33 Tee i IK L f dBc Hz vs Hz 100M LOCAL IDLE Z 1
249. lyzer Oscilloscope Tune Voltage or Counter Monitor Figure 18 19E5502B Opt 201 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 21 18 Connect Diagrams E5503B Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 0000000 oooo 0000000000 599 A NOTE E E M A Indicates Optional Cable 70001A MAINFRAME 70420 70422 To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input m ee e mm mmm 1 mom momo mom m m m REFERENCE SIGNAL Eid GENERATOR Optional npu SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Yellow Cable ammmmmmmmum E5500 Software License Key PC Digitizer Card E4411A cx nos O OOOOo0Q unu CELEI COT 70420A 70422A Downconverter 70420A TEST SET 70422A DOWNCONVERTER GPIB STATUS STATUS Bo AA ae NPUT A REF SIGNAL RF ANALYZER NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 265 GHz VP wm 0 01 Hz 100 MHz 7 dBm MIN VOLTAGE PHA
250. m up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Defining the 1 From the File menu choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 Inthe File Name box choose BBnoise without testset 89410 pnm Open Lookin Cx HP E5500 E El c Odbperhz pnm cont_8644b_10mhz pnm AM_noise_1ghz_8644b pnm 8 conf 8663a 1 mhz pnm j ith testset pnm Conf SigGen 10MHz pnm hout testset 89410 pnm ip Confidence pnm BBnoise_without_testset_E1430 pnm 8 DemoMode pnm BBnoise without testset PCDig pnm File name without testset 8941 D pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm CEN Figure 14 5 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Choose the OK button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 14 2 lists the parameter data that has been entered for this measurement example 14 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Beginning the Measurement Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen File Edit View Define Analyze System Help D amp asurement lela Repeat Measuremen
251. main monotonic The VCO source s output level must remain constant across its tuning range Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 15 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Changing the PTR As long as these qualifications are met and the software does not indicate any difficulty in establishing its calibration criteria an increase in PTR will not degrade the system s measurement accuracy The following methods may be considered for increasing or decreasing the PTR Voltage Controlled Oscillators 1 Select a different VCO source that has the tuning capabilities needed for the measurement 2 Increase the tune range of the VCO source CAUTION Be careful not to exceed the input voltage limitations of the Tune Port on the VCO source NOTE Increasing the tune range of the VCO is only valid as long as the VCO source is able to continuously meet the previously mentioned tuning qualifications Signal Generators 1 Ifyou are using a signal generator with a calibrated 1 Vpk DC FM Input such as the Agilent 8640B 8642A B 8656B or 8662 3 the Voltage tuning Range can be increased to 10 V as long as you select Computed from the expected T Constant in the Calibration Process display These signal generators continue to meet all of the previously mentioned tuning qualifications across a 10V tuning range 2 Increase the signal generator s frequency deviation setting and set the sof
252. ment to begin this measurement the system starts by running the routines required to calibrate the current measurement setup Measurement Figure 3 8 shows a typical baseband phase noise plot for an Agilent 70420A phase noise test set Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 9 3 Your First Measurement Making a Measurement Confidence HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oem 24 4 Confidence Test HP 70420 Internal Noise Source HP E5500 09 Dec 1997 09 26 53 09 27 18 10K 100K 16 dBc Hz vs Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE Figure 3 8 Typical Phase Noise Curve for an Agilent 70420A Confidence Test Sweep Segments When the system begins measuring noise it places the noise graph on its display As you watch the graph you will see the system plot its measurement results in frequency segments The system measures the noise level across its frequency offset range by averaging the noise within smaller frequency segments This technique enables the system to optimize measurement speed while providing you with the measurement resolution needed for most test applications Congratulations You have completed a phase noise measurement You will find that this measurement of the Agilent 70420A test set s internal noise source provides a convenient way to verify that the system hardw
253. ment Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 57 47 hardware e Nr SES Control Panels EFT Analyzer WEDUSTIIUZET Test Set Downconverter Base shitter Carrier Source Residual Source SIBI Frequency Tuning Voltage Center 0 Vols Range fio Volts mem Figure 7 8 Connect Diagram for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 6 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 8 Figure 18 21 E5503B Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 23 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Checking the Beatnote While the connect diagram is still displayed use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on
254. mm mm E5500 Software License Key PC MXI Card REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional annon 70420A Opt 001 Test Set 70420A OPT 001 TEST SET oo cec To Reference DUT GPIB STATUS Source Input Source INPUT pM REF INPUTI SIGNAL NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz soo 50 kHz 26 5GHz 001 Hz 100 MHz 15dBm MIN 7 dBm MIN 3 5mm m RF PHASE DET OUTPUT RF ANALYZER MONITOR Spectrum Analyzer 5 FROM TO DOWNCONVERTER DOWNCONVERTER ANALYZER ANALYZER TUNE VOLTAGE To E1420 OUT OF Lock or Oscilloscope DC Out 100 MHz 50 Q 20mA MAX Tune Voltage 100 0 1 25 LPS To E1430 Input Figure 18 2 E5501A Opt 001 Connect Diagram 18 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5501A Opt 201 430 440 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional Note mmmm Indicates Optional Cable VXI MAINFRAME Io E1430A ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional OPTIONAL FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional 2 0 n a 0 0000000000 40 E1420B Counter Optional VXI MXI Bus S MXI CABLE
255. mp D HP E5500 Cari 1 027E 9 Hz 16 Apr 1998 10 53 45 10 56 21 10K 100K dBc Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 11 34 Typical Phase Noise Curve Using Rate and Deviation Calibration 11 34 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Table 11 6 Parameter Data for the Rate and Deviation Calibration Example Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Absolute Phase Noise using an FM Discriminator Start Frequency e 10Hz Stop Frequency e 100E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Normal Swept Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency e 1 027 E 9Hz Power 19 dBm Carrier Source is Connected to Test Set Detector Input Frequency e 1 027 E 9Hz 3 Cal Tab FM Discriminator Constant Derive Constant from FM rate and deviation Current Phase Detector 0225 E 9 Constant Know Spur Parameters Offset Frequency 1E3 Amplitude 6 dBc Calibration Source Frequency 1027 E 9 Hz Power 16 dBm Frequency Modulation FM Rate 20E 3 Hz FM Deviation 10E23Hz 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Manual Phase Shifter Manual DUT in Path checked Phase Detector Automatic Detector Selection Adjust the Quadrature by phase shifter adjusting the 5 Test Set
256. mum Details on the relationship between the capture and drift tracking ranges and the tuning range of the VCO source are provided in Table 6 2 This information will help you evaluate your VCO source based on the estimated drift of your sources Table 6 2 lists the tuning parameters for several VCO options Table 6 2 Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range V Resistance Calibration V 0 Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Uo 5 9 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 8662 Calculate 600 8663 Calculate Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Calculate Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Calculate 6 10 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Selecting a Reference Table 6 2 Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range V Resistance Calibration V Q Method Other Signal Generator FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Calculate DCFM Calibrated for 1V Other User VCO Estimated 10 Figure 6 7 1E 6 Source within afactorof2 10 Measure 10 5 A gt dD 2 d D 1 c Oo g 9 5 2 10 5 2 1 5 0 5 1 2 5 10 Center Voltage o
257. n firmly by hand 2 4 mm or 3 5 mm connectors with a silver hex nut All other semirigid cable connectors use a silver colored nut that can be turned To remove this type of connector turn the silver nut counter clockwise with a 5 16 inch wrench When reconnecting this type of cable 20 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance 20 Removing and Reinstalling Instruments Carefully insert the male connector center pin into the female connector Try to make sure the cable is aligned with the instrument connector properly before joining them Turn the silver nut clockwise by hand until it is snug then tighten with an 8 inch lb torque wrench part number 8720 1765 This wrench may be ordered from Agilent Technologies Bent Semirigid Semirigid cables are not intended to be bent outside of the factory Cables An accidental bend that is slight or gradual may be straightened carefully by hand Semirigid cables that are crimped will affect system performance and must be replaced Do not attempt to straighten a crimped semirigid cable its performance will not be restored Other Multipin There are other multipin connectors in the system Agilent MSIB for Connectors example These are sometimes held in place by a pair of screws Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 9 20 20 10 Conne
258. nally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oea 24 4954 Confidence Test using HP 8644B Int vs Ext 10 MHz 3 1 210 He 217901997 15185 HPEUU 0 0 Hs Mo Sym _ Fal 997 151 Be CE DAC aaa 2 200E 3 Hs BUR treats 72 408 Hs a a aa ca aaah aa al 4 wmm t7 m E E eere eer pe en a EE E ee ee ee dS EL eee eee 1252292029225 100 1K 10K 100K m 16 dBc Hz vs f Hz Marker 4 Frequency 600 3 Hz Amplitude 14464 dBc Hz LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 15 9 Graph Without Spurs The Parameter Summary function allows you to quickly review the measurement parameter entries that were used for this measurement The parameter summary data is included when you print the graph 1 Onthe View menu click Parameter Summary Figure 15 10 FreeRF pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem D v Toolbar a v Status Bar Markers Meter Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences Update Graph when Parameters are Changed Figure 15 10Navigate to Parameter Summary 2 The Parameter
259. nding conductor or disconnection of the protective earth terminal will cause a potential shock hazard that could result in personal injury Table 1 Fuses Use only fuses with the required rated current voltage and specified type normal blow time delay Do not use repaired fuses or short circuited fuse holders To do so could cause a shock or fire hazard Safety symbols and instrument markings Symbols and markings in manuals and on instruments alert you to potential risks provide information about conditions and comply with international regulations Table 1 defines the symbols and markings you may find in a manual or on an instrument Safety symbols and instrument markings Safety symbols Warning hot surface Alternating current Earth ground terminal OF dre gt Warning risk of electric shock Three phase alternating current Caution refer to accompanying documents Laser radiation symbol marked on products that have a laser output Both direct and alternating current Protective earth ground terminal 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Table 1 Safety symbols and instrument markings continued Safety symbols Frame or chassis terminal Terminal is at earth potential Used for measurement and control circuits designed to be operated with one terminal at earth potential N Terminal for neutral conduc
260. nel Noise Source Input uammmmmmmmum Yellow Cable REFERENCE SIGNAL E5500 Software GENERATOR Optional License Key PC MXI Card E411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER 000000000000 eee tA 70420A Opt 201 Test Set 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET GPIB STATUS To Reference Source DUT Source Input D INPUT pum REF INPUT NOISE 50 kHz 1600MHz 1 Mk 1V Pk 50 kHz 1600 MHz 0 01 Hz 100 MHz j 15 dBm MIN 7 dBm MIN d GHz SIGNAL To Oscilloscope or Counter Monitor PHASE DET OUTPUTI RF ANALYZER MONITOR mW SIGNA 1 2 26 5 GHz E411A Spectrum Analyzer Figure 18 16E5501B Opt 201 Connect Diagram 18 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5502B Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional but Recommended FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional MS Donnon 0000000000 goo 0000000 l 70001 70420A 70421 Indicates Optional Cable To 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input m um um Em Rm Am Gm me
261. nge of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding See Figure 7 52 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 77 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source COL LLL TT NY Lae Ee 1V div Figure 7 52 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port Estimate the system s capture range using the VCO source parameters entered for this measurement The estimated VCO tuning constant must be accurate within a factor of 2 A procedure for Estimating the Tuning Constan
262. ning Presence of Beat Note An initial check is made to verify that a beatnote is present within the system s detection range Verifying zero beat The frequency of the beatnote is measured to see if it is within 5 of the estimated Peak Tuning Range of the system The system s Peak Tuning Range is the portion of the voltage controlled oscillator VCO source s tuning range being used for the measurement When the system measures the phase noise of a signal source using the Phase Lock Loop technique the technique being used in this example it requires that one of the two sources used in the setup is a VCO As you will see later in this demonstration you will be required to estimate the tuning range of the VCO source you are using when you set up your own Phase Lock Loop measurements Zero beating sources The center frequencies of the sources are now adjusted if necessary to position the beatnote within 5 range The adjustment is made with the tune voltage applied to the VCO source set at its nominal or center position Measuring the VCO Tuning Constant The tuning sensitivity Hz V of the VCO source is now precisely determined by measuring the beatnote frequency at four tune voltage settings across the tuning range of the VCO source Linearity across the tuning range is also verified Measuring the Phase Detector Constant The transfer characteristics V rad of the test set s phase detector are now determine
263. ning range of the VCO source is too large noise on the control line may increase the effective noise of the VCO source Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 19 3 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors page 20 2 Removing and Reinstalling Instruments page 20 6 Touch Up Paint page 20 12 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 20 1 20 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors Repeatability RF Cable and Connector Care Taking proper care of cables and connectors will protect your system s ability to make accurate measurements One of the main sources of measurement inaccuracy can be caused by improperly made connections or by dirty or damaged connectors The condition of system connectors affects measurement accuracy and repeatability Worn out of tolerance or dirty connectors degrade these measurement performance characteristics For more information on connector care please refer to the documentation that came with your calibration kit If you make two identical measurements with your system the differences should be so small that they will not affect the value of the measurement Repeatability the amount of similarity from one measurement to another of the same type can be
264. ning the measurement the computer will prompt you to adjust for quadrature Figure 8 8 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector to 90 degrees quadrature by either adjusting the test frequency or by adjusting an optional variable phase shifter or line stretcher Quadrature is attained when the meter is set to center scale zero E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 11 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options Residual pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem 1515 Eie Edit Define Measure Analyze System Help nig Toolbar Status Bar Markers Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences v Update Graph when Parameters are Changed winner og marg d 1K 10K 100K 1M 2 0500 L f dBc Hz vs f Hz 2 Show or hide the meter local E T p 1 0004 _ 2000 4 0500 ETT Figure 8 8 Adjust for Quadrature NOTE For the system to accept the adjustment to quadrature the meter must be within 2 mV to 4 mV 8 Once you have attained quadrature you are ready to proceed with the measurement HP 70420A een ee Optional Line Stretcher Power Splitter Source LS Signal Input Phase Detector Power Meter or Spectrum Analyzer
265. nition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 11 6 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the FM discriminator measurement example 5 From the Define menu choose Measurement then choose the Type and Range tab from the Define Measurement window 6 From the Measurement Type pull down select Absolute Phase Noise using an FM discriminator See Figure 11 20 vco 455 HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Figure 11 20Select Measurement Type Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 23 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 7 Choose Sources tab from the Define Measurement window a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 Gaze Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency See Figure 11 21 1 027 9 Figure 11 21Enter Frequencies into Source Tab 8 Choose the Cal tab from the Define Measurement window 9 Select Derive constant from FM rate and deviation as the calibration method 11 24 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 10 Set the FM Rate to 20 kHz and FM Deviation to 10 kHz which are the recommended FM rate and deviation See F
266. ns 9 7 Beginning the Measurement 9 8 Making the Measurement 9 10 When the Measurement is Complete 9 14 10 Discriminator Fundamentals The Frequency Discriminator Method 10 2 Basic Theory 10 2 The Discriminator Transfer Response 10 3 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Introduction 11 2 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 11 3 Required Equipment 11 3 Determining the Discriminator Delay Line Length 11 4 Defining the Measurement 11 5 Setup Considerations 11 10 Beginning the Measurement 11 11 Contents 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Making the Measurement 11 14 When the Measurement is Complete 11 17 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration 11 20 Required Equipment 11 20 Determining the Discriminator Delay Line Length 11 21 Defining the Measurement 11 22 Setup Considerations 11 27 Beginning the Measurement 11 28 Making the Measurement 11 31 When the Measurement is Complete 11 34 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals AM Noise Measurement Theory of Operation 12 2 Basic Noise Measurement 12 2 Phase Noise Measurement 12 2 Amplitude Noise Measurement 12 3 AM Noise Measurement Block Diagrams 12 3 AM Detector 12 4 Calibration and Measurement General Guidelines 12 7 Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant 12 9 Method 1 1 12 9 Method 1 Example2 12 11 Method 2 Double
267. nt Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples 14 Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example Table 14 2 Parameter Data for the Baseband without using a Test Set Measurement Table 14 3 Ste Parameters p Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Baseband Noise without using a test set Start Frequency e 10 Hz Stop Frequency e 100 E 6 Hz Averages 4 Quality Normal 2 Cal Tab Gain preceding noise input 3 Block Diagram Tab Noise Source Test Set Noise Input 5 Graph Tab Title Graph Type X Scale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Baseband dBV e 10 Hz e 100 E 6 Hz 0 dBc Hz 200 dBV Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1times the current carrier frequency e 0dB 0 e Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 14 9 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Evaluating the Results page 15 2 Outputting the Results page 15 7 Problem Solving page 15 13 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 1 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Evaluating the Results Evaluating
268. nt is measured Use the Real time Monitor to evaluate the noise spectrum at the break frequency on the graph To eliminate the break in the graph you may find it necessary to change the Sweep Segment Ranges so that the measurement resolution remains constant over the frequency range where the spurs are located Repeat the noise measurement several times for the segment that does not match the rest of the graph and check for a change in its overall noise level Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 13 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Problem Solving Table 15 2 Potential Causes of Discontinuity in the Graph Circumstance Description Recommended Action Break at the upper edge of the segment below PLL Bandwidth 3 4 Small Break at 100 kHz 10 kHz or 1 kHz Accuracy degradation of more than 1 or 2 dB can result in a break in the graph at the internal changeover frequency between the phase detector portion of the measurement and the voltage controlled oscillator tune line measurement The accuracy degradation can be caused by An inaccurate Tuning or Phase Detector Constant Injection locking or Noise near or above the small angle line at an offset equal to the PLL Bandwidth for the measurement Check the Parameter Summary list provided for your results graph to see if any accuracy degradation was noted If the Tuning constant and
269. o the source and or phase shifter to find the phase detector s positive and negative output peaks The system will read the value of the positive and negative peak and automatically calculate the mean of the peak voltages which is the phase detector constant used by the system Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 10 and tighten all connections 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the Signal Input port of the Agilent 70420A s Phase Detector Table 8 Z shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A Phase Detectors 8 2 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 13 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options 8 2 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Ref Input L Port Signal Input R Port Port 15 dBm 0 dBm 7 dBm 0 dBm to to to to 23 dBm 23 dBm 10 dBm 5 dBm Agilent 70420A Phase Noise Test Set Options 001 and 201 HP 70420A OR S Optional Line Stretcher Signal Power input Splitter Phase Detector Low Pass Ref Input Filter Oscilloscope LEE EE IE I IE Connect Scope to Monitor Output newd2 cdr Figure 8 10 Connection to O
270. one of the connection diagrams described in Noise Measurement Block Diagrams on page 12 3 HP 70420A DUT AM Detector H Noise Input M n HP E5500 5500921 Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 14Double sided Spur AM Noise Measurement Setup Method 1 Example 2 2 Measure the power which will be applied to the AM detector Figure 12 15 It must be between 0 and 23 dBm POWER METER OR RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER Figure 12 15Measuring Power at the AM Detector 3 Using a source with AM set its output power equal to the power measured in step 2 The source should be adjusted such that the sidebands are between 30 and 60 dB below the carrier with a modulation rate between 10 Hz and 20 MHz NOTE The carrier to sideband ratio 5 for AM is _ percenta _ 23 20log 100 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 17 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 2 Double Sided Spur To check the AM performance of the source measure the carrier to sideband ratio of the AM at the source output with a modulation analyzer See Figure 12 16 Modulation ems Analyzer Q L Newd3a cdr Figure 12 16Measuring Carrier to Sideband Ratio 4 Enter the carrier to sideband ratio and offset frequency then measure the calibration constant See Figure 12 17 HP 70420A ads Calibration Source wi
271. onnected to server LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 16 17Secured Frequencies and Amplitudes Cannot be Viewed 16 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Approximate System Phase Noise Floor vs R Port Signal Level page 17 3 Phase Noise Floor and Region of Validity page 17 4 Phase Noise Level of Various Agilent Sources page 17 5 Increase in Measured Noise as Ref Source Approaches UUT Noise page 17 6 Approximate Sensitivity of Delay Line Discriminator page 17 7 AM Calibration page 17 8 Voltage Controlled Source Tuning Requirements page 17 9 Tune Range of VCO vs Center Voltage page 17 10 Peak Tuning Range Required Due to Noise Level page 17 11 Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth vs Peak Tuning Range page 17 12 Noise Floor Limits Due to Peak Tuning Range page 17 13 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 17 1 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options page 17 14 Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits page 17 15 Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits page 17 17 Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits page 17 19 Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits page 17 21 Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits page 17 23 17 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Approximate System Phase Noise Floor vs
272. or If an accuracy degradation is detected the amount of error is determined from either the PLL Gain Change or the Maximum Error which ever is larger The degradation itself is 1 dB less than the greater of these Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 3 16 16 4 Advanced Software Features Phase Lock Loop Suppression Max Error This is the measured error that still exists between the measured Loop Suppression and the Adjusted Theoretical Loop Suppression The four points on the Loop Suppression graph marked with arrows ranging from the peak down to approximately 8 dB are the points over which the Maximum Error is determined error of greater than 1 dB results in an accuracy degradation Closed PLL Bandwidth This is the predicted Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth for the measurement The predicted PLL BW is based on the predicted PTR The Closed PLL BW will not be adjusted as a result of an accuracy degradation If an accuracy degradation is detected the amount of error is determined from either the PLL Gain Change or the Maximum Error which ever is larger The degradation itself is 1 dB less than the greater of these Peak Tune Range This is the Peak Tuning Range PTR for the measurement determined from the VCO Tune Constant and the Tune Range of VCO This is the key parameter in determining the PLL properties the Drift Tracking Range and the ability to phase lock sour
273. or Level 0 dBm Input Attenuation 0dB LF Gain 0dB Auto Checked Microwave Millimeter Band Microwave 0 26 5 GHz Millimeter Band Mixer Bias Enable Unchecked Current Reference Chain Reference 10 MHz External Tune Enable Unchecked Tuning Sensitivity ppm v Nominal 0 ppm V 100 MHz PLL Bandwidth 126 Hz 600 MHz PLL Bandwidth 10000 Hz 7 Graph Tab Title Graph Type X Scale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT Microwave Source 12 GHz vs Agilent 8644B using EFC Single sideband Noise dBc Hz 10Hz 4 6 2 2 170 dBc Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency 0dB 0 e 0dB Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 83 Residual Measurement Fundamentals What is Residual Noise page 8 2 Basic Assumptions Regarding Residual Phase Noise Measurements page 8 4 Calibrating the Measurement page 8 6 Calibration Options page 8 9 Single Sided Spur page 8 22 Measurement Difficulties page 8 26 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 1 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals What is Residual Noise What is Residual Noi
274. ored 3 In the File Name box choose MicroSRC pnm See Figure 7 45 BE Look in amp Test Files El c E StableRF pnm Confidence pnm FreeRF pnm Residual pnm RFSynth_DCFM pnm RFSynth_EFC pnm File name MicroSRC pnm Files of type E5500 Measurement Files pnm X Cancel Figure 7 45 Select the Parameters Definition File 4 Click the Open button The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 7 20 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the Microwave Source measurement example NOTE Note that the source parameters entered for step 2 in Table 7 20 may not be appropriate for the reference source you are using To change these values refer to Table 7 18 then continue with step 5 below Otherwise go to Beginning the Measurement on page 7 73 5 Using Figure 7 46 as a guide navigate to the Sources tab Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 GHz Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency b Enter the VCO Tuning Constant see Table 7 18 Use the following equation to calculate the appropriate VCO Tuning Constant to enter for the measurement VCO Tuning Constant T x Carrier Frequency Where T 5E 9 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 69 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source For example
275. oscope Downconverted Signal Input RF P roE1430A Source Tuning Out SU MP Spectrum Analog In Voltage Analyzer Figure 18 9 E5503A Opt 001 Connect Diagram Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 18 11 18 Connect Diagrams E5503A Opt 201 Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional le 0000000 mm FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional MS 0000 eoo 0000000000 89410A VECTOR SIGNAL ANALYZER Optional 000000000 pool 0 0 MER SOURCE CH 1 OUTPUT 1 Mz GPIB 2 2 2 2 22 2d 4 NOTE ndicates Optional Cable tT VXI MAINFRAME E1430A ANALYZER E1441A ARB Optional 1 Po n e amp 1420 Counter Optional 1 XI Bus 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 de 9 J T e 22222l2 1 70001 MAINFRAME 1 70420A 201 70422 1 1 70420A DUT 1 Rear Panel 1 P RENE X I Noise Source Input 1 I I 1 1 I Hl S i m hR 49 um Leanne I m m m m m m t SYSTEM PC CONTROLLER Optional aN E5500 Softwa
276. ount Power present at input of DUT 10 Hz 100 E 6 Hz 0 dBv Hz 200 dBv Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency 0 dB 0 0 dB The Stop Frequency depends on the analyzers configured in your phase noise system E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 3 11 4 Phase Noise Basics What is Phase Noise page 4 2 Document Part No E5500 90024Fd 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 4 1 Phase Noise Basics What is Phase Noise What is Phase Noise 42 Frequency stability can be defined as the degree to which an oscillating source produces the same frequency throughout a specified period of time Every RF and microwave source exhibits some amount of frequency instability This stability can be broken down into two components long term stability short term stability Long term stability describes the frequency variations that occur over long time periods expressed in parts per million per hour day month or year Short term stability contains all elements causing frequency changes about the nominal frequency of less than a few seconds duration The chapter deals with short term stability Mathematically an ideal sinewave can be described by V t Vosin2zfot Where Vg nominal amplitude Vosin2 zfot linearly growing phase component and fg nominal frequency But an actual signal is better modeled by V t Vo amp t sin 2zfot AQ t Wh
277. ow Much to Decrease Measured Noise to Compensate for Added Reference Source Noise For example applying the 7 dB difference in noise levels shown in Figure 15 3 at 10 kHz to the graph reveals that the measured results should be decreased by about 1 dB at 10 kHz to reflect the actual noise of the UUT E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Evaluating the Results MEASURED NOISE VERSUS REFERENCE SOURCE NOISE hp Carrier 16 E46 Hz 12 Jan 188 19 07 04 19 12 33 T MEASURED REFERENCE 18 SOURCE NOISE EP M MM Pete pee Te aera 7 dB DIFFERENCE AT 10 2 120 erue p E bee MEASUREMENT 186 18 Lf EdBc Hz1 vs ftHz1 Figure 15 3 Example Comparison of Measurement Results and Reference Source Noise Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 5 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Gathering More Data Gathering More Data Repeating the Measurement Doing More Research Making phase noise measurements is often an iterative process The information derived from the first measurement will sometimes indicate that changes to the measurement setup are necessary for measuring a particular device When you make changes to the measurement setup such as trying a different signa
278. p Technique The phase lock loop measurement technique requires two signal sources the source under test and a reference source This measurement type requires that one of the two sources is a voltage controlled oscillator VCO You will most likely use the phase lock loop technique since it is the measurement type most commonly used for measuring signal source devices This chapter focuses on this measurement type for signal source measurements Understanding the This measurement technique requires two signal sources set up in a Phase Lock Loop Technique phase locked loop PLL configuration One of the sources is the unit under test UUT The second source serves as the reference against which the UUT is measured One of the two sources must be a VCO source capable of being frequency tuned by the System Figure 6 1 shows a simplified diagram of the PLL configuration used for the measurement UNTUNED SOURCE E PHASE DETECTOR PHASE LOW NOISE LOW PASS PHASE INPUTS DETECTOR FILTER AMPLIFIER DETECTOR DUTPUT SOURCE TUNE VOLTAGE OUTPUT Figure 6 1 Simplified Block Diagram of the Phase Lock Loop Configuration The Phase Lock Loop The Capture and Drift Tracking Ranges Circuit Like other PLL circuits the phase lock loop created for the measurement has a Capture Range and a drift tracking range The Capture Range is equal to 5 of the system s peak tuning range
279. particularly the Tune Voltage Output cable Make sure all cable connections are tight It may be possible to identify an external spur source using a spectrum analyzer with a pick up coil or an antenna connected to it The frequency of the spur and patterns of multiple spurs are the most useful parameters for determining the source of spurs The spur frequency can be estimated from the graph or pinpointed using either the Marker graphic function which provides a resolution of from 0 1 to 0 2 or by using the spur listing function Try turning off or moving fans motors or other mechanical devices that oscillate at a specific frequency Temporarily blocking the airflow through a fan may alter its speed enough to discern a frequency shift in a spur that is being caused by the fan Small Angle Line 15 16 Caution must be exercised where L f is calculated from the spectral density of the phase modulation SO 2 because of the small angle criterion Refer to Figure 15 12 Below the line the plot of Lf is correct above the line L f is increasingly invalid and Sf f must be used to accurately represent the phase noise of the signal To E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Evaluating Your Measurement Results 15 Problem Solving accurately plot noise that exceeds the small angle line select the Spectral Density of Phase Modulation dB Hz graph type S0 L f raises t
280. pear The injection locking bandwidth is the frequency of the beatnote just prior to where the injection locking occurs as the beatnote is tuned toward 0 Hz 2 Multiply the injection locking bandwidth by 2 to determine the minimum PLL bandwidth required to prevent the injection locking from causing the system to lose lock To prevent accuracy degradation it may be necessary to increase the PLL bandwidth to 4 X the injection locking bandwidth The computer will inform you during the measurement if the possibility of accuracy degradation exists 3 Locate the required PLL bandwidth in Figure 6 8 to determine the PTR required for the measurement For details on increasing the PTR refer to Changing the PTR in this section 18k _ Ta REQUIRED PLL BANDWIDTH Hz PEAK TUNING RANGE Hz Figure 6 8 Peak Tuning Range PTR Required by Injection Locking 6 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Inserting Device An Attenuator An Amplifier Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Inserting a Device You may find that some of your measurement setups require an in line device such as an attenuator in one of the signal source paths For example you may find it necessary to insert an attenuator at the output of a unit under test UUT to prevent it from being injection locked to the reference source The primary consideration when inserting an attenuator is that t
281. perating in gain compression increasing their likelihood of suppressing the AM noise to be measured The amplifier s sensitivity to power supply noise and the supply noise itself must both be minimized E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Method 1 example 1 Advantages Easy method of calibrating the measurement system Will measure DUT without modulation capability Requires only an RF power meter to measure drive levels into the AM detector Fastest method of calibration If the same power levels are always at the AM detector as in the case of leveled outputs the AM detector sensitivity will always be essentially the same Super quick method of estimating the equivalent phase detector constant Disadvantages It is the least accurate of the calibration methods It does not take into account the amount of power at harmonics of the signal Procedure 1 Using information shown in Figure 12 6 and Figure 12 7 Connect the circuit and tighten all connections If the Agilent 70420A Option 001 or Agilent 704274 is available use one of the connection diagrams described in Noise Measurement Block Diagrams on page 12 3 HP 70420A DUT AM Detector M H Noise Input Figure 12 6 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant AM
282. pnm Stable RF bmp Ei conf 62 man pnm Res Enter pnm StableRF pnm Free run RF bmp ir RF_syth_DCFM bmp Sys vernm all files El Figure 5 43 Spur Data Results Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 53 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Exporting Measurement Results Exporting X Y Data 1 Onthe File menu point to Export Results then click on X Y Data See Figure 5 44 ernally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem RFSynth RFSynth EFC pi Res DC pk pnm lr Stable RF bmp B conf 62 man pnm Res Enter pnm StableRF pnm Free run RF bmp lr syth DCFM bmp Sys ver pnm Figure 5 44 X Y Data Results 5 54 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals The Phase Lock Loop Technique page 6 2 What Sets the Measurement Noise Floor page 6 6 Selecting a Reference page 6 9 Estimating the Tuning Constant page 6 12 Tracking Frequency Drift page 6 13 Changing the PTR page 6 15 Minimizing Injection Locking page 6 17 Inserting a Device page 6 19 Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line page 6 21 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 1 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals The Phase Lock Loop Technique The Phase Lock Loo
283. pressed in units of variance per unit bandwidth Thus So Figure 4 2 may be considered as A f rad BW used to measure Hz 500 Where BW bandwidth is negligible with respect to any changes in 5 versus the fourier frequency or offset frequency f Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 4 3 4 Phase Noise Basics What is Phase Noise Another useful measure of noise energy is L f which is then directly related to sy by a simple approximation which has generally negligible error if the modulation sidebands are such that the total phase deviation are much less than 1 radian lt lt radian 25400 A rms 0 Hz f graphb cdr Figure 4 2 CW Signal Sidebands viewed in the frequency domain L f is an indirect measurement of noise energy easily related to the RF power spectrum observed on an RF analyzer Figure 4 3 shows that the National Institute Science and Technology NIST defines L f as the ratio of the power at an offset f Hertz away from the carrier The phase modulation sideband is based on a per Hertz of bandwidth spectral density and or offset frequency in one phase modulation sideband on a per Hertz of bandwidth spectral density and f equals the Fourier frequency or offset frequency Lif power density in one phase modulation sideband _ total signal power Ps single sideband SSB phase noise to carrier ration pe
284. ptional Oscilloscope for Determining Voltage Peaks 3 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector as prompted by the phase noise software 4 The system will measure the positive and negative peak voltage of the phase detector using an internal voltmeter The quadrature meter digital display can be used to find the peak The phase may be adjusted either by varying the frequency of the source or by adjusting a variable phase shifter or line stretcher 8 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Measured Beatnote Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options NOTE Connecting an oscilloscope to the MONITOR port is recommended because the signal can then be viewed to give visual confidence in the signal being measured 5 an example noise could affect a voltmeter reading whereas on the oscilloscope any noise can be viewed and the signal corrected to minimize the noise before making the reading 5 The system software will then calculate the phase detector constant automatically using the following algorithm uad 2 Phase Detector Constant 6 The system software will then prompt you to set the phase noise software s meter to quadrature 7 The system will now measure the noise data This calibration option requires that one of the input frequency sources be tunable such that a beatnote can be acquired from the two sources For the system to calibrate
285. quency multiplied by fi VCO Tuning Parameters The Tune Range is within the limits of from 0 20 to 10 00 Volts ominal Tune Constant 1E 3 Hz Volt Center Voltage fo Volts Tune Range fi 0 Volts Input Resistance 600 Ohms Allowed Deviation Wenter Voltage fi as required by the current Center Voltage setting Figure 5 24 Sources Tab in Define Measurement Window Table 5 6 Tuning Characteristics for Various Sources VCO Source Carrier Tuning Constant Center Voltage Tuning Input Tuning Freq Hz V Voltage Range V Resistance Calibration V Q Method Agilent 8662 3A EFC Vo 5 9 0 10 6 FM Deviation 0 10 1 K 8662 Compute 600 8663 Compute Agilent 8642A B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Agilent 8644B FM Deviation 0 10 600 Compute Other Signal Generator DCFM Calibrated for FM Deviation 0 10 Rin Compute 1V Other User VCO Source Estimated withina 10 to 1E 6 factor of 2 10 Measure 5 30 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Selecting a 1 From the Define menu choose Measurement then choose the Block Diagram tab from the Define Measurement window See Reference Source Figure 5 25 2 From the Reference Source pull down list select Agilent 8644 Confidence
286. quires little additional equipment only a voltmeter or an oscilloscope Fastest method of calibration If the same power levels are always at the AM detector as in the case of leveled outputs the AM detector sensitivity will always be essentially the same Measures the AM detector gain in the actual measurement configuration Super quick method of estimating the equivalent phase detector constant Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 11 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 1 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Disadvantages Has only moderate accuracy compared to the other calibration methods Procedure 1 Using Figure 12 9 and Figure 12 10 connect circuit and tighten all connections If the Agilent 70420A Option 001 or Agilent 70427A is available use one of the connection diagrams described in Noise Measurement Block Diagrams on page 12 3 2 Measure the power which will be applied to the AM detector It must be between 0 and 23 dBm HP 70420A 1 DUT AM Detector M H Noise Input 5500 5500921 Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 9 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant AM Noise Measurement Setup Method 1 Example 2 HP 70420A DUT AM Detector z gt Diode Voltage Monitor Outpur HP E5500 5500924 DVM Rev 1 12 10 97 Oscilloscope
287. r Figure 7 19 Connect Diagram for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement 4 Refer to the following system connect diagram examples in Chapter 18 Connect Diagrams of this document for more information about system interconnections That chapter also contains additional examples Figure 18 1 E5501A Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 3 Figure 18 14 E5501B Standard Connect Diagram on page 18 16 Figure 18 6 E5502A Opt 001 Connect Diagram on page 18 8 Figure 18 22 E5503B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 24 Figure 18 13 E5504A Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 15 Figure 18 25 E5504B Opt 201 Connect Diagram on page 18 27 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 27 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Checking the Beatnote While the connect diagram is still displayed recommend that you use an oscilloscope connected to the Monitor port on the Agilent 70420 a counter to check beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the capture range of the system The phase lock loop PLL capture range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning r
288. r Calibration Table 11 2 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Dec 17 1997 14 52 45 HP 70420A PHASE SHIFTER POWER SPLITTER DELAY LINE hardware Control Panels EFT Analyzer Swept Analyzer Test Se
289. r Hertz 4 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Phase Noise Basics 4 What is Phase Noise f f f graphd edr Figure 4 3 Deriving L f from a RF Analyzer Display L f is usually presented logarithmically as a spectral density plot of the phase modulation sidebands in the frequency domain expressed in dB relative to the carrier per Hz dBc Hz as shown in Figure 4 4 This chapter except where noted otherwise will use the logarithmic form of L f as follows S Af f 2f Lif f Single Sideband Phasenoise to Carrier Ratio dBc Hz Offset from Carrier f graphe cdr Figure 4 4 L f Described Logarithmically as a Function of Offset Frequency Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 4 5 4 Phase Noise Basics What is Phase Noise Caution must be exercised when L f is calculated from the spectral density of the phase fluctuations S eU because the calculation of L f is dependent on the small angle criterion Figure 4 5 the measured phase noise of a free running VCO described in units of L f illustrates the erroneous results that can occur if the instantaneous phase modulation exceeds a small angle line Approaching the carrier L f obviously increases in error as it indicates a relative level of 45 dBc Hz at a 1 Hz offset 45 dB more noise power at a 1 Hz offset in a 1 Hz bandwidth than in the total power of the si
290. ral Guidelines Also the AM detector should be connected directly to the test system if possible to minimize ground loops If the AM detector and test system must be separated semi rigid cable should be used to keep the shield resistance to a minimum Although AM noise measurements are less vulnerable than residual phase noise measurements to noise induced by vibration and temperature fluctuation care should be taken to ensure that all connections are tight and that all cables are electrically sound The output voltage monitor on the AM detector must be disconnected from digital voltmeters or other noisy monitoring equipment before noise measurement data is taken The noise floor of the detector may degrade as power increases above 15 dBm Noise in the 1 region of the detector is best measured with about 10 dBm of drive level The noise floor 15 best measured with about 20 dBm of drive level An amplifier must be used in cases where the signal level out of the DUT is too small to drive the AM detector or is inadequate to produce a low enough measurement noise floor In this case the amplifier should have the following characteristics It should have the lowest possible noise figure and the greatest possible dynamic range The signal level must be kept as high as possible at all points in the test setup to avoid noise floor degradation It should have only enough gain to get the required signal levels Excess gain leads to amplifiers o
291. re Power into Amplifier 3dB AMPLIFIER PIN 7 dBm NOISE FIGURE 7 5 dB L f 174 dBm 7 5 dB 7 dBm 3 dB L f 176 5dBe Hz Figure 6 10 Measurement Noise Floor as a Result of an added Attenuator 6 20 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line Determining the Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth If the average noise level on the input signals exceeds approximately 0 1 radians RMS integrated outside of the Phase Lock Loop PLL bandwidth it can prevent the system from attaining phase lock The following procedure allows you to evaluate the beatnote created between the two sources being measured The intent is to verify that the PLL bandwidth is adequate to prevent the noise on the two sources from causing the system to lose lock If the computer is displaying the hardware Connect Diagram you are ready to begin this procedure If it is not begin a New Measurement and proceed until the hardware Connect Diagram appears on the display 1 Determine the Peak Tuning Range PTR of your VCO by multiplying the VCO Tuning Constant by the Tune Range of VCO value entered If the phase noise software has measured the VCO Tuning Constant use the measured value PTR VCO Tuning Constant X Voltage Tuning For Example PTR 1002 x10v 1 kHz 2
292. re License Key PC MXI Card 70420A OPT 201 TEST SET GPIB 2522 NUT SIGNAL NOISE 0 01 Hz 100 MHz STATUS a REF INPUT 50 kHz 1600MHz 12 26 5GHz soa dV PK sy Hz 1600 MHz PHASE DET OUTPUTI RF ANALYZER MONITOR uW SIGNAL 12 26 5 GHz TUNE VOLTAGE our oF fock 100 0 1 25 LPS DUT RF Output Reference Source RF E1420B or Spectrum Analyzer Oscilloscope Figure 18 10E5503A Opt 201 Connect Diagram 18 12 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A ammmmmmmmum REFERENCE SIGNAL GENERATOR Optional SPECTRUM ANALYZER Optional C2 8 n00000 m 70422A Downconverter 70422A DOWNCONVERTER VOLTAGE CONTROL 100 0 128 LPS Downconverted Output to Test Set Signal Input Signal Input to be Downconverted DC out Tune Voltage 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connect Diagrams 18 E5504A Standard Phase Noise System OSCILLOSCOPE Optional NOTE Indicates Optional Cable VXI MAINFRAME 0000000 E1430A FFT ANALYZER N E1441A ARB Optional FREQUENCY COUNTER Optional E1420B Counter Optional 1 VXI MXI Bus 0000000000 GO O i MXI CABLE
293. re 11 25Select Meter from the View Menu 2 From Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 11 26 Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edi View Define Analyze System Help 264 Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 11 26Selecting a New Measurement 3 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 4 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears confirm your connections as shown in Figure 11 27 The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics 11 28 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Table 11 5 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A
294. re close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the capture range of the system Beatnote The phase lock loop PLL capture range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 45 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM COL LLLA TT NY Lae Ee 1V
295. re constant group delay than the Digitized FM 125 Wide FM Deviation Agilent 8643A only Mode 1 operation can be selected using this special function which allows you to turn on wide FM deviation The Agilent 8643 defaults to Mode 2 operation Wide FM deviation provides the maximum FM deviation and minimum RF output switching time In this mode the maximum deviation is increased by a factor of 10 to 10 MHz fora 1 GHz carrier The noise level of the generator is also increased in this mode however 17 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits Table 17 4 Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits Note Special Function 120 must be enabled for DCFM Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits 1 Minimum Recommended Peak Tune Range PTR FM Deviation x VTR Model Option Band Minimum BandMaximum Mode3 Mode 2 Mode 1 Number MHz MHz 8644B 002 1030 2060 200000 2000000 20000000 8644B 002 515 1029 99999999 100000 1000000 10000000 8644B Standard 515 1030 100000 1000000 10000000 8644B Both 257 5 514 99999999 50000 500000 5000000 8644B Both 128 75 257 49999999 25000 250000 2500000 8644B Both 64 375 128 74999999 12500 125000 1250000 8644B Both 32 1875 64 37499999 6250 62500 625000 8644B Both 16 09375 32 18749999 3120 31200 312000 8644B Both 8 046875 16 09374999 1560 15600 156000 8644B Both 4 0234375 8 04687499 781 7810 78100 8644B
296. re in this section will provide you with an opportunity to estimate the measurement noise floor that your UUT will provide 7 6 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator Ref Input Level 15 dBm 15 O1 Input Signal Level dBm on A 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of System dBc Hz f gt 10kHz Figure 7 5 Noise Floor for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 7 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator R Port Signal Level dBm L Port Level 1698 Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz Cc f 1OkHz Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 4 x re o v Confidence Test using HP 86634 Int vs Ext 10 MHz _ 27 Jal 1997 171848 102055 HP E500 Hs 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL DE Figure 7 6 Noise Floor Calculation Example 7 8 If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the test set Refer to Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absol
297. re that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display See Figure 5 20 If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source before proceeding LL LLL LL ALY PEN Ji hi AHHA CO 1V div Figure 5 20 Oscilloscope Display of a Beatnote out of the Agilent 70420A Monitor Port 5 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Making the Measurement Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Click the Continue button when you have completed the beatnote check and are ready to make the measurement When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression in the lower right of the dialog box See Figure 5 21 Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors 2 Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 K 10K 100K View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 89 48E 3
298. re to give the noise of each of the individual UUT s See Figure 8 4 SOURCE PHASE DETECTOR BASE BAND ANALYSIS POWER SPLITTER Figure 8 4 Measurement Setup for Two Similar UUTs Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 5 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibrating the Measurement Calibrating the Measurement In the Agilent E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System residual phase noise measurements are made by selecting Residual Phase Noise without using a phase locked loop There are five calibration methods available for use when making residual phase noise measurements They are User Entry of Phase Detector Constant Measured DC Peak Beatnote Double Sided M Spur Single Sided Spur The method used will mainly be determined by the sources and equipment available to you When calibrating the system for measurements remember that the calibration is only as accurate as the data input to the system software See Figure 8 5 SOURCE R PHASE DETECTOR Figure 8 5 General Equipment Setup for Making Residual Phase Noise Measurements 8 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibrating the Measurement Calibration and The following general guidelines should be considered when setting Measurement Guidelines 1 up and making
299. red curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results 5 40 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Figure 5 33 shows a typical phase noise curve for a RF Synthesizer Conf_8644B_10MHz pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 ui o BI Confidence Test using HP 8644 Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP 5500 Canier 10 01E 6 Hz 251011997 15 18 53 152104 100 IK 10K 100K L f dBe Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 LOCAL Figure 5 33 Typical Phase Noise Curve for an Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 41 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 IMHz Table 5 8 Parameter Data for the Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop 10 Hz Stop Frequency 2E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency e 10E 6Hz Power 7 dBm Carrier Source Output is connected
300. rement Fundamentals 6 Changing the PTR The peak tuning range PTR for the phase lock loop measurement is set by the tune range entered for the VCO and the VCO s tuning constant If the calibration technique is set to measure the VCO tuning constant the measured value will be used to determine the system s PTR PTR VCO Tuning Constant X Voltage Tuning Range From the PTR the phase noise software derives the capture and drift tracking Ranges for the measurement These ranges set the frequency stability requirements for the sources being used The PTR also determines the phase lock loop PLL bandwidth for the measurement An important attribute of the PLL bandwidth is that it suppresses the close in noise which would otherwise prevent the system from locking the loop Total Peak to Peak Tuning Range of VCO System Peak Tuning Range PTR i Drift Tracking Range 1 24 PTR ss Initial Tuning Accuracy Capture Range mequiredis 5 of PTR 506 PTH equired is o i j a ou E Log 1 pod VCO Source Center Frequency Changing the PTR is accomplished by changing the tune range of VCO value or the VCO tuning constant value or both There are several ways this can be done However when considering these or any other options for changing the PTR it is important to remember that the VCO source must always meet the following tuning qualifications The tuning response of the VCO source must always re
301. ression Information 16 8 PLL Gain Change 16 13 Maximum Error 16 13 Accuracy Degradation 16 13 Supporting an Embedded VXI PC 16 13 Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph 16 14 Security Level Procedure 16 14 17 Reference Graphs and Tables Approximate System Phase Noise Floor vs R Port Signal Level 17 3 Phase Noise Floor and Region of Validity 17 4 Contents 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Phase Noise Level of Various Agilent Sources 17 5 Increase in Measured Noise as Ref Source Approaches UUT Noise 17 6 Approximate Sensitivity of Delay Line Discriminator 17 7 AM Calibration 17 8 Voltage Controlled Source Tuning Requirements 17 9 Tune Range of VCO vs Center Voltage 17 10 Peak Tuning Range Required Due to Noise Level 17 11 Phase Lock Loop Bandwidth vs Peak Tuning Range 17 12 Noise Floor Limits Due to Peak Tuning 17 13 Tuning Characteristics of Various VCO Source Options 17 14 Agilent 8643A Frequency Limits 17 15 Agilent 8643A Mode Keys 17 15 How to Access Special Functions 17 16 Description of Special Functions 120 and 125 17 16 Agilent 8644B Frequency Limits 17 17 Agilent 8644B Mode Keys 17 17 How to Access Special Functions 17 18 Description of Special Function 120 17 18 Agilent 8664A Frequency Limits 17 19 Agilent 8664A Mode Keys 17 19 How to Access Special Functions 17 20 Description of Special Functions 120 17 20
302. retical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Figure 7 22 shows a typical phase noise curve for a free running RF Oscillator Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 31 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator FreeRF pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 awe 4 Free Running RF Oscillator vs 8644 HP E5500 Camier 10 044 9 Hz 24 Jul 1997 15 52 51 15 55 03 1K 100K L f dBe Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1 Figure 7 22 Typical Phase Noise Curve for a Free Running RF Oscillator 7 32 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator Table 7 8 Parameter Data for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Start Frequency 10 Hz Stop Frequency e 4E 6Hz Minimum Number of Averages 4 FFT Quality Fast 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency 10
303. riminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 31 4 Remove the modulation from the carrier and connect your DUT HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 32 5 The system can now run the measurement at the appropriate point re establish quadrature and continue the measurement HP E5500 Measurement Pause Point Figure 11 33 The segment data will be displayed on the computer screen as the data is taken until all segments have been taken over the entire range you specified in the Measurement definition s Type and Range Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 33 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration When the Measurement is Complete When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results If the test system has problems completing the measurement it will inform you by placing a message on the computer display Figure 11 34 shows a typical absolute measurement using FM discrimination HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 4 5 xe o S Discrim 50 ns dly 1 027GHz 19 dBm out VCO R a
304. rm the following steps to determine the minimum delay line length Possible to provide an adequate noise to measure source Determine the delay necessary to provide a discriminator noise floor that is below the expected noise level of the DUT Figure 11 1 shows the noise floor of the discriminator for given delay times 2 Determine the length of coax required to provide the necessary delay Eight feet of BNC cable will provide 12 ns of delay for this example 3 Determine the loss in the delay line Verify that the signal source will be able to provide a power level at the output of the delay line of between 5 and 17 ICBM Be sure to take into account an additional 4 to 6 dB of loss in the power splitter The loss across 8 feet of BNC cable specified in this example is negligible The Agilent 704204 test set Signal and Reference inputs requires 15 ICBM 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M f dBe Hz vs f Hz Figure 11 1 Discriminator Noise Floor as a Function of Delay Time 114 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 diytim Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Defining the Measurement Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration From the File menu choose Open If necessary
305. rminate data entries that do not require specific units kHz mV for example Example Special 1 2 0 ON Enter SIGNAL GENERATOR ENTER SPECIAL ON OFF MODE 1 MODE 2 MODE 3 sigen65 cdr 120 FM Synthesis This special function allows you to have the instrument synthesize the FM signal in a digitized or linear manner Digitized FM is best for signal tone modulation and provides very accurate center frequency at low deviation rates Linear FM is best for multi tone modulation and provides a more constant group delay than the Digitized FM 124 FM Equalizer This special function allows you to turn off FM Delay Equalizer circuitry When ON The preset condition 30 usec of group delay is added to the FM modulated signal to get better FM frequency response You may want to turn OFF the FM Delay Equalizer circuitry when the signal generator is used as the VCO in a phase locked loop application to reduce phase shift of when you want to extend the FM bandwidth to 200 kHz When OFF FM Indicator Accuracy is worse for rates of 1 5 kHz and better beyond 30 kHz Refer to the Agilent 8643 8644 User s Guide for specific details 17 24 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 18 Connect Diagrams E5501A Standard Connect Diagram page 18 3 E5501A Opt 001 Connect Diagram page 18 4 E5501A Opt 201 430 440 Connect Diagram page 18 5
306. rticles from the connector threads and other signs of wear such as discoloration or roughness Visible wear can affect measurement accuracy and repeatability Discard or repair any device with a damaged connector A bad connector can ruin a good connector on the first mating A magnifying glass or jeweler s loupe is useful during inspection SMA Connector CAUTION Use caution when mating SMA connectors to any precision 2 4 Precautions mm or 3 5 mm RF connector SMA connectors are not precision devices and are often out of mechanical tolerances even when new An out of tolerance SMA connector can ruin a 2 4 mm or 3 5 mm connector on the first mating If in doubt gauge the SMA connector before connecting it The SMA center conductor must never extend beyond the mating plane Cleaning Procedure 1 Blow particulate matter from connectors using an environmentally safe aerosol such as Ultrajet This product is recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and contains chlorodifluoromethane You can order this aerosol from Agilent Technologies see Table 20 2 2 Usean alcohol wipe to wipe connector surfaces Wet a small swab with alcohol from the alcohol wipe and clean the connector with the swab 20 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Connector Care and Preventive Maintenance 20 Using Inspecting and Cleaning RF Connectors 3 Allow the alcohol to evaporate off the
307. s is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system b Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc d Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 47 7 7 7 48 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Figure 7 33 shows a typical phase noise curve for a RF synthesizer using DCFM 2 RFSynth DCFM pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Gi x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oea SIR A Bl RF Synthesizer vs HP 86634 E5500 Carrier 500 6 Hz 24 Jal 1997 14 46 52 14 49 03 10 L f dBc Hz vs f Hz For Help press F1
308. s selected all frequency information is blanked on the phase noise graph See Figure 16 13 through Figure 16 15 HP E5500 Measurement Security Level 2 x WARNING Security may only be increased in a measurement Once frequencies or amplitudes are secured they cannot be viewed again IF you enable security you will not be able to view frequency or amplitude information for that measurement again NOTE To permanently secure a measurement you must save the measurement in a file after you have increased the security level Unsecured all data viewable 2 equencies cannot be viewed C Secured Frequencies and Amplitudes cannot be viewed ox Figure 16 13Choosing Levels of Security R_Security pnm HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 264 4 xe e RF Synthesizer vs HP 86624 using DCFM 5500 Camir 0774 1998 11 32 39 11 34 12 Connected to server LOCAL Figure 16 14Secured Frequencies Cannot be Found 1 16 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Features 16 Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph RF Synthesizer vs HP 8662A using Measurement time 07 Jan 1998 11 32 39 11 34 12 Measurement type Absolute phase Start offset frequency
309. s viewable is selected all frequency and amplitude information is displayed on the phase noise graph See Figure 16 11 and Figure 16 12 HP 5500 Measurement Security Level x WARNING Security may only be increased in a measurement frequencies or amplitudes are secured they cannot be viewed again If you enable security you will not be able to view frequency or amplitude information for that measurement again NOTE To permanently secure a measurement you must save the measurement in a file after you have increased the security level Unsecured al data venis Secured Frequencies cannot be viewed C Secured Frequencies and Amplitudes cannot be viewed Figure 16 11Choosing Levels of Security R_Security pnm HP E5500 Phase Hoise Measurement Subsystem File Edit view Define Measure Analyze System Help Dae 24 4 95 v RF Synthesizer vs HP 86624 using DCFM 07 Jam 1998 11 32 39 11 34 12 HP E5500 Carrier 600E 6 170 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M L f dBc Hz vs f Hz a Connected to server LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 16 12Unsecured Data is Viewable Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 15 16 Advanced Software Features Blanking Frequency and Amplitude Information on the Phase Noise Graph Secured Frequencies Cannot be Viewed When Secured Frequencies cannot be viewed i
310. scriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 6 Choose the Sources tab from the Define Measurement window a Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT 5 MHz to 1 6 Gaze Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency See Figure 11 4 HP E5500 x and Range Source Block Diagram Test Se Downconverter Graph Frequency 1 027E 9 Hz Detector Input re Figure 11 4 Enter Frequencies in Source Tab 7 Choose the Cal tab from the Define Measurement window a Select Derive constant from double sided spur as the calibration method Take a modulated calibration source and feed the output into a spectrum analyzer Measure the 1st modulation sideband frequency and power relative to the carrier s frequency and power Enter the parameters into the following step b Set the Know Spur Parameters Offset Frequency and Amplitude for the spur you plan to use for calibration purposes This calibration method requires that you enter the offset and amplitude for a known spur See Figure 11 5 Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 7 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration HP E5500 Figure 11 5 Enter Parameters into the Call Tab e e e e 11 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Ver
311. se The Noise Mechanisms Residual or two port noise is the noise added to a signal when the signal is processed by a two port device Such devices include amplifiers dividers filters mixers multipliers phase locked loop synthesizers or any other two port electronic networks Residual noise is composed of both AM and FM components Residual noise is the sum of two basic noise mechanisms Additive noise Additive noise is the noise generated by the two port device at or near the signal frequency which adds in a linear fashion to the signal See Figure 8 1 UNIT UNDER TEST SOURCE C T En RF NOISE ADDED TO THE SIGNAL NOISELESS SOURCE mI R F NOISE AROUND THE SIGNAL FREQUENCY Figure 8 1 Additive Noise Components Multiplicative Noise This noise has two known causes The first is an intrinsic direct phase modulation with a 1 f spectral density and the exact origin of this noise component is unknown The second in the case of amplifiers or multipliers is noise which may modulate an RF signal by the multiplication of baseband noise with the signal This mixing is due to any non linearities in the two port network The baseband noise may be produced by the active device s of the internal network or may come from low frequency noise on the signal or power supply See Figure 8 2 8 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals
312. se in noise that normally would cause an out of lock condition and stop the measurement When Ignore Out Of Lock is selected the user is responsible for monitoring phase lock This can be accomplished using an oscilloscope connected to the Agilent 70420A Aux Monitor port to verify the absence of a beatnote and monitor the dc output level When Ignore Out Of Lock is selected the test system does not verify the phase lock of the measurement The user must ensure that the measurement maintains phase lock during the measurement 16 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Advanced Software Features 16 PLL Suppression Verification Process PLL Suppression Verification Process When Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression is selected itis recommended that Always Show Suppression Graph also be selected Verifying phase locked loop suppression is a function which is very useful in detecting errors in the phase detector constant or tune constant the tune constant linearity limited VCO tune port bandwidth conditions and injection locking conditions If the DUT is well behaved injection locking issues do not exist or have been eliminated and the reference source is well behaved well known tuning characteristics or a system controlled RF signal generator then the need to select PLL suppression verification is minimal To verify PLL suppression a stimulus source is required for
313. se system from Agilent Technologies skip this step and proceed to Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHZ on page 5 11 4 Using Figure 5 2 as a guide navigate to Asset Manager HP E5500 Phase Hoise System Confidence Test HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze Disuj sie 4 AA AAAS AA PER E AE AE EA R E EE RE ETTET REET OTTER a Tm 10 100 1K 10K 100K 1M 10M 100M Swf dBV Hz vs f Hz LOCAL IDLE 2 Launch Asset Manager Figure 5 2 Navigate to Asset Manager Configuring a Source For this example we invoke the Asset Manager Wizard from within the Asset Manager This is the most common way to add assets 5 Using as a navigational guide select Add in the Asset Manager window Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 3 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Using the Asset Manager to Add a Source Asset Manager Phase Shifter Source Swept Analyzer Test Set HP 70420 Time Base Figure 5 3 Navigate to Add in the Asset Manager 6 From the Asset Type pull down list in Choose Asset Role dialog box Figure 5 4 select Source then click the Next button Choose Asset Role Figure 5 4 Select Source as Asset Type 7 C
314. sion A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 gt FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 8 Choose the Block Diagram tab from the Define Measurement window a Fromthe Reference Source pull down select Manual a From the Phase Detector pull down select Automatic Detector Selection See Figure 11 6 Lx Test Set Downconverter Graph 0 Automatic Detector Selection Figure 11 6 Select Parameters in the Block Diagram Tab 9 Choose the Graph tab from the Define Measurement window Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 9 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration 10 Enter a graph description of your choice See Figure 11 7 HP E5500 x Type and Range Source Cal Block Diagram Test Se Downconverter Graph Absolute phase noise using an FM discriminator Title FM Discrim 50 ns dly 1 027GHz 19 dBm out VCO DSS Graph Type ingle sideband phase noise dBc Hz X Scale ps 10 Hz Maximum 100E 6 Hz Scale Graph To Data Y Scale for Single Sideband Phase Noise Maximum 10 dBc 7 Hz Minimum 90 dBc 7 Hz Normalize trace data to 1 Hz bandwidth Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of ho limes the current carrier frequency Shift trace databy D Trac
315. sis This special function allows you to have the instrument synthesize the FM signal in a digitized or linear manner Digitized FM is best for signal tone modulation and provides very accurate center frequency at low deviation rates Linear FM is best for multi tone modulation and provides a more constant group delay than the Digitized FM 17 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits Table 17 8 Agilent 8665A Frequency Limits Note Special Function 120 must be enabled for DCFM 1 Minimum Recommended Peak Tune Range PTR Deviation x VTR Model Option Band Minimum Band Maximum Mode 3 Mode 2 Number MHz MHz 8665A 4120 4200 800000 20000000 8665A 3000 4119 99999999 400000 20000000 8665A 2060 2999 99999999 400000 10000000 8665A 1500 2059 99999999 200000 10000000 8665A 1030 1499 99999999 200000 5000000 8665 750 1029 99999999 100000 5000000 8665 515 749 99999999 100000 2500000 8665 375 514 99999999 50000 2500000 8665 257 5 374 99999999 50000 1250000 8665 187 5 257 49999999 25000 1250000 8665 30 187 49999999 200000 5000000 8665 5 29 99999999 100000 5000000 8665A 0 05 4 99999999 FM lt MIN Above Carrier freq 9 kHz Takes into account limited tuning resolution available in linear FM Special Function 120 refer to How to Access Special Functions on p
316. sizer using EFC 7 51 Required Equipment 7 51 Defining the Measurement 7 51 Selecting a Reference Source 7 54 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 7 55 Setup Considerations for the RF Synthesizer using EFC Measurement 7 56 Beginning the Measurement 7 58 Checking the Beatnote 7 61 Making the Measurement 7 63 Microwave Source 7 68 Required Equipment 7 68 Defining the Measurement 7 69 Selecting a Reference Source 7 71 Selecting Loop Suppression Verification 7 72 Setup Considerations for the Microwave Source Measurement 7 72 Beginning the Measurement 7 73 Checking the Beatnote 7 76 Making the Measurement 7 79 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Contents 3 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals What is Residual Noise 8 2 The Noise Mechanisms 8 2 Basic Assumptions Regarding Residual Phase Noise Measurements 8 4 Frequency Translation Devices 8 4 Calibrating the Measurement 8 6 Calibration and Measurement Guidelines 8 7 Calibration Options 8 9 User Entry of Phase Detector Constant 8 9 Measured DC Peak Voltage 8 13 Measured Beatnote 8 15 Procedure 8 16 Synthesized Residual Measurement using Beatnote Cal 8 18 Procedure 8 18 Double Sided Spur 8 19 Single Sided Spur 8 22 Measurement Difficulties 8 26 System Connections 8 26 9 Residual Measurement Examples Amplifier Measurement Example 9 2 Required Equipment 9 2 Defining the Measurement 9 3 Setup Consideratio
317. solute Measurement Examples Free Running RF Oscillator Ref Input Level 15 dBm O1 5 Input Signal Level dBm on 15 140 150 160 170 180 Expected Phase Noise Floor of System dBc Hz f gt 10kHz Figure 7 16 Noise Floor for the Free Running RF Oscillator Measurement L Port Level 15dBm RN 175 dBc Hz 140 150 150 170 180 Ce Expected Phase Noise Floor of Phase Detector and LNA dBc Hz f d0kHz 4 1 R Port Signal Level dBm Externally loaded file HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help soj 4 ene Confidence Test using HP 8663A Int vs Ext 10 MHz HP E5500 No Spurs 27 Fal 1997 17 18 44 17 20 55 10 100 1K 10K 100K IM 10M Lif dBc Hz vs f Hz LOCAL Figure 7 17 Noise Floor Calculation Example 7 24 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Free Running RF Oscillator If the output amplitude of your UUT is not sufficient to provide an adequate measurement noise floor it will be necessary to insert a low noise amplifier between the UUT and the test set Refer to Inserting an Device in Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect the amplifiers noise will have on the measured noise floor VCO Reference In order
318. sponse to match the smoothed measured curve as closely as possible When the measurement is complete refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results for help in evaluating your measurement results Figure 7 54 shows a typical phase noise curve for a microwave source E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Microwave Source MicroSRC pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help uem 24 4 Microwave source 12 GHz vs 8644B 5500 128 9 Hz 241801997 16 1754 162013 1K 10K L f dBc Hz vs f Hz new measurement has been loaded into the server LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 7 54 Typical Phase Noise Curve for an Microwave Source Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 81 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source Table 7 20 Parameter Data for the Microwave Source Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Start Frequency Stop Frequency Minimum Number of Averages FFT Quality 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency Power Carrier Source Output is connected to Detector Input Frequency Reference Source Frequency Reference Source Power VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant Tune R
319. sting the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz 5 The following messages will appear on the display as the system performs the calibration routines You will have time to read through these message descriptions while the system completes the routines Determining Presence of Beat Note An initial check is made to verify that a beatnote is present within the system s detection range Verifying zero beat The frequency of the beatnote is measured to see if it is within 5 of the estimated Peak Tuning Range of the system The system s Peak Tuning Range is the portion of the voltage controlled oscillator VCO source s tuning range being used for the measurement When the system measures the phase noise of a signal source using the Phase Lock Loop technique the technique being used in this example it requires that one of the two sources used in the setup is a VCO As you will see later in this demonstration you will be required to estimate the tuning range of the VCO source you are using when you set up your own Phase Lock Loop measurements Zero beating sources The center frequencies of the sources are now adjusted if necessary to position the beatnote within the 5 range The adjustment is made with the tune voltage applied to the VCO source set at its nominal or center position Measuring the VCO Tuning Constant The tuning sensitivity Hz V of the VCO source is now precisely determined by measuring the beatno
320. stored in this file Table 13 3 lists the parameter data that has been entered for this measurement example E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 3 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 NOTE The amplitude of a source under system control for an AM noise measurement will automatically be set to 10 dBm If any other amplitude is desired the source should be placed under manual control All other measurements set the source to 16 dBm automatically The appropriate measurement definition parameters for this example have been pre stored in this file Table 13 3 lists the parameter data that has been entered for the FM Discriminator measurement example 5 From Define menu choose Measurement then choose the Type and Range tab from the Define Measurement window 6 From the Measurement Type pull down select AM Noise See Figure 13 3 2 1 ghz_8644b 5500 Noise Measurement Subsystem Figure 13 3 Navigate to AM Noise 7 Choose Sources tab from the Define Measurement window 13 4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples 13 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 8 Enter the carrier center frequency of your UUT Enter the same frequency for the detector input frequency See Figure 13 4 Figure 13 4 Enter Freq
321. surement Examples 7 RF Synthesizer using EFC Table 7 15 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz Std 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 001 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Option 201 Maximum Signal Input Power Sum of the reference and signal input power shall not exceed 23 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Signal Input 15 to 23 dBm Reference Input Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Signal Input 7 to 10 dBm Reference Input Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A test set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been correctly set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 59 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using EFC HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 57 47 hardware e Nr SES Control Panels EFT Analyzer WEDUSTIIUZET Test Set Downconverter Base shitter Carrier Source
322. t Downesnverter fase ter Garner Source Beterence Source Residual Source Calibration BENE DENIS Tuning Voltage Center Vols Range 10 Volts mem Figure 11 10Setup Diagram for the FM Discrimination Measurement Example 5 Refer to Figure 11 11 for more information about system interconnections Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 13 11 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration POWER SPLITTER HP 70001 MAINFRAME HP 70420 5 To HP 70420A Rear Panel Noise Source Input COMPUTER Digitizer Output HP E4411A SPECTRUM ANALYZER Digitizer Input resid2 cdr Figure 11 11Connect Diagram Example Making the 1 Press the Continue key when you are ready to make the Measurement measurement Calibrating the Measurement The calibration procedure determines the discriminator constant to use in the transfer response by measuring the system response to a known FM signal Refer to Figure 11 12 through Figure 11 16 NOTE Note that the system must be operating in quadrature during calibration 11 14 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 FM Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration
323. t Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 14 6 Selecting a New Measurement 2 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 14 14 7 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise without using a Test Set Measurement Example Making the 1 When the Connect Diagram appears on the computer s display Measurement click on the Continue button L2 Ix HP E5500 Instrument Connections ect test set and do rter from this list For a more accurate select the co hardware Figure 14 7 Connect Diagram for the Baseband Without Using a Test Set Measurement Figure 14 8 shows a typical phase noise curve for a baseband noise measurement without using a test set Baseband Noise without using a Test Set 89410 HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help 24 4 5 Baseband Noise without using a Test Set 89410 HP E5500 E 29 Dec 1997 EE 100 IK 10K 100K 1M 10M Swf dBV Hz vs f Hz MM new measurement has been loaded into the server LOCAL IDLE 2 Figure 14 8 Typical Phase Noise Curve for a Baseband Without using a Test Set Measurement 14 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Docume
324. t Detector Input Frequency 1 027 E 9 Hz 3 Cal Tab FM Discriminator Constant Derive Constant from Double Sided Spur Current Phase Detector 0225 E 9 Constant Know Spur Parameters Offset Frequency 20 Amplitude 12 dBc Calibration Source Frequency 1 027 E 9 Hz Power 16 dBm 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Manual Phase Shifter Manual DUT in Path checked Phase Detector Automatic Detector Selection Adjust the Quadrature by adjusting the phase shifter 5 Test Set Tab The test set parameters do not apply to this measurement example 11 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 FM Discriminator Measurement using Double Sided Spur Calibration Table 11 3 Parameter Data for the Double Sided Spur Calibration Example Step Parameters Data 6 Dowconverter Tab 7 Graph Tab e Title Graph Type XScale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shift trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example FM Discrim 50 ns dly 1 027GHz 19 dBm out VCO DSS Single sideband Noise dBc Hz 10 Hz 100 E 6 Hz 10 dBc Hz 190 dBc Hz 1 Hz bandwidth 1 times
325. t is located in this chapter VCO Tuning Constant Hz V X Tuning Range V Capture Range Hz 5 Hz V X _ Capture Range Hz 5 Hz NOTE If you are able to locate the beatnote but it distorts and then disappears as you adjust it towards 0 Hz your sources are injection locking to each other Set the beatnote to the lowest frequency possible before injection locking occurs and then refer to Minimizing Injection Locking in the Problem Solving section of this chapter for recommended actions 7 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source NOTE If you are not able to tune the beatnote to within the capture range due to frequency drift refer to Tracking Frequency Drift in the Problem Solving section of this chapter for information about measuring drifting signals Making the 1 Clickthe Continue button when you have completed the beatnote Measurement check and are ready to make the measurement 2 When the PLL Suppression Curve dialog box appears select View Measured Loop Suppression View Smoothed Loop Suppression and View Adjusted Loop Suppression See Figure 7 53 Phase Locked Loop Suppression Calibration Factors Note Calibration Factors displayed below with an unknown value have not been measured yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop S
326. t trace data DOWN by Trace Smoothing Amount Power present at input of DUT 20 MHz Auto checked Auto Gain Minimum Auto Gain 14 dB Not checked The downconverter parameters do not apply to this measurement example Confidence Test using Agilent 8644B Int vs Ext 10 MHz Single sideband Noise dBc Hz 10Hz 6 2 0 dBc Hz 170 dBc Hz Hz bandwidth 1 times the current carrier frequency 0 dB 0 dB The Stop Frequency depends on the analyzers configured in your phase noise system Document No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 43 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Viewing Markers Viewing Markers The marker function allows you to display the exact frequency and amplitude of any point on the results graph To access the marker function On the View menu click Markers See Figure 5 34 File Edit v 89 D v Toolbar Status Bar Meter Clear Graph Refresh Graph Parameter Summary Measurement Definition Spur List PLL Suppression Graph Instrument Connections Message Log Display Preferences v Update Graph when Parameters are Changed Figure 5 34 Navigate to Markers In the dialog box containing Marker buttons up to nine markers may be added To remove the highlighted marker click the Delete button See Figure 5 35 5 44 E5500 Phase Noise Measur
327. t under test by increasing the buffering at its output This can be accomplished by inserting a low noise amplifier and or an attenuator between the output of the source being injection locked and the Agilent 70420A For information on determining the effect that the amplifier noise will have on the measurement noise floor refer to Inserting a Device in this section If the injection locking bandwidth is less or equal to the PLL bandwidth it may be possible to increase the PLL bandwidth sufficiently to complete the measurement The PLL bandwidth is increased by increasing the peak tuning range PTR for the measurement NOTE The PTR for the measurement is set by the tuning characteristics of the VCO source you are using Figure 6 8 shows that increasing the PLL bandwidth can require a substantially larger increase in the PTR For information on the limitations of increasing the PTR refer to Changing the PTR in this section To estimate the PTR needed to prevent injection locking from causing the system to lose lock 1 Determine the injection locking bandwidth Tune the beatnote toward 0 Hz using the procedure described in the Checking the Beatnote section of each phase lock loop measurement example Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 6 17 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Minimizing Injection Locking in this chapter When the injection locking occurs the beatnote will disap
328. table RF Oscillator vs Similar Reference Source E5500 Camier 100 6 Hz 10 Dec 1997 10 45 06 10 45 54 100 IK 10K 100K 1M 10M L dBc Hz vs Hz new measurement has been loaded into the server LOCAL IDLE 2 100 Figure 7 11 Typical Phase Noise Curve for a Stable RF Oscillator Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 7 15 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Stable RF Oscillator 7 4 Parameter Data for the Stable RF Oscillator Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Absolute Phase Noise using a phase locked loop Start Frequency e 1Hz Stop Frequency e 100E 6Hz Averages 4 Quality Normal FFT Analyzer Measurement Use Multiple Time Segments Mode 2 Sources Tab Carrier Source Frequency e 100 E 6 Hz Carrier Source Power 8dBm Carrier Source Output is connected to Test Set Detector Input Frequency 100 E 6 Hz Reference Source Frequency 100 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency Reference Source Power 16 dBm Nominal Tune Constant 40 E 3 Hz V Tune Range 10 Volts Center Voltage 0 Volts Input Resistance 1 6o0hms Maximum Allowed Deviation 1 Volts from Center Voltage 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant Measure Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Calculate VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression Verify calculated phase lock
329. te but it distorts and then disappears as you adjust it towards Hz then your sources are injection locking to each other Set the beatnote to the lowest frequency possible before injection locking occurs and then refer to Minimizing Injection Locking on page 6 17 for recommended actions 3 Press the AVG key and then the RMS key Wait for the trace to return and then press and MKR to Peak 6 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Evaluating Noise Above the Small Angle Line 4 Press REL MKR and MKR REF 5 Press the DEFINE TRACE press the the MATH FUNCTION keys 6 Using the gt key on the RF analyzer offset the marker by the PLL bandwidth Read the offset frequency and noise level indicated at the bottom of the display If the noise level falls below the bottom of the display the marker reading will still be correct To increase the vertical scale press VERT SCALE press DEFINE DB DIV and enter 20 dB 7 Compare the average noise level at the PLL bandwidth offset to the small angle criterion level shown on the graph in Figure 6 12 The average noise level of the signal must remain below the small angle line at all offset frequencies beyond the PLL bandwidth The small angle line applies only to the level of the average noise Spur levels that exceed the small angle line will not degrade measurem
330. te frequency at four tune voltage settings across the tuning range of the VCO source Linearity across the tuning range is also verified Measuring the Phase Detector Constant The transfer characteristics V rad of the test set s phase detector are now determined for the specific center frequency and power level of the sources being measured Measuring PLL suppression The required correction data is created to compensate for the phase noise suppression which occurs within the bandwidth of the phase lock loop created for this measurement Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 37 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz 6 Thecomputer displays the PLL suppression curve and associated measurement values Press Continue using Adjusted Loop Suppression to continue making the noise measurement The measurement can be stopped by pressing the Abort key Sweep Segments When the system begins measuring noise it places the noise graph on its display As you watch the graph you will see the system plot its measurement results in frequency segments The system measures the noise level across its frequency offset range by averaging the noise within smaller frequency segments This technique enables the system to optimize measurement speed while providing you with the measurement resolution needed for most test applications When the me
331. tector Constant 02 Diode Detector Voltage amcal cdr Figure 17 6 17 8 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Voltage Controlled Source Tuning Requirements Voltage Controlled Source Tuning Requirements Peak Tuning Range PTR Tune Range of VCO x VCO Tune Constant Min PTR 1 Hz Max PTR Up to 200 MHz depending on analyzer and phase detector LPF Drift Tracking Range Allowable Drift During Measurement The tuning range that the software actually uses to maintain quadrature is limited to a fraction of the peak tuning range PTR to ensure the tuning slope is well behaved and the VCO Tune Constant remains accurate After phase lock is established the test system monitors the tuning voltage required to maintain lock If the tuning voltage exceeds 5 of the PTR during the measurement the test system again informs the user and requests the oscillator be retuned or the problem be otherwise corrected before proceeding with the measurement These limits have been found to guarantee good results Refer to Figure 17 7 Total Peak to Peak Tuning Range of VCO System Peak Tuning Range PTR 1 Drift Tracking Range 24 PTR t n Initial Tuning Accuracy apture Range is 59 5 Required is X596 of PTR 3 rM 1 VCO Source Center Frequency
332. ter 1 NARDA 30183 11 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Discriminator Measurement Examples 11 Discriminator Measurement using FM Rate and Deviation Calibration Table 11 4 Required Equipment for the FM Discriminator Measurement Example Equipment Quantity Comments Delay Line Delay or length adequate to decorrelate source noise Phase Shifter 1 1 180 phase shifter at lowest carrier frequency tested rminin erform the following steps to determine the minimum delay line Determining the Perf the followi teps to det ine the mini delay li Discriminator length Possible to provide an adequate noise to measure the Delay Line Length Determine the delay necessary to provide a discriminator noise floor that is below the expected noise level of the DUT Figure shows the noise floor of the discriminator for given delay times 2 Determine the length of coax required to provide the necessary delay 1 Eight feet of BNC cable will provide 12 ns of delay for this example 3 Determine the loss in the delay line Verify that the signal source will be able to provide a power level at the output of the delay line of between 5 and 17 ICBM Be sure to take into account an additional 4 to 6 dB of loss in the power splitter The loss across Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 11 21 11 FM Discriminator Measurem
333. th Modulation AM Detector M H Noise Input 5500 e5500d28 cdr Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 17Measuring the Calibration Constant 5 Remove the AM source and reconnect the DUT 6 Measure noise data and interpret the results NOTE The quadrature meter should be at zero volts due to the blocking capacitor at the AM detector s output 12 18 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals 12 Method 3 Single Sided Spur Method 3 Single Sided Spur Advantages Will measure source without modulation capability Calibration is done under actual measurement conditions so all non linearities and harmonics of the AM detector are calibrated out The double sided spur method and the single sided spur method are the two most accurate methods for this reason Disadvantages Requires 2 RF sources which must be between 10 Hz and 40 MHz apart in frequency Requires an RF spectrum analyzer for manual measurement of the signal to spur ratio and spur offset Procedure 1 Connect circuit as shown in Figure 12 18 and tighten all connections If the Agilent 70420A Option 001 or Agilent 70427A is available use one of the connection diagrams described in Noise Measurement Block Diagrams on page 12 3 HP 70420A am H DUT 20 dB AM Detector Coupler ri gt A T M 10 dB Atten
334. the Agilent 70420A or a counter to check the beatnote being created between the reference source and your device under test The objective of checking the beatnote is to ensure that the center frequencies of the two sources are close enough in frequency to create a beatnote that is within the capture range of the system The phase lock loop PLL capture range is 5 of the peak tuning range of the VCO source you are using The peak tuning range for your VCO can be estimated by multiplying the VCO tuning constant by the tune range of VCO Refer to Chapter 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results if you are not familiar with the relationship between the PLL capture range and the peak tuning range of the VCO NOTE Ifthe center frequencies of the sources are not close enough to create a beatnote within the capture range the system will not be able to complete its measurement The beatnote frequency is set by the relative frequency difference between the two sources If you have two very accurate sources set at the same frequency the resulting beatnote will be very close to 0 Hz Searching for the beatnote will require that you adjust the center frequency of one of the sources above and below the frequency of the other source until the beatnote appears on the oscilloscope s display If incrementing the frequency of one of the sources does not produce a beatnote you will need to verify the presence of an output signal from each source befor
335. the FFT analyzer This stimulus signal is connected to the Noise Input port on the rear panel of the Agilent 70420A test set For the E550xB systems the PC digitizer used as the FFT analyzer also provides a companion D A output to be used for this purpose When an Agilent 89410A vector signal analyzer is the system FFT analyzer the Agilent 89410As companion source output is used For the E550xA systems the Agilent E1441A VXI arbitrary source is used as the stimulus signal for the Agilent E1430A VXI digitizer and is connected per Figure 16 2 The sync output from the Agilent E1441A MUST Connect to both the Ext trigger inputs use a BNC T 1441A HP E1430A Digitizer Input Ext Trigger The Sync ouput from the HP E1441A MUST connect to both Ext Trigger inputs Ext Trigger From the HP 70420A Test Set s lt 100 MHz Input Use a T connector Output port 70420A Test Set s Noise Input port Figure 16 2 Using the E1441A as a Stimulus Response for the E1430A Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 7 16 Advanced Software Features PLL Suppression Verification Process PLL Suppression The PLL Suppression View graph has been updated to allow Information measured calculated adjusted and theoretical information to be examined more closely When the Always Show Suppression Graph is selected the following graph Figure 1
336. the Results The Reference Source Itis important that you know the noise and spur characteristics of your reference source when you are making phase noise measurements The noise measurement results provided when using this technique reflect the sum of all contributing noise sources in the system The best way to determine the noise characteristics of the reference source is to measure them If three comparable sources are available the Three Source Comparison technique can be used to determine the absolute noise level of each of the three sources If you are using as your reference source a source for which published specifications exist compare your measurement results against the noise and spur characteristics specified for that source If you have obtained an actual measured noise curve for the reference source you are using you can use it to determine if your measurement results have been increased by the noise of the reference source To do this determine the difference in dB between the level of the results graph and that of the reference source Then use the graph shown in Figure 15 2 to determine if the measurement results need to be decreased to reflect the actual noise level of the UUT TENT TTT TT LTE Pee 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 1811 12 13 14 15 AMOUNT MEASURED LEVEL EXCEEDS REFERENCE LEVEL dB w ta N INCREASE DUE REFERENCE NOISE dB Figure 15 2 Graph Showing H
337. the beatnote frequency must be within the following ranges shown in Table 8 3 Table 8 3 Frequency Ranges Carrier Frequency Beatnote Frequency Range 500 kHz 10 Hz to 10 kHz lt 5 MHz 10 Hz to 100 kHz lt 50 MHz 10 Hz to 1 MHz lt 250 MHz 10 Hz to 10 MHz gt 250 MHz 10 Hz to 50 MHz or 1 2 the frequency range of the configured analyzer or whichever is lower Advantages Simple method of calibration Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 8 15 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Calibration Options Disadvantages It requires two RF sources separated by 1 Hz to 50 MHz at the phase detector The calibration source output power must be manually adjusted to the same level as the power splitter output it replaces requires a power meter Procedure 1 Connect circuit as per Figure 8 11 and tighten all connections HP 70420A ETE Optional Line Stretcher i Power Signal Input i Splitter hase Detector 1 Power Meter or Spectrum Analyzer Ref Input 7 newd3 cdr a Figure 8 11 Measuring Power from Splitter 2 Measure the power level that will be applied to the Signal Input port of the Agilent 70420A s Phase Detector Table 8 4 shows the acceptable amplitude ranges for the Agilent 70420A Phase Detectors Table 8 4 Acceptable Amplitude Ranges for the Phase Detectors Phase Detector 50 kHz to 1 6 GHz 1 2 to 26 5 GHz
338. the offset frequency of interest fm is 1 21 the sin x x term can be ignored and the transfer response can be reduced to AV fm KqAf fm KottaAf fm where x is the discriminator constant The reduced transfer equation implies that a frequency discriminator s system sensitivity can be increased simply by increasing the delay or by increasing the phase detector constant This assumption is not completely correct x is dependent on the signal level provided by the delay line and cannot exceed a device dependent maximum This maximum is achieved when the phase detector is operating in compression Increasing the delay will reduce the signal level out of the delay line often reducing the sensitivity of the phase detector Optimum system sensitivity is obtained in a trade off between delay and attenuation Sensitivity K V LX 10 7 20 Where is the phase detector efficiency Vin is the signal voltage into the delay line LX dB is the sensitivity provided by the delay line and LZ is the attenuation of the delay line Taking the derivative with respect to the length L to find the maximum of this equation results in LZ 8 7 dB of attenuation The optimum sensitivity of a system with the phase detector operating out of results from using a length of coaxial line that has 8 7 dB of attenuation One way to increase the sensitivity of the discriminator when the phase detector is out of compression is to increase t
339. til the input attenuator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 5 3 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 5 1 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 5 1 Required Equipment for the Agilent 8663A 10 MHz Measurement Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8663A 1 Refer to the Selecting a Reference on page 6 9 section of this chapter for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 11 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz Defining the 1 From the File menu in the E5500 User Interface choose Open If Measurement necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 2 Inthe File Name box choose Conf 86634 10MHz pnm See Figure 5 12 L2 x Look in Test Files c E Conf 10MHz pnm Residual pnm Conf 8644B 10MHz pnm RFSynth DCFM pnm f 2 RFSynth_EFC prm Confidence pnm StableRF pnm FreeRF pnm MicroSRC pnm
340. tly configured based on your measurement definition Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 5 17 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics Table 5 3 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Maximum Signal Input Power 30 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 to 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A Test Set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal AM Noise dc coupled to 50 ohm load 5 18 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8663A Internal External 10 MHz HP E5500 Instrument Connections Verify Connections Jul 26 1997 16 57 47 hardware sisi P NT SES Control Panels EFT Analyzer WE
341. to Test Set Detector Input Frequency lt 6 Hz Reference Source 10 E 6 Hz same as Carrier Source Frequency Reference Source Power 16 dBm VCO Tuning Parameters Nominal Tune Constant Hz V Tune Range lt 4 10 Volts Center Poe 0 Volts Input Resistance 00 ohms 3 Cal Tab Phase Detector Constant Measure Phase Detector Constant VCO Tune Constant Calculate from expected VCO Tune Constant Phase Lock Loop Suppression Verify calculated phase locked loop suppression If Limit is exceeded Show Suppression Graph 4 Block Diagram Tab Carrier Source Manual Downconverter None Reference Source Agilent 8644B Timebase None Phase Detector Automatic Detector Selection Test Set Tune Voltage Reference Source Destination DCFM VCO Tune Mode 5 42 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz Table 5 8 Parameter Data for the Agilent 8644B 10 MHz Measurement Step Parameters Data 5 Test Set Tab Input Attenuation e 0dB LNA Low Pass Filter LNA Gain DC Block e PLL Integrator Attenuation 6 Dowconverter Tab 7 Graph Tab Title Graph Type XScale Minimum X Scale Maximum Y Scale Minimum Y Scale Maximum Normalize trace data to a Scale trace data to a new carrier frequency of Shif
342. to spur Ratio of Modulated Signal Calibration 996 aci newd8 cdr 4 Measure the carrier to spur ratio of non modulated side of the phase detector Figure 8 18 It must be at least 20 dB less than the spur ratio of the modulated port This level is necessary to prevent cancellation of the modulation in the phase detector Cancellation would result in a smaller phase detector constant or a measured noise level that is worse than the actual performance The isolation level is set by the port to port isolation of the power splitter and the isolation of the 20 dB Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Residual Measurement Fundamentals 8 Calibration Options coupler This isolation can be improved at the expense of signal level by adding an attenuator between the coupler and the power splitter dBc HP 70420A Optional Line RF Spectrum Stretcher Analyzer Power Splitter Signal Input Phase Source Detector output Coupler input _ Ref Input 10 dB Calibration Attenuator 10 Figure 8 18 Carrier to spur Ratio of Non modulated Signal 5 Connect the phase detector 6 Adjust the phase difference at the phase detector to 90 degrees quadrature either by adjusting the test frequency or by adjusting an optional variable phase shifter or line stretcher Quadrature is achieved when the meter on the front panel of the Agilent 704204 is set to center scale NO
343. tor on permanently installed equipment Terminal for line conductor on permanently installed equipment Standby supply units with this symbol are not completely disconnected from mains when this switch is off To completely disconnect the unit from ac mains either disconnect the power cord or have a qualified electrician install an external switch Instrument markings The mark is a registered trademark of the European Community If it is accompanied by a year it indicates the year the design was proven The CSA mark is a registered trademark of the Canadian Standards Association The C tick mark is a registered trademark of the Spectrum Management Agency of Australia This signifies compliance with the Australian EMC Framework regulations under the terms of the Radio Communications Act of 1992 15 1 This text indicates that the instrument is an Industrial Scientific and Medical Group 1 Class A product CISPER 11 Clause 4 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Service and Support Any adjustment maintenance or repair of this product must be performed by qualified personnel Contact your customer engineer through your local Agilent Technologies Service Center Agilent on the Web You can find information about technical and professional services product support and equipment repair and service on the Web
344. tting Started with the E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Introduction Introduction Table 1 1 guide you to what chapters in this manual pertain to Leaning about the E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Learning about phase noise basics and measurement fundamentals Using the phase noise measurement system to make specific phase noise measurements NOTE Installation information for your system is provided in the E5500A Installation Guide part number E5500 90001 or E5500B Installation Guide part number E5500 90002 NOTE For application assistance contact you local Agilent Technologies sales representative 1 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Training Guidelines Table 1 1 Training Guidelines Getting Started with the 5500 Phase Noise Measurement System 1 Training Guidelines Learning about the E5500 Phase Noise System Learning about Phase Noise Basics and Measurement Fundamentals Using the E5500 to Make Specific Phase Noise Measurements Chapter 2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Chapter 3 Your First Measurement Chapter 4 Phase Noise Basics Chapter 5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals Chapter 7 Absolute Measurement Examples Chapter 8 Residual Measurement Fundamentals Chapter 9 Residual Measurement Examples Chapt
345. tware to measure the new tuning constant or enter the increased deviation if it is known Note that increasing the deviation setting often increases the source s noise level as well 3 Ifyou are using a synthesizer with Electronic Frequency Control EFC capability such as the Agilent 8662A or Agilent 86634 it is possible to increase the tuning range of these sources using a VCO as an external time base When a compatible VCO source is connected to the EXT INPUT on the Agilent 8662 3 the tuning capability of the VCO source is transferred to the synthesizer 6 16 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals 6 Minimizing Injection Locking Minimizing Injection Locking Adding Isolation Increasing the PLL Bandwidth Injection locking occurs when a signal feeds back into an oscillator through its output path This can cause the oscillator to become locked to the injected signal rather than to the reference signal for the phase locked loop Injection locking is possible whenever the buffering at the output of an oscillator is not sufficient to prevent a signal from entering If the injection locking occurs at an offset frequency that is not well within the PLL bandwidth set for the measurement it can cause the system to lose phase lock The best way to prevent injection locking is to isolate the output of the source being injection locked typically the uni
346. uator HP E5500 e5500d29 cdr Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 18AM Noise Measurement Setup Using Single Sided Spur 2 Measure the power which will be applied to the AM detector It Document Part No Eb500 90024Ed 1 0 must be between 0 and 23 dBm E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 12 19 12 Noise Measurement Fundamentals Method 3 Single Sided Spur 3 Measure the carrier to single sided spur ratio and the spur offset at the input to the AM detector with an RF spectrum analyzer See Figure 12 19 The spur should be adjusted such that it is between 30 and 60 dBc with a carrier offset of 10 Hz to 20 MHz 20 dB DUT COUPLER RF SPECTRUM ANALYZER CALIBRATION SOURCE Figure 12 19Measuring Relative Spur Level 4 Reconnect the AM detector and measure the detector sensitivity See Figure 12 20 HP 70420A DUT 20 dB AM Detector Coupler m Ozn L Noise Input 10 dB Calibration HP E5 Source Attenuator Eum Rev 1 12 10 97 Figure 12 20Measuring Detector Sensitivity 5 Turn off the spur source output 6 Measure noise data and interpret the results NOTE The quadrature meter should be at zero volts due to the blocking capacitor at the AM detector s output 12 20 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 13 Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 page 13 2 Document Part No
347. uator has been correctly set for the desired configuration as shown in Table 7 11 Apply the input signal when the connection diagram appears Table 7 9 shows equipment required for this example in addition to the phase noise test system and your unit under test UUT NOTE To ensure accurate measurements you should allow the UUT and measurement equipment to warm up at least one hour before making the noise measurement Table 7 9 Required Equipment for the RF Synthesizer using Measurement Equipment Quantity Comments Agilent 8663A 1 Must have DCFM Input Port Refer to the Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals for more information about reference source requirements Coax Cables And adequate adapters to connect the UUT and reference source to the test set Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 35 7 Absolute Measurement Examples RF Synthesizer using DCFM Defining the 1 From the File menu choose Open Measurement 2 If necessary choose the drive or directory where the file you want is stored 3 Inthe File Name box choose RFSynth DCFM pnm See Figure 7 23 Look in Test Files amp ek E p Confidence pnm FreeRF pnm MicroSRC pnm StableRF pnm E Residual pnm EAERFSynth DCFM pnm RFSynth_EFC pnm File name Rrs ynth_DCFM pnm Files of type HP E5500 Measurement Files pnm I Cancel Figur
348. uencies in Source Tab 9 Choose the Cal tab from the Define Measurement window 10 Select Use automatic internal self calibration as the calibration method See Figure 13 5 For more information about various calibration techniques refer to Chapter 12 AM Noise Measurement Fundamentals Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 5 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 mm OVEN derm Figure 13 5 Enter Parameters into the Cal Tab 11 Choose the Block Diagram tab from the Define Measurement window 12 From the Phase Detector pull down select AM Detector See Figure 13 6 rw ce e e 13 6 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 AM Noise Measurement Examples 13 AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 Test Set AM Detector rll ope Figure 13 6 Select Parameters in the Block Diagram Tab 13 Choose the Graph tab from the Define Measurement window 14 Enter a graph description of your choice See Figure 13 7 Figure 13 7 Select Graph Description on Graph Tab Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 13 7 13 AM Noise Measurement Examples AM Noise using an Agilent 70420A Option 001 15 When you have completed these operations cl
349. uency at low deviation rates Linear FM is best for multi tone modulation and provides a more constant group delay than the Digitized FM The preset condition is FM Digitized 124 FM Equalizer This special function allows you to turn off FM Delay Equalizer circuitry When ON The preset condition 30 usec of group delay is added to the FM modulated signal to get better FM frequency response You may want to turn OFF the FM Delay Equalizer circuitry when the signal generator is used as the VCO in a phase locked loop application to reduce phase shift of when you want to extend the FM bandwidth to 200 kHz When OFF FM Indicator Accuracy is worse for rates of 1 5 kHz and better beyond 30 kHz Refer to the Agilent 8643 8644 User s Guide for specific details 17 22 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Reference Graphs and Tables 17 Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits Table 17 10 Agilent 8665B Frequency Limits Note Special Function 120 must be enabled for DCFM 1 Minimum Recommended Peak Tune Range PTR Deviation x VTR Model Option Band Minimum Band Maximum gt Mode 3 Mode 2 Number MHz MHz 8665B 4120 6000 800000 20000000 8665B 3000 4119 99999999 400000 20000000 8665B 2060 2999 99999999 400000 10000000 8665B 1500 2059 99999999 200000 10000000 8665B 1030 1499 99999999 200000 5000000 8665B 750 1029 99999999 10000
350. uppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB 27 Closed PLL BW 2 8823 3 Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 89 48E 3Hz 8 589 dB View Theoretical Loop SURES Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant S 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 7 53 Selecting Suppressions Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 7 79 7 7 80 Absolute Measurement Examples Microwave Source There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system Smoothed measured suppression curve this is a curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain etc Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical re
351. ur Note that the effective noise floor for detecting spurs is above the plotted 1 Hz bandwidth noise by the bandwidth correction factor Table 15 3 Spurs on the Graph Offset Frequency Number of Upward Change Averages for Marking Spurs dB lt 4 30 24 17 100 kHz 28 12 230 6 2100 kHz Any 4 To List the Marked Spurs A list of spurs can be displayed by accessing the Spurs List function in the View menu Forest of Spurs A so called forest of spurs is a group of closely spaced spurs on the phase noise plot A forest of spurs is often caused by improper shielding that allows stray RF energy to be picked up by the unit under test wiring etc A breadboarded or prototype circuit should be well shielded from external RF fields when phase noise measurements are being made Table 15 4 shows actions to take to eliminate spurs Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 15 15 15 Evaluating Your Measurement Results Problem Solving Table 15 4 Actions to Eliminate Spurs Spur Sources Description Recommended Action Internal External Electrical Mechanical Potential spur sources within the measurement system include the phase noise system the unit under test and the reference source Typical system spurs are 120 dBc and they occur at the power line and system vibration frequencies in the range of from 25 Hz to 1 kHz and above 10 MHz Spur sources
352. ures 16 Phase Lock Loop Suppression Detector Constant This is the phase Detector Constant sensitivity of the phase detector used for the measurement The accuracy of the Phase Detector Constant is verified if the PLL suppression is verified The accuracy of the phase Detector Constant determines the accuracy of the noise measurement The phase Detector Constant value along with the LNA In Out parameter determines the Agilent 3048A System noise floor exclusive of the reference source VCO CONSTANT This is the VCO Tune Constant used for the measurement The accuracy of the VCO Tune Constant determines the accuracy of the PLL noise measurement for offset frequencies in segments where the entire plotted frequency range is less than the PLL BW 4 The accuracy of the VCO Tune Constant is verified if the PLL Suppression is Verified The VCO Tune Constant times the Tune Range of VCO determines the Peak Tune Range PTR value for the measurement The PTR sets the drift tracking and close in noise suppression capabilities of the test system Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 16 5 16 Advanced Software Features Ignore Out Of Lock Mode Ignore Out Of Lock Mode The Ignore Out Of Lock test mode enables all of the troubleshoot mode functions plus it causes the software to not check for an out of lock condition before or during a measurement This allows you to measure sources with high clo
353. ute Measurement Fundamentals for details on determining the effect the amplifiers noise will have on the measured noise floor VCO Reference Source This setup calls for a second signal source that is a similar type to that of the UUT The second source is used as the reference source In order for the noise measurement results to accurately represent the noise of the UUT the noise level of the reference source should be below the expected noise level of the UUT For additional help in selecting an appropriate reference source refer to Chapter 6 Absolute Measurement Fundamentals E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Beginning the Measurement Absolute Measurement Examples 7 Stable RF Oscillator 1 From the Measurement menu choose New Measurement See Figure 7 7 B Confidence pnm HP E5500 Phase Noise Measuremen Edit View Define oela 24 Analyze System Help ment Repeat Measurement Abort Measurement Real Time Monitor Clear Graph before measurement Pause at Connect Diagram Figure 7 7 Selecting a New Measurement 1 When the Perform a New Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 2 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list 3 Confirm your connections as shown in the connect diagram At this time connect your UUT and r
354. w Calibration and Measurement prompt appears click OK 3 When the Connect Diagram dialog box appears click on the hardware down arrow and select your hardware configuration from the pull down list Confirm your connections as shown in the Connect Diagram Figure 5 30 At this time connect your UUT and reference sources to the test set The input attenuator Option 001 only has now been correctly configured based on your measurement definition E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 Document Part No E5500 90024 Ed 1 0 Expanding Your Measurement Experience 5 Testing the Agilent 8644B Internal External 10 MHz CAUTION The Agilent 70420A test set s signal input is subject to the following limits and characteristics Table 5 7 Agilent 70420A Test Set Signal Input Limits and Characteristics Limits Frequency 50 kHz to 26 5 GHz Maximum Signal Input Power 30 dBm At Attenuator Output Operating Level Range RF Phase Detectors 0 to 23 dBm Microwave Phase Detectors 0 to 5 dBm Internal AM Detector 0 to 20 dBm Downconverters Agilent 70422A 0 to 30 dBm Agilent 70427A 5 to 15 dBm CAUTION To prevent damage to the Agilent 70420A Test Set s hardware components the input signal must not be applied to the test set s signal input connector until the input attenuator Option 001 has been set by the phase noise software which will occur at the connection diagram Characteristics Input Impedance 50 ohm Nominal
355. w and select HP 70420A option 001 test set only from the pull down list See Figure 14 3 HP E5500 Instrument Connections x hardware of a more accurate drawing select the correct test set and do verter from this list Figure 14 3 Connect Diagram for the Baseband using a Test Set Measurement 1 Press the Continue key Figure 14 4 shows a typical phase noise curve for a baseband noise measurement using a test set Document Part No E5500 90024Ed 1 0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A 02 00 14 3 14 Baseband Noise Measurement Examples Baseband Noise using a Test Set Measurement Example Baseband Noise using a Test Set HP E5500 Phase Noise Measurement Subsystem E x File Edit View Define Measure Analyze System Help oea 24 4 54 xe 01 ms Baseband Noise using a Test Set HP E5500 1997 1334939 10 041 190 mae 5 10K 100K 1 Saf 48 Hz vs f Hz 10014 new measurement has been loaded into the server LOCAL IDLE Us Figure 14 4 Typical Phase Noise Curve for a Baseband using a Test Set Measurement Table 14 1 Parameter Data for the Baseband Using a Test Set Measurement Step Parameters Data 1 Type and Range Tab Measurement Type Baseband Noise using a test set Start Frequency 10Hz Stop Frequency e 100E 6Hz Averages 4 Quality Fast 2 Cal Tab Gain preceding noise input 0dB
356. yet Suppression traces will only be displayed after calibration Theoretical and Actual Loop Suppression Factors 10 100 10K 100K PLL Gain Change 860E 3 dB Closed PLL BW 2 8823E 3 Hz Peak Tune Range 100 5E 3Hz View Smoothed Loop Suppression Assumed Pole 89 48E 3Hz Manman Eror 589 5E 3 dB n pauned Theoretical Loop apen Detector Constant 599E 3 Volts Radian View Theoretical Loop Suppression Constant 3 231E 3Hz Volt Figure 5 32 Suppression Selections There are four different curves available for the this graph for more information about loop suppression verification refer to Chapter 16 Advanced Software Features a Measured loop suppression curve this is the result of the loop suppression measurement performed by the E5500 system b Smoothed measured suppression curve this is curve fit representation of the measured results it is used to compare with the theoretical loop suppression Theoretical suppression curve this is the predicted loop suppression based on the initial loop parameters defined selected for this particular measurement kphi kvco loop bandwidth filters gain and others d Adjusted theoretical suppression curve this is the new adjusted theoretical value of suppression for this measurement it is based on changing loop parameters in the theoretical response to match the smoothed measu

E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00

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