Forums › SM Series Discussions › SM200C Phase Noise with pulsed input
- This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by rpettingill.
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rpettingillParticipantI am trying to test out the SM200C phase noise measurement capability when the input is a pulsed waveform (5 microsecond pulse with 100 microsecond PRI, 5GHz waveform). I keep getting the “Carrier Not Found” message. I have verified the pulse looks correct on the spectrum analyzer mode, the IQ data mode, as well as using other test equipment to verify its integrity.
In Spike on the Phase Noise page, I have the carrier freq set to 5.0 GHz, and I have played around a ton with the Ampl Thresh setting.
Is the SM200C capable of performing Phase Noise Analysis on this type of signal? If yes, what are some troubleshooting steps to get rid of the “Carrier Not Found” message?
AndrewModeratorrpettingill,
No the Spike software is not capable of measuring phase noise on a pulsed signal. There is no synchronization mechanism built in to software to synchronize to a pulse. Additionally, the measurement duration can be > 1 second depending on what phase noise offsets are selected. You wouldn’t be able to get much resolution on a 5us pulse.
If possible, I would recommend using a CW output on your transmitter, or you would need to roll your own phase noise measurement using our API or trying to capture the pulse in zero-span and post-processing the captured I/Q waveform.
Regards,
Andrew
rpettingillParticipantOkay. Sounds good. Thank you!
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