Agilent Technologies E5500A User manual

Agilent Technologies
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E5500
Phase Noise Measurement System
Version A.02.00
User’s Guide for E5500A/B

ii E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Document Part No. E5500-90024 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
ales and ervice Office (see
Table 2 on page vi).
WARNING: A WARNING 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 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.
COPYRIGHT © 2000 AGILENT
TECHNOLOGIE , INC. ALL RIGHT
RE ERVED.
NO PART OF THI DOCUMENT MAY BE
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY
ANY MEAN (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC
TORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OR
TRAN LATION INTO A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE) WITHOUT PRIOR
AGREEMENT AND WRITTEN CON ENT
OF AGILENT TECHNOLOGIE , INC.,
A GOVERNED BY UNITED TATE
AND INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT
LAW .
DOCUMENT PART NO. E5500-90024
PRINTED IN U A
MARCH 2002
EDITION ED. 1.0

Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 iii
Safety summary
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 afety 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.
All light emitting diodes (LEDs)
used in this product are Class 1
LEDs as per IEC 60825-1.
WARNING: DO NOT OPERATE
IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE
Do not operate the instrument in the
presence of flammable gases or
flames.
WARNING: DO NOT 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.

iv E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0
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 (grounding)
conductor or disconnection of
the protective earth terminal
will cause a potential shock
hazard that could result in
personal injury.
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
ymbols 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.
Table 1 Safety symbols and instrument markings
Safety symbols
Warning: risk of electric shock.
Warning: hot surface
Caution: refer to accompanying documents.
Laser radiation symbol: marked on products that have a laser output.
Alternating current.
Both direct and alternating current.
Three-phase alternating current.
Earth (ground) terminal
Protective earth (ground) terminal

Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 v
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.
Terminal for neutral conductor on permanently installed equipment.
Terminal for line conductor on permanently installed equipment.
Standby (supply); units with this symbol are not completely
disconnected from ac 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 CE 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.
1SM1-A This text indicates that the instrument is an Industrial Scientific and
Medical Group 1 Class A product (CISPER 11, Clause 4).
Table 1 Safety symbols and instrument markings (continued)
Safety symbols
N10149

vi E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0
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
ervice Center.
Agilent on the Web
You can find information about
technical and professional
services, product support, and
equipment repair and service on
the Web:
http://www.agilent.com/
contacts/English/noscript.html
Double-click the link to Tes t &
Measurement. elect 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.
Table 2 Agilent Call Centers and Regional Headquarters
United States and Canada: Test and Measurement Call Center
[phone] (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

Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Contents-1
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
How to 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 More 3-11
4 Phase Noise Basics
What is Phase Noise? 4-2
5 Expanding Your Measurement Experience
Starting the Measurement Software 5-2
Using the Asset Manager to 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

Contents-2 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0
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 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

Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Contents-3
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 DCFM 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 Synthesizer 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

Contents-4 E5500 Phase Noise Measurement System Version A.02.00 Document Part No. E5500-90024 Ed. 1.0
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 Considerations 9-7
Beginning the Measurement 9-8
Making the Measurement 9-10
When the Measurement is Complete 9-14
10 FM 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