
Liquid Crystal Noise Eater Chapter 5: Operation
Page 12
3. Set the power selector to the suitable value (see Section 5.1).
4. Turn the adjustment knob clockwise until the power reaches 5% below the
minimum power you recorded earlier. If you cannot reach the desired power, set
the power level to a lower range. Rotate the knob counter clockwise and return to
Step 3 to select a different power range.
Note: In some cases setting the power level to 10% below the recorded minimum
gives better performance. If you cannot reach the desired output power by
adjusting the knob, then adjust the power range.
5. Measure the noise level after the noise eater to verify that the noise eater is
set up correctly.
Note: When measuring the signal after the noise eater, please remember that the
noise eater will attenuate noise up to 2.5 kHz, with the best performance for
noise in the DC-100 Hz range. If you are observing the signal in time domain, the
time domain signal will include noise in higher frequencies. To best observe the
performance of the noise eater, we recommend using a low pass filter, or looking
at lower frequencies in the frequency domain.
5.4.2. Maximizing the Output Power Using the Indicator LED
The noise eater is equipped with an indicator LED at the top (near the adjustment
knob), which indicates the status using two colors. A red LED indicates that the
output is set too high and the feedback loop cannot function well. A green LED
indicates that the feedback loop is operating well and the feedback signal is
being used to attenuate the noise.
If you do not wish to use an external device, such as a power meter or detector, it
is possible to adjust the knob using the LED indicator by following these steps:
1. Set the power selector to the suitable value (see Section 5.1) according to the
power of the source.
2. Turn the knob counterclockwise all the way, until the LED turns red.
3. Start turning the knob clockwise slowly until the LED starts blinking, alternating
between red and green.
4. Continue turning the knob until the LED turns green and stops blinking.
5. If, after turning the knob all the way clockwise, the LED does not stop blinking
and stay green, return to Step 1 and set the power selector to a lower value.
6. To increase the noise attenuation, rotate the knob more in the clockwise
direction.
Note: By setting the output level using the LED you are assuring that the noise
eater is entering the noise attenuation range. However, the LED alone does not
guarantee best noise attenuation and power loss performance. To maximize the
noise attenuation while minimizing power loss, we recommend setting the
optimal output power using an external measurement device.