Phase noise is unintentional phase modulation on a signal that spreads the spectrum and degrades performance in many RF applications. Whether you are new to phase noise or have been measuring phase noise for years it is important to get a good understanding of the basics and to learn of new measurement techniques to improve your designs.
This application note is broken up into three sections:
- Understanding the basics of phase noise: why it is important, how does it impact different applications, and what causes phase noise
- What are the different measurement techniques and their advantages/disadvantages: direct spectrum analyzer, phase detector, delay line discriminator and we introduce our new digital phase demodulator technique
- How best to perform advanced measurements: additive or residual phase noise, pulsed phase noise, and AM Noise