
P$ffiTI$
CIE{}RfrE
o
of
Generation
Low PhaseNoise
MicrowaveSignals
DieterScherer
September1981
o
Rt& Microwave
Measurement
Symposium
ancl
Exhibition
o ftE H"=EIITJ
1. Why are Low PhaseNoise Microwave
Signalsneeded?
Example Effectof LocalOscillator
1: PhaseNoiseon
ReceiverSelectivityin Multi Signal
Environment
ReceiverLO
Downconverted
Interfering Interfering
Signal Signal
Down-
Converted
Wanted
Signal
Wanted
Signal
Receiver lF Bandwidth
The receiver tries to see a weak wanted signal in the presence of a stmng interfering signal.
The downconversion processtransfers the noise sidebandsofthe receiver LO to both the wanted and
interfering IF signal. Sideband noise of the interfering IF signal falling into the IF bandwidth
submerges the wanted IF signal.
Example2=Etlect of CarrierPhaseNoisein a
o DopplerRadarSystem
@v --
Moving
/-r Object
9blect
(Stationaryfor \\\r^, |
Simplicity)
,rfP--. \1_.
fv
;\
'\-7-. _- \1
\r
V.fn
fD : 2'E; -
rltlr-.a-\
Glutter
Signal
fD : DoPPler shift
v : Speed of moving object
co : SPeedof light
fo : Carrier frequencY Stationary
Object
o
Signal
Transmitter
ClutterSignal
DopplerSignal
ClutterNoise SignalFrom
MovingObject
The receiver of the Doppler Radar System detects the weak frdquency shifted return signal from a
moving object as well-as a strong, unwanted return signal at fo from a large stationary object
(clutter signal).
The delay ofthe clutter return decorrelates the phase noise ofthe clutter signal from the trans-
mitter si-gxal. The resulting clutter noise at the IF port may exceed the weak Doppler signal'
2. BasicRepresentations Definition
and of O
PhaseNoise
In the Time Domain:
vt : Signalwith randomphasefluctuationA O (t)
v (t) - Vs cos [2 ntst + A 0 (t)]
OscilloscopeDisplay
V(t) : Vs Gos 2nlsl
o
at ao(t)
Frequency phaseare related
and by
1 d0(0
f(t):2n
-
Domain:
In the Frequency
Spectrum Ps
Analyzer n T P""u
Display /l\ | Ps
Pssb
fe
f6
o
.t2
o
c
o
o
(E
.c
o.s
Etl
do
lr tt
i c .-
Pssb(per1 Hz) .=
3(t^y - oo
Pg OE
ErE
=r-
6.9
.r- O
\e
"!. Hz-r'lF fm+
-E(fm) describes the RF power spectrum and is defined as the ratio of the single sideband power of
phase noise in alHzbandwidth (ft1 Hz away from the carrier frequency) to the total signal
power.
3. Key Relations {(!m), SA,O(fm),
of
Snf(fm)
For A@'ms<<1
Pssb
a$ml - l/z^d#ns- 1/z(fur, :
[ Ps
SpectralDensityof PhaseFluctuations
SnO(fm):AeQms:29(tm)
SpectralDensityof Frequency
Fluctuations
snt (rd : aril (fm): Pm (fd - zt1.,
sno v(tml
4. Three Basic Approaches
to obtain a "quiet" flow phase noise) microwave signal are considered in the following pages.
Oscillator
A. Build a Quiet Microwave
e.g., to build a 5 GHz oscillator,
use a bipolar transistor and a high Q
cavity resonator
B. Multiplya Low PhaseNoise HF or VHF Sourcb
100 MHz
GrystalOsc.
e.g., with a 100 MHz crystal oscillator
drive a step recovery diode multiplier
generating the 5 GHz signal.
Oscillatorto the Quiet
C. Phaselock Microwave
the
HF or VHFSource
100MHz
CrystalOsc.
e.g., combine the perforlnance
advantages of a 100 MHz crystal
oscillator and the 5 GHz
microwave oscillator by phase
locking the two sources via
a sampling phaselock loop.
4.1 PhaseNoise of
FreeRunningOscillators
':1)-
l
F2kTB
'
,lnf
w,
pf 4,+/ Psavt
@': -+
Equivalent
PhaseFeedback Loop:
L(arm) : 1
-;Froad _
,_ _o
AOt(arm) --e- -+
Adt(rd AOz(rr)
t
Equivalent
Low pass for . fo
Resohator 2Qload AOZ(arm)
The elosed loop response of the phase feedback loop due to the perturbation A@l(r,m) is
rx.rrt6
,ru
Aol(a,m):
irffi^l!(gl
(w%
The phase perturbance, AO1(arm),or it's power spectral density, SAel, describes
+h1-, , and empirically the |
both the additive phase noise of the amplifir, ' P s
-E ,roisgeffect by fc
r 'r,/'.
av 1'
(Seealso 5.1 and 5.2)
u {g c:'^'---
n , . -/*rfr-/
-s6i :
I AO21(rm)rms: l, *q-
\''fm/ Lt
*.-l*,<
JV
purt t/;r
PhasePerturbation
saer
fc -+ f6
The resulting phase noise of the signal coupled out of the resonator is
' x sael
Ito*, :r#(#h)
st$mt:
ResultingPhaseNoise
fm- 3
Degradation due
g{tml to additivenoise
on Post amPlifier
tm-2
FZkT
Zfv
----
2
fc fe
-2o_ --> f6
Additive noise of the following amplifier establishes the phase'nolse trOO", FqkT
t-p r, 2
^./n \
f,Lf
4/I ). -
J Lrn /
Jn," ,Jo' &)'(,r#) o
4.2 Optimization PhaseNoise
of
in Oscillators
o MaximizeQtoaded
- Use resonator with maximal unloaded Q
- Maximize reactive energy stored in resonator
- Limit signal without degrading Q
o Minimizephaseperturbance
- Use device with low noise figure
- Maximize signal level
- Choose device with low flicker noise
- Minimize effect of flicker noise
o Coupleoutput signalfrom resonator
o Set low-noise floor
- Keep output signal sufficiently high
- Use low NF post amplifrer
eo
tr
b =oa Ps
3 aaE
.9 aaE b b 6g
o oe
g a9.e_ e e
Ea 6. o.
.=
E 8.E.g
E'E=
As
J
3 E;Eg s;EE E 3
*AE E:AE 3 6
"; " J E.E
L
o
G
F
.g .tr.:9= .o.9oE .9 .9
g,=Bg
U' = EL
c E=EH
o.e'EF
E.=tsP E
o.a.=: cL
E.
cL
p.bt
(E o o tr E (E
E 6- 6- ts E o |/Dce
o
F NN ol (\t ol
d
IF
oo
oo
o
o
oc)
or(J
o \\
; ;
z o
o
CD
tt
O) o)
| |
Sri I-
\l
o
a ct
E
oo
XX
o
X
o
\1
o
rz
s-r
cLr
CLi
ES
cL c
u?-
o lo !o tO I
t(,
I
tl'l,
or-l
l! F 6D A) (r) a) c,
E
a o
tt
(o
OO o o o
t
o
I
9o\
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o
tt
o o
e. I 8t\
- vO
g od
g (E
-9
C
u?
d
o)
o
sf
= 3E\
NS
f
E
IL
o o
tr
o
NS
?r
N
I
=
NNNN
==-"
-"
a =
CT
E
==
9t o
@
oocDol
Rt+/\
lU lr
N
J
o. A
tr
O.+.
= o ul \)
oo c 3* A
cc
x
UJ
oo
EE
oo
o
E
o
S
E
S
E
o:
P l.:\Si
-=
=
o
UJ
5 =
F
L
o 00 o a a B. ts
al o
c
o
PE
ct t\
G trtr
ooSP
sf o
o jj
E E 1'*o a
; e :s g
E oo o EE=
+.
oo
.H
o I
ia L
oo o
fl I !t
NN
TE
oo
E
o
N
-6 Es
f3
ao a
3
A tg ts
4.4 Examples Low PhaseNoise
of
Oscillators
o
o -60
tt
U
.C
H
p ElipolarTransistor
=
tt c)sc.with Tunable
C
o -80 c;oaxialResonatol T Osc. with-
o 'unable
N
t6GHz
- [Coaxial
I \Resonator at 6 GHz
.E -
100
.9
o
E
L
.9
L
L
G
-120 \
\
o
o
o
.!2 \
o - \
z 140
o
o
(u 00 MHz
.tr
o. \ Crystal
\- Osc.
t, - 1 6 0
c
o
.ct
-.1
o -- -a_Da ra--
p lHz CrystalO
a \
-g - 1 {
ot 80r
C
a 1 0 Hz 100 1 kHz 100 kHz MHz
Offset from Carrier
With the exception of the two tunable microwave oscillators, these examples of fixed oscillators give
an indication of state of the art performance regarding low phase noise.
The two tunable oscillators at 6 GHz are shown to demonstrate the performance dilference between
GaAs FET's and bipolar transistors observed in otherwise comparable circuits.
4.5 High O ResonatorEmPloyed
as
Postresonator
Equivalent
Circuit:
adt(r,,m) Ad2(arm)
1
Lt(arm):.
{ra-
t-
-;m-OL
,o
';@ {dg
AdZ(
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