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Using the PSA models E4440/46/48A spectrum analyzers with external mixing Option AYZ
Table of contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Combining external and harmonic mixing
Features of the PSA Series for external mixing
Harmonic Mixing and External Mixing in High Frequency Measurements . . . . . . . . . .3
Harmonic mixing, benefits, and drawbacks
Preselected and unpreselected mixers
Connecting external mixers to the PSA
Measurement Example An External Mixing Measurement Using the PSA . . . . . . . . .7
Step-by-step instructions
Understanding the origin of the signals in the display
Using the signal identification features in the PSA
The image shift function
The image suppress function
Practical Measurement Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Choosing an external mixer
Agilent 11970 Series harmonic mixers, 18 to 110 GHz
Agilent 11974 Series preselected harmonic mixers, 26.5 to 75 GHz
Other external mixers
Choosing a PSA external mixing band
Amplitude calibration and amplitude accuracy
Frequency accuracy
Measuring modulated signals
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Overview
External mixing is a useful and economical technique for extending the frequency coverage
of a spectrum analyzer. By performing the first frequency mixing (downconversion) operation
external to the analyzer itself, frequencies to 325 GHz far beyond the ordinary range
of the analyzer can be effectively and accurately measured. Indeed, some very high
frequencies (typically over 50 GHz) can only be measured in this way.
Pre-selector, or
low-pass filter
Mixer
IF filter
IF gain
Envelope
detector
Input
Signal
RF input
attenuator
Log
amp
Local
oscillator
Crystal
reference
Display
detection
circuitry
Sweep
generator
Video
filter
Display
The most common architecture for spectrum analysis measurements uses fundamental
mixing (using only the fundamental frequency of the analyzer's local oscillator in the first
mixer stage) and a local oscillator operating in a frequency range above that of the range
of frequencies to be analyzed. Such an architecture is shown in Figure 1.
This approach offers many benefits including high sensitivity and freedom from extraneous signals in the measurement results. However, this technique is less desirable for
measurements at higher microwave frequencies due to the need for a high performance
local oscillator with a very high and very wide frequency range even higher than the
frequencies of interest.
Instead, using a harmonic of the local oscillator in the first mixer stage provides several
benefits, and these benefits apply whether the first mixer is located inside (internal mixing) or outside (external mixing) of the analyzer. The main benefit of harmonic mixing is
the ability to analyze higher frequencies by using the same local oscillator and most of
the same IF structures that are also employed to analyze lower frequencies. With harmonic mixing, the local oscillator need not have a frequency range higher than the frequencies to be measured. The LO need only have a harmonic (with sufficient energy to
drive a mixer stage) at a frequency similar to the frequency range to be measured.
More specifically, the analyzer's LO provides a high-level drive signal to the external mixer
for efficient mixing and since the mixer is a highly nonlinear device, it generates high-level
harmonics of the LO signal. Incoming signals mix against (add and subtract from) the LO
harmonics, just as they do with the LO fundamental, and any mixing product that equals
the IF frequency will produce a response in the measurement display. The tuning (mixing
equation) can be described as follows:
Input
signal
3 GHz
321.4 MHz
3.9214 GHz
21.4 MHz
7.5 MHz
ADC
Input
signal
Digital RBW
Digital Log Amp
Digital VBW
Digital detector
3.7 GHz
3.6 GHz
preselector
321.4 MHz
300 MHz
28.9 MHz
Sweep generator
Display
Figure 2: Block diagram of Agilent PSA series spectrum analyzers with external mixing Option AYZ
Measurement connections
PSA
Presel tune
output
IF input
1st LO output
Agilent 11974 Series
mixer (top view)
Tune in
LO in
SMA cable
RF input
SMA cable
IF out
Signal source
Power supply
Preselector
power
Agilent 11947-60028
power supply
PSA
IF input
SMA cable
1st LO output
SMA cable
IF
LO
RF input
Signal source
Figure 3: Connection diagrams for preselected and unpreselected mixers and the Agilent PSA
spectrum analyzer
Measurement result:
Figure 4: Example measurement of 35 GHz signal with an unpreselected external mixer. Note the
large number of unwanted signals, created from undesired mixing modes.
fLO (GHz)
4
N=3
10
12
11
14
13
15
16
6.5
17
18
19
20
5.5
5
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
U
W
E
4.5
V
4
A
Q
3.5
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
fRF (GHz)
Figure 5: Multiple response or spur chart. The dark lines mark the external mixing bands K, A, Q,
U, V, E, and W. Bands F, D, E, Y, and J can be used by the PSA, but are not shown here.
10
The analysis below is based on this spur chart. For simplicity, only the true signal has
been used and its image ignored. Remember, however, that in external mixing applications, all true signals come with an image to form a pair.
For PSA A-band external mixing:
Display frequency:
26.5 40 GHz
Display N:
8
Input RF frequency:
f1 = 35 GHz
f2 = 70 GHz
IF frequency:
321.4 MHz
Figure 6 below shows all of the possible mixing products projected into the A-band display
screen at the RF input frequencies of 35 GHz (fundamental) and 70 GHz (second harmonic).
LO Harmonic vs RF
N=5
N=6
N=7
N=8
N=9
N = 10
N = 11
N = 12
N = 13
N = 14
LO
5
(GHz)
N = 15
N = 16
N = 17
N = 18
N = 19
3
26
30
34
38
42
46
50
54
58
62
66
70
Figure 6: Possible mixing products in the A-band display, resulting from 35 and 70 GHz inputs.
11
To match our display results with the possible mixing products, it is useful to increase the
scale of the display, and show the input frequency and LO harmonic number, as shown in
Figure 7.
LO Harmonic vs RF
with display N = 8
N=5
N=6
Input signal at 35 GHz
6
N=7
N=8
f = 35G, N = 10
LO
5
(GHz)
f = 70G, N = 15
f = 70G, N = 16
f = 35G, N = 9
N = 15
N=9
N = 17
N = 10
N = 16
f = 70G, N = 18
f = 35G, N = 10
f = 70G, N = 17
f = 70G, N = 19
N = 18
N = 11
N = 19
N = 12
N = 13
3
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
12
Fshift = 2*FIF/N
or
f LO
1- mixing
1+ mixing
f RF
3
3
Figure 8: Graphic description of the image shift method, showing both + mixing and - mixing.
13
When the image shift function is activated, the spectrum analyzer changes it's LO output by
twice the IF frequency, first in one direction and then in the other, as shown in Figure 8 above.
Figure 8 shows that if our signal is indeed at 5.3 GHz and the analyzer shifts the LO frequency
up, there will still be a response in the center of the display due to the 1+ mixing mode. On
the other hand, when the LO is shifted downward there will be no response in the display.
Conversely, if the analyzer is tuned to 5.3214 GHz and the input signal is actually at 4.6786 GHz,
the response would still appear in the middle of the display. In this case, using the image
shift method there is no response when the LO is shifted up, but there is a response when
the LO is shifted down. This result reveals that when the analyzer is tuned to 5.3214 GHz
it is actually observing the image of 5.3214 GHz. Therefore, the analyzer must be tuned
down in frequency by an amount equal to twice the IF frequency, to 4.6786 GHz to observe
the response on the 1+ mixing mode for which the analyzer is calibrated.
The effect of the image shift function on this example measurement is shown in Figure 9
below.
Figure 9: Example measurement of 35 GHz signal with the image shift function enabled.
14
The visual effect of the image shift function is perhaps easier to see if comparable displays
are stacked and aligned as shown in Figure 10 below.
Figure 10: Measurement results before (above) and after (below) the use of the image shift
function on a 35 GHz signal. The actual signal location is marked by the vertical line between the
measurement results.
15
Figure 11: Example measurement of 35 GHz signal with the image suppress function enabled.
16
17
Band name/
frequency range
K band
18.0 to 26.5 GHz
A band
26.5 to 40.0 GHz
Q band
33.0 to 50.0 GHz
U band
40.0 to 60.0 GHz
V band
50.0 to 75.0 GHz
E band
60 to 90 GHz
W band
75 to 110 GHz
F band
90 to 140 GHz
D band
110 to 170 GHz
G band
140 to 220 GHz
Y band
170 to 260 GHz
J band
220 to 325 GHz
User defined
*Note:
11970/other
unpreselected*
mix mode
11974
preselected*
mix mode
LO
harmonic
number
Unpreselected display
minimum frequency
in GHz
Frequency range
maximum frequency
in GHz
17.7286
41.0786
23.5286
54.8786
10
29.3286
68.6786
10
29.3286
68.6786
14
40.9286
96.2786
16
46.7286
110.0786
18
52.5286
123.8786
22
64.1286
151.4786
26
75.79286
179.0786
32
93.1286
220.4786
38
110.5286
261.8786
48
139.5286
330.8786
See note
See Note
18
Uncertainty ( dB)
0.27
0.4
0.67
0.48
19
Frequency accuracy
The E4440 PSA Series has a synthesized first local oscillator for exceptional frequency
accuracy and stability throughout its tuning range. The frequency accuracy is based on
the analyzer's temperature-stabilized internal reference oscillator or on an external
reference, if supplied.
The two terms for frequency accuracy in these measurements are frequency readout
accuracy and span accuracy.
Frequency readout accuracy can be calculated as:
(marker freq. * freq.ref.accy. +0.25%* span + 5% * RBW +2 Hz + 0.5*horizontal resolution )
Where Freq. Ref. accy. = 7 * 10 to 8 Hz for the internal reference,
and
Horizontal resolution = span / number of trace points
The default number of trace points for the PSA is 601, and can be set by the user to values
from 101 to 8192 points.
If an external reference is used, its accuracy should be substituted for the internal reference accuracy term above. If desired, horizontal resolution can be adjusted by the user.
Span accuracy can be calculated as:
(0.2 %* span + horizontal resolution)
CW
Modulation
BWi
BWi
Figure 12: Comparing measurement of CW and modulated signals. While f is relatively easy to
determine in the CW case, f measurements may be in error by BWi in the case of modulated
signals.
20
For a modulated signal, its displayed bandwidth changes when its harmonic N is different from the display calibrated N. Figure 13 below graphically shows that when N is
higher than the display calibrated N, the apparent modulation bandwidth is decreased.
Assuming the display is calibrated for N, fS has modulation bandwidth equal to BWi.
Figure 13 shows that the modulated signal resulting from the N harmonic that projects
onto the N harmonic calibrated display, has a displayed BW = BWi * N/N.
For N > N, BWi * N/N is smaller than BWi, as shown in Figure 13. For N < N, BWi *
N/N is larger than BWi.
fLO
N
N'
f RF
BWi * N/N'
BWi
fs
Figure 14 shows an example of these errors on a modulated signal for a display calibrated
to the N harmonic, and where N > N. In this case, not only is the apparent tone spacing
reduced, but also the apparent bandwidth is reduced to BWi*N/N.
2*f IF
N'+
*N/N'
N'-
N-
N+
2*f IF
fR F
BWi * N/N'
BWi
Figure 14: Display appearance of errors in apparent bandwidth and frequency spacing due to use
of incorrect LO harmonic.
21
Conclusion
External mixing is a practical and economical technique for extending the frequency coverage of a spectrum analyzer. By performing the first frequency mixing (downconversion)
operation external to the analyzer itself frequencies far beyond the basic range of the analyzer can be effectively and accurately measured.
For microwave spectrum analyzers, higher frequencies are usually measured using harmonic mixing, and the very highest frequencies are measured by combining the techniques of harmonic and external mixing. This application note has demonstrated basic
theoretical background and typical operations for applications requiring external mixers.
By performing the first frequency mixing (downconversion) operation external to the analyzer itself, frequencies to 325 GHz can be effectively and accurately measured.
The PSA Series Option AYZ provides an excellent solution for applications requiring external mixers. This option includes the required hardware and software to make and display
the measurements, and a number of features to improve ease-of-use and measurement
quality.
22
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