Re: time-nuts Digest, Vol 222, Issue 9
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:52 +0200
From: Erik Kaashoek erik@kaashoek.com
Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Do time nuts only use and measure 10MHz
clocks?
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
time-nuts@lists.febo.com, Erik Kaashoek erik@kaashoek.com
Message-ID:
CABj+HDNMxPYDeuJPwjf3ze5Ld_4W0K6=yMGqtgXCmfaUFxUwwA@mail.gmail.com
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Thanks for the input.
After some more testing the coherence turned out to be lost even when the
inputs use the same mixing frequency. The current assumption is that the
two fractional dividers used to generate the two mixer input frequencies,
although using same settings, already cause the loss of coherence. Probably
because they are not started at the same moment so the fractional shifts
happen at different moments. Next test is to us only integer dividers to
generate the two mixing frequencies but this will lead to two IF
frequencies and it is not sure if this can be implemented on the not so
powerful MCU used.
Erik
It occurs to me that there are two things able to be coherent here,
bing the carrier (where coherence requires they be at the same
frequency), and the noise signal being (weakly) modulated onto the
carrier. coherence of noise signal is independent of coherence of
carrier.
This is easily seen if one performs the analysis in the time domain,
not the PN spectral domain.
I did, up to now, not experience a loss in measurement resolution using
different frequencies for DUT and REF.
Because it is the modulating signal that's coherent.
Joe Gwinn
Re: time-nuts Digest, Vol 222, Issue 9
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:52 +0200
> From: Erik Kaashoek <erik@kaashoek.com>
> Subject: [time-nuts] Re: Do time nuts only use and measure 10MHz
> clocks?
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> <time-nuts@lists.febo.com>, Erik Kaashoek <erik@kaashoek.com>
> Message-ID:
> <CABj+HDNMxPYDeuJPwjf3ze5Ld_4W0K6=yMGqtgXCmfaUFxUwwA@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Thanks for the input.
> After some more testing the coherence turned out to be lost even when the
> inputs use the same mixing frequency. The current assumption is that the
> two fractional dividers used to generate the two mixer input frequencies,
> although using same settings, already cause the loss of coherence. Probably
> because they are not started at the same moment so the fractional shifts
> happen at different moments. Next test is to us only integer dividers to
> generate the two mixing frequencies but this will lead to two IF
> frequencies and it is not sure if this can be implemented on the not so
> powerful MCU used.
> Erik
>
It occurs to me that there are two things able to be coherent here,
bing the carrier (where coherence requires they be at the same
frequency), and the noise signal being (weakly) modulated onto the
carrier. coherence of noise signal is independent of coherence of
carrier.
This is easily seen if one performs the analysis in the time domain,
not the PN spectral domain.
> On Sun, Oct 9, 2022, 11:30 zfe via time-nuts <time-nuts@lists.febo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I did, up to now, not experience a loss in measurement resolution using
>> different frequencies for DUT and REF.
Because it is the modulating signal that's coherent.
Joe Gwinn