Continue to Site

Welcome to EDAboard.com

Welcome to our site! EDAboard.com is an international Electronics Discussion Forum focused on EDA software, circuits, schematics, books, theory, papers, asic, pld, 8051, DSP, Network, RF, Analog Design, PCB, Service Manuals... and a whole lot more! To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Noise source vs tracking generator for frequency response measurement

Status
Not open for further replies.

Archimedes

Junior Member level 3
Joined
Mar 29, 2018
Messages
26
Helped
0
Reputation
0
Reaction score
0
Trophy points
1
Activity points
229
So I want to buy a spectrum analyzer and I'm going to measure frequency responses up to 150 MHz with it. However, there's an odd situation: analyzer with a tracking generator costs $2500 and the analyzer without one costs $500 and I'm trying to figure out what would be a better option, buying an analyzer with a tracking gen or building a noise source with a zener and a few MMIC amplifiers. Are there any additional challenges and pitfalls with measuring frequency responses using a noise source?
 
Last edited:

Dynamic range respectively accuracy will be considerably lower. Can be partly compensated by extended measurement time. May be o.k. for some applications.
 
Will it be sufficient for narrow band filter/amplifier tuning?
 

A VNA USB box is probably the better solution, you get 1 MHz to 3 GHz VNA < 500$. Or a used benchtop VNA.
 
Oh, how could I forget about those. Thanks a lot!
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top