Signal Analyzer Research Articles

Frequency-resolved interferometric measurement of local density fluctuations for turbulent combustion analysis

A validation of a novel interferometric measurement technique for the frequency-resolved detection of local density fluctuation in turbulent combustion analysis was performed in this work. Two laser vibrometer systems together with a signal analyser were used to obtain frequency spectra of density fluctuations across a methane-jet flame. Since laser vibrometry is based on interferometric techniques, the derived signals are path-integrals along the measurement beam. To obtain local frequency spectra of density fluctuations, long-time-averaged measurements from each of the two systems were performed using correlation functions and cross spectra. Results were compared to data recorded by standard interferometric techniques for validation purposes. Additionally, Raman scattering and laser Doppler velocimetry were used for flame characterization.

Investigation of Dynamic Responses for Piezoceramic Plates in Resonance by Using Fiber Bragg Grating

ABSTRACTA fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor system which can simultaneously measure the point-wise, out-of-plane and in-plane dynamic displacements is proposed. A demodulation system based on the fiber Bragg grating filter is used. The steady-state responses of particle motions of a piezoceramic plate measured by the FBG out-of-plane and in-plane displacement sensors are simultaneously compared with those obtained by a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) and a surface-mounted FBG strain sensor, respectively. The integration of the FBG displacement sensor with a dynamic signal analyzer (FBG-DSA) forms a measurement system which has the ability to acquire the frequency response of a piezoceramic plate. An LDV-DSA system and an impedance analyzer are used to compare the results obtained from the dynamic signal analyzer combined with the out-of-plane FBG sensor (OFBG-DSA) and the in-plane FBG sensor (IFBG-DSA), respectively. The experimental results of the impulse excitation as well as the random excitation of the piezoceramic plate are also presented. To explain the experimental results, an optical full-field measurement technique called amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) and FEM numerical calculations are also used to provide full-field vibration mode shapes of the piezoceramic plate. These results indicate that the proposed displacement sensor system has the multiplexing capability to measure the dynamic displacements up to 45kHz.

Identification of a Flexible Cantilever Beam Equipped in Piezoelements for Vibration Control System

AbstractThe identification of an active vibration damping system with the use of piezoelements glued to the structure is presented in the paper. Lab stand was completed with smart beam, power amplifier and charge amplifier. First, the open‐loop system was identified in the frequency domain in using experimental setup The piezo‐stripes to have worked in the mode of actuators and sensors, respectively. For the frequency range from 1 Hz to 400 Hz we obtained Bode plots with help of the Dynamic Signal Analyzer. Frequency characteristics are a base for further calculations. Second, the mathematical model was obtained by finite elements methods and was adjusted to the experimental results by least square sum approach. Third, observable canonical‐form in state space model was derived by using of the LMFD method (Left Matrix Fraction Description). Finally, a minimal realization of the transfer function was reached by Balance method. The transfer function describes the first three resonances and first three anti‐resonances in considered frequency range. (© 2009 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Compressive Receiver Using a CRLH-Based Dispersive Delay Line for Analog Signal Processing

A compressive receiver (CR) is presented utilizing a composite right/left-handed (CRLH) dispersive delay line (DDL) for analog signal processing applications. The CRLH DDL offers advantages such as arbitrary frequency of operation and wide bandwidth, filling a gap with competing DDL technologies. The presented CR system utilizes an impulse-driven CRLH DDL and mixer inversion for chirp generation required for real-time signal processing. At high frequencies, this eliminates frequency ramp generators. The CR is employed as a frequency discriminator and a tunable delay line with dispersion compensation. The simulation and experimental results fully validate the presented systems as proof-of-concept for high-frequency applications such as real-time Fourier transformers and signal analyzers.

Optimization and temperature mapping of an ultra-high thermal stability environmental enclosure

Precision metrology, lithography and machining systems will soon require sub-nanometer tolerances in order to meet the evolving needs of industry. This, in turn, requires thermal control of large environmental enclosures with sub-millidegree single-point stability and control of temperature gradients to several millidegrees. In order to optimize the system's thermal controls, it is essential to measure the open-loop transfer function. We report a technique that obtains the open-loop transfer function by utilizing a dynamic signal analyzer to perform a closed-loop frequency response measurement of the thermal system. Based on the transfer function, we designed a PI-lead compensation controller and achieved one-sigma air temperature stability of less than 1 m°C at a single point over 2 h. In order to rapidly map temperature gradients over large regions inside the 7 m3-volume enclosure, we have developed a measurement scheme that involves mechanically scanning a network of thermistors. Accurate cross calibration of the thermistors and a study of self-heating effects on temperature measurement in moving air have also been performed, which assures the relative accuracy of the thermistors is less than 1 m°C. Comparing temperature gradient maps taken before and after control improvements shows improved temperature stability over the mapped volumes.

Using pulse width modulation for wireless transmission of neural signals in multichannel neural recording systems.

We have used a well-known technique in wireless communication, pulse width modulation (PWM) of time division multiplexed (TDM) signals, within the architecture of a novel wireless integrated neural recording (WINeR) system. We have evaluated the performance of the PWM-based architecture and indicated its accuracy and potential sources of error through detailed theoretical analysis, simulations, and measurements on a setup consisting of a 15-channel WINeR prototype as the transmitter and two types of receivers; an Agilent 89600 vector signal analyzer and a custom wideband receiver, with 36 and 75 MHz of maximum bandwidth, respectively. Furthermore, we present simulation results from a realistic MATLAB-Simulink model of the entire WINeR system to observe the system behavior in response to changes in various parameters. We have concluded that the 15-ch WINeR prototype, which is fabricated in a 0.5- mum standard CMOS process and consumes 4.5 mW from +/-1.5 V supplies, can acquire and wirelessly transmit up to 320 k-samples/s to a 75-MHz receiver with 8.4 bits of resolution, which is equivalent to a wireless data rate of approximately 2.56 Mb/s.

Error vector magnitude to SNR conversion for nondata-aided receivers

Error vector magnitude (EVM) is one of the widely accepted figure of merits used to evaluate the quality of communication systems. In the literature, EVM has been related to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for data-aided receivers, where preamble sequences or pilots are used to measure the EVM, or under the assumption of high SNR values. In this paper, this relation is examined for nondata-aided receivers and is shown to perform poorly, especially for low SNR values or high modulation orders. The EVM for nondata-aided receivers is then evaluated and its value is related to the SNR for quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) signals over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels and Rayleigh fading channels, and for systems with IQ imbalances. The results show that derived equations can be used to reliably estimate SNR values using EVM measurements that are made based on detected data symbols. Thus, presented work can be quite useful for measurement devices such as vector signal analyzers (VSA), where EVM measurements are readily available.

Ducted whistlers propagating in higher-order guided mode and recorded on board of Compass-2 satellite by the advanced Signal Analyzer and Sampler 2

[1] The advanced electromagnetic wave detector and analyzer, Signal Analyzer and Sampler 2, successfully operated on board of Compass-2 satellite (launched May 2006). One of the peculiarities of this experiment was that the efficient sensitivities of both electric and magnetic channels were very close to being identical. Between the interesting events detected we found the evidence of whistler mode signals propagating in higher- (third-) order guided mode, most probable between two layers (i.e., “onionskin” structure was in the plasmasphere at this time). We present in the paper the real full wave ultrawideband interpretation of these propagating signals using the exact solution of Maxwell's equations in this boundary problem.

Vector Signal Analyzer Implemented as a Synthetic Instrument

Synthetic instruments (SIs) use the substantial signal processing assets of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to perform the multiple tasks of targeted digital signal processing (DSP)-based instruments. The topic of this paper is vector signal analysis from which time-dependent amplitude and phase is extracted from the input time signal. With access to the time-varying amplitude-phase profiles of the input signal, the vector signal analyzer can present many of the quality measures of a modulation process. These include estimates of undesired attributes such as modulator distortion, phase noise, clock jitter, <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I</i> - <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Q</i> imbalance, intersymbol interference, and others. This is where the SI is asked to become a smart software-defined radio (SDR), performing all the tasks of a DSP radio receiver and reporting small variations between the observed modulated signal parameters and those of an ideal modulated signal. Various quality measures (e.g., the size of errors) have value in quantifying and probing performance boundaries of communication systems.

Frequency Domain Identification of the Active Beam Model for the Vibration Control System

An identification procedure of the active vibration damping system with the piezo-elements glued to the structure is presented in the paper. Such identification can be carried out in analytical way (Guyan reduction) by using of low-band pass amplifiers. First, we have identified the open loop system in the frequency domain by using experimental setup with real amplifier and beam equipped in piezo-strips working as actuators and sensor, respectively. For the frequency range 1 Hz to 400 Hz we have obtained Bode plots with helped of Dynamic Signal Analyzer which were base to further calculations. Second, mathematical model have been adjusted to the experimental results by the least square sum approach and also by the consideration of a system which was modeled by finite elements. A three first resonance frequencies and three first anti-resonance frequencies have obtained.

Open projects for brain-computer interfaces and signal analysis: BCI.fuw.edu.pl and SignalML.org

Event Abstract Back to Event Open projects for brain-computer interfaces and signal analysis: BCI.fuw.edu.pl and SignalML.org Piotr Durka1*, Zbyszek Jedrzejewski-szmek1, Michal Dobaczewski1, Tiziano Zito2, Krzysztof Kulewski1 and Magda Michalska1 1 University of Warsaw, Poland 2 Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Germany Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are reaching the transition from science fiction, through scientific laboratories, to the status of useful appliances. Nevertheless, they still rely on a lot of complicated computations -- that is why they are termed brain-computer, rather than brain-machine, interfaces. A working BCI must provide real-time communications between several complicated software and hardware modules. Bci.fuw.edu.pl [1] hosts an open-source project aiming to: * Create free, open-source software for brain-computer interfacing and neurofeedback, as a collection of modules/programs for specific tasks. *Discuss and define relevant communication protocols between modules.*Collect relevant information and experiences with hardware implementations. We aim to create a place for both professionals and amateurs, in all the disciplines connected with BCI to exchage their experience, and encourage the BCI research community to discussion. One of the modules needed for EEG-based BCI, especially in the design stage, is the display and storage of the biomedical time series. As the display/annotation and offline analysis module we intend to use the outcome of another open project -- Svarog, which is a loose acronym for Signal Viewer, Analyzer and Recorder on GPL. This software [2], instead of providing input/output routines for specific file formats, separates the descriptions of specific formats to external descriptions in SignalML. layers

Minority Carrier Lifetime Measurement Based on Low Frequency Fluctuation

AbstractWe present a novel, simple, and accurate approach based on low frequency voltage fluctuations to determine the averaged carrier lifetime in semiconductor materials and devices. This technique serves to address the limitations faced by existing techniques that use light as the excitation source for lifetime measurement. In this paper, the minority carrier lifetime is inferred from the 1/f low frequency noise profile exhibited by the device during low current operation. The current dependence of the power spectral density and its relation to minority carrier lifetime is modeled and derived directly giving a current dependent carrier lifetime. This technique is solely based on the electrical noise and no light source is required for excitation. The low frequency noise can be easily acquired without significant distortion via a signal analyzer as long as there is a sufficiently good Ohmic contact between the probe and the device under test, and that the device is sufficiently shielded from the influence of EMI. This technique has lower crosstalk, fewer fitting parameters, is low cost and allows the lifetime to be extracted directly from data collected at lower frequencies. These characteristics make our method useful in encapsulated devices, applicable on wafers and devices in

Power Measurement in DVB-T Systems: On the Suitability of Parametric Spectral Estimation in DSP-Based Meters

Performance assessment and large-scale monitoring of terrestrial digital video broadcasting (DVB-T) transmission apparatuses are currently a pressing need due to the rapid growth of related broadcasting networks in many countries. Power measurements, in particular, play a very important role since RF and IF signal power, RF channel power, RF and IF power spectrum, noise (or unwanted) power, and power efficiency are relevant parameters to be measured as accurately as possible. Although modern spectrum analyzers and high-performance vector signal analyzers exhibit satisfying accuracy and repeatability, their cost, weight, and size make them unsuitable for the purpose. This paper is focused on the design and realization of a digital signal processing-based meter for power measurement in DVB-T systems that is capable of granting good accuracy, satisfying repeatability, reduced measurement time, and cost effectiveness. This paper deals with the digital signal processing algorithm to be implemented in the meter, paying attention to parametric power spectral density (PSD) estimators for their reduced memory requirement and potentially limited computational burden. In particular, a parametric estimation algorithm that is capable of assuring a fast measurement rate is implemented and made operative. The simulation and emulation stages are properly designed to regulate the most relevant parameters of the adopted PSD estimators according to the specific features of the signals involved; a number of experiments on actual DVB-T signals are conducted, the results of which are compared to those provided by competitive measurement solutions.

Extension of an absolute vector error correction technique to wideband, high-frequency measurements

The authors have previously demonstrated how a transmitter (Tx), a reciprocal transmitter/receiver (Tx/Rx) signal path and two unidirectional receiver (Rx) paths can be used together with short, open and load standards for the absolute vector error correction (AVEC) of a Tx/Rx module. Once calibrated, this Tx/Rx module can then provide accurate vector measurements of the signals that are flowing into and/or out of the test port. In order to simplify the analysis, the AVEC technique was applied to a simplified baseband circuit that did not include frequency conversion mixers in a previous paper. Now, in this paper the authors first show how the AVEC technique can be extended to the vector calibration of high-frequency receivers that involve frequency conversion mixers. The authors then show how to calibrate a system that allows for wideband absolute phase relationship measurements of periodic modulated signals, provided that the same local oscillator is employed for the two down-conversion receivers, and different radio frequencies and intermediate frequencies are employed in these receivers. This novel AVEC technique is one of the key concepts in the design of a wideband absolute vector signal measurement system, which overcomes the limitations of traditional measurement instruments by combining the features of vector signal analysers, spectrum analysers and vector network analysers.

Transmitter Identification Signal Analyzer for Single Frequency Network

A Single frequency network (SFN) design based on the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) terrestrial digital television (DTV) system normally causes interference among signals from multiple transmitters or repeaters in the network. The ATSC recommended practice (RP) A/111 introduces transmitter identification (TxID) signals embedded to the ATSC 8-VSB signals. A TxID signal analyzer is then used to detect the TxID signals and analyze the network. Following the analysis results, the SFN design can be managed by adjusting delay and power of multiple transmitters and repeaters. This paper presents basic concept of the Kasami sequence used as the TxID signals, and their insertion method to the ATSC 8-VSB signals. The structure of the TxID signal analyzer to efficiently detect TxID signals is proposed, and a theoretical approach to performance measurement of the TxID signal analyzer is discussed. In addition, computer simulation and laboratory test results are provided to evaluate the performance of the TxID signal analyzer.

New vector signal measuring system, featuring wide bandwidth, large dynamic range and high accuracy

A new measurement system, with two receiver channels per measurement port, has been developed that provides absolute magnitude and absolute phase relationship measurements over wide bandwidths. Gain ranging is used at RF to provide optimum noise performance and a swept YIG preselector filter is used to avoid spurious signals. A new absolute vector error correction method is used to calibrate the measurement system in order to allow for absolute vector measurements, and it also removes the time-varying responses caused by the swept YIG preselector filters. A quasi-reciprocal mixer with a characterized non-reciprocal ratio is used to provide the absolute calibration standard. The two receiver channels can be adapted to a wide variety of applications, including wide bandwidth vector signal analyzer measurements, mixer measurements, and harmonic measurements. The two-channels can also be used as an absolute calibrated transmitter/reflectometer.

송신기 식별 신호분석기

ATSC 방식의 지상파 디지털 TV 방송에서는 단일 주파수 망(Single Frequency Network: SFN) 구성 시 단일 주파수 사용에 따른 인접 송신기 혹은 중계기에 대한 간섭 문제가 발생한다. 이를 해결하기 위해 ATSC 권고에서는 각 송신기 및 중계기에 식별(Transmitter Identification: TxID) 신호를 할당하여 송신 및 중계 신호에 부가하여 전송하고, TxID 신호분석기를 통하여 각 송신기 및 중계기에 의해 발생되는 채널환경을 검출하여 망을 제어한다. 본 논문에서는 TxID 신호로 사용되는 Kasami 수열의 생성 및 DTV 신호로의 삽입방법에 관해 살펴보고, TxID 신호의 효율적인 분석을 위한 TxID 신호분석기의 구조를 제안한다. 또한, 수학적인 분석을 통해 제안된 TxID 신호분석기의 성능을 고찰하고, 전산실험 및 실험실 테스트를 통해 제안된 TxID 신호분석기의 성능을 검증한다. Single frequency network (SFN) design based on the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) specification, a terrestrial digital television (DTV) system, normally causes a interference problem, among signals from multiple transmitters or repeaters. To solve this, the ATSC recommended practice (RP) introduces a transmitter identification (TxID) signal embedded in a signal from each transmitter or repeater. A TxID signal analyzer is then used to detect the TxID signal, and following the analysis results, a SFN design can be adjusted. This paper discusses the generation and usages of Kasami sequence, is used the TxID signal. The configuration of the TxID signal analyzer to efficiently detect TxID signal is proposed and the results of theoretical performance analysis are provided. Moreover, computer simulation and laboratory test results are provided to evaluate the performance of TxID signal analyzer and the theoretical performance analysis.

New absolute vector error correction technique for a transmitter/receiver module

The authors demonstrate how a transmitter (Tx), a reciprocal transmitter/receiver (Tx/Rx) signal path and two unidirectional receiver (Rx) paths can be used together with short, open, and load standards for the absolute vector error correction (AVEC) of a Tx/Rx module. Once calibrated, this Tx/Rx module can then provide accurate vector measurements of the signals that are flowing into and/or out of the test port. This novel AVEC technique is one of the key concepts in the design of a wideband absolute vector signal measurement system, which overcomes the limitations of traditional measurement instruments by combining the features of vector signal analysers, spectrum analysers, and vector network analysers. The AVEC method is validated using numerical simulation data for a simplified baseband test circuit. The AVEC technique is then extended to the calibration of wideband, high-frequency Tx/Rx modules that involve frequency up/down conversion mixers in a follow-on paper.

Automatic Apparatus for Simultaneous Measurement of Resistance and Inductance Temperature Transition Dependences of Superconductors

An automatic measurement complex for the study of transition properties of HTc superconductors using the transport method of the measurement of the resistance temperature dependence and the contactless mutual inductance method of the measurement of temperature dependence of the induced voltage based on the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect have been developed. In addition, temperature dependences of harmonic components of the induced voltage may be measured simultaneously using the Bruel & Kjaer signal analyzer. Results of transport and induced voltage measurements are compared using YBCO superconductors with distinct grain and intergrain properties prepared by different technological procedures. The question of the mutual compatibility of such methods is discussed.

Dynamic properties of sandwich beams with MWNT/polymer nanocomposites as core materials

The dynamic properties of sandwich beams with MWNT/polymer nanocomposites as core materials were investigated. The faces of sandwich beams are graphite/epoxy laminates. Epoxy and phenolic resins served as a matrix material, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) provided reinforcement of the fabricated MWNT/polymer nanocomposites as core materials for sandwich beams. The frequency responses of sandwich beams under excitation were measured experimentally with a signal analyzer; the half-power method was used to find the loss factors of the sandwich beams for each mode. The finite element method was used for free vibration analysis of the sandwich beams; the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the sandwich beams were calculated numerically. The numerical and experimental results agreed satisfactorily.