Electronic & RF / Radio Frequency Noise

- details and overview of the different types of electronic and radio frequency, RF, noise
that can be experienced in RF and electronic circuits.

RF noise basics
RF noise measurement

Noise is a key factor in many electronic and radio frequency or RF circuits.

Noise comes in many forms. It can be generated in many ways and noise can affect
electronic and radio frequency, RF circuits and systems.
These different types of noise may affect circuits in different ways, or they may need to be
taken into account in different ways.
As a result it necessary to distinguish between the different types of noise and define how
they are generated. In this way their effects can be minimised to a certain degree, although
it is never possible to eliminate noise.

Nature of noise
Although there are many different types of noise, there are many aspects of noise that are
common across all types along with the various forms of description.
Noise by its very definition is random. It extends in various forms across the frequency
spectrum, although not always in the same amplitude. Accordingly there are different
categories of noise according to the frequency distribution:
1) White noise: White noise is the type of noise that affects all frequencies equally. It

spreads up from zero frequency upwards with a flat amplitude.

2) Pink noise: Pink noise gains its name from the fact that it does not have a flat response.

Its power density falls with increasing frequency. It gains its name because red light is at
the lower end of the light spectrum.
3) Band limited noise: Noise can have its frequency band limited either by filters or the
circuit through which it passes.
"ya sea"

Effect of electronic / RF noise

Noise can have many effects on a system. Amplitude noise, i.e. variations in amplitude
caused by noise can mask out a signal, or it can cause data errors, increasing the bit error
rate. For the best performance, obviously the signal should be as clear of the noise as
possible, although in many instances, there is an optimum return balancing an acceptable
level of data errors or signal to noise ratio against the cost involved.

Signal noise

Amplitude based forms of noise tend to have more effect on amplitude based systems
whereas noise from phase jitter tends to affect phase modulated systems more.

Different types of RF / electronic noise

The various forms of electronic or radio frequency, RF noise can be categorised in a
number of ways. However the list below details some of the main types:
1) Thermal noise: This form of noise, also referred to as Johnson or Johnson Nyquist noise

arises as a result of the thermal agitation of charge carriers - typically electrons - in a

conductor. As the temperature, and hence the agitation of the charge carriers increases so
does the level of noise.
This noise is a major form of noise experienced in low noise amplifiers and the like. To
reduce it, very high performance amplifiers, e.g. those used for radio astronomy, etc.,
have been operated at very low temperatures. Figures like noise temperature are used as
a measure of the level of this thermal noise. Read more . . .
2) Shot noise: This form of noise that arises from the time-dependent fluctuations in
electrical current. This is caused by the discrete nature of electron charges. Shot noise is
particularly noticeable in semiconductor devices, such as tunnel junctions, Schottky barrier
diodes and p-n junctions. Read more . . .
3) Phase noise: Phase noise is a form of RF noise that is visible on radio frequency, and
other signals. It appears in the form of phase jitter or perturbations on the signal. These
manifest themselves as sidebands that spread out either side of the signal or carrier.
Phase noise can affect a signal or system in a variety of ways. One major area is when
phase modulation is used to carry digital information. Phase noise can degrade the bit
error rate, as the noise can disrupt the phase changes that indicate the state of the data to
be transmitted. Read more . . .
4) Flicker noise, 1/f noise: This type of noise occurs in almost all electronic devices. It has a
variety of causes, each related to the direct current flow. It has a frequency spectrum that
falls off steadily into the higher frequencies. Read more . . .
5) Avalanche noise: This is a form of noise that is generated when a junction diode is
operated close to the point of avalanche breakdown. This occurs in semiconductor
junctions when the carriers in a high voltage gradient develop sufficient energy to dislodge

additional carriers through physical impact. The current generated by this is not even as it
is determined by high energy electrons hitting the crystal lattice to generate more hole
electron pairs. As a result it is a very noisy process.Read more . . .

Electronic noise or RF noise can take many forms. It is of particular importance within RF
applications because it can cause disruption to many systems. However it is also of interest
in many other areas such as audio and other areas where signals are processed, it is even
important in digital systems where noise can cause data to be corrupted.
As different types of noise affect systems in different ways, it is necessary to adopt
different tactics to reduce their effects wherever possible.

Electronic / RF Noise Measurement

Measurement techniques and specifications for electronic or RF noise.

As noise is an inherent element within any electronic or RF circuit, it is necessary to

quantify of measure the noise.
By measuring the RF noise it is possible to assess the level and ensure that the system is
able to operate satisfactorily.
There are ways in which noise is measured and ways of specifying noise.
These different methods of measuring noise and specifying it will depend on the particular
application.

Noise specifications
There are many ways of specifying noise in electronic circuits. The way it is specified
depends upon the application.
One of the first ways in which noise was specified was related to radio receivers. Here
noise specifications relate to the receiver sensitivity and include specifications including
signal to noise ratio, noise figure and the like.

Note on Receiver Sensitivity:

The main limiting factor on receiver sensitivity is noise. Accordingly receiver sensitivity
specifications revolve around noise specifications. The chief receiver specifications are
signal to noise ratio, SINAD and noise figure. Each looks at the receiver performance with
respect to noise.
Click for more information on Receiver sensitivity.

For many other applications, the noise spectral density is used. This is a measure of the
noise power within a certain bandwidth. Noise power density has the dimension of power /
frequency.

Noise in 1 Hz bandwidth

Typically the specification is specified in dBm and within a 1 Hz bandwidth, i.e. dBm / Hz.
Interestingly the thermal noise in a 50 system at room temperature is -174 dBm / Hz.
It is then easy to relate this to other bandwidths:
Bandwidth
(f) Hz

Thermal Noise Power

dBm

-174

10

-164

100

-154

1k

-144

10k

-134

5Mhz

Noise measurement techniques

There are many ways of measuring noise in an electronic of RF system. There are
specialised meters for measuring noise figure, SINAD, and other figures. Apart from these,
standard test equipment may also be used.

Meter method: It is possible to utilise a simple meter and other elements to measure
noise levels. The concept of noise measurement system can be explained by looking at
what is required.

Simple noise measurement system

The noise measurement system shows a typical measurement circuit. Noise generated by the unit
under test is amplified to a suitable level - the gain of the amplifier must be known.
The meter used should have an averaging capability, because the noise level is random and will
vary. While most digital meters have an averaging capability, analogue meters inherently average
any changes.

Spectrum analyser: Most modern spectrum analysers have built in capabilities for
measuring noise levels. The analyser settings should be selected to ensure that the
optimum conditions are set. These will depend to a large degree on the analyser used.

Plot of phase noise using spectrum analyser

Noise measurement precautions

One of the easiest ways of measuring noise levels is to use a spectrum analyser. It is able to
determine the noise power in a given bandwidth. This can then be related to another
bandwidth by scaling the power level measured to the required bandwidth.
However there are other factors to take into account.

Filter shape: As the spectrum analyser filter shape is not completely square and needs a
finite band to change from its pass-band to its stop-band, this shape needs to be
accommodated when calculating the noise in a given bandwidth.

Filter responses for noise measurement

Fortunately this is a simple calculation for modern analysers that can give readings of
noise power in a given bandwidth - this is often normalised to dBm / Hz.

Spectrum analyser noise performance: The noise performance of the spectrum analyser Note
must be better than the noise to be measured. If not, the reading will be that of the
spectrum analyser.