Real-time noise-suppression method and apparatus therefor

• US 7,089,158 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ben K. Sternberg, Steven L. Dvorak
• Original Assignee: Ben K. Sternberg, Steven L. Dvorak
• Inventors: Sternberg, Ben K., Dvorak, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L.
• Application Number:
  US10/388,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 702/106, 702/191, 324/613
• US Class Current: 702/191
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3191 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

A thorough error suppression signal measurement system (20) having a transmitter (300) for propagating a transmission signal to a first probe 100, through a device under test (26), and into a second probe (200), and for propagating reference signals to the probes (100,200). The probes (100,200) extract normalization signals from the reference signals, exchange specific ones of the normalization signals, and combine the normalization signals with data signals derived from the transmission signal to form receiver signals. The probes (100,200) propagate the receiver signals to a receiver (400), where the signals are gain-ranged, digitized, normalized, and compensated for phase-noise.

Claims

1. A method of noise suppression in a signal measurement system, said method comprising:

a) providing a first signal;

b) deriving a second signal from said first signal, wherein said second signal is an analog signal;

c) deriving a third signal from said first signal, wherein said third signal is an analog signal;

d) analyzing said third signal to determine the presence of noise within said first signal; and

e) compensating, when said analyzing activity d) determines said noise is present within said first signal, said second signal in response to said noise within said first signal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deriving activities b) and c) are executed substantially concurrently.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said method additionally comprises, prior to said compensating activity e), converting said second signal into a fourth signal, wherein said fourth signal is a digital signal;

said method additionally comprises, prior to said analyzing activity d), converting said third signal into a fifth signal, wherein said fifth signal is a digital signal;

said analyzing activity d) analyzes said fifth signal; and

said compensating activity e) compensates said fourth signal.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said analyzing activity d) comprises:

transforming said fifth signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to produce a sixth signal distributed into a first plurality of frequency bins; and

categorizing each of said frequency bins as a noise bin containing a noise energy peculiar thereto.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said compensating activity e) comprises:

transforming said fourth signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to produce a seventh signal distributed into a second plurality of frequency bins;

correlating each frequency bin in said second plurality with a corresponding frequency bin in said first plurality; and

subtracting said noise energy of each frequency bin in said first plurality from said correlated frequency bin in said second plurality.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deriving activity c) comprises:

extracting a fourth signal from said first signal;

providing a fifth signal;

mixing said fourth signal and said fifth signal to produce a sixth signal; and

down-converting said sixth signal to produce said third signal.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said method additionally comprises calibrating said third signal to determine invariant phase perturbations therefor; and

said compensating activity e) comprises subtracting said invariant phase perturbations from said second signal.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deriving activity b) comprises:

extracting a fourth signal from said first signal;

providing a fifth signal;

mixing said fourth signal and said fifth signal to produce a sixth signal; and

down-converting said sixth signal to produce said second signal.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said providing activity a) provides said first signal at a first frequency

said deriving activity b) derives said second signal at a second frequency;

said deriving activity c) derives said third signal at a third frequency; and

said method additionally comprises establishing a frequency band, all frequencies of which are within ten percent of a center frequency thereof, wherein each of said first, second, and third frequencies is a different frequency within said frequency band.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said method additionally comprises producing a fourth signal;

said method additionally comprises injecting said fourth signal into said first signal to produce a fifth signal, said fifth signal being a composite of said first signal and said fourth signal;

said deriving activity c) derives said third signal from said fifth signal; and

said method additionally comprises determining invariant phase perturbations of said first signal from said third signal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising:

coupling a first probe to a first port of a device-under-test;

coupling a second probe to a second port of said device-under-test;

propagating said first signal from said first probe into said first port of said device-under-test to said second port of said device-undertest and into said second probe;

deriving, within said first probe, a fourth signal from said first signal;

deriving, within said first probe, a fifth signal from said first signal;

deriving, within said second probe, a sixth signal from said first signal;

deriving, within said second probe, a seventh signal from said first signal;

reciprocally propagating said fifth and seventh signals from said first and second probes to said second and first probes, respectively, over a common signal path;

combining, within said first probe, said fourth signal and said seventh signal to produce said second signal; and

combining, within said second probe, said sixth signal and said fifth signal to produce an eighth signal.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 additionally comprising:

interposing a reciprocal amplification circuit into said common signal path between said first and second probes;

amplifying said fifth signal during said propagation from said first probe to said second probe; and

amplifying said seventh signal during said propagation from said second probe to said first probe.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said noise is phase noise.

14. A method of calibrating a noise channel in a signal measurement system, said method comprising:

providing a first signal;

producing a second signal;

injecting said second signal into said first signal to produce a third signal, said third signal being a composite of said first signal and said second signal;

deriving a fourth signal from said third signal; and

determining invariant perturbations of said first signal from said fourth signal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said producing activity comprises:

extracting a fifth signal from said first signal;

providing a sixth signal; and

mixing said fifth and sixth signals to produce said second signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said deriving activity comprises:

extracting a seventh signal from said third signal;

providing an eighth signal;

mixing said seventh and eighth signals to produce a ninth signal; and

down-converting said ninth signal to produce said fourth signal.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein, prior to said determining activity, said fourth signal is an analog signal, and wherein said determining activity comprises:

converting said fourth signal into a fifth signal, said fifth signal being a digital signal in the time domain;

transforming said fifth signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to produce a sixth signal distributed into a plurality of frequency bins;

determining which of said frequency bins contain energy of said perturbations, each of said bins being a noise bin containing a noise energy peculiar thereto; and

categorizing each of said frequency bins as a noise bin containing a noise energy peculiar thereto.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said perturbations comprise noise.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said noise is phase noise.

20. A method of noise suppression in a signal measurement system, said method comprising:

providing a first signal;

deriving a second signal from said first signal, wherein said second signal is an analog signal;

deriving a third signal from said first signal substantially concurrently with said second signal, wherein said third signal is an analog signal;

converting said second signal into a fourth signal, wherein said fourth signal is a digital signal;

converting said third signal into a fifth signal, wherein said fifth signal is a digital signal;

analyzing said fifth signal to determine the presence of phase noise within said first signal; and

compensating, when said analyzing activity d) determines said phase noise is present within said first signal, said fourth signal in response to said noise within said first signal.