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Frequency and Period Measurement: Transmitter

This document describes the key components and operating principles of a frequency counter. It discusses how the counter uses a time base generator consisting of a crystal oscillator, frequency divider, and decoder to gate input signals and count pulses over set time intervals. This allows it to measure input signal periods and frequencies. Sources of measurement errors from gating uncertainties, oscillator drift, and crystal aging are also outlined.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
65 views24 pages

Frequency and Period Measurement: Transmitter

This document describes the key components and operating principles of a frequency counter. It discusses how the counter uses a time base generator consisting of a crystal oscillator, frequency divider, and decoder to gate input signals and count pulses over set time intervals. This allows it to measure input signal periods and frequencies. Sources of measurement errors from gating uncertainties, oscillator drift, and crystal aging are also outlined.

Uploaded by

SavuDanielF
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Frequency and Period Measurement

ω vt
transmitter l= 2

receiver

t
Frequency Counter Display

Memory

Strobe
Input
Signal Decade
Input counter
Processor

Reset
Gate
Time base

Input N
f =
t
Gate t
Output N pulses
Time Base

Time base
Crystal signal
Frequency
Oscillator
Divider
Circuit (OSC)

•Non-compensated OSC
•Temp. compensated OSC
•Oven-type OSC

Quartz crystal
High Q ~ 10000

symbol Equivalent circuit


4-bit Binary State decoder
Counter
A
ABCD
B “0000”
C Reset
D State 0
1s
10 Hz
Time base 100 Hz 0.1 s
1 kHz 0.01 s ABCD
“0010” Open
2 gate

Crystal Time base


Frequency
Oscillator
Divider signal ABCD
Circuit (OSC)
“1100” Close
12 gate

ABCD
Logic Diagram of a time “1110” Store
base for a frequency counter
14
Input Signal Processing

Output
(Digital)

Comparator

Input
(Analog)
Amplifier

Input Comparator Output


Amplifier (Schmitt
(Analog) (Digital)
Trigger)
Schmitt Trigger: Comparator with Hysteresis

Vo

Vref V(1) Trigger level


+ (Vref)
Vo
Vin
V(0) output
Vin

Vref
Vo
R2 R3 Vref
V(1)
VTH
R1 VTL
+
Vo V(0)
Vin Vin output
VTL VTH
Period Measurement

Time base Time base


f = 1 MHz f = 1 MHz

1 µs 1 µs
X pulses Y pulses
counted counted

T PW
Digital measurement of time period
Digital measurement of pulse width
T = (X pulses)(1 µs)
PW = Y µs
= X µs
Period Measurement (between pulses)
start
Input Signal S Gate Count
Signal A Proccessor
Counter
Q
stop
Input Signal
CLK Core system
Signal B Proccessor
R S R Q
1 MHz 1 kHz 0 0 Not use
Control circuit 0 1 1
100 kHz 10 kHz 1 0 0
1 1 No change
A (start)
B (stop)
Gate t
CLK
Count
Period Measurement (pulse duration)
Vref
A C
-
start + S S R Q
stop 0 0 No change
0 1 0
Vref D 1 0 1
- B Gate 1 1 Not use
Amp R Q
+
Comparator

start input
stop Control Gate
circuit Counter
A
B
C CLK

D
Period Measurement (pulse period)
V(1)

SET
D
J Q Gate
+
A B
-
Input C K CLR
Q

High-pass
filter Comparator
V(1) = 5 V
A
V(0) = 0 V
+2.5 V
B -2.5 V
V(1) = 5 V
C V(0) = 0 V
V(1) = 5 V
D
V(0) = 0 V
Measurement Error
1) Gating error (± 1 count)
Frequency measurement
5 pulses If fin = 10 Hz, Gate time = 1 s
Display count: 10±1 counts
6 pulses If fin = 1000 Hz, Gate time = 1 s
Display count: 1000±1 counts

Gate open If fx < fo Period measurement


if fx > fo Frequency measurement
fc: clock frequency fx: unknown frequency
Period meas.: the number of pulses (Np)
Np = fc/fx
Frequency meas.: with 1 s gate time the number of pulses (Nf)
Nf = f x
The crossover frequency (fo) Np = Nf
fc/fo = fo; fo =√fc
Measurement Error
2) Time-base Error
•Oscillator calibration errors
•Short-term crystal stability errors
(voltage transient, shock, vibrate, temperature)
•Long-term crystal stability errors
(aging, deterioration of crystal)
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 60 kHz
Loran-C, a navigation signal at 100 kHz ∆F
Slope~ 10-6deg
Fequency Phase
Recorder
Receiver
Multiplier Detector
Slope~ 10-9deg

Local
Frequency
Source
Adjustment Time
10 20 30 40 50
(weeks)
Ex A frequency counter with an accuracy of ± 1 LSD ± (1×10-6) is employed to measure
frequencies of 100 Hz, 1 MHz, and 100 MHz. Calculate the percentage measurement
error in each case.

At f = 100 Hz
error = ± (1 count ± 100 Hz × 10-6)
= ± (1 count ± 1 × 10-4 count)
≈ ± 1 count
 1 
% error = ±  × 100% 
 100 Hz 
= ± 1%
At f = 1000 Hz
error = ± (1 count ± 1 MHz × 10-6)
= ± (1 count ± 1 count)
= ± 2 count
 2 
% error = ±  × 100% 
 1 MHz 
= ± 2 × 10-4 %
At f = 100 MHz
error = ± (1 count ± 100 MHz × 10-6)
= ± (1 count ± 100 count)
= ± 101 count
 101 
% error = ±  × 100% 
 100 MHz 
= ± 1.01 × 10-4 %
Time base
error

Time base output

Low frequency
error
Low frequency ± 1 pulse

High frequency
High frequency
error
± X pulse
Measurement Error
3) Trigger Level Error (Noise)
-Use large signal amplitudes and fast rise time
Trigger Trigger
level level
∆T Noisy signal Cleaned signal

Maximum accuracy could be obtained by

1) use period measurement if fx < fc


use frequency measurement if fx > fc
2) Calibrate regularly to prevent long-term stability error
3) Reduce trigger level error in time measurement by using
large signal and fast rise time
Hysteresis
band

UTP

LTP

'clean' sine wave crosses Noisy sine wave crosses


Attenuated noisy wave
the hystereis band twice the hystereis band more
form crosses the
during each cycle - than twice during each
hystereis band twice
triggering counting cycle - produce counting
during each cycle
circuits once per cycle error

UTP

LTP

PW PW

Measured PW Measured PW

A low amplitude input pulse Amplification of the input


can produce errors in pulse pulse minimizes the pulse
width measurement width measurement
Ex จงหา resolution และคาความถี่สูงสุดที่สามารถแสงผลไดในเครื่องวัด
ความถี่ที่มีการแสดงผลแบบ 7 หลัก ถาเวลาของสัญญาณเกตถูกตั้งไวที่ 1
วินาที (resolution = 1 Hz, Max. freq. = 9,999,999 Hz)
Ex เครื่องวัดความถี่เครื่องหนึ่งมีความผิดพลาดจากการนับ ±1 ครั้ง (±1 count)
และมีความผิดพลาดจากฐานเวลา 5 สวนในลานสวน (ppm: part per million)
จงหาคาเปอรเซ็นตความผิดพลาดเมื่อใชวัดความถี่ 1 kHz
ความผิดพลาดรวมเทากับผลรวมของความผิดพลาดทั้งสอง
ความผิดพลาด = ± (1 count + 1 kHz x 5 ppm)
= ± (1 count + 0.005 count)
คาเปอรเซ็นตความผิดพลาด = ± 1.005
1000 x 100 = 0.1%
Specifications of a freq./period Measurement

Frequency mode
Range: DC to 50 MHz
Gate time: Manual 1 ms to 100 s in decade step
Automatic up 1 s gate time
Period mode
Range: 1 µs to 1 s unit in µs

Duration mode
Range: 100 ns to 104 s
Inputs: 2 channels for start signal and 1 channel
for stop signal
Extending the frequency range of a counter
™Prescaler (upto 1.5 GHz)
1-10
MHz 10 MHz
10 - 100
MHz ÷10 Frequency
Counter

Reduce resolution but can be improved by extending gate time

™Heterodyne Technique
frequency Input
selector Signal (f2)

Counter
100 MHz Harmonic Tuned Low Pass
Amp.
Generator Cavity Filter

f1 ± f2 f1 - f2
100 MHz – 5GHz (f1)
Homodyne and Heterodyne technique
sin2π f1 t ½ {cos [2π( f2- f1 )]t +
cos [2π( f2+ f1 )]t}

sin2π f2 t

If f1 = f2; Homodyne
1
1
0.8

Time
0.5
0.6

domain 0.5 1 1.5 2 0.4

-0.5 0.2

-1 0.5 1 1.5 2
Amplitude

Frequency Amplitude difference sum


domain
f f
0 f1 0 2f1
Homodyne and Heterodyne technique

If f1 ≠ f2; Heterodyne

Time
0.75
0.5
0.5
domain 0.25

0.5 1 1.5 2 0.5 1 1.5 2


-0.25

-0.5 -0.5
-0.75
-1
Amplitude

Amplitude
Frequency
domain
f f
0 f1 f2 0 f2 - f1 f1 + f2
Automatic Heterodyne Unit

1.0 GHz 500 MHz


Ex input freq. 2.1 GHz A
1.5 ± 2.1 =3.6, 0.6 GHz
1.5 GHz
2.0 ± 2.1 =4.1, 0.1 GHz
ft = 500 MHz
f
2.0 GHz To 500 MHz
Low Counter
Harmonic Switch Pass
Generator Filter
2.5 GHz

Level
3.0 GHz
Detector
X5
Control
3.5 GHz logic

100 MHz Level


from Detector
Frequency Input
Counter 500 MHz - 4 GHz
Accuracy
™Prescaler
fin: input freq.
fin N : divider of prescaler
Displayed freq. = t
N t : gate time

Accuracy ∝ t exactly the same as the counter


without a prescaler

™Heterodyne Technique
Q Q : Time-base Divisor
Gate time, t = fc : Time-base Clk freq.
fc
N : Harmonic number
Input freq., fin = f in′ ± Nf c
Q Q
Displayed freq. = fin = f in′ ± NQ = f in′ t ± NQ
fc fc
Accuracy ∝ t; (NQ is constant)
Computing Counter
Input Input Gate
Signal A
Processing Counter

Count in A
Input freq. =
B Count in B
Counter

Precision Time
Computer Count in A
Clock Base
Input time =
Clk freq.
Period/
Frequency
Display

9 Opening and Closing gate are controlled from either the


input signal or the internal clock.
9 Computer will help to determine whether freq./period will be
performed.

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