Iq Signal Users Guide

IQsignal
User Guide
Litepoint Corporation
LPT802-11-L00
Rev. 1.2.6
December 7th, 2006
Revision History
Release date
Revision
December 12, 2006
GUI version1.4.0.p
Change Description
Updated to reflect 1.2.6 release software.

Trademarks
Copyright 2004-2006 Litepoint Corporation

All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means without the written permission of Litepoint Corp.
IQview is a registered tradermark of LitePoint Corp. IQflex, IQsignal and IQwave are
trademarks of Litepoint Corp.
Microsoft Windows is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries.
All trademarks or registered trademarks are owned by their respective owners.
The information furnished by Litepoint Corp. is believed to be accurate and reliable.
However, no responsibility is assumed by Litepoint for its use. Litepoint reserves the right to
change specifications and documentation at any time without notice.
Attention
LitePoint Corporation reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other
information contained in this document without prior notice!
Litepoint Corporation makes no warranty of any kind with regards to this material, including
but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Litepoint shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for material or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
LitePoint Corporation
575 Maude Court
Sunnyvale, CA 94085-2803
United States of America
Telephone: 1 408 456 5000
Facsimile: 1 408 456 0106
E-mail: support@litepoint.com
www.litepoint.com/support
Rev. 1.2.6
Table of Contents
Revision History........................................................................................... 2
Trademarks.................................................................................................. 2
Attention....................................................................................................... 2
Using the IQsignal Application........................................9

Vector Signal Analyzer ....................................................................................... 9
Main Menu ....................................................................................................... 13
File Menu ................................................................................................... 14
Setup Menu ............................................................................................... 15
Parameters ................................................................................................ 15
Setting the Parameters .............................................................................. 15
Loading Calibration Files IQview ............................................................... 19
Tools Menu ................................................................................................ 19
Help ........................................................................................................... 20
Analyzing Graph Options ................................................................................. 21
Amplitude................................................................................................... 24
Spectrogram .............................................................................................. 26
Power Spectrum Density ........................................................................... 27
Power Measurement Results Window ....................................................... 29
EVM and Power Measurement Result Window......................................... 32
Spectrum Mask .......................................................................................... 34
CCDF......................................................................................................... 34
Symbol Constellation ................................................................................. 35
Spectral Flatness ....................................................................................... 37
Local Oscillator Leakage ........................................................................... 37
Phase noise (PSD) .................................................................................... 39
Phase Error (Time) .................................................................................... 41
Power On Ramp ........................................................................................ 42
Power Down Ramp.................................................................................... 42
I&Q Signals................................................................................................ 44
Short Training Symbols.............................................................................. 45
Frequency Error......................................................................................... 45
Error Vector Magnitude Versus Carrier...................................................... 47
Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) Versus Time.............................................. 47
Eye Diagram Graph ................................................................................... 50
Amplitude vs. Time Graph (OFDM) ........................................................... 51
Using the Zooming Tool ................................................................................... 51
Using the Slider Method to Zoom .............................................................. 51
Rev. 1.2.6
Using the Left-Click and Drag Method to Zoom......................................... 52

VSA Panel Tool ................................................................................................ 55
Slider Operation......................................................................................... 55
Tracking Operation .................................................................................... 57
Fast DC Update Button.............................................................................. 58
Reset Compensation Button...................................................................... 58
Optimize EVM Operation ........................................................................... 58
Vector Signal Generator ................................................................................... 59
Main Menu ....................................................................................................... 70
File Menu ................................................................................................... 70
Tools .......................................................................................................... 70
Help ........................................................................................................... 71
VSG Panel Tool................................................................................................ 71
Rev. 1.2.6
List of Figures
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
Figure 10.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
Figure 14.
Figure 15.
Figure 16.
Figure 17.
Figure 21.
Figure 18.
Figure 19.
Figure 20.
Figure 21.
Figure 22.
Figure 23.
Figure 24.
Figure 25.
Figure 26.
Figure 27.
Figure 28.
Figure 29.
EVM Measurement Application Main Window ........................................................... 10

Example of User Defined MHz input option (2410MHz selected) ............................. 13
File Menu ................................................................................................................... 14
Setup Menu ............................................................................................................... 15
Parameters Window .................................................................................................. 16
Parameters Window Indicating Connection Not Established .................................... 20
Load Calibration Files IQview Menu Item .................................................................. 20
Tools Menu ................................................................................................................ 21
Help windows showing software version along with other information. ..................... 21
Drop-down Menus for Selecting Analysis on Captured Signal .................................. 22
Analyze Mode Graph Options (Top Left, Left and Right Drop-Down Menus) ............ 22
Amplitude Display Mode for 802.11a/g OFDM signal ................................................ 24
Same display as in Figure 12, but enabling Display Packet Information. Observe the
purple marker. ............................................................................................................ 25
Illustration of purple markers indicating the 802.11b packet being analyzed. ............ 26
Illustration of a bad packet, where data stops before the expected end of packet
(Symbol Timing Tracking is set to off). ....................................................................... 27
Zooming of the packet in Figure 15, allows the analysis of the good part of a
incorrectly formatted data packet. .............................................................................. 28
Spectrum Plot with WDCT blocker ............................................................................ 28
Example of PDS graph measuring a CW signal with 1MHz offset ............................ 29
Traditional Spectrum Analyzer View .......................................................................... 29
PSD Graph for 802.11a/g signal (upper left), Turbo mode signal (upper right), ASTM
DSRC (lower left), and quarter rate signal (lower right) ............................................. 30
PSD Graph for 802.11b Signal .................................................................................. 31
Example of PDS graph measuring a CW signal with 1MHz offset ............................ 31
Power Measurement Results Window ....................................................................... 32
EVM & Power Measurements Result Window 802.11b (left) and 802.11a/g (right) .. 33
By right clicking on the I/Q Match window the unit of the amplitude imbalance can be
selected ..................................................................................................................... 34
Spectrum Mask Graph for 802.11b Signal ................................................................. 35
Spectrum Mask Graph OFDM 802.11a/g Signal ....................................................... 35
CCDF Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal (Left) and DSSS 802.11b signal (Right) .. 36
CCDF Compressed OFDM Signal Graph (Left) and compressed DSSS Signal Graph
(Right) ........................................................................................................................ 36
Symbol Constellation Graph for 802.11b Signals. 1Mbps (left), 2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, and
11Mbps CCK (right) - the latter all have the same constellation ................................ 37
Revision 1.2.6
Figure 30.
Figure 31.
Figure 32.
Figure 33.
Figure 34.
Figure 36.
Figure 35.
Figure 37.
Figure 38.
Figure 39.
Figure 40.
Figure 41.
Figure 42.
Figure 43.
Figure 44.
Figure 45.
Figure 46.
Figure 47.
Figure 49.
Figure 48.
Figure 51.
Figure 50.
Figure 52.
Figure 53.
Figure 54.
Figure 55.
Figure 56.
Figure 57.
Figure 58.
Figure 59.
Figure 60.
Figure 61.
Figure 62.
Figure 63.
Figure 64.
Symbol Constellation Graphs OFDM 802.11a/g Signals. 6/9Mbps (BPSK) - upper left,
12/18Mbps (QPSK) - upper right, 24/36Mbps (QAM-16) - lower left, 48/54Mbps (QAM64) - lower right. ......................................................................................................... 38
Spectral Flatness Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal ............................................... 39
LO (DC) Leakage Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal ............................................... 39
LO (CD) Leakage Graph for correct test signal (Left) and normal 802.11b DSSS signal
(Right) ........................................................................................................................ 40
Spectral plot of the required 802.11b test signal to measure LO (DC) leakage ......... 40
Phase Noise Time Graph (CCK) ............................................................................... 41
Phase Noise (PSD) Graph ........................................................................................ 41
Phase Noise Time Graph for OFDM 802.1a/g Signal ................................................ 42
Power On Ramp Graph for 802.11b (11Mbps) .......................................................... 43
Power Down Ramp Graph for CCK ........................................................................... 43
I&Q Signals for 802.11b ............................................................................................. 44
I&Q Signals for OFDM 802.11a/g .............................................................................. 44
STS Pretzel from 801.11a/g Signal ........................................................................... 45
Frequency error for baseband signal with very small frequency error for 802.11b .... 46
Coarse Frequency Error for Short and Long Training Sequence (OFDM 802.11a/g
Signal) ....................................................................................................................... 46
Illustration of frequency pulling during Short Training Sequence. ............................. 47
EVM Versus Carrier for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal ...................................................... 48
EVM Versus Symbol for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal ..................................................... 48
EVM vs. Symbol plot with same captured signal as in Figure 47 but with fewer subcarriers selected ........................................................................................................ 49
Pop-up window to define the sub-carriers to be analyzed ......................................... 49
Eye Graph for 802.11b Signal ................................................................................... 50
EVM Versus Time for 802.11b Signal (CCK) ............................................................. 50
Amplitude vs. time graph for OFDM modulated signal. ............................................. 51
Zoom Slider ............................................................................................................... 52
Amplitude Graph Showing Time Interval Capture in 500 Microseconds ................... 53
Zoom Time Slider Repositioned to the Right ............................................................. 53
Left-Click and Drag Method ....................................................................................... 54
Illustration of zooming on one of the two lower windows. Left before zoom, Right
resulting zoom ........................................................................................................... 54
Starting the VSA panel .............................................................................................. 55
VSA panel after startup .............................................................................................. 56
Slider portion of VSA Panel. ...................................................................................... 56
Portion of VSA panel used to control tracking ........................................................... 58
Optimize EVM portion of VSA Panel ......................................................................... 59
Optimize EVM window after executing Optimize EVM .............................................. 60
VSA Panel after performing Optimize EVM and Transfer values to Sliders. ............. 61
Revision 1.2.6
Figure 65.
Figure 66.
Figure 67.
Figure 68.
Figure 69.
Figure 70.
Figure 71.
Figure 72.
Figure 73.
Figure 74.
Vector Signal Generator Main Window ...................................................................... 62

Illustration of user defined frequency input for VSG panel ........................................ 62
Red Bomb Indicator on VSG. Also observe the two added common mode control slide
bars after enabling the Set CMV ............................................................................... 64
Vector Signal Generator File Menu ........................................................................... 70
Vector Signal Generator Tool menu ........................................................................... 70
About IQview Window ............................................................................................... 71
The VSGpanel Pop-up Window ................................................................................. 72
Relationship between IQ mismatch in dB and IQ mismatch in %. ............................. 73
Red Bomb Indicator of Impaired Transmit IQ Signal ................................................. 75
Red Bomb Indicator of Impaired Transmit VSG Signal ............................................. 76
Revision 1.2.6
List of Tables
Table 1.
Table 2.
Table 3.
Table 4.
Table 5.
Table 6.
Table 7.
Table 8.
Table 9.
Table 10.
EVM Measurement Application Window Description.............................................. 10

File Menu ................................................................................................................ 14
Parameters Window ............................................................................................... 16
Tools Menu ............................................................................................................. 21
Analyze Mode Graph Options (Top Left Menu) ...................................................... 23
Analyze Mode Graph Options (Left Menu) ............................................................. 23
Summary of units for compensation ....................................................................... 57
Vector Signal Generator Functions......................................................................... 63
Overview of supplied wave forms to use with IQ signal.......................................... 65
File Menu description.............................................................................................. 70
Rev. 1.2.6
Vector Signal Analyzer
Using the IQsignal Application

IQsignal is an Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) Measurement Application specifically designed
for analyzing the complex signals generated in 802.11 a/b/g radio frequency (RF) communications. Additionally, the application is capable of verifying compliance with the applicable
802.11a/b/g specification.
This application includes two separate tools:
Vector Signal Generator
Before being able to use either of these tools, a connection to IQview must be established. A
detailed description of this exist in the IQview User Guide[4].

The Vector Signal Analyzer captures RF or Baseband data being output by the transmitter portion of the 802.11 Device Under Test (DUT) into the tester's input ports, and performs several
different analyses of this captured data to verify the performance of the DUT. When the IQsignal EVM Measurement Application is launched, the Vector Signal Analyzer starts as the default
tool. If the tester's input ports are receiving a signal, the acquisition and analysis of that signal
begins immediately as soon as the Start or Auto Range button is pressed. Note, it is recommended to press the Auto Range button once, to ensure optimal dynamic range of the
received signal.
Figure 1 illustrates the EVM Measurement Applications main window after performing a data
capture and analyzing the captured data.
Rev. 1.2.6
Figure 1. EVM Measurement Application Main Window
Table 1 lists and defines the parameters that can be set at the main EVM Measurement Application window.
Feature
Description
Start Button/Stop Button
Initiates either single mode or continuous mode data capture and analysis. If
Single is selected, pressing Start will perform a single capture. If Cont is
selected and the Start button is pressed, continuous capture is initiated, and
the button display will change the text to Stop. Pressing Stop during
continuous mode operation will to stop the measurement process.
Auto Range
Performs an automatic gain setting to optimize the dynamic range of the

received signal. It is recommended to use Auto Range before starting the first
capture.
Table 1. EVM Measurement Application Window Description.
Rev. 1.2.6
10
Feature
Description
Cont/Single
Enables Single mode or Continuous mode data capture and analysis

operation. The Cont radio button enables continuous mode data capture and
analysis, and the Single radio button enable a single capture after pressing
start
IQ Swap
Allows an interchange between the I and Q channel data. This swapping

capability is useful when the data source itself has its I and Q channels
swapped.
Analyze A/G
Selects 802.11a or g (OFDM) type for analysis.
Analyze B
Selects 802.11b (DSSS) type for analysis.
RF Channel
Allows selection of a WLAN input channel from this pull-down list when the
input mode is RF. (For further details, see "Parameters" presented later in this
chapter). Two sets of predefined channels exist - one set for 802.11 and one
set for ASTM channel frequencies - The desired channel set can be selected
by right-clicking on the RF Channel select box.
By selecting User Defined, MHz, the user can enter the desired frequency, in
case the frequency does not exist in the pull-down list. Depending on the
hardware version, steps of 1 MHz or 500 kHz may be applied to the tester.
Hardware versions earlier than 1.4 do not support 500 kHz steps and will use
a 1MHz step, though the GUI will allow entry in 500 kHz steps.When User
Defined, MHz is selected, a window next to the RF Channel select will appear,
and the desired frequency can be entered. This is illustrated in Figure 2. When
the input mode is baseband, this setting has no effect. Available RF Channel
selections for the 802.11 b/g standards are in the 2.4 GHz range and 4.9-6.0
GHz. range; for the 802.11a standard, the range is 4.9-6.0 GHz.
Max Sig. Level
Can be manually specified by either typing the desired level into the window or
by clicking the up and down arrows next to the input box. The specified level
should be greater than or equal to the peak level of the signal. After Auto
Range has been pressed, the signal level selected by the Auto Range
algorithm is displayed. Note, when including an external attenuator loss
(External Attn) the Max Sig. Level is referred to the input of IQview, and not to
the DUT.
External Attn
Can be used to specify losses external to the IQview. The results displayed in
the program are compensated with the specified loss. E.g. when specifying a
2dB cable loss, the measured power is increased by 2dB before being
displayed in the program.
Trigger Settings
In RF mode, three different options can be selected here: Free run, external
trigger input, and signal trigger input. In base band only mode, only the free
run and external trigger are available. Below the trigger mode drop-down
menu, there is the trigger level, which can be manually specified by either
typing the desired level into the window or by clicking the up and down arrows
next to the input box. This setting specifies the trigger level relative to Max Sig.
Level. The trigger marker (red circle at the extreme left of the Amplitude vs
Time graph) indicates the current trigger level.
Rev. 1.2.6
11
Feature
Description
RF input
When selected, the signal must be supplied to the RF input port. If not
selected, the signal must be supplied to the base band inputs.
Measurement Window
Displays measurement results in this window. If the current choice is PSD,

Spectrum Mask or CCDF, and I/Q signals or STS pretzel are selected, then the
Power Measurement Results window appears. Both current and average
power measurements results are displayed. If the current choice is Symbol
Const (Symbol Constellation), Spectral Flatness, or LO (DC) Leakage, and
other analysis where EVM is calculated, three EVM Measurement results
(pilot, data and all) appear along with the measured power when analyzing
OFDM signal. When analyzing DSSS (802.11b) signals, only two EVM results
are presented: average and peak. Both current and average EVM
measurements are displayed. Two additional windows below the
measurement window appear when EVM results are presented. These
windows contain information about mismatch and frequency error and phase
noise. For further details, see "Power Measurement Results Window" and
"EVM and Power Measurement Result Window" in this chapter.
Select and Drag Function
Zooms in on captured data to specify a portion of the capture to be analyzed

data and to show it in the top graph, with the time (horizontal) axis stretched
out for the zoomed portion. Moving the Zoom Slider to the left causes the
graphical display to zoom out; moving the Zoom Slider to the right causes the
graphical display to zoom in. When zooming in on data, the visible part of the
data in the top graph represents the portion of the data that has been zoomed
in on. Only the data shown in the top graph is analyzed. The Time Slider may
be used to move the visible window of the zoomed selection back and forth
along the time axis. Alternatively, one can select the desired portion of the
signal by defining a window by left-clicking and dragging the mouse cursor
over the desired area. For further details concerning the Time Slider, see
"Using the Zooming Tool" presented later in this chapter.
Power Time Graph
This window displays a graphical representation of the measured data. The

blue trace represents the peak amplitude value, while the red trace represents
the amplitude as a moving average over 40 samples.
Display Packet Information
If Display Packet Information is checked, a window inside the top

measurement window will display a summary of the packet being analyzed.
Note, the data is only displayed when an EVM analysis is performed, e.g. the
three Measurement windows are displayed.
Rev. 1.2.6
12
Main Menu
Figure 2. Example of User Defined MHz input option (2410MHz selected)
Main Menu
The Main menu consists of the following menu items:
File
Setup
Tools
Help
Figure 3 illustrates the File Menu.
Rev. 1.2.6
13
Main Menu
Figure 3. File Menu
File Menu
Table 2 lists and defines the File Menu items.
Menu Items
Description
Open Signal File
Opens previously captured and saved data from a signal file for analysis. The
filename for a signal file has the file extension .SIG. Wave files with extension .MOD
can also be opened.
Save Signal File
Saves captured data to a signal file with extension .SIG for later analysis. .SIG files
can be used only by the IQview EVM Measurement application. Two submenus exist
for this save option.
Complete Signal: Saves the complete capture independent of what is shown in

the top graph
Zoomed Signal: Saves only the portion of the signal that is currently shown in the
top graph
Save Generator File
Saves captured data for use as an input file (modulator file) to the Vector Signal
Generator applications signal window. The file has the file extension .MOD.
Save PSDU data
Saves the captured data of the packet to a text file. Two save options exists:
Packet Info PSDU: Saves the data of the complete packet. Saving this includes
information about the decoded packet along with the PSDU data.
PSDU: Saves the data of the PSDU (data) portion of the packet only
Print Page
Print the current view to the selected printer. The standard Windows print dialogue is
displayed when selected
Load Setup
Loads a previously saved setup
Save Setup
Saves the current setup to a file.
Table 2. File Menu
Rev. 1.2.6
14
Main Menu
Menu Items
Description
Load Default Setup
Loads the default settings for the application.
Exit
Exits the program.
Table 2. File Menu (Continued)
Setup Menu
The Setup menu contains two major submenus:
Parameters
Load Calibration Files IQview
Figure 4 illustrates the Setup menu.
Figure 4. Setup Menu
Parameters
You can set user-defined parameters at the Parameters window. Figure 5 illustrates the Parameters window.
Figure 5. Parameters Window
Table 3 lists and defines these parameter options.

Parameters
Tester IP Address
Description
The IP address of the tester being used must be entered into this window,
prior to starting a test. The standard IP address format should be used, for
example, 192.168.100.254.
CAUTION: Verify that the subnet mask in Microsoft Windows is set
accordingly.
Sample Interval
Selects the duration of time for a sample capture. For instance, if the 500 us
setting is selected, then a sample is captured and analyzed for a 500 usec
interval in time.
Table 3. Parameters Window
Rev. 1.2.6
15
Main Menu
Parameters
EVM Averaging
Description
Choices are: 1, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100
The number of most recent measurement that are used to calculate the
average EVM number displayed in the measurement results window (average
column).
Trigger Timeout (sec)
Choices are: 0.5, 1.5, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60 seconds

Sets the time that IQsignal waits to try to acquire (trigger on) a signal, before it
times out, and returns the control back to the user. In normal operation a low
value is suggested unless the user is trying to capture signal being transmitted
in a communication link between two cards.
OFDM Optimization Parameters

Phase Tracking/Corr
(applies to OFDM only)
Choices are: Off, Sym-by-Sym Corr., Moving Avg. 10 Sym. Selecting the
Moving Average over 10 Symbols is recommended. The Symbol-by-Symbol
Connection will mask phase noise in the transmitter. This can be used as a
diagnostic tool. If the EVM improves significantly when switching from Moving
Average to Symbol-to-Symbol, the transmitter is likely to have excessive
phase noise.
The Phase Tracking Off mode can be used when the carriers and references
of the transmitter and receiver are phase locked or when low frequency carrier
phase noise is suspected to be present. The Moving Average over 10
Symbols may mask low frequency phase noise.
Channel Estimate
Choices are: 2nd Order Polyfit, Raw, Long Symbol, and Raw, Full Packet.
In the Raw, Long Symbols mode, the channel is estimated by averaging the 2
long symbols in the long training Sequence. No other averaging is performed.
In the 2nd Order Polyfit mode, the channel response is approximated by the
best 2nd order polynomial over the frequency band occupied by the long
OFDM symbols. This mode should only be selected if the channel is
essentially flat over the frequency band occupied by the OFDM signal. This
mode should not be used when there is a substantial roll-off over the
frequency band due to transmit filtering.
In the Raw, Full Packet, the complete packet is used for the channel estimate.
Symbol Timing Tracking

Choices are: Off/On.
Frequency Sync.
Choices are: Short Training Symbols, Long Training Symbols, Full Data
Packet.
It is recommended to set this to On.
Before the OFDM symbols are demodulated with an FFT, the received signal
has to be corrected for the carrier frequency error. This error is either
estimated on the basis of the Short or Long training symbols or over the full
packet. The recommended setting is Short Training Symbols, except when
the received signal shows frequency dynamics during the start of the packet.
In this case, either the Long Training Symbols or the Full Data Packet method
should be used.
Table 3. Parameters Window (Continued)
Rev. 1.2.6
16
Main Menu
Parameters
Description
Amplitude Tracking
Choices are Off/On.
Enables and disables the Amplitude tracking.
OFDM Modulation Type
Four choices exist:
802.11a/g
802.11 Turbo Mode
ASTM DSRC
Quarter rate
802.11a/g should be selected to analyze normal 802.11 OFDM signals.
802.11 Turbo Mode should be selected to analyze Atheros Turbo Mode
signals. The signal resembles a standard OFDM signal with 52 sub-carriers,
but everything is spaced at twice that of the normal 802.11 signal, resulting in
a signal with approximately 40MHz bandwidth. Additionally the number of
symbols in the short training sequence is doubled resulting in the same
duration of the short training sequence as in 802.11 OFDM modulated signals.
ASTM DSRC or half rate should be used to analyze half rate OFDM
modulated signals. This signal also resembles a standard OFDM signal with
52 sub-carriers, but everything spaced at half that of the normal 802.11 signal,
resulting in a signal with approximately 10MHz bandwidth.
Quarter rate should be used to analyze quarter-rate OFDM signals. The signal
resembles a standard OFDM signal with 52 sub-carriers, but everything is
spaced at a quarter of that of the normal 802.11 signal, resulting in a signal
with approximately 5MHz bandwidth.
Examples of the produced spectrums are shown later in this document.
OFDM EVM Method
The 802.11a/g standard specifies the EVM calculation method. This method
expects a channel response that does not vary substantially. If the channel
response shows notches, the standard EVM method yields unreliable results.
The 'Multipath' method has been added to provide reliable results for these
cases. In this mode the EVM is calculated by comparing the received signal
with the transmitted signal modified by the estimated channel response.
In the standard mode the EVM is calculated by comparing the received signal,
modified by the inverse of the estimated channel response, with the
transmitted signal.
In both cases, the transmitted signal is estimated by feeding the received
signal, modified by the inverse of the channel response, through a multi-level
slicer
Rev. 1.2.6
17
Main Menu
Parameters
Description
DSSS Optimization Parameters

Equalizer taps
Choices are: Off, 5, 7, or 9 Taps.
(applies to DSSS only)
The recommended setting is Off. The larger the number of taps, the more the
equalizer can correct for Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) present in the
transmitter.
If the EVM improves substantially when changing from 5 to 9 Taps, the
transmitter is likely to have too much ISI.
When the performance of a transmitter and receiver pair with matching filters
is to be assessed, the 5 Tap setting should be used.
When using the EVM Calculation, 11b Std. Tx mod acc (see below), the
Equalizer Taps should be set to Off.
Remove DC
Choices are: Off or On.
The recommended setting is Off. The On setting should only be used if the DC
Offsets are known to be substantial relative to the desired signal level. This
can be the case if the RF signal level is extremely low, or if there is a DC-offset
present when using the baseband inputs.
EVM calculation
Choices are: 11b Std., Tx mode acc or rms error vector.
The 11b Standard Transmit Modulation Accuracy method applies the

algorithm defined in IEEE 802.11b-1999 Standard Section 18.4.7.8 to the
sampled data after carrier and symbol timing recovery.
The rms error vector method applies the standard rms error vector
algorithm.1
Instrument RX IF
Normally, measurements are taken with RX IF set at 0 MHz. This menu item
allows setting IF to the following options: 0 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz and 11 MHz;
or the user may type in a value for user defined. This can be useful if one
wants to analyze e.g. EVM at an intermediate frequency in the system, that is
not directly supported by the IQview. In this case, one can use an external
mixer to down-convert the signal to one of the selectable IF frequencies, and
then connect the output of the external mixer to one of the baseband input
ports. It is not suggested to use 0 MHz in this case, as DC offset created by
the down-conversion will distort the measurements.

2
s_in(k)
( 1 j )
( s_in_norm(k) s_dec(k) ) with s_in_norm(k) = ------------------- and s_dec(k) = ------------------- selects closest
2
2
s_in
to s_in_norm(k). s_in(k) is the sampled data, once per chip, after carrier and symbol timing recovery.
1. rms evm =
If one wants to analyze a captured signal using different compensation algorithms, one can
open the parameter window and select different compensation methods. Pressing the Zoom
button on the left side of the screen will cause the signal displayed in the signal window to be
re-analyzed using the new selected parameters, where after all results will be updated.
Rev. 1.2.6
18
Main Menu
Setting the Parameters

1. In the Setup menu, select the Parameters menu.
The Parameters window displays, as shown in Figure 5.
2. Enter the required IP address, for example, 192.168.100.254.
3. For the pull-down menu options, continue selecting the remaining user-defined options.
4. Click OK.
When an acceptable IP address is entered and the remaining options have been set, the
system displays the following message IQview connection established!.
NOTE: If you entered an unacceptable IP address, the following error message displays,
IQview not found: Check IP Add/LAN., as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Parameters Window Indicating Connection Not Established
Rev. 1.2.6
19
Main Menu
Loading Calibration Files IQview

The Load Calibration Files IQview menu item allows the user to load the needed calibration
files from the IQview Tester to the PC running IQsignal. Figure 7 illustrates the Load Calibration
Files IQview menu item.
Figure 7. Load Calibration Files IQview Menu Item
To load the calibration files, simply select the Load Calibration Files IQview menu item and
the files begin to immediately load. The system message, Loading Calibration data from
IQview displays immediately on the top of the main screen.
Tools Menu
Figure 8 illustrates the Tools menu. For details on how to use the Vector Modulator, see "Vector Signal Generator" at the end of this chapter. The VSG panel opens a separate tool that
operates in continuous mode
Figure 8. Tools Menu
Table 4 lists and describes the Tools menu items.

Menu Items
Description
Starts the Vector Signal Generator tool. For further details, see the section,
"Vector Signal Generator" presented later in this chapter.
VSA Panel
Launches the VSA Panel tool - see section "VSA Panel Tool"
Save Plots
Brings up the current analysis plots, and offers to save the plots to a file.
Presently this only works when analyzing OFDM signals
Table 4. Tools Menu
Rev. 1.2.6
20
Selecting Analysis Mode
Help
Help brings up a window where the version of the software is displayed along with other information. This is shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9. Help windows showing software version along with other information.
Selecting Analysis Mode
The two options are 802.11 abg or Bluetooth.

Note: This users guide describes the usage for the 802.11 abg mode. The IQsignal for Bluetooth users guide describes the usage for Bluetooth Mode.
Rev. 1.2.6
21
Analyzing Graph Options

The Analyze Graph Options consists of three drop down menus that are located at the bottom,
far-right side of the main window:
Left Top
Left
Right
These three windows pull-down menus will allow you to deploy 18 different graphs based on
your captured data samples. Figure 10 shows the possible selection of drop-down menus to
select different analyses to be performed on the captured signal, and Figure 11 illustrates the
left and right Analyze Mode Graph Options menus.
Figure 10. Drop-down Menus for Selecting Analysis on Captured Signal
To select an analysis graph from the drop-down menus, simply select a menu item. The Top
Left drop down menu controls the plot shown in the main analysis window, the Left drop down
menu controls the graph that displays in the lower, far-left side of the main window. The Right
drop-down menu controls the graph between the far left graphs and the drop-down menus.
Table 5 lists and describes the Analyze Mode Graph Options for the Top Left Menu.
Table 6 lists and describes the Analyze Mode Graph Options for the Left Menu.
Amplitude
The amplitude option is the normal mode of operation, where the receive power vs. time is presented. Figure 12 shows a typical 802.11a/g captured signal when using amplitude mode. The
blue graph represents the instantaneous power, and the red graph represents the average
power over a symbol duration.
Enabling the Display Packet Information, a window with relevant information about the packet
is shown on top of the plot in the lower right-hand corner, as shown in Figure 13. The Display
Rev. 1.2.6
22
Figure 11. Analyze Mode Graph Options (Top Left, Left and Right Drop-Down Menus)
Options
Description
Amplitude
Shows the captured signals amplitude over time. The plot shows both instantaneous
power and the peak power averaged over a symbol time
Spectrogram
Presents a 3D plot of the power at a given frequency over time. The display is a top
view of a spectrum analyzer over time, where the color coding represents the signal
strength at the given frequency. Red represents the strongest signal and green
represents the weakest signal.
Table 5. Analyze Mode Graph Options (Top Left Menu)
Rev. 1.2.6
23
Options
Description
PSD
Plots the power density versus the frequency spectrum for the analyzed signal, over the
range of +/- 20 MHz from the center frequency. It is possible to zoom on the plot, if
higher detail is desired - see section "Using the Zooming Tool"
Spectrum Mask
Plots the spectrum of the analyzed signal along with the limits specified by IEEE 802.11,
over the range of +/-33 MHz from the center frequency, thus providing a quick visual
check that the spectrum conforms to the 802.11 specification. This analysis will attempt
to determine the signal type from analyzing the packet information at the beginning of
the packet, so it is advisable to use packeted transmission. However, if one uses
continuous transmission with no gaps, one will have to select the signal type above the
main signal window to display the appropriate spectral mask. If both analysis types are
selected, IQsignal will default to 802.11b mode.
CCDF
Plots the peak to average power distribution, an alternative measure for crest factor.
The horizontal axis is for the power level above the average power level, and the
vertical axis plots the probability of that power level occurring. The CCDF is only
measured over a single packet, so the gap does not contribute to the measurement.
The packet used for the analysis is marked with purple markers. If the capture contains
more than 1 packet, one can zoom on the other packet in the capture, and press the
Zoom button, where after the CCDF is calculated for the packed displayed in the main
analysis window. This graph reveals any compression of the signal that may exist.
Symbol Constellation
Shows the quality of the demodulated data in the complex plane for each symbol in the
analyzed frame. For OFDM data the data carrier are colored red; the pilot tones are
colored green. For 802.11b symbols of the preamble are colored green, and the data
symbols are colored red.
Spectral Flatness
Shows the spectral flatness of the sub-carrier spectrum as compared with the limits
imposed by the 802.11 specification. This is only available for a and g signals.
LO (DC) Leakage
Shows the energy level of the carriers relative to that of the center carrier and therefore
reveals the amount of LO Leakage. Observe, that a special signal is required if one
wants to analyze LO leakage of an 802.11b signal. This is discussed in greater detail in
"Local Oscillator Leakage".
Phase Noise (PSD)
Analyzes phase versus frequency. Graphs the estimated PSD plot of the synthesizer
measured during the burst.
Phase Error (Time)
Analyzes phase error versus time. Graphs the estimated phase error (noise) of the
synthesizer vs. time during the burst.
Power On Ramp
Used for 802.11b mode. Analyzes the on-ramp time for an 802.11b signal. For accurate
results an un-modulated CW signal should be used. The analysis can also be
performed on an OFDFM signal, but there is no related IEEE spec.
Power Down Ramp
Used for 802.11b mode. Analyzes the down-ramp time for an 802.11b signal. For
accurate results an un-modulated CW signal should be used. The analysis can also be
performed on an OFDFM signal, but there is no related IEEE spec.
Table 6. Analyze Mode Graph Options (Left Menu)
Rev. 1.2.6
24
Figure 12. Amplitude Display Mode for 802.11a/g OFDM signal
Packet Information will only display the packet information if one of the following analysis are
selected in the Left Selection Window:
CCDF
Symbol Const
Spectral Flatness
LO (DC) Leakage
Phase Noise (PSD)
Phase Error (Time)
Power On Ramp
Power Down Ramp
or selecting one of the following from the Right Selection Window:
Freq. Error
EVM vs. Carrier (OFDM)
EVM vs. Symbol
802.11.b Eye Diagram
Ampl vs. Time (OFDM).
Otherwise No Data Available will be displayed, as no demodulation of the captured data has
been performed.
Rev. 1.2.6
25
Figure 13. Same display as in Figure 12, but enabling Display Packet Information. Observe
the purple marker.
When measuring signals, purple markers placed above the signal indicate which packet is
selected for the analysis. This is illustrated in Figure 14, for the analysis of an 802.11b signal.
Note, if no demodulation is performed, the markers will not appear.
Figure 14. Illustration of purple markers indicating the 802.11b packet being analyzed.
The packet markers can be used to help identify bad packets. If a bad packet is detected - e.g.
it is too short, the marker will illustrate the expected duration of the packet - thus in this case
extend beyond the end of the packet. This is illustrated in Figure 15.
Rev. 1.2.6
26
Figure 15. Illustration of a bad packet, where data stops before the expected end of packet
(Symbol Timing Tracking is set to off).
As a result of the packet ending too early, very bad EVM results are presented. This gets even
worse if compensation algorithms that work on the full packet are enabled. By zooming on the
desired packet, so the packet end extends the zoomed area (see "Using the Zooming Tool"),
the data is now analyzed correctly, and produces the results based on the zoomed area only.
Note, the CRC error is still observed (as one cannot test CRC without a complete packet), but
the real performance is now revealed. Remember, to include the beginning of the packet, otherwise the packet cannot be demodulated. Zooming on the above bad packet, reveals a nice
signal, as illustrated in Figure 16.
Spectrogram
The spectrogram mode is useful for capturing live signals with an antenna. In many cases
there can be a disturbing signal, that will be difficult to analyze with a normal spectrum plot.
Rev. 1.2.6
27
Figure 16. Zooming of the packet in Figure 15, allows the analysis of the good part of a
incorrectly formatted data packet.
With the spectrogram the spectrum can be shown over time. The X axis represents time and
the Y axis represents frequency. The color coding represents the strength on the signal, with
red being the maximum strength, and green being minimum strength. Figure 17 shows the
spectrogram plot of a captured signal. The figure shows an 802.11b signal starting at 150 sec
and a wireless phone WDCT starting at 410 sec at a carrier of +7 MHz to the WLAN signal.
The equivalent spectrum plot is shown in Figure 18. The WDCT signal in this case may block
the WLAN receiver.
Power Spectrum Density
Figure 19 illustrates the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) graph for an 802.11a/g signal which is
located in the Left Graph window. The figure also shows the power spectral density for other
OFDM signals that can be analyzed using IQsignal.
Rev. 1.2.6
28
Figure 17. Spectrum Plot with WDCT blocker
Figure 18. Traditional Spectrum Analyzer View
Figure 20 illustrates the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) graph for an 802.11b signal.
When the PSD graph is selected from the menu, the Power Measurement Results window also
displays in the upper right corner of the main window, as shown in Figure 22. For details concerning the Power Measurement Results window, see the following section.
It should be noted that the power spectral density plot can be used to display the power spectral density of signals other than 802.11 signals. One can easily display the power spectral density of e.g. a CW signal. Naturally one will have to operate the system in free-run mode. An
example of the power spectral density of a CW signal is shown in Figure 21.
Rev. 1.2.6
29
Figure 19. PSD Graph for 802.11a/g signal (upper left), Turbo mode signal (upper right), ASTM
DSRC (lower left), and quarter rate signal (lower right)
Power Measurement Results Window

The Power Measurement Results window, as shown in Figure 22, lists the power measurements and averages in dBm for the following:
Peak Power - measured peak power of the capture
Av Power (all) - averaged power of the full capture
Av Power (no gap) - averaged power of the packet in the capture (the gap between packets are removed from the power calculation.
Max. Avg. - The peak value of the amplitude, calculated as a moving average over 40
samples.
Rev. 1.2.6
30
Figure 20. PSD Graph for 802.11b Signal
Figure 21. Example of PSD graph measuring a CW signal with 1MHz offset
The first column shows the measurement of the current packet, and the second column shows
the average of the last X packets, where X is the number chosen in the parameter setup (EVM/
Power Averaging) and also displayed next to the Avg. heading. By pressing the button right
above the Average column, the average value will be reset.
The Power Measurements window (Figure 22) displays when any of the following menu items
are selected simultaneously from the Left (PSD, Spectrum Mask, CCDF (for DSSS signals))
and Right (IQ Signals, STS Pretzel) drop-down menus.
Rev. 1.2.6
31
Figure 22. Power Measurement Results Window
When measuring signals with gaps (packets), the purple markers indicate the selected packet
for analysis as discussed above. The data reported represents the data of the selected packet.
If the capture contains more than one packet, one can zoom the other packet, and press the
zoom button, where after the first packet in the zoomed area will be selected (see"Using the
Zooming Tool").
EVM and Power Measurement Result Window
Selecting one of the following menu items from the Left Selection Window:
CCDF (for OFDM signals)
Symbol Const
Spectral Flatness
LO (DC) Leakage
Phase Noise (PSD)
Phase Error (Time)
Power On Ramp
Power Down Ramp
or selecting one of the following from the Right Selection Window:
Freq. Error
EVM vs. Carrier (OFDM)
EVM vs. Symbol
802.11.b Eye Diagram
Ampl vs. Time (OFDM)
Rev. 1.2.6
32
will cause the Power Measurement Result Window to change to the EVM and Power Measurement Window shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23. EVM & Power Measurements Result Window 802.11b (left) and 802.11a/g (right)
The EVM & Power frame displays the current EVM in the PSDU as well as the average from
the last X packets. The power measurement over the whole frame is also displayed - again current and averaged over the last X packets. The power measurement results are the same as in
Figure 3-11. For 802.11b signals, the average and the peak EVM are shown. Note that the
Tools/Parameter window allows selection of two different EVM algorithms. When the classic
EVM algorithm is used, the EVM is calculated over the full PSDU, or all samples present after
the preamble if the sampled data does not extend over the full frame. If the IEEE 802.11b standard method is selected, the EVM is calculated over the last 1000 samples (11 MHz sampling),
or the complete PSDU if fewer samples are present. The peak EVM is taken either over the full
PSDU or over the 1000 samples for the first and the second method respectively.
For 802.11a/g signals, the average EVM is shown for the data and pilot carriers separately, as
well as averaged over all carriers.
Rev. 1.2.6
33
The I/Q Match frame shows the results for the I/Q Amplitude and Phase imbalances in % and
degrees respectively. The numbers in dB provide an approximation of the best achievable EVM
if the Amplitude error (or Phase error) would be the only impairment present - thus its contribution to the overall EVM.
When measuring 802.11b signals and the signal has been acquired, the LO Leakage is displayed as shown above. This LO leakage is relative to the total signal power. This result is calculated from the I/Q constellation of a standard 11b signal. The 802.11 standard prescribes a
LO leakage measurement with the scrambler disabled, a 1/0 data pattern, and QPSK modulation. The requirement is expressed as the difference between the sinc envelope of the discrete
frequency components and the power measured at the carrier frequency. This difference
should be at least 15 dB. The envelope is about 10 dB down relative to the total signal power.
So the standard requirement of -15 dB translates to a LO leakage requirement not to exceed
25 dBc.
Note: - it is possible to change the unit of the amplitude mismatch between % and dB by right
clicking on the I/Q Match text box. This is illustrated inFigure 24.
Figure 24. By right clicking on the I/Q Match window the unit of the amplitude imbalance can
be selected
The Frequency frame shows the results for the carrier frequency error, the symbol clock frequency error, and the rms phase noise.
Spectrum Mask
When the Spectrum Mask graph is selected, the Power Measurement Results window displays
at the upper right corner of the main window, as shown in Figure 22. As indicated in the figure
the measurement bandwidth is 100kHz as specified by the IEEE specification. If the captured
data does not include the preamble of the packet (e.g. when measuring a continuously transmitted signal), the desired mask can be selected/displayed by selecting either Analyze A/G (for
OFDM) or Analyze B (for DSSS).
Figure 25 illustrates the Spectrum Mask graph for 802.11b signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
34
Figure 25. Spectrum Mask Graph for 802.11b Signal
As the other supported OFDM modulations do not have a well defined spectral masks, only the
spectrum will be shown for these modulations when choosing the spectral mask plot option.
The plotted bandwidth stays +/-40MHz for all analysis.
Figure 26 illustrates the Spectrum Mask graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal.
Figure 26. Spectrum Mask Graph OFDM 802.11a/g Signal
Rev. 1.2.6
35
CCDF
Figure 27 displays the CCDF (Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function) graph for
OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The blue curve represents the measured signal, and the purple curve
represents the ideal curve for an OFDM signal. Compare Figure 27 with Figure 28. It is clear
that the OFDM signal is significantly affected by the compression, where as it is less obvious
for the DSSS signal. When the CCDF graph is selected, the EVM Measurement Results window displays at the upper right corner of the main window, as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 27. CCDF Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal (Left) and DSSS 802.11b signal (Right)
Figure 28 shows an example of a CCDF compressed signal. Observe the faster roll-off.
Symbol Constellation
The Symbol Constellation graph, which displays in the Left Graph window, shows the quality of
the demodulated data in the complex plane for each symbol in the analyzed frame. Figure 29
shows the Symbol Constellation graphs for the four possible modulation types for an 802.11b
signal. The green dots represent the demodulated data of the preamble (BPSK) and the red
dots represent the demodulated data of the PSDU (Physical layer Service Data Unit) for a
QPSK signal. For DSSS modulation the demodulated data points coincide with two of the four
data points, as illustrated in the figure.
Figure 30 illustrates a Symbol Constellation graph for an OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The red dots/
symbols represent demodulated data; the green dots/symbols represent the demodulated data
of the pilot tones.
Rev. 1.2.6
36
Figure 28. CCDF Compressed OFDM Signal Graph (Left) and compressed DSSS Signal Graph
(Right)
Figure 29. Symbol Constellation Graph for 802.11b Signals. 1Mbps (left), 2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, and
11Mbps CCK (right) - the latter all have the same constellation
Spectral Flatness
The Spectral Flatness displays in the Left Graph window and shows an estimate based on the
long training sequence of the spectral flatness of the sub-carrier spectrum as compared with
the limits imposed by the 802.11 specification. When the Spectral Flatness graph is selected,
the Measurements windows also displays in the upper-right corner of the main window, as
shown in Figure 22. Figure 31 illustrates the Spectral Flatness graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
37
Figure 30. Symbol Constellation Graphs OFDM 802.11a/g Signals. 6/9Mbps (BPSK) - upper
left, 12/18Mbps (QPSK) - upper right, 24/36Mbps (QAM-16) - lower left, 48/54Mbps (QAM-64) lower right.
Selecting the Spectral Flatness and the LO leakage plot windows results in EVM results being
displaying in the Result Window.
The spectral flatness does not make sense in the contents of 802.11b DSSS signals, so no
data is displayed.
Rev. 1.2.6
38
Figure 31. Spectral Flatness Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal
Local Oscillator Leakage

The LO (DC) Leakage result is measured during the long training symbol. It shows the energy
level of the carriers relative to that of the center carrier, and thus reveals the amount of LO
Leakage. When the LO Leakage graph is selected, the Power Measurements Window also displays in the upper right corner of the main window, as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 32 illustrates the LO (DC) Leakage graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The red plus sign
(+) represents the IEEE specified 2dB limit.
Measuring LO leakage on an 802.11b DSSS signal requires a special test signal that is provided by the DUT. According to the IEEE specification [1] a 0101 modulated signal with the
scrambler turned off must be transmitted.
Figure 33 shows the LO leakage measurement window for the special test signal as well as a
normal 802.11b DSSS signal when measuring LO leakage.
Figure 34 shows the full spectral plot of the test signal analyzed in Figure 33
Phase noise (PSD)
Figure 35 illustrates the Phase Noise (PSD) graph.
Rev. 1.2.6
39
Figure 32. LO (DC) Leakage Graph for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal
Figure 33. LO (CD) Leakage Graph for correct test signal (Left)1 and normal 802.11b DSSS
signal (Right)
1. The test information presented in the left figure is caused by the scrambler being disabled, as the preamble
does not contain correct packet information.
Rev. 1.2.6
40
Figure 34. Spectral plot of the required 802.11b test signal to measure LO (DC) leakage
Figure 35. Phase Noise (PSD) Graph
Phase Error (Time)

Figure 36 illustrates the Phase Error (Time) graph for a CCK modulated 802.11b signal. The
abrupt change in the graph illustrated the transition from BPSK modulation to QPSK modulation.
Figure 37 illustrates the Phase Error (Time) graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
41
Figure 36. Phase Noise Time Graph (CCK)
Figure 37. Phase Noise Time Graph for OFDM 802.1a/g Signal
Power On Ramp
Figure 38 illustrates the Power On Ramp graph for 802.11b (CCK) modulated signal. The plot
shows an averaged version of the power (Black) as well as a peak hold measured over a 1s
rolling window (Green). The measured Power-On time (the time it takes the power to go from
10% to 90%) is presented, along with information of the time difference between the time
where the packet reaches 90% of power, and the actual start of the packet.
Rev. 1.2.6
42
Figure 38. Power On Ramp Graph for 802.11b (11Mbps)
Power Down Ramp

Figure 39 illustrates the Power Down Ramp graph for 802.11b (CCK) modulated signal. The
plot shows an averaged version of the power (Black) as well as a peak hold measured over a
1s rolling window (Green). The measured Power-Down time is presented (the time it takes the
power to go from 90% to 10%), along with information of the time difference between the time
where the packet goes below 90% for more than 1s and the actual end of the packet1.
The nature of the CCK signal may cause erroneous power down results. Using an un-modulated CW signal provides the most reliable measurement results.
I&Q Signals
The I&Q Signals shows the I and Q signals voltages plotted against time. When the I&Q Signals graph is selected, the Measurements window also displays in the upper right corner of the
main window, as shown in Figure 22. Figure 40 illustrates the I&Q Signals graph for 802.11b.
Figure 41 illustrates the I&Q Signals graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal.
1. Note, the shift in the peak power curve is caused by the measuring of the peak power over 1s, so it will produce
a shift by 1s in the down ramp.
Rev. 1.2.6
43
Figure 39. Power Down Ramp Graph for CCK
Figure 40. I&Q Signals for 802.11b
Short Training Symbols

The Short Training Symbols (STS) pretzel, which displays in the right graph window, is an x-y
plot of the I signal (along the x, or real, axis) versus the Q signal (along the y, or imaginary,
axis) during the short preamble. The term 'pretzel' refers to the pretzel-like shape of the plot.
Rev. 1.2.6
44
Figure 41. I&Q Signals for OFDM 802.11a/g
The effects of phase and frequency errors, compression and filtering, and I/Q mismatch may
(after some practice) be discerned from the shape of this plot.
Figure 42 illustrates an STS Pretzel measured from an OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The STS Pretzel is not available for the 802.11b signal.
Figure 42. STS Pretzel from 801.11a/g Signal
Frequency Error
The Frequency Error graph displays the frequency error of the captured data. For DSSS signals (802.11b) the frequency error throughout the packet is displayed, and for OFDM (802.11a/
g), only the frequency error through the short and long training symbols are displayed. Figure
Rev. 1.2.6
45
43 illustrates the Frequency Error plot for 11b for a signal with an artificially, linearly changing
frequency starting at around 350 usec. The blue line represents the instantaneous frequency
measured every symbol. The red line is the frequency averaged over 11 symbols..
Figure 43. Frequency Error plot for 11b for a signal with an artificially, linearly changing
frequency starting at around 350 usec
Figure 44 illustrates a typical frequency response during the short training sequence of an
OFDM signal. The blue graph illustrates the frequency error during the short training sequence,
and the black graph illustrates the frequency error of the second symbol in the long training
sequence. The green dots shown represent a linear extrapolation between the two. Note, for
OFDM, the frequency error reported in the freq window (Figure 23) is measured over the full
packet, and does not necessarily correlate with the average frequency error displayed in the
graph1.
Figure 45 illustrates frequency pulling of the VCO by the turn on of the power amplifier during
the short training sequence of an OFDM signal. In this case the frequency settling is completed
before the end of the long training symbol. Given this, one should expect significant improvement in the EVM measurement, if one selects the Frequency Sync to use the long Training
symbol rather than the short training symbol.
Error Vector Magnitude Versus Carrier
The Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) versus the Carrier plot graph shows the EVM for each subcarrier averaged over all symbols within the data frame. When the EVM versus Carrier graph is
1. If the frequency is settled, it should correlate, but if there is still frequency settling, it is likely a difference may
exist.
Rev. 1.2.6
46
Figure 44. Coarse Frequency Error for Short and Long Training Sequence (OFDM 802.11a/g
Signal)
Figure 45. Illustration of frequency pulling during Short Training Sequence.
selected, the Measurements window also displays the overall EVM results in the upper right
corner of the main window, as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 46 illustrates the EVM Versus Carrier graph for OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The plots
green points represent the rms average EVM of the four pilot carriers, and the red points represent rms EVM of the 48 data carriers. The blue dotted lines represent the peak (worst) EVM
value measured for the given carrier during the analyzed packet. EVM Versus Carrier is used
only for 802.11a/g signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
47
Figure 46. EVM Versus Carrier for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal
Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) Versus Time

The EVM versus the Symbol plot shows the EVM for each symbol averaged over all sub-carriers within frame data. Figure 47 illustrates a graph for the EVM Versus Symbol Number for
OFDM 802.11a/g signal. The red points represent the rms EVM for the given symbol. Again the
blue dotted lines represent the peak EVM of all the sub carriers for the given symbol.
Figure 47. EVM Versus Symbol for OFDM 802.11a/g Signal
Rev. 1.2.6
48
Observe a button called Select Carriers above the right window appears when EVM vs. Symbol is selected. Pressing this button enables the user to select one or more specific sub-carriers to be analyzed and plotted. Pressing the button creates an input windows shown in
Figure 48.
Figure 48. Pop-up window to define the sub-carriers to be analyzed
From the window it should be clear how to select the desired sub-carriers. If a single carrier is
to be analyzed, simply type the number of the sub carrier (-26 to 26). If a range of sub-carriers
are desired, type start sub-carrier:stop sub-carrier - e.g.4:8. If more complex selections are
desired, the selection can be included in square brackets []. E.g. if sub-carriers -26,-1, 1 and 26
and 26 are to be selected, one can e.g type [-26 -1:1 26]. After the desired sub-carriers are
selected, press the zoom button in the left side of the main window, where after the plot will be
updated with the data analyzed based on only the selected carriers. Figure 49 shows the analysis result when selecting the carriers of the last example. Observe the text in the Select SubCarriers button becomes red when only a subset of the sub-carriers are selected. The pop-up
text box in Figure 48 shows the currently selected carriers. Note, if only one sub-carrier is
selected, only the red points appear as the plot will show the instantaneous value.
Figure 50 illustrates the EVM Versus Time for 802.11b signal with the 11b EVM calculation set
to rms error vector. The instantaneous EVM per symbol is plotted - the blue lines. The red line
in the graph shows the EVM averaged over 11 symbols (chips). The horizontal axis is time
since start of packet. The plot shows the EVM over the full packet, except for the first approximately 10 usec. When the 11b EVM calculation is set to 11b Std. Tx mod acc, the EVM over
the last 1000 chips of the PSDU are shown.
Eye Diagram Graph
The Eye graph analyzes the error vector magnitude. The Eye graph is available only for the
802.11b signal. Figure 51 illustrates the Eye Graph for 802.11b signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
49
Figure 49. EVM vs. Symbol plot with same captured signal as in Figure 47 but with fewer subcarriers selected
Figure 50. EVM Versus Time for 802.11b Signal (CCK)
Amplitude vs. Time Graph (OFDM)

The Amplitude vs. Time Graph presents the difference in symbol power at a given symbol in
the packet vs. the power of the symbols of the long training sequence (LTS). This can be used
to detect power variation during the packet, as well as providing an estimate of how accurate
the channel estimate is. The Amplitude vs. time can only analyze OFDM signals.
Rev. 1.2.6
50
Figure 51. Eye Graph for 802.11b Signal
Figure 52. Amplitude vs. time graph for OFDM modulated signal.
Rev. 1.2.6
51
Using the Zooming Tool

The IQView EVM application has a zooming tool that allows you to zoom in on the main data
graph in order to stretch the plot out along the time (horizontal) axis. There are two methods for
using the zoom tool:
Slider Method
Left-clicking and Dragging Method
Note: In future releases of the software, the slider method may no longer be supported.
Using the Slider Method to Zoom
The Slider Method for zooming, uses two slider bars. The one below the main power window
(Time Window), and the one in the lower right side below the text windows (ZOOM). The slide
bar below the main window is used to move the selected time window (ZOOM) over the capture.
The Zoom Slider (Zoom) selects the time window being analyzed. As you move the Time Window control bar, all three graphs (top and bottom) on the main window change in unison. The
Zoom Slider allows you to view from far right to far left, the maximum size of the captured analysis displayed in the top graph. Figure 53 illustrates the zoom slide with the mouse pointing to
the control bar of the slider.
Figure 53. Zoom Slider
The top graph (shown in Figure 54) illustrates a capture set up for 500 microsecond intervals.
See "Parameters" in this chapter for changing the time intervals for analyzing captures.
This functionality allows the user to zoom to a specific point in time, and magnify it. If continuous capturing is used, the zoomed area will be maintained, allowing the user to inspect a specific point in time over multiple packets - e.g. the transition from pre-amble to data contents in
an 802.11b signal1.
1. This assumes the signal trigger is enabled, so the event will happen at the same point in time relative to the capture start.
Rev. 1.2.6
52
Figure 54. Amplitude Graph Showing Time Interval Capture in 500 Microseconds
To focus on a specific section of the top graph, simply slide the Time Slider (as shown in
Figure 55) to the desired portion of graph that you want to view. Notice that the slider bar now is
positioned further to the right and as a result, the top graph focuses on a specific portion of the
graph. Compare Figure 54 to Figure 55 to see the difference in the top graph after repositioning
the Time Slider from left to right.
Figure 55. Zoom Time Slider Repositioned to the Right
Rev. 1.2.6
53
Using the Left-Click and Drag Method to Zoom

To use the left-click and drag method to zoom in on a particular section of the top graph, simply
left click your mouse. As you begin a drag movement, a thin-lined rectangle (frame) appears.
Discontinue dragging and release the mouse when you have selected the exact area of the
graph that you want to focus on. Figure 56 illustrates the Left-Click and Drag Method for zooming.
Figure 56. Left-Click and Drag Method
Note: The bottom graphs do not change when performing this type of zoom.
The Left-Click and Drag method also works on the two graphs below the as illustrated in
Figure 57.
Figure 57. Illustration of zooming on one of the two lower windows. Left before zoom, Right
resulting zoom
To zoom out from the current view, press the right mouse key (or Shift-right click). Repeat
pressing the right mouse key until the full view is reestablished.
Rev. 1.2.6
54
VSA Panel Tool
When one has selected the desired portion of a power signal window, the data can be analyzed
using only the data displayed in window by pressing the Zoom button in the left side of the
screen. The zoom button enables a reevaluation of the signal displayed in the power signal
window.
Note: Zooming using the Left-click and Drag method, does not allow the zoomed position to be
maintained when running in continuous mode, as in the Zoom Slider mode.
VSA Panel Tool

The VSA Panel is a tool to help further analyze a DUTs receivers RF performance. This is
done by connecting the IQ of the RF chip to the baseband inputs of IQview1. The VSA panel
enables the user to compensate baseband impairments of the received signal, allowing the
user to determine the best possible performance of the a DUT in terms of RF performance. The
compensation is introduced to a captured baseband signal, before it is analyzed by the signal
processing of IQsignal. This emulates the performance of a baseband modem capable of
removing baseband impairments as part of its receiver implementation. The tool works on both
saved signals as well as real time captured signals, and works on signals captured on both the
RF and base band port of IQview. Again, the tool is designed to compensate impairments of
the DUT receiver, so it is suggested only to use it for baseband signal captures. Using it to
compensate captured RF signals may provide unreliable results (e.g. if a frequency offset is
present).
The VSA Panel is started by selecting it in the tools menu of IQsignal Vector Signal Analyzer
application. This is shown in Figure 58.
Figure 58. Starting the VSA panel
The VSA panel starts as an application in a separate window, and will initially appear as shown
in Figure 59.
The VSA Panel only has one menu - the file menu, where the only option is to exit the program.
1. Note, IQviews baseband inputs are 50 Ohm, so in most cases a driver between the RF chip and the baseband
input will be required.
Rev. 1.2.6
55
VSA Panel Tool
Figure 59. VSA panel after startup
The VSA panel offers three main modes of operation: The slider operation, the tracking operations and the automatic Optimize EVM operation.
Slider Operation
The sliders are controlled by the part of the VSA Panel windows shown in Figure 60.
The sliders are used to manually introduce compensation on the signal. By introducing compensation, one can compensate existing impairments in the captured signal. As can be seen 5
possible compensation can be introduced:
Amplitude mismatch
Phase mismatch
Group delay
DC offset on the I signal and on the Q signal
Detailed explanation of the 5 different compensations is presented in "VSG Panel Tool" later in
this manual
Rev. 1.2.6
56
VSA Panel Tool
Figure 60. Slider portion of VSA Panel.
Before introducing a compensation, the given compensation must be enabled. That is done by
clicking the check box below the desired compensation. If the compensation is not enabled,
even if a non zero value is introduced on using the slider, it will be ignored. Data can be introduced by either sliding the slider using the mouse, or by entering the desired value directly in
the text box below the slider. The units of the five possible compensation settings are presented in Table 7.
Compensation
Amplitude Imbalance
Unit
%
Phase Imbalance
Degrees
Group delay
ns
I and Q DC offset
Table 7. Summary of units for compensation
When operating on a captured signal (not running in continuous mode), one will have to press
the Zoom button on the IQsignal main window, for the changes in the VSA Panel to be reflected
in the shown results.
Rev. 1.2.6
57
VSA Panel Tool
Tracking Operation
Tracking Operation is used when performing continuous captures. The portion of the VSA
panel related to tracking is shown in Figure 61.
Figure 61. Portion of VSA panel used to control tracking
By setting tracking to on, the slider will be updated so it will track the input signal to compensate the impairments in the received signal. The time constant controls how fast signal
changes can be tracked. The time constant is shown relative to signal timing in IQsignal, and is
not a real time number.
Note, the current version of the VSA Panel does not support tracking of the group delay. A fixed
value can be added, but it is currently not possible to vary the group delay when using continuous capture. Naturally, it can still be manually changed while performing continuous capture.
Furthermore, some requirements exist for the tracking to be functional. The tracking mechanism assumes that on average the transmitted signals I and Q are not correlated and that the
average power in the transmitted I and Q signal is the same, for example the input of an ideal
11a/g signal with varying, random data. Note, the preamble used in DSSS system as well as
the lowest rate (1Mbps) in 802.11b do not meet the criterion of the I and Q signals not being
correlated, since BPSK modulation has 100% correlation between I and Q signals. Given this,
the tracking will not work on 1Mbps 802.11b signals, and may not work well on other 802.11b
signals where the capture contains predominantly the preamble.
Besides enabling tracking, two additional buttons are included:
Fast DC Update Button
Fast DC update measures the DC value on the I and on the Q signal, and adjusts the DC offset
sliders to compensate the measured value. Note, one should only use this option when analyzing OFDM signals, as DSSS signals carry DC information, so a wrong value may be calculated1. Furthermore, IQview may contribute slightly to the DC offset when measuring signals
with very low DC contents. This can in most cases be ignored.
1. For long DSSS captures, the result is likely to be correct, as the DC information will be averaged out.
Rev. 1.2.6
58
VSA Panel Tool
Reset Compensation Button

The Reset Compensation button reset all values of the sliders to 0.
Optimize EVM Operation
The last part of the VSA panel shown in Figure 62, calculates the receivers amplitude and
phase imbalance compensation which optimizes the captured signals EVM.
Figure 62. Optimize EVM portion of VSA Panel
Optimize EVM consists of a report window and two buttons. Pressing the optimize EVM button,
will perform an automatic optimization of EVM on the current capture in IQsignal. Given this, it
not advisable to run continuous capture when performing the EVM optimization, as the capture
that is being optimized may not be the same as the one shown in IQsignal after the capture.
Furthermore, it is required that the start of the packet is present in the capture, as it is the case
for all EVM analysis in IQsignal.
Figure 63 shows the Optimize EVM portion of the VSA Panel after Optimize EVM has been
executed. Note, the derived phase and amplitude values will only correspond to the value
shown in IQsignal when measuring on baseband input signals.
As can be seen the best possible EVM is presented as well as the compensation values
needed to achieve this EVM value. By pressing the Transfer Values to sliders, the found values
are transferred to the sliders. This is shown in Figure 64.
Rev. 1.2.6
59
Figure 63. Optimize EVM window after executing Optimize EVM

The Vector Signal Generator is a separate program that generates complex signals that are
output by the tester's RF or Baseband output ports to verify the performance of the receiver
portion of the 802.11 Device Under Test (DUT).
To run the Vector Signal Generator application, select Vector Modulator, located in the Tools
menu. Figure 65 illustrates the Vector Signal Generators main window. The blue graph shows
the instantaneous power of the signal, and the red signal shows the power averaged over one
symbol. Table 8 lists and defines the Vector Signal Generator functions.
Figure 67 illustrates the red bomb which indicates that the vector signal generator is not
working optimally, or impairments have been introduced by the VSG Panel IQ impairment tool
(See"VSG Panel Tool")
Table 9 describes the supplied waveform files, as well as additional files included with the
IQsignal application. The signal waveforms available in the drop-down Signal box, are named
wave1-wave8.mod. If one wants to replace the default waves with one of the other supplied
wave forms, one can simply copy the desired wave form to a file called the same a the one to
be replaced, overwriting the existing file.
Rev. 1.2.6
60
Figure 64. VSA Panel after performing Optimize EVM and Transfer values to Sliders.
Rev. 1.2.6
61
Figure 65. Vector Signal Generator Main Window
Figure 66. Illustration of user defined frequency input for VSG panel
Rev. 1.2.6
62
Functions
Description
RF ON/RF OFF
Starts and stops the Vector Signal Generator. A green LED will display next to
the RF ON/RF OFF button (see Figure 67) when an output signal is provided.
TX Mode
TX Mode selects whether the VSG produces a continuous signal, or transmits

the signal stored in the VSG a predetermined number of times. To enable the
predetermined number of packets, select Packets selector, and enter the
number of packets desired. Input range is 1 to 65334. Note, if two packets exist
in the selected wave form, twice the entered number of packets will be
transmitted.
RF Output (Checkbox)
Selects the output mode of the RF and Baseband ports. When checked, the
vector signal is output on the RF port and monitored on the Baseband ports. If
not checked, the vector signal is output on the Baseband ports.
When the VSG is enabled, a green LED will display next to the RF ON/ RF
OFF button along with text indicating of the output is RF or baseband only.
RF Channel
Selects an RF output channel. Available selections are:
2412 MHz to 2484 MHz in increments of 5 MHz.

4900MHz to 5805 MHz in increments of 20 MHz. (some selection not
included)
User defined frequency, by selecting User Defined, MHz - 1MHz resolution

(see Figure 66)
IQ Swap (Checkbox)
When checked, the I signal and the Q signal are interchanged on the RF or
Baseband output ports. Otherwise, they are not interchanged.
Signal (Pull-Down List)
Selects the type of signal to use. See Table 9 for more detail.
Signal Level
Shows the RMS signal level of the current output signal. Use the slider to set
the desired level, type in the desired level in the input box, or enable the
VSGpanel to set the desired level from this application (see later).
Signal Level Slider
Sets the output signal level, by clicking on the directional arrows, or by

dragging the level indicator.
NOTE: If the output level is set beyond the optimal performance range of the
IQview vector signal generator, a red bomb signal will appear in the upper right
hand of the application window. This is shown in Figure 67. By dragging the
mouse over the bomb signal, additional information is
provided (See Figure 67). Note, using the impairment panel to introduce
impairments to the signal will also produce the red bomb.
Common Mode Voltage

set CMV
When set CMV is enabled, two additional slide bars appear - one to control the
base band I-output and one to control the base band Q-output. These can be
used to set the common mode output voltage of the baseband outputs.
Gap Power Off (Checkbox)
When checked, enables RF Power off during gap period.
Information
Displays textual information about the signal being generated.
Graphical Representation
Provides a graphical representation of the output signal
Table 8. Vector Signal Generator Functions
Rev. 1.2.6
63
Figure 67. Red Bomb Indicator on VSG. Also observe the two added common mode control
slide bars after enabling the Set CMV
Rev. 1.2.6
64
Along with the wave file is also a detailed description of the corresponding data contents of the
packet.
Wave file name
wave1.mod,
wave54rc_1000.mod
Description
PSD plot of wave
54Mbps, TX_length:1000, Raised Cosine

window, 10 samples @ 80MHz
Psdu_Wave54rc_1000.txt: the corresponding
PSDU binary information of
wave54rc_1000.mod
Wave2.mod,
wave36rc_1000.mod

Psdu_wave36rc_1000.txt: the corresponding
wave36rc_1000.mod
Wave3.mod,
wave18rc_1000.mod

wave18rc_1000.mod
Table 9. Overview of supplied wave forms to use with IQ signal
Rev. 1.2.6
65
Wave file name

Wave4.mod,
wave9rc_100.mod
Description
PSD plot of wave
9Mbps, TX_length:100, Raised Cosine window

10 samples @ 80MHz
Psdu_wave9rc-100.txt: the corresponding
wave9rc_1000.mod
wave9rc_1000.mod

window 10 samples @ 80MHz
wave9rc_1000.mod
Wave5.mod,
wave1rc_100.mod
1Mbps, TX_length:100, long preamble, Raised

Cosine filter, 6 symbols long, Roll off: 1.0
PSDU binary information of wave1rc_100.mod
wave1gr_100.mod
1Mbps, TX_length:100, long preamble,

Gaussian & Rect filter, length 6, Roll off: 0.5
Psdu_wave1gr_100.txt: the corresponding
PSDU binary information of wave1gr_100.mod
wave1gr_1000.mod

wave1gr_1000.mod
Rev. 1.2.6
66
Wave file name

Wave6.mod,
wave2rc_100.mod
Description
PSD plot of wave
2 Mbps, TX_length:100, long preamble, Raised

Cosine filter, 6 symbols long, Roll off: 1.0
PSDU binary information of wave2rc_100.mod
wave2gr_100.mod

PSDU binary information of wave2gr_100.mod
wave2gr_1000.mod

wave2gr_1000.mod
Wave7.mod,
wave5p5rc_100.mod
5.5 Mbps, TX_length:100, long preamble,

Raised Cosine filter, 6 symbols long, Roll Off:
1.0
Psdu_wave5p5rc_100.txt: the corresponding
wave5p5rc_100.mod
Rev. 1.2.6
67
Wave file name

Wave5p5gr_100.mod
Description
PSD plot of wave
5.5Mbps, TX_length:100, long preamble,

Psdu_wave5p5gr_100.txt: the corresponding
Wave5p5gr_100.mod
Wave5p5gr_1000.mod
5.5Mbps, TX_length:1000, long preamble,

Psdu_wave5p5gr_1000.txt: the corresponding
wave5p5gr_1000.mod
Wave8.mod,
wave11rc_1000.mod

Raised Cosine filter, 6 symbols long, Roll off:
1.0
Psdu_wave11rc_1000txt: the corresponding
wave11rc_1000.mod
wave11gr_1000.mod

Psdu_wave11gr_1000txt: the corresponding
wave11gr_1000.mod
Rev. 1.2.6
68
Wave file name

wave54_turbo.mod
Description
PSD plot of wave
108Mbps, TX_length:1000, No Window

wave54_turbo_psdu.txt: the corresponding
PSDU binary information of wave54_turbo.mod
wave54_half.mod
26Mbps (half rate), TX_length:1000, No

Window
wave54_half_psdu.txt: the corresponding
PSDU binary information of wave54_half.mod
wave54_quarter.mod
13Mbps (quarter rate), TX_length:1000, No

Window
wave54_quarter_psdu.txt: the corresponding
wave54_quartermod
Rev. 1.2.6
69
Main Menu
Main Menu
The main menu consists of the following two menus:
File
Tools
Help
File Menu
Figure 68 illustrates the Vector Signal Generator File menu. Table 10 lists and defines the File
menu items.
Figure 68. Vector Signal Generator File Menu
Menu Items
Description
Open Generator File
Opens a signal generator file.
Save Generator File
Option to save a generator file to.sig format. Observe, IQsignal can already read the
wave files (.mod) files.
Print Page
Prints a screen dump of the current window - can produce better output than a regular
screen dump
Exit
Closes the Vector Signal Generator window
Table 10. File Menu description
Tools
The tools menu only has a single selection to start the VSG panel (see "VSG Panel Tool") as
shown in Figure 69.
Figure 69. Vector Signal Generator Tool menu
Rev. 1.2.6
70
VSG Panel Tool
Help
Selecting the help menu reveals an About submenu. The result of selecting this is shown in
Figure 70. The pop-up window provides information about the IQview software version.
Figure 70. About IQview Window
VSG Panel Tool

The Vector Signal Generator Panel application is an additional tool that can be used with the
Vector Signal Generator. It allows the user to add impairments to the ideal signal generated by
the VSG.
The VSG tool differs from the VSA tool (see "VSA Panel Tool"), that it introduces impairments
to the transmitted signal out of the VSG, where as the VSA tool can compensate impairments
of a signal received by the VSA.
The VSGpanel is activated from the tools menu in the Vector Signal Generator application window. The program allows impairments to be introduced in real-time by adjusting the appropriate
scroll-bars. When activated, the VSGpanel window displays as shown in Figure 71.
The VSGpanel presents five different scroll bars on the left side of the window, and an output
level scroll bar located on the right side. The scroll-bars can be operated in four different ways.
By typing a number in the box below the scroll-bar
By clicking the arrows on the scroll bar (This introduces a fine adjustment on the scrollbar position.)
By clicking on the area of the scroll bar between the level indicator and the scroll-bar
arrow. (This introduces a coarse adjustment of the scroll-bar level indicator.)
By dragging the level indicator to the desired position using the mouse
The first scroll-bar adjusts the amplitude of the Q-channel. The amplitude of the Q-channel
becomes:
Rev. 1.2.6
71
VSG Panel Tool
Figure 71. The VSGpanel Pop-up Window

1 Offset
Q = Q ref -------------------------
1 + Offset
(EQ 1)
where Q is the resulting signal generated by the VSG, Qref is the original signal, and Offset is
the value of the text box below the scroll bar. The unit for the value in the text box is (%).
The relation between mismatch in % and mismatch in dB is shown in Figure 72.
The second scroll-bar adjusts the phase of the Q-channel relative to the I-channel. The phase
of the Q channel becomes:
o
Q = Q ref + offset = I + 90 + offset
(EQ 2)
where Q is the resultant phase, Q ref is the reference phase of the Q channel (90o on the Ichannel), and offset is the offset angle presented in the text box below the scroll-bar. The unit
for the value in the text box is degrees.
The third scroll-bar adjusts the group delay of the Q-channel. The samples stored in the Qchannel are delayed by the delay presented in the text box below the scroll-bar, and calculated
by:
Rev. 1.2.6
72
VSG Panel Tool
Figure 72. Relationship between IQ mismatch in dB and IQ mismatch in %.

Q ( t ) = Q ref ( t t )
(EQ 3)
where Q(t) represents the sample produced at time t, which in the original symbol would be
produced at time t-t, t is the introduced delay. The unit for the value in the text box is nsec.
The fourth and fifth scroll-bars adjust the DC-offset introduced in the I-channel and Q-channel
respectively. The resulting values can be calculated as:
I ( t ) = I ref ( t ) + k
(EQ 4)
where I(t) represents the resulting signal in either I-channel or the Q-channel, Iref(t) represents
the original signal, and k represents the DC-offset presented in the text-box below the scrollbar. The unit for the value in the text box is volts when used on baseband outputs. This function
is less useful on RF outputs.
The scroll bar on the right side controls the output power of the VSG1. The unit for the value in
the text box is dBm for RF output and dBV for baseband output.
1. Note, when operating the VSGpanel in combination with the Vector Signal Generator application, an inconsistency can occur, where the two applications show different output power levels. The application to actually set/
adjust the power the latest is the one that has the control, thus has the correct value.
Rev. 1.2.6
73
VSG Panel Tool
Updates to the signal will be done in real-time when IQsignal is running in continuous mode, or
when pressing start in single capture mode in the IQsignal window, or when turning the power
on or off in the vector signal generator application.
Caution: When introducing impairments using the VSGpanel, the impairments will exist even
when a different application is selected. The IQsignal and the VSG applications will
show a small bomb in the upper-right hand of interface window indicating impairments
have been added. See Figure 73 and Figure 74. Dragging the mouse over the bomb
will provide additional information about the type of impairments.
NOTE:The impairments are reset whenever the VSG is closed or when IQsignal is started.
This means that the impairments are reset to 0, if the VSGpanel stays open when
restarting IQsignal. Currently the VSG panel may show non-zero values, until a change
is made in the VSGpanel, even though the values were reset by restarting the IQsignal
application.
NOTE:If the VSG output enters compression, even without impairments, the bomb will also display, indicating non-optimal performance.
Figure 73 shows the measurement of a signal with approximately 4.5 degrees phase error
introduced. Note the red bomb in the upper-right corner indicating impairments introduced by
the vector signal generator.
Figure 74 is an example of the vector signal generator application when impairments are introduced by the VSGpanel. Note the red bomb in the upper-right corner.
Rev. 1.2.6
74
VSG Panel Tool
Figure 73. Red Bomb Indicator of Impaired Transmit IQ Signal
Rev. 1.2.6
75
VSG Panel Tool
Figure 74. Red Bomb Indicator of Impaired Transmit VSG Signal
Rev. 1.2.6
76
References
[1] Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications: Higher-Speed Physical Layer Extension in the 2.4 GHz Band
[2] Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications High-speed Physical Layer in the 5 GHz Band
[3] Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications Amendment 4: Further Higher Data Rate Extension in the 2.4 GHz Band
[4] IQview User Guide - Provided on CD along with this manual and other documentation.

Iq Signal Users Guide

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Iq Signal Users Guide

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

IQsignal

December 12, 2006

Updated to reflect 1.2.6 release software.

Copyright 2004-2006 Litepoint Corporation

Using the IQsignal Application........................................9

Using the Left-Click and Drag Method to Zoom......................................... 52

EVM Measurement Application Main Window ........................................................... 10

Vector Signal Generator Main Window ...................................................................... 62

EVM Measurement Application Window Description.............................................. 10

Vector Signal Analyzer

Using the IQsignal Application

Vector Signal Analyzer

Vector Signal Analyzer

Figure 1. EVM Measurement Application Main Window

Start Button/Stop Button

Performs an automatic gain setting to optimize the dynamic range of the

Table 1. EVM Measurement Application Window Description.

Vector Signal Analyzer

Enables Single mode or Continuous mode data capture and analysis

Allows an interchange between the I and Q channel data. This swapping

Selects 802.11a or g (OFDM) type for analysis.

Selects 802.11b (DSSS) type for analysis.

Max Sig. Level

Table 1. EVM Measurement Application Window Description.

Vector Signal Analyzer

Displays measurement results in this window. If the current choice is PSD,

Select and Drag Function

Zooms in on captured data to specify a portion of the capture to be analyzed

Power Time Graph

This window displays a graphical representation of the measured data. The

Display Packet Information

If Display Packet Information is checked, a window inside the top

Table 1. EVM Measurement Application Window Description.

Figure 2. Example of User Defined MHz input option (2410MHz selected)

Figure 3. File Menu

Open Signal File

Save Signal File

Complete Signal: Saves the complete capture independent of what is shown in

Save PSDU data

Loads a previously saved setup

Saves the current setup to a file.

Table 2. File Menu

Load Default Setup

Loads the default settings for the application.

Exits the program.

Table 2. File Menu (Continued)

Figure 4. Setup Menu

Table 3 lists and defines these parameter options.

Table 3. Parameters Window

Trigger Timeout (sec)

Choices are: 0.5, 1.5, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60 seconds

OFDM Optimization Parameters

Symbol Timing Tracking

Choices are: Off/On.

It is recommended to set this to On.

Table 3. Parameters Window (Continued)

Choices are Off/On.

(applies to OFDM only)

Enables and disables the Amplitude tracking.

OFDM Modulation Type

Four choices exist:

Table 3. Parameters Window (Continued)

DSSS Optimization Parameters

Choices are: Off, 5, 7, or 9 Taps.