CISPR25 Testing using Time Domain

(FFT) based test instruments

James Young
Rohde & Schwarz
 Overview
 Review of heterodyne systems
 Mixers, IF and local oscillators

 Two inherent drawbacks of mixer downconversion

 Time Domain Systems for EMI

 Sampling, filtering and frequency transforms

 Building large bandwidths in the time domain

 Problematic signals for the FFT

 Combining the two systems for max efficiency

Super-Heterodyne Downconversion
 Het Downconversion – Signal Prep

Full Spectrum Full Filtered Filtered Mixed

RF Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum RF Spectrum RF
(9 kHz-3 GHz) RF RF (3.5 GHz)
Preamp
(2-8 MHz)

(2
Mixer Stages

IF Hz
Preselection IF (RBW)

0
Attenuator

M
Filters

)
Digital Conversion

Detectors
Display
- Signal prep stages Markers
Limit lines
Trace evaluation
Local Oscillator
3.4-6.6 GHz
- Attenuator sets amplitude of signals
presented to mixer

- Preselection filters out “non-interesting”

signals
- Grey boxes show receiver
only hardware or functions
- Preamplifier overcomes losses in
filtering, maintains S/N
 Spectrum View - Signal Prep

Low noise
Pre-selection amplification Mixer stage

V(f) V(f) V(f)

B1 B2 B2

f
 Het Downconversion – Mixer Stage

Full Spectrum Full Filtered Filtered Mixed

RF Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum RF Spectrum RF
(9 kHz-3 GHz) RF RF (3.5 GHz)
Preamp
(2-8 MHz)

(2
Mixer Stages

IF Hz
Preselection IF (RBW)

0
Attenuator

M
Filters

)
Digital Conversion

Detectors
- Mixer Stage Display
Markers
Limit lines
Trace evaluation
Local Oscillator
3.4-6.6 GHz
- Mixers are multipliers
- fIF = | M * fLO ± N * fIN |

- Where M,N are integers, if set to 1

- fIF = | fLO ± fIN |
 Spectrum View – Freq Conversion
fIF = | M*fLO ± fIN*N
Freq Conversion |
A
By controlling the Freq of
the LO, we control where
the input frequency is
converted

f = fIF

fIF fin - fLO fin + f

 Het Downconversion – IF Stage

Full Spectrum Full Filtered Filtered Mixed

RF Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum RF Spectrum RF
(9 kHz-3 GHz) RF RF (3.5 GHz)
Preamp
(2-8 MHz)

(2
Mixer Stages

IF Hz
Preselection IF (RBW)

0
Attenuator

M
Filters

)
Digital Conversion

Detectors
- IF Stage Display
Markers
Limit lines
Trace evaluation
Local Oscillator
3.4-6.6 GHz
- Mixers create multiples of the
signal

- IF filters (RBW) reject the images

- Still an analog voltage waveform,

but now at 20 MHz rather than GHz
Spectrum View – IF Stage & Sampling
Freq error samples

- Sampling, Detector, Display

- 20.4 MHz analog IF signal is

Peak Displayed as sampled (with over-sampling)
Measurement
Point

detector
Peak
- In “digital domain” the signal
peak
is weighted by digital detectors
QP
Ave - Display, markers, auto-tests
RMS performed by DSPs & software
Display Point
In Motion – LO Sweep / Tune
 Issues with Het-downconversion

• Only Signals within the IF filter passband are weighted by the

detector at any given moment

• Solution:
– `Dwell` at each meas point to capture worst case amplitude

Full Filtered Filtered Mixed

Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum RF Spectrum RF
RF RF (3.5 GHz)
Preamp (2 IF
(2-8 MHz) Mixer Stages 0
Preselection IF (RBW) M
Filters H
z)

Digital Conversion

Detectors
Display
Markers
Limit lines
Trace evaluation
Local Oscillator
3.4-6.6 GHz
 Issues with Het-downconversion

• Signals outside the IF filter passband may affect the

measurement results

• Solution:
– Preselection, RF attenuation, variable IF gain, warning of overloads

Full Spectrum Full Filtered Filtered Mixed

RF Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum RF Spectrum RF
(9 kHz-3 GHz) RF RF (3.5 GHz)
Preamp
(2-8 MHz) Mixer Stages
Preselection IF (RBW)
Attenuator
Filters

Local Oscillator
3.4-6.6 GHz
 The Complexities of the Full System

• Rule of thumb = freq (LO) step

width Δf  0.5 RBW

• Small RBW gives high number of

measurement points: 30-1000
MHz; RBW 9 kHz; Δf =4 kHz 
242,000 points

• Timing signature of signal defines 'dwell time':

60 Hz interferer needs measurement (dwell) time of ≥ 20 ms

• Calculated total scan time with 'dwell' time 10 ms:

> 2,420 s (~ 40 min.)
Time Domain Techniques for EMI
Time Domain Technique

Step 1
Frequency domain:
Division of the measured
frequency range in consecutive
frequency intervals (7 MHz) and
filtering.

Step 2
Time domain:
Temporal sampling of the
filtered signals (i.e. sampling
rate 81 MHz).
Time Domain Technique
Step 3
F(s) f(t) Fast Fourier transform:
Signal transformation of the filtered
signals from time domain to
frequency domain by means of FFT.

Step 4
Frequency domain:
Combining the spectral
distributions of the individual
frequency ranges.
 Time Domain Scanning

• Time domain
segments of 7
MHz

• CISPR needs
30-1000 MHz

• Combine
segments for full
bandwidth
 Issues with TD-EMI

• Not an accepted method for CISPR compliance testing

Solution: Still need a compliant EMI receiver / SA

• Intermittent signals
Solution: TDEMI solutions need large sample RAMs to
store long captures (1s of time domain data is minimum)

• Signals with unpredictable modulations, modes or behaviours

Solution: Since the FFT is a statistical approximation, consider
the results precompliance
 Scan Times / Freq Domain vs. Time Domain

30 – 1000 MHz 9 – 150 kHz

300 60
273 53
260

250 50
meas time meas time
200 100 uS 40 1mS

150 30

100 20

Time Domain Time Domain

50 Freq Domain 10 Freq Domain
2 6 0.5

0 0
9kHz RBW 120 kHz RBW 200 Hz RBW
 Hardware for Time Domain EMI

IF output Software or
scope for FFT

Preselection Software for FFT, detectors,

A/D spectrum display

Tektronix
R&S ESU
Real time SA
The R&S TDEMI Approach
• Resample provides data
reduction capabilities

• Universal digital module

provides IF analysis &
bargraph displays

• 16 MS RAM
saves 1 second
data segments

81 MHz
14 bit
Comparison Measurements
Frequency Domain vs. Time Domain
CISPR Type Pulsed Signals
EMI Time Domain Scan - Concerns
- FFT = Unknown handling of certain signals
- Pulsed signal weighting against CISPR QP behavior
- Intermittent signals
- Signals with non standard modulation modes

- Following screen shots compare traditional receiver

measurement with R&S implemented FFT mode TDEMI

- 3 signal sources for comparison

- Noise board
- CISPR pulse generator
- Intermittent signal generator broadcast
 EMI Freq Domain Scan: Harmonics
RBW 9 kHz Delta 2 [T1 ]
MT 100 ms -3.25 dB
Att 10 dB AUTO PREAMP OFF -12.000000000 MHz
dBµV 1 MHz Marker
10 MHz1 [T1 ]
100
87.82 dBµV
1
14.002000000 MHz
90
2
1 PK
CLRWR
80

70

60

50

6DB
40

30

20

10

150 kHz 30 MHz

- High amplitude noise directly coupled via cable

120kH RBW, 30-1000 MHz span, peak detector
Date: 10.JUL.2006 22:43:31
 EMI Time Domain Scan: Harmonics
RBW 9 kHz Delta 2 [T1 ]
MT 1 ms -2.92 dB
TD SCAN PREAMP OFF -11.997000000 MHz
dBµV 1 MHz Marker
10 MHz1 [T1 ]
100
87.12 dBµV
13.998750000
1 MHz
90
2
1 PK
CLRWR
80

70

60

50

6DB
40

30

20

10

150 kHz 30 MHz

 EMI Time Domain Scan Comparison

Don’t have time or screen space to show this type of test

Data was too dense for screen shots

So:
- Demo will show various captures of CISPR pulse rates
- Demo can also show intermittent signal detection

Come see the demo

 Summary of TDEMI
• Measurements considered precompliant
• Killer App is when combined with software / turntable / mast
– Can save hours on the preview scans
• TDEMI benefits
 Obvious speed advantage
 Combined unit eliminates porting of results to multiple
instruments
 Excellent S/N (ADC resolution 14 bit, sampling rate 81 MHz )
 Additional uses in future
 The way of the future??