Specifications
15
Tips from the experts
• Noise figure measurements are best done in a screen room to eliminate
spurious interference from mobile phones, wireless LAN, handheld
transceivers, etc.
• Batteries are sometimes used instead of mains-based power supplies
to eliminate conducted interference from sensitive LNA measurements
• Overall measurement accuracy can be estimated by using Agilent’s
Monte-Carlo-based noise figure uncertainty calculator
Agilent’s PNA-X noise figure
uncertainty calculator
(www.agilent.com/find/nfcalc)
includes the effects of mismatch
and noise-parameter-induced
errors caused by imperfect
system source match.
Noise figure measurement
uncertainty example in an
automated test environment
(ATE). The PNA-X’s source-
corrected technique is
considerably more accurate
than the Y-factor method.