Noise Notes PDF
Noise Notes PDF
NOISE
Noise is an electronic signal that is a mixture of many random frequencies at
many amplitudes that get added to a radio or information signal as it is transmitted
from one place to another or as it is processed. Noise is not the same as
interference from other information signals. If the noise level is high enough
and/or the signal is weak enough, the noise can completely obliterate the original
signal. Noise that occurs in transmitting digital data causes bit errors and can
result in information being garbled or lost. The noise level in a system is
proportional to temperature and bandwidth, and to the amount of current flowing
in a component, the gain of the circuit, and the resistance of the circuit. Increasing
any of these factors increases noise. Therefore, low noise is best obtained by using
low-gain circuits, low direct current, low resistance values, and narrow
bandwidths. Keeping the temperature low can also help.
Thermal noise can also be computed as a power level. Johnson’s formula is then
When the noise factor is expressed in decibels, it is called the noise figure (NF)
NF= 10 log NR dB
Amplifiers and receivers always have more noise at the output than at the input
because of the internal noise, which is added to the signal. The S/N ratio at the
output will be less than the S/N ratio of the input, and so the noise figure will
always be greater than 1. A transistor amplifier in a communication receiver
usually has a noise figure of several decibels. The lower the noise figure, the
better the amplifier or receiver. Noise figures of less than about 2 dB are excellent.
Noise Temperature
Most of the noise produced in a device is thermal noise, which is directly
proportional to temperature. Therefore, another way to express the noise in an
amplifier or receiver is in terms of noise temperature TN
Noise temperature is expressed in kelvins.
Where
SINAD is the most often used measure of sensitivity for FM receivers used in
two-way radios.
Noise in Cascaded Stages
Noise has its greatest effect at the input to a receiver simply because that is the
point at which the signal level is lowest. The noise performance of a receiver is
invariably determined in the very first stage of the receiver, usually an RF
amplifier or mixer. Design of these circuits must ensure the use of very low-noise
components, taking into consideration current, resistance, bandwidth, and gain
figures in the circuit. Beyond the first and second stages, noise is basically no
longer a problem.
The formula used to calculate the overall noise performance of a receiver or of
multiple stages of RF amplification, called Friis’ formula, is
Note that the noise ratio is used, rather than the noise figure, and so the gains are
given in power ratios rather than in decibels.