Trident P2 FGU 400/800MHz

Near Unity Spurs Theory

7/31/2016

Motorola Confidential Proprietary

Created by Sergey Anderson BSA036

Trident P2 FGU 400/800MHz

Near Unity Spur Theory

Near unity spurs or Fractional-N spurs are considered as the spurs coming out of the
synthesizer due to its fractional divider. Formerly, the frequency spur calculation was
based on the following formula for the near unity spur investigation:
Fspur Fref REM

(1)
where Fref - reference frequency at the phase detector input;
REM fractional remainder of the total divide ratio.
The formula above does not include all possible offset combinations for fractional
synthesizer and should be converted to another useful form. It is well known from the
fractional synthesizer theory that the fractional spur can be located as close as (Fref/F) Hz
away from the carrier and it can be found using the following formula:
Fspur

Fref
F

(2)
where Fref - reference frequency at the phase detector input.
F accumulator value for existing divide ratio of the synthesizer.
In other words, the fractional spur offset is equal to the current fractional resolution. The
fractional resolution is the frequency distance between the current carrier frequency of
the synthesizer and the nearest virtual frequency with only the integer part of the divide
ratio (REM=0). This principle is easy to use for fractional spur understanding and also for
spur measurement algorithm.
For TETRA standard there are two frequency channel steps 12.5 kHz and 6.25 kHz for
the synthesizer in locked mode and an additional 0.5Hz step for AFC correction.
The worst case fractional spur settings for an ideal system could be found from formulas
(2) and (3):
Fspur

Fref
F

F 1

(3)

However, in practice those formulas are not useful either.

7/31/2016

Motorola Confidential Proprietary

Created by Sergey Anderson BSA036

Trident P2 FGU 400/800MHz

A new useful formula was found for the frequency offset calculation of the Near Unity
spurs (4). This formula is based on both synthesizer theory and the harmonics effect in
active elements, and corresponds with RF measurements.
There are few assumptions for Near Unity effect:
1. Each fractional spur goes from fractional divider into the phase detector and
produces two spurs near the carrier frequency on the left and right sides.
Thus, one fractional spur always produces two frequency spurs with the same
frequency offsets (left/right sides) from the carrier.
2. The fractional spurs amplitude depends on the fractional number and
also depends on TCXO, VCO, Phase Detectors performances, IC designs and
PCB board design. Because of many uncontrolled effects, the fractional spur
can become either worse or better. In that way, all possible offset combination
should be calculated and measured.
3. The fractional divider produces all harmonics of the fractional spurs.
4. The fractional spur offset could be reduced by the number N if there are any
additional frequency dividers with divide ratio N at the prescaler input.
Fspur n Fvco Fref k

(4)
where n harmonics number,
k integer number can be found by following expressions:
k INT

Fvco
Fref

if

0 REM

Fvco

Fref

0 .5

and
k 1 INT

Fvco
Fref

Fspur 0 ,

if

if

0.5 REM

REM

Fvco
Fref

Fvco

Fref

Note:

7/31/2016

Motorola Confidential Proprietary

Created by Sergey Anderson BSA036

Trident P2 FGU 400/800MHz

Examples
TETRA UHF standard
Frequency step=12.5kHz; Frequency band 700-940MHz; Ref.Freq.=8.4MHz; Rodinia
frequency pre-divider N=3; Total number of all possible fractional spurs=9408.
1) Fvco=705.6MHz
Using the formula (4) will yield:
Remainder=REM [705.6/8.4]=0, then
Fspur= n*[705.6-8.4*84]=0, - no any fractional spur.
2) Fvco=705.5875MHz
Remainder=REM [705.5875/8.4]=0.998511
REM>0.5, then K=1+INT [705.5875/8.4]=1+83=84
Fspur= n*[705.5875-8.4*84]= n*0.0125 MHz
Because of using the Rodinia Pre-divider N=3:
Fspur=n*0.0125/3=n*0.004166 MHz, where n harmonics number.
3) Fvco=705.6125MHz
Remainder=REM [705.6125/8.4]= 0.001488
REM<0.5, then K=INT [705. 6125/8.4] =84
Fspur= n*[705. 6125-8.4*84] = n*0.0125 MHz
Because of using the Rodinia Pre-divider N=3:
Fspur=n*0.0125/3=n*0.004166 MHz, where n harmonics number.

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