TestInstruments1

1. What are the four (4) factors that affects your measurements?

- Environmental conditions
- Inferior measuring equipment
- Poor measuring techniques
- Inadequate staff training
2. The units of phase noise is ____________, meaning, 1dB down from the carrier in a 1
Hz bandwidth.
- dBc/Hz

3. Give three (3) general uses of Measuring and test instruments.

- for calibration
- for testing and troubleshooting
- for maintenance of aeronautical navigational aids

4. What is the wave offset?

- It is the voltage between circuit ground and the center of the signal’s

altitude.

-In effect, the offset voltage expresses the DC component of a signal

containing both AC and DC values.

5. The most important block of the Signal Generator that forms a frequency

Synthesizer.

- Oscillator

6. A specification that indicates maximum input power the generator can handle?

- Reverse power protection

7. Write the formula for computing the accuracy of a Signal Generator.

- Accuracy = ± F * T aging * Tcal

8. What are the three (3) Signal Generator Specifications?

- FREQUENCY,AMPLITUDE and SPECTRAL PURITY

9. Draw the Block Diagram of a signal generator. Label all the blocks accordingly.
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Instruction. Answer the following questions.

1. The clock oscillator/accurate time base clock is used to provide an accurately timed
gate signal that will allow through pulses from the incoming signal.

2. When the counter counts the transition, the higher the frequency, the more pulses that
are counted.

3. If large signals are present care must be taken not to overload the input or even cause
damage to it.

4. Give at least two kinds of error found under Random and Systematic error that
determines counter accuracy.

Quantization error, trigger error and timebase error

5. Name at least three (3) important specifications that affect the performance of the
Frequency Counter.
a. Input impedance specification
b. Sensitivity specification
c. Signal operating range
d. Frequency counter time base specification
e. Frequency counter resolution

6. In the direct measurement block diagram, at what block you can find the latch and
what is the reason why is there a need to have it?
At the counter register/to hold the output in place while the figures are being
displayed

7. AC coupling removes any DC offset from the signal, whereas DC coupling admits the
entire signal, offset and all.

8. Noise spikes can be triggered by noise on the input signal for this kind or error. What is
this error?

Trigger error

9. Draw the block diagram of direct measurement type frequency counter.

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Instruction. Answer the following questions.

1. Give the three (3) primary function keys of the Spectrum Analyzer.
Frequency, Amplitude and Span

2. Give at least five (5) unprocessed signal information in a way that makes the
spectrum analyzer easy to analyze the signal.
voltage, power, period, waveshape, sidebands, and frequency

3. We can see from our experiment that as RBW is narrowed, selectivity is improved,
that is why we are able to resolve the two input signals.

4. Decreasing the RBW also often improve Signal to Noise Ratio.

5. .By changing the video bandwidth (VBW) setting, we can decrease/reduce the
peak-to peak amplitude of the noise.

6. It is a filter bandwidth which just smooth out signal of interest.

7. The sweep generator actually tunes the local oscillator so that its frequency
changes in proportion to the output voltages of the sweep generator.

8. Give at least three (3) specifications of a Spectrum Analyzer.

Frequency Range
Accuracy: Frequency & Amplitude
Resolution
Sensitivity
Distortion
Dynamic Range

9. Spectrum Analyzer is a passive RECEIVER.

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Instruction. Answer the following questions.

1. From the IFR’s Spectrum Analyzer, Reference Level (top of screen) is from −50
dBm to +52 dBm.

2. The Receiver Test Procedure in the IFR uses RF and AF generators to produce a
transmission with defined parameters.

3. Audio Frequency generators run over the audio range, typically from about 20Hz to
20 Khz/ 0.3Hz to 3.4KHz.

4. The IFR 2945A Communications Service Monitor is the brand name of this
portable test instrument for maintenance testing on radio transmitters, receivers
and two way radio communication equipment. Write the complete brand name.

5. Draw and label all the input/output for the proper signal flow of the Transmitter and
Receiver Test setup.

(Tx and RX under test =PAE VHF AM Transceiver), Test Instrument =IFR 2945A

a) Transmitter Test Setup

b) Receiver Test Setup
Receiver testing

Service Monitor

MODULATED RF TEST SIGNAL

Rx
Under
DEMODULATED AF SIGNAL Test

C3241
Fig. 2 Receiver test setup
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I. Fill in the blanks.

1. The Transmitter Test Procedure from the IFR uses a RF power meter to measure the
mean output power level of the transmitter.

2. In a function generator, Rise time is the amount of time required for a pulse edge to make
a transition to a state opposite its current level, from low level to high level.

3. In direct measurement type frequency counter, the shorter gate time obviously enable the
display to be refreshed more often, but against this the resolution is less.

4. Attenuator is an electronic device that reduces the power of a signal without appreciably
distorting its waveform.

5. Audio signal generators run over the audio range, typically from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

6. The spectrum analyzer is to the frequency domain as the oscilloscope is to the time
domain.

7. It is the difference frequency that is of interest in the spectrum analyzer, we call these the
Intermediate Frequency.

8. Fill in the correct order of signal flow in a spectrum analyzer?

IF gain → IF filter → Detector → Video filter

9. The IFR 2945A Communications Service Monitor is the brand name of this portable
test instrument for maintenance testing on radio transmitters, receivers and two way
radio communication equipment. Write the complete brand name.

10. The Transmitter Test Procedure from the IFR 2945A, uses modulation meter to
measure the modulation depth or the deviation level.

II. TRUE OR FALSE. Write true if the statement is correct, if false, change the word/words
to make the statement true.

1. Civil Aviation Regulations –Air Navigation System SERVICE

2. In the spectrum analyzer, a signal at the input travels through an attenuator to limit the
amplitude of the signal to the mixer.

3. A wider RBW setting allows a faster sweep across a given span compared to a narrower
RBW setting.
 4. The output frequencies that will be produced by the mixer are the original input signals,
plus the sum and difference frequencies of these two input signals.

5. The Receiver Test Procedure from the IFR uses an RF Generator level of -107dBm at 12
SINAD.

6. The Receiver Test Procedure from the IFR AF/Mod Generator uses a 1KHz sinewave signal
at 30% modulation.

7. The Receiver Test Procedure in the IFR uses RF generator and the AF generators to
produce a transmission with defined parameters

8. Sensitivity test on an AM receiver with the combined modules of the IFR 2945A is the
Main Test being performed.

9. The Receiver Test Procedure in the IFR uses RF Generator level -107dBm Mod Generator:
1KHz at 30% modulation

10. A passive receiver that displays a raw, unprocessed signal information such as voltage,
power, period, waveshape, sidebands, and frequency in a way that makes it easy to analyze
the signal is the spectrum analyzer.

IV. Instruction. Compute the required values on the problem below.

1. What is the accuracy of a Signal generator having an aging rate of 0.152, calibrated
ten (10) years ago and producing 1GHz frequency?

Accuracy = ± F * T aging * Tcal (direct substitution) = 1.52kHz

Freq. = 1 GHz
Taging = 0.152 ppm/Yr.
Tcal = time since last calibration = 10 years
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I. Fill in the blanks. (2pts. each)

1. A 20dB Delta attenuator is incorporated within the Service Monitor which interconnects
the N-type connector with the RF Generator output and the measuring receiver input.

2. Complete the signal flow in a spectrum analyzer.

IF gain → IF Filter → Detector → Video filter

3. The General Specifications for the output level of the N- type socket found in the front
panel of the IFR is in the range of −141 dBm to −21 dBm for RX Test measurements.

4. In direct measurement type frequency counter, the shorter gate time obviously enable
the display to be refreshed more often, but against this the resolution is less.

5. The Transmitter Test Procedure from the IFR 2945A, uses modulation meter to
measure the modulation depth or the deviation level.

6. The Transmitter Test Procedure from the IFR 2945A uses Audio Generator level of
-13dBm at 1KHz sinewave standard.

7. Attenuator is an electronic device that reduces the power of a signal without appreciably
distorting its waveform.

8. Arbitrary wave Generator creates waveforms that can be almost any shape and can be
entered in a variety of ways.

9. In the Spectrum Analyzer, we adjust the frequency range across the full 10 divisions with
the frequency span control.

10. Schmitt trigger is used to convert analog signal to pulse signal in frequency counters.
II. TRUE OR FALSE. Write true if the statement is correct, if false, change the word/words
to make the statement true.

1. The Receiver Test Procedure from the IFR uses an RF Generator level of -107dBm at 12dB
SINAD.

2. In the spectrum analyzer, a signal at the input travels through attenuator to limit the
amplitude of the signal to the mixer.

3. A marker is a visible indicator we can place anywhere along the displayed signal trace.

4. One advantage of using a narrow RBW is seen when making measurements of

low-level signals. /VBW

5. In the IFR 2945A, AF voltmeter is used to measure the level of the demodulated signal
from the receiver.

6. A wider RBW setting allows a faster sweep across a given span compared to a narrower
RBW setting.

7. The frequency span is given as the total span across the full display which is generally
the frequency range represented by the horizontal axis of the display.

8. The Receiver Test Procedure in the IFR uses RF Generator level of -107dBm and AF/Mod
Generator: 1KHz at 30% modulation.

9. The ramp generator actually tunes the Local Oscillator so that its frequency changes in
proportion to the ramp voltage. TRUE

10. The Receiver Test Procedure in the IFR uses Distortion meter to obtain signal-to-noise
ratio, SINAD levels and distortion percentage figures.
III. Fill in the IFR’s block Diagram for the Transmitter and Receiver Test Setup. (See
attached figures).

Transmitter Test Setup: 1. RF Power Meter 2. AF Generator 3. Distortion Meter 4. Modulation Meter

Receiver Test Setup: 1. Modulation Generator 2 2. AF Counter 3. AF Filters 4. RF Generators

IV. Instruction. Compute the required values on the problem below.

1. What is the accuracy of a Signal generator having an aging rate of 0.152, calibrated
five (5) years ago and producing 1000MHz frequency?

Accuracy = ± F * T aging * Tcal (direct substitution) = 760Hz

Freq. = 1 GHz
Taging = 0.152 ppm/Yr.
Tcal = time since last calibration = 5 years