Method for determining phase noise in a periodically modulated signal

A measurement device, comprising:

• an input channel, a processing unit, a demodulation unit and a noise analysis unit,
• the input channel being configured to receive an input signal and to forward the input signal to the processing unit,
• the processing unit being configured to process the input signal to generate a processed signal from the input signal and to forward the processed input signal to the demodulation unit,
• the demodulation unit being configured to determine a type and a period of a modulation of the input signal to generate a demodulated signal by demodulating the processed signal based on the period and the type of modulation and to forward the demodulated signal to the noise analysis unit, wherein the demodulated signal corresponds to a continuous wave signal containing the phase noise to be quantified, and
• the noise analysis unit being configured to determine at least one of a phase noise and an amplitude noise of the demodulated signal.

A method for determining phase noise in a periodically modulated signal, the method comprising the following steps:

• processing the periodically modulated signal to generate a processed signal from the periodically modulated signal;
• determining at least an approximate period of a modulation of the periodically modulated signal from the processed signal, wherein the approximate period of the modulation of the periodically modulated signal is determined by an autocorrelation of the processed signal;
• determining a type of modulation of the periodically modulated signal from the processed signal;
• demodulating the modulated signal based on the determined period and the determined type of modulation to generate a demodulated signal;
• and
• determining the phase noise from the demodulated signal.