A practical approach to phase noise estimation in reflection microwave oscillators

Abstract

This paper describes a procedure that enables the designer to estimate phase noise in a reflection oscillator to a high degree of accuracy, using only large-signal S-parameter measurements and basic knowledge of noise processes in bipolar transistors. No detailed knowledge of the large signal transistor model and no large signal simulation tools are used in order to keep the practical value of this method as high as possible. The validity of this approach is demonstrated experimentally, showing very close agreement between measurements and theory.