Unit of measurement for RF wave frequencies that is equal to one billion Hz (Hertz).
The International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) designation for radio frequencies between 3 and 30 megahertz (MHz).
The unit of frequency for cycles per second. 250 cycles per second equal 250 hertz or 250 Hz.
A measure of the range of frequencies that can be transmitted through a communication channel. Sometimes known as instantaneous frequency bandwidth or IF bandwidth, it is calculated by determining the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies present in a given signal at a specific point in time.
The presence of unwanted signals or noise in the RF spectrum that can disrupt or degrade wireless communication. Interference can be caused by a variety of sources, including other radio transmissions, electronic devices, power lines, and natural phenomena such as lightning.
The in-phase and quadrature components of a signal used in many types of digital communication. RF recordings are digitalized using a digital signature, which becomes I/Q data. In-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components are used to represent the two-dimensional amplitude and phase information of a signal, such as a radio frequency (RF) signal. The I component represents the signal amplitude in phase with a reference signal. In contrast, the Q component represents the signal amplitude in quadrature (90 degrees out of phase) with the reference signal. I/Q data is used in many signal-processing applications, including software-defined radio (SDR), radar systems, and image processing.
The process of varying the properties of a signal (such as amplitude, frequency, or phase) to transmit information.
The background noise or interference level in the RF spectrum, typically measured in dBm. For RF analysis, the lowest possible noise floor is desirable.
The measure of the degradation of a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) caused by the receiver. NF is defined as the ratio of the output noise power of a device to the input noise power, expressed in decibels (dB).
The random fluctuations in the phase of an RF signal. The receiver phase noise (PN) determines the receiver’s ability to resolve two closely spaced signals. Phase noise introduces a “skirt” of noise around the measurement of each signal. If another signal is close enough in frequency to lie within the skirt, its measurement will be degraded.