The Keysight (Agilent) E5505A is a modular phase noise measurement system engineered for characterization of signal sources including VCOs, DROs, crystal oscillators, synthesizers, amplifiers, and converters. It measures absolute and residual phase noise, AM noise, and low-level spurious signals across a wide frequency range. The system architecture combines standard instruments, dedicated phase noise components, and PC-based software, enabling flexible configuration and asset reuse.
Technical Specifications
Frequency Coverage
• Carrier frequencies: 50 kHz to 26.5 GHz
• Extended range to 110 GHz with harmonic mixer
• Downconverter input: 1 GHz to 18 GHz (N5502A) or 1.5 GHz to 26.5 GHz (N5507A)
• External noise input port: 0.01 Hz to 100 MHz
Offset Frequency Range
• 0.01 Hz to 2 MHz (standard)
• 0.01 Hz to 100 MHz (with compatible signal analyzer)
Performance Metrics
• Noise floor: -180 dBc/Hz
• System spurious response: < -120 dBc
• Measurement accuracy: ±2 dB (offsets < 1.0 MHz), ±4 dB (offsets < 100 MHz)
Phase Detector Input (carriers < 1.6 GHz)
• Signal (R input): 0 to +23 dBm
• Reference (L input): +15 to +23 dBm
– Key Features
• One-port and two-port device support
• CW, pulsed, and spurious signal measurement
• PLL/reference source, residual, FM discriminator, and delay-line techniques
• Configurable baseband test sets (50 kHz to 26.5 GHz with AM noise capability)
• Dual low-noise microwave downconverters to 18 GHz or 26.5 GHz
– System Integration
The E5505A accepts multiple baseband analyzers: Keysight PXA (3 Hz to 50 GHz), MXA (10 Hz to 26.5 GHz), EXA, CXA, and legacy Agilent PSA/ESA spectrum analyzers. Control software operates on Windows XP Professional.
