Virtual Vector Signal Analyzer (VSA)
System-Level RF Signal Analysis & Verification
Instrument Controls
Format: I, Q (one per line)
Measurement Results
RMS EVM: 0.00 %
Peak EVM: 0.00 %
PAPR: 0.00 dB
Sample Count: 0
Constellation Diagram
CCDF (Power Stats)
Mathematical Background & Theory
1. Vector Signal Representation
Modern wireless communication uses complex modulation. A signal is represented as a vector in the complex plane:
S(t) = I(t) + jQ(t)
Where I is the In-phase component and Q is the Quadrature component. The Constellation Diagram plots these points over time to visualize signal quality.
2. Error Vector Magnitude (EVM)
EVM is a measure used to quantify the performance of a digital radio transmitter or receiver. It represents the difference between the measured symbol and the ideal symbol.
3. CCDF and PAPR
The Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF) is critical for Power Amplifier (PA) design. It shows the amount of time a signal spends at or above a given power level relative to its average power.
- PAPR (Peak-to-Average Power Ratio): High PAPR (typical in OFDM) requires expensive, linear amplifiers to avoid clipping.
- The X-axis of the CCDF shows the power level (dB) above average.
- The Y-axis shows the probability (percent of time).