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CHAPTER 2.1 FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTICS

Introduction

Frequency performance is one of the fundamental characteristics of a modern signal and spectrum analyzer. It directly affects measurement accuracy, long-term stability, receiver performance and the capability to characterize modern RF, microwave and millimeter-wave systems.

This section compares the frequency-related specifications of the Ceyear 4052 Series, Rohde & Schwarz FSV3000 Series and Rohde & Schwarz FSVA3000 Series, including frequency coverage, frequency reference stability, tuning resolution, marker accuracy and sweep capabilities. All values are taken from the official manufacturer specifications.

Table 2-1. Frequency Coverage

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
Lowest frequency (DC coupled) 2 Hz 10 Hz 10 Hz (2 Hz with B710 option) 4052
Lowest frequency (AC coupled) 10 MHz 10 MHz 10 MHz Equal
Highest standard frequency 50 GHz 50 GHz 50 GHz Equal
Maximum frequency with options 50 GHz 50 GHz 54 GHz FSVA3000
Number of available frequency models 8 6 6 4052
Frequency models 4 / 8 / 13.6 / 18 / 26.5 / 40 / 45 / 50 GHz 4 / 7.5 / 13.6 / 30 / 44 / 50 GHz 4 / 7.5 / 13.6 / 30 / 44 / 50 (54) GHz 4052
Frequency resolution 0.01 Hz 0.01 Hz 0.01 Hz Equal
Frequency extension — — Optional to 54 GHz FSVA3000

 

Technical Observation

All three analyzer families cover the complete RF and microwave frequency range up to 50 GHz. The Ceyear 4052 provides the broadest selection of standard frequency models, allowing users to optimize instrument cost according to application requirements. The FSVA3000 is the only instrument capable of extending its operating frequency to 54 GHz through an optional hardware upgrade. 

Table 2-2. Frequency Reference Performance

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
Internal reference 10 MHz 10 MHz 10 MHz Equal
Frequency resolution 0.01 Hz 0.01 Hz 0.01 Hz Equal
Aging ±5×10⁻¹⁰/day 1×10⁻⁶/year 1×10⁻⁶/year 4052
OCXO option Available Available Available Equal
Temperature stability ±1.5×10⁻⁸ 1×10⁻⁶ (Std), 1×10⁻⁸ (OCXO) 1×10⁻⁶ (Std), 1×10⁻⁸ (OCXO) Comparable
Calibration accuracy ±4×10⁻⁸ 5×10⁻⁷ (Std), 5×10⁻⁸ (OCXO) 5×10⁻⁷ (Std), 5×10⁻⁸ (OCXO) Comparable

 

Technical Observation

All three analyzers employ high-stability 10 MHz reference oscillators and provide optional OCXO references for applications requiring enhanced long-term stability. The Ceyear specification expresses aging in daily terms, while Rohde & Schwarz specifies annual aging. Because the manufacturers use different reporting methods, direct numerical comparison should be interpreted with care.

Table 2-3. Frequency Readout and Marker Accuracy

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
Marker resolution 1 Hz 1 Hz 1 Hz Equal
Frequency counter resolution 0.1 Hz 0.001 Hz 0.001 Hz R&S
Marker accuracy formula Yes Yes Yes Equal
Frequency counter accuracy Specified Specified Specified Equal

 

Table 2-4. Sweep Characteristics

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
Sweep range 0 Hz to Max 0 Hz to Max 0 Hz to Max Equal
Minimum sweep time 1 µs 1 µs 1 µs Equal
Maximum sweep time 16000 s 16000 s 16000 s Equal
Minimum sweep span 10 Hz 10 Hz 10 Hz Equal
Maximum sweep points 120001 100001 100001 4052
EMI sweep points — 200001 200001 R&S

 

Technical Observation

The three analyzers offer very similar sweep capabilities. However, the Ceyear 4052 provides a larger maximum number of standard sweep points, whereas the Rohde & Schwarz instruments support up to 200001 sweep points when equipped with the EMI measurement application.

Frequency Characteristics Summary

Category Leader Comments
Lowest frequency Ceyear 4052 2 Hz available as standard
Maximum frequency FSVA3000 Up to 54 GHz with optional extension
Frequency model flexibility Ceyear 4052 Eight standard frequency configurations
Frequency resolution Tie 0.01 Hz for all analyzers
Reference stability Comparable Similar high-stability reference architectures
Sweep capability Tie Comparable performance with application-specific advantages
Frequency coverage Tie All instruments provide complete microwave coverage up to 50 GHz

 

2.2 PHASE NOISE PERFORMANCE

Introduction

Phase noise is one of the most important indicators of signal purity in modern signal and spectrum analyzers. It determines the analyzer's ability to distinguish weak signals located close to strong carriers and directly affects oscillator characterization, adjacent channel measurements, radar signal analysis, satellite communications and high-performance receiver testing.

In this section, the phase noise characteristics of the Ceyear 4052 Series, Rohde & Schwarz FSV3000 Series and Rohde & Schwarz FSVA3000 Series are compared using the official manufacturer specifications measured at a 1 GHz carrier frequency. 

Table 2-5. SSB Phase Noise Comparison @ 1 GHz Carrier

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
100 Hz −95 dBc/Hz < −91 dBc/Hz < −95 dBc/Hz Tie (4052 / FSVA3000)
1 kHz −112 dBc/Hz < −101 dBc/Hz < −115 dBc/Hz FSVA3000
10 kHz −122 dBc/Hz < −107 dBc/Hz < −120 dBc/Hz Ceyear 4052
100 kHz −122 dBc/Hz < −115 dBc/Hz < −125 dBc/Hz FSVA3000
1 MHz −135 dBc/Hz < −135 dBc/Hz < −137 dBc/Hz FSVA3000
10 MHz Not specified −150 dBc/Hz (typ.) −152 dBc/Hz (typ.) FSVA3000

 

Technical Observation

Several important conclusions can be drawn from the published specifications.

The R&S FSVA3000 provides the lowest overall phase noise across most offset frequencies and therefore remains the preferred instrument for precision oscillator characterization, ultra-low phase noise measurements and metrology applications.

However, the Ceyear 4052 demonstrates remarkably competitive performance:
•    equal specification to the FSVA3000 at 100 Hz offset; 
•    only 3 dB difference at 1 kHz offset; 
•    2 dB better specification than the FSVA3000 at 10 kHz offset; 
•    only 2 dB difference at 100 kHz offset; 
•    only 2 dB difference at at 1 MHz offset. 

These results indicate that the Ceyear 4052 belongs to the high-performance analyzer class rather than a conventional mid-range spectrum analyzer.

Table 2-7. Residual FM Comparison

Parameter Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000 Technical Assessment
Residual FM ≤ (0.25 Hz × N) p-p* < 0.5 Hz RMS < 0.1 Hz RMS Different measurement methodology

* MEASURED USING 10 HZ RBW, 10 HZ VBW, RATED VALUE WITHIN 20 MS, WHERE N IS THE FREQUENCY MULTIPLICATION FACTOR OF THE LOCAL OSCILLATOR.

Important Note

Residual FM values cannot be directly compared numerically.

Ceyear specifies:
•    peak-to-peak (p-p); 
•    dependency on LO multiplication factor (N); 
•    20 ms observation interval. 

Rohde & Schwarz specifies:
•    RMS value; 
•    different detector methodology; 
•    different measurement conditions. 

Therefore, there is no technically correct way to conclude that one instrument is better than another based solely on these published Residual FM values. A fair comparison would require identical measurement conditions

Table 2-8. Phase Noise Architecture

Feature Ceyear 4052 R&S FSV3000 R&S FSVA3000
High-performance synthesizer ✔ ✔ ✔
Ultra-low phase noise option — ✔ (B710) ✔ (B710)
Low-frequency operation to 2 Hz ✔ ✔ ✔ (B710)
Optimized for oscillator measurements ✔ ✔ ✔✔
Suitable for radar applications ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔
Suitable for satellite communications ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔
Suitable for precision metrology ✔ ✔ ✔✔

Continue Reading

This article is part of the Technical Comparison Guide: Ceyear 4052 vs. R&S FSV3000 vs. R&S FSVA3000. Continue with the following chapters to explore each performance aspect in detail: