Timing Offset and Timing Stability for a Dual-Clock Channel Sounder

Area of Science:

• Wireless communication
• Signal processing
• Metrology

Background:

• Accurate timing is crucial for channel sounder performance.
• Existing methods for evaluating timing offset and noise have limitations.
• Rubidium clocks offer high stability for precise timebase synchronization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mathematical framework for evaluating timing offset and noise in channel sounders.
• To analyze the timing behavior of a 1-6 GHz correlation-based channel sounder under different clock distribution configurations.
• To compare the performance of untethered, tethered, and single-clock systems.

Main Methods:

• A second-order deterministic model was employed.
• The Allan Deviation, a stochastic metric, was used for analysis.
• Timing performance was evaluated across three configurations: untethered, tethered, and single-clock.

Main Results:

• The study quantifies timing offset and noise in a 1-6 GHz channel sounder.
• Significant differences in timing behavior were observed across the three clock distribution configurations.
• The single-clock configuration served as a benchmark for optimal timing stability.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework effectively evaluates timing performance in channel sounders.
• Clock distribution strategy is a critical factor influencing timing accuracy.
• Understanding and mitigating timing errors are essential for reliable wireless channel characterization.