Noise figure measurments

Hi everyone,

would you recommend using the average function when measuring a systems noise figure or does it introduce an error in the measurements?

Thanx
Ghost

The average function reduces the jitters. It is a "must" in noise figure measurements!

Use as much averaging and as many number of points as your patience tolerates. They will immune your measurements more against nearby spurs or pickups.

The averaged measurement are not performed to solve spurs problem.
Noise measurement displays jitters because of the stochastic nature of the noise. Averaging the measurements reduces jitters and brings the measured value close to the true mean of the noise gaussian distribution.

i agree marcomdd.
I would add just a warning.
Increase Averaging will reduce jitter only if the NOISE is WHITE (or until the white part of the noise is dominant).
Whit long integrating times, the detected 1/F NOISE (also called DRIFT) became dominant, and the effect is a reduction on the measurement accuracy.

Dritf is not related to RFI or generically called SPUR, drift is maily related to physical temperature of all electronic components.