How Can Additive White Gaussian Noise Assess Amplifier Linearity With The Noise Power Ratio?

Noise is everywhere. Today’s wireless systems must be able to operate efficiently as these electromagnetic disturbances (EM) threaten to corrupt transmissions and degrade performance.

An additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) source simulates the random noise signals of nature and is often used by engineers to inject precise levels of noise into electronic systems. Important AWGN characteristics include:

• Gaussian amplitude distribution in the time domain
• Uniform power spectral density (PSD) in the frequency domain

From testing a system’s response to interference, maximizing the power levels of Directed Energy Weapons via coherence spreading, and securely encrypting sensitive data, AWGN sources are versatile tools that can improve advanced systems.

In this blog post, learn how AWGN can be used to determine the linearity of an amplifier in multi-carrier systems.