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Re: LF: Related Technical Query - Soundcard calibrator

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Subject: Re: LF: Related Technical Query - Soundcard calibrator
From: "Stewart Bryant" <stewart.bryant@virgin.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:15:45 +0000
In-reply-to: <01C3BEFA.E3D319B0.g4jnt@thersgb.net>
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Andy

According to

http://integrals.wolfram.com/index.en.cgi

integral (sin[x^2)]/(x^2)

is

sqrt(2 pi) * FresnelC[sqrt(2/pi) * x] - sin(x^2)/x

and according to

http://functions.wolfram.com/GammaBetaErf/FresnelC/02/

FresnelC(z) = integral from 0 to z (cos (pi/2 * t ^2)) dt

But there are a number of simpler approximations including
a series approximation that looks easy to compute.

I suspect that somewhere in your lab there is a copy
of mathematica, and that is almost certainly
the best way to evaluate your integral.

73

Stewart G3YSX

Andy talbot wrote:
Is there anyone who can answer this...

I want to make a calibrator to enable accurate (better than 0.5%) absolute audio measurements using a soundcard - ie. at audio frequencies to 20kHz. Generating a square wave from CMOS logic with a precisely 5V p-p (2.5v peak) waveform is trivial and can be measured accurately to doubl;e check. The levels of the odd harmonic tones are all precisely defined by :
        RMS Amplitude = 2.5V * 4 / PI / SQRT(2) / N

Where N is the (odd) harmonic number, so the fundamental has an amplitude of 2.251 Vrms which can be potted down with an accurate potential divider - straightforward, all harmonics can be used at known levels...
Now, here is the complicated bit, I also want to include a calibrated noise 
source for accurate S/N measurements and evaluation of various decoding 
techniques.  To remove the need for accurate true RMS measurement to set up 
this unit, I am going to use Pseudo Random Sequence generated from a shift 
register clocked very much faster than the frequencies of interest.  It is 
straightforward to make a 2^32-1 bit long sequence clocked at, say, 5MHz which 
will have a repeat cycle of  14 minutes, suitable for most purposes - even Argo 
calibration !   By filtering to a bandwidth significantly less than the clock 
rate (20kHz max vs. 5MHz) the result will be sufficiently Gaussian to act as if 
it were true noise.  In practice,  any real hardware filtering won't be 
necessary as the soundcard itself will do the job; but there will be some basic 
filtering to keep out the nasty birdies likely to be generated.
Now, here is the bit I'm less sure how to work out. How do I calculate the 
noise density of the PN sequence in the area of interest?   Assumimg the PRN 
Sequence has 1:1 mark/space ratio (with 2^32 bits it will be certainly near 
enough) and assuming a perfect square edged waveform up to several 5MHz clocks 
away (guaranteed by using HC series logic) the TOTAL power over the (almost) 
infinite spectrum from DC to several clock multiples is defined exactly by the 
RMS value of the waveform; and for a squarewave this is equal to the peak value 
- here 2.5V.
This TOTAL power is spread out in a SIN(x^2)/x^2 pattern.   Since it will be 
filtered to, essentially, just a small part of the first spectral lobe, the 
calculation really comes down to calculating the height of this lobe which will 
can be assumed to be sufficiently flat over the small bandwidth of interest. 
 Once that is done, the noise power, and hence the RMS value can be defined in 
 Volts / SQRT(Hz) which can be added to the signal / test tone of interest in 
variouis proportions, with the S/N then known exactly.
I'm quite incapable of integrating SIN(x^2)/x^2 from first principles (or any 
other way for that matter :-) to calculate the level of the main lobe.  Can 
anyone point out the best way to do this calculation ?    Instinct says that 
for a small bandwidth segment, BW,  close to zero frequency, the power will be 
proportional to  BW / Fclock,  but I haven't a clue what scaling factors will 
be included in this, and they are what matter for an absolute level calibrator.
Andy  G4JNT




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