Error Vector Spectrum (802.16 OFDM)

Error Vector Spectrum shows the signal RCE (EVM) vs. time and frequency. The Error Vector Spectrum provides both the RMS average Error Vector Magnitude (white line) and the individual Error Vector Magnitudes (EVM) for each subcarrier for all symbols within the burst. The individual symbol EVMs are displayed by common subcarrier number. That is, for a particular subcarrier, the EVMs for all symbols within the burst are shown. This provides a convenient way to view all the EVMs at a particular subcarrier for all symbol-times in the burst. The trace data includes data results for both the pilot and data subcarriers but subcarrier 0 is not used.

Symbol EVM is the error vector magnitude between the measured (IQ Meas) symbol vector and an ideal (IQ Ref) symbol vector. RMS Error Vector Spectrum trace data is the average error vector magnitude of all the symbol EVMs at a particular subcarrier for all symbol-times within the burst.

You can decrease (or limit) the number of symbol-times included and displayed in the data results with the Max Result Length format parameter. The TimeLen display parameter (located in the lower left of the grid) shows the number of symbol-times included in the data results.

Interpreting the trace data

The y-axis annotates the EVM magnitude and the x-axis annotates the OFDM subcarrier number, which ranges from -100 through +100 (200 subcarriers in all (unless limited), subcarrier 0 is not used). The z-axis annotates the symbol position. The trace data format shows all the symbols at a particular subcarrier for all the symbol-times within the burst. Placing a marker on a subcarrier provides the subcarrier number, the symbol number, the subcarrier EVM (for that particular symbol) and the RMS average EVM (for that particular subcarrier).

This Error Vector Spectrum trace data uses a multi-color trace that assigns a unique color to the pilot subcarriers, the data subcarriers, and the RMS (average) EVM trace. There are also separate colors assigned for the different data modulation types: BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM.

The colors are also user definable (see Display Preferences).

This Error Vector Spectrum trace data shows a demodulated OFDM IEEE 802.16a/d signal with 60 carriers from -30 to 30.

Trace A Marker trace data:

The TimeLen trace parameter is the total number of symbol-times shown and included in the measurement. For IEEE 802.16 a/d signals, this includes both the FCH and DATA Symbol-times. The first symbol-time in the measurement is data for the FCH symbol-time.

See Also

RCE (EVM) (802.16 OFDM)

RMS Error Vector Spectrum (802.16 OFDM)

Available Trace Data (802.16 OFDM) (802.16 OFDM)