The third-difference approach to modified Allan variance

Author

Greenhall, Charles A.

Author_Institution

Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

46

Issue

3

fYear

1997

fDate

6/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

696

Lastpage

703

Abstract

This study gives strategies for estimating the modified Allan variance (MVAR), and formulas for computing the equivalent degrees of freedom (EDF) of the estimators. A third-difference formulation of MVAR leads to a tractable formula for EDF in the presence of power-law phase noise. The effect of estimation stride on EDF is shown. First-degree rational-function approximations for EDF are derived, and their errors tabulated. A theorem allowing conservative estimates of EDF in the presence of compound noise processes is given

Keywords

clocks; frequency stability; measurement standards; oscillators; phase noise; statistical analysis; time measurement; EDF; First-degree rational-function approximation; MVAR; compound noise; conservative estimates; continuous time analog; discrete time power law; drift rates; equivalent degrees of freedom; errors; estimation stride; estimators; finite difference; lower bounds; modified Allan variance; power-law phase noise; third-difference approach; tractable formula; 1f noise; Clocks; Frequency measurement; Oscillators; Phase measurement; Phase noise; Propulsion; Space technology; Stability; Time measurement;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9456

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/19.585434

Filename

585434