Synchronous Averaging - The

Trigger is Everything...

Gerry Priebe - Pre-B-Tek

Representing Data Physics Corporation in North and
South Carolina
 Synchronous Averaging is used to
detect a signal in uncorrelated noise
Synchronous Averaging – Case Study
Case Study – Paper
Machine Calender Section
Used for changing and/or
controlling sheet caliper
(thickness)
 Synchronous Averaging – Case Study
Paper Machine Calender – Before Problem
Correction
0°
1.0 in/s

Vibration Synchronous to Top -1.0 in/s

Roll – 1.64 ips, pk-pk 270° RMS: 0.520926

Max: 0.795411
90°

Min: -0.850055
Pk to Pk: 1.64547
Mean: 0.00741009

180°

0°
1.0 in/s

Vibration Synchronous to -1.0 in/s

Bottom Roll – 0.26 ips, pk-pk 270° RMS: 0.0550989

Max: 0.134449
90°

Min: -0.127059
Pk to Pk: 0.261507
Mean: 0.00723551

180°
 Synchronous Averaging – Case Study
Paper Machine Calender – After Problem
Correction
0°
1.0 in/s

Vibration Synchronous to Top -1.0 in/s

Roll – 0.03 ips, pk-pk 270° RMS: 0.00733213

Max: 0.0220629
90°

Min: -0.0133287
Pk to Pk: 0.0353916
Mean: 0.00328174

180°

0°
1.0 in/s

Vibration Synchronous to -1.0 in/s

Bottom Roll – 0.26 ips, pk-pk 270° RMS: 0.0717688

Max: 0.13472
90°

Min: -0.131216
Pk to Pk: 0.265936
Mean: 0.00349375

180°
 Synchronous Averaging

„ What is it?
„ What are the benefits?
„ What can go wrong?
 Synchronous Averaging

„ Synchronous averaging
involves triggering data
acquisition with respect to
external events such as
tachometer pulses

„ Triggered acquisitions are

averaged to remove the
contribution of
asynchronous components
thereby isolating the
contribution of a single
synchronous component
 What is Averaging?

„ A data frame of some arbitrary length (N) is gathered

into an array (Block 1)

Frame 1
 What is Averaging?

„ A second data frame of the same length (N) is gathered

into a second array (Block 2)

Frame 1 Frame 2
 What is Averaging?

„ These frames are then added together on a line by line

basis to get the sum (Result)

+ =

Frame 1 Frame 2 Result

 What is Averaging?

„ If more averaging is desired each new data frame is

added to the previous result to yield a New Result

+ =

Result New New

Frame Result
 What is Averaging?

„ When the averaging is done the “right answer” is

obtained by dividing by the number of averages (K)

/ =

Result Number of Average

Averages
 What is Averaging?

„ Eight records with a signal buried in noise

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10
R1 -0.12323 -1.01524 1.381033 -1.92251 0.456146 0.392856 1.874923 -1.96605 -0.25703 -1.08908
R2 0.369698 0.761429 0.920689 1.441884 -0.3041 1.598214 2.187615 -0.49151 0.514061 0.544538
R3 -0.49293 0.25381 1.841378 0.961256 -0.45615 3.205358 2.125077 0.491513 -0.77109 -0.81681
R4 -0.24647 -0.50762 -1.38103 0.480628 0.152049 2.803572 2.250154 1.966052 -1.02812 -0.54454
R5 0.492931 -0.25381 -1.84138 -0.96126 -0.15205 3.607144 1.937462 0.983026 0.257031 0.272269
R6 -0.3697 -0.76143 0.460344 -1.44188 0.608194 0.794642 1.749846 1.474539 0.771092 0.816807
R7 0.123233 1.015239 -0.92069 1.922513 0.304097 2.401786 1.812385 -1.47454 -0.51406 -0.27227
R8 0.246465 0.507619 -0.46034 -0.48063 -0.60819 1.196428 2.062538 -0.98303 1.028122 1.089076
 What is Averaging?

„ Eight records with a signal buried in noise

4

R1
R2
1
R3
R4
R5
R6
0
R7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
R8

-1

-2

-3
 What is Averaging?

„ Eight records with a signal buried in noise

„ Two Averages: A2

2.5

1.5

0.5 A2

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

-0.5

-1

-1.5
 What is Averaging?

„ Eight records with a signal buried in noise

„ Four Averages: A4

2.5

1.5

A4

0.5

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

-0.5

-1
 What is Averaging?

„ Eight records with a signal buried in noise

„ Eight Averages: A8

2.5

1.5

1 A8

0.5

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

-0.5
 Some History?

„ The first Digital Signal Analyzer were

Waveform Averagers (HP 5480A Circa
1967)

Digital Data
Analog-to-Digital Digital Processing
Input Signals Converter Circuits

External Trigger
Operator
Controls
 What are the benefits of
Synchronous Averaging?
Noise
Records
Reduction
„ Reduce noise Averaged
(dB)
2 3
– Noise Reduction is 4 6

proportional to the 8
16
9
12
square root of the 32
64
15
18
number of averages 1 128 21
256 24
512 27
1024 30
2048 33
4096 36
8192 39
16384 42
32768 45
1. “Synchronous Waveform Averaging: Magic Bullet for Noise”, Bob Masta, www.chipcenter.com
 What are the benefits of
Synchronous Averaging?
„ Isolates your analysis to only the rotor
you are evaluating2 (maybe)
„ Will allow balancing in the presence of
many nearby machines2
„ Allows analysis of speed varying
machines (maybe)
„ Time domain signals hidden in noise
can be viewed
2. “Synchronous Time Averaging Applications”, Technical Associates of Charlotte, P.C., www.technicalassociates.net
When Synchronous Averaging
won’t work?
„ When the Signal being averaged does
not appear at the same place each and
every frame
When Synchronous Averaging
won’t work?
„ When the Signal being averaged does
not appear at the same place each and
every frame
– Trigger jitter
– Signal jitter
– Poor trigger signal shape
– Noise on the trigger signal
– Synchronous noise - can’t be removed
 Trigger Jitter

Detected by examining the average of the trigger signal

2.0 1.0

1.5

1.0 500.0m

500.0m

Real, g
Real, g

0
0

-500.0m

-500.0m
-1.0

-1.5

-1.0
-2.0 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 sec
sec

Trigger Signal - 18 Averages

Trigger Signal - Single Record

Examination of the first trigger pulse in the average shows that the pulse is not always in
the exact same place. Therefore, the entire average is bad and it deteriorates the farther
you go into the data block
 Signal Jitter

Detected by examining the average of the trigger signal

2.0 2.0

1.5 1.5

1.0 1.0

500.0m 500.0m
Real, g

Real, g
0 0

-500.0m -500.0m

-1.0 -1.0

-1.5 -1.5

-2.0 -2.0
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
sec sec

Trigger Signal - 18 Averages

Trigger Signal - Single Record
Examination of the first trigger pulse in the average shows that the pulse is the correct
shape. Therefore, the average appears to be starting at the same place each record.
However, the fact that the average of the trigger deteriorates as time increases suggests
that even though the trigger is stable the time between pulses is not stable.
 What Causes Jitter?

„ Relative motion between the machine

and the photo-tachometer2

Laser
Tachometer
 Poor Trigger Signal Shape

800.0m

600.0m

400.0m

200.0m
Real, V

-200.0m

-400.0m

-600.0m

-800.0m
-1.0 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
sec
 Noise on the Trigger Signal
Single Capture

400.0m

300.0m

200.0m

100.0m
Real, V

-100.0m

-200.0m

-300.0m

-400.0m
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
sec
 Synchronous noise

One Average 10+ Averages

4.0 4.0

3.0 3.0

2.0 2.0

1.0 1.0
Real, g

Real, g
0 0

-1.0 -1.0

-2.0 -2.0

-3.0 -3.0

-4.0
RMS: 0.400377 -4.0
RMS: 0.396078
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
sec sec

Identified by the absence of a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) improvement

 What Causes Jitter?
„ When the signal being averaged does
not appear at the same place each and
every frame
– Poor trigger processing in the analyzer
 What Causes Jitter?

„ Poor trigger processing in analyzer

DP Mobilyzer DSA

Square waveform
of frequency F1

DP
Mentor Signal
Training Trigger
Aid
Square waveform
of frequency F1/4
 What Causes Jitter?

„ Test One: Trigger on Input Channel

DP Mobilyzer DSA

Square waveform
of frequency F1

DP
Mentor Signal
Training Trigger
Aid
Square waveform
of frequency F1/4
 What Causes Jitter?
„ Test One: Results
Signal - Channel Two Trigger

8.0
Square waveform
of frequency F1 6.0

Ch 1 4.0

Signal 2.0
Real, V

Trigger
0

Ch 2 -2.0

-4.0
Square waveform
-6.0
of frequency F1/4
-8.0
700.0m 750.0m
sec

Display of 10+ records from T0 + 0.7 seconds superimposed in a single display

 What Causes Jitter?

„ Test Two: External Trigger Input

DP Mobilyzer DSA

Square waveform
of frequency F1

DP
Mentor Signal
Training Trigger
Aid
Square waveform
of frequency F1/4
 What Causes Jitter?
„ Test Two: Results
Signal - External Trigger

8.0

Square waveform 6.0

of frequency F1
4.0

Ch 1 2.0
Signal
Real, V
0

Trigger Ext
-2.0

-4.0

Trigger -6.0
Square waveform
of frequency F1/4 -8.0
700.0m 750.0m
sec

Display of 10+ records from T0 + 0.7 seconds superimposed in a single display

 What Causes Jitter?

– What is different between triggering on an

input channel and the external trigger
input?
 What Causes Jitter?

„ The Sampling Frequency

– When the trigger is connected to the input
channel, it is sampled at the same rate as
the signal channel
„ In the case of our example the Sampling
Frequency Fs = ~ 2,600 Hz
„ Therefore, Delta T = 400,000 nS

„ The trigger jitter = + 200,000 nS

 What Causes Jitter?

„ The Sampling Frequency

– When the trigger is connected to the
external trigger input it is sampled at a
much higher rate to minimize the jitter
„ In the case of the DP Mobilyzer the external
trigger is sampled at a frequency of 10 MHz
„ Therefore, Delta T = 100 nSec

„ The trigger jitter = + 50 nSec

 Frequency Domain Errors

„ Consider the analysis of a Square Waveform

– If a perfect square wave is analyzed:
„ Fundamental (H1) = 1
„ Third Harmonic (H3) = 1/3

„ Fifth Harmonic (H5) = 1/5

„ Seventh Harmonic (H7) = 1/7

„ Ninth Harmonic (H9) = 1/9

„ ...
 Frequency Domain Errors

The Odd Harmonics of a Square Waveform

10

Theory (T)

Average with ADC trigger (AC)

1 Average with External Trigger (AE)

One record with ADC trigger (RC)

One record with External Trigger (RE)

0.1
Harmonic

Note that even though AE, RC & RE don’t agree with theory (T) they do agree with each other
 How big is the error?
% Error of Each Harmonic
0.00% -0.33%
-2.57%

-7.18%
-10.00%
-13.87%

-20.00%
-21.61%

-30.00% -30.69%

-40.00% -40.00% Error

-48.82%
-50.00%

-56.84%
-60.00%

-70.00%

-80.00%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
 How do I know?

„ Look for evidence of jitter

– Examine the average of the tachometer
„ Is the average of the tachometer good at the
beginning and bad at the end?
– Order tracking may be needed
„ Is the shape as expected?
– Look at the leading and trailing edge for signs of poor
averaging
– Examine the value of any over- or under-shoot
 Order Tracking vs RPM-related

„ RPM-related for slowly changing machine speed, constant

speed within a revolution

– Needs only a once per rev tach

„ Order tracking for quickly changing machine speed, or

speed that varies though the cycle
– Need several pulses per revolution
Order Tracking
 How is Triggering done?

„ Check the analyzer specifications

– How does the trigger input circuit work?
– Determine the speed of the trigger sample clock
 How is Triggering done?
Abacus – Data Flow
32 8
IN DSP OUT

8
TRIG

NET

recording
INPUTS measure voltage
TRIGGERS use voltage to measure time
 How is Triggering done?

„ Check the analyzer specifications

– Is the trigger threshold adjustable?
– Is the Slope (+ or -) selectable?
– Is trigger Hysteresis available and adjustable?
– Is trigger Hold Off available and adjustable?

„ Typically these features are not available for

analyzers with poor triggering
How is Triggering done?

„ DP Abacus
(Mobilyzer II) = 25
MHz (i.e. + 20 nSec)
How is Triggering done?

„ Agilent E1432A = 20 MHz

(i.e. + 25 nSec)
How is Triggering done?

„ DP Mobilyzer = 10 MHz (i.e. + 50 nSec)

How is Triggering done?

„ DP ACE = 51.2 kHz (i.e. + 9,700 nSec)

How is Triggering done?

„ DP Abacus (Mobilyzer II) = 25 MHz (i.e. + 20 nSec)

„ Agilent E1432A = 20 MHz (i.e. + 25 nSec)

„ DP Mobilyzer = 10 MHz (i.e. + 50 nSec)

„ DP ACE = 51.2 kHz (i.e. + 9,700 nSec)

„ DAT Tape (5 kHz) = 12.8 kHz (i.e. + 39,000 nSec)

„ Input Channel Trigger = 2.6 kHz (i.e. + 200,000 nSec)

„ YOUR ANALYZER = ?
 Conclusion

„ Jitter effects can be subtle & hidden

„ Not all analyzers are created eQuaL
„ The same problems arise for digital
tape recorders
„ Best analysis is “live” and on the scene
with a well designed DSA
End of Presentation