docs: add pictures to DC spike explanation

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Mike Walters
2025-03-25 11:17:27 +00:00
parent 1c691c4a56
commit 655be2e225
4 changed files with 23 additions and 2 deletions

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@ -9,13 +9,34 @@ Troubleshooting
There is a big spike in the center of the received spectrum There is a big spike in the center of the received spectrum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you see a large spike in the center of your FFT display regardless of the frequenecy you are tuned to, you are seeing a DC offset (or component or bias). The term "DC" comes from "Direct Current" in electronics. It is the unchanging aspect of a signal as opposed to the "alternating" part of the signal (AC) that changes over time. Take, for example, the signal represented by the digital sequence: If you see a large spike in the center of your FFT display regardless of the frequenecy you are tuned to, you are seeing a DC offset (or component or bias). The term "DC" comes from "Direct Current" in electronics. It is the unchanging aspect of a signal as opposed to the "alternating" part of the signal (AC) that changes over time.
.. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_grc.png
:align: center
DC spike
Take, for example, the signal represented by the digital sequence:
.. code-block:: sh .. code-block:: sh
-2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1 -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1, -2, -1, 1, 6, 8, 9, 8, 6, 1, -1
This periodic signal contains a strong sinusoidal component spanning from -2 to 9. If you were to plot the spectrum of this signal, you would see one spike at the frequency of this sinusoid and a second spike at 0 Hz (DC). If the signal spanned from values -2 to 2 (centered around zero), there would be no DC offset. Since it is centered around 3.5 (the number midway between -2 and 9), there is a DC component. .. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_example_plot.png
:align: center
Example signal
This periodic signal contains a strong sinusoidal component spanning from -2 to 9. If we plot the spectrum of this signal, you can see one spike at the frequency of this sinusoid and a second spike at 0 Hz (DC).
.. figure:: ../images/dc_spike_example_spectrum.png
:align: center
Spectrum of example signal
If the signal spanned from values -2 to 2 (centered around zero), there would be no DC offset. Since it is centered around 3.5 (the number midway between -2 and 9), there is a DC component.
Samples produced by HackRF are measurements of radio waveforms, but the measurement method is prone to a DC bias introduced by HackRF. It's an artifact of the measurement system, not an indication of a received radio signal. DC offset is not unique to HackRF; it is common to all quadrature sampling systems. Samples produced by HackRF are measurements of radio waveforms, but the measurement method is prone to a DC bias introduced by HackRF. It's an artifact of the measurement system, not an indication of a received radio signal. DC offset is not unique to HackRF; it is common to all quadrature sampling systems.