Faseanalysers

Faseanalysers are instruments or software tools designed to determine the phase relationship between two or more signals. They typically report the phase difference in degrees or radians, and may also provide the instantaneous phase of each signal, the time delay between channels, and related metrics such as cross-correlation magnitude. Faseanalysers can be standalone devices or integrated into other equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, or data acquisition systems.

Common methods used by faseanalysers include time-domain and frequency-domain techniques. In the time domain, cross-correlation is used to estimate time delay and hence phase offset between signals. In the frequency domain, cross-spectral analysis and FFT-based phase spectra yield the phase difference as a function of frequency. The Hilbert transform is another approach to derive instantaneous phase. Many instruments support dual-channel measurements with a common reference to compute relative phase.

Applications for faseanalysers span several fields. In electrical power systems, they assess the phase angle between voltage and current to evaluate power factor and synchronization. In communications and RF engineering, phase analysis helps with IQ balance, modulation accuracy, and phase noise characterization. In audio and acoustics, phase alignment between channels or mics improves imaging and stereo coherence. They are also used in laboratory research and sensor networks to analyze phase relationships in complex signals.

Key design considerations include bandwidth, phase accuracy, dynamic range, sampling rate, latency, and calibration procedures. Accuracy depends on a stable reference signal and proper synchronization between channels. Common limitations involve noise, jitter, nonlinearity, and phase wrapping (phase values modulo 360 degrees), which can complicate interpretation and require careful data processing.