PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNICATION SE IT Sem-III AY-2019-20

Module 2: Noise

Noise: Noise is random, undesirable electrical energy that enters the communications system via the
communicating medium and interferes with the transmitted message. However, some noise is
also produced in the receiver. With reference to an electrical system, noise may be defined as
any unwanted form of energy which tends to interfere with the reproduction of wanted signal.

Classification of Noise may be classified into following two categories.

Un-correlated (external) and co-related (internal) Noise

1. External noises, i.e. noise whose sources are external. External noise may be classified into the
following three types:

a) Atmospheric noises

b) Extraterrestrial noises

c) Man-made noises or industrial noises.

a) Atmospheric Noise: Atmospheric noise or static is caused by lighting discharges in thunderstorms

and other natural electrical disturbances occurring in the atmosphere. These electrical impulses are
random in nature. Hence the energy is spread over the complete frequency spectrum used for radio
communication. Atmospheric noise accordingly consists of spurious radio signals with components

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spread over a wide frequency range. These spurious radio waves constituting the noise get propagated
over the earth in the same fashion as the desired radio waves of the same frequency. Accordingly, at a
given receiving point, the receiving antenna picks up not only the signal but also the static from all the
thunderstorms, local or remote.

b) Extra-terrestrial Noise:

Extra-terrestrial Noise exists on the basis of their originating source. They are subdivided into

i) Solar Noise

ii) Cosmic Noise

c) Industrial Noise (man-made noise) :

Sources of Industrial noise are auto-mobiles, aircraft, ignition of electric motors and switching gear.
The main cause of Industrial noise is High voltage wires. These noises are generally produced by the
discharge present in the operations.

2. Internal noise in communication, i.e. noises which get, generated within the receiver or
communication system. Internal noise may be put into the following four categories.

a) Shot noise

b) Partition Noise

c) Low-frequency Noise

d) High-frequency Noise.

e) Thermal Noise or white noise or Johnson noise

1) Shot Noise: These Noises are generally arises in the active devices due to the random behavior of
Charge particles or carries. In case of electron tube, shot Noise is produces due to the random emission
of electron form cathodes.

2) Partition Noise: When a circuit is to divide in between two or more paths then the noise generated
is known as Partition noise. The reason for the generation is random fluctuation in the division.

3) Low-Frequency Noise: They are also known as FLICKER NOISE. This type of noise is generally
observed at a frequency range below few kHz. Spectral density of these noise increases with the
decrease in frequency. That why the name is given Low-Frequency Noise.

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4) High-Frequency Noise: These noises are also known TRANSIT-TIME Noise. They are observed
in the semi-conductor devices when the transit time of a charge carrier while crossing a junction is
compared with the time period of that signal.

5) Thermal Noise: Thermal Noise is random and often referred as White Noise or Johnson noise.
Thermal noise is generally observed in the resistor or the sensitive resistive components of complex
impedance due to the random and rapid movement of molecules or atoms or electrons.

Noise is usually expressed as a power because the received signal is also expressed in terms of power.
By Knowing the signal to noise powers the signal to noise ratio can be computed. Rather than express
the signal to noise ratio as simply a number, you will usually see it expressed in terms of decibels.

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Signal to Noise Ratio.

A receiver has an input signal power of l.2μW. The noise power is 0.80μW. The signal to noise ratio is

Noise factor:
The noise factor can be derived simply by taking the SNR at the input and dividing it by the SNR at the
output. As the SNR at the output will always be worse, i.e. lower, this means that the noise factor is
always greater than one. The noise factor is rarely seen in specifications.

Noise Figure:

Noise figure is the parameter that is seen widely in specifications and in use when defining radio receivers
and the elements within the receiver systems. The noise figure uses a logarithmic scale and is simply the
noise factor expressed in decibels.

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Friis Transmission Formula:

The Friis Transmission Equation is used to calculate the power received from one antenna (with gain
G1), when transmitted from another antenna (with gain G2), separated by a distance R, and operating
at frequency f or wavelength lambda.

Consider two antennas in free space (no obstructions nearby) separated by a distance R

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Assume that PT Watts of total power are delivered to the transmit antenna. For the moment, assume that
the transmit antenna is Omni-directional, lossless, and that the receive antenna is in the far field of the
transmit antenna. Then the power density p

If the transmit antenna has an antenna gain GT in the direction of the receiver antenna, then the power
density equation above becomes

Assume now that the receive antenna has an effective aperture given by AER. Then the power received
by this antenna (PR) is given by:

The effective aperture for any antenna can also be expressed as:

The resulting received power can be written as:

This is known as the Friis Transmission Formula. It relates the free space path loss, antenna gains and
wavelength to the received and transmits powers. This is one of the fundamental equations in antenna
theory, and should be remembered.

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Noise factors of amplifiers in cascade (Friss formula):

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Numerical

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