The low-noise measurement space is installed in the basement of the Condorcet building of the University Paris Cité. This allows to minimize the effects induced by the vibrations of the building. With his installation it is possible to characterize in noise electronic components in a frequency range between 0.1mHz and 1Hz. The low noise room is air-conditioned and its temperature is regulated at a value between 20 and 25°C with a precision of less than 1°C. The floor of the room is made antistatic with copper wires integrated in the coating. Thermal drift can be greatly reduced (eliminated) by placing the components in a Peltier incubator or cryothermostat.

The low-noise measurement room is currently used to characterize electronic components and systems for ATHENA and LISA, Large Class missions of the Cosmic Vision program of the European Space Agency (ESA), which are scheduled to be launched in 2029 (ATHENA) and 2034 (LISA).

Main equipment

• A Faraday cage, brand ALBATROSS Project in galvanized steel (without dye), with dimensions 3x2.5x2.5 m3, and antistatic PVC floor. It is equipped with 4 SMA connectors and a waveguide (144x25mm, cut-off frequency 20GHz), ventilation, 5 EMC filters for power supplies (4x32 A and 2x10 A at 220V) and two waveguides (50mm diameter, cut-off frequency 20GHz) for passage in liquids and gases.
• A bay brand SCHROFF, model Varistar VHD 1800H6X8, equipped with an air/water heat exchanger LHX3
• A RF signal and spectrum analyzer from 10 Hz to 4GHz, brand ROHDE & SCHWARZ, model FSV3004, completed by a RF signal generator, model R&S SMB100B
• A phase noise analyzer, brand AEROFLEX, model PN8000, 2MHz to 1.8 GHz frequency measurement range
• A digital oscilloscope, brand TEKTRONIX, model DPO4104, 1GHz
• A digital oscilloscope, brand AGILENT, model DSO1024A, 200MHz
• A signal synthesizer, brand AEROFLEX, model 2023A, frequency range 9kHz – 1.2 GHz
• An arbitrary function generator, brand TEKTRONIX, model AFG3052, frequency range 1µHz – 240 MHz, 2 channels
• An acquisition unit (temperature measurement), brand AGILENT, model 34980
• A triple precision power supply, brand AGILENT, model E3631A
• A double precision power supply, brand AGILENT, model E3649A
• A precision benchtop multimeter, brand AGILENT, model 34411A
• A 1,000,000-point benchtop digital multimeter, brand KEYSIGHT, model 34465A
• A refrigerated incubator with Peltier effect, brand MEMMERT, model IPP500 (108 liters) with adjustable temperature between +5°C and +70°C with a stability better than +/-0,1°C and a uniformity better than +/-0,4°C.
• A circulating cryothermostat brand LAUDA, model Proline RP845C (150x150x200 mm3) with adjustable temperature between -45°C and +200°C, with a stability of +/-0,1°C, a heating capacity of 3,5kW and a cooling capacity of 0,8kW at 20°C.
• A National Instruments acquisition system, composed of a PXI-1033 chassis and a PXI-6229 module, controlled by PC via LabVIEW software.