Glossary comparison
Jitter vs Phase noise: what is the difference?
The difference
Phase noise describes the same timing instability in the frequency domain, as noise power around a clock's frequency. Jitter describes it in the time domain.
Jitter is the same instability viewed in the time domain and measured in seconds. Phase noise is the frequency-domain view, and one can be converted to the other over a chosen bandwidth.
The two terms
Jitter
The deviation of a signal edge from its ideal position in time. It is decomposed into bounded deterministic components and unbounded random components so that eye closure can be extrapolated to very low error ratios.
Phase noise
The frequency-domain description of an oscillator's short-term phase instability, quoted in dBc/Hz at a stated offset from the carrier. It sets receiver reciprocal mixing, transmitter spectral purity and converter clock quality.
Side by side
| Field | Jitter | Phase noise |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Not an abbreviation | Not an abbreviation |
| Type | Term | Metric |
| Domain | Interfaces & SerDes | Analog, RF & Mixed-Signal |
| Group | Signal integrity | Clocking and timing |