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A sound card based multi-channel frequency measurement system

S. Groeger·G. Bison·P. E. Knowles·A. Weis
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Abstract

For physical processes which express themselves as a frequency, for example magnetic field measurements using optically-pumped alkali-vapor magnetometers, the precise extraction of the frequency from the noisy signal is a classical problem. We describe herein a frequency measurement system based on an inexpensive commercially available computer sound card coupled with a software single-tone estimator which reaches Cramér--Rao limited performance, a feature which commercial frequency counters often lack. Characterization of the system and examples of its successful application to magnetometry are presented.

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S. Groeger, G. Bison, P. E. Knowles, A. Weis. 2005-06-08. A sound card based multi-channel frequency measurement system. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap%3A2006020

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