XL: Limit for Input Range in Fourier Analysis Tool

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Fourier Analysis tool in Microsoft Excel, you may receive an error message similar either of to the following:

   Fourier Analysis - The number of input values must be 4096 or less.

    -or-

   Fourier Analysis - The number of input values must be a power of 2. For
   example : 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, ...

CAUSE

The first problem will occur if the input range you specify contains too many cells. The limits to the number of input cells that you can specify are as follows.

                                    Limit of
   Microsoft Excel version       input cells
   -----------------------------------------

   versions 5.0 and later              4,096
   version 4.0 for Windows             1,024
   version 4.0 the Macintosh            256

If you specify an input range that is not equal to a power of two or is greater than the limit noted above, you will receive one of the error messages shown above.

MORE INFORMATION

Fourier Analysis is a technique for solving problems in linear systems and analyzing periodic data.

If the input range specified in the Fourier Analysis tool does not meet the criteria specified above, an error message will occur when you use the Fourier function in a macro or when you use the Fourier tool (found by choosing Analysis Tools command from the Options menu). (In version 5.0, the Fourier Analysis Tool is found by choosing Data Analysis from the Tools menu.)

Additional error messages that you may receive are as follows.

   Microsoft Excel 7.0, Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------

   Fourier Analysis - The number of input values must be a power of 2. For
   example : 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, ...

   Microsoft Excel 5.0
   -------------------

   Fourier Analysis:  Fast Fourier Transform only supports
   2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096
   data points.

   Microsoft Excel 4.0 for Windows
   -------------------------------

   Fourier Analysis:  Fast Fourier Transform only supports
   2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 or 1024 data points.

   Microsoft Excel 4.0 for the Macintosh
   --------------------------------------

   Fourier Analysis: Fast Fourier Transform only supports
   2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 data points.

REFERENCES

"Online Help," version 5.0 "User's Guide," version 5.0, pages 604-605 "User's Guide 2," version 4.0, pages 51-52 "Function Reference," version 4.0, page 175