Testing High Power Amplifiers For Radar Signals Using Peak Power Meters

By Vitali Penso, Applications Engineer, Boonton Electronics

As new power amplifier (PA) technologies are released, the latest being GaN technology, an amplifier’s behavior must be thoroughly tested and evaluated to ensure the highest performance under the stress of high power pulsing signals. Since a pulsed RF signal has a time domain nature, the best way to observe the performance of an amplifier is through time domain signal analysis. This article explains how to characterize the behaviors of pulsed RF power amplifiers in radar systems with a peak power meter. Download the full paper for more information.