TEST & MEASUREMENT APPLICATION NOTES AND WHITE PAPERS

  • RF Test Setup For Measuring Power & Harmonics

    Power measurement is accomplished by using a high-power calibrated coupler or attenuator, which gets attached to the Amplifier RF output connector. Harmonics are recorded similarly by increasing the input drive from the signal source. 

  • Directivity And VSWR Measurements: Understanding Return Loss Measurements

    The characterization of microwave networks requires discriminating between forward and backward traveling waves. Unfortunately no directional device is perfect, leading to potentially dramatic measurement errors. In this note we show that return loss and VSWR measurements are greatly complicated by the finite performance of the directional device used to measure the reflected power.

  • Design And Implementation Of A Miniature X-Band Edge-Coupled Microstrip Bandpass Filter

    Microwave bandpass filters are the fundamental component used in many RF/microwave applications to eliminate interference from signals operating at nearby frequencies. This application note presents a straightforward and largely nonmathematical method for designing an edge-coupled, bandpass filter for X-band operations with a combination of filter synthesis, closed-form edge-coupled transmission-line models, and EM analysis using the Microwave Office circuit simulator within Cadence AWR Design Environment software.

  • Load Transient Response – Enhancing Loop Stability Testing

    Ensuring stability in power supply design requires validating switching converter stability through frequency loop and load transient responses, aided by modern oscilloscopes for visualizing PWM signals and identifying converter effects.

  • Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) Explained

    Explore the evolution of VSWR from its humble beginnings in telegraph lines to its vital role in modern RF engineering, illuminating its practical applications and underlying principles.

TEST & MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS

The dB-9002 from dB Control is a custom-mounted Dual Instantaneous Frequency Measurement (DIFM) unit designed to operate in the C, X, and Ku-band frequency range and provide highly accurate measurements at 100 ns to CW pulse width measurements.

Model HP 4268A is a capacitance meter designed for testing high value multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) designs

dB Control’s family of traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) features a combined frequency range of 2 to 18 GHz up to 15kW output power. dB Control utilizes our proprietary transformer fabrication, encapsulation and high-voltage potting techniques developed for demanding military applications which results in superior reliability, low cost and ease of maintenance.  Products in this series are ideal for several applications, including: test and measurement, electronic warfare (EW) simulation, RFI/EMI/EMC Testing, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and antenna pattern and radar-cross section measurements.

D-TA Systems offers the MFEL 1000 portable ELINT data collection solution designed to provide automatic spectrum scanning for signal activity (pulse or CW), PDW extraction and de-interleaving to tracks where signal characterization is performed automatically. The system includes a built-in 6 TB (expandable to 18 TB) SSD data storage for I/Q data collection in both on-site and off-site analysis.

Pentek offers the Talon® RTX 2684 as a 26 GHz sentinel intelligent signal scanner recording system. The system provides SIGINT engineers the ability to scan the RF spectrum from 1 GHz to 26 GHz for signals of interest and monitor or record bandwidths up to 500 MHz wide.

Electrostatic discharge testing is utilized worldwide by electronics manufacturers to determine the ESD susceptibility of their devices. It is extremely difficult to estimate the exact cost of ESD loss annually, but it can safely be stated that ESD requires the development and testing of many hardware prototypes and contributes to a high number of warranty claims and loss of consumer confidence if failure occurs in the hands of the customer. Given the high cost in time and materials associated with ESD hardware testing, the ability to simulate the ESD testing process in XFdtd is extremely valuable, allowing engineers to pinpoint locations susceptible to ESD damage and optimize ESD mitigation during the concept and design stage of product development.

The GORE® PHASEFLEX® Series offers the smallest, lightest, internally ruggedized microwave/RF test assemblies for high density interconnection in RF and uW modular applications as well as in high speed digital testing. These assemblies feature ON cable construction and provide consistent, repeatable measurements with electrical performance up to 18, 26.5, 40, or 50 GHz.

Qorvo offers the CMD240C4 wideband GaAs MMIC distributed amplifier housed in a leadless 4x4 mm surface mount package. The amplifier operates from DC to 22 GHz and is ideal for radar, space, satcom, test and measurement, and electronic warfare applications.