settings. Modular solutions, with their density and configuration flexibility, can be appropriate for manufacturing. Portable, handheld solutions are required in field environments. Still other formats are useful for experimental or educational purposes. Sometimes the software is best executed within the measurement instrument, and sometimes it is preferred that it run elsewhere, on a desktop computer or even on computing resources located in the cloud.
In this second edition of his comprehensive book, Dr. Joel Dunsmore has refined the already strong original presentation of the foundational concepts of microwave component measurements, while adding important new material on modulated measurements and on the use of modular instruments. Other additions cover the increased importance of calibration and metrology in the context of 5G measurement challenges. Throughout, the value of understanding the measurement science – how the calculations are made and why – is conveyed in a compelling way. Dr. Dunsmore can do all this effectively because of his now nearly four decades of experience as an innovative practitioner and educator, making advanced measurement ideas real through new products and solutions and sharing those ideas with others. This book is the latest example of applying his talents to help move forward the technologies that connect and secure today's perpetually changing world.
Ron Nersesian
Chairman and CEO, Keysight Technologies
Foreword to the First Edition
The electronics industry has undergone revolutionary changes in the past 20 years. System performance has significantly advanced, physical size of hardware has shrunk, quality and reliability have greatly improved and manufacturing costs have dramatically decreased. Underlying these advances has been the phenomenal growth in RF test and measurement capability. Modern‐day RF test equipment has progressed to the point where it is not uncommon to measure signals below −100 dBm at milliseconds speed. Even more astounding is the ability to marry RF test capability with analysis software whereby test equipment can produce linear and non‐linear models of the device under test to significantly improve the life of the design engineer, using this capability.
RF and microwave components have played an important role in this revolutionary change. Component size has shrunk, parasitics have been reduced, quality standards have greatly improved and costs have reduced ten‐fold. At the same time, test fixtures and interconnects have improved to enable a higher level of precision during characterization and production measurement. In parallel with these advances, test equipment has improved to an extent where there has been a revolution in the capabilities to make precise and fast measurements of RF and microwave components. The success of a manufacturer of RF and microwave components is directly linked to the quality and capability of measuring component performance during the design, qualification and production phase of the product life cycle. From a practical point of view, the testing must be fast (1–2 seconds), the accuracy very precise (hundredths of a dB), with a high degree of repeatability. Each phase of the life cycle imposes its unique requirements for measurement accuracy and data collection.
During the design phase, full characterization of performance, including amplitude and phase, is a must in order to establish a reference for future production runs. So it becomes a necessary requirement to characterize and de‐embed the test setup and test fixtures to isolate actual device performance. Fortunately, the modern vector network analyzer provides support in this regard. Consequently, the performance data obtained during the design phase becomes the gold standard for evaluating statistical variation obtained from future production lots; and these lots are accepted or rejected based on the statistical results, with sigma generally being the statistic most closely watched by the test or QA engineer to evaluate production lot acceptance.
When published specs are provided for a component, it is very important to understand that these specifications are simply markers which allow for a first impression or summary review of the component performance. However, only when performance data and performance graphs are provided for all parameters, including both amplitude and phase, would the “real” performance of the component be known. Furthermore, in characterizing components for use in customer evaluations, it is important to provide this data both within and outside the specified bandwidth. In non‐linear components such as a frequency mixer, higher‐order harmonics of the RF and LO signals are generated, and depending on the load impedance outside the specified frequency range, these higher‐order harmonics can get reflected back into the mixer, causing an interaction between the desired signals and the unwanted harmonics. Fortunately, modern‐day analyzers can make these harmonic measurements relatively quickly and easy.
Dr. Dunsmore has captured the essence of modern‐day measurements. He provides a practical understanding of measurement capabilities and limitations. He provides a means for the test engineer to not only make measurements, but also to understand test concepts, anticipate measurement results and learn how to isolate and characterize the performance of the DUT, independent of potential errors inherent in the test environment. I am confident that this book will serve as a reference for understanding measurement methods, test block diagrams and measurement limitations so that correlation between the manufacturer and user would take place by using a common reference. This book has the potential to be an invaluable source to further the progress of the RF and microwave world.
Harvey Kaylie
President and Founder of Mini‐Circuits
Preface to the Second Edition
It has been seven years since the first edition of this book, and while the fundamentals of RF and microwave component measurement (and thus the fundamental chapters) are largely unchanged, the advent of new methods and technologies has greatly increased the capabilities of the vector network analyzers, furthering the trend to fully integrated test solutions for complete component characterization.
Chapter 1 has been updated with better measurements of high‐frequency connectors (3.5, 2.4, 1.85, and 1 mm) showing their response and moding characteristics, as well as adding some discussion on new modulation measurements such as noise power ratio (NPR) and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR).
Chapter 2 adds new material on multiport network analyzers with very large port counts and new broadband mm‐wave network analyzers.
Chapter 3 has been somewhat simplified with respect to details of power calibration (deleting some obsolete methods). Added were details on in‐situ calibration modules (CalPods), a new concept of calibrating multiple channels and measurements with a single calibration (i.e. cal‐all), and a new discussion of real‐time uncertainty capability.
Chapter 4's theoretical material is unchanged (the Fourier transform remains as it was), but a new section on simulated time‐domain reflectometer (TDR) measurements including eye diagrams has been added.
Chapter 5 is essentially unchanged, with just some minor updates.
Chapter 6 keeps the basics of amplifier test unchanged but adds several new topics including improved harmonic measurement methods, a method for testing dual input Doherty‐type amplifiers, an updated discussion of X‐parameters, and a new discussion of active or Hot S‐parameters. The topic of distortion measurements (2‐tone intermodulation distortion [IMD]) has moved to the new Chapter 8. The discussion of noise figure measurements has been moved to
