A Method of Estimating the Error of the Results of Measurements in 6-Port Reflectometry

The multistage nature of the measurement procedures at microwave frequencies is pointed out. The simplest two-stage measurement process in 6-port reflectrometry is considered. A calibration procedure is proposed for the circuit analyzer. A method of constructing the covariation matrix at the calibration stage is described. The transformation of the error of the calibration constants into the error of the complex reflection coefficient at a frequency f = 1.9 GHz is explained. The accuracy fields in establishing it are constructed.     

Automated Characterization of Bolometric and Electrothermic Mounts

The greatest inaccuracy in making a microwave power measurement is usually the uncertainty of the calibration factor or the effective efficiency. These terms account for the RF losses and substitution errors in the bolometric or electrothermic mount. A new method for transferring calibration from a standard mount to a mount to be calibrated has production line speed and simplicity; yet its accuracy rivals standards laboratory techniques. This method uses an automatic network analyzer to measure the quantities required and to solve the mismatch equation in transferring calibration from the standard mount to the one to be calibrated. A technique is also described to evaluate the errors of the transfer measurement. An accurate method of measuring the complex reflection coefficient of a stabilized source is another result of this work. The present implementation measures effective efficiency, calibration factor, and the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient of a mount at six calibration frequencies in 60 seconds. The uncertainty in transferring calibration factor and effective efficiency is about 0.5 percent.     

Traceability via the Internet for microwave measurements using vector network analyzers

The Internet has been utilized to provide highly efficient and cost-effective measurement services using vector network analyzers (VNAs). Remote calibration and measurement using VNAs from two of the leading instrument manufacturers has been achieved with direct access to primary national measurement standards and procedures, via the Internet, for microwave frequencies in the range 45 MHz to 110 GHz.     

A Millimeter Wave Complex Reflection Coeficient Scanner

A broadband microwave measurement system has been designed to make complex reflection coefficient measurements on a swept basis at millineter wave frequencies. This instrument covers a frequency range of 50-75 GHz in WR-15 rectangular waveguide. Two appliques are being added in WR-22 and WR-10 waveguide to extend the frequency range of the system to 33-110 GHz. Measurements can be made while sweeping over bands as wide as 10 GHz. An interesting feature of the complex reflection coefficient scanner is that residuals, or baseline, of the system are automatically subtracted. The resultant output display is a real-time polar plot of the actual reflection coefficient of the network under test. Residuals of 0.03 for reflection coefficients around unity, and 0.013 for reflection coefficients around zero can be measured with a resolution of 0.01 while sweeping over a 5 GHz band. A maximum reflection coefficient range of 46 dB has been achieved using straightforward video detection techniques. For measurements of networks with very low reflection coefficients (0.01 and lower) a time averaging feature is available to reduce the effects of random noise. The complex reflection coefficient of the unknown can be displayed on an oscilioscope and photographed, or read out on an X-Y plotter.     

A new robust method for six-port reflectometer calibration

A new robust method for finding the parameters of Engen's six-port-to-four-port reduction algorithm for six-port reflectometer calibration has been developed. Like other previously published methods, it uses a minimum of five loads with an unknown but constant absolute value of the reflection coefficient and unknown but well-distributed phases. However, the quality of the parameter estimates is improved, especially in noisy environments, by efficiently eliminating cases in which these earlier methods may become ill-conditioned. The new method has been used successfully to calibrate a newly developed six-port reflectometer in GaAs MMIC technology working between 1.3 GHz and 3.0 GHz     

High Power CW Wattmeter Calibration at NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has established a measurement capability to support high power systems and devices. The automated wattmeter calibration system operates at power levels of 1 to 1000 W for frequencies from 1 to 30 MHz and 1 to 500 W from 30 to 400 MHz. A cascaded coupler technique is used to extend power measurements to high levels which are traccable to a 10 mW standard thermistor mount. This technique uses an arrangement of nominal 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 dB couplers with sidearm power meters. The initial step transfers the calibration of the 10 mW standard to the 10 dB coupler/power meter. The standard is then replaced with a wattmeter to be calibrated. RF power is increased 10 dB and the calibration is transferred to the adjacent 20 dB eoupler/power meter. This sequence is repeated with the remaining coupler/power meters until the wattmeter is calibrated at the desired power levels and frequencies. Power ratios calculated from simultaneous power measurements made at each transfer are used to calculate the incident power at the wattmeter. Due to nonideal components, corrections are made for nonlinearities, mismatch, and other errors. Two types of wattmeters have been evaluated at selected frequencies and power levels. Total uncertainties are based on the random and systematic components.     

Microelastic imaging of bone

Several high-frequency ultrasound techniques have been developed during the last decade with the intention of assessing elastic properties of bone at the tissue level. The basic measurement principles can be divided into: 1) measurement of the compressional wave velocity in thin tissue sections; 2) measurement of surface acoustic wave velocities in thick sections; and 3) derivation of the acoustic impedance from the confocal reflection amplitude in thick sections. In this paper, the 3 principles are described with example measurements given in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 1.2 GHz. The measurements were made with 2 microscopes operating in the pulse-echo mode, either with frequencies up to 200 MHz and time-resolved detection or between 100 MHz and 2 GHz and amplitude detection. The methods are compared and their application potentials and limitations are discussed with respect to the hierarchical structure of cortical bone. Mapping of the confocal reflection amplitude has superior capabilities for deriving quantitative elastic and structural parameters in the heterogeneous bone material. Even at low frequencies (50 MHz), the mineralized tissue matrix can be separated from the larger pores (Haversian canals), and the elastic coefficient in the probing direction can be measured in 2 dimensions. Depending on the type of sample surface preparation (flat or cylindrically shaped), local distribution of a single elastic coefficient or the average transverse isotropic stiffness tensor can be derived. With frequencies in the GHz range, the lamellar bone structure can be analyzed. However, at one GHz, the acoustic wavelength is still one order of magnitude larger than the individual mineralized collagen fibrils. Although the thickness of a lamellar unit can easily be assessed from the acoustic image, the derivation of the anisotropic elastic properties of the mineralized collagen fibrils as well as the detailed structure of a lamella can only be accomplished with further model assumptions.     

A free-space method for measurement of dielectric constants andloss tangents at microwave frequencies

For measurements of dielectric properties of planar slabs of ceramic and composite materials, the authors have developed a free-space measurement system in the frequency range of 14.5-17.5 GHz. The key components of the measurement system are a pair of spot-focusing horn lens antennas, a network analyzer, and a computer. Because of the far-field focusing ability of horn lens antennas, the free-space measurements can be made at microwave frequencies in a relatively compact and simple measurement setup. The time-domain gating feature of the network analyzer and the thru, reflect, and line calibration technique were used to eliminate the effects of undesirable multiple reflections. The dielectric constants and loss tangents were measured for standard materials such as fused quartz, Teflon, and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Dielectric properties for Teflon and PVC were also measured in a waveguide medium for purposes of comparison with the free-space method     

Comparison of two post-calibration correction methods for complex permittivity measurement of biological tissues up to 50 GHz

Two correction methods are discussed in this paper to remove residual errors due to the lack of repeatability of coaxial-to-microstrip launchers as part of the TRL calibration procedure. These methods are applied for accurate insertion loss measurement of biological tissues embedded in a two-port microstrip test fixture, from which the tissues' complex permittivity values are extracted for frequencies between 15 and 50 GHz. In the first method, distilled water is used as a calibration standard as part of a two-port calibration procedure. The second method identifies an error transfer function using the difference between simulated and measured insertion loss for distilled water, and then applies it as a correction factor to the measurement results for biological tissues. Both methods are compared in terms of extracting the accurate complex permittivity of brain matter.     

Calibration of time domain network analyzers

A calibration technique for a time domain reflectometry and transmission (TDR and TDT) measurement system as applied to network analysis is presented. The calibration corrects for the errors caused by the response of the measurement system. A complete physically-based model is established for the system. A set of calculable standards is developed to satisfy the time domain requirements for calibration. The calibration technique was applied to determining the model parameters of a commercial TDR and TDT system. The calibration enhanced the system bandwidth from 8 GHz to about 20 GHz. Experimental verification is given to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the calibration technique     

Method for Effective Calibration of Temperature Loggers with Automated Data Sampling and Evaluation

A highly automated calibration method for temperature loggers is presented. By using an automated procedure, a time- and cost-efficient calibration of temperature loggers is made possible. The method is directed at loggers that lack the function/property of direct reading from a display. This type of logger has to be connected to a computer for the setting-up of the measurement and again for collection of the measurement results. During the calibration, the loggers are offline. This method has been developed for temperature loggers from Gemini Data loggers, but the software and method could be modified to suit other types of loggers as well. Calibration is performed by comparison to a reference thermometer in liquid baths; and for loggers which have external sensors, only the sensor is normally placed in the bath. Loggers with internal sensors are protected from the liquid by placing them in an exterior plastic or metallic cover, and thereafter the entire loggers are placed in the bath. A digital thermometer measures the reference temperature of the bath and transmits it to a computer by way of Bluetooth. The developed calibration software, SPTempLogger, controls the logger software, and thus the communication protocol of the logger software does not need to be known. The previous method, with manual handling of the start and termination of every measuring sequence, evaluation of the resulting data and its corresponding uncertainty components, can be replaced by this automated method. Both the logger and reference measurement data are automatically downloaded once the logger has been connected to a computer after the calibration, and the calibration software started. The data are then evaluated automatically, and by statistical analysis of the confidence coefficient and standard deviation, the temperature plateaus that the calibration includes are identified. If a number of control parameters comply with the requirements, then the correction, resolution, and short-term stability are calculated for each calibration temperature. The calculated values are saved in a database, along with information about the instruments used during the calibration, after which calibration certificates and measurement uncertainty calculations can be generated. Up to ten loggers can be connected at the same time and are then evaluated in sequence. The paper will show that the system can correctly analyze different types of measurement sequences and what measurement uncertainties are associated with this.     

110 GHz可溯源的On-wafer GaAs基Multi-TRL校准标准件研制

设计制作了用于1 ~110 GHz On-wafer 散射参数测试系统自校准的GaAs基Multi-TRL校准标准件。主要验证了Multi-TRL校准标准件设计的正确性;经过与国外计量标准及商用校准件比对,还验证了在频率范围1 GHz~110 GHz,用于Multi-TRL校准的校准标准件的准确性。     

A method to determine the calorimetric equivalence correction for acoaxial microwave microcalorimeter

A way is presented to obtain the microcalorimeter correction factor by direct measurement rather than by an indirect estimate or modeling. The microcalorimeter is used to measure the effective efficiency of a reference standard thermistor mount. The correction factor accounts for the different thermal paths and losses in the microcalorimeter reference standard combination. The uncertainty in the measurement depends primarily on an accurate determination of the correction factor. This has been an especially difficult problem in the coaxial case because of the center conductor. The method requires the fabrication of components that duplicate the thermal and RF loss in the microcalorimeter and reference standard. Using the technique with the new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) type N coaxial microcalorimeter has substantially reduced the systematic uncertainty. The total uncertainty is about one-half the uncertainty of the prior NIST standard at frequencies above 1 GHz     

一种测量微波功率放大器件输出端反射系数的新方法

本提出了一种测量微功率放大器件输出端反射系数的新方法。通过对可变负载在不同频率和位置下的校准,采用所建立的自动测量系统,运行专门编制的自动控制和数据处理软件,可对微波功率放大器件输出端反射系数进行测量,该方法具有测量简便、迅速、自动化程度高等优点。     

Assigning RF/DC Transfer Difference to High Frequency Voltage Primary Standard up to 1 GHz at NPLI

National Physical Laboratory (NPLI) India is the premier research and development center and the National Metrology Institute, which provides traceability in measurements by calibration throughout the country. High frequency (HF) voltage is one of the important parameter in electrical metrology. At NPLI the primary standard of HF voltage at frequencies from 1 to 1,000 MHz is a twin resistance coaxial power mount. The calibration technique and establishing the traceability by assigning the RF/DC transfer difference to HF voltage primary standard are described in this paper. The HF voltage primary standard has been characterized by assigning RF/DC transfer differences to it in terms of effective efficiency, RF impedance and DC resistance. The calibration results of the primary standard have been discussed in this paper. The assigned RF/DC transfer difference (δ) and the expanded uncertainty of HF voltage primary standard at 1.0 GHz is (?5.2 ± 5.4) mV/V.     

"Real time" noise measurements with sensitivity exceeding the standard thermal noise limit

A possibility of "real-time" noise measurements with spectral resolution better than a standard thermal noise limit has been experimentally demonstrated at microwave frequencies. The enhancement in the sensitivity of spectral measurements was achieved due to more efficient use of the signal power via the power recycling technique. By utilizing such a technique, the noise floor of a 9 GHz "real time" measurement system was reduced by 3 dB below the standard thermal noise limit. This makes possible the characterization of intrinsic fluctuations in individual low-noise microwave components, such as ferrite circulators, without the need for cascading them or using the cross-correlation signal processing.     

Quantitative determination of the absorption spectra of chromophores in strongly scattering media: a light-emitting-diode based technique

The absorption and scattering coefficient of a macroscopically homogeneous strongly scattering medium (lipid emulsion) containing Methylene Blue is quantitatively measured in the spectral range from 620 to 700 nm. We conduct the measurements in the frequency domain by using a light-emitting diode (LED) whose intensity is modulated at a frequency of 60 MHz. We derive an analytical expression for the absorption and scattering coefficients that is based on a two-distance measurement technique. A comparison with other measurement protocols such as measurement at two modulation frequencies shows that the two-distance method gives a better determination of the scattering and absorption coefficients. This study highlights the efficiency and ease of use of the LED technique, which lends itself to in vivo spectroscopy of biological tissues.     

110 GHz在片16项误差模型校准件定值方法研究

现有商用集总参数校准件电路模型使用简便,但由于校准件电路模型的不完善、电路中参数在提取过程中采用拟合算法等原因,导致其定值准确度受限.从用于高频串扰修正的16项误差模型校准件设计入手,给出了校准件高精度的定值方法——即通过研制辅助的Multiline TRL校准标准,采用测试加仿真的方式对校准件进行定值,并采用定值文件...     

A Method to Calibrate the Measured Responses by MEMS Accelerometers

Abstract: Micro‐electro‐mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers have been receiving attention because of their low cost and small size. Accurate vibration measurements of both amplitude and phase at all frequencies in the measurement frequency range are important for the reliable vibration analysis. However, it has been observed that such accelerometers show some deviation. Hence, a simple calibration method in frequency domain has been used for correcting both amplitude and phase for the measured signals by the MEMS accelerometers. The paper presents the calibration procedure and results of this study applied on two MEMS accelerometers with different technical specifications.     

New density-independent calibration function for microwave sensingof moisture content in particulate materials

Microwave techniques have been considered for a long time for moisture sensing in many food processing and agriculture-related industries. They are suitable for on-line real-time monitoring and control. However, with particulate materials, bulk density fluctuations cause significant errors in moisture content determination. To overcome this shortcoming, density-independent calibration functions are needed. In this paper, a new approach is presented in which both bulk density and moisture content are determined directly from measured microwave dielectric properties. A simple relationship between bulk density and the dielectric properties is identified, and a new density-independent function for moisture content prediction, exclusively dependent on the dielectric properties of the material under test (ϵ', ϵ"), is proposed. The validity and applicability of this function are demonstrated with an extensive data set obtained from measurements on a granular material (wheat), over wide ranges of frequency (11-18 GHz), temperature (-1°C-42°C), moisture content (10.6%-19.2%, wet basis), and bulk density (0.72-0.88 g/cm³). Explicit calibration equations for moisture prediction at different frequencies and temperatures are provided. Although data obtained by a transmission microwave measurement technique were used, this new approach remains valid in general for other techniques, provided that ϵ' and ϵ" are determined accurately