Microwave Engineering
(MRW) – SEM 7
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411
M.Tech (VJTI) & B.Tech (SPIT) @nagare.sunil95
CH6. Microwave Measurements
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Microwave Test Bench
• The typical microwave test bench are precision microwave systems.
• It consists of rectangular microwave
• waveguide components. They are used for test and measurement of
various microwave modules in the lab.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Microwave Test Bench
Klystron power supply:
• It helps in operating low power klystron (e.g. 2K25).
• It houses AM modulation, FM modulation and external modulating signal
functionalities.
• It usually provides display for beam voltage, beam current and repelled voltage.
Klystron mount tube:
• This consists of reflex klystron.
• It uses velocity modulation in order to transform continuous electron beam into
corresponding microwave power.
Isolator:
• It passes microwave signal only in one direction and blocks signal going in the
other direction.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Microwave Test Bench
Variable attenuator:
• It is used to attenuate microwave signal with variable attenuation settings as made by the
user. The different attenuation can be set.
Frequency meter: It is used for frequency measurement.
Slotted line section:
• It should cover desired frequency and should be equipped with accurate scale/indicator.
VSWR meter:
• It is used for standing wave measurement with suitable detector and slotted line (or
waveguide) section.
• It is used to measure VSWR or SWR. It is designed such that it avoids harmonics of line
frequency.
Load:
• It is microwave matched termination at desired characteristic impedance either 50 or 75
ohm. It is used to absorb microwave power
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Measurement of VSWR
• In any Microwave practical applications, any kind of impedance mismatches lead
to the formation of standing waves.
• The strength of these standing waves is measured by Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
(VSWR).
• The ratio of maximum to minimum voltage gives the VSWR, which is denoted by S
• The measurement of VSWR can be done in two ways, Low VSWR and High VSWR
measurements.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Measurement of Low VSWR (S <10)
• The measurement of low VSWR can be done by adjusting the attenuator to get a
reading on a DC millivoltmeter which is VSWR meter.
• The readings can be taken by adjusting the slotted line and the attenuator in such
a way that the DC millivoltmeter shows a full scale reading as well as a minimum
reading.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Measurement of High VSWR (S >10)
• The measurement of high VSWR
whose value is greater than 10 can
be measured by a method called
the double minimum method.
• In this method, the reading at the
minimum value is taken, and the
readings at the half point of
minimum value in the crest before
and the crest after are also taken.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Measurement of High VSWR (S >10)
• Now, the VSWR can be calculated by a relation, given as −
• Where, λg is the guided wavelength
• As the two minimum points are being considered here, this is called as double
minimum method.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Cavity Q Measurement
• Though there are three methods such as Transmission method, Impedance
method, and Transient decay or Decrement method for measuring Q of a
cavity resonator, the easiest and most followed method is the Transmission
Method.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Cavity Q Measurement
• In this method, the cavity resonator
acts as the device that transmits.
• The output signal is plotted as a
function of frequency which results in
a resonant curve
• From the setup above, the signal
frequency of the microwave source is
varied, keeping the signal level
constant and then the output power
is measured.
• The cavity resonator is tuned to this
frequency, and the signal level and
the output power is again noted
down to notice the difference
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Cavity Q Measurement
• When the output is plotted, the resonance curve is obtained, from which we can notice
the Half Power Bandwidth (HPBW) (2Δ) values
• Where, QL is the loaded value
• If the coupling between the microwave source and the cavity, as well the coupling
between the detector and the cavity are neglected, then
• The main drawback of this system is that, the accuracy is a bit poor in very high Q
systems due to narrow band of operation.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Impedance Measurement
1. Impedance Using the Slotted Line
• In this method, impedance is
measured using slotted line and load
ZL and by using this, Vmax and Vmin
can be determined.
• In this method, the measurement of
impedance takes place in two steps.
Step 1 :Determining Vmin using load ZL
Step 2 − Determining Vmin by short
circuiting the load.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Impedance Measurement
• When we try to obtain the values of
Vmax and Vmin using a load, we get
certain values.
• However, if the same is done by short
circuiting the load, the minimum gets
shifted, either to the right or to the
left.
• If this shift is to the left, it means that
the load is inductive and if it the shift
is to the right, it means that the load
is capacitive in nature.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Impedance Measurement
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Impedance Measurement
2. Impedance Using Reflectometer
• Unlike slotted line, the Reflectometer
helps to find only the magnitude of
impedance and not the phase angle.
• In this method, two directional couplers
which are identical but differs in
direction are taken.
• These two couplers are used in sampling
the incident power Pi and reflected
power Pr from the load.
• The reflectometer is connected as
shown in the following figure.
• It is used to obtain the magnitude of
reflection coefficient ρ, from which the
impedance can be obtained.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Impedance Measurement
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Attenuation Measurement
• In practice, Microwave components and devices often provide some
attenuation.
• The amount of attenuation offered can be measured in two ways.
• They are
1. Power ratio method
2. RF substitution method.
• Attenuation is the ratio of input power to the output power and is normally
expressed in decibels.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Attenuation Measurement
1. Power Ratio Method
• In this method, the measurement of attenuation takes place in two steps.
Step 1 − The input and output power of the whole Microwave bench is done
without the device whose attenuation has to be calculated.
Step 2 − The input and output power of the whole Microwave bench is done
with the device whose attenuation has to be calculated.
• The ratio of these powers when compared, gives the value of attenuation.
Drawback
• The power and the attenuation measurements may not be accurate, when the
input power is low and attenuation of the network is large.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Attenuation Measurement
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Attenuation Measurement
2. RF Substitution Method
• In this method, the measurement of attenuation takes place in three steps.
Step 1 − The output power of the whole Microwave bench is measured with the
network whose attenuation has to be calculated.
Step 2 − The output power of the whole Microwave bench is measured by
replacing the network with a precision calibrated attenuator.
Step 3 − Now, this attenuator is adjusted to obtain the same power as measured
with the network.
• The adjusted value on the attenuator gives the attenuation of the network
directly.
• The drawback in the above method is avoided here and hence this is a better
procedure to measure the attenuation.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Attenuation Measurement
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Frequency Measurement
1. Wave Meter Method
• Typically constructed from cylindrical cavity
resonator with a variable short circuit
termination.
• Shorting plunger is used to change the
resonance frequency of cavity by changing
cavity length.
• TE011 mode is used because of its higher Q
& absence of axial current
• TM010 mode is excited in cavity through
coupling hole by magnetic field coupling.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Frequency Measurement
2. Slotted Line Method
• Since distance between two minima dmin = λg/2 frequency can be
determined from relations:
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Frequency Measurement
3. Down Conversion
Method
• Accurate measurement using
heterodyne converter.
• Unknown frequency fx is
down converted by mixing it
with known
fa(fx – fa = fIF) & is then
amplified & measured by
counter.
• fa is obtained by = Local
oscillator frequency X f1
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Power Measurement
• Microwave power is average power & inside a waveguide it is invariant with
measurement position.
• Following are the techniques used for power measurement:
1. Measurement of low microwave power (0.01 mW-10mW): Bolometer Technique.
2. Measurement of medium microwave power (10 mW-1W): Calorimetric Technique.
3. Measurement of high microwave power (> 10 W): Calorimetric Watt meter
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Power Measurement
• Bolometer & thermocouples whose resistance changes with applied power are used
measuring low microwave power.
• Bolometer: Simple temperature sensitive device whose resistance varies with temp.
• ◦ Barremeter and Thermistor.
• Barremeter have positive temperature coefficient & its resistance increases with
increase in temperature.
• Consists of short platinum wire mounted in a cartridge like an ordinary fuse.
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Power Measurement : Balanced Bolometer Technique
• Bolometer is at one arm & initially
bridge is balanced by adjusting R5
which varies with DC power applied.
• Let E1 be voltage of battery at
balance, with microwave power
applied bolometer heats up &
changes its resistance. Hence bridge
becomes unbalanced.
• New power E2 is proportional to
microwave power & detector ‘G’ can
be directly calibrated in terms of
microwave power
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
Power Measurement : Balanced Bolometer Technique
• R6 & R7 are used for temperature compensation.
• R6 & R3 are identical and close to bolometer elements.
• If temp. is changed and R3 is reduced then it will not be termed as microwave
power change since R6 will reduce.
• Thus more current will flow through R6 and hence lesser amount through bridge
and R3 hence bridge will be restored for balanced condition.
• Barremeter and Thermistor have limited power handling capability to 10 mW.
• Power measuring capability can be increased by using directional couplers.
• 20 dB directional coupler power + 10 dB attenuator power = 30 dB down power
received by bolometer.
• This method extends its range by 1000 times
Prof. Sunil Nagare : 9619015411 @nagare.sunil95
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