Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T03:51:22.608Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparative analysis of receiver bandwidth effects on Y-factor and cold-source noise figure measurements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 July 2013

Nerea Otegi ,
Juan-Mari Collantes  and
Mohamed Sayed
Nerea Otegi*
Affiliation:
Electricity and Electronics Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. Phone: +34 946015944
Juan-Mari Collantes
Affiliation:
Electricity and Electronics Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. Phone: +34 946015944
Mohamed Sayed
Affiliation:
Microwave&Millimeter Wave Solutions, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA
*
Corresponding author: N. Otegi Email: nerea.otegi@ehu.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A known source of error in noise figure characterization is the variation of the device characteristics within the bandwidth of the instrument receiver. In this paper, an in-depth analysis of the effect of the receiver bandwidth on noise figure characterization accuracy is developed. For the first time, comparative results for Y-factor and cold-source techniques are given. The analysis clarifies some contradictions about the origin and the final impact of bandwidth effects in Y-factor. In addition, effects derived from an excessively wide bandwidth of the noise receiver are shown to be completely different in both techniques, being more critical in cold-source. As a result of the analysis, correction terms are provided for those cases in which receivers with narrow enough bandwidths are not available. The conclusions extracted from the theoretical formulation are confirmed by the measurements carried out on several narrow-band devices under tests with different characteristics.

Keywords

Microwave measurementsModelingSimulation and characterizations of devices and circuitsNoise figure measurement
Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 5 , Issue 6 , December 2013 , pp. 659 - 667
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1]Randa, J.; Dunsmore, J.; Dazhen, G., Wong, K., Walker, D.K.; Pollard, R.D.: Verification of noise-parameter measurements and uncertainties. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 60 (11) (2011), 3685–3693.Google Scholar
[2]Kerr, A.R.; Randa, J.: Thermal noise and noise measurements – A 2010 update. Microw. Mag., 11 (6) (2010), 40–52.Google Scholar
[3]Garelli, M.; Ferrero, A.; Bonino, S.: A complete noise- and scattering-parameters test-set. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 57 (3) (2009), 716–724.Google Scholar
[4]Pasquet, D.; Bourdel, E.; Quintanel, S.; Ravalet, T.; Houssin, P.: New method for noise-parameter measurement of a mismatched linear two-port using noise power wave formalism. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 56 (9) (2008), 2136–2142.Google Scholar
[5]Otegi, N.; Collantes, J.M.; Sayed, M.: Cold-source measurements for noise figure calculation in spectrum analyzers, in 67th ARFTG Conf. Digest, June 2006, 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[6]Tiemeijer, L.F.; Havens, R.J.; de Kort, R.; Scholten, A.J.: Improved Y-factor method for wide-band on-wafer noise parameter measurements. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 53 (9) (2005), 2917–2925.Google Scholar
[7]Weatherspoon, M.; Dunleavy, L.: Vector corrected on-wafer measurements of noise temperature. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 54 (3) (2005), 1327–1332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[8]Wiatr, W.; Walker, D.K.: Systematic errors of noise parameter determination caused by imperfect source impedance measurement. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 54 (2) (2005), 696–700.Google Scholar
[9]Collantes, J.M.; Pollard, R.D.; Sayed, M.: Effects of DUT mismatch on the noise figure characterization: a comparative analysis of two Y-factor techniques. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 51 (6) (2002), 1150–1156.Google Scholar
[10]Vondran, D.: Noise figure measurement: corrections related to match and gain. Microw. J., 42 (1999), 22–38.Google Scholar
[11]Lazaro, A.; Pradell, L.; O'Callaghan, J.M.: Method for measuring noise parameters of microwave two-port. Electron. Lett., 34 (13) (1998), 1332–1333.Google Scholar
[12]Crozat, P.; Boutez, C.; Chaubet, M.; Danelon, V.; Sylvestre, A.; Vernet, G.: 50 W noise measurements with full receiver calibration without tuner. Electron. Lett., 32 (3) (1996), 261–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[13]Valk, E.; Johansen, H.C.; Routledge, D.; Vaneldik, J.F.; Landecker, T.L.: Improving accuracy of microwave noise measurements of highly mismatched devices. Electron. Lett., 28 (22) (1992), 2035–2037.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[14]Agilent N8973A, N8974A, N8975A NFA Series Noise Figure Analyzers. Agilent Data Sheet 5980-0164E, November 2007.Google Scholar
[15]Agilent PSA Series Spectrum Analyzers. Noise Figure Measurements Personality. Agilent Technical Overview 5988-7884EN, August 2005.Google Scholar
[16]Noise Figure, Scorpion Option 4. Anritsu Application Note 11410-00210, April 2000.Google Scholar
[17]Adamian, V.; Uhlir, A.: A novel procedure for receiver noise characterization. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 22 (2) (1973), 181–182.Google Scholar
[18]Davidson, A.C.; Leake, B.W.; Strid, E.: Accuracy improvements in microwave noise parameter measurements. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 37 (12) (1989), 1973–1978.Google Scholar
[19]Meierer, R.; Tsironis, C.: An on-wafer noise parameter measurement technique with automatic receiver calibration. Microw. J., 38 (1995), 22–37.Google Scholar
[20]Otegi, N.; Collantes, J.M.; Sayed, M.: Receiver noise calibration for a vector network analyzer, in 76th ARFTG Conf. Digest, December 2010, 1–5.Google Scholar
[21]Escotte, L.; Plana, R.; Graffeuil, J.: Evaluation of noise parameter extraction methods. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 41 (3) (1993), 382–387.Google Scholar
[22]Ballo, D.: Making source-corrected noise-figure measurements. Microw. RF, 46 (9) (2007), 1.Google Scholar
[23]Anritsu Co.: VNAs measure noise from 70 kHz to 125 GHz. Microw. RF, 51 (7) (2012), 84.Google Scholar
[24]IRE standards on methods of measuring noise in linear twoports, 1959. Proc. IRE, 48 (1) (1960), 60–68.Google Scholar
[25]Agilent 2-Port and 4-Port PNA-X Network Analyzer. Agilent Data Sheet N5242-90007, April 2009.Google Scholar
[26]Carlson, A.B.: Communication Systems, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1986.Google Scholar
[27]Rudolph, M.; Heymann, P.; Boss, H.: Impact of receiver bandwidth and nonlinearity on noise measurements methods. Microw. Mag., 11 (6), (2010), 110–121.Google Scholar
[28]Noise Figure Measurement Accuracy – The Y-Factor Method. Agilent Application Note 57-2, May 2010.Google Scholar
[29]10 Hints for Making Successful Noise Figure Measurements. Agilent Application Note 57-3, November 2011.Google Scholar
[30]Noise Figure Corrections. Anritsu Application Note 11410-00256, November 2000.Google Scholar
[31]Practical Noise Figure-Measurement and Analysis for Low-Noise Amplifier Designs. Agilent Application Note 1354, September 2000.Google Scholar
[32]Pastori, W.E.: Bandwidth effects in noise figure measurements. 29th ARFTG Conf. Digest-Spring, 11 (1987), 1–16.Google Scholar
[33]Fundamentals of RF and Microwave Noise Figure Measurements. Agilent Application Note 57-1, October 2000.Google Scholar
[34]Friis, H.T.: Noise figure of radio receivers. Proc. IRE, 32 (7) (1944), 419–422.Google Scholar
[35]Simpson, G.M.; Ballo, D.J.; Dunsmore, J.P.; Ganwani, A.: A new noise parameter measurement method results in more than 100× speed improvement and enhanced measurement accuracy, in 72nd ARFTG Conf. Digest, December 2008, 119–127.Google Scholar
[36]Wiatr, W.; Crupi, G.; Caddemi, A.; Mercha, A.; Schreurs, D.M.M.-P.: Source-pull characterization of FinFET noise, in Proc. of the 17th Int. Conf. on Mixed Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems MIXDES 2010, June 2010, 425–430.Google Scholar
[37]Description of the noise performance of amplifiers and receiving systems. Proc. IRE, 51 (3) (1963), 436–442.Google Scholar
[38]Gao, J.; Law, C.L.; Wang, H.; Aditya, S.; Boeck, G.: A new method for pHEMT noise-parameter determination based on 50-Ω noise measurement system. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 51 (10) (2003), 2079–2089.Google Scholar
[39]Lazaro, A.; Pradell, L.; O' Callaghan, J.M.: FET noise-parameter determination using a novel technique based on a 50-W noise-figure measurements. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 47 (1999), 315–324.Google Scholar
[40]Tasker, P.J.; Reinert, W.; Hughes, B.; Braunstein, J.; Schlechtweg, M.: Transistor noise parameter extraction using a 50-Ω measurement system, in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. (IMS) Digest, June 1993, 1251–1254.Google Scholar
[41]Dambrine, G.; Happy, H.; Danneville, F.; Cappy, A.: A new method for on wafer noise measurement. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 41 (3) (1993), 375–381.Google Scholar