Abstract
Chapter 2 provides details of passive load-pull systems and impedance tuning and synthesis approaches. Primarily two types of passive tuners—the electromechanical tuner (EMT) and the electronic tuner (ETS)—are employed in load-pull systems. This chapter presents a thorough discussion on the theory and concepts of both these tuners and provides in-depth knowledge on these tuners, so that the readers can select the best cost-effective solutions for their fundamental and harmonic load-pull applications. In the second part of this chapter, calibration techniques to remove errors arising from mismatches, dispersions and imperfections in the cables and system components are provided, as well as the required algorithms of calibration.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
J.M. Cusack, S.M. Perlow, B.S. Perlman, Automatic load contour mapping for microwave power transistors. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 22, 1146–1152 (1974)
F. Secchi, R. Paglione, B. Perlman, J. Brown, A computer controlled microwave tuner for automated load pull. RCA Rev. 44(4), 566–583 (1983)
Focus Microwave, Mechanical vibrations of CCMT tuners used in on-wafer load-pull testing, Application Note AN-46, Oct. 2001
J. Sevic, Introduction to tuner-based measurement and characterization, Technical Note, Maury Microwave Corporation, 5C-054
D.M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, 3rd edn. (Wiley, New York, 2005). ISBN 0-471-17096-8
Microlab, Mechanical tuners, Application Note, Oct. 2000
R. Tuijtelaars, Overview of device noise parameter measurement system, in VDE/ITG-23.10.01 (2001), pp. 1–5
Maury Microwave Corporation, Device characterization with harmonic load and source pull, Application Note: 5C-044, Dec. 2000
Focus Microwave, Load pull measurements on transistors with harmonic impedance control, Technical Note, Aug. 1999
B.W. Leake, A programmable load for power and noise characterization, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, Dallas, USA (June 1982), pp. 348–350
Maury Microwave Corporation, LP series electronic tuner system, Technical Data, 4T-081, 2002
M.S. Hashmi, F.M. Ghannouchi, P.J. Tasker, K. Rawat, Highly reflective load-pull. IEEE Microw. Mag. 11(4), 96–107 (2011)
Focus Microwave, Computer controlled microwave tuner—CCMT, Product Note 41, Jan. 1998
Maury Microwave Corporation, Slide screw tuners, Technical Data, 2G-035A, Feb. 1998
Focus Microwaves, Algorithms for automatic high precision residual tuning to 50 Ω using programmable tuners, Application Note 45, May 2001
Focus Microwave, Electronic tuners (ETS) and electromechanical tuners (EMT)—a critical comparison, Technical Note, Aug. 1998
Focus Microwave, Comparing harmonic load-pull techniques with regards to power-added efficiency (PAE), Application Note 58, May 2007
Maury Microwave Corporatio, Cascading tuners for high-VSWR and harmonic applications, Application Note 5C-081, Jan. 2009
F. Deshours, E. Bergeault, F. Blache, J.-P. Villotte, B. Villeforceix, Experimental comparison of load-pull measurement systems for nonlinear power transistor characterization. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 57(11), 1251–1255 (1997)
A. Ferrero, V. Teppati, Experimental comparison of active and passive load-pull measurement technologies, in 30th European Microwave Conference Proceedings, Paris, France (Oct. 2000), pp. 1–4
C. Arnaud, J.L. Carbonero, J.M. Nebus, J.P. Teyssier, Comparison of active and passive load-pull test benches, in 57th ARFTG Conference, vol. 39 (May 2001), pp. 1–4
M.S. Hashmi, A.L. Clarke, S.P. Woodington, J. Lees, J. Benedikt, P.J. Tasker, An accurate calibrate-able multiharmonic active load-pull system based on the envelope load-pull concept. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 58(3), 656–664 (2010)
W.S. El-Deeb, N. Boulejfen, F.M. Ghannouchi, A multiport measurement system for complex distortion measurements of nonlinear microwave systems. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 59(5), 1406–1413 (2010)
D. Barataud, F. Blache, A. Mallet, P. Bouysse, J.-M. Nebus, J. Villotte, J. Obregon, J. Verspecht, P. Auxemery, Measurement and control of current/voltage waveforms of microwave transistors using a harmonic load-pull system for the optimum design of high efficiency power amplifiers. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 48(4), 835–842 (1999)
J.E. Mueller, B. Gyselinckx, Comparison of active versus passive on-wafer load-pull characterization of microwave MMwave power devices, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, San Diego, USA (June 1994), pp. 1077–1080
R.S. Tucker, P.D. Bradley, Computer-aided error correction of large-signal load-pull measurements. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 32(3), 296–300 (1984)
P.D. Bradley, R.S. Tucker, Computer-corrected load-pull characterization of power MESFETs, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, Boston, USA (June 1983), pp. 224–226
C. Tsironis, Adaptable pre-matched tuner system and method, US Patent No. 6674293
G.R. Simpson, Impedance tuner systems and probes, US Patent No. 7589601
J. Sirois, B. Noori, Tuning range analysis of load-pull measurement systems and impedance transforming networks, in 69th ARFTG Conference, Honolulu, USA (June 2007), pp. 1–5
C. Roff, J. Graham, J. Sirois, B. Noori, A new technique for decreasing the characterization time of passive load-pull tuners to maximize measurement throughput, in 72nd ARFTG Conference, Portland, USA (Dec. 2008), pp. 92–96
P. Hart, J. Wood, B. Noori, P. Aaen, Improving loadpull measurement time by intelligent measurement interpolation and surface modeling techniques, in 67th ARFTG Conference, San Francisco, USA (June 2006), pp. 69–72
R.B. Stancliff, D.B. Poulin, Harmonic load-pull, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, Florida, USA (Apr. 1979), pp. 185–187
E.W. Strid, Measurement of losses in noise-matching networks. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 29(3), 247–252 (1981)
G.P. Bava, U. Pisani, V. Pozzolo, Active load technique for load-pull characterization at microwave frequencies. IEE Electron. Lett. 18(4), 178–180 (1982)
Y. Takayama, A new load pull characterization method for microwave power transistors, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, New Jersey, USA (June 1976), pp. 218–220
R.A. Hackborn, An automatic network analyzer system. Microw. J. May, 45–52 (1968)
W.S. El-Deeb, M.S. Hashmi, S. Bensmida, N. Boulejfen, F.M. Ghannouchi, Thru-less calibration algorithm and measurement system for on-wafer large-signal characterization of microwave devices, IET J. Microw. Antenna Propag. 4(11), 1773–1781 (2010)
E.F. DaSilva, M.K. McPhun, Calibration technique for one-port measurements. Microw. J. June, 97–100 (1978)
J.R. Souza, E.C. Talboys, S-parameter characterization of coaxial to microstrip transition. IEE Proc. 129(Part H), 37–40 (1982)
M.S. Hashmi, A.L. Clarke, J. Lees, M. Helaoui, P.J. Tasker, F.M. Ghannouchi, Agile harmonic envelope load-pull system enabling reliable and rapid device characterization. IOP J. Meas. Sci. Technol. 21(055109), 1–9 (2010)
M.S. Hashmi, A.L. Clarke, S.P. Woodington, J. Lees, J. Benedikt, P.J. Tasker, Electronic multi-harmonic load-pull system for experimentally driven power amplifier design optimization, in IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society’s International Microwave Symposium Digest, Boston, USA, vols. 1–3 (June 2009), pp. 1549–1552
F. Blache, J.-M. Nebus, P. Bouysse, L. Jallet, A novel computerized multiharmonic active load-pull system for the optimization of high-efficiency operating classes in power transistor, in IEEE International Microwave Symposium Digest, Orlando, USA (June 1995), pp. 1037–1040
A. Grebennikov, N.O. Sokal, Switch Mode RF Power Amplifiers (Elsevier, Oxford, 2007)
F.M. Ghannouchi, F. Beauregard, A.B. Kouki, Power added efficiency and gain improvement in MESFETs amplifiers using an active harmonic loading technique. Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett. 7(13), 625–627 (1994)
R. Hajji, F.M. Ghannouchi, R.G. Bosisio, Large-signal microwave transistor modeling using multiharmonic load-pull measurements. Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett. 5(11), 580–585 (1992)
F.M. Ghannouchi, R. Larose, R.G. Bosisio, A new multiharmonic loading method for large-signal microwave and millimeter-wave transistor characterization. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 39(6), 986–992 (1991)
Y.Y. Woo, Y. Yang, B. Kim, Analysis and experiments for high efficiency class-F and inverse class-F power amplifiers. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 54(5), 1969–1974 (2006)
F.M. Ghannouchi, M.S. Hashmi, S. Bensmida, M. Helaoui, Enhanced loop passive source- and load-pull architecture for high reflection factor synthesis. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 58(11), 2952–2959 (2010)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ghannouchi, F.M., Hashmi, M.S. (2013). Passive Load-Pull Systems. In: Load-Pull Techniques with Applications to Power Amplifier Design. Springer Series in Advanced Microelectronics, vol 32. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4461-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4461-5_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4460-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4461-5
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)