ANALOG RF & MICROWAVE SIGNAL GENERATION

OUTPUT POWER CONSIDERATIONS

Frank-W. Thümmler, Product Manager

frank-werner.thuemmler@rohde-schwarz.com
Content

► Signal Generator Requirements

► Dynamic Range

► Output Power – Settling Time

► Level Accuracy

► Level Sweep

► Voltage Standing Wave Ratio

► Frequency Response Correction Analog RF & Microwave Signal Generator

► Compression Point Measurement R&S SMA100B

► Special Level Modes

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SIGNAL GENERATOR REQUIREMENTS
Specified Level
dBm Settable Level
Level Sweep
Min. Power
Watt
Level Modi
Max. Power
Level Linearity Level Accuracy
Power Measurement
Settling Time
Harmonics
Level Repeatability Step Attenuator
Dynamic Range
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 SIGNAL GENERATOR REQUIREMENTS
OUTPUT POWER
High Accuracy
High stability versus time
Excellent level repeatability
Excellent level linearity
High dynamic range
Short settling time
“Unlimited“ life time
Plus excellent signal quality
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• ALC (Automatic Level Control) in combination with output level correction
• Low VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio)
• Low temperature drift
• Eliminate aging of components
• Low temperature drift
• Eliminate aging of components (wear and tear free attenuator)
• Low temperature drift
• ALC in combination with output level correction
• Extension of the ALC dynamic range in combination with a step attenuator
• Blank and glitch free level switching over a wide dynamic range
• Electronic step attenuator versus mechanical step attenuator
• Wear and tear of used switches
DYNAMIC RANGE
One has to distinguish between settable / specified level range and maximum available output power

► The settable level range defines the min. and max. values which can be set in the user interface.
This does not mean, that such a low or high level can be reached.
► The specified level range clearly states the specified min. and max. values depend on other
parameters like:
► Instrument configuration (options)
► Frequency

► In accordance to the specified level range other parameters are also specified like:
► Level accuracy
► Settling time
► Harmonics
► Non-harmonics
► Wideband noise

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DYNAMIC RANGE
MAXIMUM OUTPUT POWER

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DYNAMIC RANGE
WATT AND DBM
To denote the reference of 1 mW, the ITU introduced the unit dBm.

𝑃1 [𝑚𝑊] 𝑃1 [𝑚𝑊] 𝑎/𝑑𝐵𝑚

𝑎 = 10 ∗ 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 𝑑𝐵𝑚 and = 10 10
1 𝑚𝑊 1 𝑚𝑊

P1 [mW] [dBm] a [dBm] P1 [W]

1000 30 35 3.16
100 20 20 0.1
10 10 10 0.01
8 9 3 0.002
4 6 0 0.001
2 3 -30 1 * 10-6
1 0 -127 2 * 10-16

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DYNAMIC RANGE

Output Power - Dynamic Range … … can be compared with

RF

Internal electronic level range Gear box with just one gear
40

30
Distortion
20 R 1
10

-10

-20 Noise
e.g. - 15 dBm … + 35 dBm (50 dB dynamic) 0 … 25 miles/hour
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DYNAMIC RANGE

Output Power - Dynamic Range … … can be compared with

RF

Internal electronic level range + step attenuator Gear box with six gears
+40

+20

-20
R 1 3 5
-40

-20

-40
+
-60

-80
2 4 6
-100 Linear range with low noise
-120

e.g. - 15 dBm - 115 dB … + 35 dBm (165 dB dynamic) 0 … 160 miles/hour

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DYNAMIC RANGE
STEP ATTENUATOR
• The electronic level range of the ALC is 50 dB (starting at e.g. -15 dBm up to + 35 dBm)
• The internal step attenuator offers a maximum attenuation of e.g. 115 dB
• In this example the insertion loss of this step attenuator is 0 dB (valid for low frequencies)
Attenuator Activated attenuator pads (assumption: 0dB conversion loss) Output power
input power [dBm]
[dBm] 5 dB 10 dB 20 dB 40 dB 40 dB

25 25
5 5
9  4

9  -1
9      -106

5 dB 10 dB 20 dB 40 dB 40 dB

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DYNAMIC RANGE
STEP ATTENUATOR
Electronic Step Attenuator (for f ≤ 20 GHz) Mechanical Step Attenuator (for f > 20 GHz)

20 GHz
+ Fast settling time + Low insertion loss
+ Wear and tear free + Low VSWR
+ Smaller form factor - Long switching time
- Higher insertion loss - Not wear and tear free

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OUTPUT POWER - SETTLING TIME

SMA100B with freq. opt. ≥ 31.8 GHz

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OUTPUT POWER - SETTLING TIME
1 electronical step attenuator 2 mechanical step attenuator

Carrier frequency = 10 GHz

How to avoid switching of the step attenuator (e.g.): • Attenuator mode „fixed“
• Level range mode „uninterrupted“
• …
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LEVEL ACCURACY

Cables and modules with

losses, frequency
response and mismatch
Level accuracy < x dB?

Level accuracy e.g. << 1dB

The above setup must be calibrated anyway, so the level accuracy of

the signal generator itsself might not play an important role

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 LEVEL ACCURACY

► The ALC (Automatic Level Control) can set the output power in combination with level correction accurately
and fast.
► The level accuracy depends on the specific frequency and level as well as temperature range and
temperature fluctuations

e.g. R&S SMA100B data sheet

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LEVEL ACCURACY
LEVEL REPEATABILITY

• Especially in a calibrated test system the level repeatability is essential for a signal generator.

• The absolute level accuracy in a setup is mainly influenced by the setup itself and a smaller
contribution comes from the signal generator.

• The absolute level accuracy can be calibrated, whereas a bad level repeatability not.

• High level repeatability ensures consistent test conditions and makes it possible to reduce
tolerances when defining test limits. With narrower test limits, production yield increases.

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LEVEL ACCURACY
LEVEL REPEATABILITY

Measured level repeatability and

ambient temperature over 46 h (R&S
SMA100B analog signal generator).
During two consecutive measurements,
the output level was set to different
random level values.

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LEVEL SWEEP

Challenge
Measure the gain transfer function or the output saturation point of an amplifier with integrated automatic
level control (ALC)

Requirements
• The signal generator must provide a level sweep
• The signal generator must provide a very wide level range
• The level sweep for the above-mentioned measurement must be blank-free

Hint:
Unwanted blanking of the RF output signal takes place, for instance, during switching of the signal generator’s step attenuator. Blanking can cause an
unpredictable and unwanted reaction of the ALC of the amplifier under test, which must be avoided. In addition to a blank-free level sweep, high level
linearity is required across a wide level sweep range in order to achieve reliable results.

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LEVEL SWEEP

High Dynamic Uninterrupted Level Sweep: Level sweep > 70 dB

Unwanted level sweep behaviour Blank free level sweep

70 dB
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LEVEL SWEEP
LEVEL LINEARITY
Especially in a calibrated test system level linearity is essential for a signal generator.
Application:
Level linearity is particularly important when testing amplifier chips to exactly determine their
compression point across level. This requires precise mapping of even very small level steps.

Measured level linearity of high

dynamic uninterrupted level sweep

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VOLTAGE STANDING WAVE RATIO (VSWR)

Cables and modules with

losses and mismatch

DUT
SWR might be >> 1
SWR ≠ 1
RF power?
VSWR ≠ 1

But (and this is a different story)…, the measured output power is heavily
influenced by the complete measurement setup (losses, VSWR, etc…)

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 VOLTAGE STANDING WAVE RATIO (VSWR)

• Like the reflection coefficient, the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) or standing wave ratio (SWR) is a
measure of how well a signal source or sink is matched to a reference impedance (e.g. 50 Ohm)
• VSWR has a range from 1 to infinity and is not specified in decibels

The relationship between r and VSWR is as follows:

1 − 𝑉𝑆𝑊𝑅 1+𝑟
𝑟= => 𝑉𝑆𝑊𝑅 =
1 + 𝑉𝑆𝑊𝑅 1−𝑟

For VSWR = 1 (ideal matching), r = 0.

For a very high VSWR, r approaches 1 (mismatch or total reflection).

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VOLTAGE STANDING WAVE RATIO (VSWR)

Example:
Source mismatch: 1.5 (rG = 0.2)
Load Mismatch: 1.5 (rL = 0.2)
Measurement error  8%

 Error [dB] =
20 * log (1 + rG * rL)=
10 * log (1 + x [%] / 100 %)
 0.34 dB

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE CORRECTION
LEVEL OFFSET
How can one external attenuator in the setup be taken into account?
Setup

- 10 dB

e.g. 0 dBm

Level: 10.1 dBm Level: 0.08 dBm

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE CORRECTION
USER CORRECTION (UCOR)

RF

Relative output power display when

using cables and other components (with
their own frequency responses) between
the Signal Generator and the DUT.

Top: without UCOR

Bottom: with UCOR activated

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE CORRECTION
POWER ANALYSIS

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 COMPRESSION POINT MEASUREMENT (P-1DB)
Output power

GaN Amplifier Application: GaN amplifier

GaAs Amplifier - measure the saturated output power

- determine the compression characteristic

GaN amplifiers typically have higher saturated output

Input power power than GaAs-based amplifiers and, depending on the
Classical amplifier’s gain, may require higher input power to reach
the 1 dB compression point and saturation.

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 COMPRESSION POINT MEASUREMENT (P-1DB)

 SMA100B signal generator FSW signal/spectrum analyzer

RF
DUT Att.

USB

NRP power sensor

 NRX Power Meter

DUT


DUT

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SPECIAL LEVEL MODES

In accordance to tough requirements in your application the RF signal can

be further slightly optimized

Such requirements are:

- Highest dynamic range

- Fastest settling times

- Blank or glitch free level change

- Constant VSWR

- Highest linearity

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SPECIAL LEVEL MODES

The “Setting Characteristics“ is a very powerful tool in order to align

the RF performance of a Signal generator to your requirements full

"Auto“
• Perfect and easiest way to set the correct output power
• Sets the ALC parameters automatically depending on the signal generator settings.
• In this mode, the instrument provides the highest dynamic range and fastest settling times.
• The RF signal is shortly blanked when the step attenuator switches.

Dynamic
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range
SPECIAL MODES

"Constant-VSWR"

• Suppresses output impedance variations at the RF output connector, due to changed level settings.

Dynamic
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ONLINE HELP
Versatile online help including search function

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Find out more

www.rohde-schwarz.com

Thank you!

R&S SMA100B