ARFTG Moves Forward to Large Signal Measurement

“Measurement and Design of High Power Devices and Systems” was the theme of the 67^th ARFTG Microwave Measurement Conference held June 16^th in San Francisco, CA, as part of the International Microwave Symposium – Microwave Week.

The technical program began with “Forward to Large Signal Measurement,” a session devoted to introducing the various aspects of large signal measurement currently under investigation. Doug Rytting, an IEEE-MTT distinguished microwave lecturer, started the conference with his talk “Network Analyzers from Small Signal to Large Signal Measurements.” Rytting’s long history in network analysis (he is often referred to as the “father” of the HP8510 VNA) provided a unique perspective on the historical span and recent developments in network measurement.

Overall the technical program was particularly strong with 14 oral presentations and 22 interactive forum posters covering a wide range of microwave measurement subjects. The breaks and the late afternoon interactive forum session provided opportunities to network and discuss details with the many paper presenters, exhibitors and expert technical attendees. ARFTG is a regular meeting place for leaders in measurement of nonlinear devices, regularly hosting nonlinear vector network analyzer users’ group meetings and the nonlinear measurement workshop at the Fall conference.

ARFTG is soliciting submissions for the next meeting in Broomfield, CO, November 28^th – December 1^st, 2006. The Fall conference theme is “Measurement for Emerging Technologies,” but paper submissions are invited in any of the topic areas related to microwave measurement. The backdrop of nearby Boulder, CO, which is the home of microwave metrology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, promises a particularly strong conference program. Details are available at www.arftg.org.