MEASURED PERFORMANCE

The E-Band contactless flange was incorporated into a pair of VNA frequency extenders, which were mounted on sliding rails to create a fast measurement system (see Figure 5). With this configuration, a DUT can be quickly inserted and removed for testing, offering the possibility for automated measurements when testing components in large quantities.

Figure 5

Figure 5 Using the CWF with a pair of VNA extenders that slide on rails enables the DUT to be easily inserted and removed while maintaining test port alignment.

Figure 6

Figure 6 Measured insertion loss of an E-Band isolator (a), directional coupler (b) and a different directional coupler (c).

Using this measurement system, the E-Band CWF was used to measure the insertion loss of an isolator and two different directional couplers, and the results were compared with the measurements made using conventional flanges (see Figure 6). The results show differences of less than 0.1 dB between the two setups, confirming that CWF can achieve reliable measurement results. The insertion loss measurements were repeated five times, achieving the same results in all cases.

CWF designs are being developed for waveguide sizes ranging from WR28 to WR05, covering the waveguide frequency bands from 26.5 to 220 GHz. Increasing demand for waveguide components in greater quantities will motivate more manufacturers to adopt CWF for their test systems, to increase productivity and reduce operator fatigue and possible errors in high volume production environments.

References

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