Test report

Linearity tests of RF devices

Beam Diagnostics Group (DIG)

April 2013

Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM) Laboratrio Nacional de Luz Sncrotron (LNLS) Rua Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro, 10000, Polo II de Alta Tecnologia Campinas, So Paulo, Brazil CEP 13083-970 Caixa Postal 6192

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

Document history
Date
19/09/2012 18/10/2012

Revision
0.1 0.2

Description
Initial draft. Changes on the text

Authors
Rafael A. Baron, Sergio R. Marques

Figure 1: Proposed circuit to measure linearity of Passive devices. Both the amplifier and the attenuators are from Mini-circuits ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2: Scheme used to measure the linearity of active devices. ............................................................................. 5 Figure 3: Saturation tests for different Band Pass Filters. ............................................................................................ 6 Figure 4: Non-linear response of the tested filters. ....................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5: Non-linear analysis for the linearity box. ....................................................................................................... 8 Figure 6: Non-linear analysis for the Amplifier Mini-circuits ZHL-2 .............................................................................. 9

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 2. 3. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Test Procedure .................................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1 3.2 4. Passive devices .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Active Devices ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Results and discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Passive Devices ............................................................................................................................................. 6 4.1.1 Filters ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Active Devices ................................................................................................................................................ 7 4.1.1 Switches .................................................................................................................................................. 7 4.1.2 Amplifiers ................................................................................................................................................ 8 4.1.3 Attenuators .............................................................................................................................................. 9

5.

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

2. Introduction
In this note we will present a test procedure to measure the linearity of passive and active RF devices. The procedures to measure linearity of active devices are based on a method proposed by Jean-Claude Denard and to test passive devices were based in another method proposed by us. These procedures were used to test some devices and conclude about the linearity. The results will be used to select the devices to be used on the RF FrontEnd of the Beam Position Monitor electronics for the new Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source, Sirius. Tests 1 results are presented for: Filters: Mini-circuits BPF-A490+, BPF-B503+ and BPF-C495+. Amplifiers: Mini-circuits: TAMP-72LN+, ZHL-2+. Attenuators: Switches: Mini-circuits HSWA2-30DR+, GSWA-4-30DR.
st

3. Test Procedure
Different test procedures are used for active and passive devices as explained below.

3.1 Passive devices

We use a highly linear power amplifier to drive the signal of a Network Analyzer into the input of the DUT, configuring the instrument to make a power sweep from 20 dBm to 30 dBm at 500 MHz. The Network Analyzer is an Agilent E5061B. To measure the linearity we subtract the responses of the circuit with and without the DUT on the circuit. The block diagram used to measure the linearity of the passive devices is presented on Figure 1 and the measurement is done in few seconds in a temperature controlled environment in order to avoid drifts due to the Network Analyzer.

Agilent E5061B

Amplifier ZHL-1000-3W Gain: 40 dB

30 dB attenuator VAT-20W2

DUT Figure 1: Proposed circuit to measure linearity of Passive devices. Both the amplifier and the attenuators are from Mini-circuits

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level We do not use a switch, as shown on Figure 1, but we disconnect and connect the SMA connectors to insert the DUT. We tested connecting and disconnecting the SMA connector several times to verify if some effect could be observed, but we just verified that an off-set of 1 or 2 mdB are observed, which not influence on the linearity results. To determine the linearity we use a function of the Network Analyzer that is save the data of the circuit without the DUT and present the data on the screen of the circuit with the DUT. On this way we subtract (in dB) the data of the circuit without the filter from the data of the circuit with the filter.

3.2 Active Devices

To measure the linearity of active devices we use a scheme proposed and patented by Jean-Claude Denard . On this scheme we measure a well known difference between two signals applied to the DUT. A combination of two SPDT RF switches and two attenuators were used to measure the signal through two paths with a known attenuation. The scheme is presented on Figure 2.
1

JC-Linearity box Attenuator 5 dB

2x HSWA2-30DR

DUT

Attenuator 1 dB

Figure 2: Scheme used to measure the linearity of active devices.

The procedure to measure linearity consists in fixing an input power on the JC-linearity box and switch this signal through one attenuation path. After measured the S21 parameter, we change the two switches, so that the signal pass through the other attenuation path and then measure the S21 parameter for this case. Making the difference of the S21 parameter between the two attenuation paths, we know the slope of the power response of the DUT because we know the power difference between the two signals. This procedure is made for a wide range of input power, for example, from -45 dBm to 10 dBm in 2 dBm steps. By this way, we can evaluate the characteristics of the device.
1

Measurement Method of the Linearity of Electronic Devices (Jefferson Lab, 2000)

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level The same procedure can be made cascading the JC-linearity box on the output of the DUT. By this way we can evaluate the linearity of the Network Analyzer itself. For better results, we measure 4 switching transitions of the switches: from position 1 to 2 and from 2 to 1, twice and apply an average.

4. Results and discussion

4.1 Passive Devices
4.1.1 Filters

For this test we use three different Band Pass Filters for evaluating the linearity of them. The block diagram of the Figure 1 is used for this evaluation. On Figure 3 we show the response of the circuit without the filters and with the filters for the three cases.
Saturation tests for different filters 11.58 11.56 11.54 11.52 S21 (dB) 11.5 11.48 11.46 11.44 11.42 20 Without Filter Mini-circuits BPF-A490+ Mini-circuits BPF-B503+ Mini-circuits BPF-C495+

21

22

23

24 25 26 Input Power (dBm)

27

28

29

30

Figure 3: Saturation tests for different Band Pass Filters. On Figure 4 we show the result of the tests considering just the difference between the response of the circuit with and without the filter on the RF chain (non-linearity).

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

Mini-Circuits BPF-A490+ 8 7 (mdB) (mdB) 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 20 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 20 (mdB)
withoutFilter withFilter

Mini-Circuits BPF-B503+ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Mini-Circuits BPF-C495+

withoutFilter

- S21

- S21

withoutFilter

withFilter

S21

S21

withFilter

S21 25 Input Power (dBm) 30

- S21

25
Input Power (dBm)

30

0 20

25 Input Power (dBm)

30

Figure 4: Non-linear response of the tested filters. Comments on the results:

Saturation on the circuit of the amplifier and attenuators. Non-linear response of the filters for higher input power. We observe that the response of the BPF-A490 is more linear than the other filters. This filter starts a non-linear behavior around 25 dBm of input power.

Observations along the test:

The devices when heating drifts until the final thermal stabilization. No changes on the linear response were observed because of the temperature. Hysteresis: No tests were made to verify permanent damage or changes to the circuits. The response drifts up to 5 mdB because movements on cables.

4.1 Active Devices

4.1.1 Switches We tested the same circuit expressed on Figure 2, but excluding the DUT. In this test we want to verify the linear behavior of the Network Analyzer and the JC-linearity box itself. Test specifications:

Input power: -44 dBm to 10 dBm. Frequency: 500 MHz The Network analyzer was inside a climatic chamber with controlled temperature of 0.1 C. The circuit of the JC-linearity box was inside a box with high thermal inertia.

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

Non-linear analysis of the "JC-Linearity box" 8 6 4 Non-linearity (mdB) 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 -10 -50 -40 -30 -20 Input Power (dBm) -10 Media of the results 1st Switch Transition " 2nd Switch Transition " 0 10

Figure 5: Non-linear analysis for the linearity box. Observations and conclusions:

The linearity box can be used to measure non-linearities of devices with 1 mdB resolution for input powers from -30 dBm to 0 dBm. During the test was observed that the temperature of the JC-linearity box and the Network Analyzer must be controlled within 0.1 C. We observed strong drifts on the measurements when the network analyzer was not on the climatic chamber. Movements on the cables must be avoided to prevent offsets between two transitions of the switches that could result in a false non-linearity data.

4.1.2

Amplifiers We tested a general purpose amplifier using the same circuit expressed on Figure 2. Test specifications:

Input power: -44 dBm to 10 dBm. Frequency: 500 MHz The Network analyzer was inside a climatic chamber with controlled temperature of 0.1 C. The circuit of the linearity box was inside a box with high thermal inertia and the amplifier was in the ambient temperature.

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47

Technical Note - Sirius single-bunch signal level

Non-linear analysis of Amplifier Mini-circuits ZHL-2 10 0 -10 Non-linearity (mdB) -20 -30 -40 -50 -60 -70 -80 -50 -40 -30 -20 Input Power (dBm) -10 0 10

Media of the results 1st Switch Transition " 2nd Switch Transition "

Figure 6: Non-linear analysis for the Amplifier Mini-circuits ZHL-2

Observations and conclusions:

4.1.3

We estimate the 10 mdB compression point at 0 dBm. Operating range from -45 dBm to 0 dBm inside the 10 mdB region.

Attenuators

5. Conclusion
We described and tested the procedure to measure non-linearity for passive and active devices. As a result we verified that the Band-Pass filter BPF-A490+ has a better behavior in terms of non-linearity as function of input power than the others. For the active devices, we verified that the JC-linearity box + Agilent E5061B can be used to measure non-linearity of active devices with resolution of 1 mdB in the range of -30 dBm to 0 dBm of input power.

Last update: 30 January 2013 - 16:47