High-power amplifier testing

Your task

Characterizing amplifiers is a complex and challenging process that pushes test equipment to its limits. The vast array of test parameters and setups required to thoroughly evaluate amplifier performance demands test equipment with unparalleled flexibility and robustness. Challenges may arise in:

• Handling the high power levels, support of external high-power test setups
• Ensuring stable and drift-compensated power levels
• Multiple tones for intermodulation tests, hot S22 test
• Measurements under pulsed conditions

Rohde & Schwarz solution

The flexibly configurable hardware infrastructure, sourceper-port concept and various software applications make the R&S®ZNA vector network analyzer a powerful one-box solution for high-power testing:

• With the direct channel access option, as well as source and receiver step attenuators, the R&S®ZNA supports individual external high-power test setups (typically with an external preamplifier in forward and reverse directions, high-power couplers, fixed attenuators and circulators)
• Very high accuracy is achieved with an automatic level control (ALC) based 100 dB power sweep range and extremely linear receivers
• Picking up the reference signal from the test setup (typically after the pre-amplifier, or at the DUT output) ensures a flat level, adjusted in a minimum of control time.

Features and benefits

• Up to four internal, independently configurable direct digital synthesis (DDS) sources and an internal combiner enable intermodulation testing (without external sources) at full speed and ensure configuration flexibility as well as S₂₂ measurement under amplifier operation (“hot S₂₂”)
• A unique power sweep range of 100 dB, attenuators and compression point personality assist with the compression evaluation over wide power ranges, including real-time compression point evaluation
• Digital automatic level control (ALC), available for the entire 100 dB power sweep range, and arbitrary reference signal access (even after an external booster amplifier) ensure accurate and stable stimulation power – even with external preamplifiers
• Combination of sweep modes enables magnitude and frequency offset swept measurements, including AM/AM and AM/PM tests
• Control of external power supply units allows power added efficiency (PAE) tests
• Four integrated pulse modulators and pulse profile test option enable high-power point-in-pulse test and pulse profile analysis

Extensions

Besides the above-mentioned setups and measurement parameters, extensions are possible in combination with systems of collaboration partners, e.g. on-wafer chip characterization, impedance tuning for unmatched amplifiers, active/hybrid harmonic load pull testing and noise figure/noise parameters.

Summary

The configurable R&S®ZNA hardware infrastructure supports user-designed, individually tailored high-power test setups. The ALC based 100 dB electronic power sweep range and outstanding linearity specifications ensure high accuracy and highly reliable results. On-wafer testing and further extensions are possible in collaboration with the leading industry partners Focus Microwaves and Maury Microwave.