TY - JOUR
T1 - Hardware and Software Solutions for Active Frequency Scalable (Sub)mm-Wave Load-Pull
AU - De Martino, Carmine
AU - Galatro, Luca
AU - Romano, Raffaele
AU - Parisi, Gaetano
AU - Spirito, Marco
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - In this article, we present a comprehensive analysis of the hardware and software solutions required to enable frequency scalable load-pull test benches operating in the (sub)mm-wave frequency bands. First, the constraints arising from the harmonic (nonlinear) operation of mm-wave extender modules are discussed and analyzed. Then, different hardware solutions for signal generation and control, together with the specific software algorithms required to realize a frequency scalable load-pull test bench, are presented. The measurement setup key performances are analyzed in different frequency bands up to 500 GHz, i.e., waveguide bands from WR10 up to WR2.2. Finally, the load-pull measurements on an HBT device at 75 GHz and a two-stage differential PA at 135 GHz are presented to show the capability of the proposed test bench to characterize and optimize mm-wave nonlinear components.
AB - In this article, we present a comprehensive analysis of the hardware and software solutions required to enable frequency scalable load-pull test benches operating in the (sub)mm-wave frequency bands. First, the constraints arising from the harmonic (nonlinear) operation of mm-wave extender modules are discussed and analyzed. Then, different hardware solutions for signal generation and control, together with the specific software algorithms required to realize a frequency scalable load-pull test bench, are presented. The measurement setup key performances are analyzed in different frequency bands up to 500 GHz, i.e., waveguide bands from WR10 up to WR2.2. Finally, the load-pull measurements on an HBT device at 75 GHz and a two-stage differential PA at 135 GHz are presented to show the capability of the proposed test bench to characterize and optimize mm-wave nonlinear components.
KW - Device modeling
KW - large-signal characterization
KW - load-pull
KW - mixed-signal
KW - mm-wave
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091171580&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/TMTT.2020.3005178
DO - 10.1109/TMTT.2020.3005178
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85091171580
SN - 0018-9480
VL - 68
SP - 3769
EP - 3775
JO - IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
JF - IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
IS - 9
M1 - 9133287
ER -