Publications Details
A fully automated, single-connection tester for T/R modules
An inherent aspect of active array radars is the use of large numbers -- typically hundreds -- of transmit/receive (T/R) modules. The implementation of this technology at Sandia has created new challenges for the tester designer. Foremost among these challenges is the need to design T/R module testers which can accommodate such large numbers of devices-under-test (DUTs). This task is complicated by the fact that state-of-the-art T/R modules are extremely sophisticated and require a broad spectrum of tests for adequate evaluation. The Sandia T/R module operates in Ku band and consists of a transmitter, receiver, programmable phase shifter, programmable attenuator, modulator, switched limiter, and gate-array controller. The programmable phase shifter is common to both the transmitter and receiver, but the attenuator is unique to the receiver. The instruments required for the tests include a network analyzer, a spectrum analyzer, a noise figure meter, a peak-power meter, and an automated tuner system. The key to a successful tester is in integrating all of the above instruments such that the desired measurements can all be performed from a single, two-port, tester-to-DUT connection. The natural consequence of such a design is that some measurements will have to be de-embedded from the integrated test setup. This paper addresses both the tester's instrument integration and the resulting de-embedding concerns. 2 figs.