Grouped RF Signal Generator Calibration for Large Port Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Calibrating large, distributed RF signal generator systems with numerous ports is challenging due to scalability issues and the need for manual calibration, often exceeding the number of ports available on calibration devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that divide the signal generator system into smaller groups, calibrate each group individually, and use system-wide correction terms to synchronize and align the RF output ports, utilizing a calibration device like a vector network analyzer (VNA) to calculate relative errors and perform phase and power adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the signal generator system is divided into multiple groups for calibration, then the calibration efficiency is improved and the number of required calibration ports is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to multiple calibration measurements and correction term calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The signal generator system is segmented into multiple groups of RF signal generators, where each group is calibrated independently against a reference port. This segmentation allows the calibration process to handle large numbers of ports by dividing them into manageable groups, reducing the total number of calibration measurements required while maintaining accuracy across all ports.
Solution Approach 2:
Reference ports are designated in advance for each group before calibration measurements are performed. By pre-establishing reference ports, the calibration process can systematically measure relative errors between reference ports and other ports in each group, enabling efficient calibration without requiring exhaustive measurements of all ports against all other ports.
2Measurement precision
If manual calibration is performed for each port individually, then calibration accuracy is maintained, but the calibration time and labor effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple calibration measurements are merged into a systematic process where relative errors are calculated between reference ports and other ports in each group, and then these errors are combined to determine system-wide correction terms. This merging approach maintains accuracy by using multiple measurements while reducing time by avoiding redundant individual calibrations of each port.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process incorporates feedback through the calculation and application of system-wide correction terms. These correction terms are derived from measured relative errors and are applied to compensate for calibration inaccuracies, ensuring high measurement precision while reducing the need for repeated manual calibration measurements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of RF output ports is increased to support more DUT ports, then the system capability is improved, but the calibration difficulty increases due to the large number of ports exceeding calibration device ports
Solution Approach 1:
The system capability is extended by organizing RF signal generators into multiple groups, each with its own reference port. This segmentation allows the calibration device to efficiently calibrate large numbers of ports by measuring relative errors within each group and combining these results through system-wide correction terms, thereby supporting high adaptability without proportionally increasing calibration difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method for calibrating a signal generator system, comprising: connecting RF output ports of a first group of RF signal generators to a calibration device and performing a first calibration measurement to calculate relative errors between a reference RF output port and the remaining RF output ports of the first group; connecting RF output ports of at least a second group of RF signal generators to the calibration device and performing at least a second calibration measurement to calculate relative errors between a reference RF output port and the remaining RF output ports of the second group; connecting the respective reference RF output ports of the first and at least the second group to the calibration device and performing a third calibration measurement to calculate relative errors between the reference RF output ports of the first and at least the second group; and calculating system wide correction terms on the basis of the calculated relative errors.