Semiconductor measurment technology: Modulation measurements for microwave mixers

The measurement of mixer conversion loss using periodic or incremental modulation of the local oscillator, and the evaluation and minimization of the associated systematic and random uncertainties, are discussed in terms of an X-band mixer measurement system. It is shown that the systematic uncertainty in the incremental modulation method of measuring conversion loss results largely from the uncertainties in the calibration of microwave attenuation and power. It is also shown that the modulation (periodic modulation) and incremental (incremental modulation) methods of measuring conversion loss are essentially identical, the only practical distinction being in the somewhat different instrumentation required by the different modulation rates.