DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Krittika Roy 60002190056 EXTC E - 21

Experiment No: I Date: 10/11/2022

Aim: To study Microwave Components used for microwave measurements Learning

Objectives:
1) To get familiar with various Microwave Components used for Propagation and various signal
conditioning at microwave frequency.
2) To know the difference between Low and High Frequency Measurements.

Theory: Microwave (wave) measurements are concerned with distributed circuit elements which
are acted upon by electromagnetic waves having Interdependent E and H fields. The time varying
magnetic fields generate the time varying electric field and vice versa. The electromagnetic field
produced, propagate in the free space with a velocity which approaches the velocity of light. Once the
electromagnetic wave leave their source of generation, these fields are completely independent of any
changes occurring at the source.
Microwave system which includes power generation, transmission and detection are in many ways
different than low frequency radio wave systems. Hence measurement techniques and parameters
measured are also different.
Low frequency measurement Vs microwave frequency measurements :

1) At low frequency, it is convenient to measure voltage and current and use them to calculate power.
However at microwave frequencies, they are difficult to measure since they vary with position in
transmission line, are of little value in determining power. Therefore at microwave frequencies, it is
more desirable and simpler to measure power directly.
2) At low frequency, circuits uses lumped elements which can be identified and measured. At
microwave frequencies circuit elements are distributed and usually not important to know what
element make up a line. It is possible and also enough to measure the impedance of a circuit.
3) Unlike low frequency measurements, many quantities measured at microwave frequencies are
relative and it is not necessary to know their absolute values.
4) Further for power measurements, it is usually sufficient to know the ratio of two powers rather than
exact input or output power.
The purpose of this chapter is to survey the field of microwave measurements and provide insight
into concepts behind the measurements. These measurements involve test equipment and system of
measurement for measuring frequency, wavelength, impedance, power, attenuation and noise in
microwave circuit.

A variety of devices and test systems are used to make these measurements. Available microwave
test equipment required for microwave measurements may be divided into following functional areas.
1) Frequency generation : Microwave signal generators that generates continuous waves, AM and
FM modes, pulse and swept frequencies.
Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory
 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

2) Display of time domain information : Oscilloscopes and sampling oscilloscopes.

3) Frequency domain information: Spectrum analyser, frequency swappers, frequency counters,
wave meters and slotted lines.
4) Power measurement : Power meter, detectors with oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer.
5) Noise measurement : Noise meter.
6) Wavelength measurements : Co-axial and waveguide slotted lines.
7) Network analyzer : Multifunctional test equipment that can perform many of the above
measurements.
Test equipment is used as part of measurement system along with associated microwave component
and devices. Components such as directional couplers, attenuators, isolator, detectors, wavemeters,
switches, magic tees, and circulators are used as part of measurement system to direct, attenuate, reduce
mismatch and detect microwave signal.
The available frequency range for operation of microwave test equipment is 60 GHz for signal
sources, 110 GHz for signal analysis, 60 GHz for network analysis, 40 GHz for power measurements, 40
GHz for frequency counters and 60 GHz with measurement accessories.
General set up of microwave bench :

Fig1:General set up of microwave bench

In this section we are going to study basics of various instruments which are used for microwave
measurements. This is shown in Fig.1.
1) Slotted Line :

A coupling probe moving along the waveguide can be used to detect the standing wave pattern
present inside the waveguide. It is basically used for measuring standing wave ratio. It consists of slotted
section of waveguide, a travelling probe carriage and facility for attaching and detecting instruments as
shown in Fig.1.1. The slot is made in centre of broad face of waveguide parallel to the axis of waveguide.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Fig.1.1: Slotted line

A small probe inserted through the slot senses the relative field strength of the standing wave
pattern inside the waveguide. This probe is on carriage plate which moves on the top surface of the
waveguide. The probe is connected to a crystal detector so that output from the detector is proportional to
the square of input voltage at that position of the probe. As the position of the probe is moved along the
waveguide slot, it gives an output proportional to standing wave pattern inside the waveguide.
Thus slotted line carriage with a tuneable detector can be employed to obtain the output power.
The slotted line has a length slightly greater than half wavelength at the lowest frequency of
operation. It permits convenient and accurate measurement of the position and size of first voltage
maximum from the load and any subsequent ones without significantly interfering with the quantities
being measured.
2) Tunable Detector :

The tunable detector helps to detect the low frequency square wave modulated microwave signal.
This is made possible by use of non-reciprocal detector diode mounted on the microwave transmission
line. The detector diode can be point contact or Schottky Barrier diode.
There are following three different types of tunable detector as shown in following fig 1.2.
1) Tuneable waveguide
detector 2) Tuneable co-axial
detector 3) Tuneable probe
detector.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Fig. 1.2: Various types of Tunable detector

3) VSWR Meter :

A VSWR meter basically consists of a high gain, high Q, low noise voltage amplifier normally
tuned at fixed frequency at which microwave signal is modulated. The VSWR meter uses the detected
signal from the microwave detector as its, input, amplifies the same and provides output on calibrated
scale.
4)Power Meter:
A microwave power meter basically consists of a power sensor that converts the microwave power
into heat energy. The temperature change due to produced heat, output current flows in output circuit to
indicate power of microwave signal.
5) Frequency Meter/wave Meter :

A frequency meter consists of cylindrical cavity resonator with short circuit termination. The
shorting plunger is used to change the resonance frequency of the cavity by changing cavity length. This
is shown in following Fig.1.3

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Fig. 1.3: Frequency meter

Conclusions:

• Since the signal size is not comparable in the microwave region, conduction is not a factor in
circuit theory. As a result, field theory rather than circuit theory is appropriate at the microwave
scale.
• As a result, a microwave bench setup is utilized, with the operating frequency range for
microwave test equipment being 60 GHz for signal sources, 110 GHz for signal analysis, 60 GHz
for network analysis, 40 GHz for power measurements, 40 GHz for frequency counters, and 60
GHz with measurement accessories.
• We set up a Microwave bench consisting of various components and learnt the function of each
component in detail.
• We performed various experiments on said bench, some of which were frequency measurement,
attenuation measurement and also measurement of wavelength, VSWR and unknown
impedance.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Questions

1. What Is Microwave Engineering? Ans:

• Microwave engineering aims to design, build, and analyze waves with a size of a few
hundred nanometers.
• Microwave is a term used to describe electromagnetic waves above 1 GHz up to 300 GHz
due to the tiny physical wavelengths at these frequencies.
• These frequencies cover wavelengths in free space between one and one millimeter.

2. How microwave measuring instruments are different than that of low frequency measuring
instruments? Ans:
• As frequency increases, the wavelength gets closer to the component's size.
• For low-frequency measurements using an LCR metre, direct capacitance measurements
are done, while for microwave measurements, the findings of S-parameter measurements
are used to extract capacitance.
• Low frequency circuits use lumped elements that can be measured and identified.
• Understanding the individual parts that make up a line is often not necessary because
circuit elements are distributed at microwave frequencies.
• It is sufficient to be able to measure the impedance of a circuit.
• In contrast to low frequency observations, many parameters that are seen at microwave
frequencies do not require absolute values to be known.
• Knowing the ratio of two powers rather than the precise input or output power is also
useful for power measurements.

3. Draw block diagram of Microwave bench set-up which you are using in laboratory with proper
labelling. Explain function of each component.
Ans:

Signal Generator:
Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

A milliwatt-sized microwave signal is produced by it. This converts a continuous wave beam into
milliwatt power using the velocity modulation approach. This microwave signal generator can
resemble a Reflex Klystron tube or a Gunn diode oscillator.

Precision Attenuator:
This attenuator limits the output to a range between 0 and 50dB while choosing the appropriate
frequency. This is flexible and can be changed depending on the situation.

Variable Attenuator:
This sets the amount of attenuation. It can be understood as a fine adjustment of values, where the
readings are checked against the values of Precision Attenuator.

Isolator:
This removes the signal that is not required to reach the detector mount. Isolator allows the signal
to pass through the waveguide only in one direction.

Frequency Meter:
This is the device which measures the frequency of the signal. With this frequency meter, the
signal can be adjusted to its resonance frequency. It also gives provision to couple the signal to
waveguide.

Crystal Detector:
A crystal detector probe and crystal detector mount are indicated in the above figure, where the
detector is connected through a probe to the mount. This is used to demodulate the signals.

Standing Wave Indicator:

The standing wave voltmeter provides the reading of standing wave ratio in decibels. The
waveguide is slotted by some gap to adjust the clock cycles of the signal. Signals transmitted by
waveguide are forwarded through BNC cable to the CRO to measure its characteristics.

Slotted Line:
This slotted line helps in measuring the standing wave ratio of a microwave device.

Termination:
A termination is a one-port component meant to absorb all the power applied to it.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory