A parameter-configurable automated measurement method for amplitude-phase response characterization of microwave power amplifier modules.

Authors

Liang Zhu, Wendong Ma, Lianmin Zhao, Chenbin Wu, Miaohui Li, Zege Wu, Sheng Liu, Mao Wang, Xiaojie Wang

Published in

The Review of scientific instruments. Volume 97. Issue 9. Sep 01, 2026.

Abstract

Systematic characterization of the amplitude-phase response of microwave power amplifier modules with independent amplitude and phase control functions is important for device evaluation, parameter setting, and engineering applications. Measurements at limited operating points cannot adequately capture response variations over prescribed ranges of input power and control voltage or support repeated measurements across multiple parameter combinations. A parameter-configurable automated measurement method is proposed. Input power, Pin, amplitude control voltage, VA, and phase control voltage, VP, are defined as configurable variables, and a deterministic measurement sequence is generated from user-defined start values, step sizes, and maximum values. At each measurement point, after a preset delay following the control-state update, a vector network analyzer (VNA) simultaneously acquires magnitude and phase within the same measurement operation. The corresponding VNA-link power PVNA and output phase φout are recorded as a structured response dataset for reconstructing power- and phase-response curves during post-processing. The method is implemented using a vector network analyzer, directional coupler, power-detection module, and data-acquisition unit. Repeated measurements under identical parameter configurations assess response repeatability, while an auxiliary detector branch monitors measurement-chain status. Power-response deviations are generally less than 0.03 dB, with a maximum of ∼0.07 dB, and phase deviations remain on the order of 1°. Validation using a single module indicates that the proposed method enables parameter-configurable and repeatable amplitude-phase response characterization under the tested conditions.

PMID:
42747272
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Sep 2026.

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