Tunable Intermodulation Generator for Passive Intermodulation Tester Calibration

Abstract

As a key step to guarantee passive intermodulation (PIM) test accuracy, PIM calibration for PIM tester draws great attention these days. This paper provides three solutions to realize tunable PIM calibration standard sources for PIM tester calibration. Two types of nonlinearity sources are applied while three circuit or cavity structures are developed to control these sources. By using different strategies, the proposed PIM sources can generate controllable PIM references with different ranges that cover most PIM test ranges. In the experiments, the PIM signal stability is evaluated as well as PIM dynamic range. They show the minimal PIM fluctuation as less as 1dB, while the maximal dynamic range can reach 50dB. As these solutions have various sizes and function, they can be utilized according to different test requirements and easily integrated with PIM tester. These solutions can help develop new generation of PIM testers.