An Alternative Design of a Compact and Portable Six-Port Reflectometer for 2.4 GHz Reflection Coefficient Measurements

Abstract

In this article, the design and implementation of a compact and portable six-port reflectometer for measuring the reflection coefficient at 2.4 GHz is presented. The proposed design utilizes reduced-size components, such as an RF generator and an acquisition board, achieving a portable solution that can be used outside the RF laboratory. In this design, the six-port circuit consists of only two microstrip directional couplers with an angularly equidistant distribution of their q points. This configuration facilitates the implementation of the reflectometer, reducing complexity without sacrificing accuracy, even when compared to a commercial VNA. This design is an attractive and efficient alternative for research projects requiring the use of six-port reflectometry technique.