It’s that time of year again for the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS). Here’s a quick rundown of IMS 2024 essentials:
In booth #704, Maury Microwave will showcase its latest products and solutions, many of which are used in several in-booth demonstrations ranging from active load pull for 6G and sub-THz frequencies to cryogenic noise parameters to 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) link emulation. In this blog post, discover why booth #704 is a key destination for IMS attendees.
The Maury Microwave WR6.5, WR4.3, and WR3.4 electromechanical impedance tuners offer the highest VSWR on the market by a significant margin, enabling users to perform active device characterization up to 330 GHz. Achieving high VSWR is crucial at high frequencies since passive interconnects, such as waveguide sections and on-wafer probes, experience higher loss, which reduces the maximum reflection coefficient presented to the device under test (DUT). A prototype NT-220G330G-1C mmWave WR3.4 impedance tuner from Maury Microwave that offers industry-leading, unprecedented VSWR will be featured in a mmWave on-wafer setup for non-50 ohm device characterization.
Conventional VNA test benches for frequencies over 70 GHz rely on frequency extenders, which provide little to no control over the power and/or phase delivered to the DUT. In a demonstration at IMS 2024, learn how the MMW-STUDIO – a comprehensive mmWave and sub-THz characterization software suite provided by Vertigo Technologies – overcomes this challenge. Watch the MMW-STUDIO in action as it conducts a power-controlled S-parameter measurement and an active load pull within the WR6.5 waveguide band on a waveguide connectorized amplifier.
LNA design is critical in applications such as quantum computing and radio astronomy that operate at cryogenic temperatures. Operating in extreme, low-temperature conditions requires advanced and reliable noise parameter measurement capabilities. Featuring the Maury Microwave MT7553A03 noise receiver module in a cryogenic noise parameter system, an IMS 2024 demonstration will showcase cryogenic noise parameters down to 4 Kelvin, enabling designers to optimize LNAs that minimize low noise figure at these temperatures.
With the increasing demand for wireless applications and the rise of high data rate protocols, the need to optimize amplifier linearity and efficiency has never been more critical. However, achieving this optimization poses challenges for the preferred large signal characterization test bench. Factors such as losses and electrical delay from tuners, cables, and probes, all contribute to limiting the reflection coefficient that can be delivered to the DUT.
With the MT2000 mixed-signal active load pull system, users can perform load pull at high speeds (up to 1000 impedance/power states per minute), experience limitation-free Smith chart coverage, and take advantage of wideband impedance control for modulated signals over the hardware’s modulation bandwidth. IMS 2024 attendees will get a live look at the Maury Microwave MT2000 as it performs load pull on a LNA.
Applications demanding increased data rates and higher operating frequencies must manage rising noise floors from communications sources like 5G, Wi-Fi, and satellite signals. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and carrier-to-noise (C/N) ratio can quantify a system’s tolerance to complex noise, providing insight into its real-world performance.
IMS attendees can see how the Maury Microwave UFX7000B enables manipulation of the carrier signal and noise floor in 0.1 dB steps over a 127 dB dynamic range, highlighting how controlled additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) can ensure the performance designed in the lab is realized in the field.
Modern communication systems, such as 5G and Wi-Fi, use advanced modulation techniques to achieve high data throughput, leading to an increased demand for quicker clock rates, ultimately resulting in a potential rise in symbol errors. A significant contributor to errors is linked to the phase noise generated by the existing local oscillator (LO).
In an IMS 2024 demonstration, watch the ultra-low phase noise generation capabilities of the Maury Microwave HSX9000A series of multi-channel RF synthesizers, showcasing the capabilities required for LO substitution applications, as well as the Maury Microwave HA7062 series for real-time phase noise measurements.
Various link effects and hardware-generated impairments are added to a signal's path during real-world operation, which significantly affect signal quality and system performance. The ACE9600 Advanced Channel Emulator is a non-terrestrial RF channel emulation solution that can simulate these impairments to assess a system’s response to challenging post-deployment conditions.
A demonstration at booth #704 will feature hardware-in-the loop testing, AWGN, frequency-dependent signal Doppler with the resultant expansion/compression of the passband, multipath fading, and the generation of an orbit profile using ephemeris data for a Starlink satellite, aircraft, and a ground station located in Washington, DC. Among other key capabilities, watch how the ACE9600 can show how the Starlink satellite signals are affected as it moves across the sky.
When conducting nonlinear analysis, high-frequency and high-power devices exhibit smaller impedances at their input and output, necessitating test and measurement tools capable of providing a complete, comprehensive evaluation in highly reflective areas. Depending on factors such as the physical distance between the DUT and tuner, dimensions of the tuner, and signal bandwidth, the electromechanical tuners in measurement and test setups can introduce phase skew into modulated signal analysis and evaluation.
At IMS 2024 in booth #704, learn how the Maury Microwave Nano5G™ automated impedance tuners greatly minimize phase skew, reduce insertion loss, and maximize control capability on the Smith chart over a larger area with its direct probe-mount capability, compact size, and user-friendly installation.
In addition to innovative product demonstrations, Maury Microwave will have various interconnects and precision calibration solutions on display. Product categories include cable assemblies, adapters, color-coded attenuators, connector gage kits, torque wrenches, and VNA calibration and verification kits.
Head over to the tradeshow page – https://info.maurymw.com/ims-2024 – for more information about Maury Microwave solutions, products, demonstrations, and presentations at IMS 2024.