Brad Cole and Roy Zohrabian, ATE Systems, N. Billerica, Mass.
The growing demand and complexity of advanced microwave systems are changing the paradigms of microwave system production, especially for array-based radar and communication systems. One of the key outcomes of this paradigm shift is that OPEX and the time required for testing modern microwave systems are tracking with the increased complexity of these systems. Previously, long calibration times for S-parameters, power and noise, as well as error-prone and time-consuming and labor-intensive testing, did not dominate microwave system costs. However, time and expense have now become a major hurdle for production testing in many system applications. Much of that time and expense is spent during test equipment calibration and test system setup. This article explores trends in advanced microwave system production, focusing on system quality and performance testing. It introduces how advanced automation and calibration technologies can reduce time, enhance reliability, repeatability and accuracy, along with minimizing operator error in microwave system testing.
May 13, 2024