ABSTRACT
Microwave measurements cover the frequency range from 0.5 to about 20 GHz. The exact microwave power measurement is in demand for development, fabrication, and installation of modern telecommunication networks. This chapter provides a brief overview about the basics of microwave power measurement. Thermal sensors transform the absorbed microwave power into heat that is measured with temperature-sensitive elements. Frequency measurement in the microwave regime is usually part of a more complex measurement procedure, for example, determining the scattering parameters and filter characteristics of a device under test. The spectrum analyzer is most suitable for the analysis of microwave signals. Network analyzers are generally utilized for the measurement of S-parameters. The network analyzer consists of two structures to separate the signals and a heterodyne receiver. A possibility for performing vector network measurement is based on multiport reflectometers. The advantage of such systems is the reduced complexity of the network analyzer receiver.
