Apparatus for measurement de-embedding and methods for use therewith

• US 10,326,494 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rappaport, Harold, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo, David B
• Application Number:
  US15/369,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a transmission medium having a first end configured to be coupled to a first port of the launching device, wherein electromagnetic waves are induced by the launching device on a surface of the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are bound to the surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path to a second end of the transmission medium. A short circuit, coupled to the second end of the transmission medium, reflects the electromagnetic waves back to the first end of the transmission medium for reception by the launching device as reflected electromagnetic waves at the first port to facilitate a de-embedding of the launching device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for use with a launching device, the method comprising:

coupling a calibration apparatus to the launching device, the calibration apparatus including a transmission medium having a first end configured to be coupled to a first port of the launching device, and the calibration apparatus further including a short circuit, coupled to a second end of the transmission medium;

generating a first microwave signal on a second port of the launching device that causes the launching device to induce electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path to the second end of the transmission medium and wherein the electromagnetic waves are reflected by the short circuit back to the first end of the transmission medium for reception by the launching device as reflected electromagnetic waves at the first port;

receiving a second microwave signal from the launching device caused by the reflected electromagnetic waves and the first microwave signal; and

de-embedding the launching device from a microwave system that comprises the launching device and a device under test, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on an analysis of the reflected electromagnetic waves that includes performing an inverse Fourier transform on the second microwave signal to generate a transformed second microwave signal, interpreting portions of the transformed second microwave signal as terms in a power series expansion, finding a first term from the power series expansion and determining a difference between the second microwave signal and the first term from the power series expansion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device includes determining parameters of the launching device and wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on the parameters of the launching device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the short circuit comprises a reflection plate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reflection plate is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the reflection plate has a metallic surface that reflects the electromagnetic waves.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the reflection plate is adhered to the transmission medium via an epoxy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is an insulated wire.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is a conductorless dielectric fiber.

9. A method for use with a launching device, the method comprising:

coupling a calibration apparatus to the launching device, the calibration apparatus including a transmission medium having a first end configured to be coupled to a first port of the launching device, and the calibration apparatus further including a short circuit, coupled to a second end of the transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium is a bare wire;

generating a first microwave signal on a second port of the launching device that causes the launching device to induce electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path to the second end of the transmission medium wherein the electromagnetic waves have a fundamental frequency within a microwave frequency band and wherein the electromagnetic waves are reflected by the short circuit back to the first end of the transmission medium for reception by the launching device as reflected electromagnetic waves at the first port;

receiving a second microwave signal from the launching device caused by the reflected electromagnetic waves and the first microwave signal; and

de-embedding the launching device from a microwave system that comprises the launching device and a device under test, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on an analysis of the reflected electromagnetic waves that includes performing an inverse Fourier transform on the second microwave signal to generate a transformed second microwave signal, interpreting portions of the transformed second microwave signal as terms in a power series expansion, finding a first term from the power series expansion and determining a difference between the second microwave signal and the first term from the power series expansion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device includes determining parameters of the launching device and wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on the parameters of the launching device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the short circuit comprises a reflection plate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reflection plate is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the reflection plate has a metallic surface that reflects the electromagnetic waves.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the reflection plate is adhered to the transmission medium via an epoxy.

15. A method for use with a launching device, the method comprising:

coupling a calibration apparatus to the launching device, the calibration apparatus including a transmission medium having a first end configured to be coupled to a first port of the launching device, and the calibration apparatus further including a short circuit, coupled to a second end of the transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium is an insulated wire and wherein the electromagnetic waves have a fundamental frequency within a microwave frequency band;

generating a first microwave signal on a second port of the launching device that causes the launching device to induce electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path to the second end of the transmission medium and wherein the electromagnetic waves are reflected by the short circuit back to the first end of the transmission medium for reception by the launching device as reflected electromagnetic waves at the first port;

receiving a second microwave signal from the launching device caused by the reflected electromagnetic waves and the first microwave signal; and

de-embedding the launching device from a microwave system that comprises the launching device and a device under test, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on an analysis of the reflected electromagnetic waves that includes performing an inverse Fourier transform on the second microwave signal to generate a transformed second microwave signal, interpreting portions of the transformed second microwave signal as terms in a power series expansion, finding a first term from the power series expansion and determining a difference between the second microwave signal and the first term from the power series expansion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the de-embedding of the launching device includes determining parameters of the launching device and wherein the de-embedding of the launching device is based on the parameters of the launching device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the short circuit comprises a reflection plate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reflection plate is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the reflection plate has a metallic surface that reflects the electromagnetic waves.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the reflection plate is adhered to the transmission medium via an epoxy.