Automated Characterization of Bolometric and Electrothermic Mounts

The greatest inaccuracy in making a microwave power measurement is usually the uncertainty of the calibration factor or the effective efficiency. These terms account for the RF losses and substitution errors in the bolometric or electrothermic mount. A new method for transferring calibration from a standard mount to a mount to be calibrated has production line speed and simplicity; yet its accuracy rivals standards laboratory techniques. This method uses an automatic network analyzer to measure the quantities required and to solve the mismatch equation in transferring calibration from the standard mount to the one to be calibrated. A technique is also described to evaluate the errors of the transfer measurement. An accurate method of measuring the complex reflection coefficient of a stabilized source is another result of this work. The present implementation measures effective efficiency, calibration factor, and the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient of a mount at six calibration frequencies in 60 seconds. The uncertainty in transferring calibration factor and effective efficiency is about 0.5 percent.