Automated Microwave Measurements in the Research Laboratory Environment

This paper describes the advantages of microwave measurement automation in the research laboratory, the implementation costs, and the specific requirements of the automated test system. A discussion of the need to develop versatile software that can be applied to a variety of different experiments is also included. We present a detailed account of the general program developed to automate a microwave amplifier or oscillator experiment featuring real time displaying of all parameters on the CRT, and the ability to plot any recorded parameter as a function of another. The results of an automated experiment to measure the circuit Q of an injection locked oscillator are shown as examples.