A comparison between voltage and true power based embedded measurements for RF testing

Peak voltage sensors, namely diode based detectors, have been used for in-circuit testing of RF circuits. These detectors are simple to implement but provide a limited accuracy. On the other hand, the power inferred from these measurements assumes that impedance is known. This work presents a comparison between measurements obtained with peak voltage and true power detectors. The trade-off between observing one and the other are discussed, namely as far as information concerning the output load is concerned. Simulation results, acquired with the model of a prototype demonstration chip, show that more accurate information is obtained with power rather than voltage measurements in case load impedance variations occur. Experimental results obtained with a prototype chip are currently being obtained.