Measurement Overview
Vector-receiver load pull is a modern and efficient methodology for load pull measurements. Low-loss couplers are placed between the tuners and device-under-test and are connected to a vector receiver such as a VNA. Doing so allows the a- and b-waves to be measured at the DUT reference plane in real-time, presenting vector information not normally made available. Vector-receiver load pull allows the direct measurement of actual impedances presented to the DUT without any assumptions of pre-characterized tuner positioning or losses. The delivered input power is derived from the a- and b-waves with incredible accuracy, which results in properly- defined power added efficiency. Output powers at each frequency, fundamental and multiple harmonics, are made available, as are multi-tone carrier and intermodulation powers. Time-domain NVNA measurements are easily implemented using appropriate hardware.