A Comparison of the Measured Pulse Response of Layered Materials Using Time- and Frequency-Domain Systems [Measurements Corner]

A comparison is made between two systems used to measure the pulse response of layered materials. The first system was a direct time-domain system, using a pulse generator and a sampling oscilloscope. The second system was a frequency-domain system, and used a network analyzer with conversion to the time domain performed using Fourier analysis. The calibration procedure is described in detail, and the benefits and drawbacks of each system are discussed. Finally, typical results obtained using each system are examined.