Microwave noise characterization of two-port devices using an uncalibrated tuner

A novel noise-parameter and S-parameter measurement system is proposed. Any device under test (DUT) can be characterized using the proposed setup. Such characterization is performed without any preset conditions on the input impedance of the noise-receiver and the repeatability of the impedance tuning mechanism. The DUT is used as a standard for tuner calibration. Measurements were carried out on a general purpose GaAs-MESFET. The extracted transistor noise-parameters are in good agreement with the manufacturer's specified values over the operating frequency band (4-8 GHz).