Measurement of Passive Intermodulation with Uncertainty Budget using a Vectorial-PIM System

In this paper, vectorial network analyzer (VNA) based measurements of Passive Intermodulation (PIM) were presented. The PIM measurement system was established as a part of the EMPIR JRP FutureCom project. A modified calibration model was introduced for calibrating the PIM measurement system using a ‘Without Thru’ calibration algorithm. The uncertainty contributors were identified and evaluated. Two PIM standards from Rosenberger with a 4.3-10 connector type were employed for PIM measurement with uncertainty at different PIM levels using this vectorial PIM System. The measurement uncertainty was calculated, and it is $0.43{{\;dB}} \& 2.3{{\;dB}}$ for the measured PIM levels $- 76.25\text{dBm} \&$ −114.72 dBm, respectively. The uncertainty budget was also calculated and reported in this work.

I. Introduction

THe growing demands for higher data rates require more power and wider bandwidth for data transmission. However, these can create passive intermodulation (PIM) signals which may cause an interference if they fall within the operating band of the receiver. Therefore, it is essential to measure PIM accurately to avoid compromising the receiver sensitivity, and thus achieving a good performance of the communication systems [1]–[3].