Boonton 4500B 30 MHz to 40 GHz Peak Power Analyzer

The Boonton 4500B 30 MHz to 40 GHz Peak Power Analyzer is the instrument of choice for capturing, displaying, analyzing and characterizing RF power in both the time and statistical domains. The 4500B power meter has two basic measurement modes - pulse power and modulated power. In pulse power mode, the 4500B functions as an enhanced peak power analyzer with the ability of viewing the RF envelope of signal frequencies up to 40 GHz. The RF frequency range and detection bandwidth are naturally sensor model dependent. The Boonton 4500B has a built-in 1 GHz step calibrator which enhances the measurement accuracy by performing an automatic routine calibration to the connected Boonton sensor model. The calibration process can be performed by connecting a peak power sensor to the calibrator output terminal of the Boonton 4500B peak power meter. This application note describes various uses and applications of the internal calibrator of the Boonton 4500B power meter.

Built-In Calibrator

The internal step calibrator of Boonton 4500B is traceable to NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) and it enhances the measurement accuracy. The output of the built-in programmable calibrator is available from a Type-N connector located on the front of the instrument. This calibrator is used to automatically calibrate sensor offset and linearity, and can also be used as an internal signal source. In order to maintain measurement accuracy, it is always recommended to calibrate the 4500B instrument once in a year.

Auto-Calibration

The built-in 1 GHz internal calibrator provides a convenient means for calibrating the sensor. The internal calibrator is used to automatically generate linearity calibration data for peak power sensors. Before starting any measurement by using the 4500B power meter, the sensor must be connected to the built-in calibrator and need to be calibrated. The internal calibrator has a dynamic range from -50 dBm to +20 dBm. The user-selectable automatic calibration routine has a group of commands which is used to control automatic zero offset and linearity adjustment to the RF power sensor in steps over its full dynamic range.