Measurement Techniques for High-Frequency Electronic Systems
Summary
The accurate characterisation of electronic systems operating at frequencies from several gigahertz into the sub-terahertz domain is fundamental to advances in communications, sensing and radar applications. High-frequency measurement techniques must contend with challenges such as signal attenuation, dispersion, parasitic effects and device nonlinearities. Central approaches include frequency-domain network analysis using vector network analysers, time-domain sampling oscilloscopes and equivalent-time sampling systems, as well as energy-domain methods employing directional couplers and power meters. Emerging electro-optic and photonic probes offer minimally invasive sampling with bandwidths beyond electronic limits, while broadband capacitor dividers extend voltage measurement into the gigahertz regime. Calibration strategies, including through-reflection-line error correction models, are crucial for tracing measurements to primary standards and quantifying uncertainty. Recent advances integrate digital post-processing and machine-learning algorithms to de-embed instrumentation error and enhance sensitivity. Together, these measurement techniques underpin the development of millimetre-wave 5G/6G infrastructures, high-speed data converters, terahertz imaging systems and precision metrology tools, ensuring global connectivity, improved spectral efficiency and robust device characterisation.
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Measurement Techniques for High-Frequency Electronic Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in measurement techniques for high-frequency electronic systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Vector Network Analyser: An instrument that measures complex scattering parameters of a device under test across frequency, enabling determination of reflection and transmission characteristics.
Directional Coupler: A passive microwave component that samples a defined fraction of forward or reverse travelling power, used for monitoring and measurement without significant signal disturbance.
Equivalent-Time Sampling: A technique that reconstructs high-frequency waveforms by aggregating samples taken at incrementally delayed phases across multiple cycles, achieving effective sampling rates beyond the real-time limits of analogue-to-digital converters.
References
- Characterization of Sub-THz Channel Sounding Systems in OTA Measurement Scenarios Using a Vector Network Analyzer. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (2025).
- Field analysis of electro-optic probes for minimally invasive microwave sampling.. Optics Express (2014).
- A Practical Method for Measuring Incident Microwave Power in RF Systems of Particle Accelerators. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (2025).
- A novel broadband capacitor voltage divider for measurement of ultrafast square high voltage pulse transmitted in transmission line. AIP Advances (2020).
- Precision Measurement System of High-Frequency Signal Based on Equivalent-Time Sampling. Electronics (2022).
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