Signal measurement systems and methods

1. A method for using a measurement system including an impedance-controlling tuner and a signal transmission line, the tuner including a signal transmission line segment as at least part of the signal transmission line, the method comprising a sequence of the following steps:

(i) pre-characterizing the tuner over some desired tuning range at a number of impedance tuning points;

(ii) coupling a signal coupling device in a non-contacting relationship to the signal transmission line of the measurement system to allow measurement of an impedance presented to a device-under-test (DUT) with the DUT in place;

(iii) for DUT measurements, setting the impedance tuning at one of said pre-characterized impedance tuning points or by interpolating between pre-characterized impedance tuning points to achieve a particular target impedance presented to the DUT; and

(iv) using the signal coupling device, measuring an actual impedance presented to the DUT after the tuning setting is determined and set.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(v) setting the tuner to a new tuner impedance determined by an offset between the target impedance and the measured actual impedance; and

(vi) measuring an actual impedance presented to the DUT at the new tuner impedance setting.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

repeating said (v) and (vi) steps if the offset between a target impedance and the actual measured impedance is greater than desired.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said coupling the signal coupling device in a non-contacting relationship comprises:

coupling the signal coupling device to the signal transmission line between the DUT and the tuner.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring a set of load pull parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step (i) of pre-characterizing the tuner comprises measuring the s-parameters of the impedance-controlling tuner at each of said impedance tuning points.

7. A method for conducting measurements of a device-under-test (DUT) in a measurement system including a signal transmission line and an impedance tuning mechanism for presenting a variable impedance to the DUT, the tuning mechanism including a signal transmission line segment as part of the signal transmission line, the method comprising a sequence of the following steps:

pre-characterizing the tuning mechanism over a desired tuning range at a number of impedance tuning points;

connecting the pre-characterized tuning mechanism into the measurement system with a signal coupling device coupled to the signal transmission line in a non-contacting relationship between the DUT and the tuning mechanism;

determining a tuning setting for the tuning mechanism to achieve a particular target impedance presented to the DUT at one of said pre-characterized impedance tuning points or by interpolating between the pre-characterized impedance tuning points;

setting the tuning mechanism to the tuning setting; and

measuring an actual impedance presented to the DUT using the coupling device between the DUT and the tuning mechanism.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining a new tuner setting offset by an error from the target impedance, setting the tuning mechanism to the new tuner setting and measuring a new actual impedance presented to the DUT.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

repeating said step of determining a new tuner setting if the error between a target impedance and the actual measured impedance is greater than desired.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

measuring a set of load pull parameters.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said pre-characterizing the tuning mechanism comprises measuring the s-parameters of the tuning mechanism at each of said impedance tuning points.

12. A method for conducting measurements of a device-under-test (DUT) in a measurement system including a signal transmission line and an impedance tuner for presenting a variable impedance to the DUT, the impedance tuner including a signal transmission line segment as at least part of the signal transmission line, the method comprising a sequence of the following steps:

(i) pre-characterizing the impedance tuner over a desired tuning range at a number of impedance tuning points;

(ii) connecting the pre-characterized tuning mechanism into the measurement system with a signal coupling device coupled to the signal transmission line in a non-contacting relationship between the DUT and the tuning mechanism;

(iii) determining a tuning setting for the impedance tuner to achieve a particular target impedance presented to the DUT at one of said pre-characterized impedance tuning points or by interpolating between the pre-characterized impedance tuning points;

(iv) setting the impedance tuner to the tuning setting;

(v) measuring an actual impedance presented to the DUT using the coupling device between the DUT and the tuning mechanism; and

(vi) comparing the measured actual impedance to the target impedance to determine whether the error between the measured actual impedance and the target impedance is larger than desired, and if so, determining a new tuner setting, offset by the error from the target impedance, setting the tuner to the new tuner setting, and measuring a new actual impedance presented to the DUT.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

(vii) repeating step (vi) until the error is not larger than desired.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said pre-characterizing the impedance tuner comprises measuring the s-parameters of the impedance tuner at each of said impedance tuning points.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

measuring a set of load pull parameters.