A Wideband RF Voltmeter-Comparator

This paper describes a new wideband RF voltmeter-comparator for the frequency range dc to 1 GHz and the voltage range 1 to 15 volts. The device employs matched hot-carrier diodes in a dual-channel 50-ohm feedthrough coaxial configuration. Power extraction from the signal under test is negligible, and the coaxialline sections are impedance compensated so that the maximum VSWR is 1.02. Applications include 1) measurement of RF voltage with a 3-percent uncertainty limit, 2) measurement of differential RF voltage, 3) high-resolution RF voltage comparator-monitor, and 4) leveler-detector with flat response for swept or fixed frequency operation.