Robust Analog Canceller for High-Dynamic-Range Radio Frequency Measurement

An automated analog canceller is presented that uses feedforward cancellation in a bridge configuration. A minimum of 70 dB of analog cancellation is obtained. The canceller is used to construct an intermodulation distortion measurement system achieving up to 120 dBc of intermodulation dynamic range in two-port transmission testing and 140 dBc of intermodulation dynamic range in one-port reflection testing for frequency separations of at least 1 kHz. At a two-tone frequency separation of 1 Hz, the respective dynamic ranges are at least 94 and 111 dBc. The relationship of cancellation performance and dynamic range is examined in terms of application-specific definitions of dynamic range. The system is then used to measure passive intermodulation distortion using a two-tone test with a tone frequency separation from 1 Hz to 100 MHz.