Radical Innovations in RF and Microwave Instrumentation

Dr. Jan Verspecht
Intrapreneur at Keysight Technologies

Salazar Hall 2009A
4:00 PM - 4:50 PM

Abstract: Whereas incremental innovation in RF and microwave instrumentation is continuously happening and even accelerating, radical innovation remains a rare event. I will highlight 2 radical innovation examples from my career: X-parameters and Vector Component Analyzers. Both innovations are dealing with the characterization of active high-frequency devices and components and are now commercially available.

X-parameters were invented in 1998. Before that time, RF measurement experts fruitlessly tried to extend linear S-parameters into the nonlinear domain of amplifiers. They referred to their techniques as Hot-S parameters. By going back to fundamentals and by applying the right mathematical descriptions, Dr. Jan invented X-parameters, an original and complete solution to the problem.

The second example is the more recent Vector Component Analyzer. For many decades, power amplifiers have been characterized by using 2 instrumentation setups: the first setup comprises a vector network analyzer (VNA) and the second setup comprises a vector signal analyzer (VSA) combined with a vector signal generator (VSG). A VNA typically applies one or 2 sine waves as an excitation signal and analyzes transmission and reflection in the frequency domain. Nonlinear characterization is possible through measuring compression, as well as the level of harmonics and 2-tone intermodulation products. A VSA-VSG setup uses a modulated carrier signal and analyzes the in-band and out-of-band nonlinear distortions. The amount of in-band distortion is determined through a demodulation process in the time domain and is typically expressed as error-vector-magnitude (EVM). Dr. Jan invented a way to combine both setups into one and to characterize EVM directly in the frequency domain without the need for demodulation. The technique is based on spectral correlation. Such an instrument is called a Vector Component Analyzer.

Bio: Jan Verspecht received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium, in 1995. From 1990 until 2002 he was a Research Engineer with HP and Agilent. In 2003 he started working as an independent consultant. In 2008 he co-founded the startup Verspecht-Teyssier-Degroote (VTD). In 2012 VTD was acquired by Agilent Technologies, now Keysight Technologies, where he founded and directs an intrapreneurial R&D team. Dr. Jan invented X-parameters and Vector Component Analysis. He holds 37 patents and co-authored the book entitled “X-parameters”, over 40 conference papers and 12 refereed journal papers. His research interests include the characterization and behavioral modeling of active RF and microwave components. Dr. Jan was elevated to the grade of IEEE Fellow by the IEEE Board of Directors in 2007.