Frequency converter, measuring system, and measuring method

A measurement method using first and second frequency converters, the measurement method comprising:

• correcting a modulation signal responsive to a frequency characteristic of an amplitude and a
• phase of the first frequency converter previously obtained by measurement to generate
• a corrected modulation signal;
• inserting a specimen between the first frequency converter and the second frequency converter;
• inputting the corrected modulation signal to the first frequency converter;
• recording as a measurement result, a signal output from the second frequency converter that has
• received a signal output from the first frequency convert;
• correcting the measurement result responsive to a frequency characteristic of an amplitude and a
• phase of the second frequency converter previously obtained by measurement;
• and
• measuring a radio-frequency characteristic in ultra-wide band corresponding to
• millimeter waves of the specimen on a basis of the corrected measurement result,
• wherein each of the first and second frequency converters comprise:
• an input/output configured to receive an input signal and a local oscillation signal and to output a signal obtained responsive to mixing the input signal with a harmonic signal having a frequency n times a frequency of the local oscillation signal;
• and
• a circuit configured to mix the input signal with the harmonic signal, wherein the circuit comprises a harmonic mixer that mixes the harmonic signal with the input signal responsive to a nonlinear characteristic of the harmonic mixer,
• wherein the second frequency converter further comprises a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the signal output from the circuit of the second frequency converter and output the amplified signal to the correction processing unit,
• wherein the signal output from the first frequency converter is an ultra-wide band signal corresponding to millimeter waves, and
• wherein the input signal of the second frequency converter is an ultra-wide band signal corresponding to millimeter waves.

A measurement system comprising:

• first and second frequency converters;
• a signal generator configured to generate a modulation signal having a corrected waveform responsive to a frequency characteristic of an amplitude and a phase of the first frequency converter previously obtained by measurement and output the signal to the first frequency converter;
• a signal measurement device configured to measure a signal output from the second frequency converter that has received a signal output from the first frequency converter;
• and a correction processing unit configured to correct a measurement result of the signal measurement device responsive to a frequency characteristic of an amplitude and a phase of the second frequency converter previously obtained by measurement, wherein each of the first and second frequency converters comprise:
• an input/output configured to receive an input signal and a local oscillation signal and to output a signal obtained responsive to mixing the input signal with a harmonic signal having a frequency n times a frequency of the local oscillation signal;
• and a circuit configured to mix the input signal with the harmonic signal, wherein the circuit comprises a harmonic mixer that mixes the harmonic signal with the input signal responsive to a nonlinear characteristic of the harmonic mixer, wherein the second frequency converter comprise a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the signal output from the circuit of the second frequency converter and output the amplified signal to the correction processing unit, wherein a specimen is insertable between the first and second frequency converters, and wherein the signal measurement device comprises a vector network analyzer configured to:
• generate and output the input signal and receive and measure the output signal to measure the frequency characteristics of the amplitude and the phase of the first and second frequency converters;
• and input the input signal to the first and second frequency converters via an isolator or an attenuator.

A measurement method using first and second frequency converters, and a signal measurement device, the measurement method comprising:

• measuring frequency characteristics of an amplitude and a phase of the first and second frequency converters using the signal measurement device;
• correcting a modulation signal responsive to the frequency characteristic of the amplitude and the phase of the first frequency converter to generate a corrected modulation signal;
• inserting a specimen between the first frequency converter and the second frequency converter;
• inputting the corrected modulation signal to the first frequency converter;
• recording, as a measurement result, a signal output from the second frequency converter that has received a signal output from the first frequency convert;
• correcting the measurement result responsive to the frequency characteristic of the amplitude and the phase of the second frequency converter;
• and measuring a radio-frequency characteristic in ultra-wide band corresponding to millimeter waves of the specimen on a basis of the corrected measurement result, wherein the signal measurement device comprises a vector network analyzer configured to:
• generate and output an input signal and receive and measure an output signal to measure the frequency characteristics the amplitude the phase of the first and second frequency converters;
• and input the input signal to the first and second frequency converters via an isolator or an attenuator, wherein each of the first and second frequency converters comprise:
• an input/output configured to receive an input signal and a local oscillation signal and to output a signal obtained responsive to mixing the input signal with a harmonic signal having a frequency n times a frequency of the local oscillation signal;
• and a circuit configured to mix the input signal with the harmonic signal, wherein the circuit comprises a harmonic mixer that mixes the harmonic signal with the input signal responsive to a nonlinear characteristic of the harmonic mixer, wherein the second frequency converter further comprises a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the signal output from the circuit of the second frequency converter and output the amplified signal to the correction processing unit, wherein the signal output from the first frequency converter is an ultra-wide band signal corresponding to millimeter waves, and wherein the input signal of the second frequency converter is an ultra-wide band signal corresponding to millimeter waves.