Dynamic multi-mode radiometer system with quantized noise injection for automated calibration and method of automated calibration

A method comprising:

• providing a radiometer channel including an input selective low noise amplifier (LNA) and a radiometer receiver, the LNA comprising a first input and a second input and an output coupled to the radiometer receiver;
• coupling an antenna to the first input of the LNA;
• coupling selectively a reference load to the second input of the LNA to produce a first signal representative of a reference temperature;
• and
• coupling selectively an internal calibrated noise (ICN) generator to the second input of the LNA, the ICN generator having an internal noise source for producing a second signal representative of an injected noise temperature;
• and
• calibrating the radiometer receiver as a function of the injected noise temperature equalized to the reference temperature.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of radiometer channels, each radiometer channel including an input selective low noise amplifier (LNA) and a radiometer receiver, the LNA comprising a first input and a second input and an output coupled to the radiometer receiver;
• a plurality of antennas, a respective one antenna coupled to the first input of the LNA of a corresponding radiometer channel;
• a plurality of reference loads, a respective one reference load coupled to the second input of the LNA of the corresponding radiometer channel, the respective one reference load configured to produce a first signal representative of a reference temperature;
• and
• an internal calibrated noise (ICN) generator selectively connected to the second input of the LNA of each radiometer channel of the plurality of radiometer channels, the ICN generator having an internal noise source for producing a second signal representative of an injected noise temperature and being configured to calibrate the radiometer receiver of each radiometer channel as a function of the injected noise temperature equalized to the reference temperature.