PMX40 RF Power Meter – INSTRUCTION MANUAL
5-2
Figure 5-1. Pulsed RF Signal
Figure 5-2. Distorted Pulsed Signal
Peak Power
. The Model PMX40 makes power measurements in a manner that overcomes the
limitations of the pulse power method and provides both peak power and average power readings for
all types of modulated carriers. The fast-responding diode sensors detect the RF signal to produce a
wideband video signal, which is sampled with a narrow sampling gate. The video sample levels are
accurately converted to power on an individual basis at up to a 100 MSa/sec rate. Since this power
conversion is corrected based upon the sensor’s linearity correction table, these samples can be
averaged to yield average power without restriction to the diode square-law region. In addition, if the
signal is repetitive, the signal envelope can be reconstructed using an internal or external trigger. The
envelope can be analyzed to obtain waveshape parameters including, pulse width, duty cycle,
overshoot, rise time, fall time, and droop. In addition to time domain measurements and simple