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RFdude.com hardware lab version 2.0

Note: pictures of lab version 3.0 will be out someday, the ones pictured here are out of date...

(pardon the mess, the lab *and* the page are under construction)

Main RF lab area (click on the picture for a larger image)

The main desk is to the left and the construction bench (not shown) is to the right

Microwave/RF Measurement Capabilities summary:

• Spectrum analysis
  • 1kHz-22 GHz (coaxial)
  • 18 -26.5 GHz (Waveguide input)
  • 26.5-40 GHz (Waveguide input)
  • 33-50 GHz (Waveguide input)
  • Low frequency FFT analysis with oscilloscope
• Signal generation
  • 100kHz - 12.5 GHz fundamental
  • Pair of 100 kHz - 990 MHz generators for two tone testing
  • Other frequencies possible with doublers/mixers
• Noise figure and Gain
  • 100 MHz -1600 MHz fundamental
  • 1600 MHz - 40 GHz with the appropriate frequency converter built from lab parts or product under test.
• Network analysis
  • Vector: 300 kHz to 6 GHz
  • Scalar to higher frequencies with couplers/generators/software for calibration
• Communications Test
  • FM/AM/SSB modulation testing with RF communications test set
• Waveform
  • Analog Scope
  • 60 MHz Digital Scope

With GPIB and the "TESTLINK" module in Eagleware's Genesys, it's easy to show some examples here of measured vs. simulated circuit performance.  These are not perhaps the best examples, but they give you the idea.   These are the results for a simple small signal amplifier I designed for a work project, nothing fancy or exotic.  All measurements were done here in the basement....

Some measurement/modeling/prototyping capability notes:

Metal shop:

I decided that I had tapped out my interest in sheet brass and seam-soldered PCB construction.  For repeatable >1 GHz work, machining capabilities were necessary.  The first big project with the mill has been building housings for a two-stage (~20 dB gain) 10 GHz Low Noise Amplifier. 

(click for higher resolution, this shows the drill press, mill, and bench-top band saw)

 Prototype fabrication resources:

• PCB Milling/drilling prototyping machine!  -- Major addition in 2007
• Drill press, hand drill, dremel, other random power tools.  
• Portable/Bench-top band saw
• Small bench top belt/disc sander.
• Small vertical mill, admittedly I'm no expert with it... but plan to learn!  See pictures of some prototype boards and boxes here.  These pictures are of a ham-radio project I'm using as an excuse to do some design at 10 GHz.  I've done various LNA's, mixers, and filters over the last couple years, here I'm trying to refine the work a bit and some early versions of these LNA's have already been fielded in our amateur contest group.
• Medium duty wire-feed welder (I will not claim to be skilled in it's use)
• Standard electronics prototyping/assembly hand tools, including a stereo microscope.
• Stockpile of random electronic components (from microcontrollers to low noise GaAs FETs), cables, connectors.

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