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General Measurement Considerations
Measurements Measurements of all kinds are the core of good science. Like anything else good measurements lead to good science. There are a few fundamentals which should be kept in mind when measurements are performed. Prime Directive: The measurement should not change the system under investigation. Prospective: Keep the accuracy of the measurements within the…
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AD8362 Power Meter, Data Logger and Coax Power Loss
As mentioned in the article describing the construction of the 8362 Power Meter, it would be convenient to have the meter connected to a microprocessor so that conversion of the voltage reading to dBm was done automatically. This was the motivation for the construction of the Data Logger. The basic Data Logger is a…
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Arduino-Based Voltmeter and Data Logger
When the Amateur Scientist columns were written data loggers did not exist. Data was either collected manually or via a chart recorder. The advent of the data logger created an opportunity to do measurements over extended periods of time with ease. This capability has given scientists, both professional and amateur, the ability to study an…
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Testing and Calibration of the AD8362 Based Power Meter
Now that a microwave source and a power meter is at hand it is time to do some experiments. Perhaps the best place to start at the data sheet. The data sheet will provide the proper expectations and give some sense of overall performance. Please note that although this writing focuses on the AD8362…
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AD8318 and AD8462 Based Power Meters
Some Basics and Construction Ideas Almost every experiment with microwaves will require some way to measure the amplitude or power. Once again, we encounter a very large number of commercial options from which to choose, but practicality dictates only a few. Among these, two stand out for the experimenter. Analog devices AD8318 and AD8362 provide…