Passive Intermodulation (PIM) Test and Measurement

Abstract

PIM is a form of intermodulation distortion that occurs in passive components. It is an unwanted signal created by the mixing of two or more RF signals, caused by the nonlinearity of the passive components in the RF path. PIM has become a big concern in the wireless and communication industry, with the introduction of 5G standards. The most demanding requirement of the linearity of the switches in an RF system is the out-of-band blocking performance. The blocking characteristic is a measure of the receiver's ability to pick up the wanted signal in the presence of an unwanted interfering signal, without causing a degradation in the performance. The rise of unwanted signals in the receiver path increase the noise level of the receiver, thereby degrading the quality of the communication signals as well as affecting the receiver sensitivity. The paper describes the way PIM measurements are performed in our lab and highlight how Multiband PIM measurements are carried out in a very efficient way, saving the time invested in setup, calibration and measurements of data, using meticulous techniques which ultimately lead to a better result.