The High-Speed Waveform Metrology Group at NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) focuses on developing fundamental performance measurements for high-speed devices and components crucial to modern communications equipment. Their work supports NIST’s Next-Generation 5G Wireless and Fundamental Metrology for Communications programs.
The group’s two primary projects are High-Frequency Electronics and Waveform Metrology. The High-Frequency Electronics project aims to improve on-chip measurement of very-high-speed transistors (up to hundreds of gigahertz), while the Waveform Metrology project focuses on characterizing the nonlinear behavior of high-power, lower-frequency (microwave to millimeter-wave) transistors.
NIST has developed several innovative measurement techniques, including the Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer (JAWS) and the DC to 1 THz Large-Amplitude Optoelectronic Multitone Electrical-Signal Synthesizer. These tools are used to establish traceability for mmWave channel measurements, which are critical for 5G technology development.
The group also maintains several calibration services that provide traceability for commercial instrumentation used in the fiber optics, digital IC, and wireless industries. Other national metrology institutes, such as those in South Korea, China, Germany, and the UK, are actively working on developing similar waveform measurement services.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/ctl/rf-technology-division/high-speed-waveform-metrology-group
Keywords: Metrology, High-speed electronics, Communications
