Japan National Standard of Attenuation in the Frequency Range of 10 MHz to 18 GHz

An attenuation measurement system employs an IVD at 1 kHz as a reference standard and dual-channel IF substitution method is developed to renew the Japan national standard of attenuation. The new system has a measurable attenuation range of 100 dB at frequencies from 10 MHz to 12 GHz, and besides 60 dB up to 18 GHz

Introduction

At the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJIAIST), an accurate and traceable attenuation measurement system operated at 30 MHz and 10 GHz had been developed and used as a national standard of attenuation [1]. The system adopted a homodyne detection and employed inductive voltage divider (IVD) working at 1 kHz as a reference standard. The measurable range was up to 50 dB. However, with the increasingly growing demands for accurate, traceable, broadband standards in which have a high attenuation range, it is necessary to develop a new standard measurement system, since the previous system based on homodyne detection is unsuitable for broadband implementation.