An Alternative Design of a Compact and Portable Six-Port Reflectometer for 2.4 GHz Reflection Coefficient Measurements

Authors

Keywords:

six-port reflectometer, six-port circuit, reflection coefficient measurement, high frequency circuits

Abstract

In this article, the design and implementation of a compact and portable six-port reflectometer for measuring the reflection coefficient at 2.4 GHz is presented. The proposed design utilizes reduced-size components, such as an RF generator and an acquisition board, achieving a portable solution that can be used outside the RF laboratory. In this design, the six-port circuit consists of only two microstrip directional couplers with an angularly equidistant distribution of their q points. This configuration facilitates the implementation of the reflectometer, reducing complexity without sacrificing accuracy, even when compared to a commercial VNA. This design is an attractive and efficient alternative for research projects requiring the use of six-port reflectometry technique.

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Author Biographies

Gerardo Hernandez Veliz, Universidad de Guadalajara

Gerardo Hernandez Veliz, is a communications and electronics engineer. He received his Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from Universidad de Guadalajara in 2024. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Electro-Photonics Engineering at CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara México. His research interests include PCB design and printing, antenna design, microstrip circuits, high-frequency signal analysis, optoelectronics, and semiconductor physics.

F. A. Uribe, Universidad de Guadalajara

Felipe Alejandro Uribe Campos, (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México, in 1998 and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Guadalajara, México, in 2002. From 2003 to 2006, he was a Full Professor with the Electrical Graduate Program, Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico. In May 2006, he joined the Electrical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Guadalajara, where he is currently a full-time Researcher. His primary interests include the signal and image processing techniques for harmonic and transient analysis of smart grids.

Carlos Alberto Bonilla Barragán, Universidad de Guadalajara

Carlos Alberto Bonilla Barragán, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, on September 5th, 1965. He received the B.Sc. degree in electronic and communications engineering and the MSc degree in Electronic Engineering with specialization in high frecuencies from the Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, in 1992 and 2005 respectively. In 2013 he obtains his PhD in Sciences with the specialty of Electrical Engineering in High frequencies, degree obtained in the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) in Méxicali. From 1994 is working as a teacher in the Universidad de Guadalajara. His areas of interest are the Design of Microwave Circuits and Antennas, Six-port reflectometers, and RF Harvesting circuits.

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Published

2025-01-30

How to Cite

Hernandez Veliz, G., Uribe Campos, F. A., & Bonilla Barragán, C. A. (2025). An Alternative Design of a Compact and Portable Six-Port Reflectometer for 2.4 GHz Reflection Coefficient Measurements. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 23(3), 251–257. Retrieved from https://latamt.ieeer9.org/index.php/transactions/article/view/9302

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 3 (2025): Ordinary Issue

Section

Electronics

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