Localization of Passive Intermodulation Based on the Concept of k-Space Multicarrier Signal

Passive intermodulation (PIM) potentially occurs in all high-power passive microwave devices. It can severely deteriorate the receiving performance of wireless communication and radar systems. To date, the simultaneous localization of multiple PIM sources in practical microwave devices is still a technical challenge. In this paper, we indicate that if a reference PIM source can be introduced into the standard PIM testing system, and the amplitude and frequency-dependent phase difference between the reference and the real PIM products can be used to construct a k-space multicarrier signal, PIM localization algorithms for both wideband and narrowband devices can be proposed based on the inverse k-space Fourier transform and inverse optimization of the partial multicarrier signal. Simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. These methods can solve the difficulty of multipoint PIM localization, and can be widely used in the design, production, testing, and troubleshooting of high-power microwave systems.