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Discrimination of Passive Intermodulation Sources on Microstrip Lines
Passive intermodulation (PIM) manifests itself as a nonlinear mixing taking place in passive devices. Deleterious effect
of passive intermodulation on signal integrity is of serious concern for a wide range of telecommunication applications. An increasing use of printed circuit boards in antennas and packaged systems has recently attracted a particular
attention to the sources of PIM generation in planar circuits.
In the paper an approach to discriminating the effects of the nonlinear conductor or nonlinear dielectric is proposed.
First, a theory of the nonlinear transmission line with the current- and voltage-driven nonlinearities defined by the
phenomenological nonlinear per-unit-length resistance and capacitance is presented. It is shown that PIM level is
proportional to the relevant nonlinear factor. Then, the distinctive features of each nonlinear contributor and their
applicability to discrimination of the PIM sources are discussed. Finally, the results of experimental study of different
laminates with weakly nonlinear conductor or dielectric are presented, and the discrimination procedure is verified.
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