Test results of a 20 GHz, low noise downconverter for USAT applications

A key component in the development of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) ultra small aperture terminal (USAT) earth station is the low noise downconverter (NLD). NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has tested a version of an LND designed by Electrodyne Systems Corporation. A number of tests were conducted to characterize the radio frequency performance of the LND over temperature. The test results presented in this paper are frequency response, noise figure, gain, group delay, power transfer characteristics, image rejection, and spurious product suppression. The LND was one of several critical microwave subsystems developed and tested for the ACTS USAT earth stations.