INSTRUCTION SHEET

WIDEBAND POWER SENSOR

MODEL 5012

©Copyright 2008 by Bird Electronic Corporation

Instruction Book P/N 920-5012 Rev. C
Description
The Bird 5012 Wideband Power Sensor (WPS) is a Thruline sensor
that can measure average, peak, or burst power, VSWR, crest factor,
and Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF). It
can be used with the Bird 5000-EX Digital Power Meter (DPM) and
the Bird Virtual Power Meter Software (VPM).

 NOTE: Firmware upgrades extending the WPS’s capabilities may

be periodically released. For the latest firmware upgrade, contact
Bird Customer Service at (440) 248-1200 or visit our website at
http://www.bird-electronic.com

Connections

WARNING
Never attempt to connect or disconnect RF equipment from the
transmission line while RF power is being applied.
Leaking RF energy is a potential health hazard.

To connect the WPS to the Digital Power Meter, use the serial cable
provided. Connect the male end of the cable to the DPM and the
female end to the WPS. A separate power supply for the WPS is not
required when using a DPM.

There are two ways to connect the WPS to a PC running the Virtual
Power Meter Software:
y To connect using the serial port, first connect a 12V DC power
supply to the WPS. Once the STATUS LED turns on and begins
blinking, use the serial cable provided and connect the female end
of the cable to the computer and the male end to the WPS. The
WPS must be powered up before connecting to the PC.
y To connect using the USB port, connect the USB cable to the
computer and to the WPS. A separate power supply is not required
when using the USB port.
 NOTE: When using the optional serial to USB adapter, connect
the WPS serial port to the adapter’s serial port, and the adapter’s
USB connector to the PC.
Zeroing Sensor
Over time, the sensor’s “zero value” (reading with no applied RF
power) can drift, making all readings inaccurate by this value. For
example, if the zero value is –0.02 W, measuring a 50 W signal will
give a reading of 49.98 W, a 0.04% error. Measuring a 1 W signal will
give a reading of 0.98 W, a 2% error. If the drift would be a significant
error, rezero the sensor:
y Make sure the sensor has reached a stable operating temperature.
y Make sure no RF power is applied to the sensor.
y Press “Zero”. Calibration will begin.
y Calibration will take about 30 seconds. Do not interrupt the
calibration! A bar on the screen will display calibration progress.
y After successful calibration, “Cal Pass” or “Calibration Complete”
will be displayed. Press any key to return to normal operation.
y If calibration fails, “Cal Fail” will be displayed. Press a key to
return to normal operation, then check that the WPS is properly
connected, and that the RF is off. Rezero.

Function Descriptions
Figure 1
Peak Envelope Power
Average and Peak 100 W
Envelope Power
Average Power
Square Wave Signal 50 W

0W

Average Power
Average power is a measure of the equivalent “heating” power of a
signal, as measured with a calorimeter. It measures the total RF
power in the system, and does not depend on number of carriers or
modulation scheme. The WPS is a broadband sensor that measures
power across its entire frequency range. Its diodes operate in their
‘square law’ region so that the detector output is directly proportional
to the average power, without any additional error correction.

Average power is the most important measurement of any

transmission system since the average power is normally specified on
the operating license. It is also valuable as a maintenance tool,
showing overall system health, and for calibration.
VSWR
VSWR measures the relation between forward and reflected average
power. The Bird Wideband Power Sensor calculates the VSWR from
the Forward and Reflected Average Power measurements. Rho and
Return Loss are also the same measurement, but in different units:

Rho (µ) = PR ⁄ PF , , and

The health of the feedline and antenna systems can be monitored

using VSWR measurement under full power operating conditions.
High VSWR is an indicator of feed line damage, overtightened cable or
feed line clamps, or antenna changes/damage due to weather
conditions, icing, or structural damage to the tower.

Video Filter
Figure 2
Filter Correct Filter
Too Small Filter Too Wide
Video Filter Settings,
300 kHz Signal
Noise

Signal

Except for average power and VSWR measurements, all WPS

measurements rely on a variable video filter to improve accuracy. This
filter can be set to either 4.5 kHz, 400 kHz, or full bandwidth. It should
be as narrow as possible while still being larger than the demodulated
signal bandwidth (video bandwidth). Narrowing the filter limits the
noise contribution caused by interfering signals. Listed below are some
common modulation schemes and the appropriate video filter.

Video Filter Modulation Type

4.5 kHz CW Burst (Burst width > 150 µs), Voice Band AM,
FM, Phase Modulation, Tetra
400 kHz CW Burst (b.w. > 3 µs), GSM, 50 kHz AM, DQPSK
Full CW Burst (b.w. > 200 ns), CDMA, WCDMA,
Bandwidth DQPSK, DAB/DVB-T
Peak Envelope Power
Peak power measurements detect amplitude changes as a signal
modulates the carrier envelope. The WPS operates in an asynch-
ronous cycle: 300 ms of waveform sampling followed by a 50 ms reset
period. The peak power is then displayed and the cycle repeats. The
display therefore updates about three times per second.

Transmitter overdrive can be detected with peak measurements.

Common problems are overshoot at the beginning of burst packets,
amplitude modulation, and excessive transients. These damage
system components with excessive peak power and also cause data
degradation, increasing the Bit Error Rate. For TDMA applications,
Peak and Burst Power measurements are used to detect overshoot in
single timeslots. Other timeslots must be turned off for this test.

Burst Average Power

Figure 3
Peak Envelope Power
Burst Average 100 W
Power Burst Average Power

50 W
Average Power

0W
Burst Width
Period

Burst width (BW) is the duration of a pulse. Period (P) is the time from
the start of one pulse to the start of the next pulse. Duty cycle (D) is
the percentage of time that the transmitter is on. To calculate the duty
cycle simply divide the burst width by the period (D = BW / P). Low
duty cycles mean that the burst width is much less than the period; a
large amount of dead time surrounds each burst. For low duty cycles,
the burst average power will be much larger than the average power.

After peak power is measured, a threshold of ½ the peak is set. The

sampled power crosses that threshold at the beginning and end of
each burst. The time between crossings is used to calculate the duty
cycle. Burst Average Power is calculated by dividing the Average
Power by the Duty Cycle.

Burst power measurements provide accurate, stable measurements in

bursting applications such as TDMA and radar. Accurately measuring
the output signal strength is essential for optimizing radar coverage
patterns. Actual transmitted power in a single timeslot can be deter-
mined in TDMA. The other timeslots must be off during this test.
Crest Factor
Figure 4
Peak Envelope Power
Crest Factor 100 W
10 dB CDMA Signal
100 W Peak 50 W
10 W Ave
Average Power
0W

Crest factor (CF) is the ratio of the peak and average powers, in dB.
The WPS calculates the Crest Factor from the Forward Peak and
Average Power measurements.
Crest factor is becoming one of the most important measurements as
communication systems move into the digital age. For CDMA and
similar modulation types the CF may reach 10 dB. If the crest factor is
too large, the transmitter will not be able to handle the peak powers
and amplitude distortion will occur. Crest factor can also detect
overdrive and overshoot problems. Knowing the CF allows end-users
to more accurately set base station power and lower operating costs.
Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF)
Figure 5

CCDF 100 W
80 W
100 W Signal
80 W Threshold 50 W
20% CCDF

0W

CCDF measures the amount of time the power is above a threshold.

Equivalently, it is the probability that any single measurement will be
above the threshold. The WPS samples the power over a 300 ms
window and compares it to a user-specified threshold, in Watts. The
time above the threshold relative to the total time is the CCDF.
CCDF measurements are most useful for pseudo-random signals, such
as WCDMA, where a high CCDF means that the transmitter is being
overdriven. CCDF can also detect amplitude distortion within an
envelope caused by unwanted modulating signals. In TDMA systems,
CCDF indicates the health of power amplifier stages and their ability
to sustain rated power over an appropriate timeframe. As a trouble-
shooting aid, CCDF allows tracking of trends such as amplifier
overdrive (which can cause dropped calls and high bit error rates).
Specifications
Sensor Characteristics
Frequency Range 350 MHz to 4 GHz
RF Power Range 0.15 W – 150 W Average, 4 – 400 W Peak
Maximum Power See Figure 7 on page 9
Impedance, Nominal 50 ohms
Insertion Loss, Max:
0.35 – 1 GHz 0.05 dB
1 – 4 GHz 0.1 dB
Input VSWR, Max:
0.35 – 2.5 GHz 1.05:1
2.5 – 4 GHz 1.10:1
Directivity, Min:
0.35 – 3 GHz 30 dB
3 – 4 GHz 28 dB
RF Connectors N Female
Interface:
DPM Male DB-9, EIA-232, 9600 Baud, no
parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit
PC Serial Port Female DB-9, EIA-232, 9600 Baud, no
parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit
PC USB Port USB 1.1 interface
Power Supply:
DPM From host instrument via cable
USB Port less than one low-power USB load
DC Connector 7 – 18 Vdc, < 100 mA

Average Power
RF Power Range 2 – 150 W
RF Power Range 0.15 – 2 W
Peak/Average Ratio, Max 12 dB
Measurement Uncert. ± (4% of reading)*
Measurement Uncert. ± (7% of reading ± 0.05 W)*
* Above 35 °C or below 15 °C add 3%
Match Measurement
Measurement Range:
Return Loss 0 to 23 dB
Rho (ρ) 0.07 to 1.0
VSWR 1.15 to 99.9
Forward Power, Min 0.5 W
Measurement Uncert. See Figure 6 on page 8

Figure 6
Match Match Measurement Uncertainty
Measure 4
Uncertainty Above 3 GHz
2 Below 3 GHz
Uncertainty (dB)

–2

–4

–6
0 –5 –10 –15 –20 –25
Return Loss (dB)

Peak Envelope Power

RF Power Range 4.0 – 400 W*
Measurement Uncert.:
burst width > 200 µs ± (7% of reading + 0.2 W)†
1 µs < b.w. < 200 µs ± (10% of reading + 0.4 W)†
burst width < 1 µs ± (15% of reading + 0.4 W)†
burst width < 0.5 µs ± (20% of reading + 0.4 W)†
* Max. power depends on frequency and system VSWR. See Figure 7 on page 9
† Above 35 °C or below 15 °C add 3%
For D < 0.1 add 0.1 W
For period > 0.1s add (1.5% + 0.15 W)
 Figure 7
Max. Peak Maximum Peak Power
Power 1000
VSWR = 1
VSWR = 1.5
VSWR = 3

Peak Power (Watts)

400

100
0.3 1 4
Frequency (GHZ)

Burst Average Power

Power Range 10 – 150 W average
Burst Width 1 µs – 50 ms
Repetition Rate, Min 15 Hz
Duty Cycle (D) 0.001 – 1 (D = Burst Width / Period)
Measurement Uncert. ± (6% of reading + 0.05/D W)*
* Above 35 °C or below 15 °C add 3%

Crest Factor
RF Power Range 4 – 150 W
Measurement Uncert. Linear sum of peak and average power
uncertainty

Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF)

Measurement Range 0.1 – 100%
Measurement Uncert. ± 0.2%
Threshold Level Range 4 – 400 W
Level Set Accuracy As peak power uncert. + 2%
Physical and Environmental Specifications
Temp, Operating –10 to +50 °C (+14 to +122 °F)
Temp, Storage –40 to +80 °C (–40 to +176 °F)
Mechanical Shock and MIL-PRF-28800F class 3
Vibration
Humidity, Max 95% (non-condensing)
Altitude, Max 15,000 ft. (4,500 m)
Dimensions, Nominal 4.75” x 4.6” x 1.3” (121 x 117 x 33 mm)
Weight, Max 1.2 lb. (0.55 kg)
 RF POWER
INPUT OUTPUT

WIDEBAND POWER SENSOR

MODEL 5012
350 – 4000 MHz

4.6"
(116 mm)
STATUS

12VDC

RS232 USB METER

RS-232
1.3"
(33 mm)
TO PC TO DPM

3.8"
(96 mm)