Compensation for Connector-Induced Signal Distortion to Improve Reflectometry Performance

A coaxial T-junction connector (TC) is a widely used cable accessory to split and integrate signals. This paper analyzes the side effects of the TC on the transmitted signal for an accurate measurement of its output signal in reflectometry. Two reflection phenomena are analyzed at the junction and the joints between the branch and the connected cables to estimate a precise output signal. To validate the proposed analysis, experiments with the TC are conducted for signal tracking. Three different experimental scenarios are investigated for comprehensive validation, and two estimated signals based on the assumption of impedance-matched conditions and the analyzed effect are comparatively interpreted with the measured signal. The similarity analysis between measurement and estimation demonstrates that the proposed calibration-based estimation is accurate in the measured signals of the TC in all scenarios. The uncertainty analysis of the characteristic impedance of the cable under test is performed to support the experimental validation.