THE PIN DIODE AS A MICROWAVE MODULATOR.

Increased use of radio communication has brought use of higher and higher frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum. While transmission frequencies have risen, intelligible and useful information is still contained in audio and other low frequency signals. Hence modulation, the electronic process of mixing these two signals, is a fundamental part of this development. Unfortunately, modulation methods used with low frequency carrier circuits do not work well, if at all, at microwave carrier frequencies. The PIN diode is a simple semiconductor device whose properties lend it to effective use as a modulator at microwave frequencies. This paper is concerned with a brief theoretical presentation of actual modulating circuits and discussion of their operation and results obtained. Author