13 GHz Voltage-Controlled Oscillator

The Problem

A Russian company built our 6-headed microwave interferometer for plasma density measurements. One of the heads failed, at around the same time Russia further invaded Ukraine. So, we had no way to buy replacement parts, couldn't ask for assistance, and thus lost our ability to see into our fusion plasma at 78GHz.

The Solution

I was tasked with reverse engineering the design of the existing interferometer, diagnosing what was wrong and returning the instrument to operation as quickly as possible.

The Results