Patent ID: 7272521

Claim:
A method of selecting a nonlinear analog device from a plurality of nonlinear analog devices that exhibits least adverse effect on the phase relationships of signals entering said nonlinear analog device and the corresponding signals exiting said nonlinear analog device, said method comprising the steps of: determining, for each of said plurality of nonlinear analog devices, the nonlinear analog device's phase linearity, said determining step comprising: applying a test signal to said nonlinear analog device to thereby produce an analog signal containing a phase error; digitizing said analog signal containing said phase error to produce a digital signal including said phase error said digital signal having a phase; generating an ideal digital signal representation of said test signal, said ideal digital signal having a phase; and comparing the phase of said ideal digital signal with the phase of said digital signal including said phase error to produce a representation of said phase error, wherein said step of applying test signal to an analog nonlinear device includes the step of applying said test signal to one of a frequency doubler and a frequency divider; and selecting based on said representation of said phase error, a nonlinear analog device from said plurality of nonlinear analog devices that exhibits the smallest phase error.