Applications of RF and microwave sampling to instrumentation and measurement

Measurement of microwave and UHF signals is often done with sampling techniques. In this review, the techniques and technology of sampling of electrical signals is reviewed from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. It includes both references to the open literature as well as an extensive review of relevant patents. This review is specifically oriented toward applications and not theory. It was written to introduce the Special Session on "High Speed Sampling Circuits and Techniques" at IMS 2003.