Calibration-measurement unit for the automation of vector network analyzer measurements

[摘要] With the availability of multi-port vector network analyzers, theneed for automated, calibrated measurement facilities increases.In this contribution, a calibration-measurement unit is presentedwhich realizes a repeatable automated calibration of themeasurement setup as well as a user-friendly measurement of thedevice under test (DUT). In difference to commercially availablecalibration units, which are connected to the ports of the vectornetwork analyzer preceding a measurement and which are thenremoved so that the DUT can be connected, the presentedcalibration-measurement unit is permanently connected to the portsof the VNA for the calibration as well as for the measurement ofthe DUT. This helps to simplify the calibrated measurement ofcomplex scattering parameters. Moreover, a full integration of thecalibration unit into the analyzer setup becomes possible. Thecalibration-measurement unit is based on a multiport switch setupof e.g. electromechanical relays. Under the assumption of symmetryof a switch, on the one hand the unit realizes the connection ofcalibration standards like one-port reflection standards andtwo-port through connections between different ports and on theother hand it enables the connection of the DUT. Thecalibration-measurement unit is applicable for two-port VNAs aswell as for multiport VNAs. For the calibration of the unit,methods with completely known calibration standards like SOLT(short, open, load, through) as well as self-calibrationprocedures like TMR or TLR can be applied.

[学科分类] 电子、光学、磁材料