Copper Mountain Technologies is announcing the release of the new Value Series Vector Network Analyzers. The V Series will include three 2-Port, 2-Path measurement models: V0402 4.5 GHz VNA, V0602 6.5 GHz VNA, and V0902 9 GHz VNA. All models have a starting frequency of 100 kHz. These VNAs deliver highly accurate measurements with the ideal feature […]
vector network analyzer
Signal Hound claims first 40 GHz USB VNA
RF components such as connectors, cables, antennas, and PCB traces need characterizing so you know how they will perform. That’s where a vector network analyzer (VNA) can help. Signal Hound, well known for its USB spectrum analyzers, has introduced the VNA400, a 40 GHz VNA that connects to and gets power from its single USB-C […]
How to determine noise figure: part 4
Two incompatible definitions of noise factor can lead to confusion, which you can alleviate by understanding where the differences lie.
How to determine noise figure: part 3
Noise factor and noise figure as defined in an IEEE standard can be derived from a two-port device’s equivalent noise temperature. In part 1 and part 2 of this series we discussed several ways to indicate the noise performance of a device under test (DUT). We first introduced the concept of noise factor based on […]
How to determine noise figure: part 2
The relationship between noise and temperature prompted a precursor of the IEEE to promulgate an alternative definition of noise figure in 1959. In part 1 of this series, we described the work of the Danish-American radio engineer Harald Friis, who described noise factor F of a device or system as the ratio of the input-power […]
How to interpret a QAM display: part 1
A constellation diagram plots a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal’s in-phase and quadrature components. The EE World article “Should I use a spectrum, signal, or vector network analyzer?” in part 3 mentioned that vector-signal analyzers (VSAs) can display modulation-domain and frequency-domain information. Other instruments incorporating digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities, including oscilloscopes, can provide insights into […]
Should I use a spectrum analyzer, signal analyzer, or vector network analyzer? Part 4
A vector network analyzer can fully characterize components by deriving their scattering parameters. In earlier parts of this series, we looked at analog spectrum analyzers (part 1 and part 2) and vector signal analyzers (part 3), both of which monitor unknown signals, whether emanating from a system, device under test (DUT), or an enemy’s transmitter […]
Should I use a spectrum, signal, or vector network analyzer? part 3
In part 2 of this series, we looked at a swept-tuned spectrum analyzer and how it could sweep a frequency span of interest from 1 MHz to 1.1 MHz with a sweep time of 50 msec. As Figure 1 shows, the analyzer readily identifies a signal at 1.03 MHz but misses the intermittent signals shown […]
Should I use a spectrum, signal, or vector network analyzer? part 2
An analog spectrum analyzer’s sweep time can hide intermittent unwanted signals. In part 1 of this series, we examined a simplified block diagram of a traditional analog spectrum analyzer, which includes an RF frontend, mixer, voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), intermediate-frequency (IF) stage, sweep generator, envelope detector, and display. We also looked at resolution bandwidth (RBW), the […]
IMS 2024 roundup: test equipment
Washington, DC — The 2024 International Microwave Symposium took place here in June at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. As always, RF/microwave/mmWave test equipment was all over the exhibit hall. Frequency-domain test equipment — spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, power meters, and signal generators — were, of course, dominant. Other equipment, such as oscilloscopes […]
