Cost effective TRL calibration technique on network analyser

Abstract

The accuracy of calibrated measurements is dependent on the characteristic of standards used in calibration kit. The purpose of calibration is to remove errors from sample to ensure the result of Device Under Test (DUT) obtained from network analyser is accurate and precise. In this paper, the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) with microstrip line (MSL) and taper-via transition were designed within X-band frequency. The technique used to obtain S-parameters was the Thru-Reflect-Line (TRL) calibration technique. It was employed to extract the characteristics of SIW. The calibration kits were then designed and fabricated on RO4003C laminated PCB. The measured result was compared with Short-Open-Load-Thru (SOLT) calibration in terms of operating bandwidth, return loss and transmitted energy within the X-band frequency range. The operating bandwidth of the TRL was found to be 2.1GHz which was greater than the SOLT. The minimum average S21 value for the TRL and SOLT was discovered at −2dB and −3dB respectively. The centre frequency for the TRL and SOLT was measured to be 9.3GHz (which was closer to designed frequency at 9GHz) and 8.5GHz respectively. Based on these findings, the TRL standards design using sustainable and cost effective way of PCB technique demonstrate better result of DUT.