Traceability for broadband VNA and compatibility study of waveguide (WR-10) and 1mm coaxial measurements

Abstract

High frequency and broadband applications of test and measurement instruments have become the major market drivers for various industries in recent years. Measurement accuracy is a key market differentiator for broadband vector network analyzers (VNA). In a well-controlled manufacturing environment, highly accurate measurements will help boost the productivity of precision manufacturing and effectiveness of diagnosis and test. Therefore, a good way to ensure excellent integrity of measurement and consistency of testing and calibration is to have the standards traceable to national standards or physical constants. For a broadband VNA capable of measuring up to 110 GHz in one sweep, demonstrated traceability by the manufacturers has not been formally discussed. Anritsu Company's Broadband VNA, ME7808A, has earned market recognition for its flexibility in measurement and configuration. In this paper, we will be presenting the traceability path to national standards and a compatibility study with the Anritsu system between waveguide and coaxial measurements and verification. Off-the-shelf standards are used in this study. Examples of the measurement results for the mismatch standards are shown in this paper. The system uncertainty budget for using the broadband VNA will be discussed with a demonstration of available software.