Reducing the Complexities Associated with Multiport Component Characterization

Reducing the Complexities Associated with Multiport Component Characterization

Humanity has made significant progress over the years in the realm of space exploration and research. Technological innovation has aided such endeavors.

From design aesthetics to simulation and verification, we have seen major advancements in all technology areas. Intricacies are increasing at the component, sub system, and system levels, pushing test requirements and putting pressure on methodologies and test times. The expectations are even higher around missioncritical applications and high-investment projects. Users look for tools that can offer better and more consistent performance.

Such was the case at a major space program laboratory that works on research and design for next-generation satellite mission programs. These programs  include applications related to communication, broadcasting, navigation, meteorology, and disaster management.

Organization:

Research lab

Challenges:

• complex test setup for multi-port devices

• extensive test times

Solutions:

• Keysight PXIe VNA with PathWave Test Automation platform

• automated gain compression plug-in

Results:

• scalable, faster, and compact test solution for customer

• 95% reduction in test time

Challenges: Complicated Setup and Text Complexity

Many of the research teams use Keysight benchtop vector network analyzers (VNAs). They use Keysight’s PNA, ENA, and PNA-X VNAs to characterize components such as amplifiers, multiplexers, and antennas to measure S-parameters, gain compression, mixer conversion, noise figure, and intermodulation distortion. The setups vary from simple two-port and four-port configurations to complicated multi-port setups involving switch matrices and network analyzers. Many of the new designs use six-port and eight-port devices, requiring complicated setups.

While a network analyzer with radio-frequency switches provides a solution, it adds complexity to test design. Switching time decreases test throughput compared with a true multiport configuration. The measurements are also sequential instead of parallel measurements.

Solutions: Automated Gain Compression Measurements on Modular VNA

Keysight introduced the customer to PXIe VNAs, which provide the right form factor, scalability, and flexibility in a true multiport solution. The modular format offers specifications and features equivalent to traditional benchtop network analyzers in a compact size, negating the need for switches when taking multi-port measurements. This solution reduced the complexity associated with integrating the switch with the network analyzer and removed the switching time associated with the traditional setup. Keysight’s modular network analyzer offers true parallel measurements, rather than the sequential measurements switches offer. The compact setup also provides superior flexibility in configuring multiple ports using simple plug-and-play modules. With the new form factor, what remains the same is trusted Keysight measurement science and calibration accuracy.

Gain compression was a customer requirement for characterizing most of the components, but the PXIe VNA was missing this functionality in its software. The customer needed an automated software application to measure the gain compression of frequency-converting and non-frequency-converting devices on a PXIe VNA platform. This software should control the PXIe VNA hardware and produce the required measurement parameters. It should also allow the user to set up all the required parameters, perform swept-frequency and swept-power functions, perform source-power and full two-port calibration using a calibration kit and power meter, and produce calibrated gain compression parameters for the device under test.