A calibration method for vector network analyzers using a line and three or more offset-reflect standards

Yujie Liu; Guobin Wan; Changying Wu; Yevhen Yashchyshyn; Yingfan Wang; Limin Tu

doi:10.1515/freq-2023-0116

Article

A calibration method for vector network analyzers using a line and three or more offset-reflect standards

Yujie Liu , Guobin Wan , Changying Wu , Yevhen Yashchyshyn , Yingfan Wang and Limin Tu

Published/Copyright: March 13, 2024

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From the journal Frequenz Volume 78 Issue 5-6

Abstract

This article proposes a method for two-port vector network analyzer (VNA) calibration that uses a line standard and three or more offset-reflect standards (LnΓ, where n is the number of offset-reflect standards and n ≥ 3). The reflection coefficient of the highly reflecting offset-reflect standards and the propagation constant of the transmission line are unknown for this calibration method, but they can be obtained in the process of calculating the VNA calibration error coefficients. In the LnΓ calibration method, the calibration fixtures are all equal in mechanical length. Therefore, compared with the thru-reflect-line (TRL) method, this calibration method is convenient when the test fixtures of both sides of the VNA are fixed or difficult to move during the measurement. To further simplify the experimental operation, a corrugated reflector is also designed. In this calibration method, only one corrugated reflector used as the offset-reflect standard is needed. Different offset-reflect standards are realized easily by changing the position on the microstrip line. The proposed LnΓ calibration method is accurate, which is proven by theoretical analysis, simulations, and measurements.

Keywords: calibration method; vector network analyzer (VNA); offset-reflect; test fixtures; corrugated reflector

Corresponding author: Yujie Liu, School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, E-mail: lyjie@mail.nwpu.edu.cn

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: This work was supported by the Aeronautical Science Fund of China under Grant 20230018053004.
Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

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Received: 2023-04-26

Accepted: 2024-02-14

Published Online: 2024-03-13

Published in Print: 2024-06-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/freq-2023-0116

Keywords for this article

calibration method; vector network analyzer (VNA); offset-reflect; test fixtures; corrugated reflector