HP HP 8712ES, User Manual, Page: 63 / 507

ES User’s Guide 3-11
Making Measurements
Measuring Devices with Your Network Analyzer
Attenuation and Amplification in a
Measurement Setup
The measurement setup that you use may require attenuation or
amplification. The following sections describe when to use them.
When to Use Attenuation
• For accurate measurements, use external attenuation to limit the
power at the input port to +10 dBm (for narrowband-detection
measurements) or +16 dBm (for broadband-detection measurements).
CAUTION Always use attenuation on the input port if your test device's output
power exceeds the receiver damage limit of +26 dBm or
±
30 Vdc.
• For information on how to reduce mismatch errors, see “Reducing
Mismatch Errors” on page 5-15 .
When to Use Amplification
• For accurate measurements, amplification may be needed on the
analyzer's output port. Use amplification when your test device
requires input power that exceeds the analyzer's maximum specified
output power.
NOTE
If you use an amplifier between the analyzer’s output port and your DUT,
you won’t be able to measure the input match (S
11
) of your DUT.
The maximum specified output power is dependent upon the option
configuration of your analyzer as well as the frequency range of your
test setup. It ranges from +4 to +13 dBm. See
Chapter 9,
“Specifications,” to determine the maximum specified output power of
your analyzer.