Concepts and Features
R&S
®
ZNA
217
User Manual 1178.6462.02 ─ 12
Without leveling data (default or recorded with the leveling tool), the measurement is
performed at fixed RF source and LO power. No power sweep is possible. To reduce
the actual output power of the converters (e.g. for measuring wave quantities or testing
compression effects), turn the adjusting knob on top of the converters clockwise. You
will see an effect on the output power within the last 2 mm of the adjustable range.
System Error Correction
S-parameters are to be measured, an additional system error calibration is recommen-
ded after power calibration. Measurements with frequency converters require a special
waveguide calibration kit for system error correction. Rohde & Schwarz offers these,
e.g. the calibration kits R&S
ZV-WRxx. The standards in the calibration kits allow all
one-port and two-port calibration types supported by the network analyzer except for
TNA. Refer to the documentation of the calibration kit for details.
The R&S
ZCxxx converters conform to standard IEEE
1785. The designation of their
waveguide sizes is WM-xxx. The waveguide dimensions are identical to the former
WRyy sizes between the 75 – 110 GHz and the 220 – 330 bands. In order to allow for
the use of the ZV-WRyy kits for the calibration of a R&S
ZCxxx converter, these kits
have additionally been pre-defined in the VNA firmware for the WM-xxx connector
types.
For some high-frequency converter types (e.g. R&S
ZC500) each calibration sweep of
the system error correction is performed twice. The first sweep is named Preparation
Sweep; a tooltip below the calibration sweep diagram indicates an ongoing preparation
sweep.
Measurement
After power calibration and system error correction, the mm-wave measurement can
be performed like any other network analyzer measurement. The port configuration
settings (together with the stimulus settings) determine the sweep range of the conver-
ted signals (i.e the input and output frequencies at the DUT ports). All measured quan-
tities (S-parameters, wave quantities, ratios etc.) and other trace settings are available.
Generally, a measurement with a mm-wave converter involves the following steps:
1. R&S
ZCxxx series: connect the converter to the VNA via USB. The analyzer firm-
ware automatically identiifes the converter and reads the factory leveling data.
2. Configure the RF connections between analyzer ports and converters
3. Connect the frequency converters
4. Perform a system error correction using a suitable waveguide calibration kit
5. Connect the DUT and measure it
For converters whose output power can be controlled by varying the input power, the
following additional steps can be performed:
●
Provide a 2-dimensional data array that describes the dependency of output power
from input power and frequency or, if applicable, from attenuation and frequency.
The data are collected with the R&S Converter Leveling Tool.
Optional Extensions and Accessories
