VECTOR NETWORK ANALYZ ERS


W SIGLENT’s new SVA1015X spectrum and vector network analyzer.


SPECIAL REPORT


FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS, LOWER COSTS DRIVING VNA TRENDS


By Mike Hockett, Editor-in-Chief


The vector network analyzer (VNA) remains one of the most basic, yet


pivotal, tools to test component specifi- cations and verify design simulations in order to ensure that systems and their components are working properly togeth- er. All of today’s common technological networks—such as cellular/smartphone networks, to computer networks, Wi-Fi networks, or the cloud—were developed in large part thanks to engineers using the VNA as far back as the 1950s. Since that time, network analyzers have been used to identify problem areas, verify per- formance, and map coverage zones. VNAs are used for different functions


along the product development cycle, from design to finished assembly. This includes R&D engineers, manufacturing test engineers, component designers, and system designers verifying compo- nent performance and specifications, while VNAs are critical in manufacturing settings to ensure that all specifications are met before products hit the market.


10 EVALUATION ENGINEERING JANUARY 2019 Once primarily an R&D tool, VNAs


became a mainstream manufacturing de- vice with the explosion of wireless device deployment in the 1990s, and demand for VNAs with broader capabilities continued to surge with the enhanced integration of RF and microwave devices at the turn of the 21st century. Tis meant the evolu- tion of two-port, swept-frequency VNAs into four-port network analyzers tailored for mass-production applications. This expanded to eight-, 12, 16, and 32-port systems throughout the 2000s, while VNA measurement capabilities likewise evolved. In the current decade, network analyzer


capabilities have continued to adapt to mobile demands, enabling their use in field operations to verify and troubleshoot de- ployed RF and microwave systems. Today’s test engineers are more and more common- ly required to take reliable measurements in conditions far less ideal than on a lab bench, requiring a high-performance, handheld an- alyzer. Along the way, factors such as ease- of-use and portability became critical.


For manufacturers, several VNA


demands have moved to the forefront this decade: the ability to test multiple/ many devices at one test station; the ability to accurately test multiport devic- es in less time; and the need for smaller stations that test multiple wafer sites.


Trending So now that we’ve recapped some of the history of vector network analyzers, let’s now dive deeper into current trends. We at Evaluation Engineering asked a num- ber of leading electronic test & measure- ment instrument vendors about what they’re seeing as VNA trends. Here’s what they had to say. Jason Chonko, applications market-


ing manager at SIGLENT Technologies: “Te increased distribution of Wi-Fi and the IoT explosion has caused a wave of increased interest in RF instrumenta- tion, but it is being balanced by the demand for end-use devices that have the lowest cost of ownership possible.


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