Spectro™ VNA Pro

Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs) are powerful instruments. They are adept at measuring the performance of a variety of components and devices, including: amplifiers, filters, multiplexers, mixers, VCOs, RFICs and MMICs.

Embedded RF and microwave devices are more prevalent in today’s modern designs. The need to characterize the performance of such devices has placed greater demands on VNA-based measurement systems. Calibrations and measurements that are simple in the “coax” world have been increasingly complex, time consuming and costly when devices are on a PC board.

Constant Wave’s new Spectro™ VNA Pro software allows engineers to easily and accurately characterize the performance of a range of RF and microwave components – including embedded devices. Built on a foundation of Joint Time-Frequency Analysis, Constant Wave’s proprietary approach simplifies conventional measurement techniques. Called Time Domain Substitution™, this new test methodology enables engineers to diagnose and troubleshoot design or test challenges quickly, and uncover problems that might otherwise go undetected.

With Spectro VNA Pro, engineers can characterize electronic device performance with precision and confidence. When used with popular high-performance Vector Network Analyzers, Constant Wave’s proprietary analysis methodology yields more accurate measurements and less uncertainty across frequency and time.

Joint Time-Frequency Analysis

Constant Wave’s unique spectrographic analysis presents the characteristics of device performance in both the time domain and frequency domain simultaneously. Unlike traditional VNA display methods, which can mask response characteristics across a range, Spectro VNA Pro lets you select and observe the response of your device at any specific time or frequency.

Spectro VNA Pro provides high-quality, spectrogram image generation through “High Definition” signal processing. You can visualize s-parameters in three dimensions – time, frequency and magnitude.

This image is the S11 response of an embedded multiplexer in the joint time-frequency domain. A dynamic workspace, the spectrogram shows complex performance data across time (x-axis) and frequency (y-axis). The color indicates the magnitude of S11, with warmer colors indicating higher magnitude (red and orange) and cooler colors indicating lower magnitude (blue, purple, and black).

Time Domain Substitution

Most VNAs can be easily calibrated at the ends of coaxial cables using automated calibrators. But today’s complex designs require measurements to be made beyond the reach of the cables. Time Domain Substitution makes it easy to calibrate VNAs where they need to be calibrated – at the device under test.

The patent pending technology of Time Domain Substitution allows the user to move the reference plane to the device under test easily. No expensive custom calibration standards or equipment are required. Engineers can:

• Simplify device de-embedding and characterization.
• Avoid trade-offs imposed by conventional de-embedding methods, such as Port Extension or Frequency-Gated-By-Time.
• Eliminate the need for expensive external board characterizations and downtime.
• Eliminate the need for expensive custom calibration kits, fixtures and probes.

System Requirements

• Runs on Windows®-based PCs under XP, Vista or system 7.
• Works with S1P, S2P, S3P and S4P files.
• Compatible with Agilent® PNA-X, PNA and ENA; Anritsu® 37xxxD, and Rohde & Schwarz® ZVB.