Compact VNA simplifies S-parameter measurement

Article By : Rohde & Schwarz

The small form-factor R&S ZNLE features a 10.1" WXGA touchscreen and a user-friendly interface.

Rohde & Schwarz has released a small footprint vector network analyser (VNA) to perform RF measurements for antennas, attenuators, filters and PCBs. The R&S ZNLE is a two-port VNA that measures 408mm x 235mm and has an S-parameter wizard.

The R&S ZNLE performs bidirectional measurements of the S11, S21, S12 and S22 S parameters. An optional GPIB interface is available for remote control of the analyser. The instrument comes in two models with frequency ranges from 1MHz to 3GHz (R&S ZNLE3) and to 6GHz (R&S ZNLE6).

The R&S ZNLE offers an average dynamic range of 120dB and measurement bandwidths from 1Hz to 500kHz. Measurement time is 9.6ms for 201 points at 100kHz measurement bandwidth, for a 200MHz span, with two-port TOSM/SOLT calibration. For stable, repeatable measurements, the typical trace noise of the R&S ZNLE is 0.001dB.

The R&S ZNLE features a 10.1" WXGA touchscreen that supports zooming in and out of traces using multitouch gestures. The user interface makes it possible to access every function with a minimum number of steps. Undo/Redo softkeys are available to cancel and restore user entries. Context-sensitive help menus for the diverse functions and parameters facilitate interactive operation.

The R&S ZNLE incorporates the calibration wizard used in other Rohde & Schwarz R&S ZNx analysers. Calibration units are also supported. It also has the "Start Auto Cal" function that delivers automatic calibration at the touch of a button.