Evaluating the performance of RF systems

Paul Boughton

Test equipment sourcing specialist Livingston has further extended its broad portfolio of RF test equipment with the inclusion of the latest Rohde & Schwarz two-port vector network analyser.

The R&S ZND is an entry level analyser product for evaluating the performance of RF systems and components in manufacturing facilities and development laboratories, or validating antenna installations. It is capable of delivering accurate measurements on the magnitude or phase of network scattering parameters - known as S‑parameters. Supporting a typical dynamic range of 120dB, it presents users with a maximum bandwidth of 300kHz.

Furthermore, it can deliver a power sweep spanning up to 48dB. A 12.1-inch touch-enabled display facilities trouble-free, intuitive operation based on the Windows 7 operating system. Through this it is straight forward to handle multiple traces simultaneously.

The standard unit can address unidirectional (S11 and S21) S-parameters across a frequency range from 100kHz to 4.5GHz. Upgraded units are able to perform bidirectional measurements (covering S11, S12, S21 and S22) up to frequencies reaching 8.5GHz. R&S ZND units can also be controlled via LAN or GPIB interfaces, in order that measurements can be configured and test results viewed remotely. Results can be easily saved onto a USB memory stick for offline analysis.