USB VNA offers 6GHz performance for 40 per cent less

25th April 2017

Tektronix

Mick Elliott

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Datasheet

There is a new player in the vector network analyser market. Tektronix has entered the fray with the TTR500 Series USB Vector Network Analyser (VNA), and it reckons it has spotted receptive audiences – Internet of Things (IoT) designers and education. “They are not RF specialists, but they do have a need to measure interference,” says Dean Miles EMEA Marketing Manager at Tektronix. “What they don’t want to do is pay the premium for high-end instruments. We are not focusing on the competition in that space.”

To meet this need, Tektronix is offering instruments which it says are 40 per cent lower cost than conventional VNAs capable of 122 dB dynamic range and 6 GHz frequency range. A 100kHz to 3GHz version is priced at 8920 Euro (£7570) and a 100kHz to 6GHz version will cost 11,000 Euro (£9300).

The VNAs also include advanced features like the new VectorVu-PC analysis software and the only built-in bias tee for testing active devices in this category.

The Tektronix rational is that VNAs are needed to match Bluetooth, WLAN, RFID and other radio to antennas.

In many cases, designers must rent or borrow VNAs, adding time and expense to projects. In education, the high cost of VNAs means students get little to no hands-on time with an important instrument.

These new instruments aim to lower the barrier to entry and feature an easy-to-use user interface for common tasks. In addition, with the TTR500’s small, compact form factor, gone are the days of having to roll around a shared VNA.

The TTR500 Series offers a full 2-port, 2-path S-parameter VNA for such applications as measuring passive/active components, antennas and matching networks, RF modules, test cables, adapters and more.

It features a solid set of specifications including 100 kHz to 6 GHz frequency range, 122 dB dynamic range, less than 0.008 dB trace noise, and -50 to +7 dBm output power, all in a compact package weighing less than four pounds.

An important feature of the TTR500 is the built-in bias tee. Accessible on both ports, it allows for active devices, such as amplifiers, to be easily DC biased.

The built-in bias tee allows for 0 to ± 24 V, and 0 to 200 mA on both ports for active devices.

The VNA is designed for operation with any Windows PC or laptop and the VectorVu-PC software delivers a traditional look and feel for controlling and calibrating the instrument. It offers full point and click usability with the ease of PC-based networking for saving and sharing files.

For automated test systems in design or manufacturing, VectorVu-PC offers programmatic support for SCPI commands, including command compatibility with common legacy VNAs for easy integration into existing test systems.

In addition, the software offers an offline mode for data analysis with an output file format compatible with common EDA simulation tools.

Rounding out the solution, the TTR500 Series is available with a robust set of accessories including a rugged carrying case, rack mount kits, rugged phase-stable cables, attenuators, adapters and calibration kits.