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VNA Reference Impedance Renormalization


 

If you use a VNA to characterize devices such as IF transformers, crystal filters, or ceramic filters, normally you add series resistance to the 50 ohm VNA ports so that the device sees its design impedance, which is usually much higher. This lets you measure the true response, but the resistors will reduce the dynamic range. You can use matching transformers instead of resistors to avoid this, but you may not have what you need on hand. The transformers must have enough bandwidth not to affect the device response.

I've written a little program that renormalizes the S-parameter reference impedance to whatever the device needs. This lets you make a 50 ohm measurement and then see how the device would respond had it been driven and loaded by the correct impedance. If you record all four S-parameters, the renormalization will undo the effects of improper filter source and load impedances even for devices that are not perfectly symmetrical (reversing them changes the response). However, the program assumes the proper renormalized impedance is the same for input and output. This is not true of some IF transformers, for example.

The renormalization program is listed at the top of this page:



See the bottom of the page for downloading instructions.

Brian


 

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Here’s a link to an interesting article that may help. ?I thought it was helpful to know the error bounds for different circuit configurations when using a 50 ohm network analyzer to measure low and high resistances. ?HTH.


Jim Ford
Laguna Hills, California, USA


On Feb 18, 2025, at 3:51?PM, Brian Beezley <k6sti@...> wrote:

?If you use a VNA to characterize devices such as IF transformers, crystal filters, or ceramic filters, normally you add series resistance to the 50 ohm VNA ports so that the device sees its design impedance, which is usually much higher. This lets you measure the true response, but the resistors will reduce the dynamic range. You can use matching transformers instead of resistors to avoid this, but you may not have what you need on hand. The transformers must have enough bandwidth not to affect the device response.

I've written a little program that renormalizes the S-parameter reference impedance to whatever the device needs. This lets you make a 50 ohm measurement and then see how the device would respond had it been driven and loaded by the correct impedance. If you record all four S-parameters, the renormalization will undo the effects of improper filter source and load impedances even for devices that are not perfectly symmetrical (reversing them changes the response). However, the program assumes the proper renormalized impedance is the same for input and output. This is not true of some IF transformers, for example.

The renormalization program is listed at the top of this page:

http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/mu.htm

See the bottom of the page for downloading instructions.

Brian






 

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Hi.

Just me, or is there a bit of an inconsistency on page one of that PDF?

Between the text descriptions and the illustration below, regarding how to measure Low, Medium and High impedance DUT's.?? I think the order of the text descriptions and the illustrations are different.

Also, the first illustration surely is a S11 measurement, not S21.

Yes, No??? If no, why, in detail please.

73.

Dave 'KBV.



 

Good catch, Dave!? I'd kind of skimmed over the .pdf and then filed it for future reference myself.

I'd measured some boards probably 10-15 years ago with a 50 ohm VNA and was surprised to get reasonable measurements.? I figured the power distribution network we were looking at would swamp out the 50 ohms of the VNA with near shorts and opens, but it didn't.? Must have been in one of those sweet zones.? In my *spare time* I'll run some resistors on the Advantest VNA in my garage lab (don't hold your breath waiting).

Jim Ford
Laguna Hills, California, USA

On Friday, February 21, 2025 at 04:30:31 AM CST, Dave_G0WBX via groups.io <g8kbvdave@...> wrote:


Hi.

Just me, or is there a bit of an inconsistency on page one of that PDF?

Between the text descriptions and the illustration below, regarding how to measure Low, Medium and High impedance DUT's.?? I think the order of the text descriptions and the illustrations are different.

Also, the first illustration surely is a S11 measurement, not S21.

Yes, No??? If no, why, in detail please.

73.

Dave 'KBV.



 

Cheers Jim.

Look forward to your findings.

I've done similar things in the past, some even work with a Nano VNA, within reason...

The secret I found in the immdiate past work life, is to "Calibrate" / "Normalise" with the test cables first (especially the one from the Source Port.)? Before investigating odd DUT's, to get a representive reading.

Discharge any capacitors first!? (Don't ask!)

Best Regards.

Dave 'KBV?


 

Good point. I use a DC block permanently installed at the RF input of any DC-sensitive piece of test equipment. It only takes a couple of hundred millivolts of DC to trash the front end of an expensive - for example - spectrum analyzer and that's something you don't want to do once, let alone twice!