Method for calibrating a network analyzer according to the fifteen-term principle

A method for calibrating a network analyzer having two test ports and at least four measuring locations, in which measurements of the transmission and reflection parameters at five calibration standards are performed successively, the five calibration standards being successively connected in arbitrary sequence between the two test ports according to a fifteen-term principle, comprising the steps of:

• providing a double one-port network having known impedance as a first calibration standard for the first calibration measurement;
• successively connecting said one-port network to the two test ports to provide first measured values;
• providing, as a second calibration standard, a reflection-symmetrical double one-port network having unknown reflection;
• providing, as a third calibration standard, a further reflection-symmetrical double one-port network having an unknown reflection factor that differs from a reflection factor of the second calibration measurement;
• providing, as a fourth calibration standard, a reciprocal two-port network having unknown reflection;
• providing, as a fifth calibration measurement, a further reciprocal two-port network having known transmission and unknown reflection factor that differs from a reflection factor of the fourth calibration measurement;
• using the second, third, fourth and fifth calibration standards for second, third, fourth and fifth calibration measurements, respectively, only eleven of a total of sixteen scatter parameters thereof being known, to provide second, third, fourth and fifth measured values;
• and
• calculating the remaining five unknown scatter parameters from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth measured values;
• wherein correction values that are taken into consideration in the following subject measurements are calculated from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth measured values.

A method for calibrating a network analyzer having two test ports and at least four measuring locations, in which measurements of the transmission and reflection parameters at five calibration standards are performed successively, the five calibration standards being successively connected in arbitrary sequence between the two test ports according to a fifteen-term principle, comprising the steps of:

• providing a double one-port open circuit as a first calibration standard for the first calibration measurement;
• successively connecting said one of a one-port network having known impedance and an open circuit to the two test ports to provide first measured values;
• using as a second calibration standard, a reflection-symmetrical double one-port network that has a common but unknown impedance at each port thereof;
• using, as a third calibration standard a further reflection-symmetrical double one-port network that has a common known impedance value at each port thereof that differs from the impedance value of the second calibration standard;
• using as a fourth calibration standard, a two-port network that is composed of a concentrated, complex but unknown series and/or parallel impedance;
• using as a fifth calibration standard a further two-port network that is composed of a concentrated parallel impedance and a concentrated, unknown series impedance;
• using the second, third, fourth and fifth calibration standards for second, third, fourth and fifth calibration measurements, respectively, only eleven of a total of sixteen scatter parameters thereof being known, to provide second, third, fourth and fifth measured values;
• and
• calculating the remaining five unknown scatter parameters from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth measured values;
• wherein correction values that are taken into consideration in the following subject measurements are calculated from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth measured values.