Precision open circuits with best performance for OSL and OSLT calibration
Nowadays, no development, production, testing, or quality control department that deals with RF signals on coaxial lines can afford to dispense with state-of-the-art high-precision equipment. It’s essential to use vector network analyzers (VNAs) in particular with high-precision connectors, terminations, and adapters.
Systematic errors can be fixed by calibrating the VNA. Different calibration standards with defined and known electrical characteristics are applied and compared to identify error coefficients. A technique called vector error correction is used to characterize error terms while applying known standards in order to remove errors from actual measurements and increase the accuracy of the results.
A VNA can be calibrated in different ways depending on the required degree of accuracy. The methods used differ in both the number and the type of the calibration standards applied.
The most commonly used calibration approaches are OSL (which stands for open-short-load) for single-port measurements and OSLT (for open-short-load-through) for multiple-port measurements. The order of the standards can vary in the designation; for example, the abbreviation SOLT is occasionally used synonymously.
A Precision open DC-12.5 GHz 4.1-9.5 female is intended for use in OSL and OSLT calibration kits. Coaxial open circuits are used for establishing measurement planes for known reflection phase and magnitude in 50 Ω coaxial systems and provide highest precision over the frequency range of DC to 12.5 GHz. The scope of delivery includes: calibration certificate, calibration data, handling instructions.
This product has gold-plated connections and is based on the better quality classes of the IEEE, ICE standards with regard to lower tolerances. SPINNER also uses the term ‘precision’ here to emphasize the suitability for exceptionally high-precision measurements.
4.1-9.5 connectors are perfectly suited for applications in mobile communication systems. The mechanical design is the same as in the 7-16 connector, but the dimensions are a great deal more compact, making the unit suitable for frequencies up to 14 GHz. The robust, stable connection does not only meet all requirements of test & measurement technology, but any extreme demands regarding resistance to weather and climate influence in outdoor applications, too. The special selection of materials and the mechanical design ensure good transmission performance in communication systems with low attenuation and intermodulation.
SPINNER RF measurement components meet highest standards
SPINNER has set new standards of accuracy with this product line, which includes a large family of coaxial test equipment with outstanding electrical and mechanical attributes for use in laboratory and production environments.
For the production SPINNER applies extremely high standards regarding quality, engineering, materials and manufacturing e.g. DIN EN ISO 9001 - Quality Management, DIN EN ISO 14001 - Environmental Management and ISO 50001:2011 - Energy Management. This enables us to offer precision open circuits with the best possible performance and lowest possible intermodulation (Low PIM).
