PicoVNA Interface Wizard links Pico Technology’s PC-based vector network analyser National Instruments’ AWR Design Environment.

It allows:

• Controlling and viewing PicoVNA output from inside a design environment
• One-click measurement transfer to electronic design automation (EDA) software
• Comparison of ideal, modelled and measured component through to subsystem data between test and simulation environments
• Extension of measured data (300kHz – 6GHz) for passive component simulation at DC
• Active device measurements and plotting of maximum stable and available gain, K‑factor and B1

“The wizard supports the entire design cycle with import of real-world component, system or subsystem measurements from the PicoVNA in a single-click transfer,” according to Pico Tech, which is advocating the use its PicoVNA 106 6GHz vector network analyzer in education – combined with the Wizard and the firm’s Network Metrology Test Kit.

This kit – built around a PCB and actually designed on the Microwave Office circuit simulator in NI AWR – includes active circuit elements, passive circuit elements, calibration standards and test leads so that the PicoVNA 106 can be used in a class room for microwave network measurement.

Device-under-test elements can be modified by students, and the kit comes with the associated EDA project design file.

“Either coupled to EDA software such as NI AWR software or used standalone with the PicoVNA 106, this teaching accessory supports teaching objectives around reflection and transmission measurements, S-parameters and standard linear network measurement quantities,” said Pico Tech. “These can be presented and interpreted as log, linear, phase, real, imaginary, polar and Smith charts, with derived quantities such as group delay and time-domain transmission and reflection.”

By adding an active broadband amplifier, non-linear compression measurements such as P1dB and AM-to-PM (amplitude modulation to phase modulation) can be explored.