Touch Screen Convenience in the Race for Affordable S-Parameters

The VNA Master MS2035B with added Spectrum Analyzer is compact in size and high in performance field rugged Vector Network Analyzer. Providing true vector error corrected S-parameter data, this analyzer is easy to use with large, high resolution (800 x 600) touch screen display, and depending on the model and options, capable of much more than just VNA measurements. Industry leading DANL and Phase Noise performance. Standard capability includes 1-Path, 2-Port VNA measurements, with a standard, user selectable GUI mode which allows the user to choose between the standard VNA S-parameter format or a more simplified Cable and Antenna analyzer format known as “Field Mode”. Both modes deliver the same high level of measurement precision and accuracy which the VNA Master products are well known for. Additional options extend functionality even further, making the VNA Master much more versatile in the field and eliminating the need to carry multiple instruments.

RF engineers and technicians in the field provide installation and maintenance support for aerospace, defense, and general purpose communication systems around the world. These might typically include radars on Navy ships, communications on Army vehicles, flight-line test on Air Force and commercial jets. They support VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) antennas in radio navigational systems globally. They will be routinely faced with a wide variety of system elements that can cause failures in the overall system: antennas, cables, filters, multiplexers, amplifiers, isolators, circulators, switches, and other sophisticated elements. The Compact VNA Master, with its new touch-screen display provides the best intuitive measurement control in field diagnostic conditions.

VNA Master, now with standard distance domain (requires firmware version 1.20 or greater), also serves in new high technology applications such as a novel application is the age-old problem of fault location in aircraft and shipboard wire cable bundles that snake through bulkheads and compartments.

+Spectrum Analyzer (9 kHz to 6 GHz)

At the test site, the systems contain sophisticated transmitters and receivers, which require characterization of their complex transmitter and receiver (LO) signals for proper performance. These comprehensive signal tests increase the job complexity for the maintenance technician, on top of the VNA tests already needed. A field-friendly spectrum analyzer can greatly simplify this task. Spectrum analysis data are especially critical in microwave systems such as radars, defense electronics and communication systems up to 6 GHz).

The MS2035B VNA Master + Spectrum Analyzer adds a powerful spectrum diagnostic capability in the field to the already powerful VNA Master! Don’t let the small footprint fool you; this combined instrument powerhouse offers performance and features that rival bench-top alternatives for simplifying spectrum monitoring, interference analysis, and other general purpose signal measurements in the field.

This combined spectrum analyzer offers significant new features such as an internal routine which optimizes sweeps at the fastest possible speed for the most accurate data displays. It also offers broad spectrum analysis frequency coverage, impressive dynamic range, and excellent phase noise performance from 9 kHz to 6 GHz.

The VNA Master + Spectrum Analysis includes many standard measurement sequences, including field strength, occupied bandwidth, channel power, adjacent channel power ratio, and carrier to interference (C/I) ratio. In addition, the built-in AM/FM/SSB demodulator allows users to listen to the signal which simplifies the task of identifying interfering signals. Option 0509, AM/FM/PM Demodulation Analysis, provides powerful computation functions for displaying RF modulation spectrum and audio characterizations. Option 0025, Interference Analyzer simplifies the task of locating troublesome interferers. Overall, the VNA Master + Spectrum Analyzer is a powerful handheld tool for general purpose spectrum analysis anywhere, anytime.