Specifications

Chapter 7
Measurement Calibration
7-1 INTRODUCTION This section provides discussion and examples for performing a
measurement calibration. It also provides a detailed procedure for
calibrating with a sliding termination.
7-2 CONVENTIONS Refer to Chapter 1, paragraph 1-13, for an explanation of the
typographic conventions used to document the procedures.
7-3 MEASUREMENT
CALIBRATION—
DISCUSSION
Measurements always include a degree of uncertainty due to
imperfections in the measurement system. The measured value is
always a combination of the actual value plus the systematic
measurement errors. Calibration, as it applies to network analysis,
characterizes the systematic measurement errors and subtracts them
from the measured value to obtain the actual value.
The calibration process requires that you establish the test ports,
perform the calibration, and confirm its quality. Let us examine each
of these steps.
Establishing
the Test Ports
Figures 7-1 and 7-2 are two of the most common
approaches used to make measurements on two-port
devices. In many cases, you may need adapters to
change between connector types (N, SMA, GPC-7,
etc.) or between genders (male [M] or female [F]).
MS462XX OM 7-3
PORT 1
PORT 2
Figure 7-1. Establishing the Test Port