VNA Calibration
Good VNA calibration is imperative to accurate, metrology-grade measurements. Without a good calibration kit and consistent and reliable calibration of a VNA, your measurements are not reliable. There is also annual verification of an instrument (also often referred to as calibration) that requires the VNA performance to be verified yearly.
The objective of verifying performance of test equipment regularly is to ensure measurement performance is within published specifications. Testing procedures for CMT instruments are well-aligned with established industry processes. For example, VNA calibration procedures conventionally include measurement of RF output power, frequency accuracy, harmonic distortion, as well as S-parameter measurement accuracy.
Copper Mountain Technologies recommends a 12-month calibration interval for all VNAs and Automatic Calibration Modules (ACMs) we produce; however, the actual calibration interval is defined by the end user organization’s quality policy and can be extended based on the nature of the instruments’ use.
We offer a full range of calibration services and repairs. Our Indianapolis calibration laboratory is accredited in accordance with the recognized international standard ISO/IEC 17025 (2017) and meets the requirements of ANSI/NCSL Z540-1994-1. Alternatively, our network analyzers and calibration kits can be calibrated by any ISO17025-accredited and Z540-1 compliant calibration lab worldwide. The VNA Performance Test (VNAPT) software application is not required but is available for third-party laboratories without restriction and can be downloaded here.
If sending your instruments to Copper Mountain Technologies for annual verification is not convenient, our network analyzers can be calibrated by any ISO17025-accredited and Z540-1 compliant calibration lab worldwide. For any international calibration needs please view our recommended third-party lab map below to find a calibration lab near you.
Below are a number of resources and assets related to calibration and annual verification of a VNA to help you ensure you are always getting the most accurate measurements from your VNA.
