The N2PK Vector Network Analyzer (N2PK VNA) Frequently, presenters must deliver material of a technical nature to an audience unfamiliar with the topic or vocabulary. The material may be complex or heavy with detail. To present technical material effectively, use the following guidelines from Dale Carnegie Training®.   Consider the amount of time available and prepare to organize your material. Narrow your topic. Divide your presentation into clear segments. Follow a logical progression. Maintain your focus throughout. Close the presentation with a summary, repetition of the key steps, or a logical conclusion. Keep your audience in mind at all times. For example, be sure data is clear and information is relevant. Keep the level of detail and vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Use visuals to support key points or steps. Keep alert to the needs of your listeners, and you will have a more receptive audience. Paul Kiciak, N2PK

What Does “Vector” Mean? Vector: magnitude & direction (angle) Scalar: magnitude only Scalars: 22 MPH, 50 ohms, 6 dB Vectors: Wind: 22 MPH from SSE Impedance: 25 ohms @ -12 degrees Reflection: 0.50 @ 155 degrees Polar vs. Rectangular Vectors Equivalent representations Polar: 25 ohms @ -12 deg. Rectangular: 24.45-j5.20 ohms If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/22/07 N2PK

Some “Networks” General: Black box: don’t care what’s inside ‘Ports’ instead of ‘inputs’ & ‘outputs’ Number of Parameters: N*N for N-port DUT: N-Port Device Under Test 2-port: Examples: 1-ports: antenna, R, L, C 2-ports: filters, pair of antennas 4-port: directional coupler If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/22/07 N2PK

What Does A VNA Measure? Reflection Parameters: Impedance*, Admittance*, SWR, Return Loss, Reflection Coefficient* Equivalent series & parallel R, L, C Q Transmission Parameters: Gain*, dB Group delay in seconds Components: Antennas, coax, … Inductors, capacitors, resistors Filters: crystal, LC, … Amplifiers & attenuators Duplexers, diplexers, directional couplers, … Diodes, transistors, … If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. * Complex (vector) 01/23/07 N2PK

Some VNA History HP 8410A – late 60’s, 110 MHz-12.4 GHz HP 8753C – late 80’s, 300 kHz-6 GHz Agilent E5071C – current, 9 kHz-3 GHz N2PK VNA (by VE3MM) – current, 50 kHz-60 MHz 01/22/07 N2PK

Key Specs Frequency Range: VNA: 50 kHz – 60 MHz, 0.034 Hz steps LO source: <1 Hz with Hi-Z load Detectors options: Single or dual Slow, single rate (original) Fast, variable rate Fast Detector Rates: 10 rates, software selectable 3.5 freqs/sec @ slowest rate 900 freqs/sec @ fastest rate Dynamic Range (w/o averaging): >110 dB dynamic range @ slowest rate 90 dB dynamic range @ fastest rate Effective Detector RF Bandwidth: 7 Hz @ slowest rate 3.4 kHz @ fastest rate Virtually immune to external signals (antenna testing) No adjustments PC software controlled via Parallel port or USB port Standalone version by VE7IT – built-in controller & display Homebrew: $250 for a single detector version If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/22/07 N2PK

How Does It Work? RF & LO Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) Sources If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. RF & LO Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) Sources Linear Detector: Synchronous Direct Conversion to DC Sequential Quadrature: 0 deg, then 90 deg, & the difference is VERY accurate 24 bit Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 01/22/07 N2PK

Expanded N2PK VNA Optional Transverter for VHF/UHF If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. Optional Transverter for VHF/UHF 01/22/07 N2PK

Hardware Single Detector PCB VE3IVM Dual Detector PCB Reflection Bridge PCB Power Board If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. Calibration standards 01/22/07 N2PK

Some N2PK VNAs SM0CFO+SM6PXJ AG4AY GM4SEK W8WWV OZ1DUG VE7IT - standalone 01/22/07 N2PK

Software N2PK DOS based (programs function in DOS or Windows) Reflection Open/Short/Load (OSL) calibration Optional Low-Loss Capacitor (LLC) standard for low-loss & Hi-Q DUTs Transmission Through calibration (assumes 50 ohm source and load impedances) Reflection & Transmission OSL and Through – real time simultaneous reflection and transmission Optional 12-term error correction with S-Parameter Test Set Special Test Programs: VNA RF Self-Test (Vs, Zs, Zd) Crystals (Fs, Fp, Rm, Lm, Cm, Co, Q) Coax (Zo, attenuation constants) Component modeling (future) Windows programs (all do reflection or transmission & good graphics) Exeter (W8WWV) VNA4win (GM4PMK & GM3SEK) WINVNA (OZ1DUG) Windows Data File Viewers IVMan Lite (VE3IVM) Zplots (AC6LA’s Excel app) If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/22/07 N2PK

Some Test Results N2PK DOS - Reflection N2PK DOS - Transmission Exeter - Reflection VNA4win - Transmission 01/22/07 N2PK

How Good Is It? Correlations with commercial VNAs Transmission Reflection Rs, ohms Cs, pF ------------------- ------------------- F N2PK 8753C Delta N2PK 8753C Delta -- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 1 25.20 19.25 +5.95 198.6 199.3 -0.7 10 24.98 24.97 +0.01 199.2 199.1 +0.1 20 24.96 24.97 -0.01 199.9 200.1 -0.2 30 24.97 24.98 -0.01 201.1 202.1 -1.0 40 24.98 24.95 +0.03 202.9 202.9 0.0 50 24.98 25.00 -0.02 205.0 206.2 -1.2 60 24.97 25.00 -0.03 207.8 208.6 -0.8 Jack Smith, K8ZOA (http://www.cliftonlaboratories.com/faq.htm) "If you are interested in filter analysis, you should really look into the N2PK VNA. There's a Canadian ham selling PCBs for it. I have one (one of the W8WWV group purchase) and it's an excellent piece of gear--within its frequency range fully as accurate as any of my HP network analyzers. " Ian White, GM3SEK, (http://lists.contesting.com/_rfi/2004-06/msg00002.html) “The N2PK vector network analyzer has superb accuracy, even by professional standards; " Ian White, GM3SEK, (http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Towertalk/2006-12/msg00937.html) "Compared with amateur-market instruments that rely on build quality alone, the use of calibrations takes the N2PK into the professional league for accuracy. " Rudy Severns, N6LF, (http://www.antennasbyn6lf.com/files/160_m_vertical_measurements.pdf) "The impedance measurements were straight forward. These measurements were made using an N2PK vector network analyzer. Crosschecking with an HP 3577A analyzer, the measurements appear to be better than 1% which is more than adequate. " If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/30/07 N2PK

Publications Pat Hawker, G3VA, "Technical Topics", Sept. 2004, RadCom Ian White, G3SEK, photo of his VNA on RadCom cover, Oct 2004 Ian White, G3SEK, "In Practice" Oct 2004, RadCom, http://wwwco.uk/g3sek/in-prac/61_62_radcom_oct04.pdf A photo of the VNA PCB of the RF DDS, cover of the RSGB 2003-2004 Annual Report Giancarlo Moda, I7SWX, April 2004, Radio Rivista, "IL VECTOR NETWORK ANALYZER DI N2PK“ Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT, January 2006, Bacon Bits Quarterly Newsletter, http://www.fpqrp.com/BBITS/BBQ0106.PDF and The QRP Quarterly, Spring 2006 John Devoldere, ON4UN, "Low-Band DXing", 4th Edition, Section 3.6.9, pg 11-34 Dave Roberts, G8KBB, "USB Interfacing“, Oct. 2005, RadCom If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/22/07 N2PK

Web Resources Agilent - VNA Fundamentals: http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5965-7707E.pdf Paul Kiciak, N2PK – documentation, build info, DOS software: http://n2pk.com Greg Ordy, W8WWV - build info: http://www.seed-solutions.com/gregordy/Amateur Radio/Experimentation/N2PKVNA/N2PKVNA.htm Ivan Makarov, VE3IVM - build info: http://www.makarov.ca/vna.htm Ian White, GM3SEK - build info: http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek/in-prac/best-of.htm#n2pk Dave Roberts, G8KBB, VNA USB interface: http://uk.geocities.com/g8kbb@btinternet.com/newfile.htm Lawrence Glaister, VE7IT – standalone VNA: N2PK VNA PCB + custom controller & display http://members.shaw.ca/swstuff/vna.html Windows software: Exeter, Greg Ordy, W8WWV: http://www.seed-solutions.com/gregordy/Software/Exeter.htm VNA4win, Roger Blackwell, GM4PMK, & Ian White, GM3SEK: http://www.marsport.org.uk/vna4win/index.htm WinVNA, Joakim Soya, OZ1DUG: http://www.planker.dk/oz6frs/2004/Projekter/Igang/N2PK/N2PK_VNA.htm IVMan Lite data file viewer, Ivan Makarov, VE3IVM: http://www.makarov.ca/vna_ivmanlite.htm Zplots Excel data file viewer, Dan Macguire, AC6LA: http://www.ac6la.com/zplots.html N2PK-VNA Yahoogroup (almost 500 members): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/N2PK-VNA If you have several points, steps, or key ideas use multiple slides. Determine if your audience is to understand a new idea, learn a process, or receive greater depth to a familiar concept. Back up each point with adequate explanation. As appropriate, supplement your presentation with technical support data in hard copy or on disc, e-mail, or the Internet. Develop each point adequately to communicate with your audience. 01/23/07 N2PK