Electronic Vector - Network - Analyzer Verification ■

118 October 2009 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2009.933595 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently introduced a new electronic approach for verifying microwave vectornetwork-analyzer (VNA) calibrations with a single computer-controlled electronic verifi cation artifact. The verifi cation results are captured in easy-tounderstand performance metrics that, unlike those derived from measurements of mechanical verifi cation artifacts, are independent of the actual artifacts employed. The approach also verifi es VNA calibrations more completely than was previously possible. Finally, NIST’s VeridiCal [ve·rid·i·cal, adj. 1. truthful. 2. corresponding to facts. (Random House Dictionary)] software automates the entire process and allows you to log results directly to NIST servers over the Internet or generate verifi cation reports on site, greatly simplifying record keeping.