Understanding VNA Calibration

The concept of calibration is presented and discussed in detail in this 36-page guide from Anritsu. Specific topics covered include how to configure the VNA for calibration, types of calibration and calibration kits. A minimal amount of calibration mathematics and theory is also covered.

Calibration is a tool for correcting for these imperfections, as well as other defects. There are an enormous number of possible calibration algorithms and many of them are implemented within VNAs. The choice between them is largely determined by the media the engineer is working in, the calibration standards available and the desired accuracy/ effort trade off. While these choices will be discussed in detail later in this chapter, they can be categorized according to two distinctions: calibration type (e.g., which ports are being corrected and to what level they are being corrected) and calibration algorithm (e.g., how the correction is being accomplished).