A Vector Network Analyzer can measure which of the following quantities?

A Vector Network Analyzer can measure which of the following quantities?

• A. A Vector Network Analyzer measures only frequency response.
• B. Complex impedance, VSWR, reflection coefficient, and S-parameters.
• C. It only measures power.
• D. It only measures phase.

Answer: (B)

A Vector Network Analyzer characterizes how a device under test behaves when fed with RF signals by measuring both the magnitude and the phase of the signals that are reflected from and transmitted through the device, across frequency. This capability yields S-parameters, which describe the relationship between incident and emergent waves at each port; for a two-port, you get reflections (S11, S22) and transmissions (S21, S12). Those complex S-parameters can be converted into other useful quantities: the complex impedance (Z), the reflection coefficient (Gamma), and the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). The reflection coefficient is related to impedance by Gamma = (Z − Z0)/(Z + Z0), and VSWR is derived from Gamma as VSWR = (1 + |Gamma|)/(1 − |Gamma|). So a VNA provides complex impedance, reflection coefficient, VSWR, and S-parameters, with their frequency dependence across the sweep.

A Vector Network Analyzer characterizes how a device under test behaves when fed with RF signals by measuring both the magnitude and the phase of the signals that are reflected from and transmitted through the device, across frequency. This capability yields S-parameters, which describe the relationship between incident and emergent waves at each port; for a two-port, you get reflections (S11, S22) and transmissions (S21, S12). Those complex S-parameters can be converted into other useful quantities: the complex impedance (Z), the reflection coefficient (Gamma), and the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). The reflection coefficient is related to impedance by Gamma = (Z − Z0)/(Z + Z0), and VSWR is derived from Gamma as VSWR = (1 + |Gamma|)/(1 − |Gamma|). So a VNA provides complex impedance, reflection coefficient, VSWR, and S-parameters, with their frequency dependence across the sweep.