Design and implementation of a compact Vector Network Analyzer

Abstract

Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs) are extensively used in Radio Frequency circuit design to characterize RF components and systems. They are also used for materials characterization, as analyzing the purity of petroleum or for detecting skin tumors. These instruments perform the measurement of the S-parameters, which are used to describe the electrical behavior of linear electrical networks. In this project we are developing a miniature device that can be connected to a smartphone. Together, our device and the smartphone can provide some basic VNA features. The device will be in charge of the RF signals generation and detection, while the phone will be used to provide a User Interface (making use of its touch screen) and data processing. This new device would be of great importance in applications that require high mobility, as system¿s validation in difficult locations (for example an antenna located on the top of a tower); it can also be of great use in education, because it would be a cheap instrument that could be used in university laboratories or high schools. In research it could be used in portable medical instruments and, finally, radio amateurs could have a great and affordable tool to use in their home projects. This project has been carried out within the van der Weide research group at the College of Engineering of the University of Wisconsin ¿ Madison.