Experiences and applications of adopting the ARFTG MCP kit in the network analyzer measurement assurance program

The ARFTG Measurement Comparison Program (MCP) for various verification kits has been around for more than ten years. The calibration and accuracy of automatic network analyzers (ANA) depend on the calibration kit and its process. The verification kit is widely used as a check standard for verifying the performance of ANAs. However, the measurement accuracy of the ANAs can not be determined based on the verification process. It, in terms, provides the so-called "traceability" path for users and the industry. At our implementation of ARFTG MCP kits, we have found out the strength of this process. We are able to maintain some consistency of our measurement assurance program among the various users and types of ANAs and kits. This is an important experience for those calibration labs seeking for accreditation in the future. At Anritsu company, we have introduced assurance airline (i.e., beaded airline) for verifying the performance of ANAs. It played a key role of building the confidence with our ANAs and calibration process. With the help of ARFTG MCP kits and delicate analysis, we were able to understand the major sources of discrepancy in our measurement and standards for our key customer and focus on the primary problems of the measurement accuracy. This paper discusses the above points in details.